#nda 2019

[lynx-doodles-indie-games]

how are we feelin', crew?

[butchnavi]

this is lowkey going a lot better than I expected so far...my faith in this country might just be starting to rekindle itself. yknow. thoda sa

[millieduboisart]

Carmen Week Day 4: VILE OC

As a newly graduated fashion design student, The Stylist was struggling to find a job. That is, until she was contacted by a woman named Cleo who was seeking a costume designer. Now she spends her days crafting iconic looks for the operatives of the Villains International League of Evil!

[signode-blog]

The Indian Stock Markets and General Elections: Analyzing the Reactions in 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019

The Indian stock markets, like their counterparts around the globe, are significantly influenced by political events, with elections being one of the most critical. The general elections in India not only determine the political leadership but also set the tone for economic policies and reforms that can impact investor sentiment and market performance. This article delves into the reactions of…

[doyoulikethissong-poll]

Billie Eilish - Bury a Friend 2019

"Bury a Friend" is a song by American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish and the third single from her debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019). The song was described as synth-pop, electronica, electropop and industrial in press reviews, for which hip hop beats, percussion, and a synthesizer provide minimalist instrumentation. Within the dark and violent lyrics, Eilish sings from the perspective of a monster under someone's bed. Her vocals are subtle and treated with layers of vocal effects. Eilish wrote the song with its producer, Finneas O'Connell.

"Bury a Friend" received generally positive reviews from music critics, several of whom praised its dark nature and lyrics. It It reached number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with 29.1 million streams and 18,000 downloads sold in its first full week of tracking. The song also became her first number one on a Billboard radio airplay chart, topping the US Alternative Songs chart in May 2019. In the UK, "Bury a Friend" reached number six, making it Eilish's first top ten in the country. The song has further peaked at number one in Sweden and Latvia, and within the top ten in countries such as New Zealand, Australia and Canada. It has been awarded several certifications, most notably triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

"Bury a Friend" received a total of 71,3% yes votes! Previous Billie Eilish polls: #10 "NDA", #168 "No Time to Die".

[soly-18]

Iorveth by Ástor Alexander

Found it in Reddit!

I quote "

Source: https://www.artstation.com/astoralexander

Author's notes: In 2019 (I think) I applied for the job of freelance illustrator at CD Projekt Red. They asked me to do a test illustration for Gwent. The task was to paint Iorveth, from The Witcher 2, in any scenario as long as it told a little story. This is what I came up with, and got me the job. Because of the NDA I wasn't allowed to show it until after a year had passed, and when that time arrived I forgot about… That's why I'm just uploading it in 2023……………………"

First time I see this illustration. Such a good inspiration for fanfiction...

@winkthatsmykink

[sterredem]

Hey, I can't find if your requests are open (if they aren't please ignore this). Can you do an arthur leclerc x fem!driver!reader where she gets into f1 and he doesn't (angst!!) and she comforts him?

Unfair

First ending

Face claim: Pinterest girls/Barbara Palvin/Bianca Bustamante + other women in motorsport.

(That I use these people doesn’t mean that I know or support them, I just use them because Barbara has a lot of good pictures in the spoor and Bianca has good pictures in the car and on the podium)

Summary: The request

Word count: 2549

Warning: Angst, lying(?), happy ending, fluff at the end

A/N: this took a bit to write but u really like it. It is a bit different then the request (a bit more Angsty) but I think it is my best yet (which isn’t hard with this being my 3rd fic). I hope you enjoy and don’t forget to like/comment/repost and please give me feedback🫶🫶 Btw sorry for the long wait.

The other ending will be posted soon!

Also I hope you like the graphics, it took literally hours to make😭😭

They both knew that this could happen. That was the risk with dating your coworker in a motorsport. And especially formula 2.

So when y/n heard that next season she would drive in formula 1 with Porsche, she was really excited. Of course she was. She was going to be the first Women in a few decades to drive in Formula 1. And for a relatively new but very good team. With Porsche being in F1 since the 2019 seasons it was the newest, but unlike HAAS they were actually good.

And she was happy that she got a contract. She would drive a few of the best names of motorstoprt. And her team printable, Sebastian Vettel had promised her big things.

But when she actually thought about what this all meant she begun to get scared. She would need to tell Arthur. Arthur who always wanted to be in Formula 1. Arthur who is her best friend and her boyfriend.

How could she tell him? How could she tell him that she would get to live their dream? How could she tell him that he would drive alongside his brother before him?

This was all a mess. And the worst part was that she sined a NDA so she couldn’t tell him until the announcement was up. The only people that currently knew where; her family, her trainer and her manager.

She tried to do everything she could so she can tell him. But she just couldn’t, so she needs to live with a big secret for a few months. And when it is announced that she would go to Formula 1 she doesn’t know is he will ever forgive her.

And not only because she didn’t tell him and they promised they would tell each other everything. No but because they promised to get there together, to both get into F1. And now, Y/n would get to drive there and Arthur would be left behind in F2.

So she would need to live a secret until it was revealed to the world. The only thing she could get out of the contact is that she could tell Arthur a day before the announcement. Which she still wasn’t happy about but it was something. So when the time came to finally tell him she was a nervous wreck. Understandable.

The day before the announcement finally came. And Y/n was really nervous. So when Arthur finally came home she made some of his favourite food and got mentally ready to tell him.

And to say Arthur was confused was an understatement. He came home to his girlfriend cooking his favourite food and looking very nervous. So of course he was worried. Would she brake up with him? Dis something happen? But he wanted to wait for her to say something. And that happens after they were done doing the dishes and were laying in the couch.

“Hey Arthur can we talk?” Y/n nervously while playing with her fingers and not really looking at Arthur.

“Yes mon ange what is wrong?” Arthur asked relieved that she will finally talk about what is wrong. He tried to look at her but couldn’t lock eyes.

“Promise me you will hear me out before you react of get mad.” She said while finally looking in his eyes. But they aren’t filled with the usual adoration or love, no the where filled with nerves and a bit of fear.

“Of course mon ange. What is going on?” He asked growing more and more worried. While trying to grapple with his hand. And failing.

“So you know that PREMA is dropping me right? Well when it was announced some people reached out to me and offers me something…” she slowly said while looking at him for his reaction.

“Well one of those people was Sebastian Vettel and he offered me a place on Porche in Formula 1. And as you can understand I couldn’t refuse, so we got talking and they gave me an amazing offer.” She said while looking at his reaction. Which wasn’t the best, it got from worry to confusion to some sort of mild anger.

“So last August he gave me a contract and I signed it…” she said falling a bit silent at the end. And before Arthur could talk she began again.

“And I really wanted to tell you before, really. But they made me sign a NDA and I could only tell my manager and close family and some of the other team for legal reasons. And I tried everything, and initially I could not tell you until the announcement but I made a deal and I could tell you the day before. And now that is, so today is the day before. And again I am so sorry. Please don’t be mad.” She ranted while tears formed in his eyes while seeing him become more and more mad.

“Y/n… what? Is this some sick joke?” He asked while slowly fake laughing and looking at her with betrayal in his eyes.

“Baby please understand that I could not tell you.” She said slowly looking away.

“Don’t baby me! I know you couldn’t tell me after the contract, but you could tell me that you had an offer! And how could you take it? You know how much I want to get into F1?” He asked with betrayal in his voice.

“What was I supposed to do? Not take the offer and never get in Formula 1 just so you could have it or that we could go at the same time? And I could not tell you about the offer because I didn’t even know until I talked with Sebastian, my manager hid it from me because he didn’t want to get my hopes up!” She said now with tears going down her cheeks.

“I understand that but please! Did you even think about me?” He asked a bit louder.

“Of course I did! I just told you! I wanted to tell you the minute I got the offer! But I couldn’t because of that stupid team! I wanted to you to have a seat for F1! For whatever team, but I can’t! If I can I would give you my seat! But Arthur you need to understand that I need to think of myself sometimes! This a big deal for me! I will be the first women in Formula 1 in a few decades, and I will be the first women to be in the middle or upper field! I could be the first to be in a podium of even win!” She said now almost fully crying.

Arthur was silent for a bit while thinking about what she said. “Y/n i know all that. But you also need to understand that it is hard for me. Charles is in F1, Ferrarie dropped me, Jules and my dad died and wanted me and Charlie to drive, and now my girlfriend, who is also my childhood best friend, lied to me for months and you expect me to be okay with it? Merde Y/n you can’t expect this from me. I think I need some time alone.” He said trying to stay calm with tears in his eyes.

Y/n looked at his shocked about what he said. Did he want to break up? Did he want a part time break? Was he going to leave? She knows that she can’t hold him accountable for it, she did lie to him after all.

“Arthur please. I understand what you say. And I don’t hold you accountable for that, but please don’t leave.” She said now with them both full on crying.

“Mon amour, I won’t leave you, I am just going to go to my mom for a bit. Think about everything and then we can talk about this in a few days.” He said while wiping her tears away.

He slowly stood up and walked to there room to grab a few of his things. She still sat on the couch thinking if she should stop him or just let him go.

She decided on the later one, because it was better to give him time to think about it before things were said that they don’t mean.

A few minutes later Arthur came downstairs with a bag of his stuff. He grabbed his coat and keys and looked at Y/n again. “I will message you when I am there. Please understand that I still love you and I am not breaking up, but I just need some time.” He says with a half smile.

“I understand, please take all the time you need. And when you are ready to talk I am here.” She said while also half smiling with more tears forming in her eyes. “I love you, please be safe”

“I will” he says while walking out of the door and closing it. Y/n slowly slid down the wall with her head in her hands thinking everything over again.

Was this the right thing? Was she selfish for accepting the offer? Would she lose Arthur? Were they ever going to recover?

With all this on het mind she slowly stood up and walked upstairs. She got into the bathroom and did her night routine. After that she looked at the time and saw how early it still was so she decided to just watch some Gilmore Girls (you can chose whatever this is just my comfort series) while laying in bed trying to distract her from the argument they had earlier.

After watching it for a few hours she decided that it was getting late and decided to sleep and see what the day would bring tomorrow. The day that it would be announced.

Instagram

Liked by Susie_Wolff and 3.115.785 others

F1 BREAKING: Y/n y/l/n will be driving for Porsche the 2025 season!

We all welcome her to the grid and are excited to see her!

#y/n_y/l/n #Porsche #F1 @Y/n_y/l/n @Porsche

Comments

User1 OMG I AM SO EXITED

User2 so happy to see she got a seat after PREMA dropped her

Susie_Wolff So happy for you! I am happy to see more girls in Formula 1

Yourusername Thank you Susie! Exited to see you again!

Yourusername I am so happy and thankful for this opportunity!

User3 we got a women in f1 before gta 6

User4 So exited for more women in motorsports!

User5 women shouldn’t be in motorsports! It is a man dominated sport for a reason!

User6 why is Arthur not simping over his girlfriend like usual?!

User7 he could just be congratulating het irl don’t make a big deal out of this

User8 I agree with user7, just because he isn’t in the comments on a insta post doesn’t mean something happened. We shouldn’t speculate on there lives with absolutely no information about them at the moment.

After the announcement was finally up Y/n felt worst then the slash before. Her and Arthur still hadn’t talked. And it welt like weeks (it was only 10 hours). She missed him, missed his laugh, his boyish smile, their useless conversation for hours, his kisses and hugs. Everything.

So when she finally got a massage from him she was happy to say the least.

|———————————<3—————————————|

See you then*

|———————————<3—————————————|

For the next part there is a bit of explaining necessary. You can: keep reading this and then you have how the request is (with a fluffy ending and comforting) OR you can klick in the link and that will take you to the alternative ending (you will need to scroll down again until this part and then you have the Angsty ending)

Angsty ending

|———————————<3—————————————|

After a few more massages back and forth they decided to meet up at their house instead of the cafe. So when the next day came she waited for Arthur to come back.

After a few hours of watching Gilmore Girls she heard the front door open. She paused the show and stood up from her bed, she walked downstairs and came face to face with Arthur.

“Hey” she said a bit awkwardly. She looked in his eyes and saw that he looked very tired and had red eyes. He had probably cried, the same with her.

“Hey, how are you?” He asked with a tired and raspy voice and the French accent.

“I’m doing okay. Want something to drink?” She asked trying to fill the awkward silence.

“No I’m fine. Could we just talk? I think it is the best if we just get it over.” He said trying to get to the point as fast as he can so they could make up again. He had missed her a lot, while he was at his maman she had given his a long and good scolding for leaving her and not listening her out. He realised that it was indeed a bad choice to leave her, he was just angry and upset so he did the only rational thing in his mind.

“Yeah of course.” She said while slowly walking to the living room. She looked back at him to see if he followed her and he did. She walked to the couch and sat on one end of it, wanting him to decide if he wants to sit next to her or far away from her.

He sat next to her.

“Okay so first of I want to say I am so sorry that I left, I know it was the wrong thing to do. But I was just angry, confused and upset with everything and then I said stuff and you said stuff and I just couldn’t anymore. But now I am ready to hear you out.” He said tampering a bit while fiddling with his hands.

“I understand that and it is completely okay, again I am really sorry I didn’t tell you but I can explain it to you.” She said while looking in his eyes.

“Okay so as I said; Kate, my manager, got a lot of offers from teams after my contract with PREMA expired, but she didn’t want to get my hopes up so she told me nothing. I only knew about it when she set up a meeting with Sebastian, we talked and he had a really good offer. A long contract, good money, good car and a good team. So I couldn’t say no. But then it came to PR and telling people, I asked who u could tell and I could only tell my team and my parents, I couldn’t even tell my siblings or friends. I asked if I could tell you but I couldn’t, they wanted to keep it low-key so that it would be a big surprise. The only thing I fixed is that I could tell you the day before. So I did and you know how that turned out. I really wanted to tell you but I also needed to sign a NDA so I couldn’t tell you about the contract or the car. And this may sound really bad and it may sound like I chose a bad team but no; they only did it to protect us. Me because if it came out before there could be serious danger for me. And for you so you could many still enjoy F2 and get into you’re dream team. But now I realise that how I handled it was really wrong and I am so sorry. I hope you can forgive me because I really missed you.” She said the last part a bit out of breath.

Arthur looked to be deep in thought. He thought about everything she said. And he understood it. But now he was really upset with how he reacted.

“Mon amour I am so sorry. I should have heard you out earlier” he said while grabbing her face. “I and so sorry for how I reacted. I hope you can understand why. I as just confused, jealous and upset. I was confused because for me it came all of a sudden and upset because again why would you tell me? And I was really jealous because you wou get to be in F1 and drive with my brother before me.”

“I completely understand my love, and I understand it about the jealous part, I would too.” She said while grabbing his face.

After talking for a few more minutes they decided to go to the bedroom and watch something.

“Hey love do you want to watch that French series that you talked about?” Y/n asked while playing with his hair and cuddling.

“Yeah for sure mon amour” he said with a smile on his face. He looked up at her and admired her beauty. “You looked beautiful ma belle” he said with a slight blush.

“She looked down at his and smiles “wel thank you handsome. You don’t look that bad yourself.” She said blushing.

After watching a few episodes of the show and talking they decided to go to sleep.

But before she fell asleep she heard Arthur whisper something.

“Je t'aime mon amour, merci pour tout.” (I love you my love, thank you for everything.)

[thowawayuntilfurthernotice]

If you see any of Niosi's VA friends claiming that he's changed for the better because he supposedly went to therapy, know that they're full of shit.

None of his victims have forgiven him and the only reason he's still getting any work is because of his industry connections.

Also, if you're wondering how he managed to get cast in a major franchise despite the fact that he broke NDA back in 2019, it's because MiHoYo games are non union.

So yes, while he didn't get paid the standard union rate for this project, he's still being given a massive platform.

Please don't stay silent about this, let MiHoYo know that they've made a big mistake by hiring this piece of shit. And even if they don't recast him, let every con that is willing to invite him as a guest know that you don't want him there.

[disneytva]

Disney TVA Creator Pedro Eboli Reveals Rejected "Adventures Of The Gummi Bears" Reboot As Part Of Rejected Projects Trend On Twitter.

The Disney Afternoon IPs have been returning to our screens since the late 2010's and 2020s with projects like "DuckTales" (2017) on Disney XD, "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers" as a live-action/animation hybrid film for Disney+ ,"Darkwing Duck" & "TaleSpin" having reports of upcoming animated reboots by Point Grey Pictures & Disney TVA for Disney+ and "Gargoyles" with a live-action reboot with Blumhouse Television and Atomic Monster for Disney+.

The only properties left to reboot from The Disney Afternoon roster are "Adventures of The Gummi Bears", "Goof Troop", "The Mighty Ducks", "Bonkers" and "The Shnookums & Meat Funny Cartoon Show".

Back in February Becky Dreistadt and Frank Gibson ("Star Vs The Forces of Evil", "Big City Greens The Movie: Spacecation", Cartoon Network Studios "Steven Universe Future") revealed that they attemped to pitch a reboot of "Goof Troop" to Disney back in 2019 for Disney+. Their reboot pitch would have been a mixture between the original show and it's two movies ("A Goofy Movie", "An Extremely Goofy Movie").

It seems that Goof Troop wasn't the only Disney Afternoon property with plans to be rebooted as animation industry and current Disney TVA creator Pedro Eboli (Netflix “Cupcake and Dino: General Services”, Cartoon Network LATAM “Oswaldo”, Nickelodeon “Ollie’s Pack” and Discovery Kids LATAM “Bada Bean”, “NDA - Disney Channel Series”) took over Twitter to reveal that he and his partner in crime Mark Satterthwaite (Netflix “Cupcake and Dino: General Services”, Cartoon Network LATAM “Oswaldo”, Nickelodeon “Ollie’s Pack” and Discovery Kids LATAM “Bada Bean”) attemped to bring back The Kingdom of New Gumbria and The Gummi Bear Juice to a new generation of fans on a pitch for a "Adventures of The Gummi Bears" reboot likely for Disney Channel or Disney+. Eboli would mention that a pilot wasn't produced as they only had scripts for it and was very early on development when it was passed also that the artwork you're seeing in this post is not the actual art that was part of the reboot's pitch bible.

Who knows maybe in the future specially with Disney's plans to attract more subscribers to Disney+ and it's desire for bringing back "The Disney Afternoon" to a new generation maybe they will revive Mark Satterthwaite and Pedro Eboli's "Adventures of The Gummi Bears" reboot specially with their overall development deal at Disney TVA for new shows films and specials.

Not hope at all is lost for Pedro Eboli and Mark Satterthwaite as they have been developing a new original animated series for Disney Channel as of Fall 2023 with the pilot being recorded on January 2024, if picked it will be the first Disney TVA series created by a Brazilian.

[nausicaamusiclover20]

Hello)) Blame this on my grandma, I watched too many soap operas with her growing and we still do it 😂

So basically 2022 James x younger reader maybe she was his sponsor after he got out of rehab after 2019 relapse and she stayed him him during the pandemic (let’s pretend he divorced earlier than 2022, im not a home wrecker) and obviously it evolved into romance. Since he got vasectomy, they kinda weren’t very careful with protection, but it’s actually proven that these can fail, so she finds out she’s pregnant. Of course he doesn’t believe her and thinks she cheated and demands a DNA test. Having no options and feeling betrayed by his behavior, she moves out and they do a tests a few months later. Of course it comes back confirming he’s the father, but she also sends him something like NDA saying that she will never file for child support and will not disclose him as the father + the note that she doesn’t want to do anything with him as he betrayed her by accusing her of cheating. So the moment they have a break in tour he comes to beg for forgiveness? It takes her a while but she finds the strength to forgive him? And then she even joins them on tour and even goes to labour at the end of one of their shows (that’s actually happened with one of the fans)

Damn those TV shows did make sure my fantasies run wild 🫢

Don’t worry, how many times watching a series I made a lot of mental films (and it’s better not to know them🤭) I hope you will like it!❤

A New Beginning

I could still hear the echo of the accusations in my head, ringing louder than the sound of the tour buses or the distant crowds that gathered for Metallica’s show tonight. “You cheated, didn’t you? You couldn’t have gotten pregnant by me… it’s impossible!”

I closed my eyes, trying to suppress the flood of hurt that still rose in my chest every time I thought about it. I’d never cheated, never given him a reason to doubt me. I had stood by him through his darkest moments, through rehab, through the pandemic lockdowns when the world felt like it was falling apart. I gave him my heart, my love, my everything. And in return, he gave me distrust.

The memory of how we met flickered in my mind like an old film reel—those early days, before the weight of fame and fear crushed us under its heel.

I had been his sponsor after his 2019 relapse. A fresh face among the older, battle-worn members of the program, I hadn’t expected to be assigned to someone like James. I still remember that first meeting—how he slouched into the room, the weight of the world on his shoulders, his eyes distant, almost lifeless. His tattoos were visible beneath the sleeve of his worn-out leather jacket, and his hands trembled slightly as he held a paper cup of coffee, more like a shield than a drink.

He was a legend, a rock god, someone I had grown up listening to, but none of that mattered in that room. There, he was just another man struggling to find his way back from the brink.

I had introduced myself, unsure of how someone like me could even begin to help someone like him. But as the days passed, we found an unexpected rhythm. He was raw, real, and unfiltered, and I wasn’t afraid to call him out on his bullshit when he tried to downplay his struggles.

“You’re not invincible, you know,” I had told him once during one of our private sessions, my arms crossed as I stared at him down. He had tried to laugh it off, but I didn’t let him. “You might be James Hetfield to the world, but in here? You’re just another person trying to get better. And if you want this to work, you’re going to have to face the hard stuff.”

To my surprise, instead of pushing back, he had listened. Really listened. And slowly, over time, the walls he had built around himself started to crumble. We spent hours talking, not just about his addiction, but about life, music, and everything in between. I saw glimpses of the man beneath the rock star, the man who had been buried under years of fame and pressure.

The pandemic hit not long after, and somehow, through all the uncertainty and isolation, we grew closer. What started as a professional relationship morphed into something else—something deeper, more intimate. The nights were long, filled with shared stories and quiet moments where it felt like we were the only two people left in the world. And somewhere in the midst of it all, I fell in love with him.

He was still broken in so many ways, but I loved him for it. I thought I could help him heal. I thought I could be the one to put him back together.

But I hadn’t expected him to break me in the process.

Now, months later, here I was, sitting alone in the apartment I had moved into after his betrayal. The DNA test had proved him wrong, of course. The baby was his. But that didn’t matter. Not anymore.

I absentmindedly placed a hand on my growing belly, feeling the flutter of movement beneath my fingertips. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. He knew now, without a doubt, but I couldn’t bring myself to care about what he thought. I had sent him the NDA weeks ago, making it clear I didn’t want anything from him. No child support. No public acknowledgment. Nothing. It was his choice to betray me, to accuse me of something so vile, and I would never forget that.

A knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I hesitated for a moment, not expecting anyone. Slowly, I stood, heart racing for reasons I couldn’t quite place, and opened the door.

It was him.

James stood there, looking more worn out than I had ever seen him. His eyes were puffy, as if he hadn’t slept well for days, and his shoulders were hunched, weighed down by regret. His gaze met mine, and for the first time in months, I saw something I hadn’t expected—tears. He blinked them away quickly, but not before one slid down his cheek.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, keeping my voice steady even though my emotions were anything but.

He shifted nervously, his hands clenching and unclenching by his sides. “Can I come in?”

I wanted to slam the door in his face. I wanted to tell him to leave and never come back, but a part of me—a small, treacherous part—still longed for the man I had once loved, the man I had thought he was before everything went to hell. So, against my better judgment, I stepped aside and let him in.

The silence that settled between us was heavy, oppressive. I crossed my arms over my chest, waiting for him to speak, to explain why he was here after everything he had done.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said, his voice rough and low. “I’m so sorry.”

I didn’t respond. What was there to say? Sorry wasn’t going to erase the hurt or make up for the months of pain I’d gone through because of his accusations.

“I was scared,” he continued, taking a hesitant step toward me. “I didn’t want to believe it because… I didn’t think I deserved it. You, the baby… any of it. I thought it was too good to be true, and I freaked out. I messed up. I know I did.”

“Damn right, you did,” I snapped, my emotions finally bubbling over. “I gave you everything, James. I stood by you when no one else did, and the second I needed you, you turned your back on me. You accused me of cheating—like I was some random groupie. Do you have any idea how that felt?”

His eyes dropped to the floor, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “I know. I know, and I hate myself for it. I was wrong. You didn’t deserve that.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to keep the tears at bay. “Why are you here? What do you want?”

He looked up at me, his eyes brimming with emotion. “I want to make things right. I can’t take back what I said, but I want to be there for you—for the baby. Please… I can’t lose you.”

For a long moment, I just stared at him, the weight of his words hanging in the air. His lips trembled, his hands shaking as they reached out for me, and that’s when I saw it—more tears. They fell silently, streaking down his face, and it shook me to my core. James Hetfield, the man who never showed vulnerability, was standing in front of me, broken and pleading.

“You already lost me,” I whispered, feeling my heart crack all over again. “The moment you accused me, you lost me.”

He took another step closer, his hands reaching for mine but stopping short when I didn’t move. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that I’m sorry, that I love you.”

I blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over, torn between the love I still felt for him and the pain he had caused. “It’s not that simple.”

“I know,” he said softly, his voice breaking. “But I’m not giving up. I’m going to fight for you, for us. I love you. I always have.”

The vulnerability in his voice, the raw emotion, broke something in me. For the first time in months, I saw the man I had fallen in love with, the man who had been buried beneath his fears and insecurities.

“I don’t know if I can trust you again,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

James nodded, his eyes glistening. “I’ll earn it back. I promise.”

We stood there, both of us broken and scarred, but maybe—just maybe—there was a chance to heal. I wasn’t ready to forgive him, not yet. But as I looked into his eyes, I realized I wasn’t ready to walk away either.

___________________________________________________________

Months had passed since that heart-wrenching conversation, and though the pain hadn’t entirely vanished, we had started to rebuild—piece by fragile piece. James and I had taken things slow. He had apologized countless times, not only with words but with his actions, showing up for every doctor’s appointment, staying by my side during the hardest days of pregnancy, and fighting to earn back the trust he had shattered.

By the time the band’s tour kicked off, I had grown more comfortable with the idea of us—tentatively agreeing to join him for a few weeks. There was something cathartic about seeing him on stage, in his element, pouring his heart into the music. It was the same passion I had fallen for, the raw energy that made him who he was.

That night, the crowd roared as the band played their set. I stood backstage, watching James from behind the curtain. The energy of the performance was electrifying, but as the night wore on, I felt an unusual pressure in my belly. It started out mild, but soon a sharp pain gripped me. I pressed a hand to my stomach, my breathing becoming shallow.

I knew what it was. The baby was coming.

Another wave of pain surged, and I leaned against the wall, trying to steady myself, but it was no use. My knees buckled slightly, and panic flared in my chest. No, not now, not during the concert!

I winced, unable to call out over the blaring music and the chaos of the backstage area. The crew was bustling around, completely unaware of my situation. My vision blurred, but I managed to catch the eye of a stagehand nearby, my voice barely a whisper as I gasped, “Get… James…”

Her eyes widened in alarm when she saw the state I was in. Without hesitation, she rushed off, navigating through the flurry of activity until she reached the side of the stage. She tapped on the shoulder of the band’s tour manager, urgently pointing toward me, and within moments, a message was relayed to James over the in-ear monitors.

It didn’t take long. Within seconds, James glanced toward the side of the stage, his expression shifting from focused to alarmed. The guitar in his hands stilled mid-song, and the rest of the band kept playing as he tore off his in-ear monitors, rushing offstage toward me.

By the time he reached me, another contraction hit. I was clutching my stomach, struggling to breathe.

“The baby’s coming,” I managed to say between breaths, my voice weak. “Now.”

James’ face went pale. “Oh God, okay, okay… we need to get you to the hospital.”

He quickly helped me up, supporting me as I leaned on him, and together we moved through the maze of equipment and crew members. The sirens wailed in the distance as we made our way to the ambulance parked outside.

Once inside, James squeezed my hand tightly, his brow furrowed in worry. “You’re going to be okay. I’m right here,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady, but I could hear the tremor beneath it.

The drive to the hospital felt like an eternity, each contraction more intense than the last. James stayed focused on me, whispering encouraging words, but I could see the tears welling up in his eyes.

Finally, we arrived at the hospital, and I was rushed into the delivery room. The world outside faded as I focused on the task at hand, the pain consuming me but accompanied by James' steady presence.

 

After what felt like hours, the moment finally arrived. The cries of our baby filled the room, and I looked at James, who stood by my side, tears streaming down his face.

 James leaned down to press a soft kiss to my forehead, the weight of the past finally began to lift. The room was filled with the soft coos of our newborn daughter, and in that moment, I felt a warmth spreading through me—a mixture of hope and love that I had thought lost forever.

“Can you believe we made her?” James asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he glanced down at our daughter, who was peacefully nestled in my arms.

I smiled, my heart swelling with emotion. “She’s perfect.”

“Just like her mom,” he said, looking back at me with eyes full of adoration. There was a sincerity in his gaze that sent shivers down my spine, a reminder of everything we had been through together.

He gently reached for our daughter, and I carefully transferred her into his arms. The moment our baby was in his embrace, his expression softened, transforming into one of sheer wonder. He gazed down at her as if he had just been handed the greatest treasure in the world.

“Look at her,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “She has your smile.”

I watched as James became utterly enchanted, rocking her softly as if to soothe a restless heart. “But those eyes,” he continued, his breath catching in his throat, “she has my eyes.”

I leaned closer, gazing at our daughter, and my heart swelled with love as I saw the truth in his words. “You’re right. She has your eyes,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “And your spirit, I can tell already.”

James grinned, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I can’t believe I get to be her dad,” he said, emotion pouring from him. “I promise to always be here for you, for both of you. I want to build a future—a real future—with you.”

A thrill of excitement raced through me. “Really? You mean that?”

“Absolutely,” he replied, looking up at me, his gaze steady and sincere. “I’ve learned so much about myself, about us. I won’t let fear or mistakes dictate our lives anymore. I want to be a family, to share every moment with you.”

As he continued to cradle our daughter, a soft smile spread across his face. “I can’t wait to teach her about music, to show her the world,” he said, his voice filled with warmth. “I want to be the dad who’s always there, who shows up to every recital, every birthday. I want her to know she’s loved.”

My heart raced at his words, overwhelmed by the love radiating from him. “I want that too,” I said, feeling tears of joy prick at my eyes. “I want to share everything—the good and the bad.”

James took my hands in his, his grip warm and reassuring. “Then let’s do it together. One step at a time.”

As he leaned in, our foreheads touched, and the world around us faded into a soft blur. In that moment, everything felt right. We were two people, imperfect yet wholly devoted to each other, standing on the brink of a new chapter.

“I love you, James,” I breathed, feeling a sense of peace enveloping me.

“I love you too,” he replied, his voice thick with emotion. “Always.”

With a renewed sense of hope for our future, we shared a tender kiss, the promise of a beautiful life ahead lingering in the air.

As he continued to cradle our daughter, he looked down at her with a mixture of awe and determination. “You’re going to be so loved,” he said, his voice a gentle whisper. “And we’re going to take care of each other, always.”

Together, we would face whatever came next—hand in hand, heart to heart, as a family.

[chaifootsteps]

I know it's been said before but do you think it's definitely the case that Stolas is Viv's self insert, or she's at least seriously projecting on him?

it just seems so unintentionally revealing that the only way the writing makes sense anymore is if Viv genuinely doesn't think Stolas' flaws are flaws. She thinks he's behaving either in a totally understandable way or that his issues are minor quirks at worst

he spent the entirety of apology tour being petty and awful in a way he hasn't been since s1, but in a worse way in some respects because he obviously thinks he's in the right

he acts like he's owed Blitz's love and loyalty even when he was just using him, he has complete and total disregard for the lives of anyone he can't use in some fashion, he's rich and privileged and in complete denial about the power that gives him over other people, he treats people like garbage only to gaslight them about it after the fact, he's been told multiple times he's the problem only to reject it or act the victim again five minutes later, he acts like a petty mean girl and is a total hypocrite about numerous things, he expects to be easily forgiven when he asks for it even if he gives the most wormy non apology ever

so much of this maps so cleanly onto the way people describe Viv - that she's dismissive or outright hostile to anyone who aren't her favorites, that she treats people like expendable work machines, that she feels entitled to have people work for little pay and hates when they complain, that she shit talks or abuses friends only to turn around and be nice to them again

I try and take discord screenshots with a grain of salt until confirmed but there's a whole lot of smoke around the way Viv acts and her writing is so incompetent it can't help but feel a bit revealing about the way she views power and what right and wrong is. I can't help but think it's just going to grow into fire as NDAs expire

and as far as hb has gone lately, right and wrong are just 'how much does this character suck up to Stolas, accept lousy treatment from him or stick their neck out for him'. It's more than just the show worshipping power and treating it as self justifying, it worships this one rich character who just happens to be the victim of basically everyone else

I don't think Stolas started out as Viv's self-insert and I don't even know that she's doing it intentionally, but he definitely reeks of the way she handles conflict and views her place in the world.

Stolas's entire deal is that he's "trying," that he "feels bad" for his mistakes and he's totally sorry and won't do it again, even as it becomes increasingly apparent to the audience that he really isn't, that he keeps repeating the mistakes he's ostensibly sorry for, and that he's getting worse. That's Viv to a T, whose last apology was in 2019 -- and it was one of those "Sorry you think I'm the actual worst and that I can't do anything right" apologies -- and who's never apologized since. Viv, whose biggest enemy is herself and whose most outspoken critics have been her maltreated former employees.

Stolas in Viv's mind is a little insensitive sometimes, longing for love, and up against a world (both in-universe and out) full of unfair, unkind people who just don't understand him. Stolas in actuality is manipulative, a gaslighting liar, and most of the characters who speak out against him have considerably less power and privilege and have been hurt by him.

Remind you of anyone?

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

I remember back in 2019 when Clarence House took a tight seal on the bullying reports, it was then that they started giving RVOs to their staff like a candy. Do you think, aside from the NDA, these honours were given in exchange for their silence?

It's possible, but I personally don't think so. It's pretty common for staff to be given awards and recognized for their service when they're leaving public service.

We do it in the US government all the time. I know US civil service isn't the UK's civil service and neither are the monarchy, but they do hold some things in common. Recognizing senior staff/senior executives for their service is one of those.

There is a correlation between staffers being honored for their service to the monarchy at the same time that others were leaving because of the bullying report, but it's not because of an honors-for-silence scheme. It's because of the overall administrative transition/changes happening at the same time in the larger monarchy.

The BRF was going through a huge administrative change 2017 through 2023; aka the time from Geidt's resignation to Charles's coronation. We'll call this "Charles's transition," as all the reports indicate Charles, with Andrew's support, pushed Geidt from his position as The Queen's private secretary over differences in how to transtion from Queen Elizabeth to King Charles*. This is also probably when the soft regency went into place, with The Queen starting to scale down her work and Charles picking up the slack.

*We do know with certainty that Charles was very butthurt that Geidt announced Philip's retirement because Charles felt that he should have been the one to do so.

Anyway, any time there's a big leadership change at the top like what the BRF went through, it trickles down into the staff. Some staff stick it out, loyal to their principals or their "middle managers" and stay. Others can't, or don't want to, and they go. Sometimes it's a big shift in turnover. Sometimes it's small, barely noticeable from the outside. But either way, if the people who go are senior enough or they worked on important enough projects, they get recognized for their service. It's all perfectly normal.

The US, and the US civil service, is about to go through the same thing. We do it every four years with the presidential election, regardless of who the candidates are and regardless of whether the incumbent wins reelection. After the election ends in November, you will start hearing about resignations and departures all over the government. Some of it is mandatory - most presidential appointments to the Executive Branch (like members of the Cabinet) are required to resign by law. But others, in what we call the career service (people like me who work on career appointments - aka we serve the government and the people, not at the pleasure of the president) will resign or leave because their personal politics don't align to the politics of the incoming administration*. It'll be a larger scale version of what the BRF went through during the era of Charles's transition, but without the public honors.

(I've no idea how the UK civil service works in this regard so I'm not touching that.)

*I can talk more about how the elections change the balance of power in the civil service if anyone's interested. I know it's a dry topic but there are some people do find it fascinating sometimes. Let me know and I'll add it to the list behind "media theory of the mid-90s" (which I'm working on! It's coming!)

[margareth-lv]

A question about the “C/T at a table” pic you posted…

Not sure if you were here back when this happened in real-time, but do you (or anyone else) remember what that lady’s name was that took the pic of C & T at the restaurant table?

I remember she claimed she was a writer/journalist/marketing professional, and soon after the incident started replying to posts from her Tumblr account too (named something related to army wife life, I think). I also remember her son really went overboard rage-responding to IG(?) comments and calling everyone who thought it was a setup a, “crazy c*nt” (or something close to that), lol.

You can see her last name on the computer in the pic, Macnaughton. Was Christine the first name? That whole episode was bonkers (one of many stupid moments in this whole saga).

I want to see if she’s still around and if the NDA has expired yet. :)

————————————— Dearest Gentle Anon,

I have to say, you sent me the question in an oddly graphic form (how did you manage that?), but I'm more than happy to give you a detailed answer. I’ve been blogging on Tumblr since March 2021. Admittedly, my initial activity here could hardly be called ‘writing’, as it was mainly reblogging, but by the time I joined the fandom, everything was already 'done', except for the unexpected appearance of The Little Soul in August 2021. So the ‘Hare Picture’ that was shared in May 2019 was already on the table here before my arrival. It seems you know a lot more about this photo (and probably a lot more besides) than I do. And yes, the photo we're discussing can still be found on Instagram. The account belongs to Clare Macnaughton, a writer and blogger who goes by @mrsmacnaughty on the platform.

You’re right – you can see her name written in the bottom left corner of the photo on the computer monitor. I hadn't noticed that before, so thank you for pointing it out. So yes, this photo is still available on Instagram, unlike the other post, shared in January 2018 by MELISSA HOYER [Pop Culture. Commentator. Collaborator. Consultant. Talker. Travel. Lifestyle. News. Fashion] ⬇️⬇️⬇️

*** *** *** Isn't it odd that this 'engagement' post has disappeared? 🤔 So my conclusion is that... It's always been part of the unprofessional activities of STARZ's PR department that the Strong Women Actively Present on Instagram were included to create the Narrative. In particular, they were used to announce to the public the milestones in Caitríona Balfe's ‘love life’.

It all seems really genuine and from the heart.

[25 June, 2024]

[valyrfia]

*pulls up chair* tell me more about this lestappen NDA theory

A quick disclaimer that it's not so much a theory as an ongoing joke between @tsarinablogs and I. But the gist of the theory is that Max and Charles definitely hang out outside of work, but the reason why we never get any content is because they have meticulously crafted an airtight NDA that all friends and acquaintances must sign, because the media would be all over (past and future) championship rivals being friends. Evidence in support of this includes the fact that their Monaco friend groups overlap (Charles's family friend was the one who first introduced Max to padel!), the fact that both of them are close with the 2019 rookies but are always pictured as Charles+AlexGeorgeLando or Max+AlexGeorgeLando but never Max&Charles+AlexGeorgeLando, and the Austin 2022 press conference where everyone managed to deduce that Charles's birthday and Max's championship parties might have in fact become the same party. More than anything, it's just a fun joke because the two of them have insinuated being and becoming closer outside of racing multiple times, but we have zero photographic evidence of this until today.

[kaemelo]

Road 96 Stream + Dev commentary!

As promised, I will be doing a Road 96 let's play while commenting on the game's development (2019-2021). I'll share stories about how I worked on the maps designs, bugs we encountered, and previous ideas we had and had given up on doing or realized they were terrible lol. ⚠️ Disclaimer : As I will have to keep it NDA free, I won't be showing how the game works. No sneak peak of code nor developer tools either.

Depending on who's watching the stream, it will be in French, English, or a mixture of both!

What's Road 96?

Wiki page of the game - Steam page of the game

When ?

November 19th 2024, at 2pm (CET)

Where ?

Directly on my Twitch channel !

Will there be a VOD?

Very likely, but not 100% sure yet.

Meet you there!

[laf-outloud]

//My problem with Walker wasn’t just that they had Cordell’s partners talk down to him, make him look like he was a mess without them, or promoted over him. (Even with the “he doesn’t want to be promoted line they tried to have) It’s also that they very much did not deserve the praise they got at times. //

This reminds me of something Jared said in a Meet & Greet (which did not have an NDA) I was at once. Someone asked him if we were finally going to see him kick more ass on Walker, or something like that. He said yes, but his answer basically boiled down to it being a political thing. As in, at the time in Walker, I think season 1 or 2, having a tall, attractive, white man kick ass on screen wasn't the narrative the network wanted to run with.

So, I think part of what made Walker irritating at times is that it near constantly busted Cordell’s balls and broke him down, so he couldn't be "alpha male guy." It’s not that I needed him to be that stereotype, but when you go too far in the other furrction, especially when your hero is a ranger, it feels disengenuous.

I’m all for string, kickass fensle characters, but not all of them have to do that by literally kicking a man's ass at everything. And a ms,e character shouldn’t have to be made lesser in order to make the women look stronger. Make the female characters well-rounded, strong, but flawed, and characters who have consequences. Then do the same with the male characters, and we might get something balanced and more organic than a forced, "silly screw-up, beaten-down man vs strong, never mistaken, self-richeous female characters." This is just an inverted, over-correction from the also crappy older model of shows with badass, smart, capable guys, and usesless, besides being hot female characters. Let everyone shine, without diminishing others to do so.

I mean, Cordel's kids literally felt like they could walk in on his job and tell him what to do. The character wasn’t respected by anyone.

Interesting... I hadn't heard that note came from the studio, but it makes sense. If you think about the timing, when Walker was being created, it was probably around 2018 - 2019, which was very shortly following the #MeToo movement that saw it's popularity peak in 2017.

And you're right, there's nothing wrong with having kick-ass female characters, but please, not by emasculating the lead male character. Well-written characters, with strengths and weaknesses, whether male, female, or other, are what draw people to television. The general public isn't so concerned with shows being politically correct, they just want to be entertained. And if that entertainment comes in the form of a strong white male kicking ass on screen? The GA doesn't care. (I mean, just look at the success of Top Gun: Maverick.)

I think some film/tv execs are figuring out that the online groups making loud protests over certain political ideals tend to make up the minority of the audience, and know that as long as they can reach the GA, they can mostly ignore the online discourse.