#local racing fans shocked

[roe-and-memory]

lightning and his cringe little ponytail because he has a “mullet” (refer to roes art) so its too long to be comfortable on his neck sometimes but its too short to put in a real ponytail or a manbun so he compromises by putting it in one of those tiny little ones that makes him look goofy as hell. sally laughs at him every time and hes like pls leave me alone its either this or a haircut and im not Ready for that yet.

and like his hair is curly too so it ends up looking like poppys hair from trolls because it cant curl properly . it makes him look even sillier

[captainreecejames]

Just Friends || MV1 Oneshot

part of the my ex is a footballer series [masterlist] [my ex series masterlist] [max smau]

pairings max verstappen x reader with some ex!ben chilwell x reader in the smau part, danielle campbell is the faceclaim but reader is not described in this part so imagine however

word count 5.2k

warnings talks about depression, injuries and blood dealing with hands, hospitals and medical stuff, mentions of jos verstappen, cursing, angst and fluff, not proofread so probably shitty writing and mistakes

notes this took longer than I initially imagined because i was stuck on how to get it started, but after a good nights sleep and words of encouragement from @coff33andb00ks I got this puppy started. This fic includes Adrian Newey as the point red bull person so I could avoid horner and max as an almost dog dad because I'm a dog person. It starts in the middle of the 2022 season and goes through the 2023 season. If there is enough interest, I might continue to write these two together because I really enjoyed it and there is more to explore.

songs to listen to while reading you're losing me-taylor swift / so long, london-taylor swift / same mistakes-one direction / lose you to love me-selena gomez

You met Max on accident, according to you. When you talked to your father about it years later, you would learn it was no accident. 

><

He was golfing with Adrian Newey and more coworkers but had forgotten his wallet, so he asked you to drop it off.

Now you knew he worked at Red Bull, so really it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that you would eventually meet Max Verstappen, but you walked into the country club expecting to meet some older man, not the reigning Formula 1 world champion. 

How'd Max know who to approach? Your father had shown him a picture of you so he would know who to look for. While you were searching the lobby, Max had come up to you, saying your name.

You had plenty of experience meeting famous people, even one’s who knew your name before meeting (perks of dating a football star) but it was still a shock. 

The meeting consisted of shy words and you fumbling around your bag for your father’s wallet and that’s it. No matter how much experience you had with famous athletes, it would still be weird meeting them. You wouldn’t see Max again for a few weeks, he was busy with races and staying in Monaco.

The next time would be at the base, once again you were dropping something off for your dad. This time it was lunch that he just insisted he needed, not whatever was being served in the cafe that day. 

You stood in the lobby, waiting for your father to get out of a meeting, admiring the trophies on display when Max came up to you. 

He will argue in the future that you admiring his trophies made him interested, and that he wasn’t over a little bragging if it got the attention of a pretty girl. That argument ignores the scheming that your father and Adrian had done, from complaining about your lack of interest in the sport to complaining about you needing to get out more. (Your lack of interest in the sport wasn’t true, just that you preferred Ferrari over the local team.)

So with the subliminal messaging from your father, Max was interested in you.

“I thought you didn’t really like the sport,” he said coming to stand at your side. 

You jumped slightly, not expecting anyone to approach you. “Why would you think that?”

“Your father.” You turn to him with a confused face and Max decided to clarify. “He talks about you a lot.”

“Oh, well, I wouldn’t listen to half of what he says.”

“Really? Even when he talks about the chassis?” His words are teasing and you think he’s flirting with you.

“Maybe that you can listen to.” You shrug, turning back to the cabinet. “He’s really just jealous that I prefer Ferrari.” 

Of fucking course, the Italian team. “A fan of Leclerc?” You can hear the bitterness in his voice and it shocks you a little how quickly he changes his mood.

“He’s okay,” you shrug again. Max thinks that your nonchalantness is annoying, why can’t you just admit you find Charles hot and move on.

(Hidden in the stairwell, Adrian and your father are a little nervous. They can tell that this isn’t going as well as hoped.)

“Schumacher has been my favorite, but I think of the current drivers its Vettel.” Now Max realizes that the two of you are standing in front of Sebastian’s 2010 championship trophy, and he feels a little embarrassed he didn’t realize sooner. “I’m a little bitter he didn’t win the championship with Ferrari.”

There are more “chance” meetings, but the conversation flows much easier now. Like the dinner at Adrian Newey’s house and after, when he has to give you a ride back to your new place because your parents don’t want to leave yet. Or the time when it’s suggested that you give him a ride to Luton airport because it’s on your way to London. Or even the holiday party at the end of the year where he has to give you a ride again because you’re tipsy and shouldn’t drive. 

It’s the airport drive when you both realize that you’re being set up by Adrian and your father, which causes a lot of awkwardness between the both of you during your goodbyes.

You go back home a few days later and scold your father for the set up. You don’t need another relationship right now, you tell him. He says he knows, but Max makes you happy in a way he hasn’t seen in years and that makes him happy. Your mother reminds him that you need to be happy without a man first and he says he’ll give up the endeavors to push you on to Max. If Adrian happens to come up with any more ideas that's not his fault, the man is a genius afterall.

The holiday party is more of an accident than anything, your father and mother leave much earlier than you, and so you are stuck with Max to drive you home.

He complained about the hotel he was staying at, so you offer him some time in your apartment to get away from fancy places and he takes you up on it. And now that you're home, it does’t seem like a bad idea to have another drink, just to take the edge off of having Max in your place. 

“Would you like another drink?” you offer while making your own gin and tonic. He stares around at the quiet kitchen, taking in the place that feels very you. “Or perhaps some tea?” He shakes his head no, eyes catching a picture of you hugging Ben. It’s an old picture, from when Leicester City won the league and you’ve only recently dug it out of the box it was sitting in. 

“I thought you were single,” he says, picking up the picture to examine it closer.

“I am,” you answer, turning around from the counter to look at him. You’re about to ask him where the question came from when you see what’s in his hands. “That’s from 2016, when Leicester City won the league.” Max nods like he understands, but he doesn’t.

“Who’s this?” he points to Ben.

“Ben Chilwell.” Maybe if you’re just vague enough, he’ll drop it. He doesn’t.

“Okay,” he draws it out. “Who is he to you?”

Not much of anything anymore, is what you want to say. You settle for something vague again. “A friend.”

“Looks like more than a friend.” Is Max trying to provoke you or something? He can tell you’re growing frustrated with him and it makes him feel guilty. “Sorry, I just, don’t know much about your life before here.”

You sigh, deciding that alcohol probably isn’t the best drink for now. You move to the kettle next to the stove, opting for tea to help calm you down. 

“Ben and I dated until a couple months ago, I moved back home right after we broke up.” He nods along with your story and you continue the tea making process. “Ben and I were childhood sweethearts, together since we were like 14 years old. So that makes,” it takes you a minute to do the math in your head, “12 years together.” You don’t turn to see what Max’s face looks like. A lot of people during your relationship with Ben were in awe of how long you were together, but there were some who thought it was silly and childish. Who stayed with someone they were dating since 14? (Apparently not you.)

You thought it was romantic up until a few months before the break up. Childhood sweethearts, best friends to lovers, boy next door, all tropes you loved in books and you were living it in real life! Until it wasn’t. Until you moved in the middle of a pandemic to a new city with no support system and became depressed. Until Ben needed support you and you couldn’t make yourself see that giving him everything was leaving you with nothing. 

It took an intervention from your parents to see that you were depressed, and an offhand comment about marriage from Ben to see that the relationship wouldn’t go anywhere new.

“What happened?”

“He didn’t want to marry me.”

><

“I’m just not sure I’m want to marry her, yet,” Ben says to the group. There’s a pause before he says yet, like someone made a face and he’s trying to placate them.

What the fuck? you want to ask. You want to scream it, really, because what the fuck does he mean by that? You’ve been together for over ten years, he’s said since Leicester that he only wants you, for the rest of his life. And now... now he doesn’t know? How the fuck do you not know? How can he not know? It makes you angry, the most emotion you’ve felt in probably months and it’s anger at your boyfriend.

Your grip on your glass is tightening, turning your knuckles white with the force and you worry the glass will shatter in your hand.

It does, but you don’t feel it. You don’t hear the glass shattering in your hand or on the floor, don't feel the splash of ice, gin, and tonic on your legs.

What you feel is something akin to clarity, because you’ve been living in a fog for months, probably the two years you’ve been in London and now you know how Ben feels. If he doesn’t want to marry you now, he probably won’t ever want it.

It takes your friend coming over and putting a hand on your shoulder for you to realize that something is physically wrong. That your hand is bleeding from glass cuts and you’re standing in a puddle of water and alcohol and some blood.

Emma says your name a little louder to grab your attention and now people are staring at you, wondering what’s caused the glass to shatter in your hand. She ignores them, pulling you across the room so she can take care of you.

Unfortunately, the glass is too deep and you have to be taken to an emergency room, where the nurses and doctors fuss over your hand. They ask you questions about how it happened, you explain that a glass shattered in your hands. They're suspicion is eased when Emma corroborates your story. It's soon after that you're allowed to go home.

All this time, Ben hasn’t come running into the room desperate to find you, and that reminds you why you’re here in the first place. Because Ben isn’t sure he wants to marry you.

><

“That’s how you got the scars on your hand?” Max is gentle when he takes your hand in his, holding it so delicately like you might break. You nod, but don’t pull away from him. His touch is soft and it makes you feel something you haven’t felt in a while. His hand turns so you can see the own scar on his hand. “I got this one from Jimmy, my cat.” He lets you run a finger over the scratch on the back of his hand. You run your hand over it one more time and Max get’s goosebumps from your touch.

You look up at him from your hands, your eyes roaming his face and seeing how sincere he is. It makes you nervous. 

You pull your hands back, stepping away to grab a mug for your tea and busy your hands with something besides his own.

Max can see you close off on him, but the story isn’t over yet. “What happened after the hospital?”

><

“Are you going to tell me why this happened?” Emma asks finally, walking with you out of the ED. She’s stayed the whole time, occasionally popping out to call your other friends and update them on the situation. 

It’s on the tip of your tongue to tell her, but you know what she’ll say: 'break up with him already, it’s not going anywhere and you’re obviously hurting over this. '

It’s not what you want to hear, you love Ben so much because you’ve always loved him, he’s all you’ve ever known and it used to be so good, so you know it can go back to being good.

It has to. You need it to. 

So you try to laugh it off, say that your grip is much stronger than you thought and that there must have been a hairline fracture in the glass.

But Emma doesn’t buy it. She lets you try to joke your way out of this, lets you laugh uncomfortably as she stares at you, and then pulls you to a halt at the corner. Your uneasy smile falls and you sigh. You know better than to try and hide this from her. 

“Ben said something,” it’s a whisper, like the quieter you say it makes it hurt less. She waits for you to continue, knowing that you’ll explain if she doesn’t push too hard. You take a deep breath, hoping that the air will do something, anything to make it easier to say out loud. “He’s not sure if he wants to marry me.” You hold the pause like he did, adding the yet in a pointed tone. With how much Ben has hurt you, you still want to spare him the criticism. You love him.

Emma immediately goes off, like you know she would, so you tune it out. It’s nothing you haven’t heard in the last year. 

The traffic light turns green, and you begin your walk back to the carpark, looking around the spaces to find your friend's car.

“YN!” another voice shouts. It’s Ben. 

He’s jogging to you across the lot, eyes a little wide like he’s been panicking for a while. “Why didn’t you grab me before leaving?” He means to direct the question to Emma, but he’s looking at you and you feel like he’s blaming you. “I was looking for you across the house until someone finally told me that you left for the emergency department. I was worried sick.” He looks it, you think. He does care. He wouldn’t look like that if he didn’t care. “You weren’t answering your phone, and-“ he cuts himself off as he stares at your hand. “What the hell happened?”

Oh- he doesn’t know. 

“She heard you,” Emma answers. You want to stop her, explain for yourself so you can just go home and sleep.

“What?” Ben asks, confusion across his face for a second before he realizes. You heard him. You heard him. “You weren’t meant to hear that.”

That’s his excuse?

“That’s your excuse?” Emma takes the words from of your mouth, but not the anger from your body, you clench your bandaged hand, wincing when it pulls at the stitches. Ben is still looking at you, but you’re unable to read him. “She wasn’t meant to fucking hear that?” Her voice is shrill and it grates on you because of a headache, but you know she means well. “You know what, fuck you Ben Chilwell! Go fucking rot in ditch!” With that she pulls you away from him, rushing the two of you towards her car so she can drive you to her home.

><

“That’s his excuse?” Max’s tone is just like Emma’s on that night and still you want to defend Ben. Your relationship is long over with the footballer, but that doesn’t mean you don’t love him. 

“I was a mess then,” you tell him, pouring your water into the cup, “I wouldn’t want to marry me either.”

“But he loved you, and you don’t say something like that about someone you love.” Max looks angry next to you, and that scares you even more. Not because of his anger, but because he clearly cares so much and you’re not sure if you deserve it. 

“Listen to me,” Max grabs your arms, pulling you to face him in your small kitchen. “Friends, boyfriends, people who love you-“ (Do his hands squeeze you harder on friends or boyfriends?) “They don’t talk about you like that behind your back. And also they notice when you’re gone, when you’re hurt, when you aren’t’ yourself.”

“But he was also hurting,” there are tears in your eyes from his words because you believe them, but also you still love Ben.

“And so were you, clearly. Yet you could tell something was wrong with him and he couldn’t see it in you?” Max has known you for only a few months, and has spent even less time physically with you, but he sees you and the way your brain works so clearly and that’s really scary. He must see something in your eyes because then he backs off, taking a step away to put distance between your bodies and space to breathe.

“Sorry,” he apologizes, “I didn’t mean to get so intense.” You shake your head, trying to put away the thoughts of his beautiful blue eyes staring into your own. “Just sometimes, I really want people to know that they deserve better.”

“No, it’s okay.” You pull the tea bag out of the water, looking down for the tiny plate to leave it on. “You’re not the first person to say that to me and you probably won’t be the last.” He nods, watching you spoon sugar into the tea. “But thank you for saying that, sometimes," you pause, "sometimes, it’s good to be reminded.”

><

Your friendship grows from there, but it doesn’t evolve into anything romantic. You’re clearly still healing from Ben and no matter how much he thinks about you while he’s in Monaco or off at a race, you need time.

So instead your flat becomes his base when he’s needed at the factory. He can leave clothes and toiletries at your place without worry, he can sneak a nice home cooked meal from you or your parents when he’s there, and he doesn’t have to deal with shitty hotel mattresses. (Even though it’s a Five Star hotel.)

He meets your friends when a girls night overlaps with some sim testing. They really like him and can see that his awkward charm has pulled you in.

You meet Danny Ric at the beginning of the 2023 season, when Red Bull decides to make him their reserve driver, and the two of you are like two peas in a pod. (On the plane back to Monaco Danny asks him when he’s finally going to ask you out.)

(Max shakes his head and tells him that you two are just friends, because that’s what you need. Just friends.)

Max invites you to the Monaco Grand Prix, but you decline, not interested in the media scrutiny that comes with that particular race. You say yes to the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, but after he peaks at the invite list he tells you it’s probably not the best idea. You agree with him when you finally get him to tell you why you're uninvited. The Silverstone Grand Prix is during a girls trip, and with how busy it gets, you both drop the subject for a while. 

When Max clinches his third championship in Qatar you finally decide that you need to go to a race. The next one is in Texas, but it doesn’t work with your schedule so you get the passes for Mexico.

><

The Mexican Grand Prix is the perfect race to join. It’s Checo’s home race, so the focus is on him instead of Max. You stand to the back of the garage, hiding from view on Friday and Saturday. Occasionally you’ll talk with some engineers you’ve met before or share a few minutes with Adrian, but most of the time is in hiding Max’s drivers room with him. 

Most of Sunday is spent talking with the stars in the garage, explaining why you’re here and how you know people. You avoid any interviews with Sky Sports, knowing that somehow they’ll bring up Ben and Chelsea’s current run of form, something that you just can’t deal with. 

So you stay in the back of the garage, celebrate the podium in the back of the crowd and don’t wait up for Max to finish media duties, instead heading back to the hotel. It hurts to hide yourself away, you want to be the first to congratulate him on a win, or comfort him after a loss. But it’s for the best, you try convince yourself. You're just friends.

Max isn’t bitter about the decision at all. Being noticed at this race is a beacon to all fans that you are something to someone, and no matter how much he maybe wants that to be true, you’re just friends. Besides you have dinner with him and a few of the drivers and their own significant others, so really what more could he ask for?

After the season is over he’s back in Milton Keynes to finish up some things before heading out to start his holidays. Most of them will be spent with his family in Belgium or in Monaco, so he is determined to at least spend a day with you before leaving. He wasn’t planning on it being at a dog shelter.

><

“I think I want a dog,” you had told him while in Mexico. You’d spent a year alone in the flat (not counting Max practically moving in when he was needed at HQ) and things were too quiet for you. 

“Okay.” You were relaxing in his driver’s room before Free Practice 2. You’re both on the couch, him with an iPad going over some data and you with your feet up on his lap researching shelters on your phone. The domesticity of it all was frustrating.

“Are you allergic to dogs?” you ask. You know about Jimmy and Sassy back in Monaco, and he really doesn’t seem like dog person at all, but his opinion on this matters to you. His opinion on the most mundane and trivial things now matter to you. He doesn’t pay rent and so he doesn’t get the final say on anything, but if it makes life easier in Milton Keynes, you want to know what he thinks.

“No, I just prefer cats.” You nod, scrolling through the shelter’s website, looking at dogs and trying to decide which one looks like it needs love the most. “Lewis knows a lot about dogs, you can ask him about it.” It’s hard to get the sentence out, because Lewis having a say in something about your life just isn’t right. 

You shake your head no. “Lewis Hamilton doesn’t sleep in my spare bedroom.” It’s the same argument you make every time you suggest changing something in flat, and while it annoys him that you won’t take any money to pay for small stuff, it still makes him smile. 

“What do you think about this one?” you show him a picture of a Jack Russell Terrier, coincidentally named George. 

“If you get him you need to change his name.”

“Why?” You ask in fake offense. “I think he looks very much like a George.” But you move on anyway, terriers are too active for your lifestyle, you wouldn’t be able to give him the love he deserves. 

You keep on scrolling, feet still in his lap, him still looking through his iPad. You gasp suddenly, pushing yourself up and moving your legs so you can sit on them, much closer to Max. “Look!” you shove your screen in his face. “They just rescued a corgi with puppies! I love corgis!” He can see the excitement in your face and knows that he won’t ever say no to you if you look like that again. 

You pull your phone back, reading through the description quickly. “We are keeping Mama and puppies together for a few weeks to ensure health, puppies will be available for adoption in December. Please register interest.” You're pulling out your laptop to send an email when you're done.

Later that night, when you’re trying to sleep you admire how he let you rant about this dog that you’re getting. You love how he always indulges you on topics about your flat; you love that he’ll watch a shitty tv show with you and listen to you rant about the characters. You love that when you ask him questions about racing he answers with so much sincerity and interest that you can’t help but want to know more. You love so much about him that you think you might love him. 

No, you know you love him.

><

That’s how you got here, with Max at a shelter picking up a tiny corgi. Max has been carrying the collar and leash and necessary paperwork as you play with the small dog, contagious laughter falling from your lips.

“Think I should name him Charles, what do you think?” You look up from the ground, eyes so bright and happy. The smile on your face is teasing, but he misses the name because it hits him.

He’s in love with you.

He’s unable to answer you with his sudden realization, because the only words he can think of are “I love you” or long strings of curse words. 

You think he doesn’t like your joke and try to back track right away. “I’m kidding, obviously. I’m not gonna name him Charles.” Still Max only stares. “Is everything okay?” You stand up, still holding the puppy in your hands. “I promise I’m not going to name him Charles, but I’m sorry for the joke.” The puppy barks in your arms, snapping Max out of his trance. “What do you need, little one?” You ask the dog, momentarily forgetting Max’s presence. That’s what he needs, just a few seconds of you not looking at him to get his thoughts in line. He can’t be in love with you, because you don’t need a boyfriend. Just friends. 

Except he can be in love with you. Because you make him smile all the time, because you offered your spare bedroom to him so he didn’t have to deal with a shitty hotel mattress, because you send him pictures of cats you meet on the street, and let him over explain when you have questions about races. You deal with his mood swings when Jos contacts him. (It’s more than just dealing. You comfort and distract and do anything he needs.)

And maybe you do need just a friend still, but he can still love you.

It takes 20 minutes for you to finish up the paperwork for the shelter, which Max spends playing with the dog and he decides maybe he could be a your dog person. 

The ride back to your place is short, your minds replaying the same moment when you asked him what you should name the little puppy sleeping in the back. You feel bad, like you've insulted him; he’s trying to come up with a way to tell you what he’s realized.

Nothing happens that night, and nothing happens when he leaves for Monaco the next morning. 

Texts between the two of you comprise of pictures of Denny the corgi, Jimmy and Sassy the cats, and updates on how people liked their presents. It feels off, but you have no idea how to make it feel right.

On December 30th, you plan to catch your flight to Nice, but your father gets into an accident and you can’t leave your mom to deal with everything on your own. You say sorry to Max repeatedly, tell him to wish everyone there a Happy New Year and focus back on the quiet life with Denny. 

On December 31st, you wake up to the smell of coffee and toast. It’s alarming because no one else is here, so why does it smell like breakfast?

You push open the door cautiously, forgetting for a moment that Denny is there, so he sneaks out the tiny crack. “Denny! No!” you whisper-shout, hurrying after the little guy, all regard for your own safety lost. You find him in the arms of Max, licking his face and wiggling his butt with untamed excitement. “Max?”

“Hi, schatje.” His smile is almost enough to distract you from the fact that he is here. You approach the two slowly, grabbing Denny from his arms to put him down. 

“What are you doing here?” Denny paws at you, reminding you that he needs to go out and do his business. 

Max ignores your question, instead pushing a mug of coffee into your hands. “Take this, I’ll take Denny outside.” He grabs Denny from the floor again, making his way to the front where you have his leash hanging up. “Be right back, schatje.” You can only nod at him, watching the two walk out of the front door.

They’re back in two minutes, enough time for you to put out Denny’s breakfast and drink some of your coffee in peace, trying to wrap your mind around the fact that Max is here. The door opens and Denny comes rushing in, Max close behind. He hangs up the leash with his keys, then turns back to you with a smile.

Max takes his own mug, leaning his back against the counter to watch you. “Why are you here?” you ask again. 

“You said you couldn’t come to Monaco for New Year’s, so I thought I’d come here.” He says it so casually it irritates you. “Plus, I can take some work off of you or your mom when dealing with your Dad.”

Oh, he’s being sweet. “You don’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, but I want to help someone I love.” He says that so casually it catches you off guard. Thank god you didn’t have anything in your mouth or you would have definitely spit it out.

He smirks over his cup, watching you splutter for an answer to his simple confession. “You… you love me?” He nods then puts his mug down. A few steps over to you and he grabs the one in your hands, putting that down next to his own. With his other hand he moves to cup the back of your neck, pulling you closer to him. You want to ask what he’s doing, try to stop this before it can even start, but Max is determined. (You’re grateful for that.)

There’s almost no space left between the two of you, just enough really for him to be able to look at your face while he asks if this is okay. A gulp, a breath, and a nod later he’s dipping his head down to yours, closing the distance, and kissing you. 

Your eyes close instantly. Your hands travel to their own accord, reaching up to lock around his neck and keep him close. Your ears ring for some odd reason and your nose can only smell coffee. You can taste red bull on his lips and you wonder how long he's been up.

The kiss is soft and slow and over before you really have a chance to appreciate it.

You open your eyes to see him, his lips spread in a wide smile that has you blushing. “Been waiting to do that for a while.” That has you blush even deeper, but he doesn’t let you dip your head to hide it. “Seriously, schatje. I love you.”

“I love you too.” It’s a whisper, but he doesn’t miss it with how close you are. But even if he had missed it, you’ll say it so many more times in the future that people get sick of it.

[slight-gaming-addict]

Hello! I wanted to make a request for the Halloween Event with Leona and Malleus (If that's fine with the rules, just want to make sure) with them and Yuu entering a haunted house where the actors are trying to killing them, more precisely Yuu.

🕸️ 2024 𝖍𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖔𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖓 𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓𝖙 🕸️

༺☠༻ day 2 ༺☠༻

~ your local haunted house has its share of dark secrets ~

pairing: leona x gn!reader; malleus x gn!reader

warnings: bones breaking, angry, aggressive, and heavily protective leona, a sprinkle of fluff:); reader is said to be shorter than malleus, protective and angry malleus, he destroys a building, classic malmal

word count: 0.9k;1k

event masterlist | event prompts | request a fic | ko-fi

ᴍɪɴᴅ ɢᴀᴍᴇs

━─┉┈ 𝘓𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘢 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘳 ┈┉─━

You're the one who had to convince him to come with you to the local haunted house in the first place. You had to drag him out of bed after prying him off you just so you could get up.

"I don’t want to go to some dumb house," he grumbled, turning away from you. After a lot of annoyance and your nonstop pleading, he finally agreed to go.

You convinced him that it wouldn’t take long and that you guys could come back right after, just wanting to spend some time with him. "You can spend time with me without leaving the house," he muttered.

"Stop being grumpy, it’ll be fun!" you said, pulling him toward the large house, where a line of people waited outside for their turn to enter.

Everything seems normal as you walk in, with props popping out at you from around corners—until the actors start appearing.

At first, they only come close, stopping just short of touching you, but the farther in you go, the more real the props look, and the bolder the actors get.

Leona isn’t a fan of how close they're getting, keeping a firm grip on your waist as you walk through the house, screams from others ringing in the air.

It’s when you feel someone tug at your wrist from behind that you let out a small scream, yanking your wrist free. You hear a low growl from Leona as he glares at the person who grabbed you, ready to pounce at the next one who dares.

The house seems to get darker as you move through, your heart pounding in your chest while Leona’s grip on you stays firm.

Unease settles deep inside you, and you start to regret convincing Leona to come. You want nothing more than to be under the warmth of your covers right now.

Leona’s had enough and is already looking for the exit, guiding you through the house. But he isn’t prepared when your body is suddenly ripped from his grasp.

You scream as a hand grips your ankle and drags you to the hard ground. You try to kick at whoever’s grabbed you, but their grip is too tight.

Leona is frantic, shoving away any hands that reach for him, not caring about the sound of bones cracking or the pained cries under his brute force.

Finally, you kick yourself free from the grip and push yourself backward. But before you can do anything else, Leona is there, shoving the person who grabbed you into the back wall so hard that decorations fall from the ceiling, clattering around them.

The shock wears off just enough for you to stand on shaky legs, adrenaline still pumping through your veins.

“Leona,” you call softly, trying to stop him from throwing more punches at the person who’s already knocked out.

As soon as Leona hears your voice, his head snaps toward you. He lets the body drop to the floor and walks over to you, cupping your face in his hands.

"Are you okay?" His gruff voice is still out of breath. You nod, feeling his rough palms brush across your cheeks.

“Y-yeah, let’s just... get out of here,” you stammer, your heart still racing. Leona nods, gripping you firmly as he guides you toward the exit.

The entire way out, Leona doesn’t let anyone get close to you. His low, warning growls echo above the chaos, and his grip on your waist is strong enough to keep you close but not to hurt you.

Anyone who even thinks about messing with you two backs off as soon as they see the look on Leona’s face, as if he's ready to burn the place down over the slightest provocation.

It takes longer than he’d like to find the exit, the house too big and too dark to navigate easily.

He exhales in relief when he finally opens a door and the cool night air hits you both. Goosebumps prickle your skin as the cold air brushes against your torn clothes from being dragged along the floor.

Leona pulls you closer to warm you as he quickly guides you away from the haunted house.

“I’m sorry,” you say, slightly out of breath from the rush. “I didn’t think—”

“It’s fine,” Leona cuts you off, his tone clipped with a trace of irritation. If you didn’t know him, you might think he was annoyed with you, but you know he’s angry at the situation, not at you. Still, you can’t help but feel bad for dragging him into something he didn’t want to do.

“I shouldn’t have pushed you so much, I just—" you begin, but Leona sighs, stopping you in your tracks. He lightly grips your chin and makes you look at him.

“Hey,” he says, his voice softer now. His eyes dart over your face and body, checking for any injuries. Once he’s sure you’re okay, he takes your hand and starts walking again. "Let’s just go home,” he says, relieved that you’re safe.

When you finally get back home, you're happy to crash into bed and fall into a deep sleep with Leona’s arms around you. By the time you wake up, the haunted house is completely gone, as if it had never been there in the first place.

━─┉┈ 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘶𝘴 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢 ┈┉─━

Malleus is ecstatic and readily accepts your invitation to go to a haunted house. He’s never been to one before and is eager to experience what has you so excited.

You try to explain what exactly it is, but he only stares at you with a questioning look—why would people volunteer to be scared?

You convince him to at least try it once, promising that if he’s not having fun, you’ll leave and find something else. However, you didn't anticipate how difficult leaving might be once you were inside.

You probably should have listened to your gut when you immediately sensed something off about the place, but you chalked it up to nerves, thinking the house was supposed to make you scared.

Walking into the house, you immediately notice the change in atmosphere and how cold it is. Goosebumps form on your arms, and you instinctively move closer to Malleus.

Malleus tears his gaze from the decorations to look down at you, checking that you're okay. You nod, assuring him you're fine, though the unease doesn’t fully leave your body. He seems to notice this and wraps an arm around your waist to hold you close. “Just stay close to me, love,” he says softly but loud enough to be heard over the noise in the house.

You wish you could say his touch calmed your nerves, but your heart continues to race. You've been in plenty of haunted houses before, but none have ever made you feel like this. You let out a soft breath in an attempt to steady yourself, focusing on getting through the house and letting Malleus experience it all.

After a few minutes glued to Malleus' side, you're able to calm your nerves slightly as the cheap props and scares remind you of other haunted houses you've been in before.

But the nerves return in full force when you enter a section of the house that looks and feels entirely different from the rest.

You glance behind you but can’t see the doorway you just walked through, your stomach twisting in knots. You’re about to ask Malleus if you can turn back when a large figure suddenly blocks the path behind you.

Your body starts to tremble, and you abandon the idea of turning around, instead quickening your pace, forcing Malleus to do the same.

Malleus doesn’t understand your sudden change in demeanor, unaware of how unusual this part of the house is. He gently grabs your wrist, stopping your frantic movement and turning you to face him.

“Are you okay, love? What’s wrong?” Malleus asks, concerned. You glance back at the hallway where the figure was, but it’s gone, leaving only an empty, dark corridor. Swallowing, you shake your head gently and look up at him.

“N-nothing, I’m okay, just got a little spooked,” you say, offering a small smile despite your heart still pounding in your chest.

Malleus isn’t convinced by your attempt to reassure him, concern still evident in his eyes. “Do you wish to go home?” You bite your lip, torn between not wanting to ruin his first haunted house experience and knowing he’ll sense if you lie. Reluctantly, you nod.

He leads you down the hallway, but finding the exit turns out to be harder than you both expected. Every time you pass through what looks like an exit, it leads to another dark part of the never-ending house.

You sense Malleus growing frustrated beside you, and you grab his hand to calm him, telling him you’ll find the way out soon, even though you're not entirely sure.

Then, just as Malleus steps away for a moment to check another door, you feel yourself yanked into a different room, a scream tearing from your throat.

Malleus spins around at the sound, panic surging through him, anger building at whoever dared to take you from him.

He hears your muffled screams behind a wooden door and doesn’t bother checking if it’s locked—he knocks it off its hinges, splintering the wood as it crashes to the ground.

Multiple hands are on you, dragging you deeper into the dark house, rendering you immobile. You struggle in their grasp, but each movement only makes their hold tighter, bruising your skin. Desperately, you scream Malleus' name, hoping he’ll find you, knowing you have little chance of escaping on your own.

They throw you into a small room, and you scramble backward, pressing yourself against the wall. It’s too dark to see much, but you can make out the vague shapes of masked figures surrounding you.

Your heart pounds in your chest as you fumble for anything you can use as a weapon. Your hand closes around a loose nail in the floorboards—better than nothing—and you clutch it tightly.

Malleus is nearly ready to tear the entire place apart as he storms through the hallways, calling your name, desperate to find you.

The masked figures move closer, and you catch the glint of metal in their hands—knives. You clutch the nail defensively, your stomach churning with dread.

You push yourself around the room in circles, trying to avoid them, but they tire of your stalling. They approach from both sides, trapping you in the corner.

As one moves closer, you panic. When they're within reach, you jab the nail into their leg with all your strength, piercing through their pants. The figure groans in pain and drops the knife, and you scramble to grab it, slashing at the figure in front of you.

The others move in quickly, surrounding you, and all you can do is hold the knife up defensively, hoping to do enough to escape. But the closer they get, the more your stomach fills with dread.

You’re about to strike again when the door bursts open, slamming into the wall across from it. Malleus stands in the doorway, fury etched on his face.

In an instant, the figures around you are sent flying across the room. Malleus rushes to you, and the knife slips from your grasp as he lifts you into his arms.

Relief washes over you, and sobs wrack your body as you cling to him, the warmth of his presence soothing your fear.

Without wasting any time, Malleus carries you out of the building, holding you securely as the structure crumbles and collapses behind you, finally safe in his embrace.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

buy me a coffee ♡

[driverlando]

🗞️ is that max verstappen buying butt plugs in the same sex store that i am currently in or ??? OMFG it is him!!! he just bought handcuffs too…

Spotted: Max Verstappen’s Surprising Shopping Spree—Handcuffs and More!

In a shocking and unexpected twist, Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen was recently spotted indulging in some rather intimate shopping. Witnesses report seeing the Red Bull Racing star in a well-known Amsterdam sex shop, browsing a selection of adult toys and accessories. The surprise sighting has left fans and onlookers buzzing with curiosity and excitement.

The Unexpected Encounter

An anonymous source—who happened to be shopping in the same store—couldn’t believe their eyes when they recognised Verstappen casually strolling through the aisles. “Is that Max Verstappen buying butt plugs in the same sex store that I am currently in, or ??? OMFG, it is him!!!” the excited witness tweeted. The sighting quickly became the talk of Twitter.

Verstappen, who is known for his fierce competitiveness on the track, seemed quite relaxed and at ease during his shopping trip. Dressed in a low-key outfit, the 26-year-old driver didn’t shy away from picking up some interesting items. Among his purchases, the witness noted, were a set of handcuffs—raising plenty of eyebrows and questions.

A Peek Into Verstappen’s Private Life?

This unexpected encounter offers a rare glimpse into the private life of one of Formula 1’s most private and focused athletes. While Verstappen is typically reserved about his personal affairs, this outing suggests he’s not afraid to explore new and adventurous aspects of his life.

The incident has sparked a flurry of speculation among fans and the media. Who is the lucky partner joining Verstappen on this adventurous journey? Is this a new relationship, or is he simply adding a bit of spice to an existing one? While the Dutch driver has kept his romantic life relatively low-profile, this public purchase has certainly set tongues wagging.

Fans React

As news of the sighting spread, reactions have been mixed. Some fans were amused and delighted by the revelation, taking to social media to share their thoughts. “Max Verstappen buying handcuffs and butt plugs? I guess we all have our hobbies!” one fan tweeted, accompanied by a laughing emoji. Another wrote, “Love seeing F1 drivers being normal people with fun sides! You do you, Max!”

Others were more reserved, respecting Verstappen’s right to privacy. “Everyone’s entitled to their personal life, even celebs,” one comment read. “Let the man shop in peace.”

The Shop’s Response

The sex shop, which is popular among locals and tourists alike, declined to comment directly on the specific purchases or the presence of high-profile customers. However, they did issue a general statement: “We respect the privacy of all our clients and are pleased to offer a discreet and comfortable shopping experience. Everyone is welcome to explore their desires in a safe and judgement-free environment.”

What’s Next?

While the incident has certainly piqued public interest, it remains to be seen if Verstappen will address the situation. Known for his focus and seriousness on the track, this playful and unexpected side of him has caught many by surprise. Whether this was a one-time visit or the start of a more open exploration of his personal interests, only time will tell.

For now, fans and followers of Max Verstappen will be left to speculate and, perhaps, see him in a slightly different light. This peek behind the curtain reminds us all that even the most celebrated athletes are human, with their own unique tastes and interests.

Stay tuned for more celebrity gossip and behind-the-scenes glimpses into the lives of your favourite stars. Whether on the track or off, the excitement never stops!

[muzaktomyears]

Yoko said to me: ‘I was told John was in danger in New York’

Elliot Mintz was the friend with whom John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent some of their most private moments. Now he has written a book in which he reveals what went on after the former Beatle was murdered in 1980

John Lennon and Yoko Ono in New York on November 26, 1980, just days before his death

Part of me started to wonder if perhaps I’d acted rashly. My mother had heard a radio report about a shooting on 72nd Street. The Lennons were not answering their phones. The Dakota operator had hung up on me. Was that enough to send me racing to the airport to catch the last flight to New York? But then I saw a flight attendant exit the cockpit, tears streaming down her cheeks. As she hesitatingly made her way down the aisle, I reached out and touched her arm.

“Are you okay?” I asked. “They killed him,” she answered, gulping back a sob. “They murdered John Lennon.”

For a long moment I found it impossible to process what I’d been told. And then, like a flash fire in the brainpan, the horror of what happened exploded in my consciousness. “John is dead,” I whispered to myself. My best friend was gone. My heart began to race, I found myself gasping for air. I literally doubled over in pain as my whole body absorbed the shock.

Lennon, Ono and Elliot Mintz outside the Mampei hotel in Karuizawa, Japan, in 1977

I don’t know how long I sat, crumpled in agony, but eventually I regained a modicum of composure. I realised I had to marshal my thoughts and plan what to do once the plane touched down at JFK. I needed to pull myself together, bury my grief, and be strong for Yoko and Sean.

I had seen John just a few weeks earlier, in New York; he and Yoko and I had spent a long evening at the Dakota listening to their soon-to-be-dropped Double Fantasy album. At around two in the morning I said my goodbyes. John walked me to the door.

“Remember,” he cautioned me, “walk on the side of the street where the doormen are. Don’t walk on the side of the street next to the park.” “John,” I said, “I grew up in New York. I know how to walk in this city.” That was the last time I saw him.

Lennon and Ono at home with their son, Sean

By the time I got to the Dakota, at around 7.30am, at least 5,000 people had gathered on 72nd Street. At the request of Richie De Palma, Studio One’s office manager, a couple of officers helped me across the police cordon. Suddenly, I was face-to-face with the crime scene: there was blood on the pavement as well as shards of broken glass from a window shattered by one of the bullets.

I rode the elevator to the seventh floor. The Lennons’ housekeeper, Masako, let me in. It was clear she’d been crying. “Yoko-san in bedroom,” she said in broken English. “Door locked.”

I paused at the closed door, then gently knocked. “Yoko, it’s Elliot,” I told her softly. “I’ll be right outside until you are ready to see me. I’m not going anywhere.”

After about five minutes, I saw the door open a crack. I stood up and peered inside the bedroom, illuminated by the big-screen TV, which was showing live local news footage of the Dakota. Yoko had been watching, with the volume off. Even though the windows were shut and the shutters closed, I could hear the music from seven floors below. The sound of mourners on the street singing John’s lyrics would fill the apartment for days to come.

Lennon surrounded by fans in New York in August 1980

Standing by the bed, wearing silk pajamas and a kimono, Yoko looked incredibly frail. I reached over and gingerly put my arm around her. She touched my face, then crawled back into bed.

“Is there anything I can do?” I asked her. “There’s nothing anybody can do,” she weakly responded. “Have you eaten anything? Can I bring a cup of tea?” “Elliot,” she answered, “your presence is comforting. You don’t have to say or do anything.”

I sat down in my usual spot, the white wicker chair, and we both watched the images flickering on the TV. For a while, my eyes wandered around the room, eventually settling on John’s bedside table, where I spotted a pile of books — it was an eclectic stack, to say the least, everything from The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir to Your Child’s Teeth: A Parent’s Guide to Making and Keeping Them Perfect by Stephen J Moss. Yoko’s reading material was similarly varied.

Suddenly, a picture of the suspect appeared on the screen. Yoko sat up and stared intently at the mug shot of the assailant; she seemed both mesmerised and repulsed — and deeply confused — by the face of the man who had murdered her husband.

The following weeks were a blur. I spent a lot of them downstairs at Studio One, joining a staff of four or five employees, fielding a never-ending barrage of phone calls. At one point early on, an assistant held out a phone for me. “He says he’s Ringo Starr,” she whispered. Ringo was calling from a pay phone and wanted to make a condolence call with his girlfriend (now wife), Barbara. I ended up sneaking them into the building through a back entrance.

“I know exactly how you feel,” Ringo told her when she greeted him and Barbara in her bedroom. “No, you don’t,” Yoko replied, “but I’m grateful you are here.”

One evening, just a day or two after John’s murder, I returned to the apartment to find Julian Lennon sitting alone in the kitchen. He was now 17 and had just flown in from London by himself to pay his respects. (He told me later that the flight was filled with passengers reading papers covered with headlines about his father’s killing.) John and Julian had made some repairs to their estranged relationship, but Julian had practically no relationship with Yoko or with his half-brother, Sean.

“Would you look after Julian?” Yoko asked me. “It’s so depressing here. Take him around New York, show him different places.”

She was asking partially as a kindness to Julian but also as a mercy to herself. Yoko was in no condition to deal with John’s grieving teenage son; she could barely handle her own child’s grief. Sean reminded her so much of John, she found it painful to be in the same room with him, so he and his nanny were dispatched to the Lennons’ vacation home in Florida.

Police outside the Dakota, the apartment complex where Lennon was killed

I found the idea of sightseeing with Julian a bit odd, but we ended up spending a day together, culminating with a trip to the viewing deck atop the World Trade Center. It was one of the few pleasant interludes in an otherwise unbearable stretch of misery.

One of the other assignments I took up around this time was reading through the bags of hate mail. The most worrying ones were flagged for further investigation by law enforcement and shared with Yoko’s private security, who started pinning the names and descriptions of the senders on a bulletin board at Studio One.

I was always running into bodyguards in the kitchen. The irony was impossible to miss: this house built on love and peace was now filled with guns. At one point, even I started carrying a snub-nosed .38 revolver in an ankle holster. I was also provided with a bulletproof vest. One of the few times I recall willingly slipping into it was when a man fitting the description of one of the assailant’s fan club letter writers was spotted on the street outside the Dakota.

He was a tall, young, otherwise innocuous-looking fellow. I approached him carefully and asked him for the time. When he lifted his wrist to look at his watch, I could see under his jacket what appeared to be the butt of a gun.

I quickly returned to the Dakota lobby and called the police. They arrived in minutes, pushed him against a wall, discovered what was indeed a weapon, and hurried him away.

Julian Lennon, Ono, Mintz and Sean Lennon at the dedication of Strawberry Fields as a memorial to Lennon in New York in 1984

Nearly as shocking and upsetting as the dangers that were swirling outside the Dakota were the perils lurking inside. Yoko would learn that some of her most trusted confidants were scheming against her. By far the worst offender was an assistant named Fred Seaman, a trusted aide who, earlier in the year, accompanied John on a trip to Bermuda — the trip on which John wrote many of the songs for Double Fantasy.

Incredibly, almost immediately after the murder, Seaman began smuggling shopping bags stuffed with private papers from the Lennon offices and residences — including five personal journals that John kept hidden under his bed — hauling them uptown to the apartment of his accomplice, Robert Rosen, as part of a scheme to write a tell-all book. We eventually got the diaries back, and Seaman ended up pleading guilty to second-degree larceny.

Yoko found herself surrounded by traitors. Whom could she turn to? For a while, she leaned on the companionship of her friend and interior designer Sam Havadtoy, who not only moved into the Dakota but began sharing a bedroom with Yoko, although not the one she had slept in with John. This struck many on her staff as curious. Although Havadtoy was undeniably charming, appeared to have Yoko’s best interests at heart, and was terrific with Sean, he was also a gay man.

Yoko continued to grow more and more wary of just about everyone around her. I don’t know if I ever fell under Yoko’s suspicion but I do recall one moment when she and I came dangerously close to a serious argument, after I implored Yoko to let me conduct a radio interview with her and Sean to dispel some of the more outrageous rumours being spun about the Lennon family following the publication of Albert Goldman’s book about John, like the notion that he was an abusive husband and father (who once allegedly kicked Sean across a room); and that he was a drugged-out recluse, possibly schizophrenic, and an enthusiastic devotee of Thai prostitutes.

“I’ve never asked you to comment about any of the other books, but this one we can’t ignore,” I told her. Yoko paused for a moment, then responded. “Let me check with my advisers,” she said, meaning her team of tarot readers and numerologists.

Mourners at a vigil for Lennon shortly after his death

I’d never expressed scepticism about Yoko’s mystical beliefs but for once, I pushed back. “Yoko, let me ask you something,” I said. “If these advisers are as good as you believe they are, why is it that none of them saw what was going to happen to John? Why was there no warning?”

Yoko’s answer astonished me. “Elliot,” she said, “how do you know I wasn’t warned? Did you ever ask me if there were warnings?”

“Okay,” I said, “I’ll ask you: Did any of your advisers warn you about John being in danger?” “Yes,” she answered. “I was told he was in danger in New York and that he should be removed immediately. That’s why I sent him to Bermuda over the summer … But I couldn’t keep him away forever. He had to come back at some point.”

I was speechless. “Look, Elliot,” Yoko went on, “you know how John felt about his own safety. We talked about this at our kitchen table when your friend [the actor Sal Mineo] was killed. John said, ‘If they’re going to get you, they’re going to get you.’ It didn’t matter what my advisers told me. He didn’t believe in bodyguards, he wouldn’t put up with them. He wanted to be free.”

(source)

[mistressofpuppets86]

Fireworks of our own

Pairing: Present day James Hetfield x reader (NO USE OF Y/N)

Synopsis: You’re settling into life in a new town and a new state after a massive and massively unexpected inheritance. You become close with the highly recognizable and hot as fuck heavily tattooed… and somewhat recently divorced… silver fox that you learn lives across the street from you.

Warnings: 18+. There will be smut. Minors, fuck off. RPF. 1st person POV. 20-ish year age gap. Reader is early 40s, James is 60. Reader’s race is not mentioned or described, but is AFAB and female identifying. Due to the lack of female readers with my body type when body type is described/hinted at, reader is also short and somewhat plus-sized, and has small breasts. Unprotected sex. Public sex. Creampie.

Moving into the large expensive house I’d inherited in Colorado turned out to be one of my smarter decisions.  The house used to belong to my step-aunt and step-uncle.  I didn’t find out until after they were both gone that they’d made an agreement codified in their wills.  What it boiled down to was that their biological relatives were a bunch of greedy vultures who loved to squabble over anything of value, vying with each other for the best of whatever it was and only caring about what benefit there was for themselves in literally any situation.  It shocked me as much as anyone when I was the one named sole beneficiary of their entire estate.  I don’t know what would have happened had I turned it down, but turning down enough of a bank account to make me independently wealthy plus a variety of stocks and other investments that were continuing to provide income and a plush house in the ski town of Vail was not something I would do.  I never had to work again if I didn’t want to, and the house was entirely paid off.  It would have been complete idiocy to reject all that.  In further interest of not being a complete idiot, I also took measures as soon as possible to ensure my step-aunt’s and step-uncle’s wishes were respected.  In the event of my untimely death, ‘those people’ would still inherit nothing.  I used the same lawyers my step-aunt and step-uncle had to ensure my will was as ironclad as theirs had been, in case ‘those people’ contested mine as my step-aunt’s and step-uncle’s had been contested when I was named sole heir.

What surprised me was how friendly the rest of the residents were, and how patient they were in getting me integrated into the community.  Being autistic and having ADHD made social interactions feel weird and awkward to me when I was around new people.  Everyone in Vail was new to me.  I’d moved here alone and used a moving company to do all the hard work for me.  My friends were all online and lived in other states if not other countries so it hadn’t seemed like a big deal for me.  Especially since I was such an introverted type by nature.  But something about Vail put me at ease and made it easier for me to open up to people.  It helped that they were understanding of my differences and made an effort to work with them rather than treating me with pity or like I was something to be shunned.

The real shock was my across-the-street neighbor turning out to be James fucking Hetfield of all people.  Thankfully he’d been amused rather than weirded out by my reaction to seeing him and learning he was my neighbor now.  I didn’t hide that I was a fan, but I did at least try to keep things mellow in his presence.  It helped that he was super down to earth and generally a fun guy to be around.  It didn’t take me long to relax around him while we talked and got to know each other.  I definitely had my freak-out once I was alone in my house though.

That was months ago.  Now we’re at a local park for a Fourth of July community event.  I had worn a cute spaghetti strap lavender dress with white flowers on it.  The hemline fell to a little below my knees, and there was a slit from the hem to mid thigh on the left.  The skirt part was flared enough to mostly hide my chubby belly while the bodice was a little fitted to give me some shape, with lightly padded breast cups that flattered my small bust.  I’d paired it with black strappy low-heeled wedge sandals and my hair was brushed and twisted up in a claw clip.  I spritzed on some orange-vanilla-cinnamon body spray, and was ready.  I had never been a makeup girl so I didn’t even own any.  James had given me a look I couldn’t interpret when he’d rung my doorbell so we could drive over together, but he’d also offered me his arm with a playful grin.  I’d happily taken it, grinning back and trying to ignore the way my heart fluttered in my chest as we walked to his vehicle together.  He was looking especially good himself today.  Well-fitted jeans, a t-shirt that hugged his lean body just right and showed off his tattoos, and one of his many pairs of black boots.  One of his many cowboy style hats sat on top of his silvered head.  Normally that kind of thing didn’t have any special effect on me.  But when that sort of hat was on him, it made the song lyric ‘save a horse ride a cowboy’ come to mind.

He parked and we walked toward the entrance.  When I saw just how many people were gathered in the park, my steps faltered.  It was weird.  I’d had no crowd anxiety at the few concerts I’d managed to get to, but this made me hesitate.  Maybe it was because at concerts I was surrounded by fellow metalheads and felt safe there.  Even when I didn’t know them personally we were already bonded through the music and shared love of the same band.  That connection and feelings of belonging and community weren’t present here at the park.  I’d barely stopped walking when I felt James’s arm drape over my shoulders and pull me in close to him.  I looked up at him even as I leaned against him and wrapped an arm around his waist.  Instead of the irritation or other negative emotions I had expected to see in his face and eyes there was nothing but understanding, patience, and reassurance.  “We’ve got this, babe” he murmured, giving me a squeeze.  I smiled up at him and gave his waist a squeeze as my heart flipped in my chest at the endearment and his embrace.  Then we entered the park together.

Once the initial anxiety had dissipated I was able to relax and enjoy the afternoon.  James insisted on paying for everything no matter how much I protested and reminded him I had my own money.  He countered that it was the gentlemanly thing to do.  Having no answer to that, I gave up trying to prevent him from doing it.  What was even more surprising to me was that he didn’t end up mobbed by fans.  I was sure at least some people recognized him - especially with his tattoos so readily visible and recognizable - no one approached for autographs or photos or anything.  With as at ease as he was, I could only be happy for him that he could still go out in public and do normal things like anyone else.  

We both lost most of the carnival games we played, but James had a decent win at one of them and insisted I pick out the prize since he intended for me to keep it anyway.  I chose the plush possum - about the size of a housecat - as soon as I spotted it.  I tucked it into the tote bag I was carrying, positioning it so the fuzzy head was sticking up out of the top.  “So he can see everything going on” I joked, making James laugh.  

As night fell we found ourselves at the edge of the grassy area that had been set aside for fireworks viewing.  With the setting sun, the warmth from the day seeped away and left everything on the chillier side.  Enough that it made me glad for the two blankets we’d brought… one to sit on, and one to cover up with.  We ended up with him using the tote bag as a pillow, and me - at his insistence - using his shoulder as a pillow.  Not that I minded, of course.  His arm wrapped around me and kept me close beside his warm solidness.  Without thinking about it, I rolled onto my side and snuggled closer with an arm over his waist.  I felt him stiffen for a second and panicked that I’d overstepped, but then I felt him relax and his arm tightened around me in a brief squeeze.  “Comfy?” he asked playfully, his voice low enough only I could hear what he said.

I shifted my head to look at him and my heart skipped at how close his face was to mine.  It was difficult to see much in the darkness but I could make out the amused quirk of his lips.  “Very much so… babe” I replied just as softly and playfully, pointedly tossing his earlier endearment back at him.

James let out a quiet bark of a laugh.  “Shit.  And here I thought I’d gotten away with that” he joked, the tip of his nose brushing against mine.  I knew he could feel my racing heart but he said nothing about it.

“Mmm… you kinda did, in a way” I murmured, rubbing my nose against his in turn.  “Clearly I didn’t mind you calling me that since I didn’t raise any protest.  And I certainly wouldn’t be laying like this with you right now” I pointed out even as I felt him roll onto his side facing me.  He murmured a quiet agreement, his lips close enough to mine I could feel his breath as he spoke.  Then his lips were on mine, tentative and testing at first then with more confidence and assurance when I responded eagerly and kissed him back.  A soft moan left my throat and my leg slid over his hip, my own hips pressing against him.  I felt the rumble of his moan too and his strong hand spread over the curve of my ass, pulling me even more tightly against him.  Tight enough I could feel his hard cock through his jeans.  I rolled my hips against his and deepened the kiss.

Carefully, James slid my dress up over my hips to my waist and my own hand tugged his jeans zipper down, fingers delving into the fabric to free his length.  I could feel exactly how thick he was too, my hand wrapping around him and stroking until his hand gently took hold of my wrist.  “Gonna bust like a virgin boy if you keep that up” he growled softly in my ear.  “And I wanna be in you when I bust” he added with a nip that made me whimper in pleasure as much as his words did.  I let him take control again, his long fingers tugging my panties to the side and guiding his tip through my slick folds.  “Holy fuck you’re soaked” he murmured as he sank into me.  I made a noise of need, and he quickly smothered the sound with another searing kiss as his hips slowly rolled and he thrust into and out of me.

The way he filled me was absolute perfection, and each drag and push of his cock would have had me moaning loud enough for us to be caught even over the noise from the fireworks show starting had he not kept his mouth on mine and my tongue busy with his.  It was bliss and torture at the same time that he kept his pace steady, his movements small but intense so we could both finish but hopefully not have our activities noticed.  “James… getting close” I murmured against his lips, my pussy fluttering around his cock as he brought me closer to my peak.

“Good.  Cum for me, my love.  Cum all over this cock” he murmured back.  The command in his tone, him calling me his love, and the way he was fucking me sent me over the edge.  He kissed me hard to keep my moans muffled, grunting softly and bucking into me hard as he followed me over that edge, his hot seed shooting deep into me and filling me to the brim.  We lay there in each others’ arms after, his cock still buried inside me, kissing slowly and languidly for a short while.  But then the finale of the fireworks happened and we knew our cover would be up soon.  He withdrew from me and tugged my panties back into place before his cum could leak out onto my thighs.  Then he kissed me once more and rolled onto his back to tuck his cock back into his pants and zip up.  We pulled our arms out from under the blanket to make everything look innocent just in time for the end of the display and the other attendees to start packing up to go home.

“What did you two think of the show?” a man around my age with a woman who looked to be about the same age at his side asked us as James helped me to my feet and we started folding up the blankets and gathering our things by the light of cell phone flashlights.  James and I exchanged a mischievous look and grinned.

“It was great” I replied, my voice even.  “Best display I’ve ever seen” I added.

“I was just telling my girlfriend how much better the show was this year than last year” James added, his eyes and smile full of mischief.  I felt my cheeks heat but I grinned back and made a comment about how I was glad to have been part of it.  Warmth blossomed in my chest at him declaring me his girlfriend.  The other couple seemed a little surprised but continued the conversation and didn’t seem to be judging either James or I over the obvious age gap between us.  I couldn’t tell if they knew who James was and accepted it as a general celebrity thing or if they were just chill like that.  Either way worked for me.

James draped his arm over my shoulders again and I put my arm around his waist as we walked back to the parking lot, each of us carrying things as we had done coming in.  His cum slowly leaked out of my hole and soaked my panties as we walked.  When we got to the vehicle, I reached for one of the blankets to put on my seat for the drive home.  He raised an eyebrow in question.  “If I don’t put down a barrier, I’m going to leave a wet patch on your seat from your cum soaking through my clothes” I said bluntly, leaning in close.  He smirked at me and held me close with his hands on my hips.  My arms went around his neck and he kissed me gently.

“Mmm… worth it though” he teased, making my cheeks heat again.  He kissed me once more and gave my ass a double-handed squeeze.  “Now let’s get home so we can get fully naked.  I wanna taste your pussy before I fuck you properly and have you screaming my name while I fill you with my cum again” he growled softly in my ear.  I shivered and made a needy sound that brought a grin to his lips.  When he released me and went to the driver side with long strides, I wasted no time getting into the vehicle and closing the door, buckling my seatbelt.  My panties were wet with more than just James’s cum, and I was eager for not just the rest of the night with him but the rest of our lives together.  I knew, somehow, that we belonged only to each other now.

[ryeriy]

shout! | daniel ricciardo

-> summary: daniel goes to his first bills game with the reader

-> pairings: daniel ricciardo x bills fan (fem)!reader

-> request: Can I request that the reader and Danny are dating and she's a bills fan and takes him to a bills game bc he's also a fan??

-> a/n: as a bills fan, I literally love this idea and most definitely will do it! Also this is a shorter one but it's really cute or at least I think so. The second half is rushed and really bad because I did more detail into the first part 😭

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"Does this look good?" Y/n said, pulling the jersey over her head and her hoodie. Daniel looked at her and laughed at her struggle.

It's "off" season for Daniel, even though there's always off-track training to do. His last race was a few weeks ago and he was now enjoying his time with his girlfriend at a football game.

"It looks fine, honey."

He helped her pull the jersey over her head as she was struggling. It was a bit big on her but it kept her warm. Daniel had a wide smile on his face.

"You enjoy your surprise?"

"Is that even a question?"

She let out a laugh as she looked at him smiling. There was no doubt that he wasn't enjoying his time. Y/n and Daniel were at their first Buffalo Bills game together. Daniel was so excited when she surprised him with tickets. Now here they were, in a very crowded parking lot with thousands of strangers and people who call themselves the 'Bills Mafia'. Most of them were drinking alcohol, playing games, or simply just having fun.

It's very cold in the small town of New York. Both of them were bundled up with layers of clothing. Under both of their jerseys was a sweatshirt and additional shirts underneath. She adjusted the hat on his head and kissed him on the cheek. He softly smiled at her.

"You know, this was a great idea, I love you so much," Daniel smiled widely.

"And I love you so much," she replied. Seeing his smile she couldn't help but smile too.

After getting to experience pre-game tailgating with locals, they both decided to head into the stadium. It was beautiful weather, the sun was about to set and it was cold. Exactly how it should be in New York in November.

They navigated their way through the crowd swerving and dodging bumping into people trying to get to their seats.

"Wow..." they both said as they looked around the stadium and up into the sky. Y/n and Daniel were shocked at the moment.

Both of them pulled out their phones and took pictures of their surroundings and of each other too. Y/n recorded a video and panned the camera to Daniel, "You enjoying the surprise, Danny?"

She knew it was a dumb question but it was quite funny to see his wide smile looking at her camera. "Very much!" He exclaimed as he laughed himself.

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The game was 23-15 in the fourth quarter with five minutes remaining, the Bills were winning and the stadium was full of cheers and clapping. Daniel and Y/n were both screaming and laughing along with all of the thousands of people that were surrounding them. This whole experience felt like a fever dream to them.

It was visibly dark now and the only lighting was the bright lights above their heads. With the end nearing, it only started to get louder and louder.

Daniel and Y/n were next to each other yelling, clapping, screaming, and shouting for their team.

"Touchdown!!!!"

Those words were being projected onto the jumbo tron as the famous 'shout' song. The crowd filled with ayy ayy ayy. It was such a fun experience to be in right now. Neither of them would trade it for the world.

With 1 minute remaining, everyone started celebrating and cheering. Daniel turned towards y/n and gently grabbed her face, turning it towards him. He crashed his lips against hers and they kissed. A celebratory kiss.

"I love you so much for this, thank you," he said as he smiled at her.

"I love you too," she replied to him as she smiled.

The Bills won the game and everyone was happy. Y/n and Daniel were holding hands and cheering with the other thousands of people in the stadium. Neither of them will ever forget this experience.

[gacmediadaily]

Exciting news, movie fans! If you live in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, or any surrounding state, you will want to get your ticket now to see "Mr. Manhattan," starring Carlos and Alexa PenaVega, at The Kentucky Theatre in the heart of Lexington, Kentucky!

Carlos and Alexa PenaVega will be attending this event on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, along with Bill Abbott, President & CEO of Great American Media, and the cast and crew of the film, "Mr. Manhattan."

Please see full details in the press release below via Great American Family...

'Mr. Manhattan' 

Premieres at The Kentucky Theatre 

with Celebrity Attendees Stars Carlos PenaVega and Alexa PenaVega Attend Screening Released by Great American Pure Flix

LEXINGTON, Ky., May 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Great American Pure Flix announces Carlos PenaVega ("Spy Kids," Big Time Rush) and Alexa PenaVega ("Spy Kids," "The Casagrandes Movie") will attend the world premiere of the original motion picture, "Mr. Manhattan" on May 22, 2024, in the film's shoot location of Lexington, Kentucky.

The exclusive premiere will include a 600-person screening of the film at The Kentucky Theatre, presented by VisitLEX, along with a red-carpet experience, and VIP attendees including cast and crew of the film, as well as members from Asbury University.

"It is a joy to have produced the beautiful motion picture, 'Mr. Manhattan,' down in the Bluegrass," said Bill Abbott, President & CEO, Great American Media. "Kentucky has great incentives and well-trained crews. The state built on bourbon and horse racing can now add filmmaking to its achievements and Great American Media has plans to be back in the state soon working on more original films in the near future," Abbott concluded.

In "Mr. Manhattan," Mason Bradley (Carlos PenaVega) makes a promise to his brother and sister-in-law to be godfather to their newborn son. Mason has exciting news of his own: he's just been accepted to Columbia Law School, which comes as a shock to his fiancé, Dani (Alexa PenaVega). Ten years on, Mason is surrounded by big city life and obsessed with becoming partner in his firm. Just when Mason feels personal success is at hand, he receives an unimaginable call, and his priorities are rapidly shifted in the face of a devastating life event.

"We're especially thankful for the incredible local support from VisitLEX and Asbury University. It wouldn't have been possible to shoot the film in Kentucky without their help, as well as Kentucky's competitive film incentive program.," said Brady Nasfell, producer of "Mr. Manhattan."

"Mr. Manhattan" is executive produced by Michael Scott, Jeffrey Peterson, David A. R. White, Kendall Baldwin, and Jim Ameduri. Producer is Brady Nasfell. Brian Herzlinger directs from an original screenplay by Andrea Nasfell.

Located in Wilmore, Kentucky, Asbury University provided integral production resources and film crew through its School of Communication Arts, including more than 25 students, faculty and staff who worked alongside the teams in central Kentucky and New York, N.Y. Recent Asbury M.F.A. graduate Ali Stiefel served as an office production assistant on the new movie.

"'Mr. Manhattan' opened a world of possibilities that I didn't even know existed in the film industry," Stiefel said. "I'm producing my own show this summer, and the knowledge I gained from working on set alongside the creators of 'Mr. Manhattan' equipped me with the skills to keep creating on my own, right here in Kentucky."

The event is set to be held from 5:45 p.m. to 10 p.m. EST, with the film beginning at 7:30 p.m., and limited tickets can be secured at https://bit.ly/mrmanhattanticket. "Mr. Manhattan" will be available to stream on Great American Pure Flix on Thursday, May 23 at 8 p.m. ET.

Photo: Courtesy of Great American Pure Flix

Great American Pure Flix As the streaming service of Great American Media, Great American Pure Flix provides quality family-friendly programming that celebrates faith, family and country. With affordable flat-rate pricing, families can stream a prolific offering of unlimited movies and shows on demand. Great American Pure Flix features inspiring, uplifting and entertaining content the entire family can enjoy together, with new original and exclusive titles added every month. New customers can enjoy a 7-day free trial by visiting GreatAmericanPureFlix.com. Watch Great American Pure Flix https://signup.pureflix.com/signup/c3e/email

Great American Media Great American Media is home to a family-friendly portfolio of brands including Great American Family, Great American Pure Flix and Great American Faith & Living. As the flagship linear TV network, Great American Family features original Christmas movies, rom-coms and classic series that celebrate faith, family and country. Great American Pure Flix is a leading faith and family streaming service that inspires, uplifts and entertains with content that you can confidently stream with the entire family. Other platforms include: Great American Faith & Living, the unscripted companion to Great American Family that celebrates faith, family, and country every day and every season; Great American Adventures and Pure Flix TV, FAST channels (free ad-supporting streaming TV). Great American Media was established in June 2021 by Bill Abbott and a group of US-based family offices.

Four Ways to Watch Great American Media without Cable https://agoodmovietowatch.com/how-to/channels/gacf/

About Asbury University Asbury University is a nationally ranked Christian liberal arts institution in Wilmore, Ky., with 15 academic departments offering more than 130 undergraduate areas of study, along with graduate degrees and certification programs in business administration, media communication and education and an online bachelor's degree program. More than 22,000 living alumni surround the globe, leading and serving in all 50 states and at least 80 nations. asbury.edu

*************End of Press Release*************

Trailer - "Mr Manhattan":

I hope you enjoyed this news today via Great American Media. I certainly wish I could attend this event, but unfortunately, my schedule won't allow this week. Perhaps, some of you who live close by might be able to go and enjoy a wonderful evening. If you'd like ticket information - *see here*!

For those of you, like myself, who have Great American Pure Flix, you can stream "Mr. Manhattan" beginning on Thursday, May 23rd. (I'm so looking forward to seeing Alexa and Carlos join the Great American Media Family!)

Also, Bill Abbott (Great American Media CEO) revealed in his latest insider email that "Mr. Manhattan" is expected to air in September on Great American Family. So, we can all look forward to seeing it then, as well.

Blessings to you all,

Net

[fantomcomics]

What's Out This Week? 11/15

Upcoming events:

11/19 - Anti-Imperialist Collage Workshop!

11/20 - Scott Pilgrim Book Club & Netflix Watch Party!

Alien #1 - Declan Shalvey, Andrea Broccardo & Javier Fernandez

EVERYONE WILL HEAR YOU SCREAM! •  In deep space spins a world infected by the universe's greatest killers. Most people - sane people - would construct a barrier thicker than the hulls of ten Nostromos and leave it to rot. •  But where most people see a death trap, Weyland-Yutani sees the biggest payout in the history of civilization. And if it costs a few human lives to secure? Those come cheap here. •  Corporate corruption, personal betrayals and extraordinary violence - Declan Shalvey and Andrea Broccardo's next and greatest Alien story starts here!

Catians #1 - Cortney Cameron & Luyi Bennett

Stray cat Felix leads a happy life skimming milk from his human friend Rose's convenient store, until the local protection racket turns violent. To save Rose's life, Felix breaks his vows and shares an ancient secret. Unfortunately, Rose uses her newfound knowledge to mix revenge and forbidden magic, unleashing a monstrous abomination that forces the mysterious Council of Cats to launch a global quest for the Relics of the divine Great Cat.

Deadpool: Seven Slaughters #1 - Rob Liefeld & Greg Capullo

Seven kills in seven days! Welcome to a week in the life of Wade Wilson, the best mercenary Marvel's ever had (just ask him)! From facing off with rival killers to top secret assassinations, DEADPOOL has a lot of work to do in this blood-soaked oversized issue full of fan-favorite creators past and future!

Dungeons & Dragons: Fortune Finder #1 - Jim Zub, Joe Jaro & Max Dunbar

In the city of Sigil, an amnesiac hero only known as "Finder" tries to uncover who they are and why they're being chased by planar beings intent on capturing them-or worse. But as their tumultuous journey unfolds, they discover that their fate is tied to grand forces that dictate reality itself throughout the planes! A shocking surprise lurks around every corner in FortuneFinder, a miniseries inspired by the new Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse.

Speed Force #1 (of 6) - Jarrett Williams & Daniele Di Nicuolo

Wallace West and Avery Ho: the young speedsters have been Teen Titans, Justice Leaguers, and above all, members of the Flash Family. As they become aware of mysterious changes happening to the Speed Force, they race to Keystone City, where they encounter old friends, new threats, and a chance to forge their own paths.

Geiger: Ground Zero #1 (of 2) - Geoff Johns & Gary Frank

The saga of THE UNNAMED continues! GEOFF JOHNS and GARY FRANK return to the apocalyptic world of GEIGER for a special explosive two-issue origin epic.

What happened to Tariq Geiger in the days after the nuclear bombs first dropped? How did mankind survive the UNKNOWN WAR? Who is the mysterious Russian scientist Dr. Molotov and why is he hunting Geiger? And how does this tie all the way back to the American Revolution? Get ready to put on your hazmat suit and find out!

GI Joe: A Real American Hero One-Shot - Bob Mcleod & Herb Trimpe

Celebrate the return of G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO with the definitive edition of its historic first issue! This issue restores Larry Hama's original, unedited dialogue, which has never before seen print!

Godzilla Rivals VS Mechagodzilla #1 - Mark Martinez

IS YOUR CITY BESIEGED BY KAIJU? DO YOU LIE AWAKE AT NIGHT ANXIOUSLY LISTENING FOR THE MONSTER SIRENS? HAVE YOU HAD ALL YOU CAN TAKE OF GIANT LIZARDS, MOTHS, PTERODACTYLS, AND SHRIMP? THEN CALL TRACER TECH TODAY! OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART ANTI-KAIJU TECHNOLOGY HAS ALLOWED DOZENS OF CITIES AROUND THE WORLD TO FEND OFF THE THREAT OF MONSTER ATTACK.

San Palomar, California. It's a sleepy city with not much going on. That is, until Tracer Tech built their new corporate headquarters there, displacing lifelong citizens and forcing out local businesses. But what is the source of Tracer's amazing, almost alien technology, and why has it put San Palomar in Godzilla's sights? And what can a couple of local kids like Alex and Jaz do to protect their city when the King of the Monsters and its robot doppelgänger clash?

Lotus Land #1 (of 6) - Darcy Van Poelgeest, Caio Filipe & Alex Eckman-Lawn

In a Vancouver of the future painted with ultramodern decay, a groundbreaking advancement in technology promises an end to entropy itself.

But when an attack on this mysterious "Keeper Program" threatens the lives of everyone tied to it, retired Police Detective Bennie Strikman is called to investigate one last case.

The Ministry Of Compliance #1 - John Ridley & Stefano Raffaele

Thirty-seven years ago, Earth was secretly invaded by an alien force known as the Devolution, and they have been shaping the direction humanity has been going in ever since to prepare us to be assimilated into their empire.

The Devolution has thirteen ministries, each responsible for manipulating a different aspect of human life. The Ministry of Compliance, the most feared of all the ministries, led by the fierce Avigail Senna, makes sure all the ministries stay in line and remain focused on the Devolution's mission. As it appears the Ministry's mission is on the verge of being completed and Earth will be assimilated, things begin to go terribly wrong, and a conspiracy among the ministries breaks out that Avigail must deal with head-on.

Outsiders #1 (of 12) - Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly & Robert Carey

Never the End. A universe of secrets is about to come to light. Batman protects Gotham City from evil. Batman Inc. protects the rest of the known world. But what of the unknown world? What of the ancient evils in hidden tombs and forgotten tragedies from a magic-and-mad-science fueled super-heroic century? Using his fortune, Luke Fox launches a new organization dedicated to shining light into the world's darkest corners. His first recruit: Kate Kane, the Batwoman--who will re-embrace her military background to protect Luke's dream and encounter every bit of strangeness the DCU has to offer. And just wait until you meet the Third Man...or learn what universe-shattering secret they've discovered buried under Antarctica. Outsiders is the return of comic book archaeology, digging into all the forgotten corners of DC's history to preserve, record, and better understand the true nature of the DC Multiverse...and the forgotten stories that make up its fabric.

Red Light #1 (of 4) - Sarah Cho, Priscilla Petraites & Jeff Dekal

Lacy is an A.I. sex worker in a futuristic Red Light District. And Lacy knows exactly what her clients want - better than they know it themselves. Housed in a high-tech brothel under the watchful eye of the mysterious Mister, Lacy has little in her manufactured life besides work. All that changes when she befriends Natalie, an orphaned child who comes into her care. Now Lacy and Natalie are on a mission to escape the Red Light District, only to find themselves flung headlong into the mystery behind Lacy's creation.

Superior Spider-Man #1 - Dan Slott & Mark Bagley

A Superior Reckoning! SPIDER-MAN faces a NEW VILLAIN from his SUPERIOR past. As she fries New York with all the power of a living star, DOC OCK makes a life-changing discovery! MARK BAGLEY and DAN SLOTT continue their Spider-Man run with this 10th-ANNIVERSARY celebration of everything that made Spider-Man Superior.

Street Fighter 6 Evolution Special #1 - Capcom, Matt Moylan, Hanzo Steinbach, Tovio Rogers, Jeffrey Chamba Cruz & Genzoman

The new era of fighting games continues with three short-stories starring six World Warriors! Featuring Rashid, Cammy, Dee Jay, Luke, Jamie, and the debut of an all-new Street Fighter 6 character.... the deadly A.K.I.!

365 Days To The Wedding GN Vol 1 - Tamiki Wakaki

A sweet "fake engagement" romance about quiet coworkers by the creator of The World God Only Knows! The J.T.C. travel agency is looking for someone to manage its brand-new branch in Irkutsk. But for employees Oohara Takuya and Honjouji Rika, they'd rather just stay home in Tokyo! Thankfully, they've discovered a way out-their manager has narrowed down the recruits to bachelors, so what if they just... got married? The problem is they barely know each other at all! Can they convince their office they're engaged just long enough for the transfer to finish up?

Cat On The Hero's Lap GN Vol 1 - Kosuke Iijima & Shiori

In this hilarious fantasy adventure, will the hero triumph against the evil demon king, or face defeat... because he can't fight with a cat on his lap?! Our brave hero, Red, has embarked alongside his companions on a journey to defeat the great demon king. Or at least, that was the plan. But then a cat sat on Red's lap and fell asleep. There's no way he can fight monsters like this! As it turns out, Red's greatest enemy is right on top of him!

Curses GN - George Wylesol

"Sometimes I think I see things. Out of the corner of my eye, behind a door, I catch a glimpse of something. It's like a curtain caught in the wind, and then it's gone." From hospitals to hell to the wilderness, George Wylesol's short stories take place in liminal spaces where nothing is as it seems; the surreal becomes real; and something is lying in wait around every corner. As our main characters navigate through corridors, passageways, and highways, they sink deeper and deeper into everyday strangeness that slips into peculiarity, creating an internal journey from normalcy to the supernatural.

Dai Dark Box Set Vol 1 - Q. Hayashida

Introducing the first box set for this hilarious, gruesome, unforgettable tale where dark magic and space action collide! Zaha Sanko's body has great and terrible powers-they say that possessing his bones will grant you any wish, even the desire to become ruler of the universe. But Sanko is still a teenage dude with his own life, and he isn't about to let every monstrous lowlife in the galaxy rip him limb from limb. He and his skeletal buddy Avakian will use their dark powers to fend off any murder attempts while they search space for whomever put this curse on Sanko's bones... because killing them might end the madness. (And then Sanko can celebrate with his favorite spaghetti.) This beautiful box contains Vol. 1-4 of the manga and one double-sided poster.

The Dangerous Convenience Store GN Vol 1 - 945/gusao

This hit Boys' Love webtoon/manhwa (comic) is coming to print in English for the first time! Yeo Eui-joon needs cash, so he works part-time at a convenience store-where the clientele includes hoodlums and mobsters. He's tired of being yelled at while ringing up booze and trying to talk his way out of extortion, but he's not tired of seeing a certain good-looking gangster walk in the door. Gunwoo is huge, gruff, and intimidating at first... but he seems to care about Eui-joon's well-being, and is quick to knock aside anyone giving Eui-joon a hard time. After Eui-joon gets a peek at the enormous condom size Gunwoo buys, a little spark of attraction might just grow into a big, fiery love story!

Disturbed: Dark Messiah TP - Tim Seeley, Angel Hernandez, Esau Escorza & Ryan Christensen

In the not so distant future, firefighter Griffin DeSanto has found himself a man out of time, stumbling into a harsh world of poverty, automation, and subjugation. Technology rules and a tech empire built on suffering keeps the population in check through surveillance and mechanized policing. Though lost, Griffin is never alone, he was brought here for a reason, and The Vengeful One is his guide.

Gunhild GN Vol 1 - Fred Tornager

Her travels lead mainly to many foes, but a few enemies become friends, persuaded by Gunhild's unwavering determination and burning passion for her own cause. Being a tiny Jotun against a big, powerful world, Gunhild must fight smart and learn a trick or two from Loki to earn the title of godhood. Certainly, Gunhild will stop at nothing to forge her own fantastic path and make her dream come true.

The History Club HC Vol 1 - Bret Baier & Marvin Sianipar

From Bret Baier comes the first book in a thrilling new time-bending graphic novel series about kids who use their love of history to thwart an evil time traveler's scheme to change the past! Becca, Zack, Cam, and Thomas are best friends who may seem like an unlikely group on the surface but who have something very important in common: a love of history! Together, they make up their school's history club that has an all-important secret mission: stop the villainous History Twister's plot to destroy the past, forever altering the future. Knowledge of history is their superpower as they chase the Twister through time. After all, who knows what would have happened if Alexander Hamilton had lived and Aaron Burr had died in their infamous duel? It's up to the History Club to save the world from utter destruction!

Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Beyond The Goblin City TP - Delilah S Dawson, Gustavo Duarte, Jeff Stokely, Ross Curry, Jonathan Case, Adam Smith, Lara Elena Donnelly, Sas Milledge, Daniel Bayliss, Pius Bak, French Carlomagno, Jeff Stokely, Kyla Vanderklugt, Samantha Dodge, Gustavo Duarte & Mike Allred

Featuring the secret history of Sir Didymus and the untold story of one of Jareth's Masquerade guests, in addition to stories featuring fan-favorite characters like Ludo, Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and the Goblin King himself.

This epic collection showcases imaginative tales from critically acclaimed writers and artists, including Jonathan Case (The New Deal), Delilah S. Dawson (Star Wars: Phasma), Gustavo Duarte (Bizarro), Roger Langridge (Snarked), Katie Cook (Star Wars: ABC-3PO), Jeff Stokely (The Ludocrats), S.M. Vidaurri (Labyrinth: Under the Spell), Sina Grace (Superman: Kal-El Returns), Michael Dialynas (Wynd), Sarah Webb (The Storyteller: Sirens), Boya Sun (5 Worlds), Lara Elena Donnelly (The Amberlough Dossier), French Carlomagno (The Dead Lucky), Pius Bak (Eat The Rich), Samantha Dodge (Catwoman: Soulstealer), and many more!

Collects Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Shortcuts and Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Under the Spell.

No Touching At All GN - Kou Yoneda

On the first day of his new job, the shy and introverted Shima suddenly finds himself trapped in an elevator with an extremely hungover man, who turns out to be none other than his new boss, Togawa. Though Shima is initially put-off by Togawa's rude and shameless behavior, he can't help but be drawn in by the man's compassionate side, and he soon finds his thoughts are completely consumed by the charismatic man. Unfortunately, painful experiences from his past continue to haunt Shima, and ultimately prevent him from taking the first step. Even when Togawa makes his feelings for the young man blatantly clear, despite also having agonizing memories and an unpleasant past of his own, Shima still hesitates to open himself up to the man. How will things turn out when a love is so obvious that it can felt, but the individuals in question can't express it directly?

Osamu Dazai's No Longer Human GN - Osamu Dazai & Chika Ito

This manga version of novelist Osamu Dazai's masterpiece No Longer Human, the #2 bestselling novel of all time in Japan. Yozo Oba, a young man growing up in Japan in the immediate aftermath of World War II, is tormented by a failure to find any value in himself or in human relationships, despite being surrounded by women who love him. He creates the persona of a buffoon who mocks himself while entertaining others. But inside he is tortured, and as he moves from childhood to adulthood he becomes addicted to sex and alcohol. Largely autobiographical, No Longer Human explores Dazai's own sense of failure and alienation which drove him to self-destruct with alcohol and numerous suicide attempts.

Power Rangers Universe TP - Nicole Andelfinger, Simone Ragazzoni & Derrick Chew

WHAT IS THE TRUE ORIGIN OF THE PHANTOM RANGER?

On a journey across time and dimensional space, writer Nicole Andelfinger (Dragon Prince: Bloodmoon Huntress), artist Simone Ragazzoni (Odessa), and colorist Mattia Iacono answer the questions fans have been asking since the beginning!

A mysterious pod crashes to earth, while the Legendary Ranger Teens take on thrilling new forms, powerful against their foes and dangerous to themselves, and even contend with a corrupted former ally. Can they save their friend and protect the Morphin Grid from destruction?

Discover the truth behind the Phantom Ranger, the Morphin Masters, Power Rangers, and the Morphin Grid itself in the series that will unlock the secrets of the Power Rangers Universe!

Saigami GN - Seny

The girl known as Ayumi is a troubled European teenager who feels lost, like a stranger in her world. Her father left when she was little, while her mother's work means she is never around. A love of manga and books keeps her happy, while honest-to-goodness friends seem to be something only other people have. But this is not the case in the fantasy land known as Aesztrea. In this strange new world, there are dragons, creatures, and warriors who can wield power beyond our wildest imagination. When Ayumi arrives in Aesztrea, she learns that she may also be a Saigami. This warrior class of supernatural and superhuman abilities is one of the most honored and respected people in this new world. For the first time in her life, her potential is limitless, and she has seemingly found a place and a people where she can belong. But not all is right in Aesztrea, Ayumi will have to face her own demons to get to the bottom of this and determine who she wants to be.

Sakura Saku GN Vol 1 - Io Sakisaka

Saku Fujigaya would like to thank the boy who helped her, but all she has is a note signed "Ryosuke Sakura." She discovers that a boy at her high school, Haruki Sakura, has an older brother named Ryosuke. She asks Haruki to deliver her thank-you letter to Ryosuke, but why does he refuse?

Sheep Princess In Wolf's Clothing GN - Mito

In this beautifully illustrated yuri/Girls' Love fairy tale, a wolf-woman butler must tutor a sheep princess who's not as soft as she looks! Aki Rikujo, a Wolfa, works as a butler at the royal castle in the land of Sheepa. Her quiet and peaceful days get shaken up when she saves the life of Princess Momo Shiudafaris. The shy sheep princess immediately latches onto Aki who, before she knows it, becomes the princess's private tutor. Momo wants more than just math lessons from Aki, and even sneaks into the wolf-woman's bedroom to seduce her! Aki soon realizes that, under the timid woolly exterior, Momo is a wild animal!

The Star Seekers GN - HYBE & Tomorrow X Together

When assailants interrupt Star One's comeback stage, the boys spring into action...all except Eugene! Though he helps as best he can, his lack of magic limits what he can do. That is, until the strange stray cat he picked up appears in a flash of light and offers him power...

Whatcha snaggin' this week, Fantom Fam?

[haikyuuwaifu]

3

Breakeven: The Script

Genre: Drama, Angst

Warnings: Swearing

Masterlist

Her best days will be some of my worst She finally met a man that's gonna put her first While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping 'Cause when a heart breaks no it don't break even, even, no

“Dynamight! Dynamight over here!” A reporter shouted on the screen. Izukue had just finished a gruesome patrol, and he felt his muscles ache all over. Returning home, he made no move to shower, simply settling down on his couch and flipping on the local news. On the screen, Kachan was scowling as a reporter shoved a microphone in his face. “What the fuck do you want?” The blonde grumbled, pulling his phone out of his pocket to check his texts. “We want to know if the rumors are true!” The reporter shouted, shooting the man a sly wink. “There’s tons of rumors dummy, ya gotta be more specific.” He mumbled, mildly distracted by the messages on his phone. “Rumors about you being off the market of course! Fans want to know if someone really did catch the elusive heart of the #2 hero!” Kachan only snorted, rolling his eyes. Izuku could see the slight flush of his rival’s cheeks, as the blonde narrowed his eyes. “What’s it matter to you extra’s if I’m off the market or not?” He huffed, stuffing his phone in his pocket. “Your fans just want to support you and your new found love!” The reporter declared, clutching the microphone to her chest. “It’s no secret, that something has changed about you over the last few months.” She stated. “Your rescue numbers have bumped up faster than any hero in the rankings, and your number of arrests are following quickly behind that.” The blonde man only shrugged, looking around. “I suppose, I’ll let you extra’s in on a little something.” He grinned, looking away from the camera. Izuku watched, curious to see who had finally melted the stone walls of Kachan’s heart. “I’ve got someone, that I want to make proud constantly enough, that I will give everything I have to ensure that the world she lives in is safe.” Katsuki mumbled, eyes going soft as he looked out of the frame. The reporter followed his direction, and smiled softly as the camera panned over to a woman. To Izuku’s shock, that woman was Y/n. Y/n waved at the camera, before making her way over to her boyfriend. Smiling at the reporter, she let out a laugh and a shake of her head. “Don’t let him fool you, he’s just a big softie.” She whispered, winking at the camera. The fans around them erupted in cheer, as the blonde man scowled, blushing into his girlfriends neck. “Let’s get you checked out stinky, and then it’s a race to the sushi place.” Y/n declared, clenching her fist in determination. “Loser is on laundry duty for a week!” Katsuki let out a snort, rolling his eyes as he looked at the reporter. “Jokes on her, I always let her win because I love her.” He whispered, giving the fans a wink and a wave, before following his girlfriend out of the shot. Izuku shut the television off, sitting alone in the silence.

Izuku didn’t know how long he sat there, staring into the darkness of his apartment. He figured it had been a good number of hours, his brain trying to process what he’d seen on the tv. Since the break-up, he spent a lot less time on his socials and a lot more time burying himself in work. He gave his PR team control of his accounts since he couldn’t look through Y/n’s pages anymore. Grabbing his phone, he pulled up his accounts, and started scrolling. 

What greeted him first, were pictures from the media, of Y/n and Katsuki out and about. They looked like every other couple in Japan, holding hands and acknowledging the paparazzi. There were a few screenshots from interviews, where Kachan made a comment or another about a special “someone.” Swiping his fingers, Izuku went to Kachan’s pro account and found himself shell-shocked at the amount of pictures he had posted of Y/n. Some of them looked like they were from dates, or even get gatherings with friends. In one of them, it was Y/n and Shinsou hugging each other as Kachan congratulated them on a work award. Izuku wasn’t even aware that Y/n had actual friends. He knew she and Shinsou were in gen-ed together, but he had assumed they’d parted ways when Shinsou transferred to the hero course. The other photo’s Kachan had posted were of the more intimate variety. Photo’s Izuku felt shouldn’t be shared with the public. Didn’t Kachan understand just how dangerous it was to post Y/n so openly. Izuku scoffed, rolling his eyes as he continued scroll through his feed. 

Reading through the comments, Izuku was surprised to see that all of Kachan’s fans were nothing but supportive of his new relationship. Out of all the heroes in the top 10, Kachan’s were the most vicious. He’d seen them tear apart strangers that were even hinted at dating the #2 hero. But all he saw, was nothing but support and adoration for the #2 hero and his girlfriend. His fans had even shared posts from her work account, spreading the word about fundraising and charities. Izuku tried clicking on Y/n’s work account, only to see that he still couldn’t access it. He debated making a burner account, but before he could, his phone start ringing; alerting him to a phone call. Letting out a sigh at the sight of Uraraka’s face, Izuku ignored the call and shut his phone off. Unwilling to accept what he’d seen and unsure of what he should do. Surely, he needed to reach out and explain to Kachan, the dangers of exposing Y/n like that; but he found himself falling into a flashback, of one of the worst fights he and Y/n had ever had in the entirety of their long relationship.

*Flashback*

“I’m not embarrassed of you honey, I just wish you’d understand just how dangerous it would be if the public knew you were my girlfriend.” Y/n snorted, as she crossed her arms. “Do you know how it feels, when you’re watching your boyfriend on the television being flaunted and fawned at, at the hero gala he’s never once considered taking you to?” Y/n asked, with an exhausted sigh. “Do you know how it feels, listening to people talk about how you and Uravity would make such a suitable match. When you’re sitting right there, trying in vain to mind your own business.” She questioned, looking up at him. “Probably not, because you’re Deku. The golden child and the golden hero.” She scoffed, looking away from him. “I am the golden hero,” He mumbled, reaching out to try and take her hands. “And that’s why I need you to be safe. Because if something happened to you, it would devastate me.” He mumbled, eyes watering.  Y/n only sneered, pulling her hands into her lap. “It’s always the same song and dance with you Izuku, and I’m getting tired of it.” She sighed, looking toward the window. “I am a literal teacher at UA, where I am surrounded by nothing but Heroes and hero hopefuls, and you still treat me like I’m some kind of fragile little idiot.” “You’re not an idiot.” He declared, moving closer to her on the couch. “Sure seems like I am to you, and I’m tired. So fine, you fucking win again; I’m not going to discuss this again.” She sighed, moving to stand. “I’m going to take a shower and go to bed early.” She whispered, making her way to the bedroom. “I’d appreciate it if you slept in the guest bedroom tonight.” 

*End Flashback*

Izuku recalled having to spend a week groveling, to get her to forgive him. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Izuku stood from his spot on the couch and made his way to the bedroom. Preparing for another night of restless sleep.

Prev/Next

[vegalores]

i'll be your baby tonight

Helene had watched them perform no more than two hours ago at one of the local London venues not too far from the hotel they’d chosen for their stay. Usually, they would be on a bus immediately after the show, heading to the next location for another performance in another city, but London was their last stop on this mini tour. They had done so well that Helene stopped by a little grocery store on the way, picked up a bottle of wine to congratulate them and some grub.

Joey had actually met the brunette a few weeks ago when he and the boys had arranged a meet and greet before the week of shows began in the area. The pretty brown eyed girl wasn’t a surprise they expected when she delivered flowers from the endless number of fans who had called in a favour just in time for their arrival.

The meeting had left a lasting impression on him specifically, while the other lads went about their business as though they hadn’t just met the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth—though they got to hear about it for days.

“ Hi.. “ she says, barely above a whisper, as Norum answers the door expecting it to be room service, but recognising her, he steps aside to let her in because he knows that Joey would do damage if he didn’t. She was all he had been talking about since they got to London, besides the response from the fans after each show every night.

“ Helene! come in.. I’ve been.. we’ve been waiting for you, “ he corrects himself pretty quickly, noticing the chuckle from his bandmate right away after the little slip up there. While they’d all been waiting for her arrival, that was true, the one who had arranged to have her drop by in the first place was Joey and it didn’t take much for everyone to see he was fully smitten.

“ I brought some things, I hope you don’t mind, just as a well done for the last weeks performances. You guys were so good, “ she beams, handing the bag over to Joey after lifting out the wine bottle in case it breaks.

“ Food! “ a voice shouts, as footsteps bound into the room to quickly retrieve the bag of food from Joey’s hands and racing off to the kitchen area to start prepping some. Helene looked up at the sudden loud sound, seeing Ian flying through at the mere sight of a full grocery store bag. It left her giggling while Joey apologised for the behaviour of some of his friends, even though she wasn’t at all offended or shocked, as they needed to eat after such a long day.

“ Don’t worry about it, Joakim. I’m just happy to help.. I know you didn’t ask, but I figured that bag of food is better than the cheap and awful stuff you’d get here in the hotel store, “ she’s smiling warmly with her hands clasped in front of her, rocking a little on her heels because she doesn’t know if she’s allowed to take a seat at all, not wanting to be rude.

Joey’s head tilted and even John and Ian paused to look at the sound of their frontmans given name, marvelling at the way in which she had been able to pronounce it correctly, as well as the fact that most people just used his alias. A pang hit him in the chest and he felt the warmth and comfort fill him by her use of the name his Mother had gifted him at birth. Her eyes danced between the three of them at different areas of the room then, uncertain if she had done something wrong.

“ Come sit, Helene, the food should be ready in no time seeing as Ian is already cooking half of it, “ he chuckles, taking a seat himself on the sofa near the full length windows overlooking the city and finding a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

“ I’m so sorry. I didn’t even consider you may not like the name but I wanted to be as polite as possible show a little initiative, “ she finds a spot on the sofa cushion he pats beside him and glances down, fiddling with her nails now and feeling a bit out of place for having possibly offended him somehow.

“ You didn’t do anything wrong, Helene, trust me, “ he tells her as he lifts her face by the chin, a thumb and finger delicately resting under it to achieve that goal, while searching her eyes and waiting for them to land on him again so she understands she is not at fault even in the slightest. “ I’ve just never met a single person over the last six years who even wanted to learn my name or ever use it.. and you said it perfectly, “ he smiles.

UB40’s cover of Cherry Oh Baby stilled her for a moment as she processed Joey’s words and then smiled herself, a blush of her own creeping onto her cheeks, deepening the second she realised he was still holding her chin up to get a look at her more closely in the dimly lit room.

Clearing her throat was not an option because she was now almost certain her voice had run away with the kindness he possessed and the gentleness in which he was touching her and making her feel at ease.

“ Um.. “ she utters, but it is Norums remark of letting the poor girl go that startles Joey into retreating his hand away from her face. Snapping out of it, the long haired male looks down apologetically for a few brief moments and then starts to ask her questions to remove them both from the tension.

“ Do you live far from this hotel, Helene? “ he asks, pulling her free from her timidness almost right away as she goes about getting a little more comfortable on the sofa, leaning an elbow on the back of it so she can see both outside and Joey at the same time, the lights of the city adding atmosphere to what she considers a beautiful night for her.

“ About 20 minutes from here.. a tiny one bed apartment but it keeps a roof over my head and I can’t complain. It’s close to work for me, too, “ she answers, not minding at all that he has taken to asking questions and getting to know her better. Any and all possible routes the night could take were welcome as far as she was concerned, more so if they took the heat off her and put a stop to her blushing and shyness.

“ Would you like me to walk you home when you’re ready? “ it was a question he found himself asking very suddenly, even though he realises that might not be appropriate because in all actuality, this was only their second official meeting. But it was when another smile slowly formed on her features that he knew he was in the clear for being so bold as to ask.

“ That would be very kind of you, Joakim, thank you, “ brown eyes dance with happiness and something that could mirror the likes of deep longing, which he picked up on swiftly and called to Ian, who was still in the kitchen area across the room, to bring two wine glasses over to the table so he could pour Helene and himself a drink or two as they conversed.

“ I love hearing my name from your lips, “ he says, not really acknowledging the words that left his mouth until the shock on her face, accompanied by the deep red blush and a holler from John who had just walked back in to grab himself a wine after Joey set it back down and shakily handed Helene hers, hoping the ground would swallow him up.

I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight is playing through the hotel radio now and both herself and Joey turn red in unison, which ignites the other two males in the room into fits of laughter, before dings from the oven and microwave go off and the room is back to some form of normality again as everyone filters back into the lounge area. All of them acknowledge Helene as they enter in a way that makes her feel completely welcome.

“ That was a lovely compliment, by the way, “ she tells him, of his remark about his name leaving her lips, while she takes a much needed long sip of the bubbly liquid in her own glass. “ I love the way you say mine, too, “ she adds, though this time in a hushed tone, so as not to alert the boys to their flirting, and he is enormously thankful for her doing so.

[snake-in-your-garden]

sorry this took a bit but here is my explanation of richard cromwell !! i could be more detailed but then you’d have to wait like a week for this. so. here you go… (btw this isn't proofread so hopefully it's ok lol)

some background: king charles i thinks he’s so cool and the best and won’t listen to anyone including parliament. the house of commons doesn’t like that so much! they try to sort things out but then charles goes and tries to arrest the parliamentarians (people who want a republic or at least a constitutional monarchy) but they escape and then charles and some of his fans leave the area and forces are gathered by the cavaliers/royalists (pro-absolute monarchy) and then by the parliamentarians/roundheads and war breaks out (it's the english civil war)!! in the end charles gets his head chopped off and his wife and children get exiled. now there's a sort of republic thing called the protectorate/commonwealth. it's led by oliver cromwell, who, after 1653, is basically just a king by another title: lord protector.

so. richard, oliver cromwell's eldest surviving son is around. he is educated at felsted school. he was sort of involved in the civil war in 1647. after the civil war, he lives in the temple of london. at the age of 20 he is admitted to the society of lincoln's inn, where he studies law, but he is not called to the bar. also, he's been involved in small local government things, but did eventually have some parliament positions. he's good at his job and very diligent btw. but he's largely just hanging out and enjoys just hanging out! he likes sports and hunting and falconry and horse-racing. he’s vain and kind of un-puritan in his pursuit of fun times but is also very nice to everyone!

some more personal life things: he and his younger brother henry are like best friends :-). richard sends him some beagles at some point in time i don’t remember. on may 1 1649 richard marries dorothy maijor (who he called “doll”) and goes to live at her house. he actually prefers spending time with her over doing government stuff! in 1656 he was ill and then on january 27 1657 he was injured when a staircase collapsed. in july 1657 he was appointed chancellor of oxford university and was made a member of the council of state. in august 1657 was injured after a riding accident. 

anyway. so richard wants to live peacefully in the country, perhaps doing a little government work. he's not really ambitious, he's very relaxed.

then on september 3 1658 his father dies and richard is now lord protector; richard was notified on the day of his death that he was the successor, oliver just never bothered to tell him ig (there is some controversy over whether richard was actually named successor, though). richard had thought that oliver would recover from his illness so there were multiple things coming as a bit of a shock here.

anyway, richard is, by this point, widely beloved! he’s nice and good at making speeches. things go smoothly for a bit, but richard isn't as adept at governing as oliver was. he doesn't have his military experience, his confidence, or his intense religiosity. richard certainly makes a good effort at things, but he's not fit for such a high office, and is very aware of this himself, acknowledging his limited political capabilities. henry wants to visit england to help him out but he’s prevented from doing so.

first problem: the country has a huge debt which is kind of an issue. he tries to solve this with parliament, but he’s let a bunch of royalists and presbyterians (he may very well have been a presbyterian himself!) into parliament. there’s a lot of complicated political stuff going on here that i don’t quite understand but basically parliament is going very badly.

second problem: his peaceableness and desire to make everyone get along along with the fact that he isn't oliver cromwell makes the military start to dislike him. plus, the parliament doesn’t seem to like what the military is doing. richard tries to have parliament and the military just get along, but parliament really really doesn’t want to get along. so the military gets really really mad, they want richard to dissolve parliament. richard says no. the parliament is like “oooh pick us we’re like best pals,” but the miliary shows up and richard eventually agrees to their demands. the now-dissolved parliament feels betrayed by him. the rump parliament (small parliament from the days of the civil war) returns.

richard may have gone under house arrest at whitehall (the royal palace, during the protectorate the lord protector palace ig) feeling abandoned and betrayed by all the people he considered his friends. in july 1659, he’s forced to resign and he goes home.

the military controls things for a bit and then king charles ii arrives, back from exile (richard supported this, btw; i don’t mean he was a royalist, but he thought the return of the monarchy would probably be for the best at this point)! it’s the restoration of the monarchy! the stuarts are back in power!! (...and in 28 years will be the glorious revolution. ah well)

so. richard’s life post-military coup: before he was lord protector he went over his allowance; when he was lord protector creditors came to whitehall trying to arrest him; after he resigned he was in debt and had to flee the country (btw, he was promised that his debts would be paid off and that he would receive a pension if he resigned. neither happened). so in july 1660, he goes of to france. he’s going around to in paris and other european places outside of england under the name “john clarke” among others, partially to evade the law, partially to be left alone and not bothered by people being like “woah it’s the old lord protector guy,” though he doesn’t particularly mind if people know who he is. he stays in contact with his family while abroad. in 1665, there’s a list of people who have to come back to england or get beheaded. richard’s on the list but dorothy manages to get him off of it.

dorothy dies in 1676 and richard returns to england in 1680, possibly partially to attend his daughter’s marriage (her name is also dorothy). he’s hanging out in the countryside again, now with his pal thomas pengelly. he’s taken up drawing and stuff, he is still riding horses, he’s gone back to just relaxing. then he moves to live with his other daughters (dorothy jr. jr. [there was another dorothy before her but she died at the age of 1] died in 1681 btw) in hursley iirc? he’s pretty much fine with the monarchy now (at least outwardly) and keeps the king in his prayers. he dies in 1712 at the age of 85.

and that’s the story of richard cromwell!! truly he is kind of a loser but also i am his #1 defender

“he doesn't have his military experience, his confidence, or his intense religiosity. “ god i love how this absolute nerd of a man was put into this position. hes my new blorbo i cant thank you enough

[aggold15hi01]

An update-4th November 2024

Trigger warning: Mention of acc*d*nt, personal family issue (Estranged sibling relationship): jealousy and ab*se(?)

All stories below are entirely based on my own thoughts of my own.

I have to admit; reading all of the F1 posts on here in addition to browsing through the tags, I have to admit—the Brazilian GP 24 does truly feels as when an actual TV soap opera drama series which does cames to life obviously.

Firstly, the storm in Brazil does feels like a huge plot twist in my very own opinion as a dramatic opening to the show which led to the pivot of the qualification to Sunday which is the same day as the featured race which starts after all three of the qualification session are finished.

Then secondly, enter act two or the second scene. This is where the qualification comes into the picture; loads of acc*d*nt and red flags flying everywhere; wow.

(*Inserts River's reaction to Madison's unkind behavior in "Ugh wow." GIF and Logan's "Wow, this is going terribly" reaction GIF from this year's GTG on "A-Z 2024 edition"*)

Also, since we are talking about the qualification of Brazil GP 2024; then this where BAM! All of the sudden; an acc*d*nt from Alex enters the picture as many of the fans both locally and internationally got shocked; surprised and worried about his well being plus thsnkfully god did managed to truthfully save him and his life however one of the concerns with Alex we fans are now wondering did he injure his wrist from the acc*d*nt.

Sadly, this led to a force a tough decision to withdrew from the race by Alex which does breaks all of our hearts dejectedly.

In the third scene, we got the featured race. Loads of drama in the wet, acc*d*nts and unexpected finishes. (Not going through that part as it may contain spoilers thus I'll fast forward it to the top 3.)

And at the forth scene; we got Max who finally got his win in Brazil, plus Estie and Pierre whom they did got 2nd and 3rd place respectively—although I am feeling truthfully delighted to see all three of them are putting their beef aside; I am feeling dejected too as well since Pierre and Estie does reminds me of both me and my estranged younger brother.

If Pierre is my estranged younger brother, meanwhile I spiritually am an Estie.

Although I am happy they both put their beef aside but . . . unlike them whom they had reconciled: both my estranged younger brother and I—neither of us can still accept the part where we both are birth siblings only three or four years apart, neither of us are going to reconcile as we kept a healthy distance between each other and accept the fate of how the neither of us are going to reconcile for a lifetime.

Anyway, very long post but . . . I did it anyway.

[popentertainment-moviereviews]

THE FRONT ROOM (2024)

Starring Brandy Norwood, Andrew Burnap, Neal Huff, Kathryn Hunter, David Manis, Mary Catherine Wright, Ellen J. Maddow, Mary Testa, Morgen McKynzie, Kerry Flanagan, Rueby Wray, Chasity Monroe Orr, Charlize Essence Orr, Scottie DiGiacomo, Toree Hill, Desi Ramos and the voice of Wendy Heagy.

Screenplay by Max Eggers & Sam Eggers.

Directed by Max Eggers & Sam Eggers.

Distributed by A24. Pictures. 95 minutes. Rated R.

That is 95 minutes of my life that I will never get back. Look, you learn early on in the movie reviewing world that you won’t like every movie you see. That’s just part of the gig. However, it’s a pretty rare stinker which makes you literally angry as you are walking out of the theater – I spent my time watching this when I could have been doing… anything else in the world?

Truth to tell, I went into The Front Room pretty naïve to what it was about. I had seen the trailer, so I had a basic idea of the storyline. (By the way, it turns out the trailer gives away a pretty significant late plot point which should have never been included in the ad, and it probably wouldn’t have been in a better film, or a better trailer.)

However, two things kind of intrigued me about the film. First of all, it was a horror film starring Brandy (Norwood), the 90s soul-pop singer (“The Boy Is Mine,” “Have You Ever” and “Sittin’ In My Room”) and TV actress (Moesha, Cinderella). It’s not even that surprising that she was doing horror, because she was in the two late ‘90s I Know What You Did Last Summer retro-slasher films. I was not even that big a fan of Brandy’s work, but it had been probably 20-25 years since I had seen her do anything of note. So, the attraction was more about me wondering whatever became of her. (Well, I did see her in a bad Netflix Christmas romance movie last year with Heather Graham and Jason Biggs on Netflix. But no matter how bad that film was, it’s Citizen Kane as compared to this.)

The other interesting thing to me is that it was being distributed by A24, a movie studio which is known for taking some real chances and releasing some truly eccentric films. Honestly, only about one in three of their films totally work – and lots of them are extremely strange – but they are always interesting and different.

Well in fairness, The Front Room is different. It’s even interesting, I suppose – I was never bored or distracted during the film. Of course, that was partially because I was constantly shocked that this movie could sink as low and be as heavy-handed and completely unrealistic as it was. I mean, I get it, horror movies aren’t supposed to make sense in real life (and honestly, this was not so much scary as it was disturbing and disgusting), but even by the loose logical standards of thrillers, The Front Room is built on some real whoppers.

And the bogeyman in this film is a 5’1” tall, extremely frail little old lady who needs two canes to walk.

The story… so to speak… is about Belinda (Brandy) and Norman (Andrew Burnap), a young academic mixed-race couple expecting their first child. (I mention the fact that they are biracial not because I care about it, but because that becomes a plot point later.) She is an adjunct professor at a local college hoping to get full-time status, he’s a struggling lawyer hoping that a big upcoming case will open the door for his dream job. They have bought their dream home, and they are struggling financially (she can’t even afford to buy paint for the baby’s nursery).

Everything changes when Norman receives a call from Solange (Kathryn Hunter), his stepmother. From the second that he hears her voice, Norman goes into PTSD mode; a simpering, deadened, frightened child. Solange tells Norman that his father is dying of cancer and if he wants to make amends with dad, it’ll have to be now. Norman refuses to go to see him, calling his stepmother a holy roller, evil and the bane of his existence. However, when dad dies, Belinda convinces him to go to the funeral, saying he’d never forgive himself if he didn’t.

At the funeral they are given a Faustian bargain. Solange would give them all of her money (it is never said exactly how much that was, but it was obviously a very substantial amount) if they would allow her to live with them, which was apparently dad’s last wish. They are torn – particularly Norman, who actively dislikes the woman – but with that money so many of their problems would be solved.

Therefore, they agree to it, and Solange starts to insinuate herself into their life and home. From the beginning she is a cramp on their lifestyles, her devout religiosity, her backhanded compliments, her insistence on imposing her will on the house and their new baby, her frailty and medical issues. Many of Solange’s snipes are small and petty – she insists on referring to Belinda as Belinder and Norman as Norman Gene (which reminded me of Marilyn Monroe every single time she did it). And it turns out that she is a proud daughter of the Confederacy, which of course makes Belinda uncomfortable.  

Soon she is spitefully using her frailty as a weapon – I’m serious, you’ve never seen so much poop, pee and vomit in your life – to make Belinda’s life a living hell. Oddly, Norman, who was so afraid of the woman that he nearly faded into himself just weeks earlier, seems to settle into Solange’s chaos with a shrug. Also, it appears that Solange may have some sort of psychic power – she seems to know things she would have no way of knowing. She also may be less feeble than she seems (Belinda sees her walking without her canes at one point). And she is constantly bringing weird religious friends into the house who seem like cast members from a road company of Rosemary’s Baby.

Now, it may be a fool’s errand to point out the many, many plot inconsistencies which pop up here. For example, when Solange’s medical needs become too much for Belinda to deal with, why don’t they just hire a home health nurse? They suddenly have all of Solange’s money, they could undoubtedly afford it. Also, how does Norman go from despising and distrusting Solange to taking the old woman’s word over that of his own wife?

The biggest problem is Solange herself, though. The character is so over-the-top, so cartoonish, so completely unbelievable that she is nearly impossible to take seriously as a villain. Hey, I dislike holy rollers as much as the next guy, and I have my share of crotchety elderly relatives, but I don’t buy this character for a second. Frankly, it’s pretty ageist and anti-religious.

Then The Front Room uses the most cynical, amoral “happy” ending that it could possibly have grafted onto its diseased flesh. I actually cringed when I heard people clapping for this plot point at the screening I went to.

I cannot stress strongly enough how much I hated (yes, I used the “h” word) The Front Room. Avoid it at all costs.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2024 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: September 6, 2024.

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Her Lonely Soul by S.A. Dunphy

Detective Tessa Burns #3

Another thought-provoking twisted tale with the “Burns Team” working as advocates for a potentially in peril Irish twelve-year-old girl ~ Riveting read ~ Couldn’t put it down~

What I liked:

* The seamless transition from the first to second book * Tessa Burns: parents murdered when she was young, spent years in the child-care system, ex-military, strong, lethal, dedicated, excellent instincts, mature, good friend, intriguing, good people skills & team player – when she chooses to be, perhaps not ready to “settle down”

* Danny Murphy: lost his parents when young, raised in foster system, usually a gentle giant , quiet but also deadly, physically fit, caring, protective, would like to know more about him * Maggie Doolan: family liaison officer, psychology and sociology degrees, qualified therapist, has cerebral palsy, friends with Tessa since childhood, promoted recently, intriguing * Pavlov: Maggie’s partner, support dog, a small black-and-white terrier-mix, bright, calming presence, protective, empathetic, there for all of the team and those they are helping

* Dawn Wilson: Commissioner and Burns Team boss, there for her team, strong

* Ellie O’Farrell: genius, mathematical savant, loves her parents, endangered and at risk, resilient, survivor, would like to see her again in the future if the series continues

* Jim Shiels: Coastguard captain, widow, interested in Tessa, wonder if he will appear again in the future

* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing * The police procedural aspects and how the case unfolded * That though I had to suspend belief in the abilities of the team at times I was still able to enjoy the story and root for them to succeed – I was invested in the outcome

What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* The evil, vicious, amoral, self-centered, gain-driven gang leaders

* That at times I had to venture into fantasy when reading about the almost super powers of some team members when thinking about the “faceless-unattested”

Did I like this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

BLURB

‘I’ve come to report a murder,’ the little girl declares, lips trembling, her head only just high enough to see over the police counter. ‘Please, you have to help me.’ When tearful young Ellie O’Farrell walks into a rural Irish police station to report she’s dreamed a murder that hasn’t happened yet, she is gently, but firmly, sent on her way. But the very next night a beloved local grandfather is found dead, lethal knife wounds showing a struggle exactly as she’d described. How did innocent Ellie know what was going to happen? Called in to investigate, Detective Tessa Burns has never seen anything like this. Meeting Ellie and her desperate parents, it’s clear Ellie’s home is filled with love. She swears she has never met the Tessa’s case seems to stall before it’s even begun. But when Tessa gets a frantic call from the young girl only days later to say she’s had a terrifying second dream, the race is on to prevent another murder. Was Tessa’s usually flawless instinct about Ellie’s home life wrong? Has Ellie overheard something she shouldn’t? With only hours to go until Ellie’s terrible prediction comes true, Tessa is shocked to get a deadly warning from someone in her own dark past. Leave the case alone, or she – and Ellie – are next. Tessa refuses to stop her investigation – it’s the only way to save Ellie. But then a deadly attack leaves Tessa’s team fighting for their lives, and Ellie taken… Tessa would risk everything to unmask the most twisted killer she’s ever encountered. But first she must rescue Ellie, before it’s too late for them all… A totally unputdownable Irish police procedural with jaw-dropping twists. Perfect for fans of Patricia Gibney, Lisa Regan and Angela Marsons.

AUTHOR BIO

From his Website:

Childcare expert, author, teacher, journalist, broadcaster, musician, nerd, husband, Dad, Grandad.

Shane Dunphy was born in Brighton in 1973, but grew up in Ireland, where he has lived and worked for most of his life. A child protection worker for 15 years, he is the bestselling author of 26 books. His first nine titles dealt with his time on the frontline of social care work, and include the number one bestseller Wednesday’s Child. His series of crime novels (written under the name SA Dunphy) feature the emotionally damaged criminologist David Dunnigan. Stories From the Margins, his new series of True Crime books written for Audible, is critically acclaimed as well as being an audio-bestseller. Click here for a the full story: https://shanedunphyauthor.org/biography/

From Goodreads:

Shane Dunphy is the million-selling author of non-fiction titles relating the years he spent as a child protection worker. He is an accomplished musician and has composed soundtracks for television and radio. Dunphy is an award-winning documentary maker and he writes regularly for Independent newspapers. He also writes a series of crime novels under the pseudonym S.A. Dunphy.

LINKS:

Website: https://shanedunphyauthor.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanewritesbooks

Twitter/X: Tweets by dunphyshane1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanewritesbooks/

[k-verse-sachi]

Rise of The Phoenix

Hey everyone! Welcome to CharmedChaos!

I'm Alex, writer #3 who loves bringing your favorite characters to life in exciting and imaginative ways here at CharmedChaos. So, sit back, relax, and dive into the world of fantasy with me!

Group: BTS

Type: X Reader/X Member/N.A

Age Restriction: 13+/16+/18+/N.A

Word Count: 697

Request Status: Requested by: {no one}

Pairing: none

Genre: selected in purple

Romance, Angst, Fluff, Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Horror, Smut

Trigger Warning: talks of paralysis, major injuries to main character

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons{outside of stated idols}, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

News of the accident spreads rapidly, capturing headlines across the globe. Major media outlets quickly pick up the story, reporting on the shocking incident that has left fans and the public in a state of disbelief. The internet buzzes with activity as millions of people seek the latest updates. Social media platforms are inundated with an outpouring of concern and anxiety from ARMY, BTS's dedicated fanbase. Hashtags like #StayStrongJungkook and #GetWellSoonJK quickly trend worldwide as fans share their heartfelt messages. The sheer volume of messages reflects a collective sense of worry and helplessness, as the world anxiously waits for any information about Jungkook's condition.

In the midst of the media frenzy, BigHit Entertainment takes to their official channels to address the situation. The statement is concise yet somber, acknowledging the accident and providing a brief update on Jungkook's condition. They emphasize the seriousness of his injuries and assure fans that he is receiving the best possible medical care. BigHit expresses deep gratitude for the overwhelming support and asks for privacy and understanding as Jungkook begins his recovery. They promise to keep fans informed about his progress and request that everyone keeps Jungkook in their thoughts and prayers during this challenging time.

The statement reverberates through the fan community, offering a grim confirmation of the severity of the situation. As the world waits with bated breath for further news, the prevailing emotions are worry and sorrow. The unbreakable bond between BTS and their fans is evident, but for now, it is a source of collective grief and anxiety as everyone grapples with the uncertainty of what lies ahead.

--

From the confines of his hospital bed, Jungkook's world has shrunk to the size of his sterile room. The vibrant lights of the stage, the thunderous applause of the crowd, and the camaraderie with his bandmates seem like distant memories. As he lies there, he grapples with the harsh reality of his injury. His thoughts swirl in a storm of fear, sadness, and frustration. The uncertainty of his future weighs heavily on him—will he ever dance again, feel the adrenaline rush of performing, or even walk without pain?

Every slight movement sends a jolt of pain through his body, a constant reminder of the fragility of his situation. His mind races with questions, each one more daunting than the last. "What if I can't return to the stage? What if this is the end of my career?" These fears consume him, and he struggles to find a semblance of hope amidst the darkness.

Despite the overwhelming fear, Jungkook is not alone. His family is by his side, their presence a comforting anchor in the sea of uncertainty. His parents' faces, lined with worry yet filled with unconditional love, offer him a sense of stability. The BTS members, his brothers in all but blood, are a constant source of support. They take turns visiting him, bringing with them not just their concern but also their unwavering belief in his strength.

Their words, though simple, begin to penetrate the fog of his despair. Jimin's tearful yet determined assurance that they'll face this challenge together, RM's steady and calming presence, Jin's gentle humor, V's heartfelt encouragement, and Suga's quiet yet fierce resolve all weave a net of emotional support around him.

Moreover, the outpouring of love from fans around the world begins to reach him. Messages, letters, and gifts flood the hospital, each one a testament to the profound connection he has with ARMY. These expressions of concern and affection start to lift his spirits, if only slightly. He reads their messages, absorbing the strength and hope they offer. Slowly, a flicker of resilience ignites within him, bolstered by the unwavering support of those who care for him.

In these moments, Jungkook starts to find a sliver of strength to face the long road ahead. His journey to recovery will be fraught with challenges, but with his family, friends, and fans behind him, he begins to believe that he might overcome this setback and return to the stage he loves so dearly. Jungkook makes a silent vow to himself that he will do everything in his power to walk and perform again