#he fought Charles like if they were in a title fight

[scrumptiousartisanheart]

Without that untimely safety car, he could have won! Ugh, but a hard fought P2 is still good when considering the last few races.

Overall it was a fun race, quite unexpected...

[fastandcarlos]

When You Make Him Little Spoon : ̗̀➛ F1 Reaction

» Max Verstappen 

You wanted to celebrate Max’s accomplishments, with another world title in the bag you were all for making the night about him and not letting him lift a single finger. Truthfully, you couldn’t keep your hands off of him because of how proud you were, but as you and a slightly tipsy Max headed to bed that night you decided to be the one to cuddle up to him. You couldn’t squeeze his frame any tighter, letting him know just how much pride you had, refusing to let him take up his usual role of the big spoon for the night. 

» Lando Norris 

With Lando feeling particularly under the weather you couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, unable to recognise the figure who was before you. The soft expression that Lando had on his face broke your heart as you joined him on the bed, silently crying out for you to help make him feel better. He simply couldn’t be bothered to move, and so you turned him so that he could be the little spoon, holding onto his frame as you tried to soothe Lando to sleep for a while, hoping that a little bit of rest would be helpful in making him feel better. 

» Charles LeClerc 

With Charles busying himself on his phone, you decided to jump behind him and make him the little spoon in order to get some attention from him. As soon as he realised what you were doing Charles put his phone down, hating the way it felt. He had too much pride in him to let you make him the little spoon, the big spoon was his role as far as he was concerned. So, you finally got what you wanted, with Charles putting his phone away he turned you around so that you were the little spoon again and listened to what you had to say. 

» Oscar Piastri 

You had Oscar pinned down as the two of you laid in bed, attacking against his sides. Oscar didn’t have the strength to fight back with you, allowing you to lay behind him and him be the little spoon. You’d pestered him to try and reverse the roles for ages, but Oscar always told you to go away. Tonight however, you decided that you were finally going to get what you wanted and fought hard against Oscar until you were able to be the bigger spoon. Eventually he reminded himself just how stubborn you were, deciding to give you what you wanted. 

» George Russell 

At the end of a tough race, George felt a little bit sorry for himself, behind closed doors turning him into a bit of a baby. With a pout on his face he asked you to hold him for a while so that he could forget about what had just happened. You weren’t sure you’d heard him right at first, but as soon as you laid down, George came and laid down in front of you. It felt like you were a blanket that was draping around him, exactly what George needed to shut out the rest of the world, and most importantly know that you were right by his side. 

» Carlos Sainz 

He was already tucked up and fast asleep in bed, unaware that you were finally home. You snuggled in closer to Carlos, unable to find the space to lay in front of him, you ended up behind him instead. Your arm draped across Carlos’ side, resting your cheek against his back, with him still snoring. It was only the following morning that Carlos realised that you were behind him, confused by the empty space in front of him. He expected it to feel foreign, but instead it felt quite comfortable for Carlos, making a mental note to remember to ask you to try it again another night. 

» Daniel Ricciardo 

It came randomly for you, deciding one night you wanted to try and be the big spoon instead of the little one. Instinctively, Daniel went to turn around and lay how you usually did, but you told him to stay where he was. You felt settled pretty quickly, being able to play with Daniel’s curls easier and run your hand along his bicep, a spot that you particularly loved. As much as Daniel wanted to protest, favouring the big spoon, hearing your hums of enjoyment come from behind him, Daniel couldn’t help but let you be the big spoon, but just this once. 

» Lewis Hamilton 

You were left with no choice but to be the little spoon one night with Lewis unable to move with Roscoe by his side, tucked in as closely to Lewis as he could possibly get. Lewis was desperate to cuddle you, the usual routine that you had at night, but just couldn’t move his frame so that he could hold onto you. When you initially pressed your chest against his back Lewis couldn’t quite process what was happening, a strange feeling around him, however as you got more comfortable, he found himself enjoying the feeling of you holding onto him instead. 

˗ˏˋ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ! ´ˎ˗

[raceweek]

hello. alexalblondo's rude anon coming here to humbly and politely beg for galex primer because i dont understand their history. george said he lived at alex's family's house at one point? how - weren't they already racing? sorry thank you humble thank you 🙏🙏

hello!!! thanks chris for the referral FKFJDKD

i have overwhelmed my alex and george tags so much that i fear i could never capture all of it but my galex key moment anthology is under the cut!!

karting/early single seaters

Alex thinks they met in 2011 but the footage in georges flip phone says he knew alex back in 2009.

Their first actual interaction (so far as they've told the world) was when alex was world champion with the intrepid karting team and bc he was their reference driver he was asked to help pick the drivers who were quick to replace him when he moved up and he picked george (and charles) so they were then part of that same intrepid driver programme for a while. Interestingly, alex was always at least one year above him bc of their ages and george says the fact they didn't really race directly against each other before 2016 was probably why they became such good friends.

They did a deep dive of their camera rolls from this time on twitch a couple years back and talked about the oldest pictures they have of each other in their camera rolls (1:25:36) which was cute.

2017

2017 is the year george basically lived with alex. They were also sharing a trainer whilst alex was competing in gp2 and george was in gp3. George was doing mercedes sim work at their factory so rented a flat in milton keynes near where alex lived but according to alex that rent was wasted money bc george had more meals at alexs' house than he did that year. Also as detailed in those links, the Great Mountain Biking Incident of 2017 occurred at this time so we have the fun mental image of george literally wheeling alex into a&e on a wheelchair bc that is an actual event that happened.

2018

George and alex both in f2 fighting for the title year wooooo!! They never really fought on track but we did get fun tidbits like when alex pipped george to the win at silverstone bc george had a slow pit stop and giggled about it in parc ferme (5:42) & these post session interviews.

also some incredible photoshoots.

2019

Promotion to f1!!! We started the year at winter testing and this nugget that they have both accepted that they are actually tied together by the strings of fate. They're doing fun media stuff like karting and bullying each other over percentage of apexs hit at the skypad (video). 2019 also the start of the umbrella sharing. They were just together a lot… more skypad analysis!!!

2019 also has MY personal favourite galex moment which was hockenheim 2019 and the 45 minute phone call galex had on the way home after george missed out on scoring what would have been his first point in f1 and only point of the season.

There was also the summer break and enjoying a training camp together, exchanging infections etc. Alex also took george to meet lily for the first time, bc that’s a normal thing to do.

There was also the rookie of the year vid, and the rookie season review vid at the end of the year. Much was happening.

2020

The year started with f1 trying to race during a global pandemic. Fun! On the singular media day before everyone realised just how stupid that was they were being annoying. The lockdowns did give us the twitch streams. George was initially so bad at virtual racing he had to secretly consult alex's brother for help behind alexs back. George was also actively seeking alex out like a missile at any given opportunity and at one point felt necessary to declare that he wasn't alexs boyfriend when someone asked if alex was going to be streaming that day. Anyway my lockdown twitchscapades tag has a post with a playlist of all the streams that haven't been lost or deleted if you want to feel joy and have a spare million hours.

Racing resumed in July with the covid team bubbles and within two races and one qualifying session george was defending alexs honour to sky sports and the world in a truly remarkable fashion.

At the end of the year alex was unemployed....even more tragic than this loss was that alexs career difficulties were so extreme he started ghosting george, which devastated him to the extent he needed to publicly drag him for it.

There was also george asking lily to post alexs n*des on instagram and lily responding with if anyone has them it would be you which was perhaps the last time george had access to his own social media password.

Despite george not liking it they celebrated alexs first podium by going golfing! and reverse! George was also gifted an alex albon signed autograph card for christmas and said that he'll put it somewhere special x

2021

The beginning of 2021 was during lockdown and there was more fun virtual gps except the only two drivers doing it were george and alex so they were just bitching and gossiping and threatening to steal strategies and abu dhabi 2016 each other. Particular shoutout to the time they had a virtual race on valentines day and alex put a suit on for it and george was baffled. Immediately after valentines day was georges birthday which lily used to thank george for letting her borrow his boyfriend from time to time.

Then the season started with george enduring the season alexless and not letting anyone forget about it. Alex was turning up to races after being locked in the simulator until the early hours posting stuff like this on instagram and otherwise stumbling over his words after getting whipped on the ass.

Perhaps the defining moment of the galex 2021 season was george pushing the williams board to sign alex so heavily that they had to actively shut him out of proceedings. Also at this time there was this cute congrats from alexs family and one from alex to georgie about the mercedes seat.

anyway here's some more random 2021 nuggets:

i've seen him topless a few times

george getting alex a good deal on a merc x

yet More golf

the handover

georges driver room

2022

They truly lost every inch of personal space in 2022 like. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. The back signing Hello.

2022 had alex having his appendix out, nearly dying and alexs family updating george whilst alex was in the icu and then when alex returned for the next race in signapore a couple weeks later (insane behaviour) george was like mmm audacious of him to be here.

Elsewhere alex discovered georges photoshoot and was making screensavers about it. Alex also discovered hair dye and george was making instagram stories about it.

other random 2022 nuggets:

george is alexs fave f1 driver excluding himself

this skit williams did of lily finding a huge picture of george in alexs driver room

whatever this image is of lily george and alex

private plane carpool

double date

2023

@onadarklingplain covers the whole year for you much MUCH better than i ever could here!!!!!

and that brings us to present where they're just as weird and freaky with each other as ever!!!

[pocketrocketyuki]

So, people will hate me for this, i do not care anymore.

Oscar and lando fans both, need to get a grip. WERE FANS OF A SPORT. why, oh why, do we need to make everything a "oh he is so bad!" "He needs to be better" "they suck!"

Someone on discord told me i dislike oscar, that i think he sucks. That i think he purposefully crashed into lando. When i never said such a thing. I love oscar, i wanted him to win fair and square. It was supposed to be a safe space but it is no more, and thats all because a toxic fan cannot seperate us watching a tv, and us all fighting as fans

Both lando and oscar are amazing. Lando is ahead in the h2h, he has a chance at the drivers title. That doesnt mean all eggs should be in his basket. Oscar is great, we know he is, but like lando he is not perfect and he makes plenty of mistakes, even ones that cost him a win.

Oscar made a move, he was allowed to, he pulled it off. The problem? they touched. Charles passed because of it, charles won in the end. Oscar cannot predict that. He is driving freaking 300 km/h.

You win some you lose some. Today charles won cause he was just better.

Anti-lando fans, lando admitted he shoukd have won. "Oscar was faster all day, he is better!!" Yeah and lando beat oscar by +22 seconds, so oscar sucks too? They. Are. Both. Good. "Oscar takes resposability" he blames stroll for the race loss.

Anti-oscar fans, he didnt hit lando on purpose. Its an incident and yeah he has fought lando multiple times, but that doesnt mean he can not be a teamplayer. "He should have let lando passed" if mclaren had not discussed this, no he was allowed to fight, again he touched accidentally not on purpose.

This was a mclaren fumble. They fucked it, they will talk about it and move on. If they miss a championship thats on them, the millions of dollars they will miss is on them.

TLDR: Stop fighting. You are not helping oscar or lando, they do not know you exvist, they dont care if you defend them or not. The only thing you are doing is making people feel bad. And if that makes you happy? You need help, please seek it. The sport should be fun, dont let it be ruined by others💕

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

I think you and other anons are right - they would have got their half in/out deal. The main problem there, IMO, was Meghan's antagonism towards everyone. So they did not have any allies left, not in the family, not extended family, not staff. In the short year that Meghan was around she picked a fight with everyone, any everything, she hated everything, did not respect traditions or customs and scoffed at anything she was expected to do. And Harry blidly work shipped her, agreed to everything she said. That may be the biggest reason for her epic downfall.

Meghan wanted fame for herself, she thought she was the "product". Others may have, discreetly, made money from their proximity to the BRF top brass. But Meghan started to think of herself as the top brass. Her ego did not serve her well. It's still her biggest problem.

One of the easiest ways to make Tom's of money, and then in turn become an A+list celeb would have been for Meghan to keep working as an actress and not become a full-time working royal immediately. She was given that option. Or if not she could have fought for that, her independence, before the wedding, and say she would only do the absolute necessary things like Trooping or Commonwealth day and focus on her work the rest of year. Family occasion like Christmas walks, easter, some garden parties etc would have given the required exposure while keeping the shine and royal glamour alive.

It would have also justified keeping her holiwood team, PR firm, a separate non-london based home etc. She didn't even have to actually work, she could have justified not working in shows/movies by saying she is too high profile so it's restricting roles, and then focussed solely on ads, red carpet events, brand deals etc.

But maybe one of the reasons she did not want to do that anymore is because she saw her marriage to a prince as the ultimate prize after all her years of struggle. And couldn't help but hustle because that was second nature to her. And when she realized the reality she wanted to project was much different from how things were behind scenes, her brain couldn't compute the vast divide.

Another major factor is also Harry. She hadn't counted on the fact that Harry would be harbouring his own fantasy and his self importance would get so out of hand. She fed him ideas, he took to heart and flew too close to the sun.

Your ask has made me wonder if Harry was even aware of how different Meghan's life was going to be from Kate's. I don't think he did, because he assumed that everything William got, he would get and everything Kate got, Meghan would get. He made that very clear in Spare and the Oprah interview.

They might've talked about it and Harry might've done the "yeah, yep, mm-hmm" head nods but I don't think he ever actually realized, understood, or fully grasped what exactly it meant because he only ever saw himself as Charles's son (the way William was also Charles's son) before seeing anyone or anything else. His ego wouldn't allow it otherwise and Meghan was probably able to tap into that.

Which is why I suspect the Sandringham Summit was such a rude awakening for Harry. I bet he saw Megxit being just like when William and Kate moved to Norfolk and William worked as an air ambulance pilot doing once-a-month royal engagements. Harry probably expected the negotiation to go the same way (i.e., with everyone's blessing) and it gobsmacked him that it didn't. He probably looks at it as "well how come Willy could do it and I can't," not even seeing that the issue was in the commercialization and monetization of their titles.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it.

Edith Sitwell

I understand that this fan may have missed my previous response, but I'd like to clarify that there have been some surreal moments from SH’s fans and their comments. This moment doesn't change the essence of who they are. This is their way of talking with all emotions flying high, right? Although claims that this word was created by Diana Gabaldon and given to SH to use on his merchandise, this is not the case. The word Sassunach/Sassanach is not a made-up word and it is not the property of any one person. It has been in use for centuries and has roots in Gaelic and Scottish culture.

Sassunach/Sassanach simply means English person. Similarly, Albanach means Scottish person. Alba in Gaelic means Scotland, which was a language that the English referred to in ancient times due to the language they spoke. SH appropriated this word because he is an opportunistic man who will take advantage of what he can find to reach some end.

Lowland Scots and non-Gaelic speakers were also called sassunach. But in the 18th century, the Scots used the word due to their occupation of Scotland for hundreds of years. No matter what you think, no one in Outlander SH or DG has a legally legitimate title to the word Sassenach. Gaelic is not inherent to DG or SH. The Gaelic language and culture are an integral part of the nation's identity, and more than half of Scotland's Gaelic speakers live in the Highlands and Islands, connecting people for centuries SH used it word as a cultural appropriation he ignored the history and struggles of the culture from which he was taken. He is a lowland Scot and he doesn't speak the language. But, Don’t be surprised, after all, everything about him is made up.

Don’t forget, Gabaldon from New Mexico picked 18th century Scotland as a setting for her novel by accident after seeing an old episode of Doctor Who featuring the companion character Jamie Robert McCrimmon, (played by Frazer Hines) fictional character also known as Jamie, who fought in the Battle of Culloden fighting for Bonnie Prince Charles on 16th April 1746.

The earliest known use of the word Sassenach is in the mid-1700s. The earliest evidence for Sassenach is in the writing of Tobias Smollett, a Scottish novelist.

Tobias Smollett wrote in the novel, Humphrey Clinker (1771), ‘The Highlanders have no other name for the people of the Low Country, but Sassenagh or Saxons’. In modern Scotland, however, the Gaelic term has been adopted into general usage as sassenach, denoting something or someone English.

In DG’s original book, there’s the problematic use of the Scots word “Sassenach,” derived from the Gaelic word “Sasannach,” which does not mean “outlander” or “foreigner” — it only means an Englishman. In Gaelic the word is neutral, but in Scots, the word has a pejorative sense which can be offensive to English people. (I’m sorry but you can’t go into the issue without greater detail here, and post about this word with nonsense comments ) You must read about Scottish Gaelic history and culture. The word is only applied to the English, "Sassenach" not refers to any traveller not born in Scotland... in other words, has nothing to do with "outlander."

It is worth noting that Gaelic is not magical and, despite being Scottish, SH did not grow up speaking the language in the Highlands as many Scots do. Instead, he took the word and applied it to his brand, taking advantage of the fact that his fans see themselves as a ‘Sassenach’ (a fictional television character, that's idiotic). This tactic plays on women's emotions and allows SH to benefit quickly without making concessions. It might be a smart move of him, but some may see it as really questionable. Nice way for a 44-year-old man to shine and live supported by adult women 😳

It’s considered inappropriate for a man to rely on the support and attention of adult women. It's concerning to see SH's female customers blindly following buying expensive merchandise for decoration and praising him all year round. These individuals are often referred to as 'useful idiots' who mindlessly parrot comments without questioning or thinking critically.

I believe if someone chooses to take advantage of their fans, it's because their fans enjoy looking ridiculous and don't mind being laughed at. Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done about this. As the saying goes, 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.' I find it hard to believe that some of SH's female fans who don't have any Scottish ancestry, no Scottish blood running through their veins would want to pretend to be Scots 🙄

They are female clients who pay for SH’s services at private events, but it doesn't seem to have any positive impact on their lives. His only impact was leaving a scar on his forehead that he'll never forget while increasing his bank statement. These women, and rarely men, buy his expensive products just to flaunt them on social media in hopes of getting attention from the person they idolise. This behaviour is mostly seen in women interested in a middle-aged man. It's worth noting that SH doesn't even know his clients' names or even that they exist.

It sounds like you're not familiar with SH’s books. He hired Charlotte, 👻 a ghostwriter, to write Clanlands books and another ghostwriter to write Waypoints. It doesn't matter if other people have used ghostwriters, we are not arguing about them, this is specifically about SH.

By the way, the spy who dumped me? It was a fun comedy film but Brian Glazer had the idea of ​​working with female roles and decided to choose Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon, he did not choose SH (who was chosen by Lionsgate/Sony), as a spy who left no one behind, Well, Gillian Anderson and Justin Theroux were more important than him.

SH is not a bartender. He doesn't prepare his own recipes. Instead, he presents cocktails from real bartenders and fails to mention their creators, thereby taking credit for them. In this scenario, you are not offering any thoughtful reflection. If you don't want to be mistaken as an obsessive fan, you shouldn't behave like one. It's tiring to see such behaviour in adult women.

On the other hand, conventional alcohol brands do not need or use awards or medals as a distinctive feature, nor do they even use praise as a reason for being. Perhaps, the messages, brand attributes and market positioning are enough to win over the consumer. Very different from SH alcohol, which relies on women who have no idea how to tell whisky or gin apart to elevate and praise their idol in the marketplace.

So, It seems that you have not studied Scots Gaelic properly and have no idea about the history of Scotland. But if you've started learning Scots Gaelic, you can continue, but you should try harder. If you are a learner, it is always good practice to make this clear.

Never try to use jealousy as an excuse to open up the conversation… BAD IDEA. (Look at what happened to Leia… she kissed her brother!) By the way, no one likes mediocrity and settles for it.

Cheers :)

Posted 11th April 2024

[writers-requiem]

Title: A Moment of Respite

Genre: Marvel, X-Men, Romance, Established Relationship, Post-Battle Comfort

Pairing: Hank McCoy x Author

Rating: E 10+

Warning: Language

A/N: This one is another story meant more for me since I haven't done that in a hot minute.

Okay, today was a rough day, not gonna lie. But first, context.

It was like most days at the Xavier Institute. A quiet morning with some rambunctious energy from my mutant friends. Namely, Logan being an ass and just causing trouble for Scott. Much to both my and Scott's annoyance.

I was just in the kitchen, making myself some breakfast for me and my husband, Hank McCoy, who had just woken up after another long night in the lab. Again.

It wasn't exactly much, just some cheesey eggs and rice topped with basil and some fresh bbq pork steamed buns on the side with some coffee for him and a hot chocolate for me. I'm not a coffee drinker.

Hank walked into the room and looked kinda groggy. He was in a navy blue bath robe and wore his grey pajama pants. His hair slightly disheveled as if he just crawled out of bed.

Hank: "Good morning, love."

He walked up and gave me a quick peck on the cheek and I returned the gesture then handed him his coffee and bowl of cheesey eggs and rice before taking my own and following him to the table. We always ate with the rest of the team, in spite of how annoying it got at times.

Me: "Three, two, one..."

And right on cue, all our phones went off with notifications from Charles, telling us that Juggernaut just escaped custody, again. For the fifth time this week. And it's only Monday!

Me: "Can we just get even ONE day of rest!?"

Hank: "No. Apparently not."

So, I and the others reluctantly suited up and went off to fight Juggernaut again. And hoped that he would stay in his cell for a long while.

I won't bore you with the details of the fight, but basically it was the same tactic we use every time we fought him. One person distracts him, while the others wear down his armor until the job is done. Works. Every. Time.

But that didn't mean we weren't exhausted from it all. Once we got back, we immediately took note of how damaged we were. Clothes torn, scrapes and cuts everywhere and blood pouring out of our wounds.

Hank and I went to our shared room where he held personalized med kits for us both. So he patched me up first, and I patched him up last. All the while, enjoying the soothing touch he gave, and the feel of his soft fur and strong muscles.

Hank: "Perhaps not that, but maybe something close to it?"

He turned around and we held each other close as our arms wrapped around one another.

Hank: "By the way. I saved you some of those eggs and rice you made in the fridge."

After he said that disclaimer, he kissed me. Slow and sweet. While keeping his hold on me gentle. I did the same, both of us trying to be mindful of the other's injuries.

So I placed my hands on his cheeks and gently played with his hair, running my fingers through it with care.

The kisses were, as mentioned, soft and sweet. But then he flipped us over so I laid on top of his chest.

He laid my head in between his chest and neck while stroking my head softly.

I didn't mind. After a rough start to the week, a moment of silence was more than welcome.

[lifewouldbebetteronmars]

!!!PLEASE READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS IN THE TAGS!!!

Title from no body, no crime by Taylor Swift

Angstmas Days of Summer Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I Think He Did It But I Just Can’t Prove It

It had been two years now, since the day Thomas had died. He was murdered, if you asked Alastair, but everyone, including law enforcement, said it had been an accident.

An accident my arse. Alastair thought to himself as he studied his “murder board”-as Cordelia called it-for what had to be the thousandth time. Most people would have given up by now, with two years having passed and no evidence to the contrary that the death had been anything but accidental.

But not Alastair Carstairs. He would never give up. Not until justice had been served.

And if he had to serve justice for Thomas himself, then so be it.

He’d done so much on his anyway, how could this be any different?

Two years ago, the love of his life had been killed, his waterlogged body found in the Thames. An accidental drowning. The toxicology report said he’d been drinking heavily that night, so heavily that he must have fallen off of the bridge and into the river. A complete accident.

It was an answer that everyone else believed and accepted. Thomas’s friends, his family, everybody. Everyone but Alastair. He knew it wasn’t an accident, it had been murder. He even knew who had done it.

Charles Fairchild. His ex-boyfriend.

He certainly had the motive and the means to kill Thomas, to even make it look like an accident.

He was a jealous man, a possessive man. He hadn’t liked the fact that Alastair had moved on and he had made sure everyone around him had known that fact.

Everyone knew how much Charles hated Thomas, yet they called him paranoid when he even suggested the possibility that Charles may have had something to do with Thomas’s death.

Charles may have been a bad boyfriend, Alastair, but he’s not a murderer. Cordelia had assured him, the first time he had brought the idea up to her.

Charles would never hurt Thomas. He’s my brother. Matthew had said, getting angry when Alastair kept trying to push the point.

Alastair, dear, we miss Thomas just as much as you do, but blaming Charles for it isn’t the way to grief him. Thomas’s own parents had said that to him. Alastair couldn’t even give them a response to that, he just simply left with no explanation.

And now he hadn’t talked to any of them for months.

They all acted as if Alastair just couldn’t accept Thomas’s death, like he just couldn’t grieve and his way of coping was to not accept that Thomas’s death was an accident.

But they were wrong. Because Alastair wished more than anything to believe it was an accident. But so much just hadn’t added up. And he couldn’t ignore that.

The toxicology report, for one, Thomas hadn’t been drinking that night. He’d been at home all night and he’d had one beer, but that was earlier in the evening with the rest of the Merry Thieves. He couldn’t have been that drunk from one beer that he’d had hours earlier.

The two of them had even gone to bed early.

Alastair hadn’t known where Thomas had gone when he woke up in the morning to the sound of his doorbell ringing and an officer there to let him know that Thomas’s body had been found in the Thames.

They’d gone to bed at 10:30 P.M. and Thomas’s body was found around 6 A.M. the next morning, he’d been dead at least three hours, putting his time of death around 3 A.M.

That in itself left Alastair with four hours of time where Thomas couldn’t be accounted for.

Charles didn’t even have a solid alibi for that night. He said he’d been at home sleeping, something no one could prove but believed anyway.

And even besides the toxicology report, what had Thomas been doing at the Thames anyway?

The police’s theory had been that Thomas and Alastair must have had a fight that night and Thomas had gone out to go cool off, possibly to go drinking at a bar close to the bridge.

But Alastair knew he and Thomas hadn’t fought that evening. Everything had been calm, they’d been happy, nothing had happened.

So why had he been at the Thames?

And what about Thomas’s phone records? Which had been mysteriously wiped clean. Police said he was probably doing an internet purge, something his friends had backed up.

But that wasn’t even Alastair’s biggest question: what about the stalking?

Thomas had reported some instances of stalking to the police in the months before his death.

His tires were slashed. Four different times.

He was mailed photos of himself with his head cut off.

Threatening text messages, phone calls coming from unknown numbers, it all seemed to add up to a stalker.

He’d taken his claims to the police only for them to be brushed off. And they were brushed off yet again when his body had been found.

Thomas had been sure he knew who is stalker was, the same person Alastair knew Thomas’s killer was.

Charles Fairchild. Thomas had figured it out after the last pictures were mailed to him. They were intimate pictures of himself and Thomas, doing things they wouldn’t want anyone else to see.

There were messages written on the pictures this time, calling them both slurs and derogatory names. Alastair had never seen Thomas as angry as he had been when he saw the picture calling Alastair a slut.

Alastair had recognized the handwriting on the photos, the same handwriting he had spent years staring at.

That was how he had known it was Charles. There was no one who would really go after them, and their relationship, as harshly as Charles would.

No one had been as jealous of their relationship as Charles had.

No one hated Thomas as much as Charles did, whether he was Matthew’s childhood friend or not.

No one wanted to hurt Alastair like Charles did, like he had during their relationship with his words and his bruises.

No one would have targeted Thomas, he didn’t have any enemies, except for Charles.

No one had the motive Charles did.

It all circled back to Charles and no one else could see it, but Alastair could.

He looked to the photo of Charles pinned to his “murder board” and scowled. It was covered in pins and red string, connecting it to all of the other evidence.

“You did this, Charles, and I know it.” he spoke directly to the picture, even though he knew it couldn’t hear him or even respond back.

“Nobody may believe me right now, but one day, I’ll prove it. Just you wait.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So do you guys think Charles actually did it or is Alastair really grasping at straws here?

Let me know in the comments!!!

Tagging (let me know if you want to be added/removed)

@tessherongraystairs @petalsofaflower-shutupthomas @wagner-fell @littlx-songbxrd

[chussyracing]

I don't like Verstappen or Noriss, both were at fault. Verstappen always drives like that (and they always let him do it which is another debate) but Lando's reaction is so immature. Like a capricious child. He just complains. According to him, as Verstappen leads the championship and as they are friends he should have fought less hard. Lando expects other drivers to let him pass. His reaction in an interview is ridiculous (if he apologizes then I forgive him and we remain friends) What is this childish reaction? And he says he's lost his respect for Verstappen, it's cheeky of him to talk about respect when Lando is the one encouraging people to shout his name during the winner's national anthem. He becomes more and more arrogant. And Verstappen we know the character, it's not new for him . Nevertheless, many people noticed after this race that the only one who is capable of driving wheel to wheel against Verstappen is Charles. Charles can be as aggressive as Verstappen, he doesn't give in, he's one of the few who knows how to put Max in his place. (Verstappen still seems traumatized by their year in karting 🤣)And whether we like it or not, we have to admit that They both have great battles and for the most part, they have respect for each other. It shows that Lando does not yet have the mentality to fight for the title. (it was time for people to complain about verstappen's way of doing things but it's a little too late now)

i'm sorry but i didn't actually see their contact (collision? idk what went down) and cannot judge

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #304: "... Yearning to Breathe Free!"

June, 1989

Vs. the U-Foes! Special guest appearance by the pouncing PUMA!

Look at the roster box trying to pretend Reed and Sue are still around. You can't fool me.

And, hey, the U-Foes! They're a quirky miniboss squad that hasn't fought the Avengers so far, at least not in the Avengers book. Which feels weird!

The Avengers should fight all the quirky miniboss squads. They're practically made to fight all the quirky miniboss squads.

Well, now they get to fight this one.

And Puma is a guy. I don't really know the guy. He's a mid-80s Spider-Man book guy.

Also also, this is very clearly a fill-in issue. I mean, so was the Super-Nova arc. But that had the goal of writing Reed and Sue out of the Avengers, which it couldn't even manage.

This one seems to be more in the style of one and done, spin the wheels until John Byrne takes over.

... That's happening a lot lately.

Last times in Avengers: long story short, the team broke apart but a new team formed during the X-Event Inferno. And then after fighting a big guy from space, 2/5ths of the new team fucked off.

This is a fill-in, you don't gotta know a lot.

Huh. The opening splash waxes poetic about Ellis Island and the title is a line from the New Colossus poem that was written for the Statue of Liberty.

Will this be a Very Special Episode about immigration? I'm sorta not confident in this era of Avengers to do a Very Special Episode.

Least surprisingly of all, the terrific trio of Avengers are at Ellis Island because it's being renovated and a Department of the Interior pal got Captain America permission for a special preview visit.

Steve Rogers is, of course, a huge fan of Ellis Island and immigration and just all the good America stuff. He loves America so much.

And being a huge nerd, he invited Thor and Gilgamesh along as a kind of casual relaxing activity after all that Super-Nova biz.

Thor: "I, myself, Steve, am an immigrant of sorts -- from eternal Asgard. I share much in spirit with those who passed through here."

Dammit, Thor. I don't think your situation is really the same since you retain whatever counts as citizenship in Asgard and freely go back and forth whenever you want to live in a giant castle.

Also, you have a fake identity set up by the American intelligence community which most immigrants don't get.

Gilgamesh calls Ellis Island meager compared to the cool architecture that the Eternals are used to. But adds "there is an aura of greatness all about" which may or may not have just been to cushion the insult.

While the heroes in civilian duds wander around and look at construction, they overhear one of the workmen muttering anti-immigrant sentiments to himself.

Charles Little Sky: "'Noble immigrants.' Hah! Nobody wants to admit the real truth."

Oh, no, we are in for a Very Special Episode.

Captain America being Captain America even when he's being Steve Rogers, decides this is an invitation to a conversation and asks the guy to elaborate on his thoughts.

Charles Little Sky: "Yeah, I've got a beef, mister, why shouldn't I? I'm an American Indian!" Thor, in glasses: "And...?" Charles Little Sky: "And my people were here long before anybody. These 'immigrants' who came through here were just another group to come and take my people's land... Just like foreigners, starting with the Mayflower, have always done! This place should be called the Museum of Theft!" Captain Steve: "I understand your bitterness, son. Injustice was done to your people. But those who came through here certainly weren't to blame. They were just looking for a refuge from poverty and oppression themselves."

Captain America makes bold stand: pilgrims bad, immigrants good.

I hope the Avengers don't just bother this dude all day.

Thor, in glasses, asks why Charles works here if he hates it so much but, c'mon, everybody needs to eat and not everyone has a palace in a magical sky realm or gets paid $1000 smackeroos a week by Tony Stark.

Charles also mentions that he can't afford to be choosy about jobs that don't ask a lot of questions. Then realizes he's oversharing with strangers and just teal deers it as he needs the job and he's gone once he has enough money saved up.

Then he spots HIM! He's been found by HIM!

And runs off, to the Avengers' confusion.

Then a sharp-dressed man in a bolo tie tells them its none of their business, stay out of it, and yells for Charles to stop running away because he means him no harm.

Then the man transforms into some kind of furry and chases after Charles.

Pretty much guaranteeing the Avengers are going to get involved after all. Because a dude turned into a furry right there in Ellis Island and chased after a terrified young adult.

Also, the dude is Thomas Fireheart, aka Puma.

But do the Avengers know that?

Yes. And they don't know if Puma is a hero or a threat or a menace. So definitely decide to get involved.

Thor slams his hammer to put on his working duds while Cap duck behind something to change his clothes.

He shouts at Puma to hey maybe explain what he's up to. And since Puma ignores him, Thor throws his mighty hammer. And when Thor throws his mighty hammer, its because he's done with the yammer. Or something.

Since Thor wasn't throwing at 'turn Puma into salsa' force, the cat man is able to jump over the hammer and yell that Thor better not delay him!

That's not an explaining himself though so Captain America throws his mighty shield. But instead of yield, Puma catches the shield and throws it back.

What a jerk!

Gilgamesh, who I guess hasn't decided whether he's going to get involved or not because he's just standing around, jumps in front of the shield so nobody else less tough gets hit by it. And Cap catches it when it bounces off Gilgamesh's gilgapecs.

With this exchange of violence exchanged, Cap asks Puma again to explain things.

Since Thor and Captain America are standing in his way, he actually does.

Puma: "The youth and I are both of the same tribe. He possesses great power -- power that could unleash itself at any time! My uncle -- our tribal shaman -- realized this. He sent me to retrieve Charles, so that he could be trained in the power's use... for his own -- and for the world's -- good."

See, was that so hard?

The two Avengers happened to catch Puma right when he was like five feet from catching Charles Little Sky because the young adult is just right there. In the scene.

He insists that he doesn't have powers, that the elders are just making shit up to prevent him from leaving the tribe.

And sure, he has headaches sometimes and they make him act weird sometimes but that doesn't mean he has powers!

Thor and Cap pause to ponder this. Charles Little Sky is clearly hiding something. And Puma is a dubious source because while he very heroically fought the Beyonder once, he's also a mercenary who has worked for some shady customers.

But while Thor and Cap ponder what to do, Puma makes the decision, in his mind a tough decision but for the greater good, to escalate the conflict and endanger by-standers. Rather than risk the Avengers deciding against him.

So he rushes off (while Thor and Cap just watch) and topples one of the tall scaffolding towards a crowd.

Sure that the Avengers will jump to deal with that and backburner him. Which they do. Good job saving lives, the heroes!

Thor wind-blasts the scaffolding toward Gilgamesh, who catches it. Cap ushers civilians towards the exit.

Leaving Puma free to pounce on Charles Little Sky.

Puma again states that he's just here to be a helpful helper man but Charles says crock to that. He tries to punch Puma but only hurts his own hand.

Apparently, breaking a knuckle punching a cat man is one of the triggers for Charles' great world-threatening power.

Light and kirby crackle burst out of Charles and he feels as if he's being torn apart.

Then, he's blasted back as a rift in space opens.

And out of the rift in space-time strolls the U-Foes!

Not a surprise, since they were on the cover, but hey! The plot is here!

Real quick: The U-Foes. They're like an evil Fantastic Four. In that there's four of them and they got their powers from cosmic rays. By explicitly copying the Fantastic Four's space trip. Two of them are even siblings. Do these guys fight the FF a lot because they're a better evil opposites than the Frightful Four.

Vector: the one with all the lines and suns on his design. He has telekinesis, which often manifests as repulsing lasers.

Vapor: she's a gas lady, made of gas. She can turn into any kind of gas.

X-Ray: he's pink and looks like a really weird bunch of perspective lines. A guy made out of energy. Can blast various kinds of heavy radiation.

Ironclad: big tough guy made of mineral. He's a pretty blatant the Thing or a Colossus but he can increase or decrease his weight so he's at least got that going on.

So, why did the U-Foes pop out of a portal?

Why, the power of retcons and a shared universe!

Sometimes, a book writes out a character. Has them die or depowers them or just puts them in a situation where they're not available.

And then another book will go "and here's how they got out of that one."

It can be interesting to trace a character through various books, trying to figure out what the hell has been going on with them.

In the U-Foes' case, the Hulk trapped them in different dimensions that counteracted their powers. And possibly killed them.

But they all survived and managed to assemble in the dimensional crossroads to luckily get brought back to Earth by one random portal.

Nothing like a classic contrived comic coincidence.

Anyway, having just gotten back from tailor-made space exile/death, Vector is quite enraged when the Avengers propose to just capture the U-Foes and send them to jail, for being dicks.

Vector blasts Thor, Gilgamesh (still just in his civvies) Captain America, Puma, and Charles Little Sky outside through a window.

Puma is worried because he heard from TV news that the U-Foes were powerful enough to knock around the Hulk. They might kill the Avengers and any civilian in their way!

Buuuuut... he is only here for Charles Little Sky. Opening a random portal that random supervillains fell out of proved to Puma that portal kid is the biggest threat.

Maybe he should just let the U-Foes kill the Avengers!

Is his thought process.

Dammit, Puma.

Anyway, Thor tells the U-Foes that they brought the inevitable beat-down on themselves by blasting him through a window.

So X-Ray blasts Thor. Ironclad slugs Gilgamesh, figuring that if he's hanging out with the Avengers, he's probably one. And Vector blasts Captain America.

Puma goes wow sucks for them that they're getting their asses kicked but at least now nobody will get in my way.

Except Vector and Vapor notice him running away and decide, nah.

The U-Foes have deduced that Charles Little Sky could portal them back to the dimensional crossroads so they need to do something about him. And that means getting him before Puma can.

Vapor turns into carbon monoxide and gives Puma carbon monoxide poisoning.

Vector tells Vapor to turn to chlorine gas and just murderify Charles Little Sky.

Puma belatedly realizes that the better idea would have been to team up with the Avengers to beat the U-Foes. Womp womp.

He decides he needs to buy time for the Avengers to recover from their asses getting beat by getting his own ass beat for a while.

Puma tries to jump between Charles and Vapor.

... But she's gas. How does that work? I mean, it doesn't, in this case. But that's because Ironclad shows up and starts trying to bear-hug him to death.

Then Ironclad get's KLONG! by Mjolnir slightly before Puma gets crushed to death.

It's Thor! Turns out one blast of radiation isn't enough to put him down, obviously.

And he whirls Mjolnir really fast to blow Vapor away from the unconscious Charles Little Sky.

Charles regains consciousness to see X-Ray try to french fry him, only to be stopped by Captain America tackling him.

Even through (or around?) Captain America's mighty shield, he can feel the burn from the radiation X-Ray is putting off.

Vector decides he'll kill the kid himself but Puma jump kicks him towards Thor who clobbers him.

Charles is so freaked out by all of this that his powers start going off again, opening portals to random dimensions, some filled with aaaaaah, real monsters!

Gilgamesh deduces from earlier that Charles' powers don't work if he's unconscious so he eye beams Charles Little Sky unconscious.

Cool contribution, Gilgamesh.

Wait, you have eye beams?

Ironclad tries to throw a Big Rock on the again unconscious Charles Little Sky but Gilgamesh uses his eye beams again to blow up the Big Rock.

Ironclad decides fuck this actually and runs away off-panel.

Vector and X-Ray try to double-team Thor and they have him stalemated by blasting him full power. He can't advance but he's not retreating either.

But in secret, Thor is just face-tanking Vector's telekinesis blasts and using Mjolnir to absorb X-Ray's radiation. Not just the radiation X-Ray is blasting but all the radiation in his body. And when X-Ray passes out from too drained, Thor blasts the radiation at Vector who also falls down.

Possibly with turbo cancer now.

Puma's puma senses detect an invisible lethal gas floating towards Charles so Thor blasts the spot with lightning until Vapor passes out.

Ironclad is still running away

So Captain America trips him with his mighty shield and Gilgamesh decks him in the face BWOM!

With the U-Foes kicked firmly in the butt, Puma rerails the plot to him definitely taking Charles Little Sky back to the tribe.

Captain America says that Charles might be a mutant and there's just a bunch of mutant teams that could train him to control his powers. The tribe isn't the only place he could learn control.

Rather than drag him back against his will, Charles should be given the choice where he will go.

Puma: "And if he chooses no training? If he chooses to continue on the run? It is a danger to the world I cannot allow. Nor can I risk strangers training him incorrectly. Allow me to take him... or I will fight you to the death."

Gilgamesh points out that the death would be Puma's death. There's two god-tier dudes here. And Thor says that Charles will decide for himself.

Charles wakes up and he decides for himself to flee.

Puma tries to leap at Charles but Captain America tackles him.

Thor instead jumps in front of Charles to cut him off but Charles shouts that he's not anyone's property and he wants to be free.

IN A RANDOM DIMENSION IF HE CAN'T BE FREE ON EARTH.

Yeah, he fucks off through a portal.

Despite being a character created for a fill-in story, Charles Little Sky has a small pile of appearances.

Danny Fingeroth brings him back for a bunch of Darkhawk issues but he gets roles beyond that.

Puma: "Thor -- you fool! You've let a being of untold power get away! He could be anywhere now, hurting or being hurt, frightened, alone. Most probably, though, he'll soon be dead!"

Thor points a finger right back. Saying this all happened because Puma decided he was in far too much a rush to explain the situation to the random superhero bystanders.

That relentlessly chasing the kid is obviously what triggered his portal powers going off and letting the U-Foes come through and cause trouble.

Puma retorts that, hey, hindsight is 20-20 but he still thinks he did zero things wrong and that it's all the Avengers' fault.

Captain America says they only have Puma's word that his intentions were good and Puma has a really mixed reputation so it's really hard to take him at his word.

Thor suggests they beat up Puma and Puma fucks off through the broken window, yelling they'll have to catch him first.

Except, the Avengers don't even bother.

There's no charges against him and he eventually helped them against the supervillains.

Left behind to deal with sending the U-Foes to super jail, the Vault, Captain America muses how Charles Little Sky "who was so bitter about immigrants... ended up being, himself, an immigrant in a new dimension. And he entered it through Ellis Island."

That's really deep, Cap. Really makes you think, probably.

Thus ends a Very Special Episode of the Avengers.

Follow @essential-avengers because next East Coast Avengers issue, its Byrne time. Like, reblog, comment, maybe.

[f1]

Record wins haul not as satisfying as minimising mistakes for Verstappen | 2022 F1 season

Breaking the record for most wins in a single season wasn’t the most satisfying aspect of Max Verstappen’s second world championship-winning campaign. The Red Bull driver won 15 races this year, breaking the previous record of 13, but was more pleased with the manner of his success than the record. “In general I always stay calm so that’s not really the thing I’m happy about,” he said when asked about his wins record at an event run by the team at Milton Keynes last weekend. “It’s more about just trying to make the minimum amount of mistakes. “I think every year I’ve improved in that’s and that’s something I always want to try and work on because of course you can have retirements with engine failures or car failings, but there can also be retirements from yourself making mistakes and these kinds of things you have to try and minimise when you when you fight for a championship.” He told NBC his emphatic second Formula 1 world championship wasn’t “true dominance”, despite breaking the record for most wins score by a driver in a single season. Verstappen clinched the title with four races to spare this year. By the end of the season he had won 15 of the 22 races, breaking the previous record of 13. However he trailled Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the points standings early in the year after retiring from two of the first three races. After winning the title by 146 points, Verstappen said his final margin in the standings masked how close a fight it was. Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free “I think I did get pushed this year,” he said. “It’s just that some teams around us had reliability issues. Yes, it looks like it was a dominating season, but actually when you look at it I didn’t even have that many poles because our car over one lap was for most of the season not even the quickest.” Leclerc scored three wins over the season but took nine pole positions to Verstappen’s seven. “So I wouldn’t say that this was actually true domination because I think if you really want to dominate, you put it on pole, you just drive off in the distance and that’s it, which most of the time was not the case,” Verstappen continued. “So, especially in the beginning of the year where I don’t think we had the fastest car but we still did get a few wins which were at the time really rewarding because I knew that it was going to be a tough battle if nobody would have any reliability issues.” He said he drew satisfaction from how the team fought back at Imola following a poor weekend in Melbourne which ended in a retirement. “It’s always upsetting when things like that happen,” he said. “You’re not happy about it and also disappointed because you know that in a championship fight you always have to try and finish the race and try to score as many people as possible. So to have two DNFs within three races was not good. “Besides that, I think also the weekend in Australia itself we were really off the pace. So all in all, it was just a terrible weekend for us. But then again, it’s about how you come back. And I think the next race we dominated and that is also the strength of the team, I think.” Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free 2022 F1 season Browse all 2022 F1 season articles via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net/

[shootingstar-scuderia]

🐑 alrighty i'm coming back at you with one and i'm going to try and make it equally chaotic haha

#there's only one bed #rooster #rivals to lovers #cherry cola and #apocalypse!au

ty ty for sending this in!!! i'm not typically an apocalypse girly, it's usually my hard stop, there's a lot of bits in there that makes me too existential and freaks me out but there also are some things that i find very compelling about it and ngl i like of the way this went...

anyways this got realllllly long so more under the cut!

fake fic ask game

okay so rooster makes me think of a top gun maverick sooo maybe a top gun type au where the world is on the verge of apocalypse and they're (max, charles, lando, oscar, george, alex) all training to be fighters pilots. some of the olders (danny, seb, carlos, lewis, etc) are their teachers.

and not to rip straight from top gun but maybe one of their call signs is rooster. idk who it'd be but there's probably some kind of big dick jokes related to it

it's typical boyish shenanigans, they're competitive and fit and young and the world is actively falling apart even though no one tires to think about it too hard so they're really trying to do a lot of fucking and sucking. there's an obligatory shirtless beach scene, they might have a barbecue, there's probably some cherry coke (more on that later)

and there's also a whole lot of haha let's not think about how we are most definitely fighting to our death and the fact that this war is meaningless because as time marches forward it's more and more obvious that we are going to be sent out to fight for nothing and there is no solution to this war.

i think when they first get to their training camp (or however it works in the military) there is some kind of mix up and lando and charles were assigned to the same bed cueing the there's only one bed situation. bc both of them are a little to prissy to be sleeping on the floor they end up sleeping top and tail and have a cow about it.

but this then sparks a rivals to lovers arc between max and charles bc charles hates lando like HE was supposed to be the doe-eyed tiny twinky one but lando is doing a pretty good job taking the title from him. and max and lando are friends from whatever little bootcamp you gotta go through to join the military so by extension charles hates max.

and really like max dgaf about the whole situation, he just finds it so funny that charles hates him. like charles is trying so hard to beat him at dogfights and preform better than him but max is just SO good. which makes charles annoyed to the point where even has he and lando start to get along charles is still on his anti-max agenda. the whole time max just gets more and more starry eyed bc this godddamn fool doesn't know when to quit and he likes that determination and persistence

anyways back to the whole cherry coke thing i think it's maybe max f and lando related bc sorry to all the cherry coke lovers it really feels like the most sticky gremlin coded thing. like i think the two of them fought about it a lot pre-apocalypse. maybe lando bought a case of it from the store one day because it was on sale and max was all liek "of course it's on sale you muppet, it's the worst one." anyways they have a lot of cherry coke during the apocalypse bc it is the worst one and even though the world is ending no one wants it. and maybe max is dead, maybe the two of them fought and have parted ways in a way that was really traumatic. anyways the whole cherry coke really makes lando spiral, there's lots of things to work through there.

bonus bit that's not related to any of the tags loll:

i think there'll be some kind of spy or mole or whatever who is on the side of the "anarchist resistance" (they're probably not really anarchist or anything like that but the boys are just a little too blinded by nationalistic loyalty to see past this. but also like it's literally the apocalypse the only side most people are their own). i'm thinking maybe alex mostly bc i think the galex dynamic would be the most fun to play with

like george feels so incredibly loyal, probably the most blindly loyal out of all of them. but he and alex are like brothers, teetering on the edge of something else, in any situation george would save alex first. but when it's revealed that alex is fighting for the oppositions i think george has a little bit of a breakdown. bc it turns out the one person he thought he knew like the back of his hand he didn't really know well at all. and that begins a whole identity crisis for george because alex is in many ways his twin he knows that alex would never deliberately do something bad, he was just mislead, or was he?

fake fic ask game

[frontproofmedia]

Sonny Liston Appreciation

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By Sina Latif

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Published: May 08, 2023

"The world doesn’t always need a white knight. Sometimes it needs something darker."  -- Doctor Fate, Black Adam

Arguably the most feared and intimidating fighter in history, "The Big Bear" Sonny Liston, by Muhammad Ali's own admission, was the scariest man The Greatest ever faced.

He is frequently remembered as the man who catapulted Ali's rise to superstardom. Liston was so much more. He might be the most underrated heavyweight champion in history—one of the most ferocious men ever to set foot inside a professional boxing ring.

The name Sonny Liston has become synonymous with his discouraging performances against Ali. However, Liston was in his prime long before he fought Ali, and arguably even before his first world title shot in 1962 against Floyd Patterson. Liston's two early KO wins against Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams, and a third-round knockout over Zora Folley in 1959 and 1960 were deemed to be vicious exhibitions of heavyweight ferocity and power. This was Liston at his most devastating and in his prime. Not one to be willingly granted a world title shot, Liston took the long route, dismantling all the top contenders of his era to force his shot. By the time he received his opportunity, although clearly still a very ferocious fighter, he was arguably no longer at his peak.

Liston went from humble beginnings to become one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, building his reputation through pure frightening intimidation, vicious and swift knockouts, with fists harder than bricks. At 15 inches, Liston had the largest fists in heavyweight history, so large he had to have custom-made gloves. Liston used his ramrod jab behind his 84-inch reach to pressure his opponents.

Physically he was immensely strong, a natural puncher, and had a rock-solid chin. He could slip and slide, cut off the ring, and bang with both hands. Liston had "that feeling left and that slaughterhouse right," as biographer Nick Tosches described. However, Liston could also box. He wasn't just a hard-hitting monster. Liston was a born fighter. He could keep the pressure on without getting wild and careless.

His menacing stare during the pre-fight head-to-head in the middle of the ring would have opponents quaking in their boots, seriously questioning their presence in the ring with this mean, hard-hitting force.

Liston does not merely defeat his opponents," Jonathan Eig wrote of the fighter. "He breaks them, shames them, haunts them, leaving them flinching from his punches in their dreams."

The 24th of 25 children, born into a large and poverty-stricken sharecropping family in Arkansas, Charles' Sonny' Liston's precise date of birth remains unknown, as does the exact date for his death.

"We grew up like heathens," Sonny said. "When I was a kid I had nothing but a lot of brothers and sisters, a helpless mother, and a father who didn't care about a single one of us."

Liston was savagely beaten on a consistent basis by his father, Tobe, while growing up, with permanent scars on his back to show. Sonny was quoted once as saying: 'The only thing my old man ever gave me was a beating.'

Sonny was always on the wrong side of the law throughout his life, and once sentenced on June 1, 1950, to five years in the Missouri State Penitentiary, a ring legend was produced. Despite being a merciless criminal and illiterate, Liston met two men who changed his life, the prison's athletic director, Catholic priest Father Edward Schlattmann, and his successor, Reverend Alois Stevens. Liston was released from prison on parole after two years, but during this two-year stretch, he was introduced to boxing, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Reverend Stevens told Sports Illustrated: "He was the most perfect specimen of manhood I had ever seen. Powerful arms, big shoulders. Pretty soon he was knocking out everybody in the gym. His hands were so large! I couldn't believe it. They always had trouble with his gloves, trouble getting them on when his hands were wrapped."

Upon Liston's early release from prison on October 31, 1952, due to his commitments to boxing in prison, the organized crime bosses, who were still big players in the boxing world, took a keen interest in the ex-con heavyweight. Liston hooked up with mobster John Vitale, who became his manager. Liston's employment went beyond boxing. He was used as a debt collector and mob enforcer.

Once Liston's professional career was in full flow, history was created, and a blaze of destruction was left behind.

During a three-year spell between 1959 and 1962, Liston blitzed through all of the heavyweight contenders to get a crack at the champion, Patterson, then became the first man to become a world heavyweight champion via a first-round knockout. No man had ever knocked out another heavyweight champion in the first round twice, which Liston accomplished in the rematch.

At this point, it appeared like there was no human on the planet that could stand up to Liston. Liston, at this stage, was a truly magnificent and devastating fighter, one of the absolute greatest heavyweights of all time. He was regarded as the greatest heavyweight since Joe Louis. Some boxing insiders even thought of him as greater than Louis and the greatest of them all.

In the early '60s, Liston was to boxing what Mike Tyson became in the late '80s.

Opponents were often terrified and had lost the fight before a single punch had been thrown against Tyson. Tyson had an aura that brought him the worldwide moniker of "The Baddest man On The Planet". However, the Original Baddest Man On The Planet, the pioneer of this aura and Tyson's idol, was Liston.

The likes of George Foreman and Tyson definitely made use of the art of intimidation, but Liston was the real originator. There were no real attempts by Liston to be intimidating. It was simply in his nature.

Ali faced some formidable hitters during his career, the likes of Joe Frazier, Foreman, Ron Lyle, and Earnie Shavers, yet he said the following about Liston: "Of all the men I fought in boxing, Sonny Liston was the scariest."

Foreman once said: "Sonny Liston was the first role model I had. No doubt the scariest human being I've met in the ring, the only man to make me back up consistently."

Shortly after Liston's back-to-back demolitions of Patterson, a 22-year-old, soon to be known as 'The Louisville Lip,' harassed Liston for a title shot. Cassius Clay had won Olympic gold as a light heavyweight at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, finished his amateur career with a record of 100-5, and was 19-0 as a professional. However, Clay was no stranger to touching the canvas. In fact, a left hook from Henry Cooper had floored Clay in his most recent fight, with Clay's trainer Angelo Dundee buying him time to recover in the young American's biggest scare thus far. If Cooper could hurt Clay, what would a destroyer like Liston do to him? Nevertheless, the youngster had created enough hype to land the fight, and on February 25, 1964, the pair faced off at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Liston weighed in at 218 lbs, seven and a half pounds heavier than his challenger. Little did the champion and the world know this young, brash, undefeated challenger would go on to become the greatest heavyweight of all time.

Liston quit on his stool after round six, citing a shoulder injury.

The stone-faced Liston was a bad man, but perhaps upon reflection, the writing was on the wall. His three previous fights were all first-round knockouts, meaning he had fought less than nine minutes in three years. He was not prepared for a long fight. Liston had predicted an early knockout, as had become custom for him. Once this was not achieved, he started to unravel. Meanwhile, Clay and trainer Angelo Dundee had studied films of Liston and prepared hard.

Liston and the now-Muhammad Ali fought a year later, and this result was even more disappointing. Liston was floored and stopped with the infamous "Phantom Punch" in the first round, and it seemed the former champion's career was over. He had 15 more fights before concluding his career against 'The Real Rocky,' Chuck Wepner, in June 1970.

In late 1970, Liston was found dead in his home—a sad and bizarre ending to a troubled life.

Liston would have been more appreciated in today's boxing. There was no place for him when he was active. He was never embraced by the public, and that hurt him deeply, with the scars hidden behind a mean scowl. In today's boxing, when the bad guy is appreciated, Liston would have been a superstar.

The extent to which Liston was appreciated in his day is irrelevant to his standing today. He was one of the greatest fighters to ever lace a pair of professional boxing gloves, and there will never be another like him.

(Featured Photo: Stanley Weston/Getty Images)

[legendaryevokercupcake]

YES I DO ACTUALLY- Ok so... First of all, there are two known species associated with wings. He can't be a wingweaver because they seem to all follow the Abundance. He can't be a Halovian because he doesn't have a halo. Since he's male and male halovians (as shown with Gopher and Sunday) have bigger halos, it would be pretty obvious if he had one. That means his wings come from something else. What is that? The Trailblaze. We know that Trailblazers can follow other Aeons as well (Oswaldo being the best example, he's ex Nameless and now IPC). Akivili is referred to as the Cloudstrider in the Xianzhou Alliance. Gives some vaguely bird-like vibes, so it wouldn't be a super far stretch to say Sapphire's bird symbols are associated with Akivili's bird symbols. This is further backed up by the fact that sapphires can represent divine favor, so saying that Akivili gave him wings (probably because he was literally the only full blown Trailblazer (not just Nameless, Astral Express Crew) for probably about 2,300 years (Tiernan fought Zulo 2,400 years ago, Granholm was Navigator at that point and also was the last navigator before Himeko), so yeah, it's not a far stretch to say "divine favor" came into play.

Second! The colors match.

Top one is Misha's coat, bottom is Sapphire's. Same blue, same gold. Also!

Misha's gem, Sapphire's Cornerstone And even the hair colors could very well either match or make perfect sense. Sapphire's hair is dark blue under shadow, which means it could be light blue, and if that isn't true, Mikhail's hair is blue/white to begin with. If stress causes regular human hair to go silver, it seems decently logical that, for a species with hair that is already silver, stress (like having Gopher Wood within ten miles of you... or raising hundreds of children because you can't stop adopting.)

Also this section of the panel with his gryphon (who I have dubbed Estella in honor of the late Razalina Jane Estella) has the warp colors, so more ties to the Trailblaze.

... also the idea of being pushed so far for so long that you lose all sense of what you're here for and just do whatever it takes to survive compels me. The idea that at some point, using every bit of energy he had to just try to keep Dreamflux Reef safe drove Mikhail to seek a source of protection (a Cornerstone) from the very people Penacony proper was founded to fight is just... it itches my brain right. There's also the "everyone broke their promises to me so I hold promises above all else" is just... aughhhhhhh WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

And then there's the symbolism of probably too many things. 1.) Gryphons. Power (blessed by the Trailblaze as established earlier, Cornerstone), Wealth (the IPC is rich, the Watchmaker is rich), Courage (the whole knighthood thing, fighting the IPC, standing up to Gopher) and Prestige (P45 or P46, one of the single most important figures in Penacony) 2.) The name Mikhail. "Mikhail" is derived from "Michael", meaning, roughly, "He who is like god". The Cornerstones are each a piece of Qlipoth's power, but also a piece of Qlipoth's body. Having the body of an Aeon does make you somewhat like God. 3.) The name Char. One of two things. First, fairly simple, the result of fire. Very common name for dragons, a mythical beast. We establish with the gryphon that Sapphire is tied to mythical beasts. Second, "Charles", meaning "free man". Would be interesting with the kind of backwards freedom of the IPC, him having fled the Family and become more free, but of course, as a Stoneheart, "leaving" is probably more complicated than saying "I quit" and walking out the door. 4.) Sapphires. Wisdom (2,400+ years old and parent to many), royalty (major important figure in Penacony AND a super relevant, title-related hat), prophecy (time and related time telling devices), divine favor (covered above). Also, supposedly the 10 commandments were set in sapphire tablets, and Penacony has huge religion related lore drops, so... Also also, Sapphires come in any color but red, and supposedly the Watchmaker has appeared as many people, sooooooo... 5.) September. Sapphire is the birthstone of September, and September symbolizes refocusing of energy. You know, like leaving Penacony to join the IPC.

Anyways, like I said, it's a crack theory. It's almost certainly not true, but the idea does compel my gay ass.

Crack theory, Mikhail = Sapphire

[randynova]

Lookism DG? Imagine a badass unconscious Y/n who’s like a fem Daniel? What will DG do? ❤️ Thanks, I appreciate you!

𝐿𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒜𝓉 𝐹𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝐹𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉

ᴅɢ/ᴊᴀᴍᴇs ʟᴇᴇ x ғᴇᴍ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛᴇᴅ? : ʏᴇs

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𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐞, 𝐃𝐆 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 — 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐞'𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 — 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐭.

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A.N.: Sksksjk, thank youuu! And I hope you enjoy this one! 

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Running paths with DG in his youth led both of your lives down a different path, more than surprised when you both met your match. At the time of your meeting, when he still possessed his identity as James Lee, he ran into you while in the midst of a fight with a gang of the First Generation. It’s as if you were a deadly white shadow.

Meeting someone who fought brutally while unconscious is a feat he never expected — shattering his wrist and ribs all whilst never breaking a sweat, it truly humbled him. Yet, the same could be said for you when he dislocated your shoulders and crushed your patella.  Truly you were a force to be reckoned with and he had a difficult time keeping up with every punch and kick you threw at him, distracted by the black empty hues staring back at him.

One would say, it was love at first fight for you two. James grew a sort of infatuation with the woman, charmed by your insatiable need to beat him to a pulp. God, just something about a woman that could kill him had his heart pounding wildly and face flushing. He just had to meet you again.

Your second meeting did come sooner than anticipated but it came to be a surprise when he realized you were dueling with Gun, later he found out per Charles request —

Find the Phantom of Gangbuk and recruit them, perhaps then we would rid the trouble they cause for us.

Yet  James couldn’t help but watch in amusement when the gangster struggled to lay a hit on you, yet his eyes stayed glued to you, mesmerized by your dance of destruction as you laid blow after blow upon bruised inked skin, the same void gaze as Gun’s staring down at him as the man wilted. A semblance of a smile set itself on Jame’s features, resting his chin on his palm as he witnessed the fight unfold. To say the end was unsatisfying — Goo jumping in and knocking you fully unconscious with a jab to the back of your head with the handle of his sword — James knew how and where to find you.

And you hated it — at first.

Though you both started off as rivals, avoiding him as even being in the same room as the man led to both of you down each other's throats,  — James taunting you and you insulting him — it soon melted into one of mutual respect and care for one another. In your own special, aggressive way.

Though the title of couple became official a year afterwards, the two of you sometimes had your differences in term of social events. As so, he wishes he knew how to convince you to join him at his club, not avoid it like the plague.

Now as DG, he became a bit more open with you yet, could not help the disappointment of your dwindling quality time with him discourage the man and he indulged in Gun, who gladly accepted the invitation in exchange for a chat.

"Why would you date someone so….that? So unpredictable?" Gun grunts, lighting a cigar, taking a long deep drag before puffing out a cloud of smoke. The gangster slouched against the pink leather cushions, ignoring the calls from Goo as he danced in the pool with the girls. Hearing DG’s confession of dating you made Gun flinch, finally making understanding, as to why you turned down his advances before — nearly murdering him. Not that he minded. "A monster in the shape of a woman, huh….? She could destroy you one day while she's unconscious…."

Nothing I haven’t heard before, the man thought. DG stayed silent, playing with his drink and stirring the golden liquid around with his straw. The point of injury had already been made a couple years prior, yet it did not deter him from sticking around. In short, it only made DG all the more interested in you, charmed by your quick wit when he confronted you. He could still recall the chills he got when he finally saw the bright [E/C] eyes staring back at him. Smiling softly, he replied to Gun, his mind wandering to you. "She already did… Is that important?"

Gun scoffed, placing the cigar in between his lips and letting it trickle from the corners of his mouth. "No, I don't think so — seems like my kind of woman, really." Upon finishing his sentence, the popstar looks up at the man upon hearing the comment, narrowing his eyes as annoyance etched into his features. Though, Gun paid no mind and let his head lull back.  "But you shouldn't be so careless around her when she's in that state. Mm, she could really kill you…."

"I'm not careless. [Name] is my shadow and with her, I'm stronger…." The memory of every fight since meeting you had DG feeling nostalgic, the ends of his mouth twitching. The memory of you fluidly maneuvering through the crowd like a serpent in sea, disappearing out of sight with such speed, you practically flew as you kept his opponents at bay from attacking. The man sighed deeply, almost in a trance, " Afterall, 'To larger sight, the rim of the shadow is the line of light'. We complete each other but….” DG trailed off, sighing in a sort of defeat.

Gun sits up slowly, arching a brow at the man across from him, waiting for him to continue. It seemed odd. All of a sudden, the man spoke highly of you yet the hesitation that followed served to intrigue the gangster.

DG breathes out, clicking his tongue,“To me, she's… scary." He takes a sip of his drink, letting the alcohol run down his throat, leaving a bittersweet taste in its wake. God, if you were here to hear him say that, he would be met with the melody of your honeydew laughter, teasing him for admitting it so openly. Oh, now he’s starting to miss you again. The ache in his chest grew, wondering what you were doing tonight at your job.

The statement was true to an extent. You’re scary when you’re mad but your anger is usually directed to the girls trying to get into your boyfriend’s pants or the men making advances towards you. His fear was just as common as every man had to their girl and justifiable. But his fear extended to your unconscious state as well.

A grin stretches across Gun's face and he lets out a laugh, not quite expecting the man who helped create the four crews to fear you of all people. "Scary? Why?" he asks, amused.

DG thought about Gun's words, letting the simple question sink in. 

As the [Name] [Last Name] – a powerful woman with a right hook that leaves anyone buckling – were famed for being the Hidden Genius raised by Charles Choi, and the Shadow of James Lee. With a target on your back, you were a walking time bomb for many.

The particular reason you were considered one,  since you were considered the Hidden Genius and Shadow of James Lee, was due to your ability to fight without being conscious — with the intent to kill. Once you enter this state, you leave a trail of blood in your wake. With a blazing fire burning throughout your body, muscles screaming for mercy as your mind transitioned to mental plane boarding hysteria, you entered the state of ultra-instinct.

DG has seen it with Gun and seeing it with you had been almost as if he were in the presence of an archangel. And everytime he saw you in that state, he felt himself falling in love all over again.

Just recently, he came to know you were in charge of keeping the newly formed gangs in Gangbuk from rising to power like Ansan. According to Charles, your mission is to keep them at bay until the group itself dissolves on its own. DG just wished he didn’t leave you alone with such a task. With your charming smile and sweet voice, many of the crooked men trusted you and as much as he disliked the thought of another man touching you, you took advantage of that vulnerability — crushing them. You exploited your enemy’s weakness and defeated them without a second thought.

And DG loved that about you.

DG spoke up, staring up at Gun with a glazed look, surprising the man across from him. "When [Name] fights, she fights to kill and survive. But she won't stop unless she wakes up or falls asleep….”

Gun hums, glancing at Goo for a moment to make sure the blonde bastard didn’t cause any trouble. "Well, what do you do then?"

DG’s mind trailed once more, gaze falling to the floor. The resolve both of you found to work had been one based on pure luck, one he tried out of instinct as he had no other clue on how to deal with your behavior at the time without hurting you. The moment seemed to play like a record in his head, closing his eyes as he recalled the night so clearly.

Diego gripped the back of your neck with a rigid hold, palm against your nape, pressing the pads of his fingers to the sides of your throat firmly. You couldn't move your head, writhing against him as you attempted to swing your legs to kick him, elbows digging into his torso, trying to get free. 

Small grunts left him, gritting his teeth at the hard edge of your arm rammed into his ribs and the soles of your boots dug into his feet, his limbs throbbing at every blow you landed. Truly, he was at his wits end and desperate for a way to stop before he snapped himself.

He only had a window of three seconds to hold you in a different position that the one he currently had you in. And if his years of fighting taught him anything, it took less than a second for an opponent to land a blow, but at least five to regain composure. Considering his position, he was more inclined to take the chance of experimenting than having both of you coming out with stitches.

For a moment, Diego let go of you, counting in his head as he took hold of your bicep and spun you around on your heels, pressing you flush against his chest. If anything, he knew this was a chance worth taking to avoid injuring you.

Pressing his lips against your own, holding your wrists in his hands tightly, DG closed his eyes and stayed still. Seconds passed and slowly, he felt you stop squirming. As your bloodlust began to dissolve, your body began to regain its senses, mind now processing all the sensations wracking your form —- from new to familiar. Almost instantly did you go numb, twisting violently in his grasp and nipping at the man before you. 

But DG refused and deepened the kiss.

Diego’s lips were soft and warm, a contrast to the busted and cold ones of your own, and despite his firm grip, his touch remained gentle. The way his heart painted a tattoo to your sternum from how loud it pounded grounded you, the memories of the nights in your bed flooding your mind. The phantom touch of his arms around you made you shudder, back arching and pressing yourself closer into him.

The smoldering flame within your body began to flicker, welcoming the man as the fog began to clear up. Your arms shook in his grasp, slowly relaxing against him as your eyes fluttered shut, melting against him. The bliss he exerted, the adoration he poured into the kiss, it just felt right — so inviting and mellow, why wouldn’t you turn away from ultra-instinct?

It didn’t take long for you to fall limp, leaning into him as your knees began to buckle. At last, did you leave your unconscious fighting state and slip into a peaceful slumber. Poor thing, your energy must have been drained and you were perhaps already handing on a thin thread as it was!

Carefully, he let your body collapse and fall to the floor slowly, hands guiding you, and settling you down. As much as he wanted to admire your tranquil state, it’d be best to take you back to your shared apartment before any gangsters came across him.

Slithering a hand under you, Diego hooked an arm under your legs and wrapped his other hand firmly to your shoulder.  He hoisted you into the air, your head lulling and resting in his chest, snoring softly. He scoffed.

Who knew you were a sucker for his kisses unconscious as much as you were awake?

“It’s a private matter as to what method we use to help her…,” DG mutters, paying no mind to the flush of his ears and looking at his phone as a way to ignore Gun’s further inquiries. The bright display of the notification made his eyes light up, your text making his chest flutter. With the times you two avoided each other due to work, receiving a heartfelt message from you during those times made waiting for you worthwhile and even more eager to see you again.

Even if the whole world questioned his decision to be with such a strong woman, DG wouldn’t regret his decision — because it was you. He would never regret you. He was yours and yours alone, and vice versa. Besides, what other woman was willing to dominate him in both the streets and the sheets?

You were of course.

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

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©ʀᴀɴᴅʏɴᴏᴠᴀ || ᴀʟʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛs ʀᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ || ɴᴏ ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴs, ᴇᴅɪᴛs, ᴄᴏᴘʏɪɴɢ, ʀᴇᴘᴏsᴛɪɴɢ, ᴇᴛᴄ. ᴜɴᴅᴇʀ ᴀɴʏ ᴄɪʀᴄᴜᴍsᴛᴀɴᴄᴇs.

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[imoonf1]

Enemies to lovers with Max please!

I gave my best Anon

YOU WHAT [M.V]

Summary: If you had known what he was like, maybe right now they wouldn't be just friends.

Masterlist

Author note: Yes, I'm going to use the cliché of max x Mercedes driver as a conflict, but I can't stop love it.

This was your third year as a Mercedes driver and you were more than happy working here, you could always have a good chat with Toto, Susie or Lewis, and it was really great, but as there were good things, there are also bad, while all drivers got hate, to be a Mercedes driver was to be prepared to get twice as much hate, because as Sebastian Vettel once said, people hate those who always win and more last year when the championship was so fought, if Max or Lewis breathed close to each other it was already the beginning of a new problem, when those problems started, everyone stayed inside him, it didn't matter if you weren't a driver who wasn't fighting for the championship, you were always going to get hate for something you had never caused or were you involved and all this began to happen to you in the fight for the championship which you were not part of, not because of your teammate, but because of his rival, he made your life, which was quite calm, turned into chaos although maybe you had a little bit of guilt for having made some mistakes on the track which had accidentally upset Max, and that caused his fans to get angry with you saying that you were only there to try to make Max fail and leave the spot for your partner to win, But it wasn't just that, it was also the comments he made to you when you were both on the podium, or he attacked you and your team in interviews just for being part of it. maybe it was a bit idiotic to hate a person so much for those things, but he had indirectly made your life a huge chaos and it was you who was going to have to solve it and the idiot was just going to continue with his life peacefully, that bothered you so much, but you tried to forget that, it was a new year, new season and therefore a new car,It wasn't easy at all to adapt to the changes in the car if you weren't completely focused on the car and not on what your new enemy is doing.

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It was the first weekend of racing after the holidays, everyone who worked here missed this and more the pilots, he missed the adrenaline, also doing interviews, traveling to the countries you even missed the long briefings about the race and its strategies, that was something new. The weekend had started quietly, Friday practices weren't too bad, the cars were no longer at the same level as last year and the ferraris really flew, so it wasn't such a good classification either, but that was a matter of time to improve the car, Sunday was the first race of the year, we were all anxious about what could happen and what happened was really surprising, on the last lap the two redbulls had problems with the car leaving the first two places to the Ferrari drivers and Lewis was able to reach third place, which made me very happy for him, but it was unfortunate for me not to have been able to be part of that podium, After getting out of the car I went to congratulate Lewis on the podium, Carlos and Charles too, but to get there I had to go through the redbull boxes, both pilots looked frustrated, but they were calm, I was waiting for a more explosive reaction from Max, but you could see that he had changed a lot in this time, Winning a world title is all that any driver wants since he starts in the top category, although last year the track director's decision had been a bit strange, It wasn't Max's fault, he really deserved that title, in addition to the fact that the FIA ​​had also favored us at times, but he was a great driver "I saw what happened to them, it's really a shame, they were in good positions" "What's up huh? I send you Toto to laugh at us?" he muttered somewhat annoyed, and he understood it, it was tremendously horrible when they gave you the order to stop the car and no matter what position you were in or how many points you had in the bag, you had to do that "No Max, I came because I really wanted to come here to say it, I hope you solve your problems soon" So I just went to enjoy the podium with the team's mechanics and engineers.

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Second weekend of racing, this time we were in Saudi Arabia, another ring where Max and Lewis fought last year, and one of the most controversial, we hoped that this weekend would be better than the previous one, but unfortunately it was not like that in the Qualify Lewis had failed to get through Q1, and that was a really hard blow for the team, but I had managed to get to sixth place, which was better than being so far down, but it was so hard to return to the Quali after seeing the great crash that Mick had suffered, but luckily you managed to get to a sixth place when i was getting out of the car I heard "Hey you did a good job there yn" it was really amazing to hear Max talk to me after how he had responded last week "Oh Thanks Max you did a great job today too, good luck for tomorrow" and when you werw turning to leave he spoke again "I'm sorry I gave you a bad answer the other day, I was frustrated about the car" "Nothing happens Max, I understand you, it was not a nice moment" "I want to rethink it, what do you think if we go out to dinner tomorrow after the race, we don't even need to go out, we can eat in a hotel room" and this became more and more strange, if before I couldn't believe that he was talking to me, I can't believe that he was inviting me to dinner "yeah sure, I think it would be good to go to eat later, um, I have to go now, but take my number, text me later byee" and I went to the boxes with my engineer "What happened there huh?" "nothing more important than, how was everything on the track?".

The next day was the race, it did not go as well as we expected, but we did everything we could, I got a fifth place, it was not what we were used to, but it was good, while on top of the podium was Max together with Carlos and Charles were on the sides, before they went up to the podium I went to congratulate the three of them for the great race they had done and when I was about to leave they spoke to me "Don't forget about today, I'll see you in your room" he said it whispering so that only we could hear it and before he left he winked his eye, and until that moment he had never been able to see how beautiful his eyes were, that dinner could be either very awkward or it could be the opposite, maybe he was great and because of all the problems last year I couldn't see him, maybe it was time to meet him.

Not long after I finished showering in my hotel room there was a knock on my door, there was Max dressed simply as he always did, in a white t-shirt and baggy pants "Gnight, What would you like for dinner?" and so began a night that felt so short, he was just great, he was funny, kind and everything that was good, and we had even arranged for the next week to meet again before the next race in Australia, and I could be very sure that it would be a great few days to live.

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After spending an excellent week with Max in Montecarlo, it was already possible to say that they were a little more than friends, but each one had to go back to their agenda, after traveling together to Australia they returned to work with their teams and colleagues, and you expected that the car in these three days would work better than before, and you were not wrong to expect the best from this car, you had achieved your first podium of the year, although you were very happy to have achieved it, when you found out that Max had to withdraw the car again he made you feel horrible, of three races he had only been able to finish one, and you really felt very bad for him, until he came to congratulate you as you had done so many times "Hey congrats bub, you did well" he said with a smile that I knew had cost him horrors for everything that was happening to him "Thank you very much, but you know you don't have to pretend with me, don't force yourself to feel good if you're not, after this we're going to talk, ok?" he looked at me and smiled at me "That's the reason why I love you" he whispered lightly "What?" you were shocked when he told you that and when he was going to answer you only heard the voice of Charles "COME ON YN WE HAVE TO GO" this was definitely not in your plans.