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peaceloveandf1 · 1 year ago

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Soft Launch pt.6

part 1

part 2

part 3

part 4

part 5

Final part girlies!!!! It’s been fun lol. Let me know if you want to see anything specific next🫶🏻

summary: It’s been a year since Austin; Lance and y/n are happier than ever before. They want to announce something the opposite way the did with their relationship. No more soft launch’s. This is a hard launch.

pairing: Lance Stroll x reader

rating: PG-13

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“Mommy! Dinner is all done” Brooks says while grabbing my hand and dragging me into the dining room.

“Oh it looks amazing B. Did you do this all yourself?” I inquire, winking at Lance who is setting the table.

“No mommy, Lance helped me!” he shouted

“Oh did he?” I giggled picking Brooks up and kissing him.

“He’s the chef. I just take orders from him” Lance says, placing the bowl of pasta in the middle of the table.

“Well you two did a wonderful job.” I say, giving Brooks another kiss and putting him down.

“We made your favorite just for you” the 4 year old shouted from his place across from me.

“Oh baby you know me sooo well” I giggle at him before Lance pulled me into a side hug.

Tomorrow was our last day all together before Brooks goes to Matt’s for the week and Lance goes to São Paulo and Lance insisted that he would cook for us tonight. It’s been two years since we started dating and it’s been bliss. I was nervous at first because we are both younger and I was recently divorced at only 25. But Lance didn’t care that I was divorced and had a 2 year old. He loved Brooks like his own from the very start. Now we are 27 and 28 living between Nashville and London and I couldn’t be happier. He’s the one that brings out the best in me, always and I do the same for him.

Lance’s voice shook me from my thoughts, “Lemme take your plate y/n”

“Oh thanks, let me do the dishes? You cooked it’s only fair” I plead. The dinner was delicious and he put so much effort into it, I wanted to try to do something to make it up to him.

“It’s okay, let me clean them up. Take Brooks to bed and I’ll be done when you come back down” he insists, shooting down my request.

“Okay, okay. Brooks, baby, let’s go get ready for bed. We have to get up early tomorrow to have breakfast with Chloe and Scotty” I call for the 4 year old.

“Night bud. Sleep well, I’ll see ya in the morning” Lance said, giving him a hug.

“Night night Lance” he says, giving the driver a hug before sprinting up the stairs.

“I’ll be down in a few Lance” I say, following him up the stairs.

……………………………………………………….

After Brooks has finished his routine, I walk to my room and put on a clean pair of pajamas. I notice Lance’s clothes in the hamper, signaling to me he changed while I was putting Brooks to bed.

Sighing, I walk down the stairs and into the den to find Lance scrolling lazily through HBO.

“What do you wanna watch?” I ask when he continued flipping though the show options.

“The Conquest?” He jokingly suggests the show I made an appearance in during the first two seasons.

“Ew no” I laugh at his suggestion. I absolutely hate watching and hearing myself, especially an explicit show like The Conquest.

“Why not? You have some great scenes” he smirked at me, referencing the X-rated scenes that filled the “Game of Thrones” prequel.

“You act like you don’t see the real thing” I roll my eyes as he bursts out laughing.

“I’m only playing, We’ll watch SVU?” Lance settled, pulling me into his arms and turning on our favorite show.

We watched 3 episodes before calling it a night and settling into our shared bed.

“Are you still okay with hosting Scotty and Chlo tomorrow?” He asks, face lit up by his phone.

“Yes, of course. It’ll be great. I’ll go and pick up the food at 8” I reassure him. I love having Chloe and Scotty at our house. Especially right before everyone leaves for a week.

“Okay babe. I just want everything to be great” he sighs.

“It will be, promise” I say, kissing him and turning out my light.

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“Hey!! Food looks amazing y/n!” Scotty shouts, barging into the kitchen with orange juice and champagne in his arms. “I brought what you requested” he said, putting it down and hugging me.

“Thanks Scotty” I say, hugging him back. “Lance and Brooks are setting up in the sunroom” stretching my hand out to point towards where they resided.

“Hi girl!! You look amazing” Chloe’s voice replaces Scotty’s.

“Hi honey” I say, hugging her. “Do you want a drink? The boys are out back.” I offer her a mimosa to start the day off.

“Oh yeah, I love how you make them” she giggled, popping the top off the champagne as I grabbed four flutes.

I made four mimosas for the adults and an orange juice for Brooks, before heading into the back yard. It was gorgeous out there. Lance had arranged the back yard to look like we were in paradise. Lights were up around the porch, the new backyard furniture was set up around a new table he had ordered and candles were lit up, despite it being 11 am.

After I set the drinks out we all went back to get the food we had ordered and prepared and arranged the table.

Our brunch was amazing. The love I have for Chloe and Scotty is unmatched. Watching Scotty chase Brooks around the yard while Lance, Chloe, and I talk future vacations fills me with so much joy. I can’t believe what I have gained in the past two years. Chloe has told me before that she’d never seen Lance like this before he met me….that sent me into tears. I just can’t imagine where I’d be without them.

“Mmh… If I may, I’d like to make a toast” Scotty’s voice rang through the yard and glancing over I see him. Standing at the head of the table, Brooks on his shoulders with orange juice to match Scotty’s mimosa.

“Eh let’s here it” Lance chimes up, his arms pull me down next to him.

“Not much but you guys are the fucking best. I-..”

“Scott”, Chloe chastised him.

“Oh shit sorry… hey Brooksy earmuffs man” he stumbles, Brooks doing as he says so as to not here the words that are most used in Scotty’s vocabulary.

“As I was saying….You guys are the fucking best. We absolutely love coming to visit you both here and I think Chloe agrees when I say you two are a fucking pair” he finished his toast but chugging the mimosa in his hand and tapping Brooks to signal his hands could come off his ears.

“Aww thanks Scotty, we love you guys too. I’m so so happy you guys travel to come see us whenever you can. Lance and I are so lucky to have you both.” I say, tears beginning to prick at my eyes. Yes I know I’m emotional…whatever.

I feel Lance’s hand release mine as he stands up. “Well since we’re on the topic of toasts… I’ll give it a go. Yeah?” He speaks, looking to everyone.

“Okay so obviously I want to thank Scotty and Chlo for stopping in Nashville for the day before going to São Paulo, it means a lot. To the both of us” he starts, motioning between us. “Uh.. next I want to thank Brooks for being the kindest and greatest kid I’ve ever met. You are such a good son, friend, and all around kid. And of course I’ve gotta thank you y/n. Before I met you I was a 26 year old that didn’t care about much. But since I met you I care about everything and more. You are such a good mom and a total badass all around. Everyday I see you use things you’ve learned before and put them into lessons for us to learn. You have such a fucking brillant mind and I love when I wake up in the middle of the night to find you playing the piano or writing a new song. You are and will always be everything I’ve ever wanted and needed. I told you a while back that you were my endgame….”

I thought my heart exploded during his toast but hearing the word “endgame” made it stop. I remember that night in Austin a year ago. He told me he wasn’t going to ask then but it was coming. Now I think it’s here.

“Will you marry me y/n?” He said, down on one knee ring shining up at me.

I’m frozen in my spot. I keep trying to talk and nothing is coming out. I already know the answer and I think he does too.

My voice finally returns to me. “Of course I will” I utter, the tears once pricking at my eyes fulling falling down my face.

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enews Y/n L/n got her “Love Story” after all. F1 Driver Lance Stroll has proposed to the actress and singer after two years of dating, sources close to the couple confirm. READ MORE BY CLICKING THE LINK IN OUR BIO

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#carlos sainz x reader #daniel ricciardo x reader #f1 instagram au #f1 x y/n #lance stroll #lance stroll x reader #aston martin f1 #f1 x you #f1 smut

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toracainz · 10 months ago

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Tell Me Where to Put My Love pt4

You and Steven haven’t been together very long, but that won’t stop either of you from fighting tooth and nail for a chance at a future together.

Series Masterlist

Part 3 - Different Kind of Danger in the Daylight

Part 4 - Unavailability Is The Only Thing That Turns You On

Part 5 - At Last, When All of the World is Asleep

Warnings: Inaccurate depictions of DID (only knowledge from the show and some light research). Swearing. Established relationships. Married relationship. Use of term “priest” in a gender neutral sense. Discussion about cheating. Discussion about homewreckers. Canon typical violence in later chapters. Mentions of food. Angst. Fluff.

Word Count: 4k

A/N: I am so sorry it's taken me this long to post the next part, been stewing over this part for so long. 😭 Personal stuff happened and then writer's block and ugh. Anyways, I hope you like it. 🥺

There you were, outside his flat, standing by the road looking up at his floor. You had to go in sooner or later, but the pit in your stomach made it hard to move any further. You were honestly lucky you made it as far as you did thanks to some encouragement from Tutu. It was strange that he seemed to care so much, maybe he really did. You were sure that by now Layla was in town and inside the flat. The bustling sounds of average Londoners going about their day helped keep you calm (well, calmer), oddly enough.

“He’s not going to come to you, child.” Tutu stood atop the nearby building. “Though knowing him, he might actually.” The god chuckled. “Go. All will be well. You are strong.”

Glancing up at his masked face you can almost feel the reassuring smile hidden behind it. With a nod, you take a moment to collect yourself before starting inside the building. What would you say first? What do you say first? Obviously introduce yourself, or maybe Steven would introduce you. Wait, who’s going to be fronting during this? Are they going to be, what did Steven call it? Co-conscious? How easy was it for them to switch? Steven had mentioned he and Marc could do it pretty effortlessly now that they were closer. You still hadn’t actually seen them switch yet. Since he had come back it had always just been him with maybe a stray comment here or there in Steven’s head from Marc.

The lift seemed to be moving so slowly, compared to the speed of your thoughts racing through your mind. Oh God, would Layla even want you to step foot in the flat? What would Steven do if she refused to talk to you? Surely, she would at least talk…right?

Oh. When did you get in front of his door? Muscle memory must have carried you here. Well, you’re here. You take another deep breath sensing Tutu’s reassuring presence as you lift your hand to knock. That’s when you hear it. Layla is talking, but you’re not sure to who, was it Marc or Steven? You imagine probably Marc, that’s who she’s here to see…unless... You try not to dwell on it and find yourself knocking on the door. Things fall silent in the flat other than a low voice, maybe Marc, and the sound of approaching steps. To say you were relieved when Steven swung open the door with a smile was an understatement.

“Hello, love. Come in, come in. Make yourself comfortable of course. Uh…but first I think it’s best to get the introductions out the way, yeah?” He ushers you in, his hand finding a gentle place on your back out of habit as he introduces you to Layla. She gives you a curt smile, brows lifting slightly as she reaches out offering a handshake. You take it with a nod.

“Steven has said a lot of nice things about you.” She rests her hands in her pockets glancing between you and Steven. “So, I guess now that everyone’s here…we should eat.” She says, trying to change the subject. The air was so thick with tension you weren’t sure you could move from where you stood.

“Oh right, yeah.” Steven says to Layla as she starts into the kitchen to get out plates and cups. He turns to you with obvious concern on his face. “I truly am glad you came. I made your favorite and look…nothing has to happen tonight. I certainly don’t expect things are alright between us, but I’m just happy you’re here. Um, Marc and I, we’ll be switching a bit so just warning you. It’s not scary or anything, I just…well Layla’s seen it so she’s used to it. I just didn’t want you to be surprised.”

Oh, God did you love him. He was so concerned about you being comfortable despite the very uncomfortable situation you all found yourselves in. He had made your favorite dish and was trying to make sure you knew that there were no expectations and that you wouldn’t be surprised by his and Marc’s behavior. You nod letting a small smile appear. “Yeah, alright, Steven. Thank you.”

He smiles back with a nod. He would have usually kissed your head, but he resigned himself to just placing a gentle hand on your shoulder. It didn’t feel right, even with the context of everything happening. The very demure gesture when both of you were very much comfortable with hugs and kisses just felt foreign.

“Uh, Steven? The food?” Layla approaches the cleaned off dinette table and starts setting it as Steven hurries into the kitchen to bring the dishes over.

“Is there anything I can do?” You offer, trying to rescue yourself from the role of knot-on-a-log.

“Yeah, love. Could you get that dish there on the counter please? We’re doing a sort of pot luck style, just get what you like sort of thing.” He set the dish down before going to get the drinks. “Hope everyone enjoys. Marc tried to make one of Layla’s favorites and one of his. I, of course, made a favorite of mine and of yours. We can all dig in! Try out each other’s favorites!” Suddenly, Steven’s face scrunched up like he smelled something bad, but it wasn’t Steven that spoke. The seamless way they switched was something entirely unexpected.

“Hell no, Steven, you can have your vegan food. I’m gonna stick with my corned beef kugel. I won’t make you eat it, so don’t make me eat yours.” He shook his head with a huff as you all gathered around the table and took your seats. Just as seamlessly as Marc appeared Steven was back.

“Oi, rude. I didn’t say you had to, Marc. Just that everyone could if they wanted. He didn’t sleep well, stressed about cooking everything. Told him not to worry, that I could help. He’s a bit crank-“

“I am not cranky, Steven.” Marc returned to the front annoyed as he started to plate his food. You and Layla just watched as the two bickered about the food. Layla watched curiously while plating her own food. She had seen them do this while fighting in Cairo, so fighting amongst themselves in their flat wasn’t too different. You on the other hand tried not to stare. Not because you were weirded out or thought they were crazy. It was just incredible to experience, after all you had never known anyone to do this before.

You remembered how Steven was before he disappeared. Sullen, but still hopeful about life. A dark cloud always not far behind. Steven had been so beat down that he had nearly accepted his lot in life, lonely gift shoppist destined to never be a tour guide or have a partner of any kind, no friends, just unreturned voicemails to his mother and the living statue man. Steven seemed so free now. Free of his past burden, the secret life Marc was keeping from him, he was lighter and smiling much more, much much more. You loved it. Seeing him so happy and full of life. Even bickering with Marc seemed to elicit some degree of joy, poking fun at each other.

Layla had been there for them during such a chaotic time. She was strong after all. Stronger than you. The voice from your dream comes careening back through your mind, “What can you do that she can’t do better?” You close your eyes as you pick at your food, nibbling on the different dishes, trying to block out such thoughts. But what if there was truth to it? What if she really could do better for them than you could? You didn’t realize you had gone still until you felt a hand rest on yours. Following the hand up to its source you’re met with Steven’s concern filled eyes.

“You alright, love?”

You take in a shuddering breath. Were you starting to panic? Oh no, no not now. Not in front of her. “I uh, I’m sorry I just…I’m sorry. I just have to go to the loo.” You get up and try not to seem desperate to escape the room as you enter the bathroom sliding the door shut. Not much privacy, but it’s better than sitting in front of her. Comparing yourself to her. Being judged by her. Leaning against the sink your chest begins to rise and fall with hastened breaths. You try to force them to slow and deepen but they only come out shaky.

She was definitely better for them, both of them, than you were for Steven alone. She was strong and he deserved that. He didn’t need to be coddled or looked after like before with you. Layla could keep up with him and Marc. But you? Where could you fit in all of this? You can't find a place to fit. This is a different puzzle, one you’re certain your piece didn’t belong to. You look up into the mirror, seeing Tutu’s visage behind you. A gentle hand rests on your shoulder. Again, the mask hiding what could only be a look of sympathy…and perhaps pity.

“This isn’t going to work, Steven. This…whole thing is just…it’s too awkward. I don’t see this lasting long.” Layla says to Steven in a hushed tone, not enough for you not to catch some of it. Somehow your breathing quiets enough for you to listen, Tutu unsurprisingly gone now.

“They’re just nervous. This will work. It’s going to work, Layla.” Steven doesn't look at her as he shakes his head. “It has to work.”

“What? So…are the four of us going to live in the same house, hmm? Go on some weird double date, cause this dinner was going so well.” Her voice dripping with sarcasm as she moves to try and make Steven look at her, leaning forward slightly. “Marc and I haven’t even really started working through our own shit and now this?”

Steven stands up harshly, you imagine from the sound of a chair sliding back suddenly. He squeezes his eyes shut, staving off Marc’s attempts to front. “No, mate, you can talk to your wife after I make sure they’re okay.” This time he does look at Layla, his gaze firm, before starting towards the loo, his steps becoming softer and more careful the closer he gets.

“Love? You alright? You sick? If you need anything I’ll g-“

You open the door miraculously fighting off your tears. Looking up at him you reach out and his hand instinctively finds yours, his other one hesitantly reaches up to your cheek. Before it can make contact you move past him towards the front of the flat starting to grab your bag. You turn and look Layla in the eye, her slightly surprised gaze meets yours. No doubt surprised someone like you had the nerve to even look her way again (or so your brain was telling you).

“I’m sorry.” You find the words spilling out before you mean for them to, if those were even the words you wanted to say. Steven had followed you from the loo watching you wondering what you’d say next. “I’m sorry for…whatever it is you think I’ve done. I truly had no idea about you and Marc. How could I? I know I’m something akin to a homewrecker and I never meant to be. I just…I love Steven. I do, but you are clearly more capable and better suited for both him and Marc. I’m not you, by any-“

“Love, what are you saying?”

“They’re leaving, Steven.” Layla says. You just nod, unable to fight the tears any longer.

“I truly do love Steven, but from what he’s told me about you…you can take better care of both of them. I would just get in the way.” You sniffle, wiping your tears as you turn to start out the door. As your hand grabs the door knob a strong calloused hand grabs your arm. The fiery determination in the warm brown eyes that look at you catch you off guard.

“Now wait, just hold on, just a minute…time out. Now let’s all just chill the eff out, yeah?” He looks from you to Layla. “Yeah, alright, this isn’t ideal. But I love them and they love me, you heard them.” His grip on your arm isn’t painful despite how firm he holds on. Looking at you, his expression begs you to stay, but his eyes burn with a fire you’ve never seen before. “This can work if we are all willing to try. I won’t just give up…not getting rid of me that easily, love.” His focus is drawn away from you and to the mirror next to the door. He must be listening to Marc.

With the room growing quiet, expectant of what would be said next and by who, Layla decides to fill the silence.

“If they want to go, Steven, you can’t make them stay.” She stands up from the table.

Steven, shaking his head as he tries to listen to Marc and Layla, something that never went well in the past, steps away from you.

“What about what I want? I want to be with them. I never wanted to be Khonshu’s avatar, never wanted to have a “sleeping disorder”, and…no! I’m not giving you the body, you can talk with Layla when I’m through!” In the middle of Steven’s rant his head snaps to the fish tank, hands flying to his head, fighting against the pull from Marc trying to take control. Things are escalating and neither Marc nor Steven want the people they love to leave, and Marc knows Layla might.

“I believe I may be of assistance.”

His voice carried over the flat like a blanket, though a little louder than Steven or Layla would have liked. Both of them flinched, yelping, Steven jumping closer to you almost protectively (though screaming a little louder than he intended), and turning to see Tutu standing there in the middle of the flat. Layla suddenly was no longer in her normal clothes but instead in the gorgeous suit Taweret had gifted to her, holding her two swords out, almost like a reflex.

“Ha! I knew it!” Marc says, pushing to the front. Pointing at Layla, a satisfied grin on his face, confirming that she was still an avatar distracting him enough from the fact that there was a god standing in the flat. Layla looked as embarrassed as she would let herself appear to be as the suit dematerialized leaving her in her casual clothes yet again.

“What? Alright, yes I’m still Taweret’s avatar and because of this suit I’ve helped a lot of people.” She stood firm, justifying her connection with the goddess, her contrapposto posture contradicting her conviction as she defended herself.

“No, that’s great. I mean, Taweret was actually really nice so I don’t imagine she’s like Khonshu…manipulating and threatening,” Marc couldn’t help but smile at her. You recognize that smile. Love. A smile Steven would give you, and you fear that he has given that smile to Layla as well. Suddenly, Marc shifts and his posture changes.

“How?” Steven asks, turning the attention back to Tutu. Talking with gods had become fairly normal for Steven during his recent adventure. “You're the god of tombs and the protector of dreamers. Sorry, but…I’m not sure I understand how you could help.”

“You are correct, but it is my skill set that is more than capable of assisting.” His golden head nods towards Steven, as if to say “I’m at your service”. “I believe my avatar already knows what I intend to offer.”

With that, all eyes fall on you, your back against the door, eyes wide but drying up now that Tutu has appeared. His presence always a comfort to you. “Yeah…I know.”

“Well, what is it, love?” Steven’s brows gather in a myriad of emotions: confusion, curiosity, concentration.

“He intends to put us all into a dream. Any one of us could be the dreamer, but he would give us all the energy to lucid dream…in a space where we all could have a voice.” As if reading the god’s mind, you explain Tutu’s plan. You’d never done this before, created a dream space where you and another could interact. All of Tutu’s missions involved lucid dreaming, entering someone’s dreams and being fully in control of yourself. For the average person lucid dreaming is something you train yourself to do through repetition and practice.

“Yes, within the dream perhaps communication could be more effectively practiced.”

It was worth a shot, if all parties agreed, but something told you that Layla didn’t want to try it, didn’t want this to work. You couldn’t blame her. She was “here first”, and was actually married to Marc. If it were the other way around, maybe you might feel the same? Honestly it’s hard to truly know how you’d react in a situation until you’re actually in it. It’s easy to say “I’d do this” or “I’d never do that”, but when it really comes down to it you never really know.

Steven’s eyes and mouth open wide, mind racing to conclude how this could work, what it would feel like, if this would even be something he (or Marc) would feel comfortable doing. Communication is a little difficult, sure, tensions and stakes are high–not ‘ancient Egyptian god trying to take over the world and eat people’s souls’ high…but still high.

“I…I think…I think Marc and I need to talk…alone. The last time we were…not together…it wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience, yeah? Don’t think that this would be the same, no, it’s just…I think we should talk about it first.” Steven can’t help how his hands find each other to fidget like he had done so many times before, taking a deep breath he wills them apart. Things are different now, he’s not quite as timid or unsure of himself as he was before Marc, before Cairo. Things are different. He has Marc now and this is the life they wanted to share with each other, but the thought of someone catching a glimpse of one of their dreams, their nightmares…it was scary.

“Of course, Steven…Marc. Both of you. Not sure I like the idea much either but…stranger things have happened, yeah?” Layla’s voice has turned soft and tender. She can only imagine what could be going through Steven’s and Marc’s head. You felt the same. The two of them had been through so much in such a short time. Being vulnerable and open is still so new to them. If they were uncomfortable with entering a dream world, then maybe you all could find another way. You nod with a short agreement to Layla’s words.

The air in the flat was thinning in a good way, from the thick tense air that had begun to settle. You think that maybe it was Tutu’s presence that was facilitating this calm and maybe you'd be right. He’d never admit to such, but it’s welcomed all the same.

Steven looked at you and Layla, his lips curled at the corners into a gentle smile. “Thank you, both of you. I promise, we’ll try and have an answer for you both soon…uh well for all of you.” He turns to Tutu, his smile turning sheepish.

“Take your time. I’ve waited this long, right? I don’t mind waiting…I’ll always wait for you, Steven.” You could feel your body wanting to take his hand, but could you? Would that be weird in front of Layla? This whole night had been weird so what’s one more thing? Before you can worry about that, as if he feels the pull too, Steven takes your hand. When your eyes meet it’s like the warmth from his hand spreads through you, even to your cheeks where a smile has found its way across your lips. This could work. It had to. You didn't really want to walk away. Sure, you still worry about being compared to Layla, but that will just be something to work through…with Steven.

~*~*~*~

After saying your goodbyes, each of you to your respective man, you and Layla share a very awkward elevator ride. If you thought the ride up was slow, this one is moving at a glacial pace, as if the weight of the tension was straining the mechanics. Thanks to the mirror covered walls you steal glances of Layla, seeing how beautiful she is this close, feeling how confidence just falls off of her. You could see why Marc and even Steven could fall for her. Taking a deep breath, you try and keep those dark thoughts from growing again, the last thing you need is to have yet another panic attack in front of her.

“It’s nothing personal, you know,” Layla says, breaking the silence, not turning to look at you but opting to look at you in the reflection facing you both. Your eyes widening a fraction prompt her to continue. “I get it. Finding out there’s ‘someone else’ is…it’s not fun. I mean, every time I think I know him, Marc I mean, it seems something else comes up and it’s like I haven’t known him at all.” She took a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing a fraction. You really could sympathize. You could only imagine what it must have felt like for her, to think that her husband was cheating on her. You and Steven weren’t married, but it still hurt a lot.

You take a moment to mull over her words. What do you even say? “Yeah, it was a not-so-pleasant surprise…guess we’ll just have to wait and see what’ll happen next.” What more was there to say right now? It was clear by how she was talking to Steven that she didn’t think this would work or maybe she didn’t want it to work. There was something that neither of you realized you had in common…persistance. Neither of you were going to give up the man you loved so easily, even in the face of uncharted territory.

Layla’s gaze went from the light indicating what floor you were passing back to you. It was…intense wasn’t the right word. Strong definitely, but there was something else there. You didn’t know how to react, if you should, but you could feel it. Like she was assessing a threat in battle. Your posture straightened, your expression steeling…you couldn’t let her get to you, whether she was meaning to get to you or not. If this was going to work, you couldn’t continue feeling so very small around her. You’re an avatar just like her, you can do this.

“Guess we will.” She said just after the elevator door dinged and opened to the ground floor hall. Her words felt like a challenge. It almost felt like she was expecting you to throw in the towel right then and there. Putting her hands in the pockets of her jacket, Layla started for the front door without looking back…she didn’t need to. You took a step out of the elevator and watched as she left, looking dazed? Stunned? You weren’t sure what you were feeling, anxious certainly, but there was so much going through your head you weren’t sure what to call it.

Once you were outside the building and headed for the sidewalk, you took a moment to look back at the building, up to the floor where Steven’s flat resides like you had only a hour or so ago. Your hands gathering together to fidget with the other, you could almost still feel Steven’s touch. With a sigh you turn and begin the trek back to your own flat.

Tutu loomed, ever watchful of his avatar, his golden deathmask for a head concealing any expression that might give away how he felt or what he was thinking. However, the god couldn’t hide how his body tensed, the way his hands clenched into fists. Ever so slightly, his head turned to glance behind him in the direction of Steven’s building, though there was nothing to be seen, there was no mistaking what he heard, what he sensed. Not wanting to be too far from his avatar (or at least that’s what he told himsel), Tutu disappears.

The sound of fabric fluttering in the wind was all that could be heard in the light of the crescent moon.

Don't forget to reblog and/or comment! I love to hear from you all!!

taglist: @roseqzpd @rosecentaur1916 @ahookedheroespureheart @sleepyamaya @parkeepingparker @lockleysgrl @marc-spectorr @vermillionsails @harrys-tittie @n0ripeaches @missdictatorme @bitchyglitterfox @spacecowboyhotch @randomchick546 @teacupcollector @local-mr-frog @stevenknightmarc @ahookedheroespureheart @mccn-bcys @juneknight

#moon knight #steven grant #marc spector #jake lockley #marvel #layla el faouly #steven grant x reader #khonshu #moon knight fanfiction #moon knight fanfic #marc spector x layla el faouly #tell me where to put my love

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bettyshoweduptotheparty · 7 months ago

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Reputation to Midnights and Final TPD Predictions

With 4 days until the Tortured Poets Department and two lines of lyrics we have so far, here are my thoughts on how we got here over the last 5 albums and final predictions for what's coming on Friday:

2016 changed the game - reputation era and long-term bearding

Many people might disagree, but I think the year 2016 changed a lot of things for Taylor. Without going into detail about snakegate, a possible failed coming out and scrapped album and the presidential election, her music has had a different tone ever since reputation (and I don't just mean sonically). As someone who writes a lot about love and relationships, the way she was writing about them changed from fairy tale love, pining and heartbreak to forever/long-term love, commitment/endame, 'us against the world' sort of love. And I do think she wanted to put that album out in 2016 but can't really do that when you're newly single and writing about wanting forever with someone... so in came Joe Alwyn who became the free pass for writing songs about long-term relationships, marriage and kids for the next six years. But LWYMMD (the song and the mv) made it pretty clear that this was not her first choice. Whatever happened, she had her agency taken from her, and she was mad about it. She may have made one hell of a comeback, but rep Taylor was on a revenge mission, and she has been ever since. Now, add to that the very same people foiled her coming out (possibly) a second time in 2019, I can well imagine the tortured poet that Taylor became during the pandemic with all that built up anger and misery pouring out into the folklore and evermore albums. And my guess is that with the plan to re-record the first 6 albums came an idea of how she could possibly get her revenge after all, which brings us to Midnights and TPD.

Midnights and Tortured Poets Department - Reflection and melancholia

Midnights had a similar tone to me than what we have seen of TPD so far: introspective, sombre and looking back on happier times and missed opportunities (hence the whole '13 nights throughout my life' concept). There is a lot of wondering about what ifs and regrets and always with a sense of vengeance in the background, which shows how Taylor clearly holds a grudge and has a hard time letting things go that have hurt her. And this continues in the two lines we have seen from TPD so far. The 'full eclipse' gives me love blackout vibes and this line

is so similar to many folkmore and Midnights songs where she talks about not being able to move on from a traumatic event (failed coming out *cough cough*). So, this album clearly continues the theme of reflection, regrets and vengeance, but with an additional touch of reckoning or impending judgment. I've seen some people say it seems like Taylor is putting someone (else or herself) on trial, and both the evidence file esthetics and the legal language she has been using in the hidden words puzzle on Apple Music have been feeding that theory:

She told us back in February she'd be entering all of her defenses and her muses into evidence, so is she the one being trialed and we are the jury? Or is she presenting evidence in her defense and accusing someone else? I initially thought the former, but now I'm thinking it could be either or both.

The songs will tell the story of the most painful times of her life and we will be able to decide if she chose her suffering or if the context/industry is to blame. My favourite swifties pointed out this morning that the ‘un-recall’ lyric is a parallel to CIWYW “I recall late November”. So what is she trying to forget? The 2016 election. The start of the love blackout. Much like the ‘full eclipse’ lyric. They almost had it all but then her plans got foiled and Tr*mp was elected which forced them underground. And where did she run off to? London. And what’s track 5 called? So long, London…

So, a lot of this album so far gives 2016 vibes. And I’ve said in a previous post (here) that the visuals seem very rep-inverted. Black vs white and the half yin-yang ☯️ in the logo. It’s looking likely that this is going to be the reflection on that time where her vendetta originated before she goes for revenge. And I’m not trying to clown but the rep parallels haven’t stopped:

This QR code mural in Chicago is very rep-cover coded and leads to a website that has the same 321 error message as the TS website the night of the Grammys. The message then was red herring. And not to sound too crazy, but I've said from the start that something feels off with this album. The absence of proper promo or merch is still weird. And would an entire album as a red herring be too crazy? Probably. But is she a crazy woman? Definitely! 😉

#tortured poets department #tpd #reputation #midnights #final thoughts and predictions

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seeminglyranch87 · 5 months ago

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Taylor & Travis Timeline

July 2024 - Part 1

July 3 - New Heights Ep. 97 airs, season 2 finale. Jason & Travis Kelce discuss Travis' debut on the Eras Tour stage (x) (x 48:30)

Kelce said it was initially his idea to join the show at Wembley Stadium, recalling that he told Swift it would be “funny” if he “rolled out on one of the bikes” that dancers typically ride on stage during the 1989 portion of the show.

Kelce said Swift laughed, but then asked him, “Would you seriously be up for doing something like that?”

“I was just like, ‘What? I would love to do that. Are you kidding me? I’ve seen the show enough — might as well put me to work here,’” he recalled. “And sure enough, she found the perfect part of the show for me to come in.”

Kelce surprised the crowd in London last week when he appeared on stage in a tuxedo and top hat carrying Swift onstage in “The Tortured Poets Department” era of the show.

It happened on the third night of the London stops, after the brothers attended Swift’s first two shows there.

“There was no bike in case I ran into somebody else or hit one of the dancers or anything,” Kelce said. “It was the safest option.”

Kelce said his silly dance on stage was inspired by one Jim Carey does in the movie “Dumb and Dumber.”

“I always wanted to pull out this move, but I never knew like when I should pull it out where it made sense,” he said. “That’s one of my favorite moves of all time!”

All said, Kelce called it an “honor” being on the stage with Swift and her dancers.

“It was an absolute blast,” he shared. “It was such a fun, playful part of the show and it was like the perfect time for me to go up there, just be a ham and have some fun, not only with [Swift]… but the crowd and really try and get everybody excited for the rest of the show. It was awesome.”

“I didn’t disappoint Taylor, so that’s all that really matters,” he added, saying his only rule was “do not drop the baby.”

“The golden rule was ‘Do not drop Taylor. Get her to the couch safe,’” Kelce said.

His brother and co-host Jason Kelce laughed, adding: “No fumbles.”

A little serendipitous don't you think...?

July 4 - The Eras Tour, Johan Cruijff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands N1

Guilty As Sin x Untouchable (guitar) The Archer x Question…? (Piano)

“I’ve been the Archer, I’ve been the prey, who could ever leave me darling? Who could stay? It’s just a question….”

And if you want to stay what do you ask the other person?

Taylor Nation reposting…. They are so unserious!

July 5 - The Eras Tour, Johan Cruijff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands N2

Imgonnagetyouback x Dress (guitar) & You Are In Love x Cowboy Like Me (piano)

Our girl is in love!

Taylor mimics a Travis move during Midnight Rain

Taylor sang “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs” with Travis in attendance.

Taylor Nation are riding the Tayvis train - are they hinting at a 2nd appearance on stage for Travis tomorrow for Amsterdam N3?

July 6 - The Eras Tour, Johan Cruijff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands N3

Travis, Patrick & Brittany Mahomes are in attendance (in suite) and sing their hearts out 🫶

Sweeter Than Fiction x Holy Ground (guitar) & Mary’s Song (Oh My My My) x So High School x Everything Has Changed (piano)

"all I know since yesterday is everything has changed and in a blink of a crinkling eye, everything has changed and I'll be 87, you'll be 89, I'll still look at you like the stars that shine in my sky, oh my my my"

Note that the secret message in the lyric booklet for Mary's Song is Sometimes love is forever. This was a love letter to Travis. Travis got a little emotional during the 2nd mashup and was seen wiping away tears.

Taylor & Travis leave the stadium together (x x)

Taylor & Travis head out with Patrick & Brittany Mahomes & Summitt & Miranda Hogue in Amsterdam post performance.

Pics posted to IG July 15 (x x)

July 8 - It is one year today since Travis Kelce went to night 2 of the Eras Tour in Kansas City wanting to shoot his shot and give Taylor Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it. News agency's jumping the gun on Taylor & Travis' anniversary releasing articles and timelines. Remember they had not met or had contact yet.

ET timeline (x)

CNN (x x)

July 9 - The Eras Tour, Station Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland N1

📸 Noam Galai, 9 July 2024

Right Where You Left me x All You Had To Do Was Stay (guitar)

“Happy 9th July to those who celebrate” says Taylor before belting out

Last Kiss x Sad Beautiful Tragic (piano)

July 10 - Travis finishes filming Grotesquerie, seen with Larry McGee and crew.

The Eras Tour, Station Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland N2

Closure x A Perfectly Good Heart (guitar) & Peter x Never Grow Up (piano)

July 11 - Travis films advertisement for Lowe's in Long Beach, California.

Travis participates in the American Century Championship charity golf tournament's karaoke competition in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Travis sings belts out Whitesnake's 1982 hit "Here I Go Again." (x) Travis is awarded first place!!! He accepts his award (x)

“This is the greatest thing that’s happened this year. Taylor this is for you!”

Not sure how many drinks Travis has consumed but glad to know Taylor is on his mind!!! ; )

July 12 - Travis competing in the American Century Golf Championship with his brother Jason, Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Travis Kelce is announced as the #1 Tight End in the NFL 2024. Taylor shows her support liking 3 IG posts below.

Go to previous update -> June part 3

Go to next update -> July part 2

Return to the timeline

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gloster · 11 months ago

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FAVORITE FANFICS OF 2023

We did it. We made it. We made it through the end of 2023, and BOY AM I HAPPY AS HELL TO SAY GOOD-FUCKING-BYE TO IT. I don't know about you guys, but this year- particularly the last quarter- have been a lot to say the least. A lot of headaches, a lot of mental breakdowns, a lot of emotional gymnastics, and more.

But thanks to good friends, good shows, good music, and of course good fanfics I managed to see it through the end.

One of my favorite New Year's Eve's traditions where I do my annually fanfic recs/favorite fanfics of the year. This marks a whooping 5th year doing it, YAY 🎉💃🏿 If interested, check out 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 lists.

Please know there's no real ranking, despite the number ordering. Loved all these stories listed. Loved all the fanfics writers featured. And of course highly highly highly recommend

Without further ado, here are my favorite fanfics of 2023:

1). Something Good by @no-net-ensnares-me (kathony/kanthony)

Summary: Eager to earn a wage that would provide a more suitable life for her family and prepare for Edwina’s debut in a couple years, Kate accepts a position as governess for the Bridgerton family and moves to London, where she finds herself thrown into the chaos of living with the severe yet handsome Viscount Anthony Bridgerton and his seven siblings.

The Sound of Music AU

The Hills are aliiiiiiiiiiiiive with the sound of music/and the feels are FEEEEEEEEEELT with each new chapter. LOL, but all jokes aside, yes it's been a year since we saw our dear Viscount and Viscountess yet I still ride hard for them like it's their season premire all over again. Thanks of course to the awesome fic writers who keep us well-feed as we wait for season 3, such as this gem right here

Seriously, I cannot stress how insanely good this was. A good retelling where you see elements of Sound of Music while also being its' own thing. The longing, the longing between Kate and Anthony is so good. READ IT.

2). A Devil's Love by FormerlyIR (Irony_Rocks), Irony_Rocks (kathony/kanthony)

Summary: When Kate's sister goes missing, she gets herself a waitress job at the Pebble Lounge to track her down, working under London’s seedy underbelly to find the only person she has left in this world to love. And Anthony Bridgerton? No matter how alluring and distracting he may be, he’s just a means to an end, his life defined by his family business built on corruption.

Kate won’t dance to that tune. She’s just trying to find her sister.

Two in a row. A win for kathony/kanthony. Where the first one for the most part is cozy and light, this one is dark. Not surprising since this story, according to the author, was inspired by the 2022's The Batman, focusing on the electric dynamic between our favorite Bruce and Selina Kyle. Or rather in this AU, the dynamics between a dangerous mob boss and a woman going undercover as a waitress to figure out what happened to her sister.

It's got everything. Protective/possessive Anthony. Stubborn, witty Kate. Great sexual tension. Fair warning, there is an unplanned pregnancy so keep that in mind. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride

3). Intent to Cherish by iffervescent (kinn x porsche)

Summary: A mouthy beta runs off with Kinn's watch. He goes to get it back.

4 chapters this story is. 4 chapters of hilarious back and forth. 4 chapters of Porsche keeping that stubborn streak in tact with Kinn trying to chip his way through. 4 chapters we get to watch Porsche go from intriguing thief, to Kinn's employee, and finally intended.

This story checks off so many boxes. ABO AU, which is always a favorite. Sugar Baby and Sugar Daddy dynamic- never get tired of that. And of course Porsche being spoiled rotten. What more could you want?

4). burnt cotton series by taetaehland (taekook)

Summary: here's a series featuring your favorite bratty taehyung and his whipped husband, jeongguk (plus their adorable pups)

Once again, we got ABO and we so far have 11 stories of it featuring our favorite BTS as they grow more of their little family, grow more in love, and of course Tae growing more crafty and poor Kookie growing more insane. I love it.

Not to mention seeing all the ways Jungkook becomes more and more whipped for his husband is just the icing on the cake.

5). 'Tis a Far Better Thing by @the-sinking-ship (drarry)

Summary: 'Tis a far, far better thing doing stuff for other people — or however the Muggle saying goes — because Potter is in need of professional help, and Draco is just the man to give it to him.

A Drarry Clueless AU.

Sometimes you come across two things, such as two fandoms that on the surface seem so far farfetched until one ambitious fic writer creates a story that combines elements of the two and creates a wonderful gem of a story. Which is exactly what happened here.

Draco Malfoy and Cher Horowitz are so much alike, it's not even funny. Thus enhancing my enjoyment for this story to outright love love loving.

Again, elements to a famous story that brings on the nostalgia and enjoyment while also being it's own fresh spin. Plus FASHION. Draco as a Fashion Designer with Harry being his newest client. Along with Draco massively simping- always a win in my book.

6). Tracklist by Mia_Moon (sukuita/sukuIta)

Summary: Singer Sukuna x Fanboy Yuuji

Where they do kinky stuff together first and then get to know each other later.

Sometimes you have that fandom with an OTP that's set and your loyal ride or ship. Then there are other fandoms, where you love most of the characters, see the chemistry between them, love the dynamics, and it's fair game for shipping season. Jujutsu Kaisen is one of those fandoms, and sukita/sukulta was one of those ships that I just ended up falling in love with it.

Listen. Listen. Listen. I know the synopsis just give smutty smutty good time, but you get that and MORE.

What more you say be asking? Well, for starter our dear boy Yuuji who gets spoiled rotten, pampered, and yes, also gets sexed up 7 ways to Sunday- featuring some of the hottest smut I've read so far might I add. Mia_Moon did their thing, and I definitely will be reading more of and more of their works.

I don't know why to explain it, but there's something about a celebrity AU, where we have one half of the ship be this famous celeb and the other being this outsider getting pulled into their world. I ate it up every single time.

7). I'm Only Going to Heaven (If it Feels Like Hell) by stereobone (eruri)

Summary: "Are you saying you want to be my sugar daddy?" Levi says.

This story, I kid you not, came at the best timing, especially as I still try to untangle my very tangled feelings regarding the final season of Attack of Titan. But one positive that came outta it was my ulitmate love for Levi Ackerman, along with rekindling my love for eruri.

Good to note, one of the quickest quickest ways for me to immediately read a fanfic is if I see the keywords: Sugar Daddy.

What can I say? It gets me everytime. And this one was no different. This story not only came to my radar at the perfect time, but it also was just so damn perfect. So damn good. And of course had me looking through whatever other eruri stories the writer had under their belt.

8). Minor Family Supremacy by @yoonmoonbii (vegaspete, kinnporsche,payurain, prapaisky)

Summary: Like Vegas, Venice Theerapanyakun was born into a dangerous world of crime and power plays. And unlike Vegas, he is well protected by his family who shelters the little boy and spoils him to the core. However, in a day like every other, Venice is kidnapped.

Oh dear lord, where do we begin with this one? Well, much as 2023 was a hot flaming mess, it also became the year of Love of the Air (my new comfort show) and Kinnporsche. For not only me but also for my dear friends @littlenightdragon & @kila09. And what does one do after getting into a new show/fandom? Find fanfics to satisfy the fangirl cravings.

Minor Family Supremacy, or as me and @littlenightdragon often like to call it, the Minor Family Saga was the fanfic for us. And deliver what we needed after finishing Kinnporsche and wanted more of Vegas, more of Pete, and see the other side of the Minor Family.

This one, massive massive props, praise, and all the kudos for @yoonmoonbii for putting this series together because wow. Series starts off with Payu aka Venice as a kid, best friends with his cousin Prapai, being protected by his loving parents until one day changes their dynamics forever- and further widen the gap between the two . But quickly as each story goes on, the two find themselves being more aware of their positions, the complicated histories of their families, and how to stay on course of their own lives without falling into the trappings of Korn's narcisstic chesse game.

It's that good. Each story is like a TV season to the vegaspete spin-off we were so badly owed and sadly weren't granted.

9). Haute Couture, Mon Amour by @goldentruth813 (sheith)

Summary: When a scruffy stranger walks into Mamora Designs, personal shopper Shiro decks him in finery instead of sending him away. Little does Shiro know there’s more to this man than meets the eye and while trying to give him a picture perfect moment he just might find his own instead.

When it comes to @goldentruth813, you can count on several things. Amazing sheith stories. Incredible moments that will make your heart swoon or flutter (depending on the rating). And of course for Shiro to be spoiled rotten and given more depth than the show did.

This one, one word: FASHION. Fashion, fashion, with a lot of a Cinderella-ish vibe, only slightly if you catch it.

Honorable mention:

Wishing on a Frat Boy

10). He's The Bride by @sashadistan (tododeku)

Summary: Fae Prince Shoto has been waiting his whole life to marry his betrothed. As it turns out, a few interesting details were lost in translation, but Shoto still thinks his bride is worth the wait.

Oh @sashadistan, how I adore thee. For the way you just drop these amazing stories for us peasants, feeding us with wonderful content one story at a time. I always love your stories whether it's sheith, tododeku, and more.

This one was no different. This story has everything I could want: Fae Shouto, possessive Shouto, body worship, Izuku being his stuttering and flustering mess, and arranged marriage.

If y'all told me 5 or so years ago, I'd get into arranged marriage, I would have been dumbfounded. Or wonder if you were trying to be funny. Now? I love it. Just goes to show that sometimes it takes a good writer to make something you don't like a win in your eyes.

And now for the Honorable Mentions that were insanely good but due to time & length, couldn't go into full depth:

Just Breathe by @icecream-suga (2 part series w/1st part focusing on yoonmin & the 2nd on taekook; gangsters, drugs, gunplay, OH MY. So goooooood)

Right at Home by cmere (firstprince, alex x henry; grad students in a non-royal AU, fake-dating, and hijinks)

Hair Ribbons and Silk Ties by writer_of_passion (tiana x nanami/tianami; loving husband goes bonkers seeing his wife's curls loose and it GOES DOWN, so so so good)

Bedroom Hymns by Writcraft (drarry; daddy kink w/dom & sub undertones, insanely HOTTT)

Like, Comment, and Romance by @xskyll (tododeku; Youtuber Deku, pro-Hero Shouto, mutual longing and pining wrapped in a insanely fun read)

And there you have it. As usual, thanks to the awesome fanfic writers who do what they do. Fanfics, literally, is the only thing keeping us sane. And please check out all these stories.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, GUYS

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screenplaytestingground · 5 months ago

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Bridgerton Season 4, Episode 3 - So Long London

It's starting to get a bit more challenging to reference the book (An Offer from a Gentleman) and still tell the story of Benedict and Sophie the way I hope the show will next season. This episode features the first of a few planned Benedict and Eloise swing conversations!

Two scene preview below, the full script is linked as a PDF.

Enjoy!

SCENE 1 - BENEDICT LOOKING THROUGH ART SUPPLIES

INT. BRIDGERTON HOUSE ATTIC/STORAGE ROOM - DAY

BENEDICT is opening and closing chests and looking through boxes, moving stacked crates and reviewing what is inside.

BENEDICT finds a chest full of his old sketches and drawing supplies. BENEDICT sits on a nearby chest, bringing a stack of sketches to his lap and reviewing the art, wistfully.

BENEDICT stands and searches through another CRATE full of blank sheets and drawing supplies. He gathers the supplies into one CRATE and picks up to take with him.

BENEDICT exits the attic

TRANSITION TO BENEDICT’S BEDROOM

BENEDICT enters with the CRATE of art supplies and places it on his DESK. He begins to unpack the art supplies, laying them out on his desk carefully.

~ 2 minutes.

END SCENE

SCENE 2 - BENEDICT AND ANTHONY TALK ABOUT ART

INT. BENEDICT’S BEDROOM, DOOR SLIGHTLY AJAR - DAY

BENEDICT sits at his desk, sketching.

ANTHONY passes by in the hallway, and looks into BENEDICT’S ROOM.

ANTHONY enters BENEDICTS BEDROOM.

ANTHONY

Back at it again? It seems I haven’t seen you pick up a sketching pencil in quite some time.

BENEDICT

I guess it has been years since I have been inspired to create anything … of note.

ANTHONY

And what is it, after all this time that has inspired you so?

BENEDICT

I am not sure if I can put a name to it. Or if I should try.

ANTHONY

I do think you should try to find out what t is. So that you might bottle it and save it for a time you are less inspired. So that you might maintain your passion longer than mere fancy allows.

BENEDICT

Why should I try to create when I am not inspired to do so? When my enthusiasm wanes, should I not put down my pencil? Lest I create something that embarrasses the senses.

ANTHONY sits down in the CHAIR near the desk.

ANTHONY

I am no artist, but I do not think putting down your pencil is how one trains the hand, or the eye. You used to have such passion, and seemed fearless in your endeavours; only to abandon it at the slightest chance you might be judged unfavourably.

BENEDICT

No artist likes to be judged.

ANTHONY

You do not have to enjoy being judged, but it seems like an inevitable circumstance any artist will encounter. Being evaluated. Any piece hanging in the great halls of a gallery is open to interpretation and analysis by its observers. However knowledgeable those observers may be. That is where the fearless nature of artists is born, is it not?

BENEDICT

Well I suppose I am not so fearless then, am I?

ANTHONY

I just do not want that fear, that self consciousness to prevent you from taking a risk that is worth it. That could be life changing - that should have been life changing.

BENEDICT

I did not want to be judged as a fraud. I do not think that was a risk worth taking.

ANTHONY

I do not think you were scruntized as such. Everything I heard, from you, and others, was that you have a real talent, regardless of your path to find it.

BENEDICT

That path being money and influence?

ANTHONY

Why do you think any observer of your works will care that you are the second born Bridgerton? You are the only person that holds that against you. Sees your namesake as an impediment to your art career.

BENEDICT

So you think I gave up my chance too soon?

ANTHONY

I do not think you have lost the chance at anything you desire to pursue. But I do think you should not abandon something you truly want because of the opinion of others. Especially if their only opinion is based on the fact that you are a Bridgerton.

BENEDICT leans back in his chair.

ANTHONY stands, looks at BENEDICT solemnly.

ANTHONY

I do hope you understand my words are meant as counsel, not judgement.

ANTHONY exits.

FOCUS remains on BENEDICT.

END SCENE.

#benedict bridgerton #bridgerton #polin #anthony bridgerton #benedict x sophie #eloise bridgerton #colin x penelope #penelope bridgerton #bridgerton season 4 #bridgerton season 3

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kingarthurflourofficial · 4 months ago

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july books

starter villain 3.5/5 (i do love! a john scalzi. his books feel so much like coming home even when i'm not hugely intrigued by the premise - he's an author you can trust to have a satisfying if weird ending)

cyber mage DNF (i love saad z hossain's other books - just think his style of writing is a little better suited to his novellas)

kundo wakes up 3.5/5 (see above! i love the world of his novellas a LOT and i think this was my fave yet.)

the parliament 3/5 (great concept! some really good moments! just didn't really click with me and i didn't like the main couple or think they made a good pairing)

hitchhikers guide to the galaxy 3.5/5 (by contrast, much more fun a re-read of this vs castle in the air - i felt a lot more competent at picking up on the nuance and satire vs when i read This at fifteen lol)

running close to the wind 4.5/5 (WHAT A FUN BOOK! only quibble was how much it felt like fanfiction like - in a fun way for sure! just very much like we were reading a couple we already knew the framework for so the author felt comfortable jumping right into the action and i could have used a little more time with worldbuilding)

the duke at hazard 5/5 (AHHHHHHHHHHHH NEW KJC AHHHH AND IT'S A GORGEOUS HOMAGE TO HEYER'S THE FOUNDLING! what a soft and enfolding work it is it's only been a couple weeks since i read it and already i want to be back in that world!)

the house of the red balconies 5/5 (talking of soft and comforting works! this was my introduction to aj demas and please know i immediately stayed up until four am reading three more of her books.)

sword dance 4/5 (loveeee a secret agent using his skills as a dancer to go undercover! love a disabled soldier loving them and seeing them as a whole person and vice versa!)

saffron alley 5/5 (OUGHHHHH now this is a MASTERCLASS in how you do miscommunication. not a plot device not a gimmick but something showing characters' inner lives and struggles and growth!)

strong wine 4/5 (not enough of the Boukos family but otherwise lives up to the promise of the first two)

kill the farmboy DNF (has the AUDACIty to say it's an homage to terry pratchett. i wouldn't let terry pratchett piss within a hundred yards of this book because it would be too good for it.)

soulless 3/5 (doesn't take itself too seriously! if it had been a little more queer i think i would have like it more and as it was the sexy scenes weren't too awful for a straight couple, but then i'm a sucker for a werewolf)

a botanical daughter 2/5 (INFURIATING. how dare it have a gorgeous premise of two insane gay victorian men creating themselves a daughter from taxidermy and mushrooms and fail at the premise so badly i WANTED the daughter to go feral and murder them all)

prospects 3/5 (i'm not trying to be rude and i had a pretty good time reading this but my gods and little fishes there was SO. much. baseball. {shocking in this sports novel about baseball})

evenings and weekends 2/5 (maybe i am just. very much not the target audience for this kind of book but i hateeeeee books were people are just wandering around lying to each other and themselves and generally being dicks. like what's the point! also not helped by my hating london and the hottest days of summer which is arguably the main character here.)

box hill 4.5/5 (okay listen. listen. i know everyone and their aunt has to have perfect morals these days and write the stoplight system into all their fanfiction they write for fun and therefore even moreso for published works but DAMN. i loved this book! it made me feel FERAL like! is it a portrayal of a healthy relationship? absolutely not. sustainable? no way. does it seep into your bones with a kind of aching longing for something formless and deep and heavy? Y E S. it does exactly what it sets out to do and i simultaneously want to force everyone i know to read it and also hug it to myself and snarl when people try lest they read it the wrong way.)

#i'm a couple days early so may come back and edit this #one more book to go and i'm at 100 books this year!#books #personal log

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hades-999 · 5 months ago

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🦋Miraculous finale🐞🐈‍⬛

Hello. Long time no post, and that's on me. Since this week the Miraculous final season's finale become a year old, I wanted to tell my oppinion about it... If you havent seen it, that's on you, but obviously, spoiler than... (Keep it in mind, time of now, the last M.Word; London, At the Edge of time did not come out yet...)

🦋🦋🦋

So, the main thing I wanted to discuss is Gabriel and his ✨Wish✨.

First; I liked this ending (I know many did not). I felt belivable... First problem of mine, hearing Gabriel got redeemed... He did not, in my book. Yes, he got the Wish, and said to be a hero. But disect this a bit....

He was looked at as a hero, because Ladybug said he was one. Not neceserly because she liked Gabriel, but she tried to save Adrien from the pain and abuse or negative feedback he would get for his father being a supervillain. And Ms. Tsurugi supported this lie. The seria did not made him a hero, they gave characters reasons to lie about it, so he looks like one

I think Gabriel is more of an antagonistic anti-hero, than neceserly a supervillain. Think about it; yes, he endangered peaple, but never directly tried to harm anybody. And even if he did; he was aware that he can do anything back. He had no evil intentions, and while this concept can't be translated well to reality -since here there's no reset button- he thought of these things as reversable casulties, so, despite being a bit neglect about who he harms, he rarely went for a kill, and in his word, he could have do that back...kinda. And if he failed, the MLB fixed everything, so.... No harm done.

His change of heart wasn't out of nowhere. We know he is heavely influenced by Emillie, so hearing her was a belivable change. And he still got the Miraculous. He did not changed what he belived, but he changed how he wanted to end this. And it was in a belivable way. He wasn't malicious, he even offered Bug noire to make the Whish... He did not wanted to cause bad, he just wanted to reach a goal, so he did. Remind you, he had the Cat Miraculous 🐈‍⬛, he could have Cataclysmed Marinette, but he did not.

Lastly, he kinda had to. Yes, he could have simply not get Cataclysmed... But he was dieing, so was Nathalie and his wife was kinda already dead. And oke, it was cute and nice of Marinette to encourage him to find alternative ... But heck, he did not had an alternative, death and loosing your family is not something you could solve... Best, handle emotionally, but that can't really be considered a "sollution" in a word of superpowers... So, here, I kinda had to say, yeah, he was in the right to try to make something....

A bit of sidetrack before my next topic; you vould say "But he messed up in evo, not giving himshelf the pendrive!!!" Yes, true, but consider; in Cat blank, Bunnix senced a change in ~4 years , they would have noticed a ~14 year change, so the heroes -whoes also have time travel at the time- coupld have change it... But if he took their Miraculous, he could have made the Wish... Yes, it was a risk not paying off, but having the messed up time travel not-mechanics the show has, it's not necesarly a stupid idea...

My other point is, many claims he wasn't a good father, he shouldn't ask Marinette to try make Adrien remember him as one... Well... I would say, it's not true;

First, and foremost, spoiler, but Adrien is possibly a Sentibeing. I agree, he should had have any rights to freedome. But sentibeing are considered kinda fragile, as can be controlled or snapped away. Adding Gabriel overprotective nature over his loved ones, of course he sheltered his son

Yes, he was strickt, but consider the previous point, plus, he usually changed his mind; he let Adrien go to the picknic, the musical festival on Anarcha's ship, he could go to New York.... Even when Adrien run away to watch his mother's movie, he did not punished him, but sit with him and watched his copy with him (as we learn from the episode, Adrien did not even asked him in the first place)

Maybe I'm wrong, but I do not remember akumatizing peaple who targeted Adrien directly. Style queen comes to mind, but her target was Gabriel at the first place, and he deeply regreted it, almost giving up the whole thing.... Also, I have the asumption, he did not akumatized Adrien, becsuse he was vorried he might got Cataclysmed.... Think about it: he only did it, when he learned he was Cat noir, so he won't cataclysm himshelf, or when he would wear an Aliance ring, so he could give him Resistance,which would make him imperviou to the power... Aso-also, when he senced his negative emotions, he tried to discuss it... Given it was resultless, but he did tried.

He tried to make him and Kagami a pair, despite his will, but again; consider, he never forced his will on Adrien to do so. Yes, he tried to ban him from Marinette, but he never actually forced him to do anything with Kagami, despite his will. That wpuld be a topic of it's own, but I try zo make it short. If my interpretatoon is correct, he saw Adrien as a being made from the concept/idea of perfection. And, as such, of course any human would want him, as Adrien being literally "perfect" (for Marinette too). But a senti-being, such as Kagami (supposadly) would understand his existence, and as a senti, she was kinda made perfect as well... They literally were "made for ea h other"... And why would Adrien deserve less?

Last thing, I belive he belived that he does the best for Adrien too. Yes, sometimes he should have ask him, because he should have his say in it... But sometimey he choosed to decide insted of him... Partially was right, because he had the bigger picture, and many times was wrong, since he shouldn't decide on a fate of others... But, as I interpretate the end of the episode, I have a theory; at the end, he wished to fulfill Adrien's desires or Wish, and he sacrificed his own Wish

So, in concludion;

I feel Gabriel wasn't redeemed, and I strongly disagree with saying his was or should have been a hero. He is said to be one, which is in my book a completly different thing, because many things can be said without being truthful. But he had a goal, nobel or not, you decide, and he was faithful to it. He did it to help the ones he loved, and did not intended harm, as he saw any dammage as reversable. He wasn't always a good person or dad, but he tried to be one, on many occasion (sometimes failing, sometimes succseding).

So, was it a good conclusion of the story? If it's "good" or not, you decide,but I feel it was belivable, and I enjoyed it🙂

Hope you did too, have a nice day, and thanks @stopaskingmetowearthatwig for inspiring this post with his endless dedication, work and love in the Gabenath fandom 🦋🩷🦚

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous #mlb #miraculous gabriel #gabriel #mlb s5 #Miraculous finale #re-creation #Miraculous wish #gimmi

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toxinoire · 1 year ago

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Since Supercorp has a lot of similarities to Miraculous, here's them and Esme watching the show. Featuring Kara and Lena wondering how this kids' show is punching them in the gut.

~~~~~

At this point, it is pretty nornal for Kara and Lena to babysit Esme and watch things with her.

"Esme wants us to watch a new show. Apparently she's already seen it. She just wants to show us."

"Oh really? I'll go get a drink first." Said Lena.

Kara nodded. "Alright." She went to the living room. "Hey Esme, what show is this?"

"Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir!" Esme pointed at the screen.

"Yeah? What's it about?" Asked Kara, as she saw the intro, quite catchy.

"That girl, Marinette is a superhero called Ladybug and she's in love with Adrien! But she isn't in love with Chat Noir. But Chat Noir is actually Adrien and he's in love with Ladybug. But Adrien only sees Marinette as a friend." Esme smiles as she finishes explaining.

...

Huh?

Kara feels like she's gonna get a headache. "Wow. That's crazy. But aren't they the same person?"

Esme nods. "But they don't know that because they have to keep their identities secret!"

Well that was a direct hit.

"Oh."

Lena walked into the living room and sat next to Kara.

Esme plays the first episode.

They're a few episodes in season 1 and it was pretty normal (minus the weird bits).

"So it's a square?" Said Lena. "Good to know."

"They are so oblivious." Esme giggled. "They're kinda like you two!"

Kara and Lena choke.

Season 2 was fine.

Season 3 was fine too, well, minus Lila.

"Lila reminds me of Lex in a way." Lena mutters, she's sure Kara heard.

And Oblivio.

"Those two really are destined to be together huh? Imagine forgetting everything but still concluding that you're hopelessly in love with that one specific person." Said Lena.

It's not too far fetched in Kara's opinion, her Russian clone Red Daughter liked Lena too.

When Adrien said "I couldn't hide my identity from the girl I love" Kara had a mini breakdown in her head.

Lena felt like crying when Adrien said "I don't need any memory to know that I love that girl."

"...Did they just forget everything?"

Then, there's the finale.

"So...the world ended because of their reveal?"

"What has Adrien been doing alone before Ladybug arrived?"

"Wait, but they were already dating! Why reverse it?"

"Gabriel Agreste sucks."

Kara was reminded of that time Myx sent her back in time to try to fix her friendship with Lena because of this episode.

Ladybug: I'll fix everything, I promise.

Chat Noir, smiling softly: I know.

Kara and Lena felt that one hit really hard.

And then there was season 4. That's when things started to get real. Kara and Lena relate to both Adrien and Marinette at this point.

"Using a doll house with the laws of physics to hide the Miracle Box? Clever."

"Lena, you like that fact because you'd do something similar."

"Yeah I would."

Kara and Lena flinched when Chat Noir said "I don't like secrets."

They don't know whether to like Felix or not.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir really are stronger together!" Esme exclaimed.

"A lot of people are stronger when they're together." Said Kara. She glances at Lena, who smiles at her.

What. Just. Happened?

Kara felt like she just got punched in the face when Marinette said "Why can't I love who I want to love"

Adrien's confession to Marinette almost made Kara cry.

Lena needed to take 15 breathers during the entirety of Derision.

Ah, Felix is likable. And a mama's boy.

"Adrien isn't human?" Kara put down her plate in shock. "He's a feather?"

"Auntie Kara, you're basically a solar panel." Said Esme.

Lena laughed. "She's not wrong."

"Mean." Kara pouted. "But still, he's a feather! Isn't he allergic to feathers? Marinette's been dating a feather!"

Ah, Adrien moving to London hurt.

As much as they didn't say it, Kara and Lena both know deep down, that this kids' show is unknowingly showing the world what had happened to them, just with a bit more complications.

It ends during season 5.

"They haven't even- oh come on." Kara groaned.

"That entire show hit me like a brick." Said Lena.

Kara nodded. "Me too."

"We really had a rough road, didn't we?" Lena chuckled.

"We did. I'm just glad we're here now." Said Kara, wrapping an arm around the woman she loves most of all.

Lena smiles softly. "So am I."

"There's a movie too! Do you want to watch it?"

"There is a movie?!"

#supergirl #supercorp #supergirl esme #lena luthor #kara danvers #kara zor el #kara x lena #supercorp + esme react to miraculous ladybug and chat noir basically #plus kara and lena getting called out by a fucking KIDS' SHOW #haha imagine once they learn that the movie has a song called stronger together

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a-night-like--this · 2 years ago

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The Cure photographer Paul Cox: “Robert Smith is a normal bloke – but he has a presence”

Cox tells us about his new photo book 'The Cure "Stills"', years of working with the band, and recent correspondence with Smith

By Andrew Trendell | 6th January 2023

The Cure's Robert Smith shot by Paul Cox

Photographer Paul Cox, who has released a new book of his images of The Cure, has spoken to NME about his experience of working with the band and his correspondence with frontman Robert Smith over the years.

The Cure, who recently completed a lengthy UK and European tour with a string of acclaimed shows at London’s Wembley Arena, are expected to release the long overdue ‘Songs Of A Lost World’ – the group’s first new album since 2008’s ‘4:13 Dream’.

To give patient fans something to digest in the mean time, Cox recently released The Cure “Stills” – a book documenting his long visual relationship with the band since he first started shooting them for a magazine session back in 1980, before soon taking photos of them during a Top Of The Pops performance. Their shoots together would often start in the early afternoon and go on until the early hours of the morning.

The Cure on ‘Top Of The Pops’ in 1980, shot by Paul Cox

“I was quite young, and they came across a little bit intimidating – but interesting; and that was always the thing,” Cox told NME about their first meeting. “You get a little bit of a vibe off people. From that one little session I just kept pestering them and got to shoot them more and more.”

Cox continued: “Robert is a very down to earth person – a normal bloke – but he has a presence when he walks into a room. He knows what he wants and nothing is going to stand in the way of how he presents himself. He won’t do interviews for the sake of it, he won’t do pictures for the sake of it; there always has to be a reason and he’ll put his all into it.

“Working with him over the years, he always puts a lot of effort in. That’s not him trying overly hard but just knowing what needs to be done and projecting himself in a certain way. He’s just great to photograph and a real character.”

The Cure’s Robert Smith shot by Paul Cox

Despite Smith’s image as one of rock’s most iconic figures, Cox doubled down on his reputation as “a normal bloke”.

“I’ve always wondered what it would be like inside Robert Smith’s house, but I think it would be fairly normal!” he said. “I can imagine him putting a shelf up. He’ll do things himself. When we were doing the book, I first asked his permission out of courtesy, then he ended up curating it. It took so bloody long because of various things happening and people dying and whatnot. It took five years to do this book when it could have taken six months.

“Anyway, while we were putting the book together he was actually moving house at one point. He didn’t get people in to do it for him. At one point he told me, ‘Oh, this is the 10th trip I’ve done in a van!’”

The Cure, shot by Paul Cox

As for what his photographs reveal about the band, Cox said that The Cure “haven’t changed at all really”.

“You see their fashion changing slightly like when they went for the suits for a bit in the ‘80s, but generally Robert Smith in particular hasn’t changed at all – the big hair, the red lips, the eyeliner, his commitment. How many bands have survived as long as them? Not many.

“The members dip in and out, but I would imagine that [Smith] is really hard work to work with, but he’s just so driven.”

Cox went on to say that he “didn’t know” if he’d ever work with The Cure again, or if the band would be likely to do many more photo shoots.

“In the kindest way, they don’t need to promote themselves pictorially,” Cox argued. “They are what they are and can get by with a little drawing. Photography and what photos are used for have changed and now taking new photos is kind of unnecessary most of the time.”

The Cure, shot by Paul Cox

Smith has repeatedly teased the band’s upcoming record to NME as a dark, “merciless, relentless” piece, inspired by a period of great loss following the passing of several family members, and in a similar spirit to their 1989 gothic art-rock masterpiece ‘Disintegration’.

Quizzed on if he had any inside knowledge on ‘Songs Of A Lost World’, Cox replied: “No, not at all! Haven’t they been working on a couple of albums? I know one was supposed to come out back in the autumn, but I can understand why it didn’t. Sometimes you won’t hear from him for three months at a time, then he’ll come back with shitloads all at once! A lot of personal things have happened in his life over the last few years, and he just puts his priorities in the right place.”

The Cure “Stills” by Paul Cox is out now. Visit here for more information.

The Cure “Stills” – by Paul Cox

Speaking about the book in a statement, Smith said: “The ‘look’ of the various incarnations of The Cure, through many different periods, is inextricably linked to Paul’s pictures; his vision, expertise and patience played a huge part in portraying us, not just as we wanted to be, but as we really were.

“An excellent photographer, and an excellent man… and a very good job he wasn’t put off by the very weird job that was The Cure on top of the pops in 1980!”

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detroit-grand-prix · 1 year ago

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thistle and weeds - susie wolff x oc

ii. spare me your dreams

Summary: The F1 Academy season has officially started, and Susie's goal of getting to know her lead programme manager has gone very well. She and Maree have settled in to a comfortable working relationship, but the Austria round gives Maree a reason to be concerned.

Tags/warnings: nsfw

Author’s note: Thank you to everyone who has sent me messages about the first chapter/commented/liked/reblogged/interacted in any way whatsoever. The first two chapters of this story kind of came to my mind mostly fully-formed, so I cannot say that I will get successive chapters out quite as quickly.

I hope you enjoy this one, and remember: everything is a symbol and nothing is an accident. :)

Maree stood near the trackside fence next to the pit straight, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her navy blue softshell jacket with the white F1 Academy logo embroidered on the chest, trying to buffet the cool breeze blowing down the track, carrying the metallic tang of petrol and hot rubber down from the garages. The air was filled with the sound of the distant din of the turbocharged 4-cylinder engines that powered the cars for the series.

She was in Barcelona, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, watching as Susie Wolff was in the midst of being filmed by someone from the social media team for an Instagram reel. They were on their fourth or fifth attempt, Maree couldn’t tell, but their efforts kept being undone by gusts of wind overloading the microphone audio, or blowing strands of Susie’s hair into her face.

Susie was wearing a navy blue business suit and a white blouse, which Maree had noticed were colors she wore frequently. It was fairly obvious who selected the colors of the official F1 Academy outerwear, but Maree was okay with that. She liked navy blue, and it looked nice on her, too.

“I think we got it this time, if you wanted to see”, the communications woman said, holding the phone screen up to show Susie. Maree felt bad that she couldn’t remember her name, despite talking to her a few times over the past month. Kate? Katie? Either way, she watched as Susie leaned over the phone they were filming on and nodded with approval, before smiling at Kate-or-Katie and walking toward Maree.

“It took a few tries, but that’ll do,” Susie said, allowing her brogue to slip out. Maree had noticed over the past few months that she tended to let her accent off its leash more and more when she talked to Maree, like a sort of code-switch, just for her. She wasn’t sure if it was intentional, but when Maree noticed it, it always made her feel a peculiar warmth in her chest.

Maree still wasn’t comfortable with letting her natural accent loose from the RP English fence she’d carefully constructed around it in her University days, even around other Scots. It was just easier that way, in her experience, national pride be damned. There was no way for her to predict which Londoner would suddenly make their grievances with the Scottish people her problem.

Susie glanced at her watch as they started walking toward the paddock building. “What d’ye reckon, a quick lunch before the next session?” she asked. “If you insist, I won’t resist,” Maree said, making Susie chuckle. It would be the latest of many lunches they’d had together, starting from their first back in February, which was labeled in Maree’s calendar as a “planning lunch”.

But, when she met Susie at the Aperfield Inn, an upscale pub just down the street from the Formula One Management offices, she told Maree to put her notes away. “I said it was a planning meeting, but I thought we could take some time to get to know each other better, since we’ll be working so closely together.”

Things started out politely enough, like any other business lunch, until Susie asked a question that surprised Maree.

“I remembered when we met before, your name was Maree Donne-Bell, or something similar. Did you get married, or -”

Maree felt her breath catch. How had she even remembered that from meeting her at a gala three years ago?

“Divorced.” Maree replied, before Susie could even finish.

“Oh. That’s never easy,” Susie said, looking apologetic. “I’m sorry for asking, I was just curious.”

“No, it’s okay,” Maree said with a sigh. “It wasn’t easy but… it wasn’t long after I started this job, you know. It was only once I’d gotten this job that I realized how miserable I was.”

Susie’s expression became curious, so Maree took that as an invitation to go on.

“So, as I said, it was after I left the Premier League and took this job, which my ex-husband - Rowan - didn’t even want me to interview for in the first place, I started traveling, you know, to races, meeting more people, making friends outside of the ones we kept in touch with from our university days or acquaintances from work, and I realized how much he was holding me back from ever experiencing anything new, just because he didn’t like it, and he would get annoyed when I went places or did things without him. He was very… erm, parochial, I suppose. He didn’t like traveling anywhere outside of greater London, because his reasoning was that anything he could ever want was there.”

“You met in University, then?” Susie asked, leaning forward. She’d ceased eating her aubergine parmigiana, and Maree was relieved to apparently not have given too much detail. The last thing she wanted was to make things strange between her and her new boss, and it felt good to tell someone these long-buried details.

“Yes, we both went to King’s College London. We were both in the orchestra, he was a cellist and I played trumpet. We started talking after our first few rehearsals during our first year. I wasn’t the type that had a lot of boys interested in me as a kid, so I think he was the first one that took me seriously and I guess I just -”

Maree waved her hand in a dismissive sort of motion “- convinced myself that I was in love. He made me laugh, and he was very smart and talented. Maybe not conventionally handsome, but I thought he was cute. He said he was a distant relative of John Donne, which I thought was interesting. He was there for his BMus and ended up being a working cellist, you know, playing in small symphonies and for musicals here and there. He went back to get his MMus, but his wrist started bothering him, and it sort of snowballed from there. Apparently it was because of repetitive stress injury from playing the same way for so many years. It wasn’t long before he couldn’t hold his bow properly. His teacher tried to work with him on finding a new technique, but twenty years of muscle memory is hard to overcome, and all of the physio in the world didn’t help. He even had surgery for it, but it didn’t work.”

Maree noticed the way Susie frowned, but went on.

“He had to give up his music career, but he got a good job as a broker at Lloyd’s because of an old family connection there, so he made good money, but he was just… not the same person after all of that. I didn’t blame him, you know, because he’d worked so hard for so long on being a cellist, but it happens sometimes. I think there’s better ways to overcome those sorts of circumstances than he chose, but I think I put up with the fallout of it longer than I should have.”

Before either of them realized it, they’d been talking for about an hour and a half, about everything from relationships to their families to their childhoods. It meant that Maree missed the start of a meeting, but she felt like it was worth it.

There would be many more meals that she and Susie would have together, alone or with other people, over the next two months, usually in a conference room or at the desk in Susie’s makeshift office in Biggin Hill, sometimes in restaurants, usually delivered, but each one helped achieve Susie’s goal of getting to know her programme manager a bit more.

Glancing over the sandwiches laid out on a long table set up in a hospitality room in the circuit’s paddock building, Susie cringed. “I’ll stick with the salad today, I think… that turkey looks a bit dry,” she said quietly to Maree. Maree shrugged and picked up a roast beef sandwich that didn’t look awful, and a packet of crisps to go with it.

It wasn’t the sort of upscale, full-meal catering that was on offer during full Grands Prix for wealthy paddock patrons, just trays of assorted sandwiches, plastic snap-lid dishes filled with salads, packets of crisps, and biscuits arranged on a tray. Testing wasn’t a terribly public affair, and F1 Academy hadn’t yet proved itself worth the money it cost to run.

She followed Susie to a table with two open seats. There were two other women already occupying it, only one of which she recognized - Delphine Biscaye, a French woman and an engineer who previously worked for Susie at Venturi, and had stepped in to be the Academy’s competition director. Susie introduced Maree to the other woman. Her name was Claudia, apparently, and had worked with Susie for many years as her personal publicist. “She’ll be running the engagement program for girls in karting when we get that going,” Susie told her.

Maree was quiet as the three of them caught up, but it wasn’t uncomfortable, or that she felt unwelcome in the conversation. She was mostly content to sit and listen as the three of them caught up. As she watched, she couldn’t help but notice that even after a few years of working with Susie, Daphne and Claudia both still seemed to be unable to resist the pull of the peculiar gravity that she seemed to exert.

Maree hadn’t ever met anyone quite like that, not even in her years of working with people specialized in public relations, whose job entailed being charismatic and engaging. But Susie was a natural. It could be a practiced skill, Maree knew, but Susie had some inexplicable factor that seemed to draw everyone in, and after two months, Maree wasn’t able to pin down what it was, even though she felt the pull of that gravity, too.

Was it the way her effortless elegance coexisted with her breezy confidence? Was it the way she was so kind to everyone she met, even fans and members of the public that stopped her and asked for photos despite being so busy and focused? Was it the way she always spoke with such resolve and authority, that it assured everyone around her? Was it the way that she and her husband had a net worth now officially in the billions (according to a Forbes article Maree had read), but she was still apparently content to eat a catered pre-made salad with a plastic fork in what amounted to a staff lunchroom? She was grounded, pragmatic, and genuine. There was no part of her that seemed like it was built on artifice.

Two months of working so closely with her brought Maree no closer to knowing the answer. What she did know, however -

“You were right, Susie. This sandwich is dryer than a mummy’s pocket.”

Susie laughed, trying to politely cover her mouth.

“I guess we can add ‘edible sandwiches’ to the list.”

“The list? What list?” Daphne asked.

“Oh, it’s… a list of big-picture things that we would have liked to have before the series launched, and that they - you know, whoever they are, finance, HR, staffing, Stefano Domenicali himself - haven’t been able to work out yet. Like, Susie having an actual PA instead of me being her de-facto assistant, broadcasting rights, those sorts of things.” Maree said.

She sighed. The broadcasting rights was her biggest cross to bear with the entire project thus far, so as reported by marketing & communications in the morning team meetings, when they stated over and over that most of the engagements with the F1 Academy accounts were asking where they could watch the races. Maree was sure they were tired of it, and she was too.

But, it was a problem that was more complex than most. Despite having its own media arm and broadcast rights the world over for Formula 1 and many of its constituent feeder series, adding another one was apparently a bridge too far on such short notice.

The schedule they had to throw together last-minute was one of the bigger obstacles, and until they were able to compete as an F1 support event during Grand Prix weekends as originally planned, that it was a non-starter. “I knew we wouldn’t get everything off of the ground with the timeline we had, but not being able to get any broadcast rights to things is especially annoying. The F1TV people said they just didn’t have enough notice and don’t have the personnel, or something, I don’t know -”

Susie put her hand on Maree’s shoulder, patting it reassuringly. “I know, you tried. Like I said, you’ve helped make a lot happen out of nothing, and a year sooner than expected. Without the work you’ve done over the last two months, we wouldn’t have even made it here for testing.”

Maree couldn’t help but notice the way her hand seemed to linger, far longer than it should have. She spent the rest of the day feeling the afterimage of Susie’s hand on her, despite it being over top of her jacket and the dress shirt underneath. She wasn’t sure wondering if Susie was just trying to be reassuring, or possibly didn’t even think about it, or if - as crazy as it sounded - she was trying to communicate some other intent, or emotion.

It would be a problem for another day.

After testing, it felt like Maree was running on full steam until the start of the first round in Austria. The time between getting off the plane back from Barcelona to getting on it bound for Vienna felt like it happened in the space of a single breath.

The race weekend wasn’t supposed to be so busy for Maree. Her duties were mostly tied up in the preparations, making sure all of the various teams had a plan and the resources they needed. It was the first round, though, and all of the meetings in the world couldn’t prepare you for how things would come together in situ.

She spent most of the weekend trailing after Susie and trying to deal with any of the multitude of miniature emergencies that popped up.

Susie apologized at one point before Maree departed to find a golf buggy to deliver cases of bottled water to a far-flung marshal post that hadn’t received any.

“I know this isn’t really in your job description, but I appreciate it,” Susie said, giving Maree a bit of a pleading look.

“Happy to do it,” Maree said, with a pleasant smile. She probably would have walked barefoot over broken glass just to deliver a letter if Susie asked her to. “Other duties as assigned, right?”

By the time Maree’s head hit the pillow in her hotel room on Friday night after the end of the two race days, she felt a bone-deep exhaustion that she hadn’t felt in ages. In her regular F1 work, race weekends did involve a bit of running around, but it was usually restricted to the offices in the main paddock building.

She felt like she’d run across the entire Austrian countryside that weekend, and the two glasses of wine she’d had at the celebratory end-of-round dinner with Susie and the rest of the F1A staff she had certainly weren’t making it any easier to stay awake.

She was asleep about two minutes after laying down.

As soon as she fell asleep, she was awake again, but it took her a moment to figure out where she was.

She wasn’t in her hotel room anymore, or in Austria at all.

Instead, she found herself somewhere that was uncomfortably familiar. The room was enormous, with white walls and a wood floor, each side of the room lined with a row of Corinthian columns. There was a stage at one end of the room with a navy blue curtain as the backdrop, and rows of navy blue chairs set up.

“Why am I in the Great Hall?”

She recognized the room from her university days. It was a large assembly hall situated in the King’s Building on the easternmost stretch of the Strand, in central London. How many hours had she spent in this building over her three years at Kings’ College, between rehearsals, performances, and attending class in its lecture halls?

She was alone in her row of chairs, but there were other people seated in the rows behind her, all of them focused on what was happening on the stage. There was a small string orchestra assembled, a conductor, and a woman standing holding a trumpet, standing front and center. There was a mild ripple of applause as the room lights faded so only the stage was illuminated.

As the conductor gave the ensemble its downbeat, Maree gasped, realizing that she was watching one of her own performances from thirteen years ago. She recognized the soft, quiet opening measures to Aaron Copland’s “Quiet City” immediately, almost counting the thirteen measures before her entrance by reflex.

Maree had played the piece for a student recital her final year. She picked it because it showed a softer, more restrained side of the trumpet repertoire, when most other trumpet players she knew favored more blistering, technical works.

The woman onstage - the thirteen-years-younger version of herself, she supposed - was wearing the same tea-length pale blue dress she’d chosen to wear then. It had layers of dreamy tulle under the skirt, and there was a gorgeous lace overlay on the bodice. She remembered having to make sure it was loose and comfortable enough around her midsection so as to not affect her playing. Maree wasn’t the type to wear dresses very often, but it was a special occasion.

She remembered her parents made the trip all the way down to London to see it. Her mother helped her style her hair into a loose updo with a braid around the crown of her head wrapping around to form an elegant bun at the nape of her neck.

“Oh my god,” she whispered softly. Her eyes were glued to the other version of herself, so she didn’t notice the woman that appeared in the chair next to her.

“Yes, she’s talented, isn’t she?”

Maree almost bolted straight out of the chair she was sitting in from surprise. She whipped her head around to look at the woman. She was petite, with blonde hair styled into a bob, hazel eyes, diamond stud earrings sparkling in the lobes of her ears, elegantly dressed in a business suit -

“Susie?”

The name immediately came to Maree’s mind, but she couldn’t say it.

“And her dress,” the woman whispered. “It’s lovely. It reminds me of the color of the sky at home. Plus, it brings out her eyes.”

A few more measures went by, and Susie began whispering to her again.

“You know this music was originally written for a play where the main character is a man who abandons his roots by hiding his Jewishness, all for the sake of seeking material wealth. He ends up marrying a wealthy socialite, he anglicizes the spelling of his name, and becomes president of a department store. He does all of this to assimilate into the upper class. But, because he denies who he is, he is haunted by his conscience, symbolized by the sound of his brother playing his trumpet from across the city. The play never made it past previews, but Copland turned the incidental music into this piece.”

Maree tried to open her mouth to tell her that yes, she knew that because she’d written her own program notes for the recital all those years ago, but before she could say anything, Susie pressed a perfectly manicured finger to Maree’s lips. It was such a delicate touch, but it startled Maree again all the same.

“Shh. Just enjoy the performance.”

She closed her eyes again, and when she opened them, she was standing on the stage in the same room, holding her trumpet and wearing her blue dress. Without the written sheet music in front of her, she had to listen to what the English horn player was playing to figure out where she was and hope that she still had the score memorized like she did thirteen years ago. Just before the director’s cue for her to come in, she realized it was a few measures before the soaring Largamente section, which was the emotional apex of the work.

Maree counted her way through the triplet quarter notes without issue and scrambled for the straight mute on the stool set up next to her, hoping she wouldn’t drop it like she remembered doing in a few rehearsals. Thankfully, she arrived at the con sordino section and the ending passage without incident.

The strings faded out to end the piece four measures after her last note decrescendoed into silence, and then there was a wave of applause. She couldn’t see anyone in the crowd anymore, but she bowed, motioned to the ensemble and the conductor, bowed again, and retreated through the curtain at stage left.

She was startled again by Susie standing in front of her, waiting with a large bouquet of flowers in her arms - white and blue roses, with an unusual spiked purple flower spread evenly through the bunch - thistles.

“You were amazing,” she said, leaning over, and kissing Maree softly on the lips. Maree froze for a moment, then melted into the warmth and delicacy of it. Susie put her arms around Maree and drew her in closer, one hand moving to pull down the zipper around the back of Maree’s dress.

“No, not here,” Maree whispered, but couldn’t help but giggle a bit. “People will see us!”

As if that were the real issue with what was occurring.

“No, they won’t,” Susie said, as her deft fingers easily freed Maree from the top of her dress, pulling the cap sleeves down her arms and tugging the bodice down. Her exposed shoulders pricked a bit, equally from chill and anticipation.

“It’s just us here, we’re finally alone.”

She cupped one of Maree’s exposed breasts with the hand that wasn’t holding the flowers, grazing over the nipple with her thumb. It perked up immediately as Susie dipped her head down to give the breast a teasing lick, before trailing a series of delicate kisses up the flat of Maree’s sternum. Maree’s knees almost gave out from under her.

“Did you like that?” Susie said, grinning at Maree, her eyes full of mischief. “So excited already, aren’t you? Just wait until later on.”

Before Maree could formulate a response, Susie had enveloped her in another kiss, this one more passionate. Maree was a bit shorter, so it was easy for Susie to tilt her back. The flowers hit the ground with a soft thud as she dropped them, deepening the kiss even more.

Susie had one hand on the back of Maree’s head and the other on the small of her back for support, as Maree hooked her arms around the back of Susie’s neck. Their lips fit together perfectly as each of them eased into it. Susie’s lips and tongue were perfect and plush, not too dry, or wet, not too forceful. It was all warmth and tenderness as Susie moved one of her hands to rest gently along Maree’s jawline. She grazed her teeth over Maree’s bottom lip in an effort to tease.

Maree decided she could stay that way all night. If only she didn’t need to breathe.

As they broke the kiss, Maree’s eyes snapped open, and she bolted upright with a sharp gasp.

The Great Hall was gone. The blue dress, the trumpet, the flowers, Susie…

She looked around, eyes blown wide, heart pounding, gasping for breath. She was in her hotel room again. The aircon was whirring softly from the window, keeping the room nicely chilled. Despite that, Maree could feel the old t-shirt she wore to bed clinging to her back and chest because of the sweat. The curtains were drawn, so she couldn’t see if there was any sunlight coming in, but it was still the middle of the night, according to the red digital clock on the nightstand.

She whispered to herself in the darkness to try and calm down.

“It was a dream. It was just a dream.”

#susie wolff #susie wolff x oc #f1 fic #my fanfic #my fanfic writing #formula 1 fanfic #f1 x oc #formula 1 x oc #formula 1 academy #series: thistle and weeds

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waltwhitmansbeard · 1 year ago

Text

a my fair lady playlist

a year ago today i posted the first chapter of my fair lady, which was supposed to be a little thing that i just needed to get out of my head after reading @romeoandjulietyouwish's for the love of a princess. 144 chapters and one year of obsession later, what i got is my biggest writing project to date. it was also my first real foray into the cr fandom, which has since become, frankly, the biggest part of my life, and i'm just endlessly grateful to each of you who read and interacted with mfl in any way. i'm so lucky to have gotten to share this with all of you.

so to celebrate, i have assembled a way-too-long playlist inspired by the events of mfl. the songs represent the moments and feelings that most stood out to me (or that i could find an appropriate song for, lol). it was fun trying to remember everything that happened (as of rn the entire fic is 450 pages in google docs so...there's a lot) and piece together the story through song. i've written a little blurb to justify each choice in the cut below, but you can listen to the playlist on spotify here! thanks again for sticking around!

1. "My Fair Lady" - KALEO as the song from which i took all the titles for the series, i couldn't not start off with this one. i can't even hear this song now without thinking of mfl.

2. "Security" - Joss Stone since this is a song about being there for a friend in a time of crisis, i thought it was the perfect choice for the beginning of keyleth and percy's lifelong friendship. percy showed up in zephrah traumatized and barely holding it together, and keyleth was the rock that kept him from collapsing.

3. "Best of Friends" - Pearl Bailey marisha put this one on one of her keyleth playlists to represent keyleth and percy, and she was right! is there any better song for those two growing up as best friends?

4. "Fountain" - Sara Lov keyleth grew up under the shadow of her mother's loss and the pressure of a nation's expectations. someone give this child a BREAK!

5. "Uptown Girl" - Billy Joel oh, you think this is about vax and keyleth? WRONG. percy is an uptown girl and vex is his downtown man coming to shake his world.

6. "Stay Awake" - London Grammar how many nights did keyleth and vax stay up with the moon, learning to love each other? who did they become with no one but the shadows and each other to watch them grow?

7. "goodnight n go" - Ariana Grande this song just gives me such intense vex vibes. she wants so bad to get percy out from under her skin but no dice, he's there to stay.

8. "Foolish Thing" - Darren Criss vax knows that he absolutely cannot be catching feelings for the princess for any number of reasons. but that doesn't stop him from being a dumbfuck in love!

9. "Sacrilege" - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs keyleth knows that she absolutely cannot be catching feelings for her guard for any number of reasons. but that doesn't stop her from being a dumbfuck in love!

10. "You Get Me" - Michelle Branch even though she grew up royalty, keyleth never felt like she fit in in her own world. she was always different, out of place. but vax sees her strange edges and knows the shape they make.

11. "Dreams" - Caroline Glaser keyleth is down bad! she can't sleep without vax there, and vax is more than happy to reassure her that she's it for him.

12. "Take Me to Church" - Hozier this is my pick for some night just seem forever lasting, because if there's one thing vax is gonna do it's worship on his knees at keyleth's altar.

13. "Holy" - King Princess keyleth is busy with a nation and a war but she has time at the end of the day to fuck her man, and that's what really matters.

14. "Into You" - Ariana Grande this one is for the true sluts of the castle, vex and percy. stay horny, you absolute lovesick fools.

15. "River of Tears" - Alessia Cara just absolute depression and forlorn longing from vax and keyleth both when they're forced to be apart. drama queens, the both of them.

16. "The Lightning Strike (Part I: What If This Storm Ends?)" - Snow Patrol remember that time keyleth summoned lightning and used it to strike a bunch of attackers dead? so do i, and so does vax. it was his first time being confronted with the possibilities of the wild power she wields, and it definitely isn't something he was ever going to forget.

17. "Rich Youth" - Hayley Kiyoko keyleth and tiberius were both raised in the shadow of powerful fathers, and they came together to advocate for a future that represents the nations they want to lead.

18. "My Immortal" - Evanescence thank you to @ravendruid for the suggestion! does anything say vaxleth more than melodramatic longing? this song is for all the lingering heartbreak as they tried (and ultimately failed) to stay apart for so long.

19. "I Don't Mind" - Darren Criss one of my favorite pieces of writing from mfl was keyleth's proposal to vax. he's so convinced that she'd be better off without him, and all she wants to do is convince him that he's worth all the trouble waiting them.

20. "Love Story" - Taylor Swift forgive me for adding taylor swift to this list but you gotta admit, it's very appropriate for the vaxleth wedding.

21. "Dancing in the Rain" - Johannes Bornlöf let me be indulgent! this is the song i picked to play while reading the wedding chapter, so ofc it makes the list.

22. "The Deal" - Mitski thank you to @crispysnake for the suggestion! i mean, this is absolutely vax carrying his dead wife's body beneath the castle and striking a deal with the raven queen to bring her back. it's like it's what the song was written for.

23. "Castle" - Halsey just big keyleth charging to the throne room to demand her father release vax energy with this one.

24. "Growing, Growing, Gone" - Theo Katzman korrin was confronted very suddenly with the reality that his little girl wasn't a little girl anymore. she has a whole life ahead of her that is outside of him, and that's hard for a dad to come to terms with.

25. "Kiki (feat. Iron and Wine)" - Rett Madison y'all, the way i SCREAMED when i first heard this song on rett's new album!!! i just imagine vilya trying to reach out to keyleth, to let her know that she's been watching and of course, of course she's proud of her, of course she approves of vax, of course she wants nothing more than for her baby girl to happy.

26. "Wildflowers (Tom Petty Cover)" - Miley Cyrus this song makes me thing of the little cottage on the hill, and of korrin's wish for his daughter to have a place where she feels free. he knows that the castle has never really felt like her home, and so he gives her and her new husband a place they can build a home for themselves.

27. "Bubbly" - Colbie Caillat this song is just the pinnacle of happy love. it's vax and keyleth waking up in their bed, in their house, in their love's arms. it's happiness.

28. "Sunday Morning" - Maroon 5 remember that time vex was like "this was fun but i gotta go home" and percy was like "but what if i was home?" and fluttered his lashes like a harlot? me too.

29. "Family Tree" - Matthew West pending fatherhood is terrifying, especially when your own father is a sack of shit. of course vax would doubt his own ability to be for his child what syldor couldn't be for him and vex.

30. "A Woman's Work" - Kate Bush the definitive anthem for women creating life. keyleth is a goddess for so many reason but especially for making a literal person.

31. "Dear Theodosia" - Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton just DAD feelings up in this bitch! vax is a dad and korrin is a dad and percy (eventually) is a dad! also there's a new nation coming just around the corner! the perfect song!

32. "Brother Run Fast" - KALEO to me, this song represents vax and percy's understanding that the horrors of percy's past are coming for vax's present, and the two of them will stop at nothing to fix what was broken. they are both desperate for forgiveness they do not need, and they are both determined to keep the other on course.

33. "Yours & Mine" - Lucy Dacus imagine telling keyleth of the air ashari to sit at home while her family and friends venture out to save her daughter's life. IMAGINE!

34. "Trials - Demo" - London Grammar what is keyleth and vax's relationship if not an endless gauntlet of trials from which they must continually find their way back to each other?

35. "Delilah" - Florence + the Machine this song is just...everything. it's delilah and sylas. it's cass and the ghosts of the castle she's caged in. it's vilya, crying out for her mother. it's keyleth, coming to kick ass with a daylight spell. it's percy, reclaiming what was his all along.

36. "Show Me the Way" - Styx vax went THRU IT during gocmh, and his turning to the raven queen was a move of absolute desperation. he needed his matron's guidance not only to get his daughter back, but to put the pieces of his life back together.

37. "Glory and Gore" - Lorde what can i say? vox machina fucks shit up.

38. "Work Song" - Hozier percy may die twice but that ain't gonna stop him from simping for vex.

39. "Happiness" - The Fray this song is about happiness, but it has such a melancholic sound to it, which really works for baby vilya's return to zephrah. yes she's home, which is an immense relief, but she's brought home to a tragedy. nothing is simple.

40. "Kingdom of One" - Maren Morris hey vallen: get fucked.

41. "Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel)" - Billy Joel this is, to me, the ultimate father-daughter song, and in the context of mfl it makes me think of the unfinished letter keyleth found in her father's room after his death. just a reminder that even after someone dies, their love for those they leave behind never will.

42. "Starts With Goodbye" - Carrie Underwood i don't know what it's like to fundamentally reshape the structure of an entire nation in order to secure a more stable future for your child, but i imagine it feels like this!

43. "Matchstick" - American Royalty thank you to @ravendruid for the suggestion! sometimes self-care is setting the man who murdered your parents and helped kidnap your daughter on fire.

44. "Chords" - The Amazing Devil parents play such a big part in the story of mfl. the absence of keyleth's mother, the fact that her father is also a king, korrin being a father to percy, the twins confronting the father they fled, and of course, vaxleth and perc'ahlia becoming parents themselves. if there's anything they can take away from all of the heartbreak, it's wanting the best for their children, at the cost of everything else.

45. "Everywhere, Everything" - Noah Kahan had to end on some noah kahan in order to keep @crispysnake from gnawing at the bars of their enclosure. again, just the absolute vaxleth melodrama of "wanna love you til we're food for the worms to eat, til our fingers decompose." disgusting. i love them so much.

#my fair lady #critical role #mfl 1yr

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