#audi home country

[freakyformula]

Knight in shining armor

Summary: Readers car breaks down on the road and her friend Max picks her up.

Writers comment: Sorry for the inactivity, I had one of my wisdom teeth pulled and developed dry socket lol rip

Warnings: Some fluff

Word count: 2k

You had spent the last week away for a holiday with your family. You lived in Monaco while your family still resided in your home country. You had barely graduated college when you decided to work abroad. Living away from your family was tough, but the week after you moved in, as you walked home, you stopped by the harbour and that's where you met him. Max Verstappen. He was handsome and had the finest smile you'd ever seen. Stating that you fell for him then and there would be an overstatement but you felt something in your heart.

You thought you recognised his face but couldn't place him. When he laid his eyes on you, on the other hand, he stopped in his tracks and studied you for a moment. Then, he walked up to you and introduced himself. And the rest was history, you instantly hit it off as friends. Max was special, you two had something that you hadn't ever felt with anyone else. When he was home from his busy job in Formula 1, you would often spend time together, even sleeping at each other's apartments, although not in the same bed. You lived in the same district as him, Fontveille, only a couple of buildings apart.

"Yeah, yeah, Max! I'll be at your place in about an hour." You laugh as you hear Max's worried voice on the other end of the phone.

"Please drive carefully." He pleads.

He'd insisted on picking you up from the airport or ordering an Uber but you politely declined.

As you grab your bags, you walk straight to the car rental. You glanced at the cars available and decided on a small black Audi. You had to admit that you were tired. The long flight had taken its toll, and you started to regret insisting on driving home but you felt like you had to prove to Max that you could take care of yourself.

You pay for the car and drag your heavy bags out. Getting them into the small car was a task itself but you managed, somehow. As you started your 20-minute drive you felt the fatigue in your body. When you made it onto the highway you felt relieved, because you were one step closer to home and Max.

You'd barely made it halfway when the car started to lose power, leaving you stranded at the edge of the highly trafficked highway. "Fuck… What do I do.." You panicked, you didn't have any numbers saved and didn't know French that well yet so calling for a tow was out of the question. You didn't really care about the car at this point, but rather about how you were supposed to make it home safely. You had to think for a few minutes, listing your options in your head. Then, as if by a miracle, the phone called. Max. Shit, what was she going to say, that she was a damsel in distress and she was stuck on the highway?

"Hi, Max." You said.

"Hi lieverd, are you home soon? I was getting worried."

"Ummm, so, I'm kinda stuck on the highway… The damn car broke down. But I'm figuring it out, I promise!" You blurt the last part out. Silence. You waited for a reply for what felt like a minute. You hear the sound of keys clinging. "I'm on my way. Y/N, please for the love of god, stay in the car and turn your location on." Max quickly and shortly replies before he hangs up.

"I…" You start before you realise that he ended the call. You did as he'd told you and looked around. The cars drove past at such fast and close proximity.

This was Max in a nutshell, always there, having all of the solutions to the world's problems up his sleeve. You felt so pathetic at the fact that you couldn't even make your way home by yourself.

15 minutes later, you see a car that you quickly identify as Max's car speed by on the other side of the highway. He quickly makes his way to your lane and parks his car behind yours.

He walks up to your broken-down car, minding the traffic. "Need a ride?" He teases.

"Shut up!" You step out, giving his side a nudge. You open the trunk where the bags were, and Max drags them to his car, placing them in the back with care.

You lock the Audi and step into Max's luxurious and grand Aston Martin. It smells like him.

"Ready to go?" Max asks and grabs the wheel.

You take his hand into yours and stare into his eyes as he turns to look at you in confusion.

"Thank you, for this." You thank him, making him huff.

"Of course Y/N, I told you I should have picked you up. I want to spend all the time I can with you before the next race weekend." You smile at him and you start the drive to Monaco and Fontveille. The whole way home, he held your hand tightly, as if he was scared to lose you. The gesture made your heart even warmer than it already was.

Max parks neatly and effortlessly in his parking house and carries your bags out, insisting on handling them. You walk behind him like a puppy, letting him lead you to his apartment.

As you walk in, you instantly toss your shoes and crash on his sofa, with him following, laying down beside you.

"Wanna order some food?" You whisper, looking at him.

"Someone's hungry, I see. What do you want, princess?"

"Something really unhealthy, preferably. Pizza, maybe?"

And with that, you ordered your food with Max, playfully arguing whether pineapple was acceptable to put on pizza.

"Do you want to do something in particular tonight, schat?"

"Anything that includes you sounds good to me." You smile at him.

"Does snuggles sound good to you? You look tired." Max says.

You nod as an answer, as you switch on the TV, leaving on the random rom-com in the background. You grab a blanket that was left on the sofa and lie down with your head in Max's lap. You both sigh contently. He slowly rubs your head, giving you a relaxing head massage.

You loved his attention to your needs, he had always treated you with respect under this last year that you'd known each other. Max was always extremely clingy with you, holding your hand, and reminding you how much he likes spending time with you. You didn't think anything of it at the time but lately you started noticing how caring he actually was. He wasn't like this with anyone else of the girls from your mutual friend group either.

As you were thinking about the signs Max gave you, he must have noticed how distant you were because he took your hand and gave it a squeeze.

"You okay?" He asks with concern in his voice.

"Yes, I am, Max." You chuckled and gave him a squeeze back.

"How was your holiday? Tell me everything." Max asks of you.

As you tell him all of the gossip and details he starts to rub your hands, creeping up your arms. And then, he pulls you into his arms, leaving a quick kiss on the top of your head.

You pulled away. You weren't against the affection, but you needed some clarity. Max was like a closed book when it came to his feelings and emotions, rarely talking about what he felt, regardless of whether it was positive or negative.

You quickly gather your thoughts and Max seems to do the same.

"W-what are we doing?" You ask him.

He looks you in the eyes and cups your cheeks, unable to keep his hands off you. You didn't protest, vice versa, you leaned into his touch. This was new but it felt right.

He sighed. "What I'm going to tell you is something I've been waiting to say for the last year or so. I should have told you sooner but I was scared you would reject me. Y/N, I really really like you… More than as a friend, and I've been trying to ignore my feelings for you but I'm simply unable to keep this to myself any longer."

You were speechless, you had your suspicions but it still came as a surprise.

"It's okay if you don't feel the same way about me, but I couldn't keep it in." He continues.

"Max…" You break the eye contact. "I like you too, I mean… A lot."

Max eyes warm up with joy, and he gives you the warmest smile you'd ever seen. His smile reached all the way up to his eyes, and you thought it was the most adorable thing you'd ever seen.

You wake up in a bed. The sheets smell fresh, like citrus, and Max's cologne. You turn around, rubbing your eyes, but find no one on the other side of the bed. You find your way downstairs, to the living room and kitchen. Max is standing at the stove with his back turned to you. What is he possibly doing, you think. It's common knowledge that Max sucks at cooking.

You sit down at the kitchen island, getting lost in his beauty. It's quiet, the only exception being Max's swear words as he manages to burn himself and whatever is in the pan. After a while, he breaks the silence, "You know, Y/N, it's not polite to stare." He says as he turns around to face you.

You were embarrassed and sat there stuttering, not quite knowing what to say. "I-I-I swear I wasn't!"

Max laughs, "Uh huh..." And scoops two eggs onto each plate. One for you and one for himself. "Thank you, Max, this is too much..." You say, still blushing. He walks around the island and takes a seat next to you, giving your temple a light kiss while holding his arm around you.

"No, Y/N. This is barely enough." He smiles.

"So... What happened last night?" You ask. You really didn't remember, you must've dozed off.

"We talked about your holiday, and what happened last night, you know, you ending up on the road, and you fell asleep. I carried you to my bed, and I slept on the sofa. Nothing happened, by the way." He clarifies, holding his hands up. You look at him, and you can't make out if you were shocked or happy, or something else. One thing you knew for sure though, you were thankful for him. As he gets up again to get some juice and bread, you walk up to him, not saying anything. "Y/N, what's wrong?" He asks, worried.

You're lost in his eyes, and stand there like a fool. Just studying his beautiful stance. You had no idea what got into you, but you fall into his arms, holding him tightly, not letting go.

Max laughs nervously, "What are you doing?" While hugging you back, or rather squeezing you. You were unable to even breathe while he was holding you. You stay like that for what feels like forever, both of you fusing together, not being able to let go, not wanting to let go.

When you finally part, you're both out of breath from holding each other so hard. "Shall we?" Max asks, pointing to the eggs. As you eat, you don't say anything, neither does Max. You're processing what just happened and Max seems to do the same. You didn't regret hugging him, on the contrary, you were happy with yourself.

"I think I love you, Y/N." Max admits while washing the two plates, not daring to look at you.

Hearing the words, you freeze. You know exactly what to say, but the words don't come out. Max finally turns around to face you, and you're sat with the blankest of expressions, further worrying him. "Y/N?" He walks up to you.

"I... I think I love you too?" You ask yourself, already knowing the answer. You did love him, there was no question. You'd always loved him.

Upon hearing your words, Max lets out a sigh of relief, while walking up to you, and embracing you.

"Thank fuck." He sighs. You can feel him almost trembling, or rather vibrating from nervousness. His grip on you tightens, pulling you closer, before he lets you out of his grip. "Let me rephrase that, I don't think I love you, I love you."

[yanderedrabbles]

Yandere sugar daddy made me giggle with him buying me a car 🚗 Cuz I can’t drive…This then led me to think how fucked I am in a relationship with any of your yanderes cuz I’m practically a sitting duck 🦆 What am I going to do if I wanna get away from them? Wait on the side of the road to take a public transport bus? 🚌 Or do I gotta bike my way to freedom? 🚲 😭

Speaking of vehicles though…for the yanderes that this question is appreciable…what’re the cars they drive vs. the dream car or car that you think fits their aesthetic? 🚗

Also who’s ok with me being their cute lil passenger princess? 👑

girl, it's so embarrassing but I can't drive either 😭

Atp, I think we'll need to Uber our way to freedom. Tip the drive 100% in case of damages caused by deranged exes.

Yandere boys and their cars

Yandere! Boyfriend definitely drives a Jeep wrangler. He's a big guy and he needs the extra space. I also see him as the more outdoorsy type, so a Jeep is perfect for all his hiking and climbing gear. He loves his car for the sole reason that you like sitting shotgun in summer, the roof down and your hair blowing in the wind. It makes for a damn pretty sight.

Yandere! State Trooper is assigned one of those State Police Dodge Challengers. All American muscle that thrums up through the seats. If there's ever a car chase or an evading suspect, he's first on the scene. On quiet nights, he'll head to the highway and gun it. V8 engine roaring even louder than the sirens. He's not supposed to, but he likes taking you for a drive now and then. He likes the way you cling to the dash and shake when he blows through the speed limit.

Yandere! Cop is a certified Ford pickup kind of guy. It's got space, it's got power but most importantly, it doesn't stand out. This is Middle America baby, they're everywhere. When he follows you, he knows for a fact you won't notice him. His only customization is the extremely tinted windows. Can't have you seeing his face when he takes all those pictures of you, now can he?

Yandere! Academic Rival has trustfund money to spend and his daddy's whole garage to choose from. For everyday, I can see him driving a BMW or Audi roadster. Sleek, sporty and modern. But on the weekends, when he's driving up the coast to his country house, he's definitely taking something vintage. He has a whole collection of luxury old money convertibles - every single one of them something you expect to see at St. Moritz.

Yandere! Mobster drives a Cadillac Town Sedan. It's got a powerful engine to outrun the pigs and plenty of trunk space to stash smuggled alcohol. He absolutely adores taking you on long drives. Windows open to catch the fresh air, picnic basket on the back seat, your head resting on his shoulder on the way home... What's not to love?

Yandere! Sugar Daddy is new money. And a tech nerd. So I see him mostly driving electric cars, maybe a Porsche Taycan for 'everyday use' (who the hell drives a Porsche like a regular commuter car? Your Croesus rich boyfriend, that's who). And something extra luxurious for weekends and date nights - probably something like the Yangwang U9. He loves messing around with the extra features and plugging the cars into his computer diagnostic system. Surprisingly, he's not that fond of actually driving. He much prefers you do it and let him enjoy the scenery.

Yandere! Werewolf drives a vintage cherry red Mustang. He bought it cheap off an older guy who hated the repairs, and spent all summer working on it. By extension, that meant you spent all summer sprawled across the backseat, thumbing through fashion magazines and listening to golden oldies on the radio. It's got plenty of space and if he was the kinda guy to make a move on a girl at the drive in, this would be the car to do it in.

[ethereal555]

JEALOUSY, JEALOUSY.

angst x jobe bellingham.

You’ve never seen Jobe act this way before. We had just finished our dinner at Hakkasan which started off lovely; you'd both missed each other to bits. It started when Jobe expressed his confusion about the amount our waiter spoke to me, the way in which he spoke and looked at me and definetly didnt like the fact I was slighly enthusiatic in return when the mans questions regarding my profession. And no matter how many times i'd tell Jobe, that 'it's common decency' it fell upon deaf ears every time.

In situations such as these which occured often, he'd be a baby about it and whine about how all the men we come across were always infactuated with me and how it wasn't fair because I am his and his only. Or he'd tell me to be more blunt and harsh in my rejections. At least he was communicating with me..

But this time, it was an intense silence on the way back home, a silence that left your mind unsettled.

-

You both made your way back to his black Audi. Your gaze frequently shifting from the side profile and then to the floor as you internally prepared yourself to rectify this issue before it got out of hand.

Your gaze landed on Jobe again only to see his sharp jawline prominent due to the extent of which he was tensing it. Tensed hard enough to break glass. You also noticed his walking pace quickening by the second, another telling sign of the volcanic eruption brewing within him.

“J, you’re going too fast can you hold my hand please?” you whined. You knew he wasn’t in the mood for that and definitely had other things on his mind but he did it anyway reaching his long arm back and in doing so not sparing me a glance. Your rolled your eyes, hard.

You latched onto his hand making your way back to the car at a decent speed this time. Thank God.

Everytime you both were at a social event, there would always be an odd circunstance that occurs leaving one of you jealous, disheartened or upset. Jobe was the usual culprit; you had told your man for what felt like the uptenneth times that you were an attractive girl, men were bound to stop and stare and wink and do whatever they desired and the same applied to him. But you also told him, there would never be any reciprocation from your side; which you expected him to trust. Simply saying thank you to compliments would suffice. Just common decency that you'd been taught growing up- it wasn't going to change. It baffled you as you'd never given him any slack throughout your 3 year relationship about any of the thousands of fangirls that were overbearring and desperate around him. You trusted him, and you were secure.

This time, you think it hit harder for him because it was supposed to be an especially romantic date; as you both had been apart for 5 months in different countries for work purposes - so you did sympathize slightly.

You halt in your tracks, consequently making Jobe's walking stop. He looks back at you, unimpressed. You smile at him sweetly, leaning up to kiss his mouth. 'Please don't be mad at me. Baby, I've missed you so much and I want us spend quality time tonight. I really enjoyed dinner and I want to enjoy.. you later.' you whine as you pepper wet kisses over his jawline and neck. Hoping he'd leave this atttitude in the resturant and not bring it home with us.

You see his adam's apple move up and down, he beckons with his head 'Get in the car, Tee', pushing at your waist.

You both get to the car, and to your surprise he doesn’t open the door for you, like he usually does. He goes straight to the drivers seat and sits.

You scoff entering from your side of the car, slamming it shut once you were in.

“Listen Jobe. Bellingham. Don’t let your jealousy get you fucked up. I don’t give a toss if you're pissed , especially because of how stupid it is. You’re still my man. So act right.” You scold mushing his head with your index and middle finger.

He moves his head away from your hands.

“Stop - don’t touch meh or ya walking home, crazy girl”

“Get the lad in 'er to rush over and open the door for ya, and 'em lads you like to entertain. Desperate” He said gesturing towards the waiter who was now serving some guests who were seated outside.

You look at him dumbfounded. Mouth wide open.

'I could.. Jobe.. i could spit on your right now, how dare you..?'.

'Try it' he dares, an inferno arising in his chest.

“Y-You're really upset because I was being a decent human being. You’re a child you know that right? and you're fucking childish and immature and direspectful as fuck” you spat.

“That’s great actually - fucking brilliant - because I’d rather be a child than be a fucking flirt that hasn’t a self aware bone in their body” he humours, driving out of the parking lot.

It felt like your heart dropped.

“A flirt? When did I flirt?” I questioned hysterically. I understand Jobe was jealous , and had those tendencies, but to say I was entertaining another man was absurd and not in my character.

You start to shake your feet, attempting to distract yourself from this recongizable feeling. The heat you felt rising from your chest racing toward your throat, your cheeks burning and your eyes stinging. No, you thought, I'm not giving him the satisfaction.

'Stop the car', you cry. Struggling to get your phone our of your back, that was placed by your feet and underneath the dashboard.

Your voice betraying you.

'N-now, Jobe, I can't anymore' you shake your head continously.

'Ya can't do what?", his face softeneing for this first time as he briefly turns to look at you. He pulls into a side road and removes his seatbelt turning to face you. Rubbing his hands over his face as if I was the one stressing him out.

You chuckle bitterly 'that's the only thing you've listened to, this whole ride', your vision and your thoughts become blurry so you carefully remove the accumulated tears from your eyes as you try and call an uber, not wanting to pull any of your clusters out.

Jobe cradles your face when his left hand, you react as if his hand was a bowl of scorthching hot oil.

'If ya must ya can call the uber later, just look at me'.

You knew he hated to see you cry, that was his kryptonite, no matter how bad the arguement is.

His right had catches your other cheek until he has encaptured the entirety of your face within his palms. He stares, looking deep into your eyes, for what felt like minutes. maybe searching for words to say, accountability maybe.. you anticipated an apology ..

“Ya do this all the time me love.."

'what jobe, what i do?' you croak

'ya cry when I tell ya the truth, baby, ya know I don’t lie', he pecks the corner of your lips.

You break away and look at him through your now damp lash clusters and teary eyes.

my man my man my mf man

'make up your mind' - chris brown inspo kinda

i hate a nigga that doesnt take accountability btw.

[yuurei20]

This is a little bit of a weird long question lol

I'm more asking your opinion about it haha

I'm trying to think on it - is Idia an Otaku because that's the setting the game is for (Japanese audience) and those are the signifiers that a Japanese audience would recognize as "nerd", or is he just an Otaku in general and would still be a "Weeb/Anime nerd" if the original audience was American/otherwise western.

Like - what I mean is in American pop culture, the "Weeb/Anime fan" is kind of a subset of nerd. Like none of the characters from "the big bang theory" (to my knowledge) are "weebs", they aren't our most generic image of a nerd. If a character/person is a "Weeb" it usually means they have a specific interest in Japanese media, and this doesn't necessarily correlate to other "nerdy" things.

Because in America/Western settings, Japanese fandom culture is foreign (thus me using Weeb instead of Otaku though plenty of people call themselves Otaku rather than weeb), so the implications of Idia being a Weeb is somewhat different - he's no longer a "generic nerdy character", but something a tad more specific.

So like - how there's beansfest or the use of honorifics or how the unique magic works with pronunciation - that usage of Japanese culture and language to express what Yana is trying to do, but it isn't necessarily meant to be Japanese in universe, because NRC is distinctly not set in Japan or even the Twst equivalent of Japan

Basically to sum up my rambly question - do you think Idia is supposed to be a "Nerd" in general or is he supposed to be an "Otaku"?

Tldr, would Idia be buying "comic books" in the EN localization or would it still be "Manga"

How exactly is our dear Idia the Nerdy foil to Hercules's Jock lmao

Hello hello!! Thank you for this question! ^^

Is there a word that can encompass both, in English? 👀

I think this connects to how the word "otaku" in Japanese seems to be different from the word "otaku" as it has been adopted by English, so this might be confusing 💦 But I will do my best!

I found an excerpt from a book called "Otaku Marketing" that provides an explanation of "otaku"'s original meaning, summarized here:

The basic definition of an 'otaku' is someone with a particular obsession who devotes an extreme amount of time and money to that interest and possesses deep knowledge and imagination regarding it. The term can be viewed negatively, describing a person who is immersed in subcultures that are difficult for the general public to understand, and who lacks communication skills. These days it has become more generally accepted with a meaning similar to "enthusiast" or "fan", and its usage has diversified, including terms like "health otaku" that contrast with the negative connotation, but the original image of otaku as being obsessively dedicated, introverted, and intense remains. Examples of otaku include military enthusiasts, railway enthusiasts, Johnny's Entertainment enthusiasts, Gundam enthusiasts, Hanshin Tiger enthusiasts, etc.

This is very much Idia ^^ There are many traits associated with otaku that we see in him, from his stutter to how quickly he speaks when excited, self depreciation combined with contradictory pride, net slang--even the manner in which he laughs and the personal pronoun that he uses.

In English it seems that, as you say, the Japanese-language concept of "otaku" has been separated into "nerd" and "weeb."

Idia is interested in things like puzzles, board games, horror movies with practical effects and Halloween, which might not be the first thing that comes to mind when an English-speaker hears the word "otaku" and may push him more into the "nerd" category.

Idia mentions reading manga and watching anime, but is this just because the game is being developed in the same country that produces those things?

Is this a case of Idia not being fully localized, and an American-developed Twst would have made him interested in American comic books and cartoons to suit its home audience, as you say?

I agree that NRC does not seem to be set in Japan or even a Twst-Japan-equivalent, but that might be exactly the point: Idia is interested in media from another country, and that is where things get interesting!

It seems that a Twst-Japan equivalent exists, and Idia is a big fan of their pop culture 👀

Sam mentions branches of his Mystery shop that exist in the "East," introducing things from real-world-Japan culture in the New Years events.

How canonical the New Year's events are meant to be is a little vague, especially because everyone (except Azul, Jade, Floyd and Scarabia) go home for New Year's in the main story--a point that is integral to the plot of Book 4.

But even if New Years is meant to be a fun little spin-off with no real connection to the culture of the actual universe, we also have a vignette where Idia explains what ninja are to Silver, saying that "they live in a far eastern country," and mentioning things like "shuriken," "fireball jutsu" and "samurai."

If there is another word in English that encompasses both "weeb" and "nerd" together, then I think that might be it! If it must be one or the other...I am not sure!

I have seen EN players who missed the Harveston event insisting that Idia doesn't actually like anime, just movies and video games, so it seems to be a divisive subject on EN.

Idia's interest in the pop culture from this unnamed country in the East is definitely not his defining personality trait, being only one of the many facets of who he is ^^

How to express this in English seems more complex than one may think!

Is it inaccurate to describe Idia as a "weeb" because of the depth of his interest in locally-produced board games and movies that have nothing to do with Twst-Japan-equivalent-media? If he is referred to as a "nerd," will there be friction because of lines like, "an anime can be so good it's literally life-changing"? Are the two groups mutually exclusive in English?

I am not sure I have an answer :> Would be most grateful for any opinions and ideas!

[fernandomagicalonsomanydances]

Been largely absent from Tumblr since I had to reset my phone but in preparation for the last race of the season here's my updated rating of the drivers based on how much I love and support them

1. Carlos - you are the reason I got into the sport Smooth Operator and "I ain't quitting you" even if you did decide to go to the cellar that is Williams

2. Fernando - with the Newey news hope is restored for my favorite old man to get his much deserved and long overdue 3 WDC "help me Adrian Newey you're my only hope"

3. Oscar - well with Logan and Danny gone and Checo leaving looks like you're getting adopted yet again Osco by me the American congratulations you can now claim 3 more races as "home races" because I'm claiming you as my home driver cause it sure ain't gonna be Canadian Nepo Baby

4. Esteban - oh Estie Bestie they didn't even let you say goodbye. Screw that shit show that is Alpine. Can't wait to see you take Haas to the next level with lovely Ollie Bear beside you (please don't hurt him or I will end you)

5. Max - my trauma bro for life who healed my inner child when he let his little sister Victoria put the sticker on the Redbull cooler at Qatar. You are the champion of the world and of the horror story that is your past

6. Lando - "a gentleman on and off the track" as your bro4lyfe Carlos said. I will never say anything bad about you again after how gallantly you treated Oscar. The goodest boy.

7. Franco - chaos powered by maté please don't go away. We need the heir of Sebastian's rizzardry and Senna's face to stick around

8. Charles - you can be a princess sometimes but you're my best friend's favorite princess just maybe don't act like someone pissed on your cheerios every time Carlos does better than you and please toughen up and lighten up because i don't know if I'm prepared to see BOTH Ferrari pilots be sad wet mops next year

9. Pierre - I used to think you were an arrogant little Frenchman who came off as vain but after burying the hatchet with Esteban at Brazil and then qualifying like a GOAT ever since I'm prepared to look past the past and actually like you now

10. Valterri - oh you cheeky cheeky Finn with your cheeks out everywhere, the grid won't be the same without you and if you want me to help you lock Helmut Marko in a shed so you can get that Redbull seat I'd only be too happy to help

11. Alex - sweet zookeeper I'm sorry your car is held together by scotch tape and prayers these days

12. Nico - the Just For Men hair care model that you are never change Nico... Except hopefully Audi can change the number of podiums you have

13. Yuki - feisty parkour king you deserve the seat alongside Max more than anyone else in the RB family currently and I will help you beat up Helmut Marko if that's what it takes

14. Checo - please go spend time with your family. You were great but you gotta go it's getting embarrassing leave before there's no dignity left to leave with and your successes get lost for the sour ending

15. Kevin - please use your last race in F1 to absolutely embrace the Danish Demolition Derby that you are and clear a path for Hulk's first podium and then enjoy your adorable lovely family and whatever sports you move on to next

16. Zhou - thanks for saving Sauber from the total ignominy of a big ole goose egg at the end of the year. I hope you come back cause you're such an inspiration to your country

17. George - once upon a time you were in my top 3 and then you decided chicanery was the way to take down Max. If you don't believe you can beat him on the track then admit it don't go plotting his downfall by getting him hit with penalty points for basically a non-event. I loved you but now you're just some whiny bitch I used to know

18. Lewis - you literally would have had a chance to surpass George if you too weren't being a whiny bitch Lewis. Threatening to not race the last 3! Whining before Brazil! Wanting to quit in Qatar! Are you or are you not a 7 time world champion? Freaking act like it. Regardless of whatever Toto may say you owe it to the team that brought you most of your championships to at least try. Think of Bono if you can't think of anyone else to show your appreciation by sucking it up a little bit bro

19. Lance - you are basically useless but at least your daddy's money will get my Daddy a better car since he brought Newey in with his dough

20. Liam - I was prepared to forgive you for replacing my beloved Danny Ric and then you went and acted like the biggest prick on the grid and decided it was on sight with any pilot who spoke Spanish or their teammates now at this rate. Your love for Cars cannot redeem your attitude which smells like Durian fruit.

[racingliners]

5 + sebchal 🫶🏻🫶🏻

Hi!!! Sorry this took all day, I don't know how to write short things. Hope you enjoy! 💚

sebchal + "I guess you are right" - send me a prompt!

Charles had changed his mind no less than fifty times about whether or not he should have simply flown to Switzerland instead of driving all the way up from Monaco. He’d already spent a good sleepless night before he left weighing up the pros and cons – flying would definitely have gotten the whole thing over with whatever the outcome, but driving through the French countryside and most of Switzerland gave Charles the most time to try and prepare a speech.

(The quickest way would have been to drive to Milan and then go North, but Charles wanted all the extra seconds the universe could spare him).

He’d spent the night at a hotel in Geneva that he couldn’t remember anything about other than the luxury setting and soft sheets, Charles still wasn’t able to think about much other than his destination.

He and Seb still exchanged Christmas cards, and Charles cherished every single one, which was why he thankfully didn’t have to ask Mia to ask Britta for Sebastian’s address. Something that would have added an extra layer of embarrassment to what Charles was about to do, maybe to the point of talking himself out of it, but he was glad that the irrational part of his mind was still winning out as he threw his weekend bag into the boot of his car (not his custom Ferrari, but a rental white Audi. He wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible).

Charles had expected the weather to be nicer for the second week of August, but instead the air was cool and the sky a barely there grey as he set off on the next leg of his journey.

He didn’t realise that he was in love with Sebastian until their last race as teammates, and every day since he’d kept his feelings buried so deep down there would be moments Charles would almost forget they were there. But then he’d see an Aston Martin drive past him, or a butterfly hovering on a flower and they would come back to the surface almost ten time stronger.

And now that Sebastian only had nine races left in his F1 career, for better or worse Charles decided he had to go to Switzerland to finally tell him how he felt.

The sky darkened the further into Switzerland Charles drove, and by the time he was 20 kilometres past Bern thick heavy raindrops started to batter the windscreen. He briefly considered pulling over at a service station but there was a small fire in his chest telling him to keep going, to keep driving.

Even in the pouring rain, Switzerland was beautiful. The deep green forests, the towering mountains that put the ones in Monaco to shame, the deep blue lakes that looked so much like Sebastian’s eyes it was borderline unnerving. Charles knew from the handful of pictures Seb had shown him over the years why Seb called the country home. There was a split second where Charles felt like he might be able to call it home too, but he gripped his hands tighter round the steering wheel to snap himself out of it.

As the pit of his stomach kept telling him, there was no guarantee Sebastian would now or ever love Charles back.

He allowed himself ten minutes at a service station just outside Lucerne for an espresso and a pep talk. After all, how hard would it really be to tell an ex-teammate that Charles was so in love with him he felt like bursting into flames if they were stood too close together.

Back in the driver’s seat, Charles gently brushed his hands down his navy button up shirt before resting them in his lap, allowing himself one deep breath before starting the car again, and driving away.

The closer he got to Sebastian’s house the more his throat seemed to tighten, to the point where he almost couldn’t breathe when Charles finally turned off the motorway and the satnav told him he would be at his destination in five short kilometres.

At some point the intensity of the rain had decreased to a light drizzle, Charles barely noticed it as he stepped out of the car but that might have been because he was fixated on the very unassuming front door to Sebastian’s house.

It was a dark wood with black metal fixtures screwed into it, and a tiny square glass window near the top. Charles was tall enough to look through it but he couldn’t see anything, as the rain started to fall heavier once more.

His whole mouth felt dry to the point he wasn’t sure if he would be able to get a word out let alone a sentence, and he realised that he’d left his coat in the car but he couldn’t turn and get it now when he was so close. Instead Charles slowly curled his right hand into a fist, and he knocked his knuckles against the wood three times.

All Charles could hear was the sound of the rain hitting the ground.

What was he thinking?! He should have called first, or at least texted Seb back in Lucerne to see if he was at home. For all Charles’ luck Sebastian was back in Heppenheim visiting his family and friends, or on holiday somewhere with someone that wasn’t Charles.

Why did he drive all this way in the hope that Sebastian already loved him in return?

Charles forced down a large gulp and bit down on his lip as he took two small steps away from the door. He didn’t want to leave, but maybe he had to. Maybe he would be better off letting his dreams of Sebastian go, maybe it would be easier this way.

He had just moved his left foot to turn himself round when the door opened.

“Charles?” And there Seb was, his gorgeous blue eyes wide as he looked Charles up and down in complete disbelief.

“Seb.” Charles said his name with a sigh of relief and a bright smile. He was right there, barely two metres away. If Charles tried hard enough he could probably smell Seb’s aftershave alongside the rain.

“What are you doing here?” “I love you.”

They both said at the exact same time, their faces fell mirroring each other perfectly.

“I’m sorry.” Charles said quickly. “I didn’t… I couldn’t keep it in anymore. I had to tell you before you left.”

Seb’s eyes glanced past Charles at the Audi with its French licence plate, and quickly put two and two together.

“You…” The hand that had been rested against the door frame fell to Seb’s side. He was wearing a light grey crewneck that Charles was sure he’d seen Seb wear on multiple factory visits to Maranello paired with dark jeans and navy socks. “You drove all the way here?”

“I know it’s stupid.” Charles wasn’t sure if he was speaking about his feelings or his life choices. “I couldn’t tell you over the phone, I wanted to see you before Spa because if I don’t tell you now I don’t think I ever will. Because in time I’ll be able to live with not winning the title this year but I not if I say goodbye to you without you knowing how I feel.” The words tumbled out of his mouth almost as fast as the rain was falling from the sky. Charles briefly panted to regain his breath while his heart continued to hammer against his ribcage. He was soaked through now, but he didn’t care. He already knew that Seb turning him down would be worse. Clothes could dry but broken hearts were always harder to fix.

Sebastian blinked slowly, not once had his eyes left Charles’ face since he clocked the rental car parked in his driveway. His eyes were still wide, they looked like an ocean Charles would happily down in.

It was only when Charles realised that Seb still hadn’t said anything at all, that he opened his moth to start forming an apology, only to be cut off by Sebastian lurching forwards to cup his warm hands around Charles’ jaw as he tilted his head down to kiss him.

It was a fairly chaste kiss, but it was more than enough.

“You need to get inside.” Seb said quickly after he pulled away, his eyes darted all over Charles sodden clothes. “You should have worn a coat!”

Charles’ head now felt so light he had to grip onto Seb’s forearms out of fear he was about to float away.

“I guess you are right.” He said with a lazy smile, and he let Sebastian pull him inside the warm house. “I have a bag in the car-” Charles said as Sebastian shut the door behind them.

“Later.” Seb said firmly, pulling Charles in for a longer, deeper kiss.

[venbetta]

SB x Animal Crossing Headcanons

Freddy

His island theme would either space themed or have a woodsy feel. Maybe he would have one half of the island start off as woodsy, and then further into it it becomes space. His villagers are definitely bears and cubs, maybe one bunny villager as a homage to Bonnie (he's definitely got a high friendship with said bunny villager). He's definitely a good island representative, making sure he takes care of his island and is always building something. His island is before his own needs, so his house would probably only be up to the 2nd upgrade. He's willing to help out other players by giving them NMTs and bells, since he seems to be rich in that aspect. He doesn't change out any of his villagers, and he gets sad whenever one of them wants to move...

His island is 5 stars.

His villagers: Beardo, Ike, Megan, Charlise, Grizzly, Stitches, Maple, Poncho, Bluebear, and Sasha.

Chica

Her island is bright colored, mostly pastel pink, everything is cutesy and food related too. She definitely has little shops and decorations meant to represent food stands. She's just enjoys collecting pink items and coming up with new build ideas for the island. She definitely has perfect fruit as well. She's got the full DIY cook book completed, having an overabundance of recipes which she gives to players and friends for free whenever they visit. She's also great at happy home design. She's a master at the stalk market... she's got the best prices. She's a 4 star island.

Most of her villagers are birds and bunnies...

Her villagers:

Ruby, Coco, Dotty, Piper, Jay, Midge, Quinn, Phil, Phoebe, Cranston

Roxy

Her island is car themed, with a big makeshift salon she created. She has a lot of clothes and hair styles, it's a fashion show every week. She has a lot of wands too. Her storage is running out of space because of how much shit she has...

She forces her villagers to stay, she likes them a lot. She dresses them up, even Barold. She's got a good friendship with Viviane, that's her girl. She's not rich like Freddy or Chica, but she's just having a good time hanging around her villagers and collecting clothing items.

Her villagers:

Audie, Fang, Skye, Viviane, Ankha, Bonbon, Barold, Judy, Amelia

Monty

His island is country swamp theme, one side is country the other swamp. He's not a good builder but he's trying, he's got a few furniture items he's using the build with. Freddy's always giving him stuff, as much as he doesn't want it. A lot of unread mail...

Bros chilling with his flimsy tools.

He's not focused too much on the island, but he likes island hopping and collecting resources, mostly visiting his friend's islands to hang out. He prefers fishing and filling out his critter encyclopedia, and filling the museum. He doesn't really play that much but when he does he chills out with his villagers and fishes. His favorite villager is Dobie. He's rocking at 2 stars, but he's in no rush to get 5 stars.

His villagers:

Apollo, Kabuki, Boots, Leonardo, Drake, Rosewell, Genji, Sparro, Curt, Dobie.

Bonnie

His island is 80s bowling themed with some space elements (...coughs). Any leftover or duplicate items Freddy had he'd nab to put on his own island, most of which were space themed. He likes island hopping most for resources and to increase profits. He's got four stars, he's trying to reach 5 stars so he can brag to Roxy (she's at 3 stars). Most of his villagers are bunnies, a few cubs, and a bear. Of course, he's gonna have the highest friendship with the bear villager because it reminds him of Freddy. He's definitely using his secluded beach as a little hangout spot for him and Freddy when he visits his island.

His villagers:

Claude, Snake, Tiffany, Francine, Chrissy, Kody, Pekoe, Pudge, Vladimir, Teddy

______________

This was just for sillies and fun

[foxsartdump]

honestly i thought itd be funny and i didnt really see leo as someone living on the country side

TRANSLATIONS BELLOW THE CUT

-Born to live in Craiova, forced to live in Bucharest

-Begs his dad to give him money because he lost it all gambling

-Makes fun of Dan (Donnie) on the street but makes him boost his Brawl Stars account at home

-Mihai (Mikey) is his personal photographer, he takes photos next to Audis

-Smokes in secret because he doesnt want The Boss (Raph) to smack him

[bobbie-robron]

Robron Fanfiction Recommendations (Jun-2024)

The below were recommended on Twitter during the month of June 2024

Sink Hole (2016) 6.6K words, robron_til_the_end

Aaron and Liv are home when there is a rumble. When the literal dust settles, they realize their home is in ruins and they are trapped. Those in the pub, including Robert, hear the rumbling and what seems like an explosion. To Robert’s horror, he sees his home has fallen into a sink hole. What’s worse, a call from Aaron confirms the worst… he is in the sink hole. Now it’s a race to save the siblings before it’s too late…

The Thrill of the Chase (2018) 3.2K words, livesybaby

Robert is known as the serial dater by his sister. But to himself, Robert sees it as the Sugden charm that makes him able to have whoever he wants… but for Aaron. He was the exception and that made the chase for Aaron even more thrilling to Robert as it was no secret he set his eye on the elusive mechanic. Will he catch Aaron in the end?

Was it you? (2016) 11.5K words, jamesm97

The fic covers a couple of areas which, in the end, is all about trust and not keeping secrets whether it’s for the other’s own good. That said, we focus on Liv calling the coppers on Robert for supposedly having the vile one killed and Aaron having believed it, both Aaron and Robert revealing their insecurities about their future (and fearing not having one), as well as Aaron learning about the Andy/Ross connection to Robert’s shooting.

Fight to Survive (2015) 6.3K words, Elle0555

There’s a big blaze in the pub and Robert realizes in horror that Aaron must be in there and it’s his fault because of another squabble. Not thinking about himself, Robert’s sole focus is saving the man he cannot live without. Will Robert be able to save him? There’s a twist at the very end.

It Happened in Norway (2018) 12.3K words, brokenspell77

Robert’s had enough of having barely any alone time with his husband (thanks to Liv, Gerry and their families) so he surprises Aaron with a week away in Norway. Join the lads as they enjoy snow sports (think a giraffe and snow 🫣), swimming and simply having time to themselves without a care in the world. Oh, and Robert has a little pressie at the end… It’s simply the lads being happy and carefree.

Car Wash (2015) 7.4K words, robronsugsy

Cain decides to expand the money coming into Dingle & Dingle Automotives by opening up a car wash service on a country road and that means grumpy Aaron is first up on duties there (luckily he has mate Adam to help him out in the start). Soon enough a white Audi shows with a blonde haired prick behind the wheel who likes what he sees. And so we have a brief journey to the start of their affair.

Your Body’s a Message (2017) 12.4K words, lovesnarf (snarfette)

Takes place during hell year when scumbag/creep/nimrod/etc Jason comes looking for Aaron (who is in Ireland) and encounters Robert instead at the Mill… things don’t turn out well for Robert. It brings Aaron flying back to his estranged husband’s side posthaste after hearing a voice message and fearing the worst for Robert. Will the circumstance lead them to a path of reconciliation?

Pinkpetrolheads (2015) 4.0K words, Stulot

Takes place after Aaron returned from France. Adam gives Aaron a membership to a website. It’s here the lads meet online (and soon enough start texting) forming a close and unconditional friendship. When they decide it’s time to meet, neither know the other are from the same village. When circumstances change at the last minute, will Robert be willing to return so he can finally meeting Aaron? Better yet? No Whites in sight 🙌!

[laurelaicoop]

Anonymous asked: can we see some stuff about the planets you've introduced so far?

While I do have maps for the Maran homeworld and the Mahl twin planets, I'll just do Frontier for now since it's the most relevant due to it being the setting for Threshold People.

Frontier has a supercontinent with only two distinct countries, Frontier and Aodilea. Aodilea is purely Audi country, and due to the exceptionally small population they only inhabit the east and west coasts. Everything in between is wild country. For Frontier, it's been pimarily used as a home for displaced Marans affected by the 80-year war on Mara. Humans and Mahl have a place in the LIPA Zone, but Marans have the highest population overall.

Fun facts about the World Flag:

Only Frontier is technically part of the Laurelai Inter-Planetary Alliance. Partnerships with the Audi are still ongoing.

The inner seal is a mixture of the three Maran subspecies' main lines of commerce. The forging clamp represents the Cosí, the two needles represents the Èlais, and the closed mussel shell represents the Ysk. The white circle reperents the Amora, who consider themselves ghost children of Mara itself.

The flag is considered the first real symbol of collective peace and representation between the Maran subspecies, having an official truce in place nearly fifteen years sooner then Mara.

[yvonnesayler]

Welcome to Aurora Bay, YVONNE SAYLER! I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like CAMILA QUEIROZ. You must be the THIRTY year old BARTENDER AT THE FOUR LEAF PUB. Word is you’re RESILIENT but can also be a bit DUBIOUS and your favorite song is DARK PARADISE by LANA DEL REY. I also heard you’ll be staying in CRYSTAL COVE CONDOMINIUMS. Trigger Warnings: Death, grief, drugs

basic stats

Full Name: Yvonne Estela Moreira Sayler

Nickname(s): Yve (pronounced like 'Eve'), Slayer

Gender: Cis woman (she/her)

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Birthday: March 13 (30)

Hometown: Loch Lomond, Florida

Current Residence: Crystal Cove Condominiums

Time in AB: Two years

Occupation: Bartender at the Four Leaf Pub

Education: Just shy of a high school diploma

Religion: Non-practicing Catholic

Pets: None

Hair Color: Light brown

Eye Color: Brown

Height: 5'6

Tattoos: TBA

Piercings: One in each lobe

Favorite Movie: True Romance

Favorite Alcoholic Drink: Jack and Coke

Favorite Food:

brief bio

Yvonne grew up in a mobile home neighborhood in Loch Lomond, Florida. She lived with her mom, Julia, and no father, whom Julia has always claimed was Lou Reed of The Velvet Underground.

She was a moody, eccentric girl in school and ended up dropping out just shy of graduation to marry her boyfriend, who had graduated two years previously at a high school in neighboring Pompano Beach. He came from a wealthy family whom Yvonne got along with very well, at least until she eloped with their son. He already had his trust fund at that point and the two of them used it to leave Florida behind.

They ended up across the country in Phoenix, Arizona, and Yvonne was literally just happy being a wife and curating little hobbies while her husband worked. They were more or less happy for about five years, when she lost him to a drowning accident. In his will he'd left all of his money to her, which became an enormous legal battle with his family, but which Yvonne ultimately won, perhaps not least of all because she slept with his family's lawyer.

She then took her money and went to California, where she initially spent a few years in LA before deciding it was too fast-paced for her and relocating to Aurora Bay, still idyllic and still California but a little more her speed. She works now as a bartender at the Four Leaf Pub.

personality

Smokes a lot of cigarettes, thinks vapes are fuckingggg lame

Kind of a coke fiend tbh

Has gotten in trouble with law enforcement for swimming naked in natural bodies of water

Was made for hookup culture, one night stands are her thing these days ever since she lost her husband

Genuinely has no idea if Lou Reed is actually her dad but she very seriously doubts it

Was utterly derailed by the loss of her husband, obviously, but also emotionally vexed by the way the sudden freedom excited her a little bit too

Not at all academically-inclined but very world savvy and can take care of herself

Very friendly and loves to yap but has an introverted side and will sometimes hermit herself away and only be in the mood to see her close friends

Has a 'mysteriously rich widow' vibe like you don't THINK she killed her husband for all that money but you also wouldn't bet your life on it 😭

Has a great singing voice, very croony and old-timey

Loves making her own clothes and has a small Etsy shop where she sells her handmade stuff that she doesn't keep for herself, has been known to take commissions

Has the moodiest wardrobe, absolutely walks around in head scarf + sunglasses combo

Drives a powder blue Audi A4 convertible

connection ideas

Neighbors in Crystal Cove Condos

Some close friends, some regular friends, some acquaintances from around town and regulars at the pub where she works

Anybody who's bought clothes from her or commissioned something

An ex from the last two years that probably deeply didn't work out

Tinder/Hinge/any of those, one night stands, one-or-two-off dates, maybe one fwb but I don't see her maintaining that kind of relo very often

She's such a consumer. Does your muse sell stuff? Have a shop? She's a regular

Her attorney and financial advisor

Possible connection to her late husband (a cousin or sibling of his maybe) but this would have to be discussed

Someone who is absolutely convinced she killed her husband 😭

[anies-vocalsynthhcworld]

Kaito's Past (My Headcanon)

Kaito's life from the beginning was completely calm, he used to be very attached to his two parents from a very young age, whom he never separated from at all times and loved them unconditionally. But when he was old enough to go to school, he was afraid to be there because he would know that be with other children that the blue little boy didn't know and he still hadn't gotten used to being away from his family, in the early days it's not that has been mistreated by his classmates, what he did was sit on a bench or chair in the classroom while he watched the other children playing together, Kaito was sad because he thought that his problems making friends would affect the idea that no one would approach him.

When Kaito's parents found out about this from his teacher when he told them, they each came up with some ideas about teaching their son things so that he can solve his problems. While his mother; June Shion showed sign language for Kaito to use when talking to deaf-mute people, his father; Naoto Fuuga decided to tell Kaito about his musical career, to see if that way he could interest the young man to enter a future life around music. It wasn't exactly teachings related to solving social problems that Kaito had to make friends at school, but he ended up fascinated by learning new things, mainly being inspired by his father's singing life.

After grasping that passion and other teachings that he was given as an upbringing at home, Kaito felt more confident to the point of beginning to be more outgoing with his peers and thanks to the fact that Naoto had told him about his job before he was born, the young blue-haired really wanted to learn more about music and his father gladly helped him in everything related to that career. Years later, when Kaito entered high school, he felt more self-confident and more independent of what he wanted to do, on his first day his attitude became the center of attention of his classmates...and by this I mean that because he was such a happy, innocent and nice boy, the Troublemakers saw him as an easy prey to annoy and humiliate.

⊹ ˑ ִ∘ ֗ ִ ۫ ˑ ᳝ ࣪♫︎ ⚬⠀. ִ ་ ּ

Fortunately, before that happened, his savior arrived: Meiko, she knew that those boys would not leave Kaito alone, so she took advantage of it and defended him from them, making it clear not to bother him again, since the brunette already had the reputation of being half a fight how to have respect for her. Kaito was so grateful to have her by his side that he decided to want to be a friend instead of Meiko acting as his defender. After several attempts to accept trust, both began to be closer to each other to the point of meeting and doing various things that any duo of friends would do, which would later become a trio, since some time later one of the friends joined smartest boys in their school: Kiyoteru, from there the three formed a great bond of friendship.

After graduating from middle school and high school, Kaito, Kiyoteru, and Meiko drifted apart for a while to look for jobs before the latter two go off to college, but they still managed to keep in touch. Kaito for his part decided to help his mother in her work, part of his family owns an ice cream factory well known throughout Tokyo, so he was in charge of selling them in a store that distributed them, from which they worked. some close friends of June. A few years later, together with Kiyoteru, he found out that Meiko separated from her parents and the two offered to help her in her situation so as not to leave her alone. Some time later, they both received the news that their friend was auditioning to enter the newest music company in the country: Vocaloid.

Kaito was very fascinated by that news that he also wanted to join there and was more glad when his father planned to enroll him, knowing that his son wanted to have a singing life like the one Naoto had long before he was born. They spent more than three months preparing for the auditions that he would have and in the end he ended up entering, he was completely happy to know what the future would hold for him being part of Vocaloid. In addition to the fact that he liked being there because he was a fan of music, he also wanted to join for two other things: One, to keep his two friends company so that they were not alone, and Two, to make his father proud because in the end she decided to follow the same path as him.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Not this time!

Audi's invitation to SH to the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany 🇩🇪 was not TODAY or yesterday this match was last Wednesday 24th January between Bayern and Union Berlin for the Bundesliga at Home of FC Bayern in Munich.

Today, Saturday 27th January, Bayern is playing away at the WWK Arena in Augsburg, Bavaria, and not at FC Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena.

After his weekend and extra days of “skiing” and boxing training in Kitzbühel 🇦🇹, he headed to Munich to watch the Bundesliga match. He had never shown too much interest in football before ⚽️ but this is a unique opportunity to visit another country and the best thing is that it's free.

There are 2 ways to get from Kitzbühel to Munich by train or car The direct journey from Kitzbühel to Munich is 77.1 miles (124 km) and takes 1 hour 30 minutes in normal traffic 🚘 or by fast train 🚆 2h 3m average journey time. His trip was not very stressful, the journey is very pleasant and the game was very good.

Wed, 24/01/24, 19:30 - Bundesliga, Matchday 13

Well, SH seems to have a lot of free time on his hands and could be on his way somewhere, this time to Ostend in Belgium for the International Film Festival (FFI) 🇧🇪🤔

[astramthetaprime]

State of the Funyun, 9/22/24

So Things Have Happened.

Two weeks ago I got called in to a meeting with my supervisor. The previous two times this has happened I've been threatened with being fired, so I was thinking "here we go" on the walk of doom. But strangely, no! I was offered to transfer to another job in the company that they thought might suit me better. Yeah, I know, "might suit me better" is code for "this is your last chance you failure". I'm not completely oblivious. Even I can see the writing on the wall when it's printed in 108pt neon orange.

I started learning the new job last week and I'm already doing real work. Like, actual real work. Correctly.

I'm being trained by the person who is getting traded to my old department for me and she's a former schoolteacher. I don't hide the autism, I told her when it was relevant. So I get treated like a third grader with getting interrupted to check on me a dozen times a day, which okay, I understand but the frustration at being interrupted when I'm concentrating is something I'm trying my best to control. She's a really nice person and she doesn't deserve that. Also I just don't like feeling like a putz. But I'm working again. After four months of feeling like I was going to be fired at any moment for not being given work to do, it's a vast improvement. No one likes to feel useless and even fewer people like to be made to feel scapegoated for other people's choices. But it is what it is, and I'm glad to be out of it.

Best of all about this new job, once I'm trained I'll be working from home. This is especially welcome as I'm proving less and less able to handle morning and evening rush hour traffic. After about a dozen close calls and near misses, my nerves are frazzled when it comes to driving in the hail of bullets that is rush hour traffic. Where is the shining future of autonomous cars I was promised?

Speaking of, there was a kerfuffle with the windshield wipers on my car lately. The motor that runs the wipers broke, so no wipers. We've been under pretty much drought conditions here at Tranquility House and the surrounding environs for quite some time, we just haven't been getting any rain hardly at all. Seriously, I can't tell you how many times I've seen the entire eastern part of the country covered in masses of storms ... except for this one little blob in SE Tennessee. It's like seeing the effects of some pissed-off wizard curse. Dude, I get you just washed the Audi but dang, have you looked at the lake lately?

Anyway, so because I drive a 17 year old car the repair shop had to order in the parts. Waited and waited, a couple weeks goes by, hot damn they're predicting rain! But! I can't drive in the rain because no wipers. No word from the shop, so I called. They were, shall we say, less than enthusiastic and no word when the parts would be in. I got lucky, it didn't rain as predicted, it still hasn't rained in fact, so no harm done. The part finally did come in, I had arranged to take my car in before I went in to work and use their shuttle service to go the rest of the way in to work. Their shuttles run at 45 minutes past the hour, it's literally 2 miles away, all good, right? Wrong! They just didn't run the shuttle at 745. Just didn't. Even though I'd arranged to take it that morning. And didn't bother telling me.

Yeah so I waited for half an hour and no shuttle so I called an Uber. For a two mile drive. I was almost late for work. My workplace is good about letting folks come in anytime between 6 AM and 9 AM, so it's all good, but I'm used to being there at 8. And was almost late anyway.

And that reminds me, the day before this happened I went to the doctor for the follow up of the two weeks of Adderall I was prescribed because my NP now thinks I may be ADHD. I thought she had prescribed me more Adderall, there was talk about upping the dosage so I thought she had but didn't get the automated "You have prescriptions ready" text from my pharmacy. I physically went to go check and nothing. So I dunno. Maybe she didn't because I told her I felt antsy about it because what if I get pulled over by the cops and I've got half a bottle of Adderall in my bag and it's not medically necessary because I don't have an actual diagnosis for ADHD yet. She told me she'd confirm to the cops it was needed if that ever happened but does anyone honestly believe the cops are going to bother with that? They'd just see another crackhead amphetamin addict and my life would be over. Once you're tarred with that particular brush you'll never get a job again.

If you're not just outright shot by the cops in another "traffic stop that went wrong."

Yeah, so on the whole things are looking up somewhat, call it cautiously optimistic.

[karimwillia]

Nothing really matters I don't really care. What nobody tell me I'm gonna be here It's a matter of extreme importance. My first teenage love affair

Warnings: Fluff

“Alright Class Settle Down! Settle Down Class!” “Awww” “Ughh” Everyone in home room is now quieting down taking their seats. “Yo Shuri, what you think of this for my ride to Prom?” Xavier, her lab partner is not focused on the teacher but on his previous conversation. It’s their Senior year at Benedict High School meaning it’s time to party.

Shuri Udaku is one of the most popular girls in school and how could she not be. She is the top women’s basketball recruit in the country coming out of high school. She is tall, dark and what people would say is handsome, intelligent and nice to everyone who deserves it and rich. The rare combination. “Xavi, go with the blacked out Audi that's fire. Ok but like can we pay attention.”

Saying it loud enough so everyone can hear Dr. Stevens the chemistry teacher shoots her a thankful look. “Thank you all. I know it’s senior year and your focus is on everything but chemistry. So to shake things up I will be assigning new lab partners. Please stand up and listen for your names.” As they move to stand Shuri looks over and notices Riri.

Rihanna Williams is Valedictorian and resident mechanical genius. This makes her the polar opposite of Shuri as far as high school standards. She’s quiet and shy going unnoticed by so many. Her grades have earned her early acceptance to M.I.T, Cal Tech, Harvard, Princeton and Yale. The young woman is a shortie but beautiful with flawless brown skin and curls.

Shuri and Riri are friends despite the high school “rules”because they enjoy each other. Shuri knows how shy Ri is so she never pushes her to hang out. But today Shuri has missed her a lot and has to let her know. “Hello Rihanna wassup? I don’t like how long it’s been since we’ve spoken.” Riri is alway in awe when Shuri talks to her which should not be the case but still.

“It was summer in my defense and I was in another state. But I have been ok. How about you?” Shuri beams her a million dollar smile.

“I am fine just missed you is all. Out of state? I would love hear about your trip, we will have to talk more outside of school about it.” Riri’s face twisted into a combination smirk and confused look with a touch of blush. Did The Shuri Udaku say she missed her? Was she being flirted with? What is going on?

“Uhh we can talk more outside of school for sure. I’ll pen you into my schedule.” Riri played along as best she knew how. It was in about 8th grade she realized that girls looked better than boys and her “Friend” Shuri was the best looking of everyone. So she maintained their school friendship to keep her close. Shuri “came out” that same year which is another level of attraction.

“Ahem Ms Williams and Ms Udaku. Are you going to join us?” They are the last two standing. The conversation took their attention away from the exercise. “Yes! Sorry Doc. Who am I paired with?” Shuri spoke up knowing that Riri was embarrassed she NEVER gets called out. Shuri may have taken a special interest in Riri as well. “You two are the only ones standing.” Shocked, they both speak this time. “Dr. Stevens… Shuri allows Ri to speak. “I normally work alone.” Riri’s warm voice is low but firm.

“I am aware Ms. Williams but I wanted to get you out of your comfort zone. In college you will have to push the envelope. This is the start. Have a seat now. Thank you.” Breathing somewhat hard and sliding into her chair, Riri could not believe it. She has never had to work with anyone on a project ever and now she will have to work all year with her CRUSH. Her social anxiety is sky high. Shuri takes a look over and places a comforting hand on Ri’s shoulder. “Hey it’s cool I won’t bite.” That for some reason helped how????

By the end of class Riri was able to calm herself some. “Hey Shuri I guess we will really have to talk outside of school now.” Riri was coy but it was nice to speak up first. Shuri is listening with intention and smirks. “You're right, give me your phone.” Handing her the phone Shuri locks in her number and calls herself so she has Riri’s.

“Aye yo Shuri! Come on.” Xavier runs up and grabs Shuri by her shoulders so they can go to the next class. “Oh snap wassup…um Titi?” Shuri and Riri’s face both fall flat. “Put some respect on her name man it’s Rihanna aite.” Shuri’s tone is stern. “Apologize.”

Xavier was taken aback but this is not the first time he’s been corrected about Riri’s name. “I apologize Riri.” She is flustered so she answers while looking down. “It’s fine. Thank you.” Shuri pushes Xavier away and tells him to beat it. Placing a finger under Riri’s chin she winks. “Hey he’s a knucklehead. Don’t worry I got ya back ok? See you soon.” Shuri has a crooked smile on her face looking at Ri leaving quickly after. Riri is left processing today so far. The only thing that snaps her back is the late bell.

MJ is the only other person on campus who Riri is friends with. On her journey to English Lit she pulls out her phone to texts MJ her status. Her phone buzzes before she can send anything that says class is late to start. MJ was a savior and Riri sprints to class.

@somethingcleaverandwhitty @mal-urameshi @shuriris-stuff

[gildedworld]

Accident Happen, part 1

Summary: A 16 year old Rosaria recently got her learner's permit during the summer vacations and sneaks out of her house in Greenwich, Connecticut, in her dad's Audi A7 and unfortunately gets in an accident in downtown Greenwich.

Rosaria had a love-hate relationship with summer vacations. On one hand, she loved going home to see her friends and family. But that meant being away from the Academy and her friends at the Academy. This cycle always repeated itself every single year - she'd long for summer vacations to visit Connecticut, and when she would be back home in Connecticut, Rosaria wouldn't stop thinking of her life and friends at the Academy.

This year was no different. Rosaria was back in Greenwich. For the first few weeks, she was excited- she frequented coffee shops and the mall with Jimmy and her friends, watched movies, went to the spa, went swimming at the country club, finished two marathons. And now, the familiar lull of boredom was starting to set in.

At the Academy, Rosaria had no time to be bored - she was always occupied with something or the other. If it wasn't class and homework, it was training in the danger room. And there were always people around- other mutant students, teachers, the Professor. There was always someone to talk to and things to do.

On this fine summer afternoon, both her parents were at work, and Jimmy was occupied by an Age of Empires tournament. That left Rosaria all alone - something she detected. Rosaria loved staying occupied as much as possible because it meant that she wouldn't have to pay much attention to her thoughts. Specifically the voices and shadows that seemed to have made her mind their permanent home. Keeping herself as occupied as possible meant that she was only confronted with their existence at night. Ideally, she'd prefer never to deal with them but if she had to choose, dealing with them at night was probably the best as opposed to dealing with them every waking moment of the day.

But today was different. There was a moment during vacations, after which all the excitement dialed down and people slowly returned to their routines. That usually left Rosaria all alone. In her younger days, she'd ask to be dropped off at the library and would simply spend the rest of her vacation gazing through books to keep her mind occupied. This year, though, Rosaria was finally old enough. Earlier in the vacation, she'd obtained her learner's permit. And so, an idea popped into her head.

How about Downtown, she thought to herself, a smile slowly creeping across her lips.

A moment later, the smile was gone as Rosaria furrowed her eyebrows. But I need an adult to be with me in the car, she thought to herself. After all, she was only 16.

But then again, Downtown Greenwich was only a 20-minute drive from her house. What could possibly happen, she thought to herself excitedly as she lept out of the sofa and rushed to get ready, quickly grabbing her bag with the keys to her dad's black Audi A7, locking the door behind her.

Immediately, a grin extended across her lips as she placed her hands on the steering wheel. Oh, this was fun, she thought to herself as she opened the garage door and slowly drove the car out of the garage.

Rosaria grinned as she began to drive her dad's car on the roads of Greenwich, mindful of the stop signs and signals. She knew these roads at the back of her hands and even know she'd been at the Academy, she was still just as familiar with the roads as she had been before she had left for the Academy.

And sure enough, she began to see the familiar streets close to Downtown Greenwich. As she approached Downtown, the streets grew narrower and busier, framed by a row of parallely parked cars. The number of pedestrians also increased dramatically - people were walking and crossing roads paying no attention to oncoming traffic at all.

In the midst of of this, Rosaria's carefree grin was soon replaced by a pensive expression as her eyes scanned for an available parking spot and avoided pedestrians at the same time.

After what seemed like eternity, she finally found a parking spot - a car was pulling out of its spot, and Rosaria knew that it was now or never. If she didn't get this spot , she'd have to circle around once more trying to find available spots again, and she was definitely not interested in doing so, having already circled around a fair bit.

As soon as the car pulled out, Rosaria quickly accelerated towards the now available parking spot, steering the car towards it. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed a couple deep in conversation crossing the street, walking through the available parking spot, paying no attention to Rosaria's attempts to park. Immediately, she slammed her right foot on the break pedal bringing the car to a sudden halt.

A moment later, Rosaria heard a loud crash and felt her body being pushed towards the front of the car - the steering wheel digging into her ribcage and the side of her head hitting the dashboard of the car.

It took a moment for Rosaria to realize what had just happen. There was a dull ringing in Rosaria's ears as she slowly opened her eyes, still slightly disoriented. She slowly took in hed surroundings- a white airbag had deployed in front of her, a street filled with onlookers whispering and taking pictures with their phones, the distant sounds of police officers taking statements.

It didn't take a genius to put together that Rosaria's car had been rear-ended. Still a little disoriented, Rosaria couldn't help but feel overcome with dread and panic - this really happened. Her father's car had been in an accident, and she was driving on a learner's permit with no adult around. I'm so grounded for life for this, she thought to herself with a pensive sigh.

Slowly reaching for her phone on the car console beside her, Rosaria did the only thing she could do in this moment- she called Alex.