#kevin corke

[pyrepostings]

imagining a defiant interrogation whumpee who gets sick of saying "I'm not telling you" so they start going into what sounds initially to be them finally telling whumper what they want to know, but ends up being whumpee wasting time by just quoting a song.

[ninyard]

Accent anon again (sorry. The special interest has kicked in.) I have opinion on Neil (and the rest of the Foxes too but this one is related to just the boys with foreign accents originally). I believe in Yorkshire accent Neil. I think Neil would especially sound like Yungblud. And so the idea of Neil and Kevin riling each other up at practice and slipping into childhood accents (if they’re gonna act like children, they’re gonna sound like them too. Oops.) and just… Cork and Yorkshire accents battling it out to the chagrin or amusement of the rest of the team.

Hilarious stuff

And also I could see this. Everyone standing and watching this unfold and it’s like. Yeah this is what history looks like. The SOUND of the two of them arguing would be SO funny. Like for anyone who doesn’t know what a cork accent sounds like just… listen to like the first minute of this

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in Irish History – 1 November (Samhain):

In the Liturgical Calendar, today is All Saints’ Day. 1625 – Birth of Archbishop of Armagh, St. Oliver Plunkett, near Oldcastle, Co Meath, who was canonised in 1975. 1688 – William III of Orange sets a second time from Hellevoetsluis in the Netherlands to liberate England, Scotland and Ireland from the tyrannical King James II of England during the Glorious Revolution. The Glorious Revolution,…

[thirst2]

On March 6, 2011, bluegrass musicians in the Madison, Wisc. area recorded a song in protest of Governor Scott Kevin Walker’s proposed budget "repair" bill that would end 50 years of collective bargaining for Wisconsin workers.

Money speaks for money, the devil for his own. Who's going to speak for the skin and the bones?

[streetsofdublin]

BULL AND DROVER BY KEVIN HOLLAND

The Bull and Drover is a bronze sculpture by Kevin Holland, located on the gable end of Madden's Buildings in Blackpool, Cork, Ireland. The sculpture depicts a bull being led by a drover, and is a reminder of the cattle market that once operated on this s

AT MADDEN’S BUILDINGS ON WATERCOURSE ROAD IN CORK Madden’s Buildings consists of a number of single-storey redbrick buildings arranged in terraces, with each terrace having a gable end facing Watercourse Road at one end and or Great William O’Brien street at the other end. The Bull and Drover sculpture is located on the gable end of one of one of the terraces. The Bull and Drover is a bronze…

[coupleofdays]

I mostly just wonder what the water tasted like to Boxleitner, Bridges and Shor during filming. Did they have a pool with cold, refreshing water, or was it warm and full of dirt after multiple takes under warm studio lights?

[deeppenguinstudent]

Jeremy clenched his teeth around the cork and twisted the bottle to unscrew it from the wine bottle. Kevin wrapped a langurous arm across Jean's waist and was drifting into a soundless slumber. They were enclosed in a makeshift pillow fort adorned with cloths of mismatched colors and awry stich work.

"Sleep," Jeremy heard Jean whisper to Kevin in French. Jean shifted from in between Jeremy and Kevin to retrieve a pillow, but Kevin ceased his puerile efforts and pushed his face into the crevice of Jean's neck.

"Let me use your neck, Jean," Kevin murmured, and Jeremy could almost feel the tingling sensation of his breath against his own neck, "Like how we used sleep as kids."

Jean huffed, but he wordlessly bared his neck - almost like an offering - to Kevin. Jeremy gazed at them in fascination. Just 30 minutes ago, they were at each other's throats, throwing whatever miniscule item they could find at each other. Now, they were inseparable, clinging onto one another as if their lungs would collapse from asphyxiation if they weren't within proximity.

"What, you want to use my neck too?" Jean snapped Jeremy's trance with a sharp jibe. He was glaring at Jeremy with a vitriolic expression that would have shrunk Jeremy into a puddle of defeat mere days ago. However, Jeremy couldn't miss the way Jean's gaze wavered to his exposed torso for a few seconds before flicking up to meet Jeremy's simpering smirk once again.

Jeremy stooped slightly to kiss Jean. A hand shot down his desperate venture.

"You reek of alcohol."

Jeremy blinked, dazed. He was transfixed in the way that Jean's lips pouted slightly as he chided him gently. The way his eyebrows furrowed as Jeremy continued to look at him absentmindedly. He thinks about the heated debate they shared last night; the way Jean but his lips to stampede his anger when Jeremy had professed he loved Kratom more than Chaplin.

Jeremy licked a stripe up Jean's hands that made the latter retract his hand, gobsmacked while Jeremy practically fell against Jean's neck in pure fatigue. Drinking with Kevin really wore him down to the bone.

"I want to kiss you," Jeremy blurted out.

"You're drunk, go to sleep."

Jeremy felt a protest die on his tongue as the familiar embraces of drowsiness drown his sense of being. Before he slept, however, he reached out to interlock his fingers with Kevin's and rested it on top of Jean's torso.

He knows with a sinking feel in his stomach that Jean would be lost with the nightly wind, and things would return as normal once the punishing glare of the morning Sun arrives.

[mysteriouslyjovialcolor]

Mexico 2024

-I’m calm, I’m calm, I’m calm, I’m so calm

-I LIED, I AM NOT CALM

-Aaaaaaaah, okay let’s go (The race doesn’t even start until two minutes from now)

-Valterri holds the race record here as well? Asking once again why he’s in a Sauber

-Esteban from the pit lane? What happened there?

-Okay, okay, okay can’t think anymore, we’re starting

-Max!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Yuki???? Whaaaat??

-Carlos where are you going???

-Ohmygod Safety Car

-Alex out too!!

-Aaah so much chaos!!!!

-Oh that replay makes the crash looks so much worse then it looked before

-Oh wow, well done Checo. That was unexpected.

-“Unfortunately for Yuki Tsunodo, I don’t think he did anything wrong there” WHYYY

-“Sergio Perez is being investigated for a false start” I- I take whatever I said before back

-Cars weaving behind the safety car>>>

-I’m surprised Oscar hasn’t gained positions yet

-Franco has though!

-Ah Carlos!!

-The top three are so close together now!! Top four I think actually!!

-Oh god, not again with these two!

-Charles???? Ever the opportunist!!

-“Both Verstappen and Norris have handed this on a silver platter to Ferrari”

-10s penalty for Max

-Red Bull just catching Ls this week

-“10! That’s impressive!” This guy

-George and Lewis!

-Ferrari teammate drama incoming?

-Fernando Alonso retiring??? Oh his 400th race weekend?? So unfortunate

-“Keep it clean. You have a good place. Keep it clean” Oh we’re racing babyyy

-“Quite an impressive job the Haas team are doing” yessss!!

-Liam and Checo!! Oh I’m loving how much drama is happening here right now

-Wow Checo is really driving hard

-20s penalty. I will cry

-Oscar and Franco?!! Yessss! Omg this is so exciting!!

-Back to crying

-Yay Oscar! Mans just moves in silence

-So much crying. Why am I still watching?

-“This is turning into a nightmare weekend for Red Bull. A lot of it, no, in fact all of it, self-inflicted” Big sigh

-Hate when any of the Haas drivers pit and then they lose position and then sometimes they don’t regain position and then I’m sad

-Can’t afford to be more sad than this, need at least my midfielders to do well

-At least Max is back in the points. We can be somewhat happier.

-If you had told me that the multi-championship drivers (Lewis and Max) might be about to race each other I would think they’d be racing for top positions and not for p5 or p6

-Oh Charles potential undercut on Carlos? Him winning would cause so much drama, I feel it. (I secretly want it)

-“One more lap guys, come on, one more lap”

-So much pit stop strategy afoot

-I was distracted, how is Lawson p4??

-Not him still fighting Oscar

-“Mate think about pulling me out of this” I feel you Oscar (I actually don’t but I can empathize)

-Liam “cork in the bottle” Lawson!

-Yess Oscar!! Lewis too!! Double overtake!!

-Kinda expected there to be more of a fight between Max and Franco

-How has Max done a better recovery drive than Checo? What’s wrong with Checo’s car fr

-“I had a big misfire out of Turn 3” ???

-Nico back in points 🎶

-Aww Franco having car problems :/

-I guess the people are about to get what they want and Oscar is about to play the team game

-“McLaren not trying to use him to hold off Max Verstappen in any way shape or form” I’m so confused???

-Go Kevin Magnussen!!!

Ohmygodd Nico back up too!!

-Why do these two always run together?? It’s hilarious how evenly matched they look

-“Miserable Mexican Grand Prix for Sergio Perez” I feel for that guy, I really do

-“Taking away fastest lap” The things Daniel Ricciardo does to the sport

-“20s gap back to Russel” Mercedes?? Fight back??

-Franco and Oscar pt2! He’s so impressive, Franco

-“George, we are free to race here. Let’s give each other room”

-“There’s young Kimi Antonelli” He’s so tiny!

-Franco fast lap. I hope he gets to keep it this time.

-How is Lewis stuck behind George for so long?

-Aah no!! Nico lost a place :(

-Oh god Charles vs Lando incoming. I can’t watch this

-“We need your best driving now, let’s go” Aaaaaaaah

-Seriously, how is Lewis still stuck behind George?

-“In the olden days, they would’ve done something about this at Mercedes” Righttt

-Poor Franco, lost the fast lap again

-“This is not going to be the easiest fight in the world, up against Charles Leclerc”

-Aaaaaaaaaaah

-I’m actually going to cry

-OHMYGOD NO!!!

-That could’ve been so much worse tho, at least he got back in

-Haas is having such a good race, I’m so happy

-Have to acknowledge George’ defense…

-Finally!!!! Let’s go Lewis!!!

-If Carlos wins this race, it would be his second race with Lando coming 2nd (…I would have two pennies, which wouldn’t be a lot but it’s strange that it happened twice…)

-“Chasing down the man he started a bromance with” Carlando alive and kicking

-Liam Lawson fast lap lol

-“Only man to have won from pole position”

-Lol fastest lap contest

-“He’s not playing second fiddle to anyone is Carlos Sainz”

-Let’s go!!! He manifested this!!!! He got his one last win in Ferrari!!!!!

[stabbyfoxandrew]

mafia au is such a delight every week…… the sweeties. but im curious!!! i thought it was kevjean & andreil, did that change or was it always going to be a polycule?

First of all, I'm so glad you like it! <3 Thank you, thank you. Muah!<33

tldr; Yes, it's gonna end up a kevjeandreil polycule, but we've got a long way to go first. :)

To answer the question in a long-winded, Aerie™ way: At first it was just andreil. Then I got big brained and added kevjean. THEN, I decided that kevjeaneil had been a thing in the Nest. (We'll find out why they broke up later. It's bad.) AND then, something happened that made me decide kandrew had history too. (Allie, I think you're the only one who'll get this.)

Anyway... Eventually I thought, "Hey, all these men have two hands." And thus it became Kevjean x Andreil in my head. Like basically every possible ship between K, J, A, and N except JA. Because I just couldn't see Jeandrew back then. But now I very much do. (Galaxy brain unlocked.)

(I'm sure one could figure out the precise moment I decided kevjeandreil would be a thing if they did a full re-read.)(It was a While ago.)

Excuse this inane paragraph but I don't have a cork board and a bunch of yarn. However I need to show my work. So, in Mafia Front: Kevin loves Jean and wants Neil, and misses Andrew. And Jean loves Kevin and wants Neil, and has a weird hangup about Andrew. And Neil loves/misses Kevin and Jean, and enjoys Andrew's company. And Andrew likes Neil, misses Kevin, and thinks Jean is vaguely hot, in a French way...

Do you see the vision? A world where all these traumatized men can be happy together despite everything they've been through? Now they're not going to all be instantly together because that's ridiculous. But Kevjeaneil used to be a thing back in the Nest, so KJ are okay with being poly again. It's just gonna take some Communication. And also probably some whiskey.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Kyle Tharp at The Bulwark:

LAST MARCH, I FOUND MYSELF SITTING in a White House briefing with two dozen pro-Democratic digital creators, listening to high-level administration officials preview President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.

Among the handful of administration leaders who briefed the room was Anita Dunn, at the time one of Biden’s most powerful consiglieres. It was pretty conventional stuff. She spent a few minutes talking us through the president’s remarks and answering questions from starry-eyed social media influencers who planned on publishing content cheering on the speech the next day. I was attending on behalf of my then-employer, a pro-democracy media company, and knew most of those in attendance. There were some political YouTubers, a few up-and-coming Democratic TikTok stars, and a cohort of folks from other emerging news outlets like MeidasTouch and Betches Media. But there was one attendee I didn’t recognize: a woman named Lindy Li.

Li had earned an invite to the White House that day by being a very energetic Democratic personality on cable news, and for having grown an audience of over 300,000 followers on X by shooting off hyperpartisan, pro-Democrat, red-meat content. One example of her style and approach came in a tweet she authored in 2022: “When push comes to shove, Democrats take care of you regardless of party. Republicans try to get you murdered.” A former congressional candidate, Li had also held various fundraising roles in the past for Democratic candidates and the national party committee.

She was, if nothing else, a reliable party ally. And at the White House gathering that day, she played a similar role. She did not waste an opportunity to shower praise on Biden and the administration writ large, and proudly display her unwavering gratitude and support for the White House. She was the classic attendee who raises a hand to ask a question, but instead launches into some unrelated speech about whatever happens to be on her mind. [...]

Throughout the rest of the year, I kind of forgot about Li, having dismissed her as just another “Blue MAGA” Twitter person. For months, she continued enthusiastically to support Biden, and later Kamala Harris, both on cable news and X, where she would tweet predictable messages of support for their campaigns. By August, she said she had raised several million dollars for the Democratic ticket. Her social media accounts became filled with adoring posts featuring herself at events with the president, vice president, and other top Democratic elected officials like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “There will never be another like her,” she said of Pelosi. She also was part of the Pennsylvania delegation to the Democratic National Convention this summer.

Then, after Election Day, Li was suddenly everywhere. But instead of maintaining her overeager support for Biden and Harris, she adopted a new persona, eagerly attacking Democrats and the campaign nonstop. In this new role as a Biden and Harris antagonist, she has been quoted or mentioned in the mainstream press hundreds of times and become a fixture on Fox News.

Appearing on Fox in mid-December, Li declared that Biden was in “no shape” to carry out his duties as commander-in-chief. “The president has not been cognitively fit to assume the duties of the Oval Office for a number of years now,” Li told Fox’s Kevin Corke. It was a wild turnaround from her effusive praise of the man and her defense of his age and cognition just months prior. In fact, Li was a frequent and outspoken critic of journalists who covered the president’s age issue. “To those of you who said Biden was cognitively impaired . . . WE AWAIT YOUR APOLOGY,” Li tweeted in March.

[...] THE LIST OF POST-ELECTION reversals goes on: Li now claims that she “has been a conservative all my life,” that Pelosi is “notorious” for “insider trading,” that Democrats are to blame for failing to secure the southern border, that there will be a “new era of prosperity” under Donald Trump, and that “The markets & consumer confidence have been booming under Pres. Trump[.] Americans are loving his transition.” She also called Democrats “delusional,” said the Democratic party was like “a cult.” She referred to Pete Hegseth, whom Trump tapped for secretary of defense despite allegations of sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and financial corruption, as “a pretty good guy.” Democratic digital creators who joined Li at the White House briefing last March have dismissed her recent shift as cringeworthy opportunism. “She’s a liar and a clout chaser!” tweeted Kenneth Walden, a pro-Harris TikTok creator. “It’s very clear where this is going,” remarked journalist Aaron Rupar. Democratic strategist and YouTuber Keith Edwards tweeted “How long until she’s wearing a MAGA hat?” [...] LI WAS HAPPY TO ADDRESS her critics in a brief interview with me last week. “I haven’t switched parties. I’m not a Republican. I’m not out for anything, I would never work for the government, and who would I even get a contract from?,” she said. She defended her change of heart on the president’s age issue by noting that it happened after the June 27 debate between Biden and Trump. “After the debate I stopped defending his cognitive fitness. You will notice that I never said anything about that post-debate.” But even here, Li seems to be casually disregarding her very public past. In a tweet she authored two weeks after the debate, she attacked critics of the president’s age. That tweet has recently been deleted. Flip-flopping is hardly a new phenomenon in American politics. Trump has perfected it. So too have his hangers-on (see: Gabbard, Tulsi). But Li’s head-spinning pivot still illustrates a broader trend we’ll see escalate in the years to come.

How did Lindy Li rapidly become a charlatan who hates Biden, Harris, and Democrats post-election despite being their biggest cheerleader during this election cycle? Money and ambition.

Post-election, Li has taken her anti-Democratic jeremiads to Fox, NewsNation, and other right-aligned outlets.

[dickarchivist]

Pick stuff from your room and have people vote which one they want to take home! Thanks for tagging me, @wings-and-beskar ♡♡♡♡ I'll tag... @a-single-tulip @eternal-transcience @wizardofrozz @eclec-tech aaaaaaaaaaand @n0vqni ♡ I went to tag anxiouspineapple99 and couldn't. I miss her presence on tumblr

[now-winter-comes-slowly]

"The last night of the old year was known in Irish as Oíche na Coda Móire -- The Night of the Big Portion -- because of the belief that a big supper on this night ensured full and plenty for the year to come. No food should be taken out of the house on New Year's Eve. On any other night of the year a hungry traveler or homeless waif might expect hospitality as a matter of course, but on this night food and drink were given grudgingly, if at all. It was better not to ask.

This custom went back to the time when the success or failure of the crops meant all the difference between famine and plenty. Spells and incantations were invoked to guard against the danger. It was customary of the woman of the house in many parts of the country to bake a large barm brack on New Year's Eve.

As night approached the man of the house took three bites out of the cake and dashed it against the front door in the name of the Holy Trinity, expressing the pious hope that starvation might be banished from Ireland...

After the ceremony of banishment was over the fragments of the cake were gathered up an eaten by the family. In Imokilly, Co. Cork, they had a custom that the crumbs were thrown at the door and windows to prove that no one inside was hungry.

A rather more pleasing version of this custom from west Limerick is given by Kevin Danaher in The Year in Ireland. The door was struck three times with a large cake while the head of the household recite...

'Happiness in and misfortune out, From tonight to this night twelve months, In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen' Church bells ringing, hooters hooting, bonfires burning, people joining hands at midnight and singing 'Auld Lang Syne' -- these are now the customary ways to welcome the New Year..."

- Land of Milk and Honey: The Story of Traditional Irish Food and Drink, by Brid Mahon

[ninyard]

Tis the Cork Kevin Day anon. I GOTTA say, it’s FUNNIER if he loses sexy points with a Cork accent okay. Hear me out here me out. Kevin Day, Exy’s golden child, the face and voice of exy in interviews. The man is GORGEOUS to everyone, his media voice smooth and unmatched…And then there’s Kevin around the Foxes, accent returning when he drinks or yells at them during practices. They know the TRUTH and no one would believe Them for it. Imagine it on Twitter.

One of the Foxes gets mad at Kevin and just drops the bomb on exy stan Twitter. “By the way… Kevin actually has a Cork accent off camera.” The anger, the denial, the DRAMA as they refute and argue. Not sexy Kevin Day. Absolutely not. His stans would implode.

KEVIN DAY CORK ACCENT EXPOSED

And it’s like a two second long clip on YouTube of him talking in the background of one of Nicky’s ig stories and everyone’s like detectives in the comments trying to figure out if it’s him or not

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in 1922 – Liam Mellows, Rory O’Connor, Joseph McKelvey and Richard Barrett, Irish patriots – one from each of the four provinces – are executed by the Free State forces.

It was just one more harrowing chapter in a vicious civil war fought between erstwhile friends. Just one year and two days after Ireland achieved a level of independence, four of the men who fought in the War of Independence against British forces were executed by Irish government edict. On the evening of 7 December, in Mounjoy Gaol, Liam Mellows, Rory O’Connor, Joe McKelvey and Richard Barrett,…

[bunnytalksf1]

Driver Market post-Hungary (on Haas, Ocon, and Magnussen)

So!

Prior to the Hungarian GP, Haas announced that Kevin Magnussen will not be renewing with them. Since pre-season, even before his performance in Jeddah, Oliver Bearman was looking like a pretty sure thing for Haas, and then the P7 in Jeddah for Ferrari when Sainz was out with appendicitis cemented it. Ferrari and its driver academy have vested interest in seeing Bearman in the sport, and this was always going to happen in 2025.

When it was announced that Hulkenberg was leaving Haas for Sauber (to become Audi) I was of the opinion that Magnussen was out. The only driver I expected Haas to renew would have been Hulkenberg, who has always outperformed both Magnussen and the car. And I was ultimately right.

I don't think Magnussen will find a seat elsewhere in the sport. I think he's probably done. I also think Sargeant is done, and potentially now Zhou also. Bottas is looking a little stronger given his pre-existing relationship with Vowles.

So, let's do this driver-by-driver, with the ones at risk:

SAINZ: ??? no clue

Still annoying. Still the cork in the bottle. Anything could happen with him, but one thing is clear: teams aren't waiting forever. I am still unsure of what he wants in a contract, which makes him incredibly hard to pin down. He is reportedly still considering / has rejected options from Audi (long-term, he will be at the center, long line of motorsport prestige, but questionable competitiveness in the near future), Williams (long-term, potentially competitive in 26 with Mercedes PU), Alpine (short-term to allow him to re-evaluate in 25 or 26), Mercedes (short term, likely one year, also unlikely because he's a second option to Antonelli). Mercedes and Wolff have been hot and cold given Antonelli's performance, and the offer was much earlier in the year, the door reportedly closed and then reopened just before Antonelli won the F2 sprint at Silverstone. Reportedly he was offered a 1+1, and rejected it because it was too short term. But then rejected Alpine for being too short term. Honestly no idea what this guy wants from a contract, what his management are doing, and where he's going to end up. My money's still on Audi, but I would no longer be surprised to see him seatless in 25.

BOTTAS: Williams

Reportedly an option for Williams, and has had meetings with James Vowles. Unsure on whether he wants to be here in a midfield team, might just pack up and retire, but he also has some interest in the Audi project. That being said, Vowles thinks highly of him and having another good driver alongside Albon will help them out.

ZHOU: ?

Has a hand to play at Haas and Williams, but mostly in terms of sponsorship money since his performances haven't been catching anyone's eyes. For a team like Haas or Williams, or even potentially Alpine, I think this could give him a leg up. He's not as bad as Sargeant, and he's okay across a weekend, mostly being hindered by an awful Sauber. That being said, I think he's most likely to end up out of the sport.

OCON: Haas

Reportedly, he was almost cleared for a mid-season swap to Williams to replace Sargeant, and even had a seat fitting. Then according to different reports was too tall and/or Briatore veto-d it. That door at Williams seems to have closed now, and given the extensive rumours that he's already signed with Haas, partnered with Magnussen being not renewed, this seems like the most likely destination for him.

SARGEANT: Out

I can't see him getting a seat anywhere. Still consistently off the pace of Albon. Lacking confidence and having issues, and Vowles just does not like him. If any other driver had been available in 24, I think he wouldn't have even gotten another year here. Probably going to IndyCar or endurance racing in some capacity.

MAGNUSSEN: Out

Same reasons as above, on top of aging out of the sport, and too many rookies being available, and his antics this year being less than desirable.

RICCIARDO: RBR or Out?

Might get the RBR seat off vibes post-summer break, as Perez is gone and there's not a lot of options, and Horner and Verstappen both like him and he'll be willing to play second driver. That being said, RBR tested Lawson in the RB and found him quicker than RIC, and with his performance v Tsunoda, his seat is at risk. If they promote Tsunoda or Lawson to the RBR and Hadjar wins in F2, he could be back to being a reserve, out of the sport entirely.

PEREZ: Out

Not officially at risk, but you'd have to live under a rock to be unaware of Perez's recent performance blues and the clauses in his contract. Came to light recently that the contract signed has a clause where performance clauses come into effect sooner, which might have made sense as to why they announced him so early. RBR are going to lose the constructors' unless they do something drastic, so Perez is out after Spa. That's Red Bull!

So, rookies (or not currently in the sport):

I think Alpine is going to take a rookie also. Reportedly, Mick Schumacher emerged with promising times in tests, but seeing him back in the sport would surprise me. Then there's Jack Doohan, current reserve and Alpine Development driver, who has also tested well.

Antonelli is going to either Mercedes or Williams. Toto doesn't want to lose him. It very much depends on his performance in F2, and on what Vowles wants for Williams, and whether Toto wants to get Sainz or Verstappen.

There's also Hadjar, leading the F2 standings at present, who could come up into RB if Helmut Marko has his way, and also to prevent losing him.

Williams could take a punt on Aron if he wins F2 as a rookie, also, but I doubt it.

Ok that's a lot, logging off and I'll come back when Sainz finally announces or Haas announces Ocon

[ala-baguette]

Just finished reading Knowing Where to Look, what a beautiful piece of fiction!! Congrats on finally finishing it, you must feel very accomplished :)

... and if you ever feel inspired to write a whole fic about Ben Harrows, the love of my life, nobody will try to stop you 😂

There is no surer form of flattery than someone telling me they love one of my OCs even one tiny iota as much as they love the canon characters. Thank you! While a whole fic about Ben Harrows is unlikely (tempting, but that would be a rather niche target audience), I have no doubt Ben will have a few cameos in future fics here and there. I love him too much to say a true goodbye to Ben. However...while not exactly a fic, what I can offer you now is an excerpt from my initial outline (circa 2009) containing the character analysis and (rather depressing) backstory I wrote for Ben. Definite KwtL spoilers, so if you have not read it, proceed at your own risk!

Ben, at first glance appears to be a highly open, out-going, fun-loving sort of individual who says what he thinks.  He is all goofy smiles and wit and charm and is loved by everyone who meets him.  The truth of the matter is, however, in certain areas, Ben is quite the reverse from what people think.  Early on, he discovered subconsciously or otherwise, that if he was loquacious and friendly, those around him received the impression that he had told them everything, and thus they did not bother to look deeper.  If he talked about the insignificant enough, they forgot to ask about the significant.  There are certain aspects of his life which he discusses with no one.  He is, in reality, extremely private when it comes to these things. This is a product of his upbringing and, of course, past trauma.

Ben, born ‘Brian O’Harrow’, was born in Belfast in 1972.  He is, in the technical definition of the word, Muggle-born, however, he was never ignorant of magic. 

Ben’s mother, Fiona, was the younger sister of a Muggle-born wizard, Eamon O’Callaghan.  Growing up, Fiona and Eamon were very close and Eamon was very protective of his little sister.  Fiona, therefore, heard all about the magical world and everything that happened at Hogwarts whenever her brother came home for the holidays. 

Fiona left her family home in Cork to attend university in Belfast when she was eighteen.  There she met Kevin O’Harrow.  They fell in love, married, and settled down together in Belfast and had Ben a few years later.  This was, unfortunately, just as the Troubles were gearing up.  Kevin was young, idealistic, and nationalistic—he was eager to be in the thick of things at this time, but Fiona was much more reticent and worried about her small family’s safety.  As the violence escaladed, she frequently suggested they move back to Cork, but Kevin was insistent they stay. 

Ben began displaying signs of magic at a young age, and Fiona immediately recognised it for what it was.  At Fiona’s urging, Eamon, who had no partner or children of his own, came to settle down in Belfast to be near his sister and to support Ben.  Fiona promoted a strong connection between her son and her brother; knowing Ben would eventually enter the wizarding world, she wanted him to have someone to go to with any problems that she knew she and Kevin would be ill equipped to help him with.

Meanwhile, the first war against Voldemort was underway.  Eamon, as a Muggle-born now had a target on his back.  He was very idealistic and considered himself to have less to lose than most; he took it upon himself to do everything in his power to waylay the Death Eaters, working largely independently, loath to put anyone else at risk.  Even so, Fiona found herself trapped between two very separate wars without really being a part of either.  She lived in constant fear for her family and especially Ben who straddled these two worlds, both of which were full of danger for him.

Heedless of his sister’s warning, Eamon continued his quiet rebellion.  When Ben was six years old, Eamon snuck into a Death Eater gathering place and stole some parchments detailing meeting times, locations, and certain members.  As he made his escape, however, he was seen and recognised by someone with whom he had gone to Hogwarts. 

The Death Eaters had recently acquired a new recruit, a young boy, only seventeen years old. They decided that it would be a good and relatively simple test to send the boy to kill Eamon and retrieve these documents.  Eamon, however, was not at home when the young Death Eater broke into his flat—something the Death Eater was quite relieved about, though he wouldn’t have admitted it.  He set about ransacking the place, searching everywhere he could think of for the papers, secretly hoping that he could find them quickly and return them to his colleagues before Eamon came home and that maybe they would forget about the whole killing part of the assignment.

Fiona, who had been passing nearby Eamon’s flat at the time with her son in tow, decided to stop in and say hello to her brother and see if he might be available to watch Ben while she did some shopping as a six-year-old really does slow down the process.  After going up the stairs to Eamon’s flat and letting herself in, she followed the sounds of rummaging coming from her brother’s study.  When the door opened, the young Death Eater, on high nerves, whipped around and let loose a Killing Curse without even looking to see who it was. 

When he saw what he had done, the young Death Eater was horrified.  He stood there and stared at the young woman he had just murdered in cold blood and her six-year-old son who was kneeling on the floor looking confused and in shock, still holding her hand.  It was the first person Regulus Black had ever killed and it was the first in a line of occurrences that would eventually turn him to give his life to destroy a horcrux.  Regulus ran from the house, determined to tell the Death Eaters that the parchment wasn’t in there.  Eamon later came home to find his sister dead on the floor and Ben still beside her, still holding her hand.

Kevin O’Harrow did his best to raise his son after that.  He loved Ben very much, but he was well beyond depressed after the death of his wife.  He was detached and no longer seemed to be able to muster the energy to show his son how much he cared, something he knew Ben needed to see.  After a few months, Kevin realised he couldn’t give his son what he needed, and he sent Ben to live with his Uncle Eamon.  Kevin, in turn, channelled his anger deeper into the Northern Ireland conflict, diving into the fight for his country’s independence.   

Eamon was also crushed by the death of the sister he had loved so much, most in particular because he was convinced it was his fault.  He took his responsibilities toward Ben very seriously, however.  He was determined to raise and love him like a son and to do everything in his power to make it up to his sister.  He immediately cut off his risky, anti-Death Eater life style, but quickly realised it was too late; he had already made a name for himself as being outspoken against Voldemort.  War ranging on both sides, he decided to take Ben away and go into hiding.  Eamon tried to convince Kevin to go with them, but Kevin insisted that “Ireland was the only thing left in my life that’s worth fighting for.”  These words Ben would carry with him for the rest of his life.

Eamon took Ben to England where a friend from school had offered him a safehouse.  Fearful of public perception of the Irish, he anglicized Ben’s name and taught him to speak with an English accent.  Eamon cared and loved Ben like his own son and did everything in his power to ensure he had a safe and happy childhood going forward.  Knowing the risks to Muggle-borns, Eamon even had forged documents drawn up to claim Ben was his biological son.  It was these documents that would later save Ben in the second war when the Death Eaters started their purge at the Ministry.

A year after going into hiding, Voldemort was defeated by the Boy Who Lived and the political climate began to calm, at least in the wizarding world, if not so much in the Muggle one.  Eamon and Ben emerged from hiding to discover that Kevin O’Harrow had died a few months previous in a car bomb explosion.  Reports from those who knew him suggested that he had been intentionally putting himself in danger for quite some time.

The years passed and Eamon did as he had promised and raised Ben as a son, supporting him through his years at Hogwarts and later through his Auror training.  A year and a half after Ben qualified as an Auror, Eamon O’Callaghan passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack.  Ben mourned him like he would a father, but was grateful that he had lived long enough to see what Ben had become.

At the time of this story, Ben is now twenty-six years old, only having qualified to be an Auror five years previous, not long before Tonks.  He has no political aspirations and is included in the initial meetings at Grimmauld Place merely as a body guard. He was chosen because Kingsley has worked with him in the past, trusts him, and quite simply, likes him. 

Since qualifying, Ben has been discretely using his connections as an Auror to discover the identity of the Death Eater who was responsible for the death of his mother.  The trauma-clouded memories of a six-year old boy, however, did not prove enough, and he never found out anything more about it.  Until the evening in the Black family home when he stumbled upon an old photograph of Regulus Black.  I want you to understand the turmoil in his mind at learning that the man he had spent the past twenty years hating had, in fact, reformed and given his life to help defeat Voldemort. 

Early on, I had a lot of questions about why he (and other characters) stayed at the Ministry even after it fell, and to that I will say this: While very idealistic, he is also practical.  Eamon was careful to teach him this, learning from his own mistakes. Ben is as influenced by his trauma in the first war as Gawain is, though in a different way.  Moreover, with Eamon gone, Ben has no family and, while many friends, none who would risk their lives for him if he were to get on the wrong side of the Death Eaters. That is not to say he didn’t find his own ways to fight back.  Remember Yaxley’s raining office in “Magic is Might” DH?  That was all him.

And, as a bonus, here's an AI generated image that very roughly looks like the Ben in my head, for those interested. Very roughly... this bloke is a little too classically handsome for my liking, but AI can only seem to manage handsome or deranged and nothing in between.