#casey/vale

[rubyreadd]

🎤talk about all three of your vale wips if you want

One common misunderstanding I see about Casey and Valentino's relationship and rivalry, which was exemplified by Casey's visit to the ranch, is the assumption that Casey and Vale despise each other. Yes, towards the end of Casey's motogp career things got petty and snippy between them, but their issues have always been about each other as riders and competitors. Not so much the actual person.

Vale has been always openly complimentary of Casey and considers him one of the greatest to ever do it. Vale liked fighting Casey on track! He had fun! Vale radiates such joy in all of the media about Casey's visit to the ranch because this is about sharing passion and history with a man Vale holds in high regard.

And as much as Casey continues to hold grudges against Valentino, he does like the bloke. In his post about visiting the ranch, Casey wrote in the caption that despite the many differences and years between them, Valentino and he will always share racing and bikes. Sure, Casey's niceties towards Vale can have a double-edged quality, but in my opinion, that is an awfully fond thing for Casey to say about the person he's apparently been exploding with his mind since his debut.

So that's where we find ourselves at the beginning of my Casey/Vale ranch fic. Written from Casey's POV because I love sinking my teeth into the marrow of why some people are Like That, this fic is about trying to reconcile with the fact that the one person who knows you best in the world is the guy you (don't) hate the most.

Since his retirement, Casey has kept a professional separation between him and Valentino. They raced together and they were each other's rival. Casey won and then Valentino won more. Everything they shared refined to career statistics.

Whenever he's asked, Casey calls him Valentino, or Rossi. Exceptional. Indomitable. A bit of a cunt.

Even the things Casey doesn't talk about he keeps pigeonholed. The touching, the compliments, the sex- it was about what they could take from each other.

So when Valentino texts Casey inviting him to the Ranch it shouldn't even warrant a second thought to politely decline. Instead, Casey leaves Valentino on read for twenty four hours before accepting, a decision he justifies as morbid curiosity.

Everything unravels fairly quickly after that.

For the sake of building forced proximity narrative tension, Casey spends a long weekend at the Ranch. He offers to get a hotel but Valentino laughs him off and tells Casey he'll be staying with Valentino. Which is.. fine.

The drive over is spent rationalising being at the Ranch as like being at one of the many training camps Casey has done over his career. A no stakes weekend that will be attended by most of Valentino's academy and almost certainly used for social media promotion. Which makes it fine.

Pulling into the Ranch, it's Valentino who heads the welcome party, because of course it is. Casey is barely out of the car before Valentino is drawing him into a hug, familiar and warm, greeting Casey with such enthusiasm it splits his face into a one thousand watt smile.

And then they're off.

That first day is indeed spent mostly like a training camp. Valentino takes him on the grand tour, a non-stop spout of narration that Casey nods attentively along to. Of course Casey always knew the Ranch was important to Valentino, but this is something else entirely.

Although the thought doesn't stay with Casey for long because Valentino shepherds him into the garage and towards his bike. They chase each other around the track, the rumble of Valentino's bike behind him, the shining yellow of his leathers in front; it's like it's 2008 all over again. Which again, is fine.

In between sessions Casey pinballs from conversation to conversation. There's Marco, who is Casey is genuinely happy to see. He wraps Casey up in another hearty hug-- Italians --and listens eagerly while Casey regales him with all his happier memories on a bike.

Luca snags him next. He's keen on Casey's setup process and riding ethos and is an attentive student as Casey explains his practice. Valentino wanders over at some point to join his brother and Casey pauses expecting an interruption, but Valentino seems content to just listen while Casey talks.

And when night has well and truly settled over the track, Valentino, wide eyed and hopeful, invites Casey to dinner. Casey tells himself it's because it would be rude to refuse his host's hospitality when so much effort was went too. Not because he likes having Valentino's attention. Not even they sit together all night, pressed almost shoulder to hip.

It is only in the sanctity of the guest bedroom Valentino prepared for him that Casey makes his confession. Lying in bed Casey picks apart the Instagram post Valentino tags him in, his video self almost unrecognisable. There's one, shortly after Luca had taken his leave, and Casey had taken his spot next to Valentino. They lean into each other, a scant few inches a part.

Casey turns his head into the pillow, breathing in clean laundry and jerks himself off to what he thinks, hopes, is Valentino's lingering scent.

The next day is quieter, just him and Valentino mostly. They race each other until they can't remember who's leading the scoreboard. Until Casey's mouth tastes like dust. Until they collapse against each other, exhausted, and the vibrations of Valentino's laugh feel like the purr of Casey's bike under him.

Casey wants to turn and run. He doesn't belong here, in Valentino's space, his home, his heart carved into the landscape that raised him.

Casey stands abruptly, mumbling an empty excuse about showering, but before he can flee a hand closes around his ankle. He looks down and Valentino has shifted onto his knees, looking up at Casey equal parts apprehensive and awed.

"You still race like a god"

Something snaps. Or maybe it clicks into place. Casey manhandles Valentino over his bike, hobbling Valentino with his leathers and stretching him open with spit and sweat. Base, is how Casey fucks Valentino, restraint trampled under the weight of Casey's want as he takes Valentino apart in the dirt, on the track.

Bikes have never been about romance to Casey, but when Valentino looks over his shoulder at him, the shape of the chassis pressed into his face while his voice breaks around Casey's name, Casey is overcome by a heady rush of understanding. Finally he has mastered both the man and machine that have defined his life, and now absolute victory, trembling and sweet, is his.

[ross1fum1]

Vale and Casey at the Ranch!⭐️

[eneasbastianini]

growing up as luca marini must have been so wild for a number of reasons but rn im thinking specifically about how funny it must have been to live in a house where ur training to be a professional in an industry that your brother engages in truly seismic beef every other week in. anyway i really hope pre teen luca muttered casey was right at the dinner table at least once

[moonshynecybin]

(x)

[forza-beznaia]

[batsplat]

Jerez 2008: Dani Pedrosa talks to Casey Stoner - but walks away when Jorge Lorenzo enters the room.

[charlespecco]

Ladies and gentlemen, Casey Stoner at the Ranch!

[textsfromthetva]

Incorrect Loki Quotes [239/?]

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Character, book, and author names under the cut

Victor Vale- Vicious by VE Schwab

August Landry- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Daja Kisubo- The Circle of Magic series by Tamora Pierce

Neil Josten- All for the Game by Nora Sakavic

[sebmaxrc]

idk i think its funny

[rubyreadd]

Mugello 2008... Tell us more please

Ok so, slight correction because I made a typo, I meant Mugello 2009 instead of 2008 because that's the year that Casey broke Valentino's seven consecutive win streak at the circuit. Kinda the most embarrassing typo I could've made actually, because the whole fic hinges on the dynamic of that win LMAO.

Anyway! What appeals to me about Casey and Valentino's dynamic how perfectly they match each other as narrative foils. Early on in their relationship Casey was fairly forward about how he looked up to Valentino as a rider, and Valentino has gone on record several notable times to talk about how Casey always pushed him to give his absolute best in a race.

There's also Valentino having a primarily Australian crew while Casey had a primarily Italian crew. Valentino having a love affair with his bike where as Casey saw it as a tool of his trade. Valentino being motogp's epicentre of extroverted charisma and Casey being a (somewhat self-imposed) satellite in the sport.

Essentially, Valentino and Casey are two sides of the same coin. Diametrically opposed and destined to never truly see eye to eye yet cut from the same fundamental cloth; a statement I'm sure would give Casey a baker's dozen more neuroses.

So how does this play out post Mugello? Well, the background context of this fic Casey and Valentino have been in a on again off again situationship that loosely involves a dom/sub dynamic. It's not something they've ever or will ever discuss but Casey uses Vale to claw back the control of the parts of his life that feel too big to hold and Vale turns to Casey to relinquish the weight of his myth.

Winning the Italian Grand Prix should therefore be an extension of gaining back that control for Casey. He's taken on the prodigal boyking on home soil, in front of a home crowd, on Italian machinery and won. He's put Valentino in his place so to say. But the fullness of the satisfactions isn't there; Valentino is a graceful loser, smiling at Casey on the podium, which Casey returns with aching teeth. His want is still ravenous, not even the weight of first place in his hands can satiate it. Not when Casey knows the shape of Valentino, fucked out and satisfied, underneath his palms.

But still, paranoia stays Casey hand. Much of his relationship with Valentino has been built on the load bearing pretence that what they have between them is about pragmaticism. Seeking Valentino out because Casey selfishly, wants, would be too close to an admission that Valentino affects him beyond clear-cut competitiveness.

It's a good thing then that Valentino doesn't share those same compunctions.

Casey begs off of team celebrations early to retreat to the solitude of his bedroom where he pointedly doesn't think about Valentino below him on the podium. He has the next race to think about, to win, he can‘t be distracted. Until there‘s a knock at his door.

It‘s Valentino. Of course it is. He‘s dressed non-descript, like he just rolled out of bed and came to Casey directly. For several moments no words are exchanged, but Valentino keeps his gaze, expectant, on Casey.

"You rode well today," Valentino says in place of a greeting, and that's all Casey needs. He hauls Valentino into the room and puts him on his knees, threads a fist through Valentino's hair and pulls, exposing the long line of Valentino‘s neck; the dips and curves of the tendons and muscles. Valentinos eyes are bright in the subdued light of Casey‘s room. His lips shine when he wets them with his tongue.

Valentino‘s hands come up to curl around Casey‘s thighs. Casey‘s hand drops to the waistband on his pants.

And the rest of the smut you‘ll have to wait for, for when I publish the fic >:3

What I can say about it though is that once Casey has had his fill on Vale on his knees, he puts Valentino on his hands and knees on the mattress and takes his true victory from Vale‘s body. Fucks Vale boneless into the mattress until Casey‘s name is all he can get his mouth around

The window is open, the sound of drunk and jubilant Italians filtering up from the street, and Casey yanks Vale‘s head back, stretches along his back and tells Vale to imagine if Italy could see him now. Their prince, bent at the knee for his rival. Their champion, come to an outsider‘s bed to be fucked.

Really, Casey is being very normal about Vale and their relationship. There is definitely no projection or internalised anything going on here. The only thing being internalised is Casey‘s dick in Vale‘s a—

[ross1fum1]

more of vale and casey🌟

[myrquez]

rosquez reconciliation is just not going to happen like never in their life ever (except, maybe, in just one case. maybe)

and i’m almost sure of that bc. listen. i have so many thoughts and it’s early in the morning and it’s gonna be so messy and i don’t even know if someone has already said this but.

what i’m really convinced of is, valentino didn’t believe marc sabotaged him. i think the whole sabotage story is bullshit. like, it IS really bullshit even for them. it’s as believable as that polleria osvaldo prank.

ofc uccio didn’t check any telemetry shit. ofc valentino didn’t really think marc was sabotaging him in phillip island. marc had a rough start of the season that year, made many mistakes, but at some point he eventually started to get his shit back together and even tho he wasn’t a contender for the title anymore he could’ve been very much of an obstacle put in the middle of the road of his climb to the 10th. that sabotage conspiracy theory really was nothing but a means to “scare off” little marc, to try to make him take a few steps back and get him off the hook or whatever. he NEEDED marc out of the games bc that was his last chance to get his 10th and he truly wanted it at ALL costs. plus, he really loved his silly little mind games. he pulled that shit with gibernau, biaggi, casey AND jorge himself. but it BIBLICALLY backfired bc marc has always been one tough mf and of course he served vale a little taste of his own medicine (showing him what it would have been like to have him as an actual sabotaging agent on track) and OF COURSE he had to show that he wasn’t scared or anything. OF COURSE he had to show that he would’ve never bent down for anybody. should he have behaved differently? probably. but he literally was 22. and it’s not to babey him or anything, it’s how it is. 22 years of age and FIRE in his veins, headstrong, impulsive, and all of that. of course it didn’t end well, that was the only possible outcome, no variations. vale ended up losing his 10th and marc.. well we know what he had to go through

but that’s it. vale’s own ambition outweighed his talent (for mindgames) (quote) and he lost the championship the exact moment he went and poked the wrong bear. vale never felt betrayed, he STILL does not feel betrayed or anything. it’s not about genuine delusions or hurt feelings, it’s about ego, truly. vale doesn’t need and doesn’t want any apology. vale just doesn’t want anyone to reach HIS greatness. HIS status as a god. which is why he ended up being friendly with all of his past enemies on track, they’re out of the games now, of course! they couldn’t (and won’t now) reach his status as a god not even if they wanted to. except for the one that is still riding despite everything he went through

this is why, or at least i think it is, they will never really fully reconcile, IF not, maybe, in just one case: marc retires before he has reached (or surpassed) vale’s number of championships.

even in that case, i wouldn’t be really sure it could eventually happen. but it’s really the only scenario that seems probable to me.

[moonshynecybin]

meee i love vale i really truly do, 2004 forever one of my fav season to rewatch, and i love giving him grace cause that’s really the only fun way to engage with the whole dynamic (his dad, sic, marc is no saint and is indeed crazy etc) but like those bikes were on marc’s shelf. and he was 22. we can spin it how we want but he did release the italian media hounds on 22 year old marc who still went to sleep under 30-40 valentino mini bikes! and i think you handle this sooo well in your posts like in any au setting i’m always like “yup they’re both flawed and yet there is a Villian here!”

(and sidenote but i like that you’re firm on sepang 2015 cause a couple weeks ago there was a weird shift here where i think people overcompensated a bit too hard and i’ve seen more than one post along the lines of “maybe vale had a point”) (i blame lorenzo for this tho)

i do try to come at with some nuance (marc wasnt racing like an angel and wasnt handling his failures like an angel etc) but then i think about the line of toy vale bikes in his childhood bedroom that he collected throughout 2013, and how the only book on marc's stupid shelf was a vale book (love conquers illiteracy <3), and how vale incited a media backlash against marc that got him death threats for literal years and caused him to lock down large facets of his personality in public at the age he shouldve been idk. graduating college if he did that sort of thing. and then im like should we KILL this guy chappell roan

[imeriayapping]

(before starting to read this please consider i do not remember all events and timeline properly yet so it can be inconsistent)

Okay so, my guide to how make vale and Casey even worse and more evil and toxic:

If they start some form of situationship let's say half a year earlier than casey gets to MotoGP (if i remember correctly he was 19 which means that when they start fucking he's 18 which is questionable but than again when marc got into MotoGP he was 19 and it did not stop vale even tho he was even older then).

It starts to involve some amount of feelings pretty fast so when Casey gets into MotoGP his whole "looking up to vale and watching his races" is a bit amplified and generally keeps on longer bc he has influence of not only seeing public vale but also the "private" version which helps to keep him captivated for longer. And it gives even more power imbalance to vale when he starts all of his mind games and manipulations because now he knows more about how Casey's mind works, anxiety and general stuff which helps him but also he has ability to manipulate both public in general and casey in private continuing whatever the fuck is going on between them but at the same time it fucks with casey head even more because he can't escape or even look from outside on this situation bc everything started when he was pretty young and probably without any previous experience.

And for example his phrase about "i told vale that I don't want to end up like his previous rivals that don't talk to him but we didn't speak much since than" can be even more deliciously bad. Anyway closeness to vale doesn't let casey get reality check as fast as he did irl and it probably gone way longer than it should have, probably till that pass in Laguna seca or something

[jam-packed]

lovin the vids of vale and casey circlin around the interwebs, they r so friends