#i'm so pleased season four has been confirmed!!

[psychmerchant]

this was a great season

[onlyangel4]

healing a heart i didn't break. LH44. MV1. SMAU. final part.

cheater! lewis hamilton x reader. max verstappen x reader.

when your boyfriend of three years fumbles, his rival is there to put the pieces of your heart back together bit by bit.

warnings: 14 year age gap with lewis. cursing. cheating.

author's note: thank you for all the love on this series. this is the final part, i'm so glad you all enjoyed it. i will be taking requests for this couple in both smau and blurb/written forms if you want to see more of them or specfic moments between them. i am also going to need ideas for new fics with different pairings so please send me a request

part one // part two // part three // part four

f1wags

liked by user19, user23, f1fan32 and 138,928 others

f1wags: is it over between lewis hamilton and a pregnant y/exbff. papparazzi photos captured an explosive argument outside of y/exbff's los angeles home. lewis then left and got straight on a private jet ready for the qatar gp.

view all 4,568 comments

user19: finally, this couple has been completely awful

user23: y/n is thriving and these two are crumbling, we love to see it

f1fan32: war is over

y/exbff

written: yes me and lewis did break up. but we will continue to collaborate for this baby

verstappenupdates

liked by f1fan22, user8, user53 and 78,902 others

verstappenupdates: max at a very rare non f1 related public engagment. he was at the london premiere for the new film in the scream franchise. he arrived with y/n who he has become very close to after her break up with lewis hamilton. his jet is scheduled to take off in a few hours for qatar

view all 8,283 comments

user8: y/n has been quoted numerous times saying that the scream films are her favourite. max made sure to make time in his busy schedule so he could accompany her there. that is what my girl deserves.

user53: there are videos of y/n walking the carpet and max in the background just staring. honestly same.

f1fan22: is it toxic of me to think they are together

y/ninsta

liked by carmenmundt, maxverstappen,alexandrasaintmleux and 789,928 others

y/ninsta: it's a real scream baby

view all 11,928 comments

alexandrasaintmleux: ferrari red suits you

y/ninsta: shhh don't tell him that

user6: who tf is he y/n, alex tell us what you know

maxverstappen: you know what maybe i do like scary movies now

y/ninsta: see i told you that you would love it. thank you for coming with me

user15: on the day y/exbff confirms that she broke up with lewis y/n posts her going to see the new installment of her favourite franchise with her ex boyfriend's rival. we all know who won that break up

maxverstappen posted a story tagging y/ninsta

written: the only person that will go to a donut shop in full glam after a premiere

f1updates

liked by f1fan, user43, user12 and 45,834 others

f1updates: the drivers arriving to the last race of the season. max verstappen will officially be world champion for the fourth time after this race

view all 782 comments

f1fan: the video of max walking through the paddock on facetime to y/n grabbing all the other drivers to say hi to her is the cutest thing

user12: the first last race of a season that y/n has missed in four years. what a sad day.

user43: max verstappen world dominance

f1

liked by maxverstappen, redbullracing, y/ninsta and 1,232,814 others

f1: max was going to be world champion no matter the outcome tonight. but he decided to show us all just how good he is by taking the win. what a worthy champion!

view all 20,348 comments

y/ninsta: i am at a modelling shoot and i am sobbing. they hate me.

user39: wishing you were there

redbullracing: that is our boy

user2: him facetiming y/n as soon as he got off that podium was so cute

user1: there better be a drive to survive episode on the y/n situation

y/ninsta posted two stories tagging maxverstappen

story one written: my entire team getting me ready so i can sit and watch max win the world championship

story two: drinking two drinks to celebrate two wins. world championship and p1. let's go baby.

f1wags

liked by user12, user52, user71 and 341,238 others

f1wags: is y/n back in her wag era? footage shows y/n at a private airport in paris running over to max and jumping into his arms. and we are pretty sure we saw a kiss as well. we love this couple and really hope that they are together

view all 18,721 comments

user12: lewis hamilton found throwing his phone in a river

user52: that footage is the cutest thing ever. i love them.

user71: oh they are so in love, they have to be together

y/ninsta

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, danielricciardo,landonorris and 1,231,110 others

y/ninsta: my boyfriend is the current world champion

view all 20,112 comments

maxverstappen: i couldn't have done it without your encouragment my love

y/ninsta: yeah those midnight facetime calls are the reason you won. not your skill. for sure.

danielricciardo: thank god, i had to stop lando from calling you max's girlfriend in public yesterday. he would have not lasted any longer.

landonorris: mate you said you weren't going to tell her

alexandrasaintmleux: the best double date partners

y/ninsta: so happy to not be third wheeling you and charles anymore

user6: the fact that she never got to say that when she was with lewis i'm so happy for our girl

maxverstappen

liked by danielricciardo, landonorris, georgerussell and 2,310,122 others

maxverstappen: my girlfriend is a vogue model

view all 27,810 comments

y/ninsta: so obsessed with you

maxverstappen: good because i'm so obsessed with you

alexandrasaintmleux: thank you for looking after my girl

maxverstappen: of course, i would do anything for her

user2: the matching captions. i am so single.

danielricciardo: i took the first three photos, y'all need to pay me

user5: daniel being their personal photographer is the cutest thing

taglist: @sinofwriting@toldyouitwasamelodrama@formulaal@minkyungseokie@shrbehndwn@gr1mes-cc@nichmeddar@liberty-barnes@kravitzwhore@annaluna12 @noooway555 @dark-night-sky-99@scenesofobx@karinalandazuritumblrcom@shelbyteller@sfx1nas@yukimaniac @demiguisemoon @sleutherclaw

[petrichorca]

Hello, I am slowly figuring out how to use tumblr effectively. I thought I'd give an update on fics I've written in 2024, but keep forgetting to talk about here in a meaningful way.

As We Go Hand in Hand (explicit, gentlebeard, 7100 words) follows Ed as he processes the past few months while living on the island with Stede, massively in love but struggling with himself. I wrote it while feeling a lot of delayed grief around the (confirmed) s2 cancellation, and while it's sad at points it's also quite romantic I think. I really love this story.

Behind Closed Eyes All I See is You (explicit, gentlebeard, 5300 words) is a smutty PWP my dear friend @chaoticturtleturtle invited me to write with her. Stede lets Ed take the lead in a scene with some sensory deprivation, pwp, and aftercare.

like sugar to my heart (mature, gentlebeard, 4200 words) is a silly fic I wrote for my Animorphs OFMD AU co-writer as a birthday gift. Our blue four-legged four-eyed mouthless alien Stedeth gets foiled by a vending machine (based on the tumblr art of the giraffe centaur), and Ed consoles him.

like a bird (teen, gentlebeard, 3700 words) with @ghostalservice gives some backstory about Stedeth's life prior to the events of our 177k fic and features some very cute art of Mary and Stede's children (as Andalites, of course) by @theogem

Stede’s Cursed Red Suit as a Metaphor for Grief and Moving On (teen, stede + izzy, 1717 words) explores the squishy time of season 2, episode 5, and the dynamic between Stede and Izzy in season 2 overall. I am also obsessed with how Stede acts in the cursed suit. I find their s2 relationship really interesting so this is me looking a bit at that via a missing scene starting with Stede yelling OH FUCK OFF.

Calypso’s Dawn (explicit, gentlebeard, 1800 words) centers around how Ed made his boyfriend blush the morning after Calypso's birthday and how Ed feels about it. I love this fic. I've been trying to challenge myself to write more self-contained, shorter stories and this one turned out really well imo.

Life as a Series of Forward Rolls (teen, gentlebeard, 9900 words) features Stede running into his teenhood crush, the gold medalist in men's gymnastics from the 1996 Olympics. This fic also centers around a Barbie doll in Ed Teach's likeness, which @swashbuckling-sweethearts made an INCREDIBLE art of (embedded at the end of the story), inspired by my own 1996 Olympics Barbie. Silly and light modern AU!

Did you mean to do that? (teen, gentlebeard, 700 words) explores Stede's grief around Ed dying, even when he knows Ed is alive. I had no idea I would be so interested in writing missing scenes, but long conversations with friends have really ignited me in exploring these. (The length - I was trying to channel @brigdh, whose ability to write devastatingly brilliant drabbles inspires me, and I'm pleased with this one!)

Perfectly Ordinary Tuesday (mature, gentlebeard, 4900 words) with @ferventrabbit follows Stede and Ed deciding to get married on a perfectly ordinary Tuesday, and drag their inn guest Dave along for the ride. We split up writing the vows, and I balled my eyes out writing mine and then reading em's. This story is fluffy and fun, and it was a great way to start 2024. :)

What's next: I'm working on or noodling a lot of projects, solo and with different collaborators. Imminently, I've got a fic with @veeagainsttheday coming for AUpril on April 1st. Hoping to get something else out in April for @ofmdjanuaury's AUpril 2024 event, which I highly encourage folks to check out - it's for all sorts of creators!

@ghostalservice and I continue to think about our blue alien Stede and his human boyfriend Ed. Wanna Fly Away was such an important project to me while we were writing, and it's become even more special as folks find it. WFA now has art embedded in most of the 15 chapters, so if you haven't seen those check it out. More to come in that space.

Where was I going with this? Well, I suppose I want to say I'm still here. OFMD changed my life, and the OFMD fandom community is deeply important to me. I still hold out hope for a third season, or a follow-up that brings us more closure, but no matter what I'm still thinking about our pirates and will for a long time. If you read this far, thanks for being part of my community. <3

[shivayagojo]

MIAMI GP, first time for everything

masterlist

autosport.com

THE 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP IS ALREADY HEATING UP

           2025 brought with it a wave of excitement and expectations, and it met every single of them. In the first five races, we've received four different race winners, a rookie driver and team leading the championship, and shocking disasters from Ferrari and Red Bull. Every race has been packed with action and incidents. But the age old question still arrives: who will walk away with the championship?

           MCLAREN AND REDBULL'S rivalry continues with both Lando and Max having one race win each. While they are currently engaged in battle for P2, they cannot be doubted in the championship race. With 19 races to go, it's still anybody's game, and if the 2024 season has proved anything, it's that these two are the front runners to grab it.

           MEANWHILE FERRARI started their F1 season in disastrous fashion. With only one podium in Australia, Ferrari find themselves far away from the likes of Porsche as they try to fix out their technical issues within the team. While fans have not given up hope with Hamilton's shocking move, he hasn't quite proven why he was signed to the team. And going forward, it's going to continue to be hard. Especially after looking at the driver in first.

           AVA FLORENCE has displayed a masterclass of a rookie season in Formula 1. She's so far the only driver to be on the podium for every race of the season. That is allowed her to remain atop the standing with a 20 point cushion to Lando Norris. Her remarkable consistency has given her a strong push for the championship, but to win the coveted achievement as a rookie is still a tall ask. Not many doubt her capabilities anymore, or, rather, she hasn't let anybody doubt her abilities. So, will Ava Florence walk away as the first rookie to a win an F1 Championship?

APRIL 29TH, 2025

ariescube: i'm so tired of saying "this year is our year" only for Ferrari to ruin my heart ↳expensive_snow: hamilton went real quiet after this performance ↳runningfridge: 2024 gave us hope, 2025 crushed us 💔

florence_husband: let's be real Florence is just walking to a champion. norris and max are doing nothing to advance on her. ↳fueltopedal: no, they are! It's just that Ava ends up on the podium every time so they can't do much

madax: i need Max to repeat 2023 again ↳iceflow: pls don't remind me of that atrocious season for us non red bull fans 😩

vogue

Ava Florence, first female Formula 1 Driver, F3 Champion, WEC Champion, and icon joins Vogue as the ambassador of the Vogue Female Icon Campaign, celebrating the iconic women of the 21st century.

tagged: avaflorence

see comments below

kg_modelling: GO MAMA GO!

eroda: Someone has to nerf her pls. She's too good at everything 😩 ↳bionic: "You have to be devilishly handsome to drive for Ferrari" can be applied to Porsche now ↳jcwx: Does this mean she can sign with Ferrari now?

lewishamilton: Congratulations Ava. Best of luck to you in this journey 👍 ↳naomi: Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton Larbalestier please lock in for your 8th title! ↳teamlh: 8 TIME WORLD CHAMP! ↳ioxy: Can we not start this bs under a post about Ava and her campaign?

verinas: Such a well deserved honor! Shine on, Ava. 🌟 ↳meriam: Can we get a reality show on her life please? ↳porschef1: Working on it 🫡 ↳zaviex: The Life of Ava >>> DTS

venice: Just started watching F1 cuz of Ava. Can someone tell me what the whole Audi-Porsche beef is? ↳celestek: Audi was supposed to join in 2026, but when they saw Porsche announce their arrival in 2025, they decided to join a year early.

porschef1: Vogue picked the perfect ambassador 💅  ↳erick: Porsche admin confirm: are you and Ava dating?

miamos: Should've stuck to the track. 💀 ↳porschef1: Should've stuck to a job. 💀 ↳gothicgolem: pls teach me the ways of the clap back

f1

Race weekend in Miami always mean the fashion is put on its A-game.

tagged: avaflorence, lando, @lewishamilton

see comments below

porschef1: Damn who's that cutie in the first slide? ↳accordian: Umm... Admin? ↳curva3: Admin finally caved. ↳porschef1: Sorry, Ava took my phone. That is not an approved message.

goonybird: Lewis and Ava collab when?? ↳gaga: Vouge cover when?? ↳nanometer: imagine they go to the Met Gala together? ↳ecotaco: TAKE. MY. MONEY. 💸 ↳dinosrreal: Would literally break the internet

florence4ever: Serving off and on the track ↳bloodpop: I need her genetics 😌

@forever3ver: Leclerc went to the Max Verstappen school of fashion just wore his Ferrari gear ↳lobster: lestappen lives on through the team kits 💀 ↳plutomon: Leclerc will go from looking homeless to God's greatest creation in minutes

madmax: Don't let this distract you from the fact that Max will win ↳sleepingwhale: Someone tell him it's not 2023 ↳projectverstappen: i thought I was delulu for max - i've met my match

f1

Franco Colapinto to replace Jack Doohan at Alpine for the remainder of the 2025 season. Alpine reported severe disappointment at Doohan's performance and called in Colapinto after Jeddah.

tagged: francocolapinto

see comments below

capitalgains: "Test and Reserve Driver" = "Finna replace the guy in 5 races" ↳barbeque: Love Colapinto, damn did Alpine do Doohan dirty ↳dustymen: What do you expect from a French organization?

pro3d: This is a great opportunity for Colapinto. He'll gave more of the races to make a strong showing for himself, but in all retrospect, he isn't doing much better than Doohan. Not cause he's worse, but because he's in an Alpine. ↳realist: Took the words straight from my mouth. All my homies hate Alpine. ↳franz: Alpine: Make good car ❌ sack driver ✅

nick0lodeon: From P20 to P15 and P16. Wonderful Alpine. ↳rafael: Alpine when I catch you! 🔪

lockheadslave: Good luck Franco. 🇦🇷

          THE MCLARENS were fast. Really, really fast. Throughout the first two sessions, Lando put himself into the top three every time. Piastri was catching too. After an overall disappointing start to his 3rd F1 season, it seems he found his stride. And soon, he was the only man catching on Lando.

          AVA'S QUALIFYING struggles continued. She wasn't sure what it was anymore. Some days, it was the car fighting against her. Other days, she felt she had no pace whatsoever. Regardless, her consistency and remarkable racecraft kept her in the top five. That's all that mattered to Porsche at this point. They were in a fight against McLaren and they had the lead. Consistency was all that was on their mind. And with two cars in the top five, it was (mostly) smiles in the paddock.

MIAMI SPRINT RACE STARTING GRID

LANDO NORRIS

OSCAR PIASTRI

SEBASTIAN VETTEL

MAX VERSTAPPEN

AVA FLORENCE

CHARLES LECLERC

LIAM LAWSON

LEWIS HAMILTON

GEORGE RUSSELL

ANDREA KIMI ANTONELLI

NICO HULKENBERG

CARLOS SAINZ

FERNANDO ALONSO

OLLIE BEARMAN

GABRIEL BORTOLETO

FRANCO COLAPINTO

YUKI TSUNODA

PIERRE GASLY

ESTEBAN OCON

LANCE STROLL

ISACK HADJAR

ALEXANDER ALBON

porschef1

Our reactions to sprint qualifying.

see comment below

@garbenzo: pls pls pls fix Ava's car during qualifying 🙏 ↳@nutsntuna: I don't understand how she has amazing lap times during the race but the car just sucks during qualifying. ↳@gina: I think it's cause they use Florence has a test to see how different setup works and Seb has a control. It's bad, but she is their main driver moving forward so they wanna test with her.

@meterscope: lmao what happened to that pace? 🤣 ↳@drssupremacy: It's one qualifying session. They're still leading the championship. ↳@yunokm: some f1 fans don't even watch their own sport. ↳@lilonstich: Audi fan spotted.

@florence4ever: Dw it's still top 5. Seb and Florence got this. ↳@factz: I really hope so. I wanna see someone end Max Verstappens dominance.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Miami International Circuit where we'll kick off the second spring racer of the 2025 season. So far it has already proved to be a season for the ages with four different race winners. Spring races have proved quite a unique experience as will. Will this be the same? We will see. What do you think Martin?"

"I think there's great excitement to be held today. Obviously we have Lando Norris on pole. His second spring racer pole. However he hasn't been able to convert it into a race win yet in the spring races. And with Piastri behind him it's not going to be easy. We saw what these two did last season. Let's hope for much of the same this year."

HENRY Alright, Ava, we've got Verstappen and Sebastian ahead. Let's remain cautious.

"Cautious she'll have to be. We've had as great deal of first corner accidents in this season. Nothin is off the table just yet. She's gonna play the long game now do you think Martin?"

"She'll have to. She's leading the championship and with her remarkable consistency she just has to not get involved in too many wild accidents."

"As now, we have five lights... AND IT'S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO! Norris gets a good start, Piastri does too. Oh and there goes Hamilton on Lawson. He's already made up a position and now Russell will have a go. As we barrel down the first corner, Norris leads. Piastri behind and the rest of the top five remains unchanged. There's Russell on Lawson. Is he going to get past the Red Bull? No, Russell doesn't have the speed to make the move."

"Norris got the start he needed. Nice reaction and just keep Piastri at bay on the entry to Turn 1. Good stuff. He'll remain in P1."

"But now here's Vettel on Verstappen, the two drivers going side by side. But the circuit just too narrow at this part of the track. And that's given Florence the chance to catch up and she's going to make it a three way battle for P3. She's going to try the inside. Vettel and Verstappen in their own battle. She gets past! My goodness. She's up into P3."

"Verstappen was too busy fending off Vettel to do anything about her and she said 'if you're not going to do anything about it, I'll gladly take this position.' Very easy pass, but a tricky one for Florence."

"And up ahead PIASTRI makes the lunge on Norris. All the way around the outside... HE STICKS RIGHT WITH HIM! AND OSCAR PIASTRI IS THE LEADING MCLAREN! Oscar Piastri leads the race!"

"I can't believe it. For the second sprint race, Lando Norris will not finish the opening lap in pole position. This is going to be a serious problem for his championship cause he continues to have this issue."

LAP 5:

"Now I'm sure at the beginning of 2024, when this man announced he'll be joining the prancing horses, this is surely what many fans were expecting. Hamilton vs Leclerc. Once rivals, now teammates fighting for P6 in a sprint race. As Hamilton gets a good exit out of Turn 11 and will now be in DRS range of the Monegasque. Through the chicane they go and now Hamilton, with the DRS, is looking to make the dive on his teammate as he's going to get past Leclerc before the corner. Hamilton up to P6."

LAP 10:

FLORENCE Something is not right with the front wing.

HENRY Copy that, Ava. You're doing great. Just do your best to hold off Verstappen.

"That's not going to be good for Ava Florence. She was having front wing problems during qualifying yesterday and now she'll have Max Verstappen charging behind her. Red Bull is strong on this circuit."

LAP 13:

"The fight against the Porsches is not finished for Verstappen. He's within DRS range now on the longest straight of the circuit. Tremendous acceleration by the Red Bull. Verstappen breathing down Ava's neck into Turn 17."

"We really get to see the problems that front wing is causing. Florence is losing so much on time on the straights."

"Doesn't help when you have Verstappen behind you. 4 time champion he is."

HENRY We need to push Turn 12 and 16.

FLORENCE I am!

LAP 15:

"Back to the start, Lap 15, Verstappen five tenths behind. He has the DRS. We ride on board with the champion... and that will be an easy pass for him. Ava couldn't do anything about it."

"We've seen her defend when her car is working up to speed, but today just doesn't seem to her day. Behind, Sebastian Vettel."

LAP 19:

And the man who gloriously took the lead of the race in Lap 1 never once looked back. He has sailed through this sprint race. His third sprint race win of his career. Oscar Piastri wins the Miami Sprint! Behind his teammate, Norris, ten seconds behind, so a 1-2 finish for McLaren."

FLORENCE This is unacceptable guys. It's only 8 points but we cannot be f****** up the sprint races like this.

HENRY Understood, Ava. For now, let's just focus on the race.

MIAMI SPRINT RACE RESULTS

OSCAR PIASTRI (+8)LANDO NORRIS (+7)MAX VERSTAPPEN (+6)AVA FLORENCE (+5)SEBASTIAN VETTEL (+4)LEWIS HAMILTON (+3)CHARLES LECLERC (+2)LIAM LAWSON (+1)

GEORGE RUSSELLANDREA KIMI ANTONELLINICO HULKENBERGCARLOS SAINZFERNANDO ALONSOGABRIEL BORTOLETOFRANCO COLAPINTOOLLIE BEARMANYUKI TSUNODAESTEBAN OCONPIERRE GASLYISACK HADJARALEXANDER ALBON LANCE STROLL

f1

Oscar Piastri is your Miami Sprint racer winner. Lando Norris and Max Verstappen follow behind to take second and third.

see comments below

fumingbrains: bwoah ↳britneybae: Just another day for Oscar Jack Piastri-Leclerc

norizz: Lando I'm begging you to get your lap one rights! ↳delulu: The sad part is Norris has pace, but you can't much with it when you lose the lead in the opening lap.

astrohelmet: Not to be that guy, but this sprint race wasn't that exciting ↳linamuil: fr compared to what we've seen, this was meh ↳deamon: It had the same stuff as every other race: Norris bottling the start, Verstappen finding a good place, and Porsche's struggling with wing issues.

turbogranny: Max's back has to hurt from carrying Red Bull this much! ↳druli: Half his paycheck goes to surgery

gong: Where the hell did Audi disappear to?

f1_updates          Ava Florence on Porsche's struggling during qualifying - "It's obviously becoming a big issue. We're coming into the weekends with suspension issues, front wing issues, rear wing issues. We'll have to iron it out and fix it as soon as possible."           Ava Florence was struggling with ERS failure during Sprint Race qualifying.

          PIASTRI took pole. It made sense. He was the quickest man on the track since the sprint race. He had beaten his teammate horrible during the 19 laps and it now his time to shine for McLaren. The Aussie clinches his first pole position and now all interest turned towards Piastri to turn things around for McLaren. They were some distance away from Porsche, but with Lando gunning behind, this could be their pivotal chance to dethrone the German horses.

MIAMI GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID

OSCAR PIASTRI

MAX VERSTAPPEN

LANDO NORRIS

AVA FLORENCE

LIAM LAWSON

SEBASTIAN VETTEL

LEWIS HAMILTON

GEORGE RUSSELL

CHARLES LECLERC

NICO HULKENBERG

FERNANDO ALONSO

ANDREA KIMI ANTONELLI

OLLIE BEARMAN

ESTEBAN OCON

CARLOS SAINZ

ALEXANDER ALBON

FRANCO COLAPINTO

YUKI TSUNODA

PIERRE GASLY

ISACK HADJAR

GABRIEL BORTOLETO

"Welcome to Round 6 of the 2025 Formula 1 season. We're here in Miami and its shaping to be an even more exciting race than it was last season. We've got 57 laps ahead of us on this 5.4 kilometer circuit. The lap record set by Max Verstappen in 2023. Where is he on the grid? Second. Right behind our pole sitter - his first pole position of his career - Oscar Piastri."

"Pressure is up for Piastri, I'm sure, because we saw the tremendous pace he had during the sprint race. I'm sure McLaren want him to emulate for this race."

"And now it's five lights in Miami... AND IT'S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO. Piastri gets a brilliant start off the line. Not for Norris though. He's being pressured by Florence. Down the first corner they, Piastri ahead-

"There's contact!"

"Oh there's contact between Florence and Lando! Florence is off the line, Lawson moves on ahead."

FLORENCE Front wing. Front wing damage.

HENRY Stay out as long as possible. Everyone is on a one stop.

"And oh dear what a dreadful start it is for Florence. She's falling through the pack. It's Piastri, Verstappen, Norris, Lawon, Vettel, Leclerc, Hamilton, and Russell. AND OH VETTEL MAKES CONTACT WITH THE WALL! HE WENT WIDE INTO TURN 4."

"He was trying to get past Lawson, but Lawson all of a sudden on the brakes. He had to really move away to avoid a crash, but it's ended up costing him crucial time."

VETTEL Is he trying to kill me or what?

RUDI Sebastian, we have damage on the front wing. Be careful.

"That is two Porsche's with front wing damage. What a first lap this has been? Certainly one to forget for Porsche. Not one for Piastri however. He's still leading as down Turns 9 and 10 they go. DRS not enabled yet."

"I think the stewards are going to look into that incident... No, they're going to look at the incident between Lando and Ava. So, let's see what the stewards decide for that. Looking at the replay... It looks like Florence just turned into a little too much, but I hardly think that's anybody's fault. She left room, had the space, but just didn't expect Lando to be so stationary. But we'll have to wait and see what the stewards make of that."

LAP 5:

"That's Bortoleto making moves. Around the outside Yuki Tsunoda he goes. He's up into P19 after qualifying last on the grid."

"Just not been great for Audi these past couple of rounds. They made shocking waves when they had that sprint race win and double podium, but they just can't seem to get the hang of these fast-flowing tracks."

"Bortoleto giving it everything he can to make up lost positions. Another driver who's gaining positions, Esteban Ocon. He's up into P11, just knocking on the door for points... And if couldn't get any worse, Ava Florence has been given a drive through penalty for causing an accident with Land Norris on Turn 1. So, Florence, will effectively be last on the grid when she comes out."

HENRY Okay, Ava. We've been given a drive through penalty for that incident with Norris.

FLORENCE This is a joke!

LAP 7:

"Here's Antonelli on Fernando Alonso. The rookie against the master. Side by side they go, into the DRS detection zone. Antonelli with have DRS. He'll use DRS and he'll get ahead of Fernando Alonso. Antonelli, up into P11."

"That's the kind of driving that Mercedes signed Antonelli for. Just brave, fast, and relentless. Doesn't matter if it's a rookie or a 43 year old legend."

"Further down the back, there's Ava Florence. She's caught up with the backmarkers. On the inside of Pierre Gasly, and that's an easy pass for the Porsche."

LAP 15:

"And here we go, the pit window is opening up. Lawson is the first to blink, coming in for fresh hard tires. He's followed closely by Leclerc and Hamilton. So, both Ferraris are going to pit together. And it's the hard compound for both of them."

"Interesting strategy from Red Bull. They're keeping Verstappen out there. He's still chasing down Piastri, so I don't think they want to hold him up. But Piastri is managing to maintain a steady 10-second gap throughout the race so far. So maybe they should pit for fresher tires and see if that change the pace."

LAP 18:

"Now we see Norris coming into the pits... That looks like a good top for McLaren: 2.3 seconds. He's back out in P8, but with fresh rubber, he'll be looking to make up ground quickly. And there goes Verstappen! Red Bull finally bringing him in. This could be the crucial moment of the race. Piastri stays out. Will this overcut work for McLaren?"

LAP 20:

"Piastri finally comes in, and it's a quick stop from McLaren. He's out... and he's JUST ahead of Verstappen! That's a good call from McLaren and this is going to crucial for Piasti as he now as slightly fresher tires and the lead to Verstappen."

"The order has certainly been shaken up. It's now Piastri, Verstappen, Antonelli who hasn't stopped yet, Norris, Leclerc, and Lawson rounding out the top 6. Florence, her charge is slowing down. She's stuck behind this train of cars, all who haven't pitted yet, so maybe they'll... No, Florence is coming into the pits. So, Florence will be the first of the Porsche's to come in."

LAP 30:

"That call earlier to bring Florence into the pits is working. What a charge we're seeing from Ava Florence! She's been absolutely flying through the field. She's just passed Alonso for P12, and she's hunting down Hulkenberg for a chance at points."

"Incredible recovery from her. We saw this in China even. She just has incredible grit and determination."

LAP 35:

"Florence makes another move! That was a move five laps into the making. She's past Hulkenberg and into the points! P10 for Ava Florence and with 22 laps to go, the positions are still up for grabs. She's the fastest driver on the track right now."

"We're also seeing great drives from Ocon and Colapinto. Ocon's up to P7, while Colapinto has fought his way up to P9. This is superb driving from these two drivers. Their teams need these points badly."

LAP 43:

"OH NO! Disaster for Pierre Gasly! His car has come to a complete stop on the back straight. Looks like a total power unit failure. The marshals are rushing to the scene. That's going need to a safety car."

"And there it is, the safety car has been deployed. This is exactly what some of these drivers need. Bunch up the back and regain the positions they lost to some of the midfield teams. And here comes the car coming into the pitlanes."

"Cars are diving into the pits left and right. Piastri, Verstappen, Norris all coming in. But wait, Florence is staying out! Brave call from Porsche."

"She pitted for the hard compounds quite later than these guys so she's perfectly fine on the tires here. I think that was the right call for them. Oh! Disaster for Vettel in the pits! The front jack dropped before the wheel was on properly. That's cost him at least 10 seconds! And... he's behind the entire pack."

"That is not good news for Porsche. They spend the entire race trying to bring Florence up to the top 10, now Vettel has dropped. Right about now, this is sounding like news to the McLaren pit."

LAP 46:

"The safety car is in this lap, and what a restart we have in store! It's Piastri leading, followed by Verstappen, and now Florence in P4! She'll be right behind Lando Norris. Ava keeping the hopes of Porsche in bay."

"Lights out on the safety car, and Piastri controls the restart beautifully! But Florence is all over the back of Norris!"

LAP 47:

"Florence is looking for a way past Norrs, but the McLaren is defending hard. Wait a minute, she's gone for a move around the outside of turn 1! Incredible bravery from Florence, and she's made it stick! Florence is up to P3!"

LAP 57:

"Final lap here in Miami, and what a race it's been! Piastri has managed this perfectly. Pole position, and now race victory. Oscar Piastri wins the Miami Grand Prix! Max Verstappen second and Ava Florence in P3! What a race it has been for her! Her podium streak continues."

HENRY Brilliant race, Ava.

FLORENCE You can send the FIA my regards.

MIAMI GRAND PRIX RESULTS

OSCAR PIASTRI (+25)

MAX VERSTAPPEN (+18)

AVA FLORENCE (+15)

LANDO NORRIS (+12)

CHARLES LECLERC (+10)

LIAM LAWSON (+8)

ESTEBAN OCON (+6)

LEWIS HAMILTON (+4)

GEORGE RUSSELL (+2)

ANDREA KIMI ANTONELLI (+1)

FERNANDO ALONSO

FRANCO COLAPINTO

OLLIE BEARMAN

GABRIEL BORTOLETO

SEBASTIAN VETTEL

ALEXANDER ALBON

YUKI TSUNODA

NICO HULKENBERG

LANCE STROLL

CARLOS SAINZ

ISACK HADJAR

PIERRE GASLY (DNF)

porschef1

Celebrate that race all you want, Ava. You deserve it!

tagged: avaflorence

see comments below

avaflorence: I did not say you could upload that last photo 😡 ↳porschef1: oops. ↳porschef1: dinner to compensate? ↳avaflorence: fine 😤 ↳lululemoncalled: my dream relationship😩

spongey: That drive through penalty was a joke! ↳zookep: Fia does not want Ava to win ↳logical: karma she got p3 anyway!

akirak: What tf was Seb's pitstop? ↳broody: Could've been a double points finish, but now we're second in the constructors

rizziardo: Robbed Norris of that podium ↳drscoop: Just like now Norris bottled the restart?

MIAMI POST RACE INTERVIEW

Interviewer: Oscar, first race win of the season. You won the sprint race, you got pole, you won the Grand Prix. What are you feeling?

Oscar: Uh, yeah, it's good. The car felt fast all weekend and we did a lot of things right. So... I'm happy about this whole weekend. Great for me. Great for the team.

Interviewer: Max. You were very fast throughout the weekend, but you couldn't quite manage the pace to win. Can you tell us about that?

Max: Yeah, pretty much like you said. Super quick, but maybe not as fast as McLarens so we're definitely going to discuss that after the race. We've been getting better these past couple of races, so that would be nice to get more wins.

Interviewer: This has certainly been a rocky weekend for you, Ava. But you managed to climb back through it. Tell us about that?

Ava: Turn 1, tried to get past Norris, but I didn't think he wouldn't move on the corner. Got damage on the front wing. Then the FIA had to screw me over and gave me that penalty. But then the safety car came out and that helped us a lot. So thank you Pierre for that one. But to be honest, my real podium motivation was seeing your face and so it worked!

avaflorence

THE SKY IS FALLING, THE WIND IS CALLING, STAND FOR SOMETHING OR DIE IN THE MORNING.

Oh, and this guy won, I guess.

tagged: oscarpiastri

see comments below

zant: My Queen x Kendrick?? ↳asore: put her on the next album

florence4ever: The FIA hates you, but you still cook anyway! ↳tostipie: All my homies hate the FIA ↳phil_sp: That was the most joke of a penalty I had ever seen

oscarpiastri: Apart from you drowning me with confetti and champagne, I had a good time. ↳avaflorence: That's how celebrate an F1 win. I don't make the rules.

framebank: Just give one chance!! ↳notrs: Porsche admin and the f1 interviewer already beat you to it.

WORLD DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP

WORLD CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP

A/N: How was it? Leave your comments below - I love reading them.

[fuck-customers]

As you know, it's Christmas season. I have been very frustrated with my work and my being chronically overstretched with us being understaffed. So, I wrote a parody of "All I want for Christmas is you"...

I don’t want a lot for Christmas

There is just one thing I need

I'm not going to ask for presents

I don't need a Christmas tree

One thing I have asked for years

Through the screams and through the tears

Make my wish come true

All I want for Christmas is crew.

We aren't getting stocked to open,

Sometimes waits till after one

And we don't have front line cashier,

Dining cleaning isn't done.

Front line has to wait for minutes

If they come in after three

But I can't tell them to wait or

Management gets mad at me

Cannot tell them it's to go,

Burdened every way I know,

Nothing I can do

Baby, all I want for Christmas is crew.

When they stick me on the drive thru,

They confirm me in my fears,

Since when I tell cars to hold, I hear them

Taking orders in my ears

I can't hear them at the window

And it makes it hard to think

I don't just have to take orders

But make change and make a drink

It's not pleasure- this is pain

Driving me to near insane

Turns my head to goo

Baby, all I want for Christmas is crew.

I cannot clean the dining

Cause lunch rush will not cease.

And got a dishwasher who

Covers things in grease.

I beg and plead and call

And you're not listening at all

Anybody help

I can't do it by myself

Won't you please hire somebody please quickly

We've been short since Twenty-Nineteen

It's now Twenty-Twenty-four

Stuck inside a deadly spiral

And if things all go like before

Doors will shut, we'll have to close

I've experienced- this I knows

Unless you come through,

Baby, all I want for Christmas is crew.

All I want for Christmas is crew, Baby.

Posted by admin Rodney

[imjustanasshole]

I have a dumb and undeveloped theory, but a theory nonetheless:

what if Will's painting is a foreshadowing of season 5?

okay, hear me out: first of all, the three-headed dragon represents the 3 "villains" (basically the monsters of the Upsidedown) we got throughout the series (the Demogorgon, the Mind Flayer (twice) and Vecna/One/Henry) and how they're gonna have to completely defeat the 3 of them in season 5. Because, for now, the only thing they've been able to do is sent them back to where they belong, but alas, they keep coming back, so maybe it's time for a final battle. Another interpretation of this could also be about the types of villains in the series: the "bad men" (aka: the people from the lab, Dr. Brenner, etc.), the Upsidedown monsters (previously mentioned), and a third thing that we haven't seen before or something we've seen without realizing (like closed ones being used as villains, e.g.: the flyed, especially Billy, and Vecna's hallucinations, especially Max's mom).

the second thing I wanted to point out about the drawing is that it features only the og party. I think this means that season 5 is going to be centered around them the most, much like season 1; we've spoken a lot about "full circle moments" when theorizing, and it really doesn't get any more full circle than that. We've got an overhead framing with Lucas and Dustin standing behind, with Lucas more towards the back and Dustin kind of in the middle, and Will and Mike pretty much side by side (which might mean something about their dynamics this season, but that's another topic entirely), with Mike a little more forward, either leading them or facing the Evil™ first (could also be sacrificing himself, I'm not sure). It also may look like Will and Dustin are in the middle if you don't really get the angle, but I don't think that's it.

What that "different point of views are different character duos" thing could mean, imo, is that we're going to see multiple different pairings among the og party this season; it's already been confirmed that there will be scenes with Lucas and Mike, and Will and Mike, plus some bts pictures of Mike with Steve and Robin might lead us to believe that there will be scenes of him with Dustin as well, AND the, atp, infamous bts photo of Will, Mike, Joyce and Lucas could also mean we're getting Lucas and Will scenes (or at least Lucas-Mike-Will) (this last two could be a stretch). (Disclaimer(?): we can't trust the bts pictures that much, just because two actors/actresses are together on set doesn't necessarily mean they're filming together, for this the pap pictures are a way more reliable source of information).

Now, is undeniable that symbology is really important in Stranger Things, and I might be wrong and reaching way too much, but, I don't know... It just seemed really intentional that Will made a drawing for Mike specifically that features the four of them, and with such an specific situation too, I don't think we've ever talked about a three-headed dragon before, that hasn't been a recurring villain of their campaigns, as far as we know, so I really think it might truly mean something, if not specifically this.

If this is crazy and makes no sense, you guys can ignore it, I might just miss analyzing paintings in art history now that I've graduated high school and this might be my way of coping with it. On the other hand, if someone else has already talked about this theory or this is a well-known speculation in the fandom, I was not aware of it, I swear this popped up in my head when I was looking at the goofyass drawing that Mike's Funko pop is holding in number 1539.

Either way, if you're interested and want to talk about this with someone, please choose me, because I'm going crazy over here, grasping at straws. Thank you for the attention.

[thunderstomm]

So, recently there was confirmation that a proper line of cars based upon Hot Wheels Let's Race will be coming out in 2025. Not just the standard cars, with the show's name in the corner, but a proper, dedicated line (there was also one in 2024)! It's stated to be a line of 5 cars, but I have only seen confirmation for what four of these cars are. Two of them are said to be recolors of already existing cars; one being a pink & orange Donut Drifter, and the other a Rodger Dodger of unknown colours. The other two are original for the wave. One is the Street Shrieker, Cruise's signature car from the show. But the other one is the one I'm interested in- the Super Twin Mill.

Call me silly for not knowing this beforehand, but apparently Hot Wheels come with a small description on the card? And the one for the Super Twin Mill is very interesting to me, as it alludes to future events in the series. I have only found one source for this card, and am currently looking for another to back it up. If anyone can help me with this, please message me! The description I have found reads as follows:

"Soar to the finish line by combining Track Blasters with Double Speed to form a fiery fast finishing move! Featured in Hot Wheels Let's Race, Coop's upgraded Twin Mill has holographic spoilers, a souped-up body kit, and plenty of power."

If this is correct, that means we will be seeing a new, upgraded Twin Mill car in the third season, which is to be owned and used by Coop in future races. And honestly?? I hope this is true, because There's lots of potential to take this in a good direction storytelling wise!

The Twin Mill Dash owns in the series is already held in high regards; It's Dash Wheeler's favorite car, and it's incredibly fast, having been the car she drove when she won the Ultimate Garage herself. So what if, with Cruise having even more upgrades to her own car, and the second round of training coming to a close, that the Ultimate Garage racers are given an opportunity to either create their own signature cars, or upgrade a car of their choosing to make their own, complete with new power-ups and track blasters similar to the ones Cruise has equipped on her own. An episode dedicated to this, plus the learning curve regarding all the new stuff, would be a lot of fun!

I think it makes sense, in regards for "why" an upgraded version of this car would exist. Need to beat a talented racer with an overpowered car? Make your own overpowered car, based off the previous top car!

Let me know what you think! And if you have any other information about the series of cars (the toys) please let me know!)

[oneatlatime]

The Earth King

As always, commentary off.

No. Sokka. No. Stop. This is your stupidest idea yet. I want to LEAVE Ba Sing Se.

Sokka. Listen to your sister. And your other sister.

Toph embodying my will manifested on screen.

What makes you think the Earth King is going to listen to four teens and their fluffy dog? When I put it that way, this is Scooby Doo. Scooby Doo plus Momo. Does that make Momo Scrappy Doo?

We're going back to Ba Sing Se. Great. Yay. I'm so excited.

It is rapidly becoming apparent that Sokka has lost his mind.

Surface to air rocks is funny. I'll give it to them, that's good.

This fight scene music is fantastic.

Aang took a level in badass at some point without my noticing.

I know these hats are inspired by real historical hats, and so I really shouldn't make fun, but these look like the lovechild of a toilet brush and a feather duster.

This fight is majority Toph and Katara. RIP the egos of these several hundred Earth Kingdom soldiers.

Please ensure your fluffy little butt is securely stored in the overhead bins before takeoff.

There's no way these guys are still alive. This is what was done to Jet, doubled. They dead.

The girl who doesn't even want to be here is doing all the work. Typical.

My congratulations to Toph, Katara, and Aang for demolishing an army without breaking a sweat. If only season 1 Katara could see you guys now.

I said in my previous write up that Zuko doing something good always comes back to bite him. I didn't mean it this literally. Did he have to take the jug out with him, or was that for the drama?

Good job guys!

Soka steals my job and points out the fulfillment of the Beat Up Sokka quota.

His earthiness has an interesting set of priorities.

So... is this episode just going to be talking?

He brainwashed your friend? Did you miss that he killed him too?

I said in my last write up that Long Feng was Avatar's first competent villain, but the tone he takes with the Earth King is so unsubtle that I'm thinking of rescinding that claim. Unless the King is so dumb that subtlety isn't required?

Toothprints. Sokka the idea guy coming in clutch. Too bad his brain wasn't engaged at the start of the episode.

Appa is a herbivore. Confirmed. Although he should have fangs for aesthetic reasons. Fanged Appa would be metal.

This king is a confusing mixture of endearing and infuriating.

No mere fever will prevent me from doing mundane actions in the most dramatic way possible!

Way back in the 90s there was a print ad for Chevy trucks that I remember seeing in magazines. It had a shirtless guy in jeans sitting on the bed of his truck in a field, pouring a bucket of water over himself. It was kind of at sunset and had a very late summer vibe. I had completely forgotten about it until I saw Zuko's bucket shenanigans in this scene, at which point I was abruptly -ABRUPTLY- reminded of how much time little me spent staring at that ad.

OH MY GOD. The King doesn't know about trains!!! BLASPHEMY.

Huh. So the King isn't stupid, he's just horrifically naive.

Positive attitude Sokka is kind of frightening. I do not like.

If I told this King that I had a bunch of puppies in my windowless van, he would totally fall for it. So much about the Earth Kingdom suddenly makes sense.

That one guard is having a doozy of a day.

Did the King just show a smidge of self-awareness? Wasn't expecting that.

Who is this? I have no idea who this is. I didn't realise how integral the scar was to the character's design. Give it back.

Yikes. A bunch of shmymbolism. I suck epically at decoding shmymbolism unless it's really spoon fed to me, so I'm not even going to try to understand this dream beyond 'poor guy has a really bad fever.'

Has anyone seen the Spencer Tracy movie Father of the Bride? There's a bit where he has a dream that the floor on the way to the altar does pretty much exactly this. Hungry floors must be a common dream experience.

Pretty.

If the King is really this completely ignorant of the war, who's been directing the army?

It's pretty neat that Sokka is the spokesperson of Team Avatar, and that no one disputes that.

Aang says "there's a comet coming this summer," but I heard "comic" and I know they made tie in comics for the show, so I was like "ooh a crossover episode!"

"You're already vulnerable. The Fire Nation won't stop until the Southern Water Tribe falls. You can either sit back and wait for that to happen, or take the offensive, and give yourself a fighting chance." -Sokka's dad speaking to the men of the Southern Water Tribe, while his son listens perhaps a bit too closely.

If the King really was completely in the dark about the war, how does he even know who the General is? Did Long Feng have the power to keep the General from mentioning the war?

"Your majesty I'm General How, head of the Council of Five." "What's that?" "It's in charge of your army." "Right. And what's the army up to these days?" ... " ...I planted a lovely tomato garden this year."

I love that earthbenders don't wear shoes, and that it's culturally normal. Makes an intriguing visual contrast to their fancy duds.

I have GOT to know what Mushi the teamaker's secret file says.

Toph can't read guys.

Sokka, Katara, I get it. You miss home too. But how would anyone at all from your tribe know to send a message for you to Ba Sing Se? Last time you all touched base, you were headed to the Northern Water Tribe. And those guys sent you off to Omashu, not Ba Sing Se.

Nitpick time! Katara starts reading the text of this letter out loud before she unrolls it.

Katara's voice acting while she's reading the letter is sweet. She's so excited.

Iroh. Priorities. Tea can wait.

"Huh? What's happening?" "You huffed a bit too much cave slime under Lake Laogai. Just ride it out."

This vase is lit like a main character.

"You're going through a metamorphosis my nephew." Iroh, he's a bit too old for that talk. Hang on I just realised that Zuko went through puberty on that ship. I bet that was rough.

I don't trust this. This news is all too good.

Aang referring to them all as "the family" hurts a little bit.

It is unbearably sweet to let Sokka go see their dad while Katara helps the Earth Kingdom plan, but Katara sucks at planning. Then again, the Earth Kingdom sucks in general, so maybe having a sucky planner will be a net improvement?

Either way it's good little sister content.

But there are six Kyoshi warriors. I counted in Appa's Lost Days.

Oh they didn't

Attack hug!

Airbender Zuko is a very effective jumpscare. Don't blame him for freaking out.

You know it's bad when finding the scar intact comes as a relief.

Nope. Don't trust it.

Fuck this guy.

Long Feng even eats rocks maliciously.

Fuck these guys.

Oh they did. Fuck these guys.

Final Thoughts

And just like that, it all went to shit. Or it will.

I was braced to be annoyed by how conveniently quickly the Earth King got with the program, but it actually fits well into the rest of the episode. Instead of a thing that goes improbably well, it's the one thing that goes right in episode filled with set up for everything falling apart. That bothers me less.

This episode was actually fun. At least until the end. It was mostly talking and Zuko on a bad trip. But it was win after win for everyone but my Ba Sing Se hating self, and it's always good to see your favourites having a good day. But! I have a glimmer of hope! So long as Sokka and Aang aren't completely written out until they return to Ba Sing Se, at some point I'll get some episodes outside of the city. And I have Appa back, so things aren't too bad in the grand scheme of things. I wonder that Appa wasn't upset at having all his people back for five minutes then having them split up again.

I do not like positive thinking Sokka, and I especially don't like that I have no idea where he came from. That point wasn't set up at all. I want my baby cynic back.

If letting Appa go was enough to trigger Zuko's morality crisis to the point of physical illness, why didn't letting Aang go in The Blue Spirit, or choosing to chase after Iroh rather than the Gaang in The Winter Solstice Part 1, cause a similar illness? What is different about this time?

Toph was once again the voice of reason in this episode, or rather my personal audience insert. Although it did surprise me how excited she was to see her mom. I thought that sending bounty hunters after their own daughter was kind of unforgivable, but either Toph doesn't know, or she's a more forgiving person than I am.

I realise now that this should have occurred to me when I watched Appa's Lost Days, but what idiot didn't take the Danger Ladies into custody when the Drill was stopped? btw I keep calling them the PowerPuff Girls in my head.

This episode was simultaneously a finale to a lot of threads and an introduction to a lot more. It was a chance to breathe between crossing the finish line of the 'find Appa' quest and starting the 'season finale' quest. It was also structured backwards. The big fight was like six minutes in. The 'what are we doing this episode?' was one of the last scenes. But it still works. I'll be interested to see what I think of this one when I rewatch it. It was such an info dump that I wonder if my opinion of it will be different once I watch it with all of the relevant facts known to me already. Either I'll appreciate the episode's other parts like the comedy, or I'll be bored. We'll see.

Two episodes left this season! I don't think I'll be getting to those before next year. See you all in 2024! (time needs to slow way down)

[xiakeponz]

for modern AU fics - what chinese media did diaspora consume?

making this post because some of us in the diaspora server were having a chat about what Chinese media "Diaspora Chinese" watched in the 90's - 2000's (and even sooner than that) while not having access to satellite chinese media or streaming services - this is in the context of writing modern AU fics based off Chinese media/novels (so your main character's grandpa or uncle is not, in fact, watching an episode of Friends or Shortland Street or something as flavour text because sorry what the hell-)

We generally watched a lot of stuff on VCDs, including bootlegged and non-bootlegged movies, shows, anime/donghua. My household had a whole VCD album of this, and a lot of VCDs (even if they were pirated editions) would have a fancy hardcover box with a magnetic clasp and some artwork representing the show on it.

All of this is Mandarin - so not TVB stuff, because I'm from Northern China and I don't know any cantonese - but Canto friends, please feel free to add to the list! This is mostly stuff my parents liked to watch, or I liked to watch with them, with the exception of a few which I mainly watched with friends/cousins when I was maybe (in most cases) eleven/twelve years old onwards. This is a pretty personal list, meant to give people general idea of a possible "ballpark" of sorts, and by no means exhaustive.

Now, for the list of shows which I can confirm I had or someone I know had on VCD or some kind of offline media format lol (I'll try add release year stamps and links to the EN wikipedia where possible):

Period dramas (mostly Qing Dynasty stuff):

Huan Zhu Gege 还珠格格 (1998, April-) This is a classic, so many memes come from this show; hugely popular series, basically cemented Zhang Tie Lin's face as the face of the Qing Emperor for about a decade. Tie Chi Tong Ya Ji Xiao Lan 铁齿铜牙纪晓岚 (2002-2010) - I loved this show as a kid and watched all four seasons on repeat with family... The "trio" in this show are well known and loved.

Amazing Detective Di Ren Jie / 神探狄仁杰 (2004) A very popular and addictive show. Ok now the Big Four:

Romance of 3 kingdoms 1994 / 三国演义 (1994) - a classic that has had many remakes, my older cousin would play this on repeat...

Hong Lou Meng/红楼梦 （1987） - another classic with many remakes, but I think the most recognised by the public one is the 1987 one.

Journey to the West / 西游记 live action (1986) - I think the 1986 version of the live action is the most recognised one. *Shui Hu Zhuan / 水浒传 (1998) - I am not too familliar with the live action of this one in my household tbh bc my mum doesn't like it lol (she keeps saying it's too depressing) but I'm sure it's up there with the rest of the big four, if anyone has an opinion on this one please let me know!

Modern setting shows:

My dad loved all the Sun Honglei (孙红雷 - actor name) stuff, iirc it was a lot of MinGuo period espionage stuff, your shanghai 1920's sxc aesthetic. This actor has been around since 1999? Qian Fu （潜伏）was very famous, and Ren Jian Zheng Dao Shi Cang Sang （人间正道是沧桑）。 These were around '08 and '09.

Chuang Guan Dong - 闯关东 (2008) (Baidu link, sorry - couldn't get an EN wikipedia one). This show was huge when it was airing, everyone was watching it. I was pretty young but even I watched it and got invested ... and I thought it was such an "old person" show at the time lmao. Xiao Bing Zhang Ga / 小兵张嘎 （2004） (sorry, again Baidu link) - yo, anti-japanese war movies set between 1937-1945 were crazy popular - this is one of them and was very popular):

Donghua/Anime (all the stuff kid me watched and some which I didn't but were popular):

喜羊羊与灰太狼 (2005-) Calabash Brothers / 葫芦兄弟 （1986-1987） Black Cat Detective / Hei Mao Jing Zhang 黑猫警长 （1984-2010） Lan Mao Tao Qi 3000 Wen 蓝蓝猫淘气3000问 AKA 蓝猫 (blue cat) (October 1999 - Present) Legend of Ne Zha 哪吒传奇 (2003) Journey to the West/Xi You Ji 西游记 This was truly the Donghua I grew up on from when I was a bb, the OP song and ED song are classic bangers all kids know. Slam Dunk/ 灌篮高手 - People truly watched a lot of anime that may or may not have been terribly dubbed into mando (possibly canto too). Late 80s and 90s kids were all over this, and Dragon Ball, Crayon Shinchan (labixiaoxin).

Taiwanese Dramas:

This is mid-late 2000's, I would be remiss to not talk about the Taiwanese dramas of this era. Mike He, Rainie Yang, Wu Zun (amongst many, many others) were huge. Stuff like Dou Niu Yao Bu Yao, it started with a kiss, Hua Yang Shao Nv (Taiwanese version of Hana Kimi) were all pretty popular. Not sure if these shows all hold up in 2023, but boy were they popular at the time.

Note about CNY:

For CNY, people would try to tune into 春节联欢晚会 (the CCTV official CNY show) at that One Friend Who Had China Satellite TV's house. Zhao Ben Shan / 赵本山 was a comedy staple, and the show would often feature people from the music industry to perform. Eventually these people became more and more relevant to my gen and Jay Chou etc started appearing.

Last but not least Xian Jiaaaan 仙剑:

In 2005 I was all over 仙剑奇侠传 (Chinese Paladin), based off the video game. This show was crazy popular and probably sent me and a whole lot of other kids into Xianxia / Wuxia hell (and Hu Ge hell, and later I came back to love Liu Yifei). Thank you. The OST is a true banger.

[theclairvoyage]

Centrifugation: Chapter 1

plasmadonor!Joel x f!reader

You’re the star phlebotomist at the local plasma center, and the job has been increasingly mundane as of late… until a new and handsome Texan donor comes to the center and changes that, and the rest your life.

Series Masterlist

Series warnings:

AU, M/F, Age gap (20 years)-reader’s YOB is 1995 (purely coincidental lolol), eventual SMUT, blood, needles, & plasma talk (nothing too graphic, I promise!), a bit of blasphemy, criticism of religion, mentions of death, divorce, angst, fluffity fluff fluff, alcohol consumption, violence.  Individual chapters will have specific warnings.

FYI – this work contains criticisms of religion and reader is atheist/agnostic.  Feel free to scroll if this offends you.  If you decide to read, remember that even if you are religious, this is not an attack on you, but rather ideology.  And remember the tenets of religious freedom.  Everyone has the right to believe – and NOT to believe – in the things you do.

Plasma Center UrbanDict:

Stick = venipuncture

PR = permanent rejection, aka permanent deferral

Reception = where donors have vitals taken to determine if they are suitable to donate

Donor Floor = where the magic happens, baby! Where donation occurs, aka sticks with big 17G needles

 Processing = where units of plasma are sampled and frozen

This is my first ever fic! Excited to share all of it with you. I'm new to posting this kind of stuff on Tumblr, so please forgive rookie formatting and whatnot. Hope you enjoy! As of 03/10/24, I have 6 chapters written - I'm juggling my writing with finishing my MPH degree, so my schedule might be a little spotty until mid-May.

Chapter 1

Chapter warnings: blood, needles, & plasma talk, light violence.

WC: 3.7k

Friday, October 15th | 0755

You turn into the parking lot at the plasma center, a little later than your usual 10 minutes early.  Your shift is at 8, so you don’t have much time to walk to the center, clock in, grab your coat and face shield and get to work.  Thankfully, the parking lot is just across the street.  As soon as you step out of your car, downtown Omaha greets you with the familiar scents of cigarette smoke and fall air, along with the sounds of the city buses and commuters chugging along.

It’s a nice morning.  Living in Nebraska means you get to experience the peaks and valleys of all four seasons, and during fall, this means the leaves of what few trees are in the downtown area are painted lovely hues of orange, yellow, and even red – if you’re lucky enough to find a scarlet or pin oak tree.

The plasma center parking lot is shared with employees and donors, and it’s packed this morning.  Not a great sign.  You walk up to the back employee entrance and punch in the code.  The keypad beeps and lights up green and you pull open the ages-old, heavy-as-hell door and make your way to the break room.

The donor waiting area is just outside the break room door, and you can tell by how full it is that it’s going to be a long day, confirming your earlier suspicions in the parking lot.  Somebody definitely called in, you think.  Great.  Punching in the same code as before, you enter the break room, throw your stuff in your locker, and clock in.

As soon as you’re on the Donor Floor, donned with your white lab coat, blue nitrile gloves, and face shield, one of your best phlebotomists and good friend Keri approaches, looking flustered as hell.

“Jesus, thank fuck you’re here,” she sighs, taking a deep breath and raising her eyebrows at you.  She smooths back her frizzy hair and sets down her face shield on the counter next to you.

“Are we short today, or did corporate send out some bonus texts to half of Omaha?” you say, checking the Donor Queue on the computer.  15 people waiting, average wait time of 43 minutes.  Fucking clean up time, I guess.

“Two call-outs, but they’re newbies, so it wouldn’t have mattered, really,” she says.  “Definite yes on the bonus texts.  Regulars are all pissed off because they didn’t get any.”  You roll your eyes and sigh.  To get more donors in, the company you work for has been sending bonus texts to donors that haven’t been in in a while, which really ticks off the regular, twice-a-week donors.  It’s all about meeting that liters budget.

“Where do you need me?  Breaks need to be sent?” you ask her.  You’re the lead phlebotomist, but you always check in with whoever opened before you make any decisions.  Keri nods.  “Send Blake to break, he’s got an open section now and we’ve got to get these wait times down.”  You grab your mobile phlebotomy device and head that way.

Each phlebotomist can have a maximum of 6 donors in their section.  You see Blake cleaning up the machine from his last disconnect, leaving you an empty section.  “You can head to break, I’ll take over here,” you say, helping him wipe down the now-empty donor bed.

“Thanks… really happy that you’re here.  It’s been a shit show today,” he says, walking away from the section toward the break room.  You groan and head up to the front near the waiting area, grab a chart, and start climbing the mountain.

Thursday, October 15th | 1230

The morning turned out to be an absolute disaster.  You quickly filled up your section once you sent Blake to break, apologizing to every donor you sat for the wait times.  Most were understanding.  There were a few that gave you an eye roll or a shrug.  A few left the center, not wanting to be late for work.  The fall is generally a busy time at the center, with people seeking extra money for football tailgates and games, college students needing extra money for just about everything, and parents stocking up early on holiday savings.

Thankfully, Keri, you, and the rest of the morning Donor Floor crew knocked the Queue down to 3 donors and wait times down to 10 minutes.  Once the last morning break was done, they came over and sent you to your lunch.  Delighted, you took off your sweaty coat and hung it up, washed your hands at the sink by the coat rack, and headed to the break room.

Before you’re able to punch in the door code, a deep, velvety voice stops you.

“Uh, miss?  Can you point me in the right direction?”

You turn and look in the direction of the voice and see a taller man with dark, silvery-streaked curly hair, tanned skin and pensive brown eyes staring at you.  He’s donning a red flannel that squeezes his broad shoulders and ropy arm muscles, and dark wash Levi’s that have the outline of his wallet imprinted in the front right pocket.  He’s definitely a blue-collar guy, not unlike a lot of the current donors.  Must be a new donor, you think.  Damn, he looks good.  You feel a little zap in your chest, not unlike the fingerstick donors get during screening.

“Hi!  Are you a new donor?”  You ask, turning on your customer service voice in hopes of calming your nerves.  You step back from the door and walk toward him.  He’s got a small white paper slip in hand, which tells you he needs his veins checked, so he must be new.

“Yes ma’am, need someone ‘ta look at my veins.  Been here before, but it’s been a long time,” he says, watching you approach him and giving you the once-over.  Twice-over.  Your pulse quickens.  His voice is like icing, dripping with a sweet Southern accent and mushing your insides.  You smile and take the paper from him, hoping that you aren’t blushing.

“Roll up your sleeves for me and let’s take a look,” you say, watching him roll up the sleeves of his red flannel.  He’s got thick, veiny forearms that are tanned and covered with freckles.  He wears a watch on his left wrist that you assume hasn’t been removed in years, judging by the pure white skin peeking underneath.  His hands are big and scarred.  Definitely works with his hands, you think.  He has a small, circle-shaped scar on his right arm near the venipuncture site, so he was telling the truth about donating plasma before.  You grab a tourniquet hanging on the cabinet near the chart area, wrap it on his upper arm, and feel.  His veins are huge and muscular, and you realize you didn’t need the tourniquet in the first place.  Rookie mistake.

“Guess I really don’t need this,” you say, removing the tourniquet and feeling his ropy veins with your index finger.  His skin is warm under your clammy finger.  He chuckles.  “Heard that one before,” he says.  You laugh and make eye contact with him, noticing the crinkles at the corners of his eyes and his salt and pepper beard.  His gaze is amiable and filled with something else you can’t quite pinpoint, and your stomach twists.  You look away before you can decipher it.

“I don’t think you’ll have any issues with the stick,” you say, and he laughs.  “Are you hydrated?  Had a good meal in the last hour or two?” You ask, writing your name on the vein check slip and circling “Pass.”  You see the name Joel Miller written at the top.

“Yes ma’am, I do a lot of workin’ outside and with my hands, so I know better,” he says, confirming your earlier assumption.  His voice is sending a wave of tingles from your ears to your neck, and you feel goosebumps start to erupt in their pathway.

“Good man, Joel,” you say, noticing him perk up at you saying his name, “Take this back to the front desk and we’ll get you processed as quickly as we can.”  He nods, gives you a handsome-as-fuck lopsided smile, and walks back to the front.  You head back to the break room and turn to glance at him once more to find that he's already looking at you.  Fuck, you think, looking back at the door.  Don’t need a hot donor making me feel nervous like this.  He’s older than you, but he might be the most handsome guy you’ve ever seen.  You can only imagine how homely you look, clad in your scrubs and sweaty from the morning hustle and bustle.

You see every part of humanity at your job: young and old, foreign and domestic, all races and ethnicities, handsome and near homeless.  There have been a few men that have caught your eye, and a few that you’ve met up with outside of the center, but none like this one.  As tedious and mundane as the job can be, it’s the people that make it exciting, especially attractive ones.  Well, hopefully he passes screening so I can see him on the Donor Floor, you think, contemplating what you’re going to get for lunch in the short time that you have.

Thursday, October 15th | 1430

Your break went by too fast.  You decided on some fast-food place just across the street from the center.  It’s good and cheap, but you know the greasy food is going to put you in a late-afternoon lull.  Oh well.  After you got back, the lobby was still relatively empty, so you started working on doing the monthly machine cleanings in the meantime.

The plasmapheresis machines are complicated and like everything else in the plasma center, they come with lots of rules and regulations.  You’re a seasoned pro, though, so the cleaning and documentation are a breeze.  You’re heading over to clean the last of the machines in the third row of the Donor Floor when you see a familiar, handsome head of dark salt-and-pepper curls walk behind Keri to one of the donor beds in the first row.  He smiles at you as he lies on the donor bed, and you feel your cheeks heat and curl up into a smile of their own.  Get a fucking grip.  You’re relieved that Keri is taking care of him, because you’re nervous just seeing him in your work area.  You can only imagine how shaky your hands would be with a needle if you were the one sticking him.

While cleaning the machines in the third row, you periodically look over at Joel and Keri.  Keri is great with the donors, and it’s evident when you see Joel laughing with her.  Each time you look up, he’s either already looking at you or looks up right after you do.  You try to play it off like you’re scanning over all the donors, making sure everything is going as it should, but the sweat sheen forming on your face and neck betray you.

You see the light on his machine turn green, indicating he’s been stuck and is running smoothly.  You imagine what it would’ve been like to feel his veins again, feeling his warm, tan skin underneath your fingers… and underneath other things, like—

“Oh my god, that man is such a charmer… and asked about you at least three times,” Keri states, snapping you out of your horny daydream.  Your eyes widen and you turn so he can’t see your face from where he’s seated.

“Shhh!  Keep your voice down!”  You hiss, making both of you giggle.  “What was he saying?”

“Oh, nothing much, just asking what the cute girl that checked his veins was doing all the way over here,” she smirks.  “He used to donate here over 25 years ago when the center first opened up.  Can you believe he’s that old?  He does NOT look like it.”  Odd, you think.  He didn’t sound like he was from here when you spoke to him earlier.  Wait, did he say I was cute?  Blushing at his remark about your appearance, you remember the scar on his arm and think he’s probably telling the truth.  “Wow, he looks good.  How old is he?”  Keri pulls him up on her mobile phlebotomy handheld and you see he was born in 1975.  Damn.  20 years older than you.

Before you and Keri can gush further about Joel, the front door slams shut, echoing throughout the center and catching everyone off-guard.  You watch as one of the younger regular donors, Cedric, storms past Reception and the donor waiting area over to the Donor Floor front desk, near where you checked Joel’s veins earlier.  He practically spits your name, his brows pinched in a rage.

“Cedric, is everything alright?”  You ask, approaching the front desk slowly.  The once-noisy Donor Floor is quiet, save for the quiet whirring and clicking of the machines.  Donors not wearing headphones are anxiously watching the front desk.  You give Cedric the once-over and notice that his arm wrap is soaked with blood, and some of it has gotten on his white shirt and shorts and the floor around him.  First rule of donating: Never wear white to a plasma center, dude.

“Does it fucking look alright?  My arm wasn’t wrapped right and now I have blood everywhere!”  he fumes.  The entire Donor Floor is watching, including Joel and poor Blake, who must’ve disconnected Cedric.  Blake approaches tentatively, tail between his legs, but you put your hand up to him, saying I’ll take care of this.  Blake gives you a thankful nod and tiptoes back to his section.

“Cedric, I’m sorry about that.  Come over to the sink and I’ll rewrap it for you,” you say, putting a fresh pair of gloves on.  “Keri, can you clean up the blood spots with bleach, please?”  You ask.  She nods and grabs a Clorox bottle near the front desk, putting her face shield on and quickly walking around Cedric to search for the path of blood droplets.  Cedric raises his voice again.

“Not good enough.  I need that kid fired for his incompetence!” he points aggressively at Blake, flinging some blood droplets on the arm of your coat and on the front desk.

“Everybody makes mistakes, Cedric.  Blake is a great employee.  We can fix this.  Let’s get you cleaned up, and maybe we can compensate you a little extra on your next donation,” you offer.  But Cedric isn’t having it.  He rips off the arm wrap and gauze and throws them at you while screaming expletives.  The bloodied wrap nearly hits your face shield.  Oh, hell no.  He’s a long-term donor, so he’s probably clean, but it’s too close for comfort.

“Blake, call Trina and call the cops.  Get this guy out of here.  Cedric, don’t ever come back to this place,” you calmly instruct, walking backwards to find a biohazard container a safe distance from Cedric, never turning away from him.  Trina, your manager, doesn’t put up with this kind of stuff and will make sure he’s permanently deferred.

“Fuck you, bitch!”  Cedric yells, sprinting out of the center with two fingers on his free hand holding his venipuncture site, some blood dripping underneath.  Once the front door slams shut, you turn around and take off all your PPE and toss it in the biohazard container, saving your nametag and pen.  Frustrated and tired, you walk to the sink to wash your hands.  Keri and Trina approach you.

“You alright, hon?” Trina asks.  She’s a good manager, always looking out for her employees.  She used to work on the Donor Floor, so she’s no stranger to these kinds of mishaps.  Tensions can be hefty in this area – some donors are desperate for money, some fear needles more than death itself, and some are just grumps.  Phlebotomists usually get the brunt of it.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just need to cool off.  I told Blake to call the cops.”  She nods.

“Go ahead.  When the police get here, they’ll want your statement, so I’ll come find you then… I’ll put in the PR now,” she says, giving your arm a supportive squeeze before walking back toward the offices.  You give her a pained smile and look to Keri, equally concerned as Trina.  “Take your afternoon break, love.  I’ll handle everything else,” she says.  “Thanks, Ker.  I’m gonna step in the freezer to cool off and then I’ll go.”  She nods.  You head toward Processing, located at the opposite end of the center.  Processing has two giant walk-in freezers that always maintain temps of -40ºC – great for keeping fresh plasma frozen solid and an instant cool down.

You step in one of the freezers, shutting the heavy door behind you.  You walk over to the fans and stand underneath.  The sweat on your neck and back quickly freezes in its downward track, leaving behind a sting that could soon turn to frostbite.  It doesn’t take long to cool off here, and anybody staying in for longer than a minute is supposed to put on a heavy coat, gloves, and a ski mask.  It’s a popular spot for blistering summer days and after heated interactions like this.  Satisfied with the pink blooming on your fingers and the crunch of your frozen, sweaty hair, you step out of the freezer and make your way outside for your break.

Once at the picnic table at the outdoor employee break area, you do a quick scan for Cedric.  You can see the trails of blood drops leading to and from his car, and an empty space where his car must’ve been parked.  Heaving a sigh of relief, you plop down at the table and massage your temples.  Fuck… glad this day is almost over.

“Sweetheart, you alright?” A soothing, Southern voice rings in your ear and you look up, seeing Joel approach from his truck.  He says your name, surprising you.  Keri must’ve told him it while she was going through the process with him.

You take this moment to return the once-over he gave you earlier.  Twice-over.  His sleeves are still rolled up and you can see his arm wrap.  His jeans crinkle at the hip with each step, his strong, toned quads flexing as each foot contacts the pavement.  You can only imagine what he looks like from behind.  His cowboy boots are worn, the leather cracking around the toes.  He’s probably the type to wear a pair until they crumble to bits.  He walks with a quiet bravado, taking long, smooth strides until he reaches you at the table.

You’ve no doubt you look exhausted.  Though your sweat has frozen, you can feel how frizzy your hair is, especially around your face.  Your eyes sting with fatigue and the skin underneath your eyelids tug downward.  Your throat feels dry and tight, like you might cry soon.  He must notice because the look in his eyes morphs from concern to anger.

“Hi, Joel,” you state, forcing a smile.  “I’m okay.  Not my first rodeo,” you wink, giving him a sarcastic “yee-haw” motion.  He laughs, but his eyes betray him, still showing anger.

“Mind if I sit?” He motions to the spot across from you.

“No, go ahead, but the cops are on their way and who knows if Cedric will be back,” you caution him.  He waves you off.

“That fuckin’ kid don’t scare me, and I saw everythin’ anyway.  I can talk to the cops if you ain’t comfortable,” he says.  He puts his hands on the backs of yours, and you feel another zap in your chest like you did when you first saw him earlier.  You notice now that he doesn’t have a wedding ring.

“Thanks, but you don’t have to.  I’m well versed in this department,” you say, feeling the tears reaching their boiling point.  You do everything you can to keep them in, but one betrays you and falls down your cheek.  Angry that you’re crying in front of Joel, you try to move your hand out from underneath his to wipe the tear, but he beats you to it.

“It’s okay, darlin’.  You did the right thing, stickin’ up for your people,” he soothes, his thumb wiping your tear from your face.  He moves his hand to cup your jaw and swipes his thumb gently over your cheek.  His angry eyes softened back to concerned.

For what feels like an eternity, the two of you stare at each other, exchanging more communication nonverbally than words could ever.  He’s looking at each of your eyes back and forth, and you feel yourself start to get embarrassed under his hot stare.  You try to turn your head away from his gaze, but his hand stops you.  “You’re alright, darlin’, got nothin’ to be ashamed of here,” he says, reading your mind.  You bring your hand up from the table to gently grasp his arm as a sign of appreciation.  His gaze follows and he swallows loudly.

“Thank you,” you say, giving him a genuine, close-lipped smile.  His eyes move to your lips and then quickly dart back to your eyes, like you caught him doing something forbidden.  He removes his hands and stands up, walking over to your side.  He offers a hand to help you up and you accept, letting him pull you to your feet.

“Sorry your first visit back here was so crazy,” you say, and he laughs.  “Hopefully next time it’s not so… exciting.”  He moves his hand up to your shoulder and gives it a quick squeeze before dropping it.  A tingle rips up your spine.

“Oh, I’m sure it will be.”  He gives you that same look that he did earlier, the one where you couldn’t quite figure out what it meant.  This time, though, you think you know exactly what it means.  Your stomach somersaults.

“I’ll see you soon, darlin’.  Hopefully your day gets better,” he says, turning to walk toward his truck.  Once he gets to the driver’s side door, he turns to look at you again and pauses.  You stand and stare at him, wanting to say something in return, but too overwhelmed by all your emotions.  He smiles and gets in the truck, starting it and driving off while watching you with a small wave.  You smile as he leaves.

Fuck.

Next Chapter

[senditcolton]

So Tragic and Rare

October (pt. 22)

previous part 🧡 next part masterlist

Us Weekly Article

KEELY HALLORAN SEEN ENTERING BOSTON BROWNSTONE WITH MYSTERY MAN!

News of rockstar Keely Halloran has been quiet in the past months, with sightings limited to New York and some overseas excursions (Spain and Australia to name a few). But last night, paparazzi caught Halloran sneaking into her Boston brownstone with a mystery man. Who is this person? Fans have no idea. Since April, when Halloran's own publicist shut down any rumors of a relationship, stating that the rockstar was and planned to be single for a long time, there have been only whispers of possible matches for Halloran. But now, it seems as if she has found someone. The only questions remaining are these: Who is this man? Where did they meet? And how long has this connection been going on?

Star Magazine Article

KEELY HALLORAN'S ROMANTIC SUMMER Sparks are flying for the pop princess turns rockstar and apparently have been for a while. When the pap photo of Halloran and a mystery man walking into her Boston home was published, all the usual questions were asked. Who was he? When did this happen? Where did they meet? How long had this been going on? Well, we can now provide an answer to last question. More photos have surfaced of Halloran and her mystery man jetting around Europe, with stops in Athens, Madrid, and Rome. Why are these photos appearing now? Our sources say that they actually weren't sure if who the blonde that they were seeing arm-in-arm with her man was Keely Halloran. Before this year, the most the rockstar has been seen outside of the United States was Ireland to visit her extended family. Even during her five-year relationship with actor Declan Connor, the pair was mainly spotted in New York, LA, and Boston. Halloran's new man seems to be pulling out all the stops to woo the rockstar. We shall see if his efforts will be appreciated. If not, this summer will surely be great inspiration for Halloran's next album.

halloranhollerin Tweet Oct. 6 Keely... WHO IS HE????

kellymattison7 Tweet Oct. 6

me if this man decides to break Keely's heart

annielaine05 Tweet Oct. 7 Oh, this is delicious!! I want all of the info. Please Keely we NEED to know!

justkeelingtime Tweet Oct. 7 Y'know I don't really care who he is, she just seems happier. Looking back on her solo pap shots, she does seem - I don't know - lighter? I'm happy if she is, no matter who she's with!

InTouch Weekly Article

KEELY HALLORAN'S MYSTERY MAN REVEALED!!! It is finally confirmed! The man that has been photographed with rockstar Keely Halloran, the man who Halloran spent a whirlwind summer with, is none other than Carolina Hurricanes star forward, Andrei Svechnikov. The two were caught embracing in one of Halloran's town-cars after the Hurricanes home opener down in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the Canes won their first game of the season 4-2 over the Pittsburgh Penguins. It is important to note that Halloran did not attend the game but one can imagine that she was cheering on her new beau from a different location. The reveal of Svechnikov's identity puts many things into perspective, giving people possible answers to the questions surrounding their relationship. The two could've easily met at last year's NHL All-star game where Halloran was one of the four celebrity guests present. Shortly after the event, rumors started swirling of Halloran seeing someone. These whisper eventually died down in April when her publicist Heather Griffith declared online that the rockstar was single. Did Svechnikov and Halloran connect over the summer or has this been going on longer than any of us could've imagined?

comphycozy Tweet Oct. 12 SHE'S DATING ANDREI SVECHNIKOV?!?!?!

willystyles88 Tweet Oct. 12 OMG guys were we all idiots? Were they dating when we all thought it was her and Swayman? - reply by swaynswoon I don't think so. Her publicist said she was single. I don't think she would've said that if they had been together before April - reply to swaynswoon from bostongal2871 maybe she said that to throw everyone off and keep their relationship private? - reply to swaynswoon from garretalvin89 so she's a puck bunny then - reply to garretalvin89 from swaynswoon that's not what I said AT ALL

kierralewis84 Tweet Oct. 13 NOOO!!! GIRLS WE LOST ANOTHER ONE!! Damn Keely, couldn't have gone for someone else and saved the hockey boys for us??

air_rick1221 Tweet Oct. 13 Andrei definitely outkicked his coverage - reply by halloitsme what are you talking about, they are both gorgeous!!

john_128 Tweet Oct. 13 Svechnikov spent all that time during the off-season to shoot his shot at a rockstar instead of shooting pucks on net. - reply by mistasvech didn't he have almost 70 points last year? - reply to mistasvech from john_128 yeah but only a single assist so far - reply to john_128 from mistasvech and? still a point + they've only played three games!

TMZ Sports Magazine Article

WILL ANDREI SVECHNIKOV'S NEW RELATIONSHIP BE A HINDERANCE TO HIS GAME? Star right-winger for the Carolina Hurricanes has been making headlines as of late but not for his on-ice achievements. Instead, Svechnikov has been the newest fixation of gossip magazines for his connection to rockstar Keely Halloran. The two of them were recently seen together leaving the Canes home opener in one of Halloran's town-cars. But they have seemingly been making waves long before anyone knew they were together. Pictures of the pair spending their summer together hopping around the globe tell us that the two of them have been enjoying each other's company for a while now. But has Svechnikov been too focused on wooing his new girl instead of focusing on his game? With every weekend spent in a new exotic location - Italy, Spain, Greece, Australia, Singapore - it's a wonder that Svechnikov had any time to train for the NHL season... if he even did. The Carolina Hurricanes need their winger to be at the top of his game, ready to bring the Canes to the first Stanley Cup victory in almost 10 years, not following a rockstar around like a leashed dog. Will the Canes season and playoff hopes go down in flames? Or will it be Svechnikov and Halloran's relationship? We're hoping for the latter.

a/n: i did say dating a rockstar wasn't easy! also, i hated myself typing some of these articles/tweets but i think that means i'm doing my job so hopefully you all agree!

taglist: @fallinallincurls @laureniray @comphy-and-cozy@smileysvech@pyotrkochetkov@thewintersoldierdisaster@svexhenthusiast

let me know if you want to be tagged in this story or if you want to add yourself to my general taglist, click here!!

[bazzybelle]

Sandman Speculation Thoughts

Ok...

So, a bunch of us have been going back and forth on the Sadman Discord Server, trying to figure out if Season 2 will be the end of The Sandman.

With the confirmation that the character of Kris will appear in episode 6 (please check out THIS POST by @writing-for-life for more detail and info. They go into deeper depth on this and have some pretty good speculative posts as well), it looks as though the story will end with season 2.

I... have some complicated thoughts on all of this, and fuck it, it's tumblr so I'm gonna just share them.

With the corporate streaming culture of canceling a show after 2 seasons (or even LESS) because of capitalism, a lot of us saw this coming.

And yeah, ok, the show runners, writers, and cast and crew are doing everything to make sure the rest of the story is completed in that time. And this post isn't to jump on them. They are all in an impossible situation, doing the best they can considering EVERYTHING.

However, FOUR major storylines (one of them being The Kindly Ones - a DOUBLE length story) are being shoved into ONE 12-episode season.

That means we are getting 3 episodes each MAXIMUM for Season of Mists, Brief Lives, The Kindly Ones, and The Wake. In fact, it may even be less in some cases because we've also got Midsummer's Night, A Song of Orpheus, parts of A Game Of You AND possibly even Thermidor confirmed.

Oh, and from what we've see, we also have Death: The High Cost of Living.

Again, I am happy that we're actually getting the rest of the story on screen. But also, it looks like it's going to be SO RUSHED. There are so many stories being added into a short 12-episode season, I'm so worried about what the cost of that will be.

We're already missing out (as far as we know) on SO MANY rich stories from Fables and Reflections and World's End. What else has been cut?

(Not gonna lie... a part of me is terrified that Sunday Mourning ---my favourite story--- is one story we'll lose out on because of all this rushing).

I don't know. I might be overreacting. But I've also just come from The Umbrella Academy Season 4 (another AMAZING story ruined for the sake of The Suits demanding that it wrap up quickly).

I'm just... I'm so fucking tired of good stories being built up and canceled in favour of soulless, bland, background movies/shows. This isn't to shame if you like that kind of show. To each their own. But those of us who love stories like Dead Boy Detectives, Shadow and Bone, Kaos, and even Lockwood & Co. should be allowed to get the 4-5 seasons that shows like Emily in Paris gets.

Yeah, I know, I have to just wait for the season to premier and reserve my thoughts until then. But past experiences with Netflix's bullshit have made me more than a little wary.

Thanks if you've took the time to read my rant. I'm just exhausted, and I don't see myself keeping Netflix once The Sandman Season 2 is finished. Enough is enough.

[neverchecking]

Hi! I'm new following you... Looks pretty interesting... But I'm a bit confused of the nicknames of the characters... Like "sun" or "sage"

Did you have a list of who is each one? Please? Qwq

Well, first off, Hi! Hello! My name is Cinder and I write Yandere! Linked Universe!

If you're not familiar with Linked Universe I would highly recommend checking out the comic for it -> Here!

Anyway, as a fandom, we needed a way to easily differentiate between each Link bc writing 'The hero of so-and-so' every time would suck. So, they each go by Monikers that represent their hero title! The Zeldas are kind of the same. When we wanna differentiate between each games Zelda we use a specific name to do so. Here's a breakdown of each Link and their Zelda!

Name: Sky

His Zelda: Sun

His Games/appearances: Skyword Sword

Cool fact: When not including First, is often seen as the first hero of Hyrule and the first Wielder of Fi; A.K.A The Master Sword. Has a soul connection with a creature called a Loftwing, who I have dubbed as Crimson on this blog. Is mostly seen in a relationship with Sun because of their interactions in Skyword Sword, but I don't think it's ever been confirmed. Is Hella cute though.

Name: Four

His Zelda: Dot

His Games/appearances: Minish Cap, Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures

Cool fact: Four has the ability to split into four versions of himself, each reflecting an aspect of his personality (Red; protective, Blue; soft hearted, Green; still have no clue, and Vio; the brain cell). There was another part named Shadow who was, as you guessed, a shadow but he died. From my inference he was closest with Vio, but I'm embarrassingly unfamiliar with it. Four also has the ability to shrink to the size of a Minish/Picori; a race of mouse sized beings known for hiding trinkets and rupees in grass for said hero! Had a talking hat name Enzlo who ended up being a Minish in disguise. Did not get to keep talking hat.

Name: Time

His Zelda: Lullaby/Sheik

His Games/appearances: Ocarina of Time, Majora's mask

Cool fact: Has masks. Lots of em. One in particular linking him to a war god dubbed the Fierce Deity. Had an ocarina that turned back time, but he broke the timeline (Like a ding dong). Timeline A; where he survived and defeated Ganon. And Timeline B: A.K.A the downfall timeline, where he died (like a noob). Often seen as the oldest of the group but we have no idea how old he actually is. Was raised by a tree and has issues with the moon. Got trust issues from a mask. In Linked Universe Lore, he is married to a farm girl name Malon- who wrote Epona's song.

Name: Legend

His Zelda: Fable

His Games/appearances: A Link to the Past, Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, Link's awakening, Link Between Worlds, Triforce Heroes

Cool fact: Has a lover named Marin. She was not in fact real. Gave him trust issues. Also known as the Veteran for the sheer amount of adventures he's been on. Known as a hoarder, especially with rings that grant him special abilities and has a funky counterpart named Ravio (A merchant who reigns from Lorule, a mirror verse of Hyrule. his Zelda is Hilda, but he's not a Link so he doesn't get a paragraph. He does have a cool bird though named Sheerow and wears a funky hood. He's just a funky dude.) Legend is part of the Downfall Timeline, coming directly after that version of time, fell.

Name: Hyrule

His Zelda: Dawn, Aurora (He has two, though I'm not sure on the why/how/basically anything about them.)

His Games/appearances: Legend of Zelda, Zelda II

Cool fact: Is half fairy! It grants him the ability to use magic, especially healing spells and a lightning spell called 'Thunder', and he can turn into the size of a fairy with wings. Comes directly after Legend. Hyrule is also part of the Downfall Timeline, and is most often paired with Legend because of it. His Hyrule is particularly hostile with poisoned water and barren lands. Also gives him trust issues.

Name: Twilight

His Zelda: Dusk

His Games/appearances: Twilight Princess

Cool fact: Fell in love once. Fucked him up. Nah, I kid. No I don't. Twilight was raised in a village called Ordon as a rancher before his journey. On said journey, he was faced with something called the Twilight Realm which turned him into a wolf (A.K.A. Wolfie). There he met the Spoiler Twilight Princess named Midna. While in game there were no confirmations on their relationship, in the Manga they did smooch. made me cry. Anyway, after their adventure together Midna goes back to her world, destroying the only thing that links hers and Twilights together as she did, offically ghosting him. Gave him turst issues. He wears a twilight shard around his neck that allows him to shift between forms as he pleases. He is Time's descendant and had Time as guide to him in his adventure in the form of the Hero's Shade. Twilight is part of Timeline A. The one that did not fall.

Name: Wind

His Zelda: Tetra

His Games/appearances: Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass (Depending on who you ask, he's also Spirit Tracks Link, but I do not think so)

Cool fact: Is a pirate! Had a pirate ship dad! Had a little sister, Aryll, that was taken by birds. Gave him trust issues. Lived with his grandmother and Aryll before Tetra who is, spoiler, Zelda, shows up and helps him find his sister. Tetra is so cool man, she's a pirate captain. Anyway, most often seen as the youngest Link. In his game, he wasn't even a hero lmao. Just some guy who's sister got taken and he went and found the triforce before merking Ganon RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES. He was just feeling a little silly. Wind, I believe, is part of some third timeline stemming from Time's adventure or in the Downfall Timeline as his Hyrule flooded, leaving most to live on high mountains to avoid drowning.

Name: Warriors

His Zelda: Artemis (my love <3)

His Games/appearances: Hyrule Warriors

Cool fact: He's got a scarf. Had a wizardess who was supposed to watch time and space fall in love with him. Gave him trust issues. Has scars from when he drew the Master sword; which dominoed into something called The War of Eras. Companions and other heroes were pulled to his time to assist in the war, including, but not limited too; Time (Known as Mask in this regards), Wind, Midna, Marin, Ravio, Linkle (A female Link who was originally Wars' sister but, that idea was scrapped), and probably more that I'm missing idk I haven't finished the game. Is Captain of his knight squadron and famously despises Traitors. His own Zelda turned into Sheik to assist in the battle, but she's perfect just the way she is <3 Does not fall explicitly into either time line.

Now, this is where things kind of get tricky. Wild can either be one hero on three adventures or three different guys who arise during their subsequent time. For this blog, we see them as three different people.

Name: Calamity

His Zelda: Fauna

His Games/appearances: Age of Calamity

Cool fact: While his game is not seen as canon to the timeline, we include him because he's cool. Was part of a timeline where his Zelda unlocked his sealing powers earlier and saved them in time to fight the Calamity. He did not die, did not sleep for a hundred years, and kept his memory. Also a knight, also has trust issues, eats rocks. Does not fall explicitly into either time line.

Name: Wild

His Zelda: Flora

His Games/appearances: Breath of the Wild

Cool fact: Is the version of Calamity that's canon. His Zelda failed to awaken her powers in time, he, along with the Champions, died, took a hundred year nap, got trust issues, got memory issues, did not know wtf a stick was at the start of his adventure. Has a cool tablet called a Sheikah slate that lets him use runes (Magnet, ice, bombs, freeze time). In Linked Universe, he has scars lacing his one side. Is said to have had Wolfie as a guide during his adventure. Does not fall explicitly into either time line, but if I had to guess I would put it as Timeline A.

Name: Sage

His Zelda: Natura

His Games/appearances: Tears of the Kingdom

Cool fact: So, Sage was actually cultivated here! He is the Link from the newest Zelda Game, characterized by his anger and grudges held against Hylia. Does not have the scars, because of Rauru, but does have Fangs. Falls directly after Wild, as they are technically the same guy. When referring to the 'triplets' we are referring to Sage, Wild and Calamity.

Anyway, hope this helped! If you have anymore questions, lmk!

[teddy-tastic-the-toon]

Disadventure Camp Rant 🚧(spoilers for EP 8 below)🚧

Ok, SO- I had already expected Ellie to get the boot this episode, pretty much since the last episode. And, honestly? I'm glad she’s gone- but not because I dislike her!

First off, HUGE Ellie defender and lover of her character here- she's actually part of my top three and man do I love her design and motivation! She’s so real and desperate in a way I think many people can relate to nowadays. She’s obviously portrayed to be kind and caring person to all those who’ve met her outside of the game, even mentioned by Kai in one of his greetings! It’s also obvious how much she adores Gabby and I thoroughly believe that she would ultimately choose her if it came down to it.

Still- I can’t deny that her cut-throat competitive nature would have gotten the better of her at some point. She was becoming really harsh and Tess has a really good point, one I 100% agree with. The game was NOT good for her, and she honestly would have permanently burned so many more bridges if she’d have continued. Plus, it would be silly for her to win as she’s displayed her competative nature again and again, so it was she’d likely have been soon to go anyways. If she, by the slimmest chance, made it to the merge? She’d have been either an early vote if most of yellow didn’t make it, or an easy Villain boot if they did make it. The only one of the four remaining that would possibly want to keep her in would be Alec, but after last season’s finale? It’s be a long shot. The point is that there’s literally no way she would have won, so better now than later.

To get back on topic though- the biggest reason I’m glad she’s gone though? (hoping for) More Gabby character development/screen time! She was a pretty early boot during the first season and her character has been mostly revolving around Ellie thus far in All Stars. I'd simply love to see some more of her interacting with the other contestants and even just her on her own! She’s obviously got something up her sleeve, and highly potential allies to back her up! Villain Gabby arc? Uh- YES PLEASE-

All in all, a bittersweet ending for my girl Ellie- really hoping Gabby gets far! (Gabby for the win lol) Going to cross my fingers for a Gabby vs Grett ending, though that's 100% wishful thinking. Also though- SO psyched about the confirmation that they use pet names! I wasn't sure how cringy-cutesy I could get away with being when writing them but I'm glad it's cannon lol. They're so adorable- can't wait to see Ellie again in the finale! (kinda sad we didn't get her reading off the patrons, though hoping that it means there's a chance she’ll be back?? MAYBE???)

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

thank you for what you said I really appreciate you explaining it so concise. Where do you stand on the whole Buck and Tommy thing if it's okay to ask? Because just based on what Oliver said in his latest interviews it sounds like that is going to be a very casual thing/fling which makes sense I suppose. Especially if Tommy is just a catalyst to get us to Buddie this season or at least Buddie getting confirmed as going canon.

Also can I ask why do you think Buddie is gonna go canon in your opinion, I agree with you that everything feels different and I truly think Ryan spilled the beans without actually saying it that now Oliver has to be with him at all times during interviews.

I explained why I think Buddie is going canon here, in regards to someone asking me why I thought Buck/Tommy happening meant Buddie was therefore going to happen. I explain my feelings on Buck/Tommy here.

(Please remember, Buck/Tommy is also speculation! We don't know anything for sure!)

...also you are so sweet but that answer was not concise LOL that was a whole ass novel.

I'm not writing another essay, it's eight thirty in the morning, but to quickly summarize:

re: previous posts, if either Buck or Eddie is queer, Buddie is happening (please click aforementioned links)

ABC is really towing the line on promoting Buddie without queerbaiting, a fine line to walk and a risk, but they're taking it, I presume for a very good reason

ABC has very much positioned themselves as the saviors of the show, not just literally but also giving them/us all the things they/we wanted but evil meanie FOX didn't - makes sense to me that would include Buddie (I'm sure they already have visions of GLAAD awards dancing in their heads)

they took Ryan's muzzle off - okay all jokes aside, Ryan was infamous for blurting stuff out during interviews, so the PR team has to know that letting him do interviews again (especially live video/audio that can't be ignored or deleted like a written article) will be a risk, so they have to be taking that risk for a reason

it's the only logical place the writing for these two has been headed since season three. I have four years' worth of meta on this blog about it by myself and others so feel free to dig around! Tags where you'll likely find that kind of thing are #mads answers things, #911 spec, #911 meta, #911 fox, and #buddie.

My inbox is currently flooded to please remember guys, search the tag 'mads answers things' on my blog and scroll down, you might see I've already provided you with the answers you seek in answering someone else previously!

[kaeyachi]

I saw your post about the Alberich surname and was curious about kaeya being half tayvatian! Can you explain that for me please? I miss and forget a lot of details and stuff in game, but I do genuinely love genshin lore related to khaenriah and kaeya! I also flip flop between kaeya being full khaenrian and being half whatever just because his star eye doesn't seem to be as pronounced as dainsleif for example. At least in game. (always zooming into his face to try and see the pretty star lol) Like I've seen the hc of his mom being sumeran and I think that's super cute! It could explain his darker skin tone compared to dainsleif and pierro? Or like idk the star trait has been deluted after many generations? Uh I've rambled a lot but I was just curious cuz I didn't know anything about him being half teyvatian!

IM SORRY I TOOK SO LONG *cries*

AND THEN I ACCIDENTALLY EXITED THE TUMBLR APP WHICH DELETED EVERYTHING I TYPED OUT 💔💔💔 THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LONGER IM HEARTBROKEN

but anyway...THANK YOU FOR ASKING!

I think it would be better for me to come back to this after 3.5 that way I can confirm most of what I initially typed out, but heres a summary of what I've thought of

1. His name being the only one in the history of known Khaenri'ahns to originate from Hindu instead of Norse/Scandinavian

2. Due to the Hindu origin of the name, we can connect it to his constellation which is represented by a peacock- India's national bird as well as the representation for the Spantamad in the Akademiya.

3. Him being there for the 3.5 Archon quest in Sumeru as well as him getting a possible skin that is clearly half Sumeru and half Khaenri'ahn inspired

4. notes or letters from a member of the Alberich clan in Sumeru

5. Most known Khaenri'ahn characters have been pale-skinned (were unsure about Pierro due to dim lighting but even then, he and Kaeya might be related) with distinctly shaped four-pointed star pupils while Kaeya was designed differently (unsure if its because he's the first one released in-game, if its a diluted gene trait, or if it might be indicative that he is curseless)

6. Seemingly curseless or unnafected by the curse. Was even "blessed" by Celestia with a vision, which is already odd. He's still the only canonical Khaenriahn with one (clearly Celestia doesnt care whether you want a vision or not either)

If someone can elaborate please go ahead! I'm sure I've missed some!

***Additional notes mildly unrelated to this theory***

-The Alberich clan must have been known for their strategic thinking, war knowledge, and mind games if they were able to rise as the leaders for Khaenri'ah during the war. If I were a Sumeru scholar, I'd tap that too lmao

-Kaeya's name meaning "Monsoon flower" is oddly tragic yet fitting. The monsoon flowers thrive in the rainy season. Kaeya thrives during the rain as well. His main growth points and tragedies in life have happened in the rain. If it rains during the 3.5 archon quest i will scream and cry please note this.

- oddly enough i am more of a believer of the "Kaeya being frozen in time for 500 years" theory. Its possible! Olaf Katzlein got frozen for 300 after all! Some old Sumeran must have immigrated to Khaenri'ah prior to the Catalycism and got the Alberich started. Alberich clan being the smartest family in Khaenri'ah maybe?? hmm...

-Majority of teyvat suspiciously dont know that Khaenri'ahns are the hilichurls and the abyss order which means this might be forgotten history...which is weird because if its a supposedly slow acting curse then even in future generations there should still be slow-turning Khaenri'ahns right? If they purposely stopped repopulating then how did Kaeya come to exist? Pierro getting funky with whom??????? He has only been beside the Tsaritsa for the past hundred years... OH MY GOD WAIT CRACK THEORY TIME- Kaeya being the Tsaritsa and Pierro's son which explains the white streaks in his hair. No? Ok I'll stop lmao...unless?? NAH JK THIS AINT IT...or is it... JUST KIDDING I SWEAR-

That's all for now! Hope this helped others figure out the thought process behind the Half-Teyvatian Kaeya theory!