#bike news 2016

[beesarthur]

I like to try new things and push new boundaries to keep both the clothes I have and dressing for work interesting, and I think this summer it's going to be Legs for Days (short dress + bike shorts + blazer)

[struwberrii]

haikyuu!! at an american high school ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

here are my silly headcanons on how i think the karasuno first years would act if they were american high school students teehee

pt.2 pt.3

ヽ(^◇^*)/

hinata

probably runs to lunch

one of those dorky try hards in gym

wears matching neon nike shorts and tops

literally cries if he ever gets in trouble in class

water bottle flips randomly (he never lands it)

his mom drops him off at school every morning

jumps to touch the top of every doorframe

everyone judges him and thinks hes weird but hes gen the sweetest guy if you ever talk to him

he has a phone he just cant bring it to school guys

offers to do stuff first when the teacher asks (like brings attendance to the office or asks other teachers for dry erase markers)

middle school humor (hes kinda funny sometimes tho lol)

kageyama

lets you copy his homework because he knows its all wrong (or gives you wrong answers on purpose)

wears hoodies everyday even during summer

scared to put lip balm on in public because someone once asked if he was gay because of how he applied it

friends with hinata but is kind of embarrassed of him

girls actually like him but dont talk to him because hes so quiet

probably talks to girls from different schools

plays roblox with the others when they have breaks during practice (he hasnt updated his avatar since 2016)

still reads strictly picture books

also a try hard in gym

still does streaks on snapchat

tsukishima

refuses to acknowledge hinata and kageyama outside of volleyball club (he thinks theyre embarrassing)

constantly gets in trouble for having airbuds in or being on his phone

tries putting girls onto his niche music taste then its just cigarettes after sex

if you arent one of his friends or a pretty person hes probably gonna be rlly mean to you im sorry

has hot topic pins on his bag (yamaguchi forces him to shop there with him and tsuki always ends up walking out with a new pin)

dresses very basic but still nice

bros a bully

tries to correct teachers and make the teacher look dumb

if he can tell he actually hurt your feelings he'll say it was just a joke and gaslight you

him and yamaguchi just talk shit all lunch and study period

walks to like mcdonalds for lunch sometimes

yamaguchi

bully on the DL

the only reason people know hes mean is because tsuki is his best friend

always has fruit for lunch

probably in band and plays literally the biggest instrument in the world

he always smells weirdly minty

has the silliest stickers on everything, his notebooks, laptop, headphones

bought sonny angels for him and tsuki

everyone thinks hes gay

him and yachi are art class buddies

brings his switch to school sometimes

rides his bike to school

lowkey stuck in his 2020 indie phase

yachi

has the cutest stationary

takes all her notes on her ipad and has that paper texture screen protector

ali express warrior

shes the sweetest girl in school

probably a closeted lebanese

already has her drivers permit (probably gonna be the first person in her grade with a license)

packs her own lunches everyday in bento boxes

has a private instagram account with like 20 followers and declines everyone she doesnt know personally

always has lotion, gum, perfume, medicine, chargers, everything. she is not taking any chaces

shes like if the 2019 soft girl pinterest aethetic became a person

reminds teachers about the homework

secretly watches youtube during class

she does NOT play about her art projects

her and yamaguchi trade stickers

probably still uses that 2019 kanken vsco bookbag

⋆｡‧˚ʚɞ˚‧｡⋆

sorry guys half of this list is just me being an extreme hater and projecting

[cheriladycl01]

I cant do this anymore - George Russell x Wolff! Reader Part 5

Plot: You are the daughter of Toto Wolff team principle of Mercedes-AMG Petronas, you've worked your whole life to become an engineer. However, your dad has other ideas for you and doesn't want you to become a race engineer. You start to confide more in the Red Bull Racing Team Principle to help you get an engineering job, and see him as your present father figure.

There was a pretty decent break between Brazil and Las Vegas, you spend the first week with Geri and Christian and their kids. You'd had a blast riding their horses, going for bike rides and lots of baking.

They of course let you stay with them in the spare bedroom, you went on a massive shopping spree with Geri getting some new clothes as you hadn't gone home and talked about everything you normally would with Suzie. You couldn't lie, you really missed her, especially the hugs she gave you.

However on the weekend before Vegas, Lewis had texted you seeing if you'd wanted to stay with him in Las Vegas for a bit. Lewis had known you since 2009, you were 9 years old. You always came to as many race weekends as you could, obsessed with F1 as much as your dad. You loved the fast cars and the smell of the fuel.

Here was were you were introduced to Suzie, it was perfect time really. You were a 9 year old girl, about to enter here teen years without a mother figure. And Suzie and you, got on like two peas in a pod.

In 2012 when he became the executive director in Williams you travelled with him. Your mum didn't want anything to do with you, so that left you to be home school. It wasn't easy in Williams, they were tight on money and resources despite Toto's financial contributions to the team and no-body had time for you it seemed.

The next year when your dad moved to Mercedes, that had a slightly bigger budget and more time around the paddock was when it became easier.

The engineers helped you with your math's and science while marketing and legal would help you with your English. That's where your love of engineering came from.

Lewis would often stay with you, he and Nico were like brothers and they couldn't help but see you like a little sister with the relentless teasing they put you through.

As you got older, Toto paid for you to have an online tutor so you could sit your GCSE's at some point. 2016 was probably the worst year you had on record apart from everything that's happened in 2023.

You could tell that when they started to compete for the championship in 2014 that things were getting tense between them, they tried to keep it to themselves but you could tell with the post race interviews and how they didn't want to hang out as much together with you.

But in 2016, when Nico won and their friendship had pretty much crumbled as far as it could you, you were also sitting those GCSE's and it was a really tough year for you. Lewis and Nico now spoke to you separately, their sides of the garage never crossing over like they used to.

So you not only had the stress of your GCSE's, the stress of your two role models no longer talking and with that your own childhood best friend cutting you off because of how much you travelled and your commitments not being strong enough. And to top it of Nico was confirmed to be leaving the sport which would mean you wouldn't see him as often.

However, despite everything that went on you came out with some really good grades, thanks to Lewis and his help when it come to studying.

You actually met George the year after when he became a junior driver for Mercedes. You had just turned 17 and he was 20 and part way working his way up through the feeder series into Formula One.

You actually had a crush on George all the way back then, Lewis convinced you it was just a silly little school girl crush you'd soon get over and motorsport men were a walking red flag. Which you found out was true with your first heartbreak when you dated an F2 driver that was the same age as you. You dad of course was hesitant at first, and he was right to be. He cheated on you with one of the insta models 7 months into your relationship.

Lewis did a lot for you and you guys were close, so you almost felt like you couldn't say no even though you didn't want to anyway.

You got the first flight you could out to his LA mansion.

"Hello" he greeted you as you'd found him in the airport with his security. There was of course Paps so it was only a short amount of time before people knew you were here with Lewis.

He drove the pair of you back to his LA home, you guys spent the rest of the week surfing, go-karting and walking Roscoe. Everyone knew you were here by now so you posted a photo dump on the Wednesday to Instagram, photos of everything you guys had been up to.

Everyone in the comments was so excited that big brother Lewis was back.

"So, I think now that we've had some time to chill out we should talk about the serious matters on the table" Lewis says as he spoons some of the vegan dish his private chef had made you guys.

"Mmmm?" you hum as you gobble more of the delightful food down.

"I miss you in the Mercedes Garage and the red bull top doesn't suit you" he says making your head whip to the side.

"Excuse me!" you nearly choke on your food.

"Look, I know what Toto and George did was foul... and others have made it into this whole dramatic show, but I miss teasing you in the garage and I miss you telling the engineers something was wrong and trying not to laugh! I miss you! Everyone does, George, Toto, Suz, all the hospitality and mechanics and the engineers!" he offers looking at you.

"I'm not coming back to Mercedes Lew, I've found my place in Red Bull, they've even let me help on the 2024 car! My dad turned me down straight away when i asked, they trust me there and they like my ideas! I'll talk to both of them okay, I promise but Red Bull stuck their neck out for me hiring me... so I owe them!" you admit, knowing Red Bull helped you a lot, as much as you'd helped them.

"I know I know, but just talk to them soon. They are both suffering and they regret what they did!"

You drove in Lewis car all the way to Nevada. It was only a 4 hour drive where you guys did make stops along the way. You guy's parted ways as you got there. He needed to be present for media duties and you had to be with Red Bull making sure the car was up to standard.

You checked in with everyone you hadn't seen for the two week gap, checking in with the mechanics making sure they though the car was looking okay after the race.

And before you knew it Max was coming out of FP1 in 4th, FP2 in 6th and FP3 in 4th. It was a new track and everyone was getting used to the it and how the car performed on it. In Practices it was more for the driver to get the feel for the car.

Max qualified P3, but because Carlos had to take a 10 place grid penalty he was moved up to P2. He was on the front line next to Charles Leclerc and if he got a good start he could finish again P1.

Vegas was a stressful race for everyone. Charles and his Ferrari was made for the layout of this street circuit it seemed. Lando had a really bad crash which had everyone worried.

Ferrari, once again fucked up their strategy as you called Max to box when the safety car was released. Charles had only pitted a few laps prior. Now Max and Sergio were on the fresher tires.

"Warm those tires up Max then when DRS is available go for that overtake on Turn 3 for P1" you advise as he rolls out of the pits behind the safety car that Charles was already following.

Eventually you had both Red Bulls in the front ready for a 1-2 podium. But on the final lap Charles went for the overtake on Sergio and broke the Red Bulls up, there was no way he'd catch up with Max but you told him to hold his position.

Again Max Verstappen had one his 18th race of the season and you'd been his race engineer for a whole new track. He'd pulled you into a massive hug, along with Christian who was impressed with how quickly you were adapting to the new role.

"Amazing driver guys! Straight to Abu Dhabi now!" Christian grins, nothing could now ruin his mood. Max had been confirmed Champion of the World a few races back but Red Bull still wanted to prove they were winners.

And that you did, you went to Abu Dhabi and one again by a landslide. You all celebrated the end of the season and Max asked you to come up on the podium with him again. However, George had come P3. so you were up on the Podium with him and Charles too.

The champagne was brought out and all the guys showered each other before coming over to you. They soaked you with the rest of the champagne the dark team gear sticking to your skin.

"Omg" you squeal as someone pulls back your top and dumps some of their champagne down your back. You swivel round to see George. Everything is so loud around you right now. Charles and Max are off celebrating the podium together a little further away from the pair of you now.

"George" you say looking up at him and he sheepishly takes a step back.

"George, no! I'm sorry I didn't speak to you sooner" you say looking at him, only for his head to cock to the side where he couldn't here you.

"What?" he shouts coming closer.

You lean in right up to his ear so that he can actually here you.

"I'm sorry I ignored you for so long. I was being childish. Lewis... Lewis talked some sense into me." you say.

"You-" he starts confused. He was the one that owed you an apology not the other way around.

"Y/N listen to me. Meet me tonight and we will talk about everything I promise!" he shouts making you able to hear him over the crowd.

"Okay!" you nod, before turning around and the Red Bull team all cheer as you hold up the trophy.

"Oh and George, Congrats of P3!" you grin, before joining Max and Charles.

Maybe it was time for you to talk it out. Maybe even to reach out to your dad! Lewis was as always right!

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @hopexcroc @mirrorball-6 @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @bigsimperika @blueberry64857959 @eiraethh @lilypadlover @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @the-fem1n1ne-urge @21stcenturytaegi @dark-night-sky-99 @spideybv28 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @kapsylia @laneyspaulding19 @lazybot @malynn @cassielikereading @viennakarma @teamnovalak @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @jlb20416 @yourbane

[pinkpogiclub]

comprehensive list of my favorite cycling moments in no particular order

the Mont Ventoux incident: twelfth stage of the 2016 tour de france. Sir Chris Froome is comfortbaly leading both the stage and the GC, wearing the maillot jaune. Less than 1k to go and the unthinkable happens: too many people are standing on the road and one of the motorbikes at the front suddenly brakes, resulting in one insane shot of Richie Porte face-planting against the camera. The result? Both Bauke Mollema and Chris Froome crash (no injuries for them, luckily) and Chris Froome's bike BREAKS. PANIC. It's very important to note that at this point team cars are stuck behind and are unable to reach him (both because of the narrow street and the absolutely staggerig amount of people there). So what does Chris Froome do? He starts running marathon style, ready to defend his advantage on the other GC guys tooth and nail. In the end he did keep his lead (after a bike swap from hell and twenty minutes under an amount of stress that could have killed a horse) but BOY was it an Experience to watch live.

the tiny couch of Milano-Sanremo 2023: otheriwise known as the one bed trope cycling adaptation and, in my opinion, a mandatory addition to every post-race waiting room. Not a single person on this couch wanted to be there apart from pippo, who was doing a very bad job at hiding his amusement. Look at this, incredible.

Lorenzo Fortunato's win and Alberto Contador's consequent metal breakdown: overall an incredibly wholesome moment from the 2021 Giro D'Italia. Lorenzo Fortunato (then 25 years old, relatively new and upcoming rider) attacks on the Zoncolan, one of the most famous and gruelling climbs of the Giro: everybody’s rooting for the kid, who then goes on to win the stage all by himself, reaching the top through apocalyptic weather. Admirable, right? Well, while all this was unfolding, Alberto Contador (who was at the time Eolo-Kometa's team manager) was live on Insta pacing around and having an absolute Moment on camera, literally hyperventilating and crying, begging everything and everyone for his protegé to win. He then went on to promise to ride from Pinto (his hometown) to Milan as a celebration. Iconic.

Sepp Kuss' Vuelta victory: AKA the birth of a legend and of my personal GC Kuss agenda. Vuelta de España, 2023: domestique extraoirdinaire Sepp Kuss wins his first stage and he's VERY elated about it (as we all are, tbh), smiling and high-fiving people even before crossing the finish line. On the podium he truly becomes man of the people by chugging down half a bottle of champagne without batting an eye: man of the people right there. By this point no one is really thinking anything of it, we’re all just vibing, happy for a rider who is partecipating in his THIRD CONSECUTIVE Grand Tour of the year. But THEN. It slowly starts becoming clearer and clearer that Jumbo-Visma (rip) has not one, not two, but THREE (3) possible final GC contenders, which is alone a very bonkers concept. In the end Sepp manages to keep the lead despite what looks like a messy (?) situation management from Jumbo-Visma and a stage finish on Angliru where the Jumbo-Vismen seem to be riding all for themselves, sprinting away from Sepp. All in all a display of incredible strenght by both the team (winner of ALL three Grand Tours with THREE DIFFERENT riders. INSANE) and Sepp himself.

Last time trial stage of the 2020 Tour de France: I could easily write a PHD thesis about this day alone. NOTHING encapsulates the drama of sports quite like this particular moment. In one already very odd Tour de France, ridden in mid-September due to Covid restrictions, Primož Roglic absolutely DOMINATES the GC from the very beginning: his team is strong and he keeps the yellow jersey up until the end, to the point where nobody really expects anything major to happen. Cue Tadej Pogačar (called by the italian commentators "il ragazzino terribile" aka "the terrible boy"), fellow countryman of Primož: he’s won a couple of stages and he's shown his worth, finding himself in a very honorable second place in the GC with a 57'' gap from the leader. Which could mean nothing. SO. Here comes the final TT, the very last chance for riders to try and make up some time before Paris: Primož is an excellent TT rider and he's got enough time over Tadej, which should grant him a comfortable victory or, at least, not too much lost time, right? WRONG. OH BOY. Tragedy unfolds as soon as Tadej starts his race and makes it clear that he's out for BLOOD: he clearly doesn't care about second place, he wants the yellow!!!!!! And so we're stuck at home, watching silently as this KID slowly makes up time, second by painful second, all while Primož is having the mother of all shit days on the bike, struggling so much that it becomes harder and harder for him to maintain his hard-earned lead. Tadej goes on to win the stage (surpassing Tom Dumoulin and Wout van Aert, who had both ridden an incredible TT) and, more importantly, his fist Tour at just 21 years old. I still get chills thinking about it. Fun fact: in Paris, Tadej wil also wear both the white and the polka-dot jersey. Totally normal behaviour.

Giulio Ciccone and his close call with excommunication: Tirreno-Adriatico 2023. Giulio is giving out an interview to a fellow italian journalist after the stage, when suddenly one team car speeds up behind him and very narrowly misses him, almost clipping his bike in the process. The result is Giulio breathing life into the infamous "porca mado.....nza", which is a revised version of an extremely NASTY type of blasphemy against the virgin mary. Iconic in its own way, threatened to take down catholicism as a whole in one clean swoop. 10/10.

Geraint Thomas' leadout for Mark Cavendish: last stage of the 2023 Giro d'Italia, Geraint Thomas has made peace with the fact that he’s lost his chance at winning La maglia Rosa. The peloton is steadily approaching the finish line and sprinters are getting ready to give it all for the win: suddenly, we see Geraint Thomas putting himself right in front of the leading group, effectively becoming Mark Cavendish's leadout man, guiding him to a beautiful final win in Rome (mind you, this was supposed to be Mark's last year before retirement). They're not teammates, so Geraint Thomas had no reason to do it except for the fact that he's known Mark for the better part of twenty years and he wanted to help him: INSANE narratives, we all cried at the sight of the two old men embracing eachother like little kids. SIGH

2023 Road-Race World Championship. This place has everything: rainy weather, beautiful landscapes, highland cows, Mathieu van der Poel taking a dump in a newly renovated house, childhood rivals standing together on a podium, Pogi in neon green. Also known as the day Mathieu van der Poel went from Good Rider to Insane Supernatural Being: from attacking with 20k to go in what probably was the hardest course ever designed in a Road Race World Championship ever, falling down while all the team cars were unreachable, tearing off a piece of his own fucked up shoe because it was bothering him, to winning while sopping wet and crying. INSANE. Bonus: this absurd newspaper front page that I wish I had framed in my living room.

[preciousthingsareprecious]

Tumblr Fic List Part 1

Hi everyone! With AO3 currently down, I thought I'd remind you all that almost all of my fics are also available to read right here on Tumblr! For years I've had the habit of cross posting just about everything so if you're looking for a particular fic, you should be able to find it on good old Tumblr.

I tag all my fics with: Precious Posts so you can also use that to find anything newer I haven't added here yet.

This is all my older fics, from my Masterlist. When I get a little more time I'll do a part 2 with my newer stuff.

To Teach a Robin to Cook: Jason teaches Damian how to cook

Baby Bat Vs the Evil Librarian : Steph and Damian take a trip to the library

Grayson’s Guide to Robin Boys Movie Night (IMG): The list of rules Dick wrote for movie night

Guide to Robin Boys Movie Night (FIC): Dick decides to write some rules for movie night, the other Robins have opinions

Movie Night: The Mummy: Jason does not like bugs

Movie Night: Cheeto Bomb: Dick thinks Jason planted a Cheeto bomb in the DVD player. Jason insists otherwise.

Lost Boy: Tim’s mad at Damian (again) and takes a walk to cool off

Fireworks: The Batboys attend a fireworks show for the 4th of July and Jason has flashbacks. Angsty

Baby Teeth: Bruce notices that Damian has lost a tooth, and decides to play Tooth Fairy. Fluff pure and simple.

Talk Yourself Out of This One: Dick get’s kidnapped and is forced to wait for help to arrive.

Kidnapped With You: It’s all Jason’s fault. Or is it Damian’s? Either way both managed to get kidnapped and now have to get along until Batman arrives

Misplaced Mail: Tim decides to go to college and doesn’t tell the other Robin boys.

De-Aged Tim: Timmy gets shrunk down to a six year old and Damian has to help him get back to normal.

Magical Mix Up: Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian all get body swapped. Will they fight or get along long enough to fix things?

Lights Out: Jason finds himself in a situation when Tim passes out on him while his chest taser is still on

The Hunt: Bruce and Damian go on the search for a missing remote

Prank War: It’s Batboys vs Batgirls

Something in the Tea: Damian drinks hallucinogenic tea and can’t escape the visions of what he wishes his family would be like.

Party Chaos: Duke just wants to survive this party, unfortunately for him the rest of the Batboys are at the party and intent on causing trouble.

Trust: DickBat era fic where Damian gets into some trouble after a fight with Dick.

Karma: Damian’s got the hiccups so Dick tries to help him out on patrol.

Comfort Sweater: Damian get’s caught stealing one of Dick’s sweaters.

Play Lessons: Mindless Fluff as Dick and Dami play Cheese Viking together

Burdens: Written for Dynamic Duo Week 2016 day 6: Leave Me Alone

Discovery: Dick and Damian do a science experiment with Geodes

It’s Called a Hug: DickBat era. Damian doesn’t understand that hugs aren’t just a reward for good work.

Like Any Other Kid: Damian can’t stop having nightmares, finally he decides to go to his father for comfort.

Nightmares and Dreams: Bruce has a nightmare that Damian’s still dead and decides to check up on his son.

Cuffed: Dick and Tim end up handcuffed together and have to rescue Jason

Chosen: Based on a HC where Damian has trouble believing Bruce really wants him.

Album: Tim’s looking through one of his old photo album’s when Dick and JAson find him.

Father Time: Tired from the night before Bruce decides to stay in bed all day. His children decide he needs company.

Favorite Colors: While Dick and Damian are shopping for a new hoodie for Tim Damian makes an interesting purchase.

Lost Not Gone: My version of Damian’s reaction to Tim’s ‘death’

Super Sleepover: Jon sleeps over at the manor

Father Daughter Dance: Bruce and Cass go to the Ballet

Learning to Ride: Bruce teaches Jason how to ride a bike

Adoption: Alfred pushes Bruce to adopt Tim

If I Live to See the Dawn: Jason’s hurt and Damian’s got to get him home

Learning to Ask: Dick takes care of an injured Bruce

Heartbeats: Takes place between Batman Rebirth issues 16-17 and follows Bruce taking care of his kids

Target Practice: Damian and Steph play laser tag

Anxious Heart: Damian deals with some latent fear toxin, Bruce helps him out

Art Show: Tim runs into Damian while going to see one of his photos on display

Family Attire: Dick and Damian go clothes shopping. DickBats era

Unintended Consequences: In trying to hide his own illness Damian ends up getting Tim sick

Always Interesting: Cass buys a waxing kit and all the boys want to try it

Not a Burden: Tim gets hurt on patrol and doesn’t want to bother the family

With Love and Patience: Dick muses over taking care of Damian, there may also be suspenders involved. DickBats era.

Long Overdue: Jason offers to take Damian on patrol with him

Some Kind of Normal: Sometimes Bruce forgets just how young Damian is

Trapeze Training: Dick takes Damian out on the trapeze

Sick Day: Bruce is sick and Damian wants to make sure his father gets proper rest

Haunted Manor: Damian and Jon explore a haunting in the manor

Checking In: The batboys start to worry when Bruce is out of town and hasn’t contacted anyone in a while

Preserved Heartache: Damian sees a video of his own death

Hugs and Cookies: Dick brings a ‘get-along’ rug for the holidays

Like Old Times: Bruce and Dick on a stakeout

Safety Net: Snapshots of Damian learning to trust Dick

Irritating: Damian picks on Dick

This Stupid Family: First person pov. Jason’s little brother’s realize he too is a little brother and act accordingly.

Then and Now: Bruce dealing with Jason’s death juxtaposed with the family now

In Charge: Jason and Bruce make lunch while Alfred is out. Robin!Jason

A Little Craft Project: Damian asks Babs for help cheering Dick up

A Bad Night and Good Tea: Bruce can’t sleep, thankfully Alfred’s there to help

To Pass Through this Night: Dick died during Forever Evil. His brother’s find out and help him deal with it.

Faking It: Damian fakes being sick, Dick reacts to it. DickBats Era

Dreams of Wires: Damian’s feelings on the chip his mother put in his spine

Don’t Get Sentimental: Tiger takes care of Dick

Robin in the Batcave with the Rope: Damian get’s kidnapped by the Riddler and Scarecrow and forced to play clue

Breathe In Breathe Out: Damian gets buried, Dick worries Part 1 2 3

This Weight Off Of Your Shoulders: Damian gets sick, Alfred takes care of him

After Everything We’ve Seen: Dick finds Damian curled in the corner of the couch

Bone Tired: Dick is tired, Bruce is there to help him out

Just to See You: Temporary blind Damian, Big brother Dick

You Won’t Wake Up Alone: Dick knows he’s about to die, he just doesn’t want to do it in front of his little brothers Part 1 Part 2

First Breath After A Coma: Dick ruminates on his death, Damian’s, and all the terrible things that have been happening lately. Angst, no fluff

Your Job or Mine: Bruce gets hurt, Dick takes care of him

New to This: Dick’s getting used to his new busy life, and learning to take time for Damian

Accustomed to Standing Alone: The first time Damian’s kidnapped as a civilian

Bleeding Heart: Damian finds a dying doe and sits with her, Dick helps take care of the rest

Sun Spot: A lazy day with Dick and Damian

Of Baskets and Braids: Dick can’t sleep so he goes to find Bruce, and they get lost watching Youtube videos

As the Years Go By: Dick is growing up, and Bruce isn’t really sure how to deal with it.

A Bird in the Hand: Damian gets turned into a robin…for real. Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Those Days We Miss: After Damian picks a fight with Dick, he ends up kidnapped and pretty sure no one is going to come for him.

Stay Here, With Me: Damian gets soaked on patrol, and as a result he ends up sick. Rest and medicine should help, but Damian finds himself getting worse and worse. Thankfully he’s got Bruce (and later Dick) to help sort things out.

You Always Bring Me Home: When Batman is caught by an explosion he calls the person who can always find him, Alfred.

The Care and Yeeting of Robins: Bruce comes home to find Jason in his bed. Jason refuses to move, so Bruce does what he has to in order to stand his ground and decides sleeping on the floor is the only option.

Flash/Prompt Fics:

Damian and Tim: That’s Not a Dog

Dick, Damian, and Cass: No, no, it’s okay, I’ll be your bridge. You can walk all over me

Damian and Dick: I stabbed my last twelve brothers. Why should you be different?

Jason and Steph: Not only am I a late bloomer, I’m late for everything

Young Dick: Not only am I a late bloomer, I’m late for everything

Steph and Damian: I stabbed my last twelve brothers; why should you be any different?

Tim and Damian: Would you mind not setting my stuff on fire every time you get angry

Older!Damian: I find this to be highly illogical, incredibly ridiculous, and absolutely irresistible. Let’s play

Damian and Alfred the Cat

Tim and Damian: Damian attempts to irritate Tim

Tim and Jason: Tim’s tired and saying weird things

Batman Voice: Damian’s got a ‘Batman voice’ and it comes out at the best of times

Shrunken Sweater: Bruce’s sweater has shrunk to the perfect size

Being Sick is Stupid: Robin Dick and Bruce fluff and minor sick fic

Damian gets tricked into sleeping

Dick and Damian angst-fluff

Long Fics:

Super City: Damian and Jon on an adventure in Metropolis

Losing You: Dick loses his memories of Damian and the two try to deal with it while going after the villain responsible (plus Tim and Jason get to help)

Finding Us: The sequel to Losing You. Explores Jason and Tim’s relationship to the Batfam

[misanocircuit]

remember his name: a Guido Pini appreciation post.

Firstly, I want to say that I don't mean to put any sort of pression on the kid (who already has it) and also that I am aware of how unpredictable and ruthless Motorsport can be: even if he won't ever reach great achievements, my appreciation for him will still remain as it will his evident talent. But I genuinely believe he will make it.

//

If you follow Moto3 you may have heard of the likes of Filippo Farioli (born 2005) & Luca Lunetta (b. 2006), two very promising young Italian riders who are already showing glimps of talent and giving us Italians hopes of having a bright future ahead in MotoGP.

But have you heard of rising star Guido Pini, who could as well be the Kimi Antonelli of two-wheels? Well – if you haven't – let me present him to you, beginning with a fun fact: his name literally means "I drive pines", which is also his nickname! He is a Scarperia native – basically where Mugello circuit is – and he was born on the 10th of January 2008, making him only 16 y.o. (in 2024); he has an older brother (Diego), a little sister (Mia) and two younger brothers (Lapo & Livio) and his favourite subjects are Maths, Technology and Science.

When he was about 2 and a half he started dreaming of riding a minibike, like his father, but he couldn't even ride his bycicle without little wheels! So, he asked his parents to remove them, allowing him to learn how to properly ride and earn his minibike: his parents didn't have time to teach him so, curiously, he taught himself! And, just like that, his career had started, hopping on a minibike at only 2 years and 8 months old (!), following his family's passion, seeing how also his grandfather and uncles all rode bikes.

In these pics (and in the initial one) you may have noticed how he's using number 93 (currently he's using 94 & 96) and also wearing a Marc Márquez helmet replica with the Ant or Cervera on it, and that's because his racing hero and greatest inspiration is Marc, alongside Casey Stoner: here's a video of MM93 congratulating Guido in 2022 :)

The parallelisms with his idol, Marc, don't end here: in 2023 he announced that he would be represented by SeventyTwo Motorsports, Emilio Alzamora's brand new management agency, also entering in his JuniorGP team, the SeventyTwo Artbox Racing Team, along with Spanish rider Carlos Cano. For the ones who don't know, Emilio has been Marc Márquez manager until 2022, and he had been knowing Marc since he was a child, becoming a fundamental figure in his career and his success.

Having said this, at the moment he's competing in the JuniorGP and Red Bull Rookies Cup (2nd season, finished 11th in 2023), but before talking about the unlucky but amazing beginning of his 2024 season, let's take a quick step back in his career: he started doing serious competitions in 2016, and already in 2017 he finished 2nd at the European Mini Bike Road Racing Junior B Championship; the year after he managed to win the very same Championship in the Junior C category, repeating himself also in the identical Italian Championship. Then, in 2019, he arrived 4th in the Italian MiniGP 50cc Championship, while in 2020 he got 2nd place in the CIV PreMoto3 Championship. In 2021, he was 9th in the same Championship and got a 18th place in his first European Talent Cup season.

Finally, his most important achievement has arrived in 2022, when he won the Hawkers European Talent Cup and then becoming vice-champion of the same series in 2023, while also taking part in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, as already mentioned.

Therefore, 2024 seemed to be a year which would have seen him among the main characters of the Red Bull Rookies Cup, not being a rookie anymore, and also a new challenger in the competitive JuniorGP: sadly, every dream of glory was crashed at the very beginning of the year, with a double injury in two distinct moments and body parts (first the right hand, then the left elbow, both during winter testings), forcing him to not only jump some important tests, but also the first 3 rounds of the Red Bull Rookies Cup and 5 ones of the JuniorGP.

Eventually, he managed to recover as fast as he could, coming back just in time to take part at the JuniorGP Portimão round: he immediately amazed everyone by taking Pole Position for both races, which he finished in an incredible 2nd & 1st place! After just one round, he already finds himself 9th in the Championship standings, despite having missed a consistent portion of it, determined to show how great he really is and aiming to finish the season at least in a dreamy top 3, with only three rounds to go.

This weekend (28-30 July 2024), he will make his comeback in the Red Bull Rookies Cup at Assen, where also MotoGP will race: who knows what the future holds for this fast and hard working rider, who's already showing the antics of a true Champion, considering also his politeness and calmness which stand out in a very hectic environment.

In conclusion, he may be or not be the next Marc Márquez or the Andrea Kimi Antonelli of the two-wheels' world, but what's for sure is that he is called Guido Pini and you may want to remember his name.

If you are interested, go follow and support him on Instagram :) 🌲

[muxas-world]

For the new Pecco gyrlies /new fans tooo you might be wondering why he's doing so well in this FP. When usally hi flops his way araund the reason is that this is his favorite track. He has Assen tattooed on his soul and arm because it's his favorite circuit, that's why he won here in 2016 for Mahindra (one of the worst bikes in Moto3, truly a Honda put aside with the Mahindra). He gave the team and the bike their first win and his first success;)

Then in Moto2, one of his most special wins was also at Assen. To confirm how special this place is for him, in 2022 his comeback really started at Assen; that's when his championship began to turn around. So yeah, it's just his favorite track. It doesn't mean he's going to win, but it's easier for him to perform here, just like Mugello, because it's a circuit he loves.

[fairie-grl]

inspired by @onadarklingplain 's 'Albon Pet Primer'

Sir Lewis Hamiltion has a dog, his dog is the goodest boy in the world, and I know too much about his dog so now you must suffer with this knowledge as well enjoy:

Lewis adopted Roscoe, a English bulldog, from an online adoption agency in 2013.Roscoe is a purebred bulldog with both his mom and dad being show dogs. Roscoe's name was chosen because Lewis thought it but Crofty calling Nico ‘Roscoe’ at the 2016 Chinese Grand Prix makes me have my doubts. Lewis later adopted Coco, a female bulldog. Coco’s breeder was originally going to put her down due to how expensive her health conditions, mostly likely a heart condition, were but Lewis stepped in. If you are trying to tell Coco and Roscoe apart in photos, Coco has a wider white stripe on her head. It is widest around the top of her head. Roscoe has more wrinkles and a brown spot on his snout and his strip ends at the top of his head and a new one starts off center in the back of his head. Coco’s fang teeth are also out more often compared to Roscoe's little teeth and she is a lighter color than Roscoe. Lewis expressed that he adopted the dog because his family has always had dogs, mostly labradors, but he said he always wanted an English bulldog. Coco lived till June 2020 when she passed in the night. Lewis and Roscoe were with her. His mom has five dogs! Both Roscoe and Coco have passports so they can travel with Lewis. Lewis was also granted special permission from Bernie Ecclestone to bring the dogs to the padlock (I assume Charles will ask Domenicali to bring Leo to the Padlock). 

Lewis brought a jet to fly with the dogs which he then sold in 2019. Roscoe is good with traveling due to his love of napping. In his first trip with Lewis he slept through most of the flight waking up to go to the bathroom and to make Lewis put him in his lap. Lewis followed Roscoe's command, sleeping with Roscoe in his lap like “a baby.” Lewis said, “Roscoe is the best travel pet, he just sleeps with you.” As Roscoe is getting older, Lewis has made the decision to travel less with him, as the time zones were getting hard on him. While Lewis is racing, Roscoe stays in Los Angeles, California with dog trainer Kirstin McMillan (adventuresindogtraining on instagram). Lewis says he gets pictures of Roscoe everyday and checks in on him. Roscoe also attends a dog park or “Los Angeles' first canine social club” as stated on their website called ‘Dog PPL’ in Santa Monica. It is about $120 a month for one dog.  

Not only is Roscoe Lewis’s son but also his best friend. Lewis talked about his instant connection when they first met. Roscoe gets sad when Lewis leaves and happy when he returns. Lewis says, “Then I get the Frisbee and play with him, and that’s, for me, the biggest highlight – the unconditional love you get from a pet like that.” Roscoe loves quad bikes. In one interview, Lewis said it’s because he’s lazy so he likes being driven around. However, I think it’s because he has taken after his dad and wants to race. Roscoe also loves frisbee and his ball; it seems like he enjoys fetching and chasing after things, like chasing other cars down… Roscoe WDC 2024 confirmed. Lewis also has Roscoe involved in many of his projects, Lewis has hinted that Roscoe has a cameo in ‘Apex’, his movie starring Brad Pitt. When Fortnite asked him to be in the game he said he would only agree if Roscoe was in the game with him. Fortnite, of course, agreed because Roscoe is an angel. They ended up putting him in a jet pack. He was 1,500 V-Bucks or 2,400 V-Bucks with the ‘Lewis Hamilton Budle’ (IDK if thats a lot I don’t play Fortnite). Lewis also said Roscoe is the only person he can count on to stand with him along with Bono.

After Coco’s death, Lewis took Roscoe to the vet where they recommended starting him on a vegan diet similar to what Lewis has. This vegan diet is often recommended to bulldogs because they often have food intolerances or allergies to the meat proteins that can affect the skin and gastrointestinal tract. The vegan diet Roscoe is on still includes the same things without the meat proteins in it that caused him to have health issues. Lewis has said his breathing has improved and that he no longer has skin allergies. Roscoe also has physical therapy and acupuncture every week to help with his joints.  Roscoe has also had health issues that caused him to ejaculate, often uncontrollably, scaring baby Roscoe and leading to him getting snipped in 2016. Lewis did have his sperm frozen so that Roscoe could have puppies. Lewis said, “It’s great his genes will live on.” Lewis said his plans were to have Roscoe’s puppies after he retires but with the fanzone in 2024 Australia GP, it sounds to me like he may be looking sooner to have Roscoe’s pups or to retire. Last year, around the British GP, Roscoe had some issues regarding his spine. If I remember correctly, it involved a slipped hernia in his spine. Luckily, he got stem therapy and was able to attend the GP. He has been improving, and as of today he is back to normal.

Now for the part most people know about. Roscoe started his instagram account, roscoelovescoco, in January 2015 with a post featuring Coco and him captioned “Thanks for following us :).” The instagram account was originally a joint account with both Coco and Roscoe until 2020, although both did get solo posts. As expected Roscoe does make money off his Instagram, but he is also a dog model. Lewis said in a Silver Arrows interview in 2021 that he gets paid $700 a day which goes in Roscoe's treat fund. Roscoe also has sponsorships. His Thanksgiving party was sponsored by Bramble Pets, and he did content (including a commercial) for Zapp, a food delivery company Lewis invested in. Roscoe also appears in Lewis' vlog channel (it hasn’t been updated since 2021) multiple times. His last appearance is in a video “Adventures with Roscoe! | Lewis Hamilton Vlogs” which is also the last updated video on Lewis channel. He reached 1 million followers in 2024, which is more than Chouprette Lagerfield, the cat of Karl Lagerfeld (I am not joking, this man left a good chunk of his fortune [~$300 million] to his cat). Roscoe’s captions on his instagram posts were originally typed in a sort of third person first person mix but in October 2020, Roscoe finally established his first first person post with his famous lisp. However, the conspiracy expands as prior to this first lisp post, there are two posts on instagram where Roscoe (and Coco) are talking to us. The first one was posted April 2024 with Roscoe saying, ‘They put a thermometer up me bum, dad!’ In this speech bubble, Roscoe doesn’t have a lisp but does speak in a sort of baby talk. The next post in October 2017 features both Roscoe and Coco with Roscoe saying, “We got acupuncture today Dad!” and Coco saying, “It’s my favorite.” (More info about the dogs getting acupuncture is in the health section.) I will note his lisp comes and goes on his posts around November 2020. His lisp finally stays and its intensity does increase. There are also a few posts taken with Mercedes that don’t feature the lisp, and a few posts talking about Roscoe or Coco written in their “Dad’s” pov where it obviously doesn’t use a lisp.

[jgroffdaily]

Excerpts:

It’s a personal story for Groff, who relates to Frank’s interior life and how others (don’t) respond to his struggles. For example, his showbiz peers suggest he take a vacation in response to a tearful breakdown. “No one wants to really make space for Frank’s darkness or his pain…that feels so familiar to me,” Groff says. “It feels very gay. And then there’s also something about it that feels quite American of like, just…take a little trip, and then you’ll come back, and you work, and everything will be fine. But there’s not a real investigation of sadness or despair.”

Merrily is personal by design — for actors and audience members alike. Groff quotes the musical’s producer, Sonia Friedman (and sister to Merrily’s director, Maria Friedman): “There are certain shows that are beyond theater, and this is one of them where you want the audience to follow the characters’ stories. But you want them to also reflect on their own lives as well as this, because [the show] keeps saying, how did you get to be here?”

It’s a question that Groff contemplates as he journeys backward in time each night at the Hudson Theatre. Like Frank, the 39-year-old has two decades of career and adulthood to reflect upon. He marvels how the teen reading a Sondheim biography in front of his high school science fair project went on to garner three Tony nominations (for Merrily this year, Melchior in Spring Awakening in 2007, and King George III in Hamilton in 2016), voice Kristoff and Sven in Disney’s hit Frozen films, and lead the groundbreaking HBO dramedy Looking as Patrick.

Outside the spheres of musical films and theater, Groff has broken ground as a gay actor by starring in the Netflix crime thriller Mindhunter as Holden Ford and in The Matrix Resurrections as Smith. He was also a lead in M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin last year and will appear in the new season of Doctor Who — starring Ncuti Gatwa as the first Black queer star of the long-running British sci-fi series. “He’s a supernova of talent,” Groff sings of Gatwa; an It’s a Sin fan, he also jumped at the chance to work with Russell T Davies after the showrunner personally invited him to join the season.

This enviable acting career is not what Groff envisioned when he came out publicly in 2009 in an interview with Broadway.com. “I would rather be myself and be in a relationship and not have that compromised by this career thing,” he recalls reasoning at the time — effectively choosing to be himself openly over the possibility of becoming a leading man.

“I felt like I was opting out of that [star] trajectory because of coming out,” he says. “And so everything that’s happened to me with the success of film and television has been a complete surprise to me because I thought…by coming out that that was impossible.”

Groff credits his coming out with saving him from becoming a Frank, who makes a devil’s bargain for material gain. In fact, by appearances, Groff is an anti-Frank. To wit, he arrives via bicycle to his Out photo shoot at the Duplex gay bar in the West Village. He says he even favors riding a bike to the theater each day over an offered car service. Later at Julius’ around the corner, he takes a bite (and then finishes) a burger prepared for a photo op, and then thanks the owner and chef by name. So not the stereotypical fame monster.

“Being gay has allowed me to forge my own path,” he attests. “I don’t feel at the mercy of the traditional Hollywood machine because I never really felt like I fit in there. That equation wasn’t where I lived. And so I’ve just been sort of over here following my artistic heart, which was a choice I made long, long ago. I sort of credit that for not buying into the stuff that Frank in the show kind of buys into.”

Groff calls his success in the entertainment industry “a lucky gift of timing,” noting how he came of age at a turning point for gay acceptance in America — and after the worst of the AIDS crisis in NYC. His speech following each Merrily performance helps raise funds for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and it “means so much” to him because he is mindful of “all of the gays that came from small towns to move to New York to do theater and how many of them died.” Groff was born in Lancaster, Pa., and was raised amid Amish communities before pursuing his Broadway dreams in the Big Apple.

As a working out actor, “I feel so lucky and I feel some sense of responsibility, of really breathing it in and taking it in,” he confesses. “Even 10 years ago, I don’t know if I would have been cast in this role of Frank, ’cause even in theater, it’s such a straight character.… There’s also something that feels like a shift in the times that’s allowing me to play this role right now as well.”

His casting in such a diversity of roles on stage and screen “feels a part of this wave of progress of people being not only accepting of actors being out, but of actors being able to play multiple different things and not get so pigeonholed…. I’m so grateful to be living in this time.”

Like Patrick, Groff feels like he’s ready for love, in part because Merrily sparks “reflection and embracing an ownership of the past to cross through into the future.” By chance, the same night this writer saw Merrily in April, Groff’s first boyfriend, celebrating a birthday, was also in the audience.

Groff recalls how, at 3.5 years, this relationship remains his longest to date — and one that occurred at a crucial period in his career. Groff dated him from ages 19 to 23 when they were still closeted yet lived as roommates in midtown Manhattan. His ex, who he did not name, is a dancer who helped teach him the choreography for Fame at Crunch Fitness; Groff played Nick Piazza in a regional production at North Shore Music Theatre in Massachusetts. “I was so slow at picking up choreography,” he confesses. But the fancy footwork made a lasting impact. Fame led to Groff being signed by an agent, his membership in the Actors’ Equity Association, and his Broadway debut as an understudy for the lead role in 2005’s In My Life. A year later, he was appearing in Spring Awakening.

“There was something about having him at the show last night,” says Groff, calling it a “full-circle moment.” He adds, “I’ve been single now for a couple of years and I’m feeling…ready and open for anything. If that’s continuing with that, if that’s a relationship, I’m cool with that.”

In addition to the occurrence of a rare NYC earthquake, the day of this Out interview marked another fateful event: the 63rd anniversary of Barbra Streisand making her TV debut on The Tonight Show. Groff appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to commemorate the occasion. But his Barbra standom doesn’t end there. The actor wants to one day buy a Village restaurant called & Son Steakeasy, which used to be the site of the Lion, a gay bar where Streisand first sang publicly during a singing contest (according to a plaque there, at least). His goal is “turning it back into a gay bar and calling it BARbra.” A neon “BARbra” sign even hangs in his Merrily dressing room as a reminder of this dream.

Other dreams are poised to come true as well. Merrily’s revival is one of the biggest hits on Broadway right now, boasting sold-out shows and one of the Great White Way’s highest ticket prices. It also received seven Tony nominations this year, among them nods for Groff, Radcliffe, and Mendez.

Groff has been Tony-nominated twice before, but the theater world’s highest honor has lost some of its luster from the days when, post-high school, he taught a class on the Tony Awards at a theater camp. (He’d show clips to his pupils and have them vote for Best Actress. Wicked and Avenue Q were contenders that year.)

“When I was a kid, the marker of success was like an Oscar or a Tony or like whatever the award was,” he says. “Now I understand 20 years later that that’s a fun part of the game of it all. But it’s not what makes your artistic heart sing.”

The eschewing of awards recognition is also very anti-Frank. However, Groff also recognizes the importance of a good speech, like the “beautiful and touching and inspirational” words for the LGBTQ+ community that Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda gave at the Tonys after the Pulse nightclub shooting. If he has the opportunity to give his own remarks onstage, “I’ll attempt to honor whatever is happening in that moment,” he promises.

For now, Groff feels like his character at the end of Merrily, as three starry-eyed young friends look to the skies and imagine what dreams may come. “We gotta be the luckiest people who ever lived,” he quotes.

“I feel that. I really like to be living in this time and working in this way,” he says. “It’s more than I ever could have dreamt of. And so I just wanna soak it in, take it in, and keep going.”

[hawkinssnowball]

Summary:

Will sits on the porch. He closes his eyes and leans against the old wooden pillars, drinking in the scents of grass and soil and fresh air. It’s the kind of day that feels clean on his skin, an occurrence that he hopes to have more of soon. The hope aches, like working out a severely underused muscle, but Will welcomes it. Mike parks his bike unceremoniously at the bottom of the road, forgetting the kickstand and ignoring it as it falls on its side. He jogs up the driveway to meet him, breathing heavily. “Hey!” he calls out with a grin on his face. - All is well. The world is beginning to heal its cracks slowly but surely. Mike and Will have a few new, exciting things to share with each other.

Rating: G

Words: 3,292

[batsplat]

hi batsplat! i would like to say that you are an absolute pillar of the motogp community on here, like you are truly so so appreciated. both for your knowledge and also for the way you write about things (i think you could write 3000 words on a grocery store trip valentino took in 2003 and still make it super interesting reading)

i was reading your post about your favourite rivalries that didnt include one of the aliens, who would you personally include as part of that list? (versus who is really good but not quite alien status) id also really like to know if (and who) youd count as aliens from the pre-motogp era, and if theres been a difference over time about how often we are seeing aliens or if theyre easier/harder to spot as technical developments have sped up

hope you have a great day!

that's so sweet... thank you that's such an incredible compliment dsdkhfkhfd

about the aliens, the way I use the term is entirely as a historical descriptor, not as a qualitative assessment of any riders. it's a useful shorthand for a specific riders in a specific era, but to me it has limited relevance outside of that era. so to be clear we're talking valentino, casey, dani, jorge and marc - and according to common wisdom this usage originated from colin edwards' 2009 comment:

“But as I’ve said before, I’ve got to be pleased to be finishing next best behind those four guys, or should I say aliens. “They are riding out of this world and to be right behind them means I’m doing the best job I can and that’s about as good as I can hope for at the moment.”

(jorge discusses valentino as an alien in 2007, see here. which might be complete coincidence, but has always made me kind of curious whether the word was floating around in the paddock in some capacity before edwards 'coined' the term)

the thing is, right, it made sense to treat those four (and later -casey +marc) as distinct from the field, because they were winning almost everything. one reason for this was that they were very good, very skilled riders. another was that from 2007-15, only four to six bikes were capable of regularly challenging for wins at any one time. it was a massive field disparity that quite frankly was partly enforced through machinery. that's why it makes sense to include marc in that term: it's not just the fact that he was very good, it's the fact that he was riding a repsol honda that was the best or second best bike by a long way for his first three years in the premier class. in 2016, motogp returned to michelins and introduced new technical regulations - and for all intents and purposes, the alien era ended. it ended when eight different riders won in eight races that season. yes, marc, valentino and jorge were still the top three in the championship... but it's the difference of whether you go into a weekend convinced you know the winner will come from a list of four riders, or if you very much do not know that. between 2008 to 2015, apart from the aliens, a grand total of two riders claimed wins - dovi on a repsol honda in 2009 and ben spies on a factory yamaha in 2011. both of those were wet races (which of course are generally more open than dry ones). so just to reiterate: a greater number of riders won in 2016 alone (9) than in 2008-15 combined (7). (in 2007, a further two different riders won races - capirossi on the championship-winning factory ducati and vermeulen on the suzuki.) yes, obviously the aliens were very good riders, nobody is going to argue with you over that... but those numbers? they're only possible in a specific version of motogp - one that only existed for a few years

honestly, I don't even really use the term 'alien' to describe valentino pre-2006 or marc post-2016. it's just not that useful to me... aliens to me is a 'pack hunter' thing, where even if some of them are injured or are having a bad day or whatever, at least one of them will basically always be there to pick up the pieces. marc and valentino might have dominated the sport as a whole - but not all of their championship seasons were completely dominant, and there's only so much any one athlete can dominate in the sport... you're not going into every single weekend thinking 'oh yeah they're definitely going to win' (yes, yes, there were two times per year where you did very much do that with marc). which is different when you compare it to the aliens as a pack, where you could be confident that ONE of them would end the weekend on the top step of the podium

which is why I just don't apply the alien term to anyone pre-valentino - it's not because I think they were less good or less talented or less anything, it's because for me it's a term that's more about an era than it is about individual riders. you have to treat each era on its own, and I'm not really a big fan of inter-era comparisons. it's just kind of impossible to say whether a rider in the 1970s is more talented than one in the 2020s, whether ago's numbers are more or less impressive than marc's and so on... the sport has just changed in so many ways over the years. of course, in sports you do generally have this upward momentum where each generation is 'better' than the last. sports has gotten more professionalised, there's been massive advances in terms of pedagogy and sports medicine and exercise science and all of those things - all of which already affects how athletes train from childhood onwards. the young aren't more 'talented' in the sense that they were born with an innate superior ability to compete at the sport, but they are more 'talented' in that their ultimate ceiling will be higher as a result of all these gradual changes over time. these things can change quite quickly even (and if other sports is anything to go by, I wouldn't be surprised if the nineties/early noughties brought some big changes in that regard) - so already between, for instance, valentino and marc there'd probably been a real shift in how young talent is being nurtured

(the most blunt illustration of this is that young valentino's lifestyle was completely different from that of young riders today, in terms of how much time he spent training in the gym, sleeping habits, nutrition etc etc. athletes now can't get away with that much deviation any more, and indeed valentino had to massively change his approach in the 2010s to remain competitive - but of course it's different if you haven't been doing this stuff since you were a kid. I think we can safely assume valentino's 2003 supermarket trips looked rather different from marc's 2017 ones)

being good in pro sports may in some ways be harder now than it was in, say, the eighties, and the level of competition you're facing might be higher now - but of course, it would also by extension be unfair to judge those athletes by the standards of today. also, different eras are going to lend themselves to different profiles of rider depending on competitive trends, type of machinery and so on - even very basic stuff like how tall you are might have helped you in a certain era and hindered you in another... so what does that mean for talent? if we're discussing 'talent' at all, how can we possibly treat it as anything other than relative to the era we're discussing? to me, it just makes these comparisons between different generations pretty pointless... or well, I like talking about some of this stuff in a more holistic 'isn't this interesting' kind of way, not a 'this is why xyz is better than xyz' approach... this kind of thing is also why I finds goat debate such a uniquely boring way to spend your time, incidentally

this is a very long way of saying, I don't have a metric by which I judge athletes pre-2000 as 'alien' or 'not alien'! I think you have similarly dominant athletes, though again it is so tough to decide how much of that is down to talent and how much of it is down to bike advantage. if you take doohan's title winning seasons for instance:

yeah, look, sure, you can call him an alien as far as I'm concerned - if I'm watching these races live I will be expecting doohan to win in any given weekend. I'm still kind of missing the pack hunter feel in some of these seasons, so I won't know for certain the winner is going to come from a very short list. like take 1998:

not really one group vs the field, is it? and yeah, even if I consider doohan an 'alien' in some of those seasons, I'm still not going to call him that - because the term was essentially coined in 2009 for a specific group of guys that one other guy was later added onto. the competitive landscape and demands of doohan's era were so different that it feels off to try and go back and label him or any other past riders aliens... they were phenomenally talented, yes, they were great champions, yes, they can be called as good as the aliens, sure - but why wrench the term out of its historical context? is it still an analytically useful concept if you do so, except as a way to generically refer to a rider as 'very talented'?

which is also why I personally don't describe anyone since then as an alien. this doesn't mean I don't think fabio or now pedro aren't as good as those guys were, I just don't think they've been given the opportunity to have that kind of hold over the sport. fabio won five out of eighteen races in 2021 - and he did so on a yamaha that basically only he was able to consistently get a high level of performance out of. which is deeply impressive - but unlike say casey in 2007, he didn't have those other riders to dominate all the other races. eight riders won a race that season! it's just a fundamentally different competitive landscape. personally, I'd be perfectly content if we don't get another alien era. of course 2007-15 isn't all bad, but for good reason most fans' most fondly remembered eras are either 2001-06 or 2017-19... yes, at times one rider was too dominant, but it still felt like more riders had a shot at victory - and most importantly the quality of the racing was generally very high. this kind of domination by a few mega talents on the best machinery can get drab pretty quickly (though of course a lot of the blame for decreased race quality needs to be assigned to the 800cc era 2007-11, not to any of the aliens themselves)

I'd be quite happy to retire the term alien going forwards... except as a useful shorthand for a specific group of guys who have mostly retired. it shouldn't be used as a way to bash the young stars, as if they just can't measure up to the legends of the past. which would be dumb! again, plenty of ways in which motogp is harder now than it ever has been, though the most important thing is that it's just... different. not better, not worse, just different. sure, maybe we'll get another equivalent to the alien era, even though I personally think it's quite unlikely. if it happens, yeah, let's discuss cranking the term out again (and, yes, if you look at the current season and ignore sprints... if this current trend continues then we can have the debate at the end of the season. pecco and jorge despite all their apparent inconsistencies are currently building a pretty solid case for themselves) (now I've said that they're both gonna crash out of assen huh)

that being said! I don't exactly neatly follow this principle myself, because sometimes I do use something like the term 'alien-like talent' to refer to fabio or pedro... obviously, you can argue this is basically the same as calling them aliens in everything but semantics. so what's the criteria there? when do I use this term? I think to me it's just... instant, 'in your face' talent. they arrive to the premier class and they shine basically immediately. valentino got a relatively sedate start to the premier class by alien standards - which is fitting, because he's not really about that blistering raw pace. still, he wasn't far from being a rookie champion, got ten podiums, two wins... not too bad. casey was on a satellite team, but he got pole in his second ever race and came painfully close to winning his third. dani got a podium on debut and fought for the championship for almost the entire season. jorge got pole in his first three races and won his third. marc won the second time out and of course secured the title in his rookie season. compare that to fabio - pole in his fourth ever race on satellite machinery, fighting for wins in his first season. pedro got a podium in his second ever race and is handily outperforming everyone else on that bike

so it's about how quickly these guys pick this stuff up, how quickly they make that step from one level to another - though again, it's important to stress you can't just neatly compare these achievements! valentino's first two seasons were on 500cc bikes, which were notorious for being kind of evil. some of these riders started on satellite bikes (we're not counting valentino here), and there's also plenty of talk about how the bikes have become more complicated to ride now, making pedro's rapid adjustment even more impressive. but in every case, there is just this ability to 'be fast immediately', whatever the circumstances... and it's worth pointing out that even though pecco had a mediocre rookie season, he was incredibly quick in 2019 pre-season testing. jorge martin secured his first pole position and podium at his second race in motogp

speaking of, those two were already a touch older when they joined the premier class. there does generally seem to be something to the idea that in motorcycle racing, if you are not already very fast at a certain age, you will have a quite definitive ceiling... and from valentino onwards, the age by which you need to already have reached that standard of 'very good' seems to have gone down. when we're talking about talent and throwing around the term alien, this feels like another important change to mention - doohan was not winning his titles as a 22 year old! neither was rainey! or schwantz! or lawson! or... actually spencer was very young, yeah. but I think you get the point. I cannot tell you definitively why this changed, but it clearly has changed. in the 21st century, only two riders have won titles when they were older than 26: valentino (29-30) and jorge (28). valentino and marc were both 27 when their dominance over the sport ended (even if valentino secured titles after that point and marc will very probably do so as well). casey was 27 when he retired. (fun fact: pecco bagnaia is currently 27 years old.) so overall it's pretty rare in grand prix motorcycle racing to operate at the top of the premier class for more than a certain number of years - but the precise age window in which you are likely to be at your best does seem to have shifted pretty radically this century. which should demonstrate how hard these things are to compare... like I said, talent is often assessed by how quickly you are good at something - but if we called mick doohan a late bloomer, it would be wildly ahistorical

and yeah, look, this idea of 'you have to be good young or you will have a certain ceiling' is hardly unique to motogp, lots of sports are like that... another measure of this precocity that's perhaps more useful than just 'age' is looking how long it took them to win a title from when they joined the premier class (if they did so at all, of course). it's generally very fast! marc year one, valentino, casey and joan year two, jorge and fabio year three... and, well, pecco and hayden year four. of course, there's exceptions to this 'be fast immediately' rule - athletes who ended up being very good and title contenders who had slightly different paths getting there. the sete's and dovi's of this world - and to a lesser extent hayden too, who unlike those two was only even really a title contender in a single season... but generally speaking, those riders seem more heavily reliant on circumstances playing out just right to have a shot at a title

or perhaps! perhaps it's going to change! especially if you look at repeat champions, pecco does become a bit of an outlier in how he got there this century, doesn't he? compare the numbers he was posting in his rookie season vs valentino, casey, jorge and marc. and in some ways, you can extend this even further and say he's a massive historical outlier in terms of any premier class champions. there was an article about this in late 2022:

and some more about how historically unusual he is:

isn't that great? you don't become premier class champion with that kind of a rookie season, but pecco did! hey, aleix was a serious title threat in that season, which is a far more remarkable story still! and the thing is, right, if you're studying the current era and are labelling some riders aliens but leaving out pecco... then no offence but what's the point? look, who knows, maybe marc and pedro and david alonso are going to dominate the next twenty titles and pecco will have been a weird blip. but isn't there something fun about believing that a bunch of different riders could eventually develop into title threats? wouldn't it be kind of cool if you don't have to just write someone off age 22 any more? I don't know, I think it's a neat development! I hope it sticks around! there'll be plenty of alien-level talents in the future, but personally I wouldn't mind at all if there were no more aliens

[aricastmblr]

BTS (방탄소년단) Facebook Official (1era)

Álbumes de BTS (방탄소년단)

19th Fantastic Jimin's day

랩몬스터형과 함께 자전거 라이딩 ❤️ in 한강

12 de octubre de 2013  ·  

BTS (방탄소년단) Facebook Official (2da foto)

12 de octubre de 2013 ·

지민이의 vV. 뒷자리에 타실 분 모집 중입니다.

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HYBE LABELS YT

BTS (방탄소년단) '호르몬전쟁' Official MV

(War of Hormone(호르몬 전쟁))

BTS (방탄소년단) BTS Facebook Official

Álbumes de BTS (방탄소년단) [스타캐스트 비하인드] 스타캐스트 방탄룸 11-12회 [스타캐스트 비하인드] 스타캐스트 방탄룸 11회

<후속곡 <호르몬 전쟁> 촬영 현장!> http://me2.do/x8zF8DVG <방탄소년단 콘서트 대기실로 드루와~> http://me2.do/GYtjNqSk 13 de noviembre de 2014 ·

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BTS (방탄소년단) Facebook Official (Jimin carrito de juguete)

BTS 3RD MUSTER [ARMY.ZIP+] 2017 

noviembre de 2016  

BTS BANGTANTV

[PREVIEW] BTS (방탄소년단) 3RD MUSTER 'ARMY.ZIP+' DVD

marzo de 2017

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BTS BANGTANTV YT - BTS BANGTV BOMB (VJimin)

[BANGTAN BOMB] Bike Rider - BTS (방탄소년단)

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BTS Bon Voyage Season 1

La primera temporada se emitió el 5 de julio de 2016 y tiene lugar en el norte de Europa.

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BTS BANGTANTV YT

BTS (방탄소년단) 'Euphoria : Theme of LOVE YOURSELF 起 Wonder'

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BTS_twt 12:32 a. m. · 11 mar. 2019

오랜만에 지미니랑 😄😄 #RM #JIMIN

BTS_twt 7:02 a. m. · 11 mar. 2019

형이랑 3년만에~ #JIMIN #RM

Trans) Con Hyung por primera vez desde hace tres años~ #JIMIN #RM transmisión de vídeo) JM : ( Respiración) RM: Jimin-ah tu vas primero (Ultima foto K-Media)

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BON VOYAGE Season 4 Ep.6 Story Untold New Zeeland 2019 (191226) jimin nombra a su bicicleta chikorita

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ptd merch 2021 - permission to dance on stage (cr. a MYJIMNIE twt)

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SamsungMobile twt 22 Agosto 2023 Take selfies anywhere and everywhere hands-free, with the #GalaxyZFlip5 FlexCam – just like #Jimin of@BTS_twt .

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bt21_official tiktok CHIMMY is spreading positivity today🌼🍋💛

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j.m instagramstories 27 Agosto 2023

j.m instagramstories muestra póster de namjoon este es un póster instalado en la parada de autobús frente a Nine-One en Hannam-daero.(//twitter.com/artistkiru/status/1691767190876197339)

[intriguingpeoplebyangelafloyd]

PRINCE

PRINCE 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016 Prince Rogers Nelson was a successful singer and musician who became one of the highest-paid musical artists in the world. He was able to play 27 instruments and wrote and produced all his music. He also wrote and produced for other music artists including Sinead O’Connor. He starred in the move, Purple Rain, which had a successful soundtrack. Prince was famous for his distinct appearance which was often sexy, with fingerless lace gloves, and high-heeled boots, and was best known for wearing the colour purple. Prince was born in Minneapolis and was the son of musically gifted parents. During a teacher's strike in 1970, Prince aged 11 was interviewed by a news reporter. He was married twice and had one child who died not long after his birth. In 1992 he signed a $million dollar contract with Warner Bros, he had been with Warner Bros since 1978. After he signed the deal he stated he was being restricted by the company and had been treated unfairly. In an attempt to get out of the contract, he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol, known as love symbol. People started referring to him as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince. He would write ‘Slave’ on his face whenever he went out in public. When his contract expired he returned to the name Prince. Prince, 57, suffered from influenza days before his death; he performed his last concert on 14 April, even though he still wasn’t feeling well. While on a flight the next morning he became unresponsive and the plane had to make an emergency landing and was hospitalized. He suffered from influenza and dehydration for several weeks. Days before he died he was seen riding his bike, shopping, attending a party, and attended a jazz performance. On the 20th a specialist was called after Prince was seeking medical help, he was scheduled to see Prince on the 22nd. On 21 April, at 9:43 am, a 911 call requested an ambulance to Prince’s home. Emergency found Prince dead in an elevator and it was said he had been dead for at least 6 hours. Prince had been given an accidental overdose of fentanyl and it was revealed that Prince had been addicted to opioids. Prince’s ashes were made into a 3D-printed urn shaped like Paisley Park estate.

prince #princenelson #princerogersnelson #lovesymbol

[april-is]

April 13, 2024: Broken Periodic, Maya C. Popa

Broken Periodic Maya C. Popa

No one who has ever had a childhood wants what’s happening. No one who has ever wondered anything: where the rain’s headed in her steel hooves. Questions wrongly put swell like moths under a light. On the streets, everything looks human. You forget certain animals are bloodless injured. You must imagine some other color that means hurt. At night, you sleep with something like your gifts: to anguish and ascribe a language, music. To slice a fig the long way and linger. To grieve for a country. To grieve without a country to grieve.

--

Also by Maya C. Popa: Wound is the Origin of Wonder

Today in:

2023: Speech to the Young: Speech to the Progress-Toward (Among them Nora and Henry III), Gwendolyn Brooks 2022: We Lived Happily During the War, Ilya Kaminsky 2021: Hurry, Marie Howe 2020: Oh, Robert Creeley 2019: It Was Summer Now and the Colored People Came Out Into the Sunshine, Morgan Parker 2018: In Two Seconds, Mark Doty 2017: Aubade, Louis MacNeice 2016: Before, Ada Limón 2015: Sign for My Father, Who Stressed the Bunt, David Bottoms 2014: Ullapool Bike Ride, Chris Powici 2013: Clothespins, Stuart Dybek 2012: Ghost Story, Matthew Dickman 2011: Graves We Filled Before the Fire, Gabrielle Calvocoressi 2010: On Being Asked To Write A Poem Against The War In Vietnam, Hayden Carruth 2009: The Bear-Boy of Lithuania, Amy Gerstler 2008: Today’s News, David Tucker 2007: All There is to Know About Adolph Eichmann, Leonard Cohen 2006: Gamin, Frank O’Hara 2005: [this is what you love: more people. you remember], D.A. Powell

[jae-bummer]

My Idol 3: Part Seventeen

My Idol from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My Idol is a South Korean competitive reality dating game show. It currently airs on Saturday nights on Jae-bummer’s blog. First broadcast in 2016, the show offers the opportunity for a lucky fan to go on seven blind dates with seven idols. The idol plans the date with the show throwing in a specific mission to complete during the day. At the end of the initial dates, the show opens up an audience vote to decide what four idols will move on to the second date.

My Idol 3: The Series

"Give it to me straight," Hoshi said, sipping loudly from his juice box. "I can take it."

You winced, tilting your head as you tried to gently break the news.

"We're out," Hyungwon grumbled from behind you. "Me, you, and Hongseok."

Furrowing his brows, Hoshi's face filled up with a frown as he lowered the juice box. "I got eliminated and I wasn't even there for the dramatic close up of my heart breaking?"

"If it's any consolation," Hyungwon muttered. "I'm pretty sure they panned in on the box."

"Perfect," Hoshi said, shaking his head. "Not to make this about me, but I have to say, I'm disappointed."

"Me too," you agreed, suddenly becoming much too interested in your shoes. Surely your shoes wouldn't make you cry. "I was really looking forward to getting to know you guys better."

"You win some, you lose some," Hoshi sighed. "I just wish this hadn't been the some I lost."

"Y/N," Insu said, clearing his throat as he appeared. "We need to get moving."

Giving a curt nod, you turned back to the two men who were now being ousted from your immediate future. You had attempted to find Hongseok at the end of filming as well, but weren't necessarily surprised to hear that he had already left the set.

Deep down, you knew it wasn't personal. He was relying on self preservation just as much as you were. It was already an upsetting situation, but it stung even more to know he had gone without a proper goodbye.

"Don't have too much fun without me," Hoshi pouted, spreading his arms wide to capture you in a hug. Letting yourself fall into his chest, the weight of the competition washed over you. You knew losing contestants would hurt, but not like this. At the base level, these guys had become your friends, your solace, and confidants. The emotions ripping through your chest were entirely selfish, but you didn't care.

"Hey," Hoshi cooed, rubbing your back as he heard you stifle a whimper. You knew the tears cascading down your face were now hitting his shirt, likely leaving splotches of makeup in their wake. "You're going to get your fairy tale ending, I promise."

"What about your fairy tale ending?"

"I've gotten so many," he said, leaning away from you to capture your eyes with his. A slow grin began to fill his lips. "I need to stop being so thoughtless and let others have a few."

"I mean, I would've like to have one," you heard Hyungwon admit from behind you. Spinning around, you almost shattered all over again as his expression softened. Pulling you into his side, he patted your shoulder. "I guess we'll see you on the other side."

"I guess so," you croaked. "I hope we don't become strangers."

"Never," he smiled sadly. "Plus, I think I owe you another motorcycle ride."

"You can take me," Hoshi blurted, fitting himself into Hyungwon's other side. "I promise I won't scream."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," Hyungwon laughed, shaking his head as he untangled from the both of you. "Plus Y/N looks much prettier on the back of my bike."

"Hey, don't make any assumptions," Hoshi argued. "Until you see me there, you don't know for sure!"

"I'll miss you guys," you chuckled, finally making the slow march toward where Insu was waiting. "See you later?"

"Bet on it," Hoshi beamed, hooking his arm around Hyungwon's shoulders.

"We'll be around," Hyungwon said noncommittally before breaking into a smile of his own.

Giving one last small wave, you allowed Insu to guide you off set.

"What a disaster," you muttered, shaking your head. Finally feeling secure enough to decompress, you looked toward Insu. Since the competition had began, he had been something of a safe space for you. He was one of the few people in this situation that you could read, but tonight he seemed closed off. You knew the security breach had to have left him shaken, but you weren't expecting him to put a wall up between the two of you. "You know it wasn't your fault, right?"

Leading you to your My Idol chauffeured vehicle, he let out a soft grunt of acknowledgement.

Chewing on the inside of your cheek, you pulled yourself into the car and instinctively slid over to make room for him. You watched in confusion as he pointed to another member of security you weren't quite familiar with and motioned them over. The words they shared were too quiet for you to hear, but you got the gist of the situation as the new guard plopped into the seat beside you.

"Insu?" you questioned, just as he was about to close the door.

Lifting his brows, he waited silently.

"Where are you going?" you asked, trying not to sound too desperate. You hadn't lied earlier when you said the night was a disaster. Even if the crowd hadn't surged on stage, you would've been shaken by the night's initial purpose alone. With the added chaos, you felt like your nerve endings were fried. You just wanted someone who was familiar to take care of you.

You wanted Insu.

Trying to quiet the implications of that thought, you focused on his frozen form instead. You watched as his jaw muscles clenched, a sign that his mind was working overtime to come up with a safe answer.

"I have to finish up a few things here," he said gruffly. "I'll meet you back at home."

Without saying another word, he shut the car door, plunging you into darkness with a stranger. Granted, it was likely a stranger that he trusted implicitly, especially if it came to your safety. Still, the action felt cold and instantly had tears prickling your eyes again.

Why was every emotion attached to your tear ducts?

"He's got some major cleanup to do after the incident," the unknown guard supplemented after a moment of silence. He continued to speak, but you had unintentionally tuned him out. Your thoughts were loud enough to crash against the confines of your head without his half-hearted excuses. You knew tonight had been bad and Insu was likely getting more than an earful on the situation. It made sense when a sick feeling overtook your stomach as the car finally began to pull away from the sound stage. What was going to happen to him?

And what would happen to you if he wasn't there anymore?

.

You didn't mean to stay up, but sleep had been evading you before you had even placed your head on the pillow. It wasn't that you were waiting to hear Insu's tired voice in the hallway all night, you just didn't have anything better to listen for. Just as you were on the precipice of cutting your losses and taking allergy medication to fall asleep, you caught a hushed exchange just outside of your hotel door.

Creeping off of your mattress, you crossed the room, and looked out of the small peep hole. The security officer who had escorted you home had disappeared, replaced by a face you had been waiting with baited breaths to see.

"Insu," you gasped, immediately yanking open the door.

Springing out of his chair in alarm, he faced you with a tense stance. It took him several moments to finally calm down enough and recognize there was no danger in the situation, just you in your pajamas.

"Y/N," he breathed, shaking his head. "I mean this in the kindest way, but what the fuck?"

You felt your cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. Perhaps you could have gone about that more calmly. "I was worried about you."

"Isn't it my job to be worried about you?" he chuckled, rubbing a hand down his face. While he was now at least attempting to act normal, you knew he was covering something else up.

"Do you want to come in?" you asked slowly. Pushing the door open so it was wider, you stepped to the side to make room for him to pass.

"You have an early day tomorrow," he sighed, shaking his head. "We can talk then."

"I want to talk now," you pressed.

"Y/N," he said sternly, leveling you with a look a scolding parent would be proud of.

"Insinuating I should go to sleep doesn't mean I actually will," you protested. "I can get back in bed and stare at the ceiling until the sun comes up or you can come in and tell me what's going on."

Chewing on his lip, it took him only a few seconds to think through your argument. His originally serious expression melted into something more sad as he strolled past you and into your hotel room.

"Now that we have that settled," you murmured, closing the door and leaning against it. "I'm happy to see you haven't lost your job."

"Is that what you were in here thinking about?" he teased, pressing his palm to his chest. "I'm touched."

"Insu," you hummed, shaking your head. Sliding slowly down the door, you plopped to the floor, and pulled your legs against your chest. "To be honest, I don't know if I could do this without you."

He smiled sadly at you before sitting gingerly at the end of your bed. "I appreciate the sentiment, but-"

"It's the reality," you cut in. "I hope you know that. No one can possibly protect me like you do. You genuinely care and-"

"Y/N," he said, now his turn to interrupt. "I'm not sure...how well I can protect you anymore."

The words you had been about to say dried up in your mouth. "I'm sorry, what?"

"There's a lot going on that you don't understand," he continued quietly. "Hell, I'm not even sure if I completely understand it."

"Then tell me," you said instantly. "Make me understand."

You could feel the panic begin to nip at the edges of your thoughts. You had lost Hyungwon, Hoshi, and Hongseok all in one night. You were not about to have Insu disappear too.

"I don't know if I should even try," he cringed. "I'm going to sound crazy if I say it out loud."

"Please," you insisted.

"The only other person I've talked to about this is Hyuk," he cautioned. "In no universe should I be sharing these concerns with you."

"If it's about my safety, I think I have the right to know."

After a beat of silence, Insu's voice was hardly louder than a breath. "Tonight shouldn't have happened."

"Tonight? You mean the angry mob?"

"That's exactly what I mean," he scowled. "Ever since the fan rushed you and one of the contestants on your park date, I've been pouring over security plans. Every possible danger has been taken into consideration. Nothing and no one should have gotten through."

"Okay..." you trailed, still a bit lost.

"We've caught several other fan disruptions on your other dates, barring the egg incident, I'm still not sure how that happened either," he shuddered. "But tonight, it should have gone off without a single incident. We did background checks, searches, everything you can think of."

"Then why did it?" you asked, tilting your head. "It seemed pretty well planned on the crowd's part."

"Exactly," he muttered. "Hyuk and I have interrogated guards, fans, and everyone in between. It doesn't make sense...it's almost...it's almost like we're being sabotaged."

"Sabotaged?"

"From the inside," he nodded. "Nothing should have happened unless the My Idol crew wanted it to."

"No way," you laughed bitterly. Thinking back to the aftermath of the situation, you shook your head. "The idols were physically injured."

"Makes great television, doesn't it?" he said quietly.

"The filming," you faltered. "As soon as the crowd surged, the cameras shut down. There wasn't any good television to be seen if they weren't actually recording."

"They didn't shut down, Y/N," Insu whispered. "They were filming the entire thing."

"But the host," you pointed out. "When we came back on air, she explained-"

"I'm not going to argue what she said," he sighed. "I'm just saying that we saw it. The film. We see the social media response. Viewers saw everything."

You sat dumbfounded. There was no way.

"My break in?" you croaked, trying to keep your calm.

"We think that was a legitimate incident," Insu nodded. "Unfortunately, that may have been the spark that started the idea for all of the other attacks."

"That's sick," you gasped.

"I don't disagree," he acknowledged. "But it's the only thing I keep going back to. These incidents are too targeted, too well planned. We should have seen SOMETHING, Y/N. From our point of view, tonight should have gone off without a hitch."

"So I shouldn't trust the people who are in control of my day to day activities?" you groaned. Pinching the bridge of your nose, you tried to swallow down anxiety threatening to overflow.

"I don't know," he admitted. "That's why I didn't want to tell you any of this. I just don't know."

Your conversation lapsed into silence as you both seemed to be lost in your own thoughts. He was right, verbalizing his theories sounded absolutely crazy. There was no way that a production crew would put their cast in the path of danger, right?

If the danger had rails around it...if there were actual writers coming up with these situations and putting them into play during your dates...

"I'll ask them," you said dumbly. "I'll ask them how all of this keeps happening and-"

"They'll blame me," Insu chuckled. "Just like everyone did tonight."

"If you're to blame, why aren't you fired?" you questioned.

"That's the funny thing," he sighed. "In any other circumstance, my contract would be terminated. This was too big of a mess up. I should have been cut."

"But if they knew they were the ones orchestrating everything," you finished his thought. "They wouldn't have reason to fire you..."

"They know it's a setup," he agreed. "My team was meant to fail."

"This is unhinged."

"Welcome to reality television."

"What do we do?" you said helplessly. Things had escalated to a level you weren't prepared for.

"Stay as aware in your dates as you can," Insu instructed. "I don't want you to think you're alone in this. My team is obviously covering as much as they can, but any illusion of being prepared has been shattered."

Great, another thing to send you into a thought spiral on these dates.

Pulling himself up from the bed, Insu took the few short steps toward you before squatting down. Now at eye level, he reached out to smooth the small wrinkle between your brows. "I don't know how to tell you to still have fun, but stay vigilant. It sounds like an oxymoron."

"Be carefree and enjoy your date," you chuckled. "But secretly keep an eye out to make sure you don't get knifed."

"I surely hope it does not come to that," he laughed.

Settling into silence again, you both really thought about it. How much worse could it get?

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you," Insu whispered. His attention was heavy as he stared at you. "I may not be able to see what's coming, but no harm will come to you under my watch. Okay?"

"Okay," you croaked.

"And for as much as some of these guys grate my nerves," he smirked. "I don't think they'd let anything happen to you either."

"Just say Jackson," you muttered with an eye roll.

This caused Insu to break into a wide smile. "Surely I don't know who you mean."

"Riiiight," you grumbled. "Have fun on your dates, but not too much fun. Especially not with that Jackson boy. Thanks, dad."

Insu lifted a brow. 'I could get used to some variation of that."

"Insu!" you gasped.

Rising to his feat, a shit-eating grin painted his lips. He reached down, pulling you to your feet as well. "You should rest."

You spluttered, still not completely recovered from his previous comment.

"Goodnight, Y/N," he hummed, sneaking around you to slide out of the door.

Shaking your head, you watched him leave. The conversation you had had before was really enough for one night, and that quip had put the cherry on top.

You fell backward onto your bed, looking up at the popcorned ceiling as if they were stars in the night sky. "What am I even doing?"

.

The next morning did not meet you easily. Your eyes felt as if they had been solely constructed out of sandpaper as you blinked them open. It only took a few minutes of being conscious before the previous night's events began to surface.

My Idol, the show you had already become relatively wary of, was setting you up for the purpose of more entertaining television. You can't say you were surprised. You had watched the first two seasons of the show. The production team was notorious for throwing in twists that were outright painful for the contestants. The mental and emotional whiplash you were somewhat prepared for, but the physical danger? That was not something you had expected.

You felt like you were a zombie as you shuffled from one station to the next, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, having your hair and makeup done. It wasn't until you were sat in the SUV with a coffee in hand that you finally felt something resembling to a human again.

"Insu let me know you two had a long conversation last night," Hyuk said quietly, maintaining his attention on his phone. "I want you to know, that's just a theory. We don't know for sure-"

You narrowed your eyes at the older man, causing him to turn your way. He let out a surprised laugh. "Not buying it, huh?"

"Are you?"

"Touche."

It wasn't long before the My Idol SUV whipped into a shopping center you felt vaguely familiar with.

"Haven't we been here before?" you muttered, focusing on the building just out of your window.

Hyuk looked at you with a lifted brow. Even if you had been here before, you were sure that he wouldn't confirm or deny. Each date was meant to be a surprise, even if the dates themselves were on your doorstep before the date had even started.

Sliding out of your seat and into the shopping center's parking lot, you were surprised to see the camera crew directed at someone you didn't recognize. A figure stood with their back to you, tall, thin, long hair bound in a topknot. What was going on?

Walking up slowly to the scene, you cleared your throat as you came to a halt.

Spinning on his heel, a man you hadn't been expecting faced you.

"Hi, Y/N!" he chirped, waving shyly in your direction. "I'm Stray Kids Hyunjin. It's so nice to finally meet you."

.

[trollamulet]

the alarm clock rouses jim from his sleep. the sun streams in to his early start of six am. blue eyes blink as he sits up. it's not the usual energetic start fifteen-year old jim would be - determined to make a delightful meal for his mother to wake up from her late night with, as well as her meal for her shift, as well as making sure toby had something halfway decent to eat. jim moves to his laptop to look at the time and the recipe he'd had open the night before. he stares at the date stamp on the lower right hand bar of the screen.

september 17, 2016. the day that kanjigar dies. in another time, in another life - this is the day that jim would assume the role of trollhunter by retrieving the amulet from the rubble of his body. but this life is a new chance.

the akaridion amulet did come back with him, and it glows innocently beside him on the desk. jim cannot reject this one. after all, he is the trollhunter, will always be the trollhunter. though, this time he intends on one of his friends assuming the role, hopefully the amulet calls out for them instead of jim. maybe it'll sense he has no need for merlin's silver and onyx and sword and service - because he's already fighting for the good of all.

the trouble is the sword, but he could make do. excalibur remained in that ruined timeline, all he needs is to sneak into trollmarket, and he can find something there to use. his body isn't as coordinated as it was - given the fact he wouldn't be training the same way, but he reckoned a spear would serve in place of sword. or maybe he'd luck out and there would be some funky sword that conjured from it - but then again, when krel and the rest of the team worked on the design, jim had opted for the ability to use gemstones. he did still know how to cleave like a troll - he could just experiment with gemstones until something worked.

he lets himself think - wonder - as he cooks, finishing up breakfast for himself quickly and making his mom's breakfast while the meatloaf for his meatloaf sandwiches cooks. (he leaves out the cardamom that toby complained about before.) he needs to make sure everyone doesn't know what's going on, what he knows.

and when he and toby bike through the canal - he glances down to the pile of kanjigar's remains - knowing draal will be out there after sundown to gather his father's corpse to reassemble in the hero's forge... he doesn't see the amulet.

jim swallows, and continues to school - trying not to let it get to him. maybe claire was through there? compelled by some fateful predestiny, but he doubts it. and he doubts their shadowed enemies could have gotten to it first.