#let us aussies make history

[slutforpringles]

If Ricciardo retains his place, Doohan’s elevation will see three Australians competing in F1 for the first time in almost half a century. The first and only time three Aussies shared the grid was in 1976, when Alan Jones, Larry Perkins and one-time starter Warwick Brown shared the grid at the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.

via: Australia closer to three drivers on F1 grid as Jack Doohan nod confirmed

[russellbby]

There's always pressure || Pt.5

parings: charles leclerc x sister!f2 driver!reader, arthur leclerc x sister!f2 driver!reader

in which: the leclerc family mends their relationship with their youngest family member as they all enjoy the final race of f1 season..

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

taglist: @edgyficuselastica @zulema222 @samantharaytanner @heart-trees

a/n: Sorry it’s taken awhile, as of now is this the final part of this mini series, but if u guys have any ideas for me to write send them in as I have loved writing this!! <3

//

After Y/n finished celebrating with her team, saying goodbye and thanking them she started to make her way into the F1 paddock.

Many cameras turned to face the young girl, due to her being the most recent F2 champion and became she is apart of the Leclerc family.

Y/n made her way into the Ferrari hospitality, she seen her whole family there but before she could reach them she was pulled into a hug from the other Ferrari driver.

“Hey world champ!” Carlos exclaimed as the pair hugged properly before he eventually put her back down.

“Thanks Carlo!” Y/n said with a smile.

“Hey, you’ll be alright and if not you always know my drivers room is open and Rebecca will be there waiting for you” Carlos told her quietly as he seen her looking over at her family.

“Thank you but I should be okay” Y/n replied as she made her way over to her family and sat down between Jade and Alex.

“Hey chéri!” Pascale said as her daughter as she sat down.

“Hi maman” Y/n replied before looking down and fiddling with her hands, before looking back up as her brothers started to talk to her..

“Petite sœur, we shouldn’t of let what happened effect us not going to your race today. We know that you won’t be able to forgive us for that, but we accept that as we shouldn’t have done it..you made us all proud today, you made history and papa would be very proud of you if he was here..” Lorenzo said.

“We watched the podium but we know that wasn’t right and should have been there right at the beginning when the race started. We didn’t know how much pressure you were under until yesterday, how you have dealt with those comments on your own and obviously we made it worse for leaving you out. We are sorry for everything chéri” Charles added.

“I’m sorry for my comments yesterday it wasn’t fair on you. I had no right in saying anything about your performance in F2, you deserved the championship. I know you was proud of me when I drove in FP1 yesterday and I just didn’t actually realise what you have been feeling like..” Arthur told her.

“Petit ami, I’m sorry for not understanding and respecting you. You made your papa proud today and I know he would be disappointed in what we did to you this whole weekend but especially today. I’m proud of you trying to make your own name in the sport and talking a different path than Charles and Arthur. Mercedes are like a family to you and I can see how much they adore you being apart of their team. We are so sorry about everything Y/n..” Pascale said.

Y/n stayed quiet and looked at Charlotte, Alex and Jade who gave a her looks that told her just how apologetic her brothers and mother were.

Y/n got up from her seat and moving over to her mother, who opened her arms for her daughter to fall into her embrace. The three Leclerc brothers smiled at the slight of their mothers and little sister.

“Je t’aime tellement maman,” Y/n mumbled.

“Je t’aime aussi chérie, I’m so sorry for everything..” Pascale whispered.

The mother and daughter stayed in the embrace for a while before Y/n made her way to all of her brothers, from oldest to youngest.

“Je t’aime petit..” Lorenzo said.

“Don’t call me little one, Enzo! We’ve had this conversation before..” Y/n grumbled as he let out a chuckle before moving over to Charles.

“Je t’aime Charlie!” Y/n mumbled into the embrace of her second oldest brother.

“Je t’aime aussi, petite sœur” Charles replied.

“See Enzo! Learn the nicknames from Charles!” Y/n told him which made him roll his eyes with a big smile on his face.

“Come give your favourite brother a hug, sœur!” Arthur said which led to Charles and Lorenzo giving death stares as they watched their two youngest siblings hug.

“Not her favourite brother” Charles grumbled.

“You ain’t her favourite either” Lorenzo told him.

“Yes I am!” Charles argued.

“I’m her favourite! She’s the one hugging me!” Arthur said.

The three Leclerc brothers carried on arguing among themselves about who their little sister’s favourite was, while Y/n was just shaking her head but smiling at her brothers while they argue about the same thing that they argue about on the daily.

But, all that Y/n knows now is that..

The Leclerc Family are back to being a family again.

//

Y/n was standing next to her mother and Arthur in the back of the Ferrari garage, the race was coming to an end and she knew that her brother be getting on the podium for the final race of the season.

She gave a wave to the camera once she seen herself on being filmed on one of the scenes, she knew that her future in the sport would be talked about..

“-there’s Y/n Leclerc, most recent formula 2 champion in the Ferrari garage cheering on her older brother with the whole family. I wonder if we will see her join the grid next year!” Crofty said as the cameras were panned on the young girl and her family.

“It’s really interesting with her being apart of the Mercedes junior team and them having a seat open for next year, obviously been a lot of pressure on her ever since Charles has been in the sport and people have questioned why she didn’t choose to join Ferrari to be with Charles and Arthur as well” Martin added.

“I think it’s good to see that she’s trying to create a name for herself and choose a different path, I believe her and Mercedes is going to become something special” Jenson said.

//

Y/n clapped along with the Ferrari team as their two drivers finished P2-P3 for the final race. Sadly it wasn’t enough for the Constructions Championship, which she knew her older brother would be annoyed about.

“C’mon, let’s get to the podium!” Arthur told her. Y/n made her way way towards the podium with her family, she watched the top 3 getting out the cars before going to their crew.

“Hey, congrats champion!” Y/n called over to Lando as the Mclaren driver walked over and the pair did a fist bump.

“Hey look at you, F2 champ!” Lando added as Y/n smiled.

“Drinks on us tonight?” Y/n joked as Lando laughed before he left to greet his family just as Charles made his over.

Everyone took in turns hugging Charles before he got to Y/n, who he hugged tightly and lifting her up slightly which made her giggle and the rest of the family smiled at the pair.

“Proud of you” Y/n whispered to her older brother which made him smile.

“I’m more proud of you,” Charles added before a certain someone interrupted them by calling Y/n’s name.

“Little Leclerc! Congrats F2 Champ!” Max said as he hugged Y/n.

“Thanks Max, congrats to you too. I haven’t seen you since you became a 4-time world champion” Y/n told him.

“Thanks Y/n, going to be fun racing against you when you get up here” Max added which made her smile.

“It definitely will be fun, I can only dream” Y/n replied.

A few moments later, Charles was called for his interview before his whole family cheered when he stood on the podium. Y/n had a big smile on her face watching her older brother.

She glanced over and see Toto looking at her with Lewis by his side and they gave her a certain look…

//

y/n.leclerc

Liked by charles_leclerc, landonorris and 873,927 others

y/n.leclerc: 2024 season, over and out!

Charlie, congrats this season! The win in Monaco will always be a very very special moment for you and the whole family, you’ve had ups and downs this season but you’ll always be someone who I look up to. Congrats this season, next year is going to special❤️

Lewis, thank you for everything. Ever since I joined the Mercedes junior team you were always looked out for me, taught me a lot, always on my side and overall become a mentor to me. I’m going to miss you the garage and it’s going to be strange not seeing you there, however you can’t get away from me even in the Ferrari garage as you are becoming my brother’s teammate (please beat his arse). Merci Lewis and welcome to the Ferrari family!!

Carlo!! Going to be strange not seeing you and my brother looking in love with each other any more in the garage, moving on quickly :). Thanks for always being there and cheering me up when I needed it, you’ve become like brother to me and your apart of the family now. You deserve better next year, however I will be there cheering you now, love u broo!!

tagged: lewishamilton carlossainz55 charles_leclerc

view all 22,788 comments

username Awhhh Y/n this is so sweet!!🥹

username I love that you added the 3rd & 6th pics!!

username I loved seeing Lewis & Y/n interactions in thr Merc garage, going to miss them.

username Carlo😭

lewishamilton Thanks kiddo, your time to shine now❤️

y/n.leclerc ❤️❤️

username Y/n to Merc 2025?!👀👀

username Lewis will never get away from Y/n, she’s just going to go to the Ferrari garage just to annoy him😂

username Y/n is apart of both Mercedes and Ferrari family, it’s Lewis’s turn now :)

mercedesamgf1 We aren’t going to lose you, right…? :(

scuderiaferrari She’s ours!

mercedesamgf1 Y/n is our kiddo!!🖤

scuderiaferrari Her family + Lewis in our garage, she’s be here all the time!😌

mercedesamgf1 no.

username Y/n’s got two teams fighting for her😭😭

username Like we said, she’s apart of both families :)

username Two of the biggest teams fighting over her, yeah that’s our Y/n💗

username I wonder what’s going to happen next year..

charles_leclerc Thanks petite sœur❤️ but why do you what my new teammate to beat me?

y/n.leclerc Because your new teammate is going to be Lewis Hamilton?!?!?!

username You know what, valid point Y/n🤣

username Love seeing Charles and Y/n back to their normal interactions!!

carlossainz55 Thanks kiddo, keep shining and soon enough we’ll be racing against each other❤️

y/n.leclerc ❤️❤️

username This post is just🥹

username I love Y/n & Lewis, I love Y/n & Carlos, I’m going to miss this so much!!

username Y/n needs that Merc seat!!

username The way she looked at Lewis & Toto👀

username Y/n Leclerc to Mercedes in 2025 >>

[drvscarlett]

About You Pt 20

Sebastian Vettel x Webber!Reader

Summary: Everyone knows about the history of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. But there's a well kept story within the paddock about Sebastian Vettel and another Webber. This is that story.

A/N: the long wait is finally over. i apologize for the delays because life is so weird and a lot of stuffs happened. hope you all enjoy and let me hear your thoughts.

About You Series

2019, Albert Park Circuit

F1Gossips Daniel uploaded a set of photos in his photography IG account but then he deleted it and then reposted the same set of photos again after a while. However eagle eyed fans caught how Danny deleted a certain picture. Who is she?

User1 new wag???

User28 wasn't danny dating someone else?? User41 is every girl being posted a WAG right away? Can't they be simply friends??

User2 damnnnnn she looks fine

User3 ohmygod does anyone not remember who that woman is????

User7 I thought I was just dreaming when I saw the most iconic WEBBER.

User9 im sorry im confused. Im new to f1, can someone explain to me who is this girl? User12 basically this is Y/N Webber. The Y/N Webber who was present during the iconic Multi21. Used to be linked to Jenson Button and was his PR during his McLaren days. User16 I always shipped her with Sebastian since it was always Sebastian who seem to care for her during the Multi21 shenanigans

User19 hello how come im just learning this now? where has she been the past few years???

User7 well User19 she dropped out of the face of the earth after being involved in a car accident and then shortly after jules' death. Mark mentioned her in Aussie Grit about how she is taking time away from the media to recover. Maybe that's why Danny deleted it.

User45 if Danny removed this then maybe you should not be posting it esp when Mark specifically said that his sister is recovering!!!

F1Fan now that were talking about miss Webber again then let me bring back these old photos that Sebastian used to post on his blogs.

User1 SEB POSTED THIS????

F1Fan yeah, the old blogspot is deleted now sadly. User2 petition for seb to bring back his old blog or maybe make his own instagram!!

User3 didn't Y/N date Jenson?? what a homie hopper

F1Fan Jenson and Y/N went on one date then decided they were better off as friends so please refrain talking shit about her User7 go tell her F1Fan

User8 but just imagine how messy F1 was when Seb and Mark had that famous Multi21 moment then they panned to Y/N saying that she's the sister of Mark and bff of Seb

User11 i miss those days so much User15 this all seems so unreal but I went back to search the race and its very much real

User44 andddd remember when sebastian used to throw her so many birthday parties or those eyes on her during the podium. He was in love with her!

F1Fan I know. I just know that Seb truly loves her. User22 the couple we failed to protect!!!

2019, Bahrain International Circuit

Mark Webber had just arrived in his hotel room and he immediately headed straight to bed. With the heat in Bahrain, he was so happy that he was just interviewing people rather than driving the cars himself. He was almost dozing to sleep when the buzz of his phone jolted him awake.

The face of Y/N hugging him flashed in front of him. Somehow his weariness faded a little bit as he slides towards the green button.

"You look tired" Y/N greeted. Her face filled with a lot of concern.

"I do, thanks for pointing the obvious"

"Get some water, I saw how the drivers have been complaining how hot it has been" Y/N lectured.

It earns a chuckle from the sleepy Mark. No matter how much Y/N has said that she is done with the sports, Mark would always catch her tuning in on race weekends.

"You know people have been talking about you at the paddock" Mark couldn't help but open up the conversation.

"I'm really gonna kill Danny when he comes back" she groaned in response.

The instagram post has definitely generated a buzz within the community even if Danny was able to delete it right away. Mark has been scouring social media with the tags about Y/N and he could tell that everyone misses her around even if it has been years already.

"What are you so afraid of Y/N?" Mark wondered.

The direct question caught Y/N off-guard. The shift in her face immediately shows discomfort and a hint of fear. Mark knew well not to press her buttons but he wanted to understand what's holding her back.

"You told me you were scared before that people will look at you in pity because you are unable to walk but you have been walking for a couple of years now" Mark explained "I just want to understand what are you so afraid of that you are hiding from the world?"

A sigh escapes from her lips before she replies.

"The whole pity thing was true. Its the reason why I walked out" she seems to hesitate with her answer "But now I am afraid that people will hate me for walking away and leaving everyone behind"

"You didn't run away, you needed time"Mark's rationality immediately answered.

"I pushed people away and I hurt them Mark"

Mark could never forget the night that he picked her up from that restaurant in Brazil. Y/N never disclosed the content of the whole conversation but he could infer that both parties were hurt by the exchange of words that night.

"He misses you a lot" he worded it out more clearly.

"Mark, I don't know" she admits "I'm scared"

The older Webber have to run a hand across his hair. If the Mark from 10 years ago heard that he is bridging his sister and his rival together then he would have been punched himself already. This dance has been going on a long time, the distance and time should have healed all those wounds left behind in Brazil.

"Listen, he loves you."Mark assured "He loves you and he still chooses you. I don't think you have been listening to me talk about how much this guy has asked me for updates about you or how much he misses you. I'm sure that he will be more than glad than upset to see you again"

For a moment, the conversation went quiet. He couldn't figure out what she was thinking but when she finally looked back there was something in her eyes. A glimmer of hope and maybe a possible return, Mark felt like he knocked some senses with his speech.

"You really think he will still accept me again?"

Mark nodded his head in agreement.

"You two have suffered long enough with all these pining so do me a favor and just make out or something"

"Mark!" her face was red in embarrassment.

Laughter was soon heard from the other line, something very rare since her recovery. Or maybe Mark is just used to having her smile all the time before the tragedies occurred so he cherished these kind of moments a lot.

Mark vowed years ago to help his sister recover and if he has to settle with an old rival as a brother-in-law then so be it. Anything, just to see that old smiley Y/N again.

2019, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

F1Updates Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc is spotted dining in a restaurant with F2 Prema Racing driver Mick Schumacher post-race.

User1 those are my husbandssss!!!

User2 mick in his f1 debut soon??? please let this be real

User3 Oh I want to be in the same restaurant and know what they are talking aboutt

User5 i didnt know mick and charles know each other

User7 they seem pretty close tbh! User10 the grid is basically a small circle so its not surprising to know that mick and charles know each other.

User19 saw them there! they went to this private meeting room place and i think they are celebrating someone's birthday.

User27 omg invasion of privacy??? User19 girl i just saw them carry gifts and overheard them sing happy birthday. tbh i avoided to ask for photos with them because the whole thing seems to be personal and they were trying to be inconspiciuous. User30 who are they celebrating hmm

The candles on the cake shines brightly in front of Y/N. Charles and Mick did quite a remarkable surprise in organizing this birthday ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. They booked the private room, generated a menu, made the cake (which surprisingly looks good), and gathered the people dearest to Y/N.

She smiles looking at the people around her. It was quite weird that she is now in her early 30s and still spending her birthdays with the people who have been with her during her 20s. Although, the lingering thought at the back of her head is that she knew not everyone she wanted to be here today is present.

With a sigh, she blows the candles out.

“We have to cut the cake and everyone could taste how much of a great baker I am” Charles proudly declares.

“It’s us” Mick interjected.

“Potatoh potato, eh same thing”

The cake has been handed around and the small group enjoyed a little bit of cake time with each other. For this dinner, the talks about race strategy is off the table and they were all catching up with everyone's life.

"So what are your plans?" Jenson wondered "Not everyday you turn 30"

She smiles knowing that this question will be asked.

"I'm going to face some of my fears" Y/N answered.

It immediately perked up the attention of the F1 drivers present at the dinner. They knew that there was just one big fear that Y/N wouldn't want to face for years. Their eyes seem to double as if in great disbelief if they heard the whole thing correctly.

"I'm going back to the paddock" Y/N confirms.

"NO WAY!" "When did this happen?" "I CANT BELIEVE THIS?"

The flurry of responses was expected. It was definitely a surprise even for Mark, who seems to have no clue about this comeback.

"Who are you working for?" Mark wondered.

"I'm not yet going back to Formula 1 though" she clarifies "I accepted a role in Formula 3 as a PR for next year"

"BUT STILL FOR WHO?" Mick asked.

"Piastri"

"So that's why Oscar was asking about you"Mark clapped his hands in the new revelation "I guess were both handling him now ey?"

"An Aussie union team" she agrees.

Everyone is buzzing with excitement and already voicing out how they are looking forward for next year. Although, the elephant in the room, is not yet being discussed, everyone has the same thing running in their head.

'What will happen once Sebastian finds this out that she is back?'

Under the table, Mick and Charles shakes hands with a hundred euro in between them. A silent bet with Mick betting on Sebastian to make a move while Charles votes on Y/N making the first move.

2019, Marina Bay Street Circuit

Margarette was five years old and she told countless times to her Papa that she can take good care of herself. It was not her first time to attend a Grand Prix so one could say that her confidence is off the roof. But now that she is lost in the sea of people in orange, green, and pink--little Margarette is close to tears.

She didn't even know how it happened. One second she was patiently waiting for her Papa to finish signing a fan's cap then she saw Uncle Nando pass and waved at him then her Papa is no where to be seen.

Although the plastic card that hangs around the neck guarantees her access to everywhere in the paddock, she still feel very anxious to be apart from her Papa. It didn't help that the cameras are flashing everywhere and the mechanics are rushing from one place to another.

"Xcuze me!" Margarette tried to stop one of the staffs again but they passed by her again.

The tears were coming out because of her frustration and anxiety when all of a sudden a gentle tap on her shoulder made her turn.

"Hey sweetie, you seem lost" the woman knelt down so she was at her eye-level "what are you doing here?"

With that, Margarette finally broke in tears and hugged the mystery woman. It felt so relieving to see someone that finally noticed her dilemma.

"Oh don't cry, there there" the woman comforted.

Margarette held her tightly, afraid that she will be lost without any companion again. The woman ushered them to the sides so they won't be bothered by any of the rushing crowds.

"I lost Papa, I had to find him pwease" Margarette managed to say despite her crying.

"I will help you find your Papa, your name is..." the woman flipped her the pass to reveal her name and her expression morphed into a shock.

"Margarette Vettel, your papa is Seb?"

The little girl nods her head. It was a common reaction especially since she knew that her Papa won 4 of the championships before. She assumes that the woman is another fan who knows her Papa.

"I'll make a few calls and get someone to get you back to Ferrari's garage, okay?" the woman assures as she pulls out her phone to dial someone.

Margarette knew that it was not okay to trust strangers. Her Papa warned her before about the dangers of telling strangers her name or being too comfortable with one. However, something about this woman is very familiar to her. She racks her mind while wiping her tears away. Maybe she seen her in some of the race TV before.

The woman eventually brings in Charles, her Papa's teammate, and she immediately leaped to hug him.

"There you are cheri, your Papa is so worried about you" Charles exclaimed.

"Papa where is Papa?"

"Your papa is in a meeting so I had to run for him" Charles answered and then directed to the woman "You sure, you don't want to take the credits of handing Margarette to Seb?"

"Not yet Charles" the woman replies "Go and get her back, Sebastian must be worried"

Charles held Margarette's hand and they were heading out back to the Ferrari garage when Margarette turned. Her father always tell that it was rude not to thank people for their kindness no matter how little or big the act was.

"Thank you Miss!" she waves brightly.

The woman smiles back at her and Margarette couldn't help but think that she was very pretty. She would definitely think her Papa would think the same way if he sees her. Margarette makes a mental note of her face so she will point her out to her Papa next time.

2019, Suzuka Circuit

There was a slight drizzle as Y/N walks the track, the sky was in a dreary tone of grey as if it was mourning. The bouquet she was carrying seems to get a little bit heavier with every step she takes. Even after all these years, it still feels unreal for her.

"Hey Jules" Y/N placed the flowers at the asphalt.

Today marks five years since that accident that took Jules away. She remembered how it felt sitting at the garage thinking that it was just a normal accident until she was informed that he wasn't moving. She remembered how she tried to sleep and think of it all as a bad dream but then she wakes up and everything is still happening.

"We miss you already" Y/N couldn't help her tears "I have so much to talk to you about and there is so much that you have missed"

She takes a sit at the track. It was her habit every year to come to Suzuka in October just to sit and talk about what is happening with life. Maybe in her mind, she was just back in the cafes of Monaco conversing with Jules and he never left.

Recounting all the happy memories from the months that have passed from Charles' first win in Spa and Monza to the latest gossips that Jenson passed to her.

"And you must be proud of me, I'm coming back to the track again"Y/N announced "Figured its about time for me to face the music and say hello to an old friend again"

Friend would be the least thing that she could have described Sebastian, he was definitely more than that.

"Sebastian seems to be just at arms length every time but it seems like the universe is not letting us meet. I don't know if that is some divine intervention that's telling me that I'm not supposed to meet him again or maybe I'm overcomplicating things..."

She smiles sadly at the flowers in front of her.

"You would have known what to tell me"

At the parking lot, just outside of the Suzuka track, Sebastian has just parked his car. He glanced at the sleeping Margarette at the back of the car and he gently shakes her awake.

"We here?" she groggily wonders.

"Yes, we are" Sebastian grins "It's time for you to meet someone very special"

Sebastian picks up the arrangement of white tulips while holding Margarette's hand with his other free hand. They are walking towards the entrance of the Suzuka circuit when he noticed a familiar face that seems to be waiting on someone.

"Uncle Mark!" Margarette waved at the Australian driver.

Mark seems to look at them as if they have grown two heads. He seems so shocked to see them standing there.

"What are you doing here?" Mark asked right away "Race isn't supposed to start until a few days later"

"Its Jules and I want Margarette to meet Uncle Jules" Sebastian coolly replies.

Despite the cool weather, Mark seems to be sweating as if under pressure. Sebastian have picked up these little habits from Mark after being his teammate for a while. He seems to be hiding something.

"Uncle Jules too Uncle Mark?" Margarette piped in.

"Yes but Seb we have to talk.."

Sebastian suddenly had the gears in his head turning upon realizing why Mark was here outside guarding. His heartbeat goes faster and it was like there was something within his reach.

"She's there, isn't she?"

One look and that's all it takes, Sebastian felt like his world was going too fast but at the same time it stands still. He felt like he wanted to just drop everything and find her.

"Go, I'll take care of Margarette" Mark encouraged and Sebastian didn't need to be told any further.

He runs down the circuit that he knows very well but this time not in his car but with his own feet. However, his speed seems a little too similar with the car with the way he is running. His cheeks are wet from the raindrops or maybe it was some tears running down his eyes.

It didn't take a long while before she comes to view. She was sitting down with an array of flowers, she seems solemn and talking to the ground. Her hair was more wavy and lighter than he used to remember but she was there. It was still her, after all these years.

"Y/N?"

[lnfours]

* ✰. — make a friendship bracelet

Maybe with "I can see you" ??

all i could think about was a workplace romance and this song and now i'm in my feels. also imma pretend like i didnt fall asleep while writing this last night

join the 11k celebration!

the mtc was packed, people gathered around for the annual car reveal. sponsorship spokesmen in their well pressed suits, reporters buzzing about the new car. you were sat in the back, smiling from afar as lando gave his opinions on the new improvements on stage.

he looked good, the new race suit complimenting him well. it brought you back to when you both had first met, almost a year ago, in this exact situation. he was the one who approached you first, intrigued by the new girl. and the rest was history.

the night progressed, people hanging back to talk to the drivers. you had met his eyes a couple times, sending each other small, knowing smiles. you took a sip of your drink, standing with oscar as you both observed the crowd.

you and the aussie had made small talk, talking to his girlfriend and how she eventually wanted to get in the formula one space. you gave her some pointers, telling her you'd vouch for her if it ever came to it.

"look who showed up," oscar laughed, his eyes looking behind you, "did zak make you talk to everyone?"

a small hand on your back let you know it was him. he squeezed your hip slightly. you reached your hand out, grabbing the small slip of paper from his hand.

"just about, yeah," lando said, moving to stand between you two, "if i talk about our plan to not start how we did last time, i'm going to lose my mind."

you laughed softly, placing your drink down, "i'm gonna use the bathroom, i'll be back."

they all nodded, lando's eyes following you as you walked out of the room longer than anyone else's. once you were away from the crowd, you pulled the note from your pocket, opening it to read it.

you look gorgeous tonight. meet you at mine tonight? - lan

[dozyarchive]

✦Open the Gates - Zach Bryan✦

Prompt: Isla Ricciardo is going to do what her father wasn't allowed to, and she'll do it by doing what she does best: Grabbing the bull by the horns.

I heard you died out in Cheyenne

With my mother’s ring on your hand

A note in your pocket said I love you till I die

2024 - Singapore

   Max stares at the Instagram post. Daniel’s back is plastered with the team logos, his helmet under his arm. He clicks off of Insta, moving to his contacts, scrolling quickly before tapping on one, a honey pot emoji being the only thing that distinguishes it.

   “Hey Maxie, great race!”

   “You’re really done, aren’t you?”

   A staticy silence follows his question. Max can see Daniel’s face, can imagine the red eyes and quivering lip.

   “I’m done.” It’s final and so heavy, the way Daniel says it. Max swallows, feeling his eyes start to burn.

   “What did Isla say?”

   “She threatened to put salt in Horner’s coffee and a spider in Helmut’s desk,” Daniel answers, a wet laugh accompanying. Max lets out a huffy laugh as well, imagining the young girl’s face. Her eyes would probably be blazing, the same fire as her father’s. 

   “I’m sorry that we failed you. I’m sorry we couldn’t give that championship to you,” Max chokes the words out, feeling a tear slip down his cheek. Speaking the words out loud feels like nailing the coffin shut.

   “You didn’t fail me Maxie, it was never you. It was just how things happened.” Daniel’s voice is also choked up, tight with emotions. “You were the best, are the best, teammate I ever had. I wouldn’t have changed us for a hundred championships.”

   Max laughs, letting the rest of the tears fall.

   “It’ll always be us, Daniel.”

   “Always, Maxie.”

I can hear the bulls are coming to claim what they've been huntin'

The son of a cowboy can't claim his daddy's right

2035 - Bahrain

   “History is being made today in the 2035 season, in a surprising place.”

   “I think it’s Her-story rather than history, right?”

   “I suppose you’re right. Isla Ricciardo, daughter of former F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, is making her F1 debut with her father’s old team, Red Bull Racing. And at a fresh 17 at that, the youngest since Max Verstappen.”

   “Something with Aussie blood, youngsters, and Red Bull, isn’t there? It’s astounding that the FIA signed off on that, by the way.”

   “Feels like it. Max Verstappen was 17. Mark Webber, Daniel Ricciardo, Oscar Piastri for a short stint, and if you wanted to count Liam Lawson you could.”

   “Isla continues that legacy, and is honoring her father with the number 3 placed on her car.”

   “Fans and other drivers alike are eagerly watching the youngster, wanting to see where she’ll go.”

  ---

   “Isla, how are you feeling ahead of your first race?”

   A familiar smile, warm eyes and curly hair. The splitting image of her father, Isla sat tall in her seat.

   “Excited, terrified, and feeling a bit insane. You know, the normal.”

   Soft laughter and a few smiles, but the other drivers can see her hands shake in her lap, knuckles pale from clenching the mic so hard.

   “Debuting as the first female F1 driver in nearly 50 years, and with a big name like Red Bull, what are your expectations for this season?”

   “Quite a loaded question, yeah? Anyway, I’ve not got any real expectations going into this. Not as a bad thing, but I’m just trying to come in blank. This is unprecedented in modern Formula 1. There’s been plenty of women in other aspects of the sport, but it’s been so long since a woman has driven in the sport. Not to mention, Red Bull has a bit of a taste for Aussie blood, yeah?”

   A few people let out awkward laughs, but most people know what she means. Mark Webber never got that championship trophy, nor did Daniel Ricciardo. Oscar Piastri got so close, but his two years in the team were just short. Isla was next in line.

And my baby, she's been cryin' at the thought of me dyin'

She knows there's no stopping a man and his foolish pride

2033 - Perth, Australia

   “You’re not changing your mind, are you?” Isla looks up at her boyfriend from the ground, hair falling in her eyes as she adjusts the suspension of her bike.

   “You know I’m not.”

   “And your dad’s ok with it?”

   Isla had heard the question a million times. Everyone wanted to know how her dad felt about her joining F1, but especially how he felt about her doing it with Red Bull.

   “He knows why I picked them.”

   Caleb doesn’t respond, but he sits down next to her, watching her as she works. They sit in silence for a while, the noise of the farm and metal clinking their background music.

   “Whatever happens, knock them dead. Make them remember you,” Caleb finally whispers, taking her hand in his. Isla gives him a smile, wide and sparkling.

   “That’s the only way.”

So, open the gates, I'm here to prove

I'm better than my father was

And where he came from, too

Open the gates, I'm here to ride To-hell-I-go, with daddy by my side

   “She qualified 12th in Bahrain, finished 10th. Now she qualifies 7th, and finishes 3rd! What a spectacular start to her racing career, Isla Ricciardo podiums in Australia!”

   “It’s been a long time since we’ve had an Aussie on the podium here, the last being Oscar Piastri in 2032. Australia has not been kind in the past, but it seems she has a soft spot for her daughter.”

   “P3 Isla, P3!”

   “**** yeah! That’s how we do it boys!”

   “Caleb’s trying not to cry, but your dad is.”

   “Sappy old man! I love them both.”

   “I’m sure Daniel is ecstatic for his daughter, what a fantastic performance.”

   “I’d certainly be proud as her father. Her driving has been nothing short of fantastic, and her style is very clearly reminiscent of Daniel’s.”

---

   Melbourne screams for her daughter as the day bleeds into night. Signs cover the city with Isla’s face plastered on them, her podium being rejoiced. Daniel smiles bright, wrinkles lining his eyes. The grey in his hair is noticeable under the club lighting, but he doesn’t really care. Isla is laughing and dancing with her friends and boyfriend.

   “She’s a mini badger.” Daniel turns to his left, laughing at the face he sees. Max is smiling at him, gin and tonic in hand and plain black t-shirt on. There’s less grey in his hair than there is in Daniel’s. For a second, it transports him back to their time as teammates.

   “She’s her father’s daughter, and watched a few too many of your old races. But I think she’s better than I ever was.” Max lightly shakes his head, but throws an arm around the man.

   “You were great Daniel. It was the team that failed you.”

   “She’ll be the one to break the curse.”

   “Mark is somewhere tossing a coin in a well.”

And I ain't never feared nothing that was four legged and buckin'

Throw me on a hurricane and I'll ride it to the coast

2022 - Australia

   Daniel watches from the pit wall as Isla speeds around the corner, her kart a neon blue flash. The orange and white of her helmet swivels a bit, eyes locked on the track in front of her.

   “She drives like you,” Max comments, leaning against the barrier. Daniel snorts, shaking his head.

   “That’s all you. I think she’s watched Val d’Argenton about 1000 times.” Max sighs and shakes his head, but the smile on his face betrays his real feelings.

   “She’s going to be a menace,” Max remarks, watching Isla take a corner, sharp and breaking late. Daniel hums, tensing a bit when she wobbles coming out of the turn.

   “She’s already a menace, not afraid of anything.” Daniel and Max look behind them to see Mark Webber approach. Daniel smiles at the older man, laughing a bit at the sarcasms in his voice.

   “Just like Max, yeah?”

   “You too, you terrorized the grid just as much,” Max retorts, poking Daniel in the side. Mark laughs at the exaggerated reaction from Daniel, settling against the barrier to the man’s right. They observe the blue, orange, and white blur of Isla’s kart, commenting on her lines and breaking times.

   “She’s going to be the one to make it,” Daniel finally says, quietly. His eyes are locked on his daughter, shoulders loose but fingers firmly clasped together.

   Max nods, humming. Mark looks over to the two. Daniel is leaning forward, against the low wall, but his leg is pressed against Max’s. Max has one foot hooked around Daniel’s leg, his hands in his pockets.

   “Where do you think she’ll go?” Max shrugs, but Daniel says nothing. There’s a fire in his eyes that’s familiar, reminds Mark of a day in 2017. 

   “She’ll jump right in, take the bull by the horns.”

  ---

2033 - Red Bull Ring, Hungary

   Max keeps his eyes glued to the navy F2 car as it flies by. The car is powerful, pushing Isla along the track with such force it’s shocking. A monster, a wild beast that forces one to put everything into controlling it. Dallara had outdone themselves this year. The cars were like storms, thundering through the tracks. 

   Quite a few of the F2 drivers had struggled with the power, scared to push it too much. Isla had no such qualms, squeezing every second and centimeter out of it. She had grabbed that metaphorical bull by the horns and ridden it hard, demolishing nearly every track she had been on.

   “Ricciardo has extended her lead by nearly 5 seconds within the past 5 laps, placing her a full 15 seconds ahead of second place! With three laps to go, we very well might be seeing a record breaking 5 race wins in a row for Isla Ricciardo!”

   “She reminds me of someone, you know?” Max doesn’t look at Christian, doesn’t want to even acknowledge the man. “She really is a mini Daniel. Her breaking zones are nearly identical.”

   “She learned from the best.” That’s Mark, who had been gracious enough to somewhat acknowledge the former team principal. Max snorts, but doesn’t comment.

   “Well, Max did leave with 9 championships, so I can see that.”

   “He was talking about Daniel,” Max finally remarks, eyes on the screen. Isla cuts through the chicane, barely tapping the break. She’s practically flying, holding steady in that monster of a car.

   “Of course,” Christian agrees, but it’s not very enthusiastic. Max gives him a mental side eye, and continues to watch Isla dominate the track.

   “With a record breaking 5 win streak, Isla Ricciardo wins the Hungarian F2 Grand Prix, leading with a 16 second gap!”

   The Campos garage erupts in cheers. It was her 5th win of the season, 9th career F2 win, but they were still as excited for her as they were after her first win.

   “Grab the bull by the horns indeed,” Mark murmurs, only loud enough for Max to hear. The younger lets a small smile slip, eyes crinkling as he sees Daniel’s face appear on the screen, eyes glassy and a smile so wide it looks like it hurts. 

You'll never know that your son came to do what you should've done

On a summer day a long time ago, top a bull named To-hell-I-go

2034 - London, UK

   Isla sits in the small coffee shop, pressed into a booth in the corner, a hot chocolate steaming in front of her. Across from her is a simple coffee, one sugar and one cream. She remembered the order, remembered a lot of the team’s orders, from helping run drinks between meetings.

   “Quite the place, Miss Isla.” She looks up, sees blue eyes that have hardly changed. A soft smile and wrinkles line his face.

   “It’s my favorite. It’s good to see you again, Adrian.” 

   Adrian Newey sits down in front of her, taking a sip of the drink. He huffs out a soft laugh, seemingly surprised it was just how he liked it. It had been at least 10 years since Isla had been running alongside one of the interns and getting their drinks, but she did have an impeccable memory.

   “I heard that you’re being considered for VCARB. How are you feeling?” Adrian looks her over. Isla is the spitting image of her father, the same brown eyes and regal nose, wild curls tumbling down her head.

   “I feel good. But that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Isla pulls a folder out of her bag and slides it to the man, voice low. Adrian takes it, pausing to see if there’s anything on the outside that could give him a clue as to the content of the folder. Nothing, so he opens it, and sucks in a sharp breath.

   The Red Bull logo hasn’t changed since 2024, still that iconic red and yellow, navy bordering it. 

   “Isla…” Adrian starts, eyes snapping up to the girl. And for a second, he sees another Red Bull driver in her eyes, in her demeanor. Max Verstappen, fresh faced at 16 and 17, stares right back at him.

   “I want to win,” she starts, fiddling with her bracelets. One is made of dark blue beads, a small metal star charm hanging from it. “I want to conquer the bull. I want to do what my dad wasn’t allowed to do, what Mark wasn’t able to do. And to do that, I need to take the bull by the horns. But you know the bull isn’t what it used to be.” 

   Isla slides him another paper. The format of a team contract is immediately recognizable. Adrian quietly goes over it, and Isla watches him.

   “I left 5 years ago, Isla. I’m not what I used to be,” Adrian speaks softly, but his eyes are still on the paper in front of him.

   “You are the best, Adrian. You created something nobody else has, and nobody has been able to come close to it. If I want to do this right, keep clear of the hooves and horns, I need you.” 

   Adrian looks up, finally, and sees such a fire in her eyes that it transports him back 20 years. To two men, boys really, clawing for a win, for something greater than they ever knew.

   “Give me a bull worth riding, Adrian.”

So, open the gates, I'm here to prove

I'm better than my father was

And where he came from, too

Open the gates, I'm here to ride To-hell-I-go, with daddy by my side

2034 - Milton Keynes, UK

   The look on GianPiero’s face when Isla came into the meeting room with Adrian Newey following her was one that she would never forget. Christian’s face was just as amusing, though he looked like he had seen a ghost. With Christian’s retirement (see: forced step back) and current position as advisor, he was privy to some of the contract negotiations, and that’s why she had brought Adrian with Her. GP was a fair team principal, but Horner still held far too much power.

   “Good evening, gentlemen,” Isla greets them cheerfully, shaking some of the other people’s hands and the two aforementioned men rebooted their brains.

   “Good evening Miss Ricciardo. Mr. Newey, I wasn’t aware you were part of her management team,” one of the women says, gesturing to their seats. Adrian pulls Isla’s seat out for her before sitting in his own. 

   “Oh, he’s not,” Isla responds, but doesn’t expand on it.

   “If he’s not part of your management team, I’m not sure he should be privy to contract negotiations.” Horner finally spoke, having found his voice. His eyes were locked on the older man, who was as composed as ever. It was a flashback to 2021, when Max won his first championship, seeing him again.

   “On the contrary, I have an excellent reason for him to be here. Adrian, if you will,” Isla looks at the older man. Her eyes are steady, holding a burning ember in them, ready to spark into a roaring fire at any second. Truly her father’s daughter, Adrian notes.

   “It’s been a while since I left F1, not to mention Red Bull,” he begins, pulling out a folder and sliding in towards GP. “I created a masterpiece here, for Max. And another one, for Yuki in Aston Martin. However, my biggest regret was not being able to do the same for Daniel Ricciardo.” GP picks up the folder, opening it with bated breath. His eyes grow wide once he sees two things: A contract, and the beginnings of a blueprint.

   “I want to correct that mistake, however I can.” Christian stares at the contract as well, before his eyes lock onto Isla. Daniel stares back at him, in 2018, in 2022.

   “I know it’s customary for a new driver to start in a sister team, or a mid-field, but I have a proposal for you,” Isla starts, eyes locked onto GP. “Give me a seat at Red Bull, and I will bring back the greatest engineer and F1 car designer history has ever known.”

   GP stares at her for a second, before looking back at the car blueprint. Finally, he sets it on the table and leans back in his seat, closing his eyes for a second.

   “Isla Ricciardo, you are every bit your father’s child,” he remarks, sitting forward again. He had watched Isla grow up in the paddock, even after Daniel had left. She was glued to Max, or running around with Oscar, and even Jack at one point. She was a child of the circuits, sharp corners and no breaks, smart as whip and ready to tackle everything.

   “It’s the only way I know how to be,” she smiles, and it’s Daniel’s smile.

   “Let’s make history, Isla.”

Will I die out in Cheyenne with my baby there cryin'?

In a belly that's been growin' by the day

And I know that my son will do what his father should've done

A long, long time ago on a bull named To-hell-I-go

2035 - Singapore

   Singapore was as glittery as Daniel remembered. Isla’s helmet was no exception, a sparkling iridescent white and blue helmet, made to look like a set of constellations. On the back, a honey badger made out of twinkling stars.

   “Isla Ricciardo rounds off our last free practice, finishing first in all three. She has been absolutely on fire this weekend!” Jenson was here this weekend, Nico by his side. 

   “With that monster of a car, it’s no surprise she’s doing so well. Bringing Adrian Newey out of retirement was quite a move, and back to Red Bull at that? Isla Ricciardo is something different.”

   Daniel has to agree. His girl was something indescribable, a force of nature. She was the glimmering hope for the future and the warped mirror of the past, shattered glass sparkling like stars.

   “You know, she’s had a personal vendetta against this track.” Daniel looks over to Caleb. He’s got a Red Bull themed hoodie, the name Ricciardo stretching across the back. Isla’s logo, a shooting star, and a number three, sit right over his heart.

   “I know, which is funny, because she loves the helmets,” Daniel laughs. Caleb snorts, laughing a bit as well. “Where’s Cheyenne?”

   “Isabella stole him, said she was going to find Ollie and introduce the two.” Of course Daniel’s niece has stolen her cousin’s cat and decided the first person to meet him would be Oliver Bearman. Max and Charles would be proud.

   “What’s your prediction, for the race?” Caleb asks him, squinting at the glaring track lights. Daniel hums, watching the paddock pass by. It was so eerily similar, but so different now. Like looking in a well, your reflection is a bit distorted.

   “Grand slam. She’ll get pole, and lead the entire time.” Caleb raises an eyebrow, a bit surprised.

   “That’s a lot.” Daniel smiles, a little crooked.

   “It’s what she’ll want. This is where everything changed.”

   Caleb looks at him for a moment. Daniel’s hair has grey and white sprinkled through it, his curls a little less uniform now, shaggier with age. He has wrinkles in the corner of his eyes, some small ones around his mouth. His hands are rough, days on the farm and motorbikes shaping them. He stands a little less tall, less world shaking.

   This version of Daniel Ricciardo wasn’t the F1 driver, the Honey Badger. This was Daniel Ricciardo, retired driver, father of Isla Ricciardo. This was Danny, the man from Perth with a knack for fixing motorbikes and a loud laugh. 

   “She did what she said she would. Grabbed the bull by the horns.”

So, open the gates, he's here to prove

He's better than his father was

And where he came from too

Open the gates he's here to ride To-hell-I-go's calf

The daddy by his side

2052 - Abu Dhabi, 

   Fireworks filled the sky as the first of the cars crossed the finish line. A blur of navy blue, white, yellow and red. Cheering from the Red Bull garage, the noise was enough to deafen everyone.

   “Isla Ricciardo, for the 10th year in a row, you are the world champion!”

   “**** yeah, that’s how you do it!”

   “Isla Ricciardo has made history, ever since her introduction to F1. First female driver in nearly 50 years, brought Adrian Newey back from retirement, won the championship in the first year and became the first Australian driver to win the championship in 55 years. Breaking Max Verstappen’s 9 championships, she has been nothing short of a miracle, made for the track.”

   “You’ve done it, sweetheart, you’ve done it again.”

   “Did it for you, dad. All for you.”

   Daniel watched his daughter grow over the past 35 years, from a baby babbling whenever she heard the sound of an engine, to a tike begging him for a kart, to a young teen racing around the F3 and F2 tracks, to getting into F1. Now, at 35, she was making history before their eyes. 

   Isla Ricciardo was an earth shaker. She was stardust and comets conformed into a girl with wild hair and a bright smile. She was all his hopes and dreams, past and present, shattered and realized, given life and a name. And Isla Ricciardo did what he never could, and did it with him by her side.

---

2056 - Perth, Australia

   “Isla Ricciardo, 13 time Formula One world champion, current team principal of Red Bull Racing. Daughter of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. First female world champion. Those are some hefty titles.” Isla smiles at the interviewer. Isaac smiles back at her. He was ecstatic, to be interviewing his cousin for such a monumental moment. They’re sitting in her office in Milton Keynes, newly appointed.

   “And mother to one Cheyenne Ricciardo-St. Luis,” she adds, hand settling on her stomach, rounded with a daughter.

   “Of course, how could we forget? Your announcement made the internet explode,” Isaac laughs, remembering the calls he got after Isla made her statement at the end of the 2055 season.

   “How are you feeling, coming into your first season as Red Bull’s team principal? There’s a lot of expectations, going forward.”

   Isla nods, thinking quietly for a moment. She takes a deep breath, eyes drifting to a picture she had hung up on the wall. It was of her, her fathers, boyfriend, and family. Isla was 18, fresh faced in her rookie year.

   “I feel ready. I’ve been in the sport since I was born. I watched empires rise and crumble, legacies made and fizzle out before they could even begin. I know what I need to do, what I should do.” Isaac nods, writing her answer down.

   “What is your plan going forward? You have a rookie and an experienced driver in Matthew Stallworth and Luciel Dawes, both which have proven to be formidable on track. You and Luciel have had some legendary fights throughout your careers, like the 2052 season.”

   “Yes, Luciel has been a wonderful opponent. She’s methodical and sharp, very observant. That’s why I wanted to sign her. And Matthew is just as good, though there’s room for him to grow. His potential is there, and we just need to make sure he has every resource for him to flourish.”

   “How are you planning to approach the car? After the passing of the late Adrian Newey in 2054, may he rest in peace, the Red Bull has begun to look like it did in 2026 and 2027, less combative.”

   Isla smiles, a little sadly. She missed Adrian, his presence something she had grown to love.

   “Adrian has been dearly missed, not just in the technical and team aspects, but as a person. But, he’s left us with a gift. When he came back to Red Bull with me, he started taking someone under his wing. Solana Abrams has been instrumental in our growth as a team, and I am confident that we’ll be able to move forward and reclaim our position.”

   “We’ve seen Miss Abrams’s skill quite a lot in Toro Rosso, with her giving them a wonderful car for the past 5 years, making them one of the top 5 teams. What is your approach going to be, for this transition? How are you going to claim that top spot back?”

   Isla gives the camera a wide smile, slightly crooked, but bright. She looks like Daniel, like he did when he was racing, with a fire in his eyes.

   “We’ll do what we always do.” Isaac smiles back, laughing a bit. He knows exactly what she means, had seen her do it his entire life.

   “And what is that?”

   “We’ll grab the bull by the horns, and open the gate.”

A/N. This was probably one of the most fun things to write ever. Thank you to comets for hyping me up, and to losargeant on TikTok for giving us the Oscar edit that inspired all of this. Zach Bryan songs and Daniel Ricciardo are forever intertwined for me.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy! Please check out my Masterlist for any of my other works!

[dr3amfyr-e]

hello! may i request a “the heirs of the dragon” please

my name is kayla, i’m 24, scorpio, infp, aussie.

i spend most of my time reading, listening to music, watching crime shows, or making hotd edits.

I’m more of a listen than a talker. i like the silence, to enjoy the environment i’m in, especially if i’m outside, love to be apart of nature.

huge animal person, especially cats!

very much into the occult. i also love ancient history!

i feel very deeply, even when i don’t show it. my intuition is very strong. i often see and feel things other don’t.

i hold a lot of responsibility in my household

ocd gang!

not sure what else to say

thank you 🪻

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ dr3amfyr-e celebration !

hihi! i would ship u with cregan stark!!

cregan is also quiet, and i know that everyone's always like 'oh date your opposite' but i disagree!! we saw francesca and john in beridgerton, two quiet people can be perfectly content!! :3 winterfell has soooo much to observe, and you said you like the quiet to enjoy your environment so its perf! cute little dates where u and cregan walk winterfell's halls arm-in-arm. mostly quiet, looking at the ancient stonework. every once in a while he pipes up to tell you a little detail of the construction. omgomg i'm obsessed i'm jelous of you

if you like the outdoors he would extend his little escapade efforts to the outdoors. he takes you to the gods wood, to let you bask in the abundent natural beauty of the snowy landscape. he'll take you to wintertown, let you listen to all of the vendors talk about their goods and family businesses.

i think cregan is also a big animal person!! my fav cregan headcanon, actually. he loves the outdoors, he loves animals. i choose to believe that he doesn't hunt (I KNOW this is directly disproven by canonical evidence in the book. let me have it PLEASE.) he'll introduce you to his direwolf, and his horse! he loves his horse, it isn't just a horse in the stables its his horse. omg but imagine taking in the stray cats that live in the stables. its too cold for them, they're just babies!! his wolf will just have to get used to them. he claims hes not a cat person, but you look over one night and its curled up on his lap and they're both alseep by the fire.

i think cregan would be so good with an empathetic, intuitive person who feels deeply. he seems like an emotionally sound person, he would be a good listener to vent your worries and feelings to. and he'd never judge you for your emotions! its just not in his nature. and hes SOOO good with ocd, so good at grounding and reassuring you.

⊱⚘𑁍⚘⊰⊱⚘𑁍⚘⊰⊱⚘𑁍⚘⊰⊱⚘𑁍⚘⊰⊱⚘𑁍⚘⊰⊱⚘𑁍⚘⊰⊱⚘𑁍⚘⊰⊱⚘𑁍⚘⊰

𓃚 ♫ જ⁀➴ suite médiévale, op. 56: tiento - jean langlais

[zahri-melitor]

Reading Digger Harkness as an Aussie: why he’s specifically written to wind me up, the undercurrents of many of his appearances, and why he’s voting No in the Voice referendum.

(Okay if you know ANYTHING about Digger and about the Voice you already knew that, but making this current-relevant!)

George “Digger” Harkness is Captain Boomerang. He’s traditionally written by DC to be specifically, deliberately annoying and disliked. Due to this he’s simultaneously quite cleverly written while also being the laziest character stereotype imaginable.

One of the things that drives me up the wall every time I read him in a book is that due to a clash of a few things in his character design, the subtext he’s evolved over time is remarkably complex, but also geared to make me despise him. Also I can’t tell how much of it is deliberate on the writer’s part.

The first thing you need to understand is that Harkness is very specifically putting on a level of Australianness for his audience (the usually American characters around him). The fascinating thing in this is that, unusually for this trope, his writers are often aware he’s doing this. The common term for this is ‘ocker’. You can notice this in the language he uses: it’s specifically peppered with ‘Australian’ words and phrases.

Now this is a pretty common thing for writers to do to demonstrate a character is Australian. It sounds like someone trying to write Crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin. However, to my ear (and years of putting up with this), the way it’s done for Digger is…off. It’s not the standard terrible way it’s used in American media, but it’s equally not written naturally for how an Australian who natively speaks ocker/broad would use it. Digger’s playing it up, and he’s playing it up badly. (the closest comparison I can make than an Australian might understand is he sounds more like Russell Coight than Steve Irwin, with all that implies) He wants people to think he’s an Australian stereotype.

Heck, let’s break down his name for a demonstration of this.

Captain Boomerang: this is a very, very, loaded name. Digger’s specifically racist, and he’s racist in a very White Australia Policy sort of way. The writers are aware he’s racist. He uses a boomerang as a symbol as he’s Australian (surface level) but they’re also specifically drawn as white a lot of the time, both in his costume and in the weapons themselves. They’re not plain wood or decorated with traditional art. They’re white. He has a history of making boomerangs and promoting them in Australia for sale, as a white guy, which is uhhhh Not Great. He’s assumed a traditional piece of Australian Aboriginal weaponry and culture as his own, and he’s painted it white. He’s asserting that it’s his culture now and has stripped it of its traditional meaning. (Also his boomerangs often don’t come back, and have sharpened edges and are used wrongly). He doesn’t like Black People ™ but also uses a weapon specifically associated with an oppressed minority in his place of origin. The white supremacy attitude is very much coded in.

“Digger” as a nickname: oh the way this clashes and interacts with the fact he uses ‘Captain’ as a title! Digger as a term is a general nickname for Australian Army soldiers. It comes from the Gallipoli landings and the trenches of World War I. By using it as his nickname, Harkness is evoking a whole HOST of imagery and specifically nationalist cultural imagery surrounding Gallipoli as a ‘birthplace’ of Australian identity, something that’s been weaponised particularly by the Australian political right for the past 30 years as a national symbol. In the stories that a country tells itself about who they are, Harkness is evoking a very major one and also one that can read as quite toxic if not done carefully. (if you need a quick entry to the way the nickname makes me wince, look up ‘Cronulla Riots’. That’s the sort of person his name is evoking for me) The other problem on top of this – this is a soldier’s nickname. Harkness has never been in the Australian military (as far as I can tell). Combined with the fact he uses the title of ‘Captain’, he’s suggesting he’s got a military background that he 100% does not have. He’s a giant hypocrite. Now being part of the military in Australia reads differently to being part of the military in the USA, in how society sees it, but this is still not on. It’s not a natural nickname for an Australian to have, in his circumstances. It doesn’t even make sense as a traditional ironic nickname given by his friends. Which means he picked it himself. And for that style of nickname…choosing your own? That’s considered to be poor form and trying way too hard. (And nicknames are culturally important! For the personality Harkness is trying to present to his audience, he SHOULD have a nickname like this. My father’s is ‘Bones’, for instance. But choosing your own, and choosing one that implies traits that are not yours to display? Really really bad form)

Basically in summary, Harkness is very much coded in a lot of ways to essentially be the Australian equivalent of someone who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. With that sort of view of his home country.

What is fascinating is that when Harkness interacts with other Australian characters, they do not like him, so the writers are aware that he’s been written to be this level of objectionable.

Now, some of this coding in his character has just accumulated over 60+ years as stereotypes have evolved and things have become ever more socially unacceptable. But the interesting thing here is that the writers ACKNOWLEDGE that unacceptable behaviour from Harkness.

I hate him so much. And I also want to fix his dialogue, which suffers from being written by Americans, to include a bunch more extremely country ocker sayings. He NEEDS to be saying things like “stone the flaming crows” and “fair shake of the sauce bottle” and “flat out like a lizard drinking” and “I didn’t come here to fuck spiders”. Because he’s putting it on. And these are the sort of things he’d lean in to to convey that level of “oh I’m not from around here, I am quoting Crocodile Dundee at you but you didn’t even realise” that he’s written to have.

[rabbitcruiser]

Hug an Australian Day

Spread a little love around the world by participating in Hug an Australian Day. Show some appreciation to an Aussie in your life, or plan a trip!

In hindsight, Men at Work’s Down Under was a pretty average song. Thankfully, the country has provided so much more over the years. Hug an Australian Day is a perfect time to show gratitude and appreciation while simultaneously spreading a little love across the world. In a world where people are often made to feel more divided than ever, the simple gesture can make a huge impact.

Like throwing a boomerang, the good vibes will return very quickly. Aside from participants living or vacationing in Perth, Melbourne et al. Hug an Australian Day needn’t impact the entire day either. It’s fun, simple, and an event that everyone can join regardless of where they are.

It’s certain to be a g’day for everyone involved.

Learn about Hug an Australian Day

The concept of Hug an Australian Day is truly as simple as it sounds. Hugs are a friendly signal of affection that is scientifically shown to have a positive psychological effect on both parties. Whether from a loved one or a stranger, a quick and kind embrace can significantly enhance a person’s day. Hug an Australian Day allows participants to enjoy those rewards while also feeling that they are taking part of a social event. And, let’s not ignore the fact that it’s great social media content too.

Hug an Australian Day isn’t limited to Australians by birth and current Australian citizens. Australians that have emigrated count. Individuals with Australian heritage count. Even people that have married into an Australian family tick the box. Ultimately, the annual celebration is just a bit of fun that encourages people to connect with each other while simultaneously promoting positive vibes and a little gratitude towards the country that provided so many great pop culture icons.

Every hug is a step towards repairing the damage that Bart Simpson caused when dropping his pants to the Aussie government anyway…

Hugs are ultimately a physically symbolic gesture that represents love for Australia’s culture and people. Those sentiments can quickly grow by showing an interest. Talking about kangaroos and koala bears is great. Meanwhile, it’s a great opportunity to enjoy a little banter by explaining that Tim Tams will never reach the standards of Twinkies.

Hug an Australian Day could equally be known as “Show Some Love and Appreciation to Australian Friends Day”. Wouldn’t like quite as good on a t-shirt, though, would it? Likewise, very few people would be interested in typing out that URL.

History of Hug an Australian Day

Despite being a fun and lighthearted celebration, Hug an Australian Day is actually a copyrighted holiday. The annual event was launched by Thomas and Ruth Roy, who are the co-founders of Wellcat.com too. The couple are behind dozens of fun and crazy events and vacation ideas like The Monitor Liberation Day, Answer Your Cat’s Question Day, Yell ‘Fudge’ at the Cobras in North America Day, Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day, and more. So, the Australian-hugging day is actually a pretty tame idea by their standards.

The day was launched by the pair simply with the humble goal “to show our great appreciation for all the love and support the Aussies have given us over the years” and has grown at a rapid rate in conjunction with one of the most popular times in the year for visiting the land Down Under. It started out relatively small scale but has gained major press in recent years while the word has spread particularly fast on social media and other online channels.

Participants of the annual event are advised to spoil Australian friends with Koala bear or kangaroo toys and imported snacks. However, it’s a great excuse for individuals to stock up on those items for themselves. As well as a day of appreciation, it can be a day of discovery. The day is also a family-friendly event that enables kids to teach their kid about all things Australia too – thank the internet gods for YouTube.

The day is now celebrated by millions of people across several countries and continents while it additionally gains a fair level of interest in Australia too. The history of the celebration is still in its infancy, but there’s no doubt that people are increasingly aware of everything the day stands for.

How to celebrate Hug an Australian Day

There’s no prizes for guessing the answer to this one. The clue is in the title; hugging an Australian is the best way to celebrate by far. Anyone thinking it’ll be Kylie should be so Lucky, Lucky, Lucky, but it shouldn’t take long to find a friend, colleague, or distant relative that fits the bill.

Anyone wanting to capture the magic of the Australian fixation of the 1980s can build their day’s activities around all things Australian. Whack on the Kylie CD, watch Crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin, open a tin of Foster’s or Castlemaine XXXX, and go play with a boomerang in the garden. Hug an Australian Day does require an Ozzie to complete the obvious task. However, it is possible to celebrate the people and culture of the land Down Under all alone if preferred – or with non-Australian friends.

Others will create artistic homages to Australia or wear the flag, potentially as a face paint design. Whichever way it is celebrated, the #HuganAustralianDay hashtag will trend on social media throughout the day.

Australia is a highly popular once-in-a-lifetime holiday destination too. When combined with the pleasant climate and off-peak pricing, an increasing number of people plan their visits to Australia around the event. The atmosphere on the day itself is certain to be a winner, while the memories created during that time exploring the Outback are incredible.

There’s no one right or wrong way to celebrate the annual event. However, it is important to take the feelings of the recipients into account. The universally accepted protocol is to say “happy Hug an Australian Day” before asking whether they’re happy to be hugged. Simple.

Source

[focusontheheart]

Meet the Team - Pseu

You can also find @picksleydust on: Twitter @ pseuboo

Ahoy friends, from the Land Down Under. I’m a fandom artist who spends my days as a barista and painter and nights hunched over my computer drawing or my ps5 playing something. Should I get more sleep? Yes. But we all know it doesn’t work like that. In 2017 a good friend of mine was constantly insisting I had to play Horizon, and that I would enjoy it, but I was so down the BotW rabbit-hole I was a bit blinkered. I also didn’t have my own PlayStation. But in the year 2020, my then GF had a PS4 she wasn’t using and let me borrow it and that’s when I played Zero Dawn. I adored it and the story but I never fell into fandom because I personally didn’t see Aloy with anyone in the first game (maybe Petra…?) and so I continued on until I caught the Spicy Cough on the release week of HFW and played it endlessly while hacking up my soul. And of course, at one point I was sucker punched by my sweet, earnest and rather poetic Marshal of the Tenakth and the rest is history.

See the Q&A with Pseu below the cut!

Q: What is a favorite piece of work you've done (i.e. completed, working on, in concept)?

I think my commissions and my comic adjacent pieces are my faves, but honestly, I don’t think I’m the best to judge, I can be a little harsh on myself. Most of my work is inspired by the strange goings on in the different channels over on the Kotaloy Server. I really enjoy drawing facial expressions and fun poses as well as funny comics and tableaus that amuse me.

Q: What are some of your favorite tropes to write, draw, or read?

My old desire for enemies to lovers is strong, but this fandom has further kindled a love for subservient men who love their feral wives. I’m also very keen on accidental marriage and “oh no there’s one bed” tropes, but who isn’t >_>

To draw? I’m basically one big rubber arm, if you can make it appeal to me then I will draw it with gusto.

Q: What is an unexpected thing or fun fact about you?

I live in one of the HOT parts of Australia but I’m originally from the frigid Northern hemisphere in Scotland. Ironically though, I feel like it was my destiny to be Aussie. I love beaches (including the sand), hot weather and vegemite with all my heart.

Q: What has been your favorite thing about working on this project so far?

Honestly, I have really enjoyed working on the sprites for this game.  My main inspiration here is the other incredible artists and writers in this fandom. I’ve never been part of such a kind and encouraging one before and while I can only speak for the Kotaloy crew, I have found a frankly staggering number of amazing people in the general fandom. Y’all keep me going, I swear.

[superm4ks]

Really liked your view on rb19, what are your favourite f1 cars oat?

🏎️ mclaren mp4/4 aka the prost vs senna baddie aka tobacco industry win aka real mclaren weapon let me tell u something

this girl had the color scheme she had the engine she had the chassis her twins ((prost and senna)) big like tia tamera she just had everything going for her. won all but one race and pole position. You think rb19 is the king take ur ass back to 1988 and watch the queen conquer

🏎️ ferrari f2002 aka literally 🏎️ and ik ur thinking why not just go for that final ass whooping and pick the 🏎️ f2004 but as dominant and historical as that machine was I think theres a certain like lovecraftian horror that comes wid this prancing bitch that gotta be acknowledged

Ferrari unleashed this mf like 2 races into the season ((hilarious btw like imagine not even updating your car on time f1 is dumb now but it used to be STUPID fr)) What she and schumacher did together was slow and violent. I tried to watch this season once bro nearly fell into coma worse than watching paint dry so naturally I LOVE her

🏎️ haas vf-19

mind your business

🏎️ red bull rb6 aka luscious liz aka randy mandy

again ik what ur thinking. why not pole queen 🏎️rb7 or the Pirelli golden girl 🏎️rb9?? and I SAY that this heinous fucking clown looks like she came in a cereal box, her drivers had 1 toro rosso beanie and a single grit of aussie to their name and yet together they jumpstarted the first energy drink dominant run in f1

🏎️ mercedes w07 aka DIVORCE babes divorce

THEE equal machine in question. she was equal. she was a machine. she sat down wid the president of f1 and she said i wanna make history. a total of +765 constructor points. -1 friendship. -1 nico rosberg. oh her numbers are STAGGERING honey. The second most dominant Formula One car in the history of the sport after mclarens Marlboro ad

🏎️ ✈️ mercedes w11 aka james alison's commercial airplane.

A SERIOUS GERMAN MAN who broke ferrari's constructor championships record and still holds multiple track records that will prolly never get licked at again. Baby supermaks first season and my first time seeing lewis hamilton at work and it got me thru a global pandemic lmfao. A triumph of engineering and mechanical grip and a very much illegal one. The best kind

🏎️ rb19 aka are you not entertained

car and driver both seen wearing a tshirt that says ‘this machine kills Motorsport’. God bless and goonite

[racefortheironthrone]

Do you have any recommendations on where to start reading X-Men comics? I've always found the idea and the characters interesting but the massive amount of content has felt intimidating to say the least.

Sure. Let me update my old recommendations:

First, it's really hard to go wrong with the Claremont run. Marvel Unlimited makes it pretty easy: start with Giant-Size X-Men #1 and then that goes straight into X-Men #94 and, after a few issues where a novice writer in his mid-20s is figuring out how it works, it's all hits for 180-odd issues. However, you don't have to read all 180 issues in one go, and I highly encourage you to treat the Claremont run as a series of interconnected stories that can be enjoyed on their own, a little bit like riding a scenic trolley with a daily fare that lets you hop on and hop off as you please. So what are the classic Claremont stories you should read?

The Phoenix Saga and the Dark Phoenix Saga (#94-138)- ignore the lousy movies, this is the original dyptich space opera triumph and tragedy of how one woman saves the universe with the transcendent power of love and Jewish mysticism, and then is destroyed by men's desire to harness godlike power for their selfish ends. If you're going to read anything of the classics, read this arc because it's brilliant and it'll give you the basics of what you need to know about the X-Men.

Days of Future Past (#141-142)- only two issues, but it's basically the inspiration for the original Terminator franchise - a desperate resistance from a dystopian future where robotic overlords oppress surviving humanity uses time travel to avert their own timeline from ever coming to pass. It's fantastic.

God Loves, Man Kills (Marvel Graphic Novel #5) - the basis for the best bits of X2, it's some of Chris Claremont's best work on the mutant metaphor and a prescient exploration of the power of evangelical religion. Some of the racial politics haven't aged the best since the early 80s, but the rest is straight fire.

The Brood Saga (#154-167) - Chris Claremont watched the Aliens movies and thought "but what if the X-Men fought the Xenomorphs?" and it was awesome. Interesting explorations of when it's right to kill even a lifeform one considers to be evil, the moral quandary of suicide, and space whales.

From the Ashes (#168-179)- meet the Morlocks, is Madelyne Pryor the resurrected Jean Grey, Wolverine goes to Japan - will he marry the head of the Yakuza?, and the intended retirement of Cyclops. Also, some of the best art in the history of the X-Men.

LifeDeath (#186) - Storm loses her powers and learns how to keep on living. Some of Claremont's best writing, and some great Barry Windsor-Smith art.

The Trial of Magneto (#200) - Magneto is put on trial for crimes against humanity. Xavier almost dies and makes Magneto his replacement.

The Mutant Massacre (#210-214) - the first major X-Men crossover and the beginning of the X-Men's time as outlaws on the run. Signals a shift towards darker and more adult themes.

Fall of the Mutants (#220-227) - the X-Men die for our sins and are reborn as Aussies.

Inferno (#239-243) - Madelyn Pryor enacts a Medean programme to revenge herself against a world that treated her as a "nothing person in a nowhere place."

Second, you can read Grant Morrison's run on New X-Men (#114-154), which was both revolutionary in its approach to mutantkind as a minority subculture and was intended by Morrison to be the very last X-Men story. Incredibly influential and powerful writing, even if I don't always agree with their characterizations.

Third, there is a reason why Connor Goldsmith of Cerebrocast calls it "the 2019 soft reboot House of X and Powers of X by writer Jonathan Hickman." HOXPOX requires a bare minimum of knowledge about the X-Men, and it entirely redirected the focus of the X-line and the mutant metaphor itself for the last five years - and, whatever happens in the upcoming Fall of X, will continue to be influential on the future direction of the X-Men for years to come through the X-slack writers' room, which created a collaborative spirit that hasn't existed in X-comics since Chris Claremont was palling around the Lower East Side with Anne Nocenti and Walt & Weezy Simonson.

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

What's up, everyone? How are things? Does everyone know what today is? Today is a very special day! Today is Christmas for Kitson Fans!

Or at least, that's how it feels. For a start, it's the first day of the new run of Kitson's morning radio show. Monday-Thursday, for I think three weeks, he's going to broadcast from Resonance FM in London from 7-9 AM, playing old CDs and talking shit, like he normally does. Anyone who wants to follow that can use the podcast feed here:

The first episode of the current run is #55 on that list of episodes - episode 1-54 are from previous runs (in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2023). You can also find those episodes, and a whole bunch more stuff, at classickitson.com:

Credit to my amazing friend who lives in London for the classickitson website, and for recording and uploading all those radio episodes, including the ones from this year. I helped with some organization of the back catalogue, and with making edits/track lists of some of the old episodes, but it's mostly up there thanks to the efforts of my friend, his work in collecting over the years.

And that brings me to the next reason why this is Christmas for Kitson fans - we've just been gifted some new back catalogue radio episodes for the archive! Four new episodes from the Triple R Graveyard 2006 run, which I think will round out that collection. We only had one of those, but adding these other four makes five, and I think there were only five episodes in that run. The archive's collections of 2007 and 2008 Triple R runs are also complete, as are the old Resonance runs, so this means we have pretty much everything, besides 2005. 2005, when I know he did a Triple R Graveyard run that contained at least one Chris Addison episode and one Demetri Martin/DO'D episode, so if anyone happens to have those and has been holding out on me until now, do let us know.

However! Missing 2005 files aside, I am so fucking excited to jump into these 4 new episodes. The old Triple R runs are probably my favourite Kitson radio things, they're pretty much a central piece of Chocolate Milk Gang history. And this new batch contains three episodes with Aussie comedians as guests, and one with David and Claudia O'Doherty that I didn't previously have. I did previously have about four other DO'D+CO'D episodes, from several years, and they are all fucking excellent. I absolutely cannot wait to hear more. A rare primary source recording of CMG history that I did not previously have my hands on, and now do have my hands on, and that is why today feels like Christmas.

And yet, there is more. My London friend who made the radio archive has also been working on a larger archive, tracking all Daniel Kitson's shows since his debut hour in 2001, with notes like when and where they were performed, promo blurbs and images, etc. It's a really really cool project and I've been contributing to it wherever I can with info I've collected, but my friend's the one doing all the work of putting this stuff together and getting it up online. It's such a brilliant idea, an archive of Daniel Kitson's work. What a cool thought. It's odd that no one else has had that idea.

...Oh wait, someone has. This morning on my way to work, I got an email from Kitson's mailing list, alerting me to the fact that Daniel Kitson himself has stolen my friend's idea to build a Kitson archive.

Jesus Fucking God Damn Fuck. Is what I tried desperately to only say in my head, and not out loud, as I sat on the bus and read that this morning. I instantly purchased the lifetime membership of course, while on that bus. Because I have always said that I can morally justify taking comedy recordings for free, but only if there isn't a way for me to pay the artist directly for that same comedy, and if such a way does become available, I will pay for it immediately. In this case... I've got to admit, I owe Kitson a hell of a lot. When given the opportunity to pay him 85 pounds, I figured that's the least I owe him, for the amount of his comedy that I've previously found for free, because it couldn't be purchased anywhere. I'm not confident that the lifetime memberships will end up being worth more than a yearly membership, because I'm definitely not confident that Kitson will keep this up for more than a year, before he gets bored and/or forgets about it. But still, he's got my lifetime membership money.

Anyway. Jesus Fucking God Damn Fuck. The two most exciting things on the list of stuff to be released are Something, and Love Innocence and the Word Cock, because those are two very rare Kitson stand-up hours that I've not heard. In fact, I think they're his only stand-up hours I've not heard. They were performed in 2002 and 2001 respectively, before Kitson bootlegging became quite so common.

But he's referenced so much other exciting stuff in that post. "[O]bscure snippets of stuff from a million years ago i’ve recently found on VHS, Mini DV, CD and Minidisc" - that quote alone, Kitson even suggesting he might release what that quote describes - would be enough to declare this a national holiday for Chocolate Milk Gang historians. "Poster art, backstage photographs, notebook pages and perhaps full, annotated, scripts" - and that bit confirms that it is also Christmas for the Kitson archivists, such as my extremely dedicated London friend, and myself in my efforts to contribute what I can.

An officially recorded version of the legendary 66A Church Road show and C90? A film of Outside? Some vague "audio storytelling" that might be Pith repackaged or might be Trifle repackaged or might be, knowing him, an electronic 12-part rock opera where he's composed and played all the music on his synth. It could be anything, we're all excited to find out!

Merry Christmas, everyone. What a fucking day.

[paulagnewart]

RIP Pauline Newstone

10th December marked 25 years since the Beast Wars episode Other Visits: Part 2 aired on Australian TV. Taking a moment to reflect, I vividly remember watching it (along with much of that season) on a small wall-mounted TV in a dimly-lit hospital waiting room. Hardly my idea of a grand way to spend multiple afternoons, but the prospect of more checkups and needles paled compared to the swelling dread of how, as the credits rolled, I might never see my favourite character again.

When Candice Santora announced three days later that Airazor's voice actor Pauline Newstone had passed away, that all-too familiar dread seeped its way back.

Beast Wars was far from my first foray into the world of those warrior Robots in Disguise, but certainly played an integral part of my life during the latter half of the 90's. Its writing and expansion of the Transformers history was captivating, its animation at the time second-to-none, and its voice acting nothing short of immaculate. Vancouver's finest breathed life into what could've easily been written off as another 20 minute toy commercial, but it excelled. They made the characters memorable, raw with wild, well-rounded emotions and truly raised the bar for future actors.

From the moment she burst onto the scene, I adored Airazor. Smart, sassy, more than strong enough to fight tooth and claw in battle, refused to put up with Rattrap's antics, and mistress in the art of dry wit. A welcome addition to the Maximal cast with a plethora of potential to grow. Granted the good times weren't to last; she was swiftly demoted to cannon fodder and later the role of "Mrs. Tigatron", but I was happy just to have her around. Whenever roleplaying our favourite scenes or making new adventures at school, Airazor was always my first choice. The original (and Transmetal figure a cherished Easter gift the following year) continued to have imaginative adventures after the show ran its course. For a time, something as trivial as a cartoon alien robot bird meant the world to me.

And it all came down to how awesome Ms. Newstone performed her.

It's a feeling the Aussie public clearly shared, as her video pack became one of the top 10 selling boys' toys of Christmas '98 (or maybe it's because the VHS repaint was, and remains to this day, the only version of her basic-class toy to see release here. But I digress). Yet Beast Wars proved a tip of the iceberg for Ms. Newstone's career. She lent her voice to shows including G.I. Joe, Mummies Alive!, Inuyasha, Monster Rancher, X-Men Evolution, Ninjago, and I certainly can't go without mentioning her portrayal of big baddie Frieza during Ocean Group's tenure on Dragon Ball Z (The infamous "Caressing the Balls" meme? That was her. Iconic).

Ms. Newstone was one of those voice actors I always hoped to meet someday. No means an easy feat, as she preferred to keep away from the spotlight in a fashion not dissimilar to the late Christine Cavanaugh. It would've been nice, but I understood and respected her desire for privacy, and commend the extra effort Pete and the other organizers went to adhering her "no photos" request at BotCon 2006.

Learning of her passing, let alone nobody reporting it until fellow actor Garry Chalk saw her name over six months later at the annual UBCP/ACTRA Awards, is a sad reminder how none of us are getting any younger, and each day those little things which used to give us joy slip further into the abyss of time. Cherish those memories and the ones you love, while always leaving room to create more tomorrow. Fiction generally doesn't last forever, but I like to think her memory and legacy both as a voice actor and person will for many out there.

The above image was taken back in 2011 while in Lithgow, but never made public until now. Far from my best work (assuming anything I do can be considered good to begin with :P ), but a decent day. History repeats itself, as that particular Airazor figure went on to appear in many more photos, accompanied me to multiple BotCons, a college graduation party (!), and most recently appeared on the official Oliver Brown social media page for their Rise of the Beasts promotion.

RIP Pauline Newstone. May many glasses be raised in your honour. You came, you stooped, and you sure as hell conquered.

[doctorloup]

Audiodrama Sunday Time..

Greetings future people from the past. Contemporaneous Lou is currently plotting to support an in-character insurrection at LARP while consuming all the chicken and bread ey can find, so here is a pre-programmed audiodrama Sunday post! So, what have I been listening to?: Let’s start with the Anansi Chronicles : (https://www.anansipod.com/) - an anthology of stories based on black history and legends from all around the world.  I cannot believe more people don’t know about this. The narrator’s accent is gorgeous, and the prose is poignant and beautifully written, treating the subject matter with power and sensitivity. It is quite heavy going on the content warnings though as the context of the stories is often slavery. One particular line made me tear up, speaking about love between two enslaved people being of “such ferocity that the chains did not matter”.

Cyclone AD from Audible Visions :(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/audible-visions-drama/id1481509646) I’m not usually that into space stuff, but I make exceptions for people I like. A rag tag band of rebels fight the mind-control space-patriarchy. (Why is the supercomputer skull from Jersey...?) After the Gloaming: (https://shows.acast.com/after-the-gloaming) - Aussie Horror Aussie Horror! Although in fairness the stories vary in their locations across the anglophone world. Episode 4 “Patience” could melt the stoniest of hearts.

I already reblogged about this but yes I am banging the Shadows at the Door Drum again, Season Three has a stellar cast and by stellar I mean bright, awesome and frequently ogled by nerds, the latest one has Rahul Kohli in it and episode one has Sacha Dhawan: (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/shadows-at-the-door-the-podcast/id1440913727)

Have a week!

Oh yeah. Ethics Town (https://www.faustiannonsense.com/ethics-town)

[caliburn-the-sword]

AUSTRALIA HAS FERAL CAMELS??

no hate at all, just w h y?? what about this question is so embarrassing that you gotta be anonymous?? also i don't remember ever mentioning we have camels on this page so i love how you just consult your friendly neighbourhood aussie instead of like. google FKSDHFHKS. i was about to go "omg how DARE you just assume i'm from the outback and just know these things i'm literally a city rat" and realised that i DID in fact know these things because of school LMAO (astronomically rare aus high school curriculum W for not glossing over the history of poc in this country). i don't normally do this but that question was so random and shocking that i just HAVE to dive into this lmao just don't expect this to become a regular thing

okay, i wouldn't know about FERAL camels, but i do know about camels. south asian and middle eastern cameleers are the unsung heroes of australia fr, so time for a crash course in history with me <3

now, australia is REALLY fucking big right?? we're only a bit smaller than mainland usa. and like a WHOLE lot of australia is desert, which the useless brit colonisers couldn't traverse if their lives DEPENDED on it (both figuratively and literally; many died) but travel across states and exploration was becoming increasingly necessary. now part of this reason is that horses are Not built for the outback. but you know what IS built for desert?? camels. and who has both access to both camels and an ability to traverse desert?? south asian and middle eastern people.

so between the 18 hundreds and 1920s (you'll have to forgive me for a lack of specifics because it's been 3 years since i've last taken modern history) australia started letting in cameleers predominantly muslim from india and pakistan. these amazing people were the absolute BACKBONE of exploration, transporting goods and stuff between cities and all that. they also established the firsts mosques in australia!!

the need for cameleers pretty much stopped in the 1920s. most cameleers couldn't remain in australia because of the white australia policy, which basically barred immigration of anyone who wasn't a WASP. they were forced back to their old countries, and released their camels into the outback since they couldn't be brought back.

now i think feral camels DOES ring a bell from what i studied of robyn davidson in eng adv. the camels descended from the cameleers' camels are the feral ones in the outback. she was the first woman to cross the desert back in the 70s. check out her autobiography tracks. the only thing i really remember from it was her having to shoot and kill feral camels to survive, but not because it's poorly written, just because i have to read a LOT for eng LMAO. my entire class was actually really invested in it.

like MANY animals introduced to australia, camels are actually NOT good for the environment. very harsh on native plants and wildlife. can't go into specifics because i frankly don't know enough and i'm too lazy for google (i guess that would make two of us) but that's not the camels fault or the cameleers' fault obviously. everyone say it with me: fuck the brits.

ANYWAY this is far from extensive. as fun as it is for me to get to ramble on about history, i'm no expert, and i'd definitely recommend reading more up on it if it's of interest to you. and PLEASE don't trust me on this, i'm just a stranger on the internet. i didn't google jack shit, just went purely off memory. fact check me. don't just completely absorb this blindly. or do. who am i to tell you what to do?? i'm not your mum.

this was fun!!! i really hope dear anon sees this, or if they're not following me, that it happens upon their feed by some stroke of luck

[finishinglinepress]

FLP CHAPBOOK OF THE DAY: AGE BRINGS THEM HOME TO ME by windflower

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windflower lives on the beautiful California Mendocino Coast with her wife, border collie and mini aussie, on unceded ancestral land of the Pomo people. She co-founded the Feminist Arts Program at the University of Massachusetts Women’s Center where she published and edited, Chomo Uri, a women’s multi-arts magazine and produced the first National Women’s Poetry Festival in 1976. Her poetry has been published in numerous journals and anthologies, including international publications.

windflower is also a photographer celebrating the #poetry in #nature.

PRAISE FOR AGE BRINGS THEM HOME TO ME by windflower

This is a beautiful book, written by a contemplative and generous poet with a musician’s ear and a photographer’s eye. The metaphors sprinkled throughout—“Tiny tongues of sand,” “moist chiffon of fog,” “lips of clothespins,” “skirt of the ocean.”—all add up to a rich and sensual reading experience. The sound and rhythm of lines such as “Make me your summer lullaby” and “our waterbed a boat in its own warm harbor” beg to be read aloud and simply made me swoon. In the last section of the book, the poems widen into a provocative and intelligent exploration of social justice; the poem, “My First History Lesson” alone is worth the price of admission. This book is both soothing and exciting and these poems will stay with me for a very long time. All in all, a very profound reading experience.

–Lesléa Newman, author of the dual memoir-in-verse, I Carry My Mother and I Wish My Father

Here is a book about loss and connection – written with the power and imagination of an accomplished poet who invests the feminine spirit with love, power, grace and redemption. She traces love from the blue found in her grandmother’s hands through the wisps of blue that brush across the sky and lands in the cornflower color of her wife’s eyes.

Here is a woman who has found a cathedral in nature that blesses her with endless images: beauty, joy, pain, and love with a depth that illumines all parts of the poet’s life and yet at the climax, skillfully brings us into the crushing tragedy of the murder of three civil rights workers.

Here is a poet who follows a path of vowels and consonants down to the ocean, who won’t let hope slip away with the king tides: It is the women who look up at the sky and see their children nestled in the moon. It is the women who hem the skirt of the ocean.

–Elizabeth Kirkpatrick-Vrenios, author of Special Delivery and Empty the Ocean with a Thimble

Please share/please repost #flpauthor #preorder #AwesomeCoverArt #poetry #chapbook #read #poems