#one more race to go and then he can go home to Perth and rest

[rickybaby]

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 18: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Scuderia AlphaTauri prepares to drive in the garage prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas at Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 18, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

[discopaddock]

ALL ABOUT THAT NOSE - DANIEL RICCIARDO

PAIRING: dad!daniel ricciardo x fem!mum!reader

WORDS: 1,9k+

GENRE: fluff

WARNINGS: baby's crying, max and lando being silly boys

Daniel Ricciardo was like a good wine - if he was getting older, he was looking better.

That was something that Y/N L/N knew too well. She had known Daniel since she was 16 years old.

The woman remembered too well the moment when they met. It was summer break before girl's second class in high school when the L/N family was in Perth to meet the wealthy aunt.

“Oh my, I'm so sorry” the young girl gasped, when she collided with a taller boy. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know if she was going to cry or she was just going to throw up, because she had gotten into a fight with her father, then ran away from aunt's house without phone and got lost in Perth.

“It's okay, no need to worry" was said in a cheerful voice. “I'm Daniel, by the way” a black haired boy said with a large smile on his face.

“My name is Y/N” “Then, it's a pleasure to meet you, Y/N” he spoke, making L/N cry. “Why? What? No crying! Stop crying, please!” Daniel started calming her down due to the fact he had no idea what to do. “There's no need to cry, Y/N” he told her slowly but she started to cry even worse. “What happened?” he asked finally, after getting her to sit on a bench.

“I got lost,” she answered with a tiny voice. Daniel felt sorry for the girl.

“You're not from here, are you?” the boy questioned while getting a seat next to her. “No, I'm from Canberra actually” she said, making Ricciardo raise his eyebrow.

“From Canberra? Are you related to Mrs. Elodie Fanning?”

“Um, yes. She's my aunt” she told him, trying to wipe her tears.

“Great then! I live in a house next to her! I'll walk you there, Y/N” he announced, getting up from the bench.

“Thank you” she said and the boy only smiled at her. Next he trip over shoe laces and almost fell down.

“Ow, sorry, miss Y/N” he laughed and walked her home.

And after that day, they stayed in touch. For the rest of their lives.

Y/N was his biggest fan and supporter. She supported him in his rights and wrongs.

Daniel was also her biggest supporter and fan. He was for her every time, when she got a new role in some film or theatre play, same as her - she was trying her best to be at his every race or just watch them on TV.

It was pretty hard for her, because she wasn't so wealthy, her parents neither, but when aunt Eloide heard about her relationship with Ricciardo, she gave her some money for travelling.

And they were here, in the car on their way to the hospital.

“I know you can stand it for just a moment, love,” the man said, looking at his wife, who was holding her belly, where was the cause of her pain.

“Daniel, faster, because I'm about to give birth to him in this car, for fucks sake” she said and Ricciardo only pressed the gas pedal even harder. this car.

“We're here, little frog” he announced after two minutes, and quickly got out of his newest Ferrari.

“Don't call me like that!” she screamed.

He helped his beautiful woman get out of the car, and then walked her to the reception, where the nurses gave her a wheelchair and took her to the operating room, leaving Daniel alone.

“First kid?” asked one of the nurses, while the one was helping Y/N to breathe. “Yes, my husband is freaking out,” the woman answered. “He says all the time that Otto must have had my nose, because mine looks better than his. I'm hoping that it will be true either”

The nurses laughed, and then Y/N felt another cramp. They started to appear an hour ago, and then they were systematic, appearing every two minutes.

After ten hours of painful labour, Daniel could finally meet with his exhausted wife and sleepy son.

“You did so amazing, baby,” he said to the woman, before kissing her forehead. “I couldn't be more proud of you my love” Daniel added, watching her feeding the newborn baby.

“Thanks, Dan. He's like two hours old and yet he has your Ric Energy” she said with a tiny voice, making the man laugh.

“He's a Ricciardo, isn't he?”

“He is, definitely”

“He's such a beautiful boy,” said Anna, Y/N's mother, looking at her smiling grandson.

“He's my son, of course he's beautiful,” Daniel joked, making everyone in the living room laugh.

“It's mostly because he has got my nose, not his” was said by the actress, which made Ricciardo roll his brown eyes. “Don't even do that again, Daniel. It was you who wanted him to have my nose” she added and then took a seat on her husband's lap.

First time when Y/N and Daniel had shown up at the paddock was totally different than all the previous times, even if the woman had shown there with a pregnant belly.

“Where's the kid?” was said by Lando and Max and it was the first thing that the couple heard, when they entered the Red Bull's hospitality.

“At home, he's four weeks old, what did you expect?” Daniel asked with raised eyebrows.

“We wanted to meet him! Everyone wanted it!” Max answered, making the couple laugh. “It's not our fault, that you don't want anyone in your house since he was born”

“And that's why none of you is his godfather” Ricciardo said, making his friends go away.

“Don't talk to us ever again!” was screamed by Lando, which made Y/N laugh. “It's about you too, Y/N!” Max added.

“I love them,” the woman started, when they took seats on the couch in Daniel's room. “but they are more like our kids. I wouldn't let none of them to be Otto's godfather” “Me either, love”

“So who is the godfather?” Verstappen asked, while his and Norris' heads were sticking out of the door.

“Timothée” Dan said shortly and after that both drivers entered the room. “What?!” Lando and Max were shocked.

“What what? He's a nice guy after all, not like you two” Dan joked. He was laughing at his friends. They were cute actually.

“What about godmother? Who is she?”

“Oh, we don't know yet” Mrs. Ricciardo said, shrugging. “We'll tell you both, when we find an ideal person, don't worry” she announced and sent them kisses, which also did Daniel. “Now bye bye, you both are needed. Bye!” Ricciardo led them out the door and again sat near to his wife. In next three hours he gave an interview, that melted everyone's heart.

“Thank you, Y/N, for these amazing fifteen years that you spent with me. Thank you for your support and that you had never despaired in me. And then thank you for our son, who you just gave birth to a month ago, I couldn't be more proud of anyone in this world than you. I also wanted to thank you for saying yes to me twelve years ago. I loved you then, I love you right now, and I will love until my death. Thank you for everything” Daniel ended his monologue and started looking for his beloved wife, who was crying because of his words.

“I love you endlessly, Dan,” she whispered, when they hugged. “And I love you, dolly” he replied with his biggest and prettiest smile on face. “You're crying again” he laughed, starting wiping the tears. “Just like on the first day, right?” she joked. “Yep, just like then” he said, kissing her nose after. “I want to see all of these photos that they took. We should have one of them at home” the woman said quietly to his ear, making his smile even bigger. “Yes, we definitely should”

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f1 “(...) I loved you then, I love you right now, and I will love until my death. Thank you for everything”

That's just a short piece of @ danielricciardo's monologue. Watch it all on formula1.com.

4517 comments

charles_leclerc My favourite couple on the grid!❤️

↑ charles_lecat omg charles this is soo cute!!!!

yourusername and i love him endlessly since i was sixteen and i will love him till death do us part.

↑ danielricciardo 🥲❤️

↑ danandyn @yourusermane ur both were made for each other 🥺🥺🥺

lewishamilton and I still remember this little danny who was asking everybody on the paddock if they had met his beautiful girlfriend in 2011

↑ f1wags NO WAY HE DID THAT

↑ dr3love omg hes too much😭😭😭

tchalamet my beloved parents idc

↑ tchalametdaily WELL HELLO THERE T

↑ liochalamet cant believe ur commenting on f1 post timo

landonorris I LOVE THEM WITH MY WHOLE HEART 💓 💓💓

↑ carlossainz55 Honestly same Lando😊

maxverstappen1 My favourite couple in the world, both deserve all the best ❤️‍🩹

↑ ilovef1 one time max speaking facts

sebastianvettel Ahh my favourite people, deserve the best!💝

First time the Ricciardo family showed up at the paddock was during the Austin Grand Prix. Of course Daniel was dressed as a cowboy. He just loved that GP.

Even though he wasn't participating that year.

Otto was looking everywhere from his stroller. He was looking at his papa, who was wearing a big, unknown hat and smiling.

Little guy was only three months old and was not ready yet to see his father dressed like that, so he started to cry.

“No, no, no, sweetie, no crying” Y/N started, pulling her son from the stroller. She hugged him and told her husband to take off his cowboy hat. “You will dress as a cowboy for Halloween instead” she announced cradling the baby in her arms.

Otto finally stopped crying, when all of them went to Daniel's room and Y/N fed him.

“We will stay here, okay Dan?” she asked, looking at the man, who was singing his son lullaby, so he could fall asleep easier. “Everything for him” he whispered, putting the sleeping boy to his stroller. “Give me a kiss” he said walking to his wife. She stood up and when he was In Front of her, she placed a kiss on his lips. “I'm so lucky that I have you. If I didn't meet you, I wouldn't be me” he announced holding her in a thigh hug.

“I'm hearing Lando's coming” she said after a while, hearing Brit's footsteps. And yeah, she was so right, because like thirty seconds later a curly haired guy entered the room. He had rosy cheeks and a huge smile on his face.

“There's my favourite boy! And his parents” he said and hugged Y/N. “It's amazing to see you. You look so good and healthy, oh my!” Lando announced, making the woman blush because of the hormones. “And you look the same as last week” he said to Daniel, who only rolled his eyes.

He finally stepped in front of the boy and started to cry.

“He- Oh- He's so pretty” Lando said with his shaky voice and tears on his face. “I can't believe that Daniel is one of the creators of this miracle,” Norris said. “The little one is too perfect”

“Oh, Landon, don't cry” Y/N hugged the younger one and rubbed his back. “We know that he is the prettiest baby on the globe, we do. It's because he has my nose, not Daniel's”

“Hey!” Ricciardo delicately slapped his wife's back.

It was always about the nose.

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danielricciardo 3 months of having you on the world little one. 3 best months of my life❤️

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masterlist

[harley-sunday]

Feels Like Home [01]

Summary: When an unexpected three-week break between Monza and Singapore finds Daniel back on his farm in Perth he’s desperate to use this time to clear his mind, figure out his future in Formula One, and find his way back. He didn’t expect a new neighbour, a sassy two-year old, and three alpacas would make him realise that sometimes, what you’re looking for is right in front of you.

Pairing: Daniel Ricciardo x reader (unnamed OFC)

Warnings: Language

Word count: 2.7k

AN: Yes. Hi. Hello. Believe it or not but I started writing this fic because I desperately needed some good guy!Daniel being cute with kids in my life. The idea was just a short one shot. Ha. Who was I kidding? Because here we are, six months and nine chapters later... I really hope you like it, please come yell at me in the comments, on anon, or in my DMs about any and all things about this story you want to yell at me about. I probably deserve it. ♥

Masterlist

There’s something about being here, on his farm outside of Perth, that he doesn’t experience anywhere else in the world. Not in Monaco, not in Los Angeles, not even in Austin, or Montana. 

Because here- Here, he doesn’t have to be Daniel Ricciardo, Danny Ric, DR, or the Honey Badger. He doesn’t have to be a Formula One driver, an eight-time race winner, the most beloved driver on the grid, and the fan favourite. He doesn’t have to be Red Bull’s wild card, Renault’s saviour, or, most recently, McLaren’s scapegoat. Here, he is Daniel. And it’s enough. 

Or, at least, it used to be.

Lately, there's been a yearning in his heart that he's unfamiliar with. Or he pretends to be anyway because he’s not ready to put it into words yet, not ready to speak into existence what he really wants from life. Afraid he'll jinx it if he does. 

And so he keeps it to himself and lets his heart ache for something more in silence while the life he does know slowly keeps on falling apart around him.

***

Daniel rests his wrists on the handlebar of his dirt bike and lets out a breath he seems to have been holding in ever since he retired on lap forty-five of the Monza Grand Prix four days ago. Looking out over the valley below, he feels more grounded than he has in a long time and he hopes that the next two weeks will give him the peace he so desperately needs after the shitshow that has been his season so far. 

The sun’s already low in the sky, casting a golden glow over the somewhat still barren trees and shrubs even though he can tell winter is slowly coming to an end from the sprouts of green that have started to grace the landscape with their presence. There’s a kookaburra laughing somewhere in the distance and he takes it as his cue to fire up his engine again for one last run around his dirt track before it gets too dark. 

He knows technically he isn’t supposed to ride his bike during the season, knows technically McLaren could issue him a hefty fine for breaching his contract, but if they ever were to find out he figures they can just take it out of the settlement they’re due to pay him at the end of the year. He’s promised Zak he’ll do whatever it takes to score as many points as possible in the last six races but he also decided early on that he’s no longer going to let the team dictate what he can or cannot do in his time away from the track. 

There’s a meeting tomorrow, with Blake and Michael, where they’ll try to figure out his future in Formula One. There have been a few offers, both from teams who want him as their second driver and from teams who want him to become their reserve driver, but he’s still undecided, not sure if he wants to settle for another midfield team or stay in Formula One without really being in Formula One. 

By the time he completes his lap his head is somewhat empty, too busy instead to focus on keeping his bike under control and not ending up in the dirt. It’s almost dark now and so he opens the throttle wide and guns it home, a race against an invisible clock that, unlike this past season in Formula One, he wins every single time.

Once his bike is safely back in the shed he makes his way over to the house, hosing his boots down before he takes them off at the back door and leaves them to dry on the shoe rack his Dad made for him when he bought the farm. He changes out of his gear in the mud room, making a face when he takes his socks off and catches a whiff of the smell but laughing then because he remembers them smelling so much worse after a race in, oh let’s say, Singapore. With nothing but his boxer shorts on he steps into the kitchen and heads straight for the fridge, taking out an ice cold bottle of water. The sigh of relief when he rolls it against the back of his neck almost obscene. It might be winter but temperatures in western Australia are still as high as a beautiful spring day in Monaco.

It’s then the intercom rings and for a moment he debates ignoring it, not sure if he’s up for telling yet another local journo looking to make it big by trying to get an interview with ‘shunned McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo’ that now really isn’t a good time  and that any requests for interviews should be made through Blake anyway.  

Plus, he gave his family and friends the access code to the gate when it was first installed, so he doubts any of them are waiting for him to open it, not in the least because they know better than to just show up without a text or call in advance.  

In the end, his curiosity gets the better of him and so he walks over to where the control panel of his alarm system hangs in the living room and pushes the button needed to connect to whoever’s at the gate, “Hello?”

“Hi,” the screen comes on then, the black and white image showing a woman wearing a Stetson hat. She’s staring somewhere into the distance, her face obscured by the shadows the brim of her hat casts under the streetlight, but her voice comes through loud and clear, “Sorry to bother you this late-”

“It’s seven thirty,” he shoots back almost effortlessly.

“-but I wondered if I could maybe ask you to keep it down with the dirt biking a little?” 

“I’m sorry, what?”

She looks up and into the camera then, pushing her hat a little higher so he can finally see her eyes, “It’s just- We’ve got a flock of alpacas over in Eagle's Nest and they tend to get a little jittery from all the noise. Especially when they try to settle in for the night and-”

“I’m sorry,“ he can’t help but grin, running a hand through his hair, “but I’m going to need a little more context here.”

She laughs and he thinks it’s the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard and so he’s a little distracted but then he sees her taking her hat off, revealing her face and- Fuck. She’s gorgeous. He watches her as she shakes her head, a smile tugging on the corners of her lips, “Shit, sorry. I probably should have given you a bit more to go on.” Putting her hat back on she straightens up and points to somewhere over her shoulder, “Your neighbour on that side, Oscar Linton? He’s my granddad. I think you know him, right?”

“Old man Linton!” He smiles and nods, “Of course I do.” When he first bought the farm he made sure to introduce himself to his neighbours and while he likes to think he has a good relationship with all three of them he’s always had a soft spot for the elderly man further up the road. So much so that he always makes sure to drop by for a chat whenever he finds himself back in Perth. It’s then he connects the dots and recognises her from some of the pictures Oscar has up in his living room. All of a sudden he feels guilty for not going to see his neighbour yet even though he has been home for two days already but maybe he can do that tomorrow or-

“He fell a few days ago-” her voice pulls him out of his thoughts unintentionally and his guilt triples in a matter of seconds. There’s a sad smile tugging on her lips which makes him prepare for the worst. 

Surely they would have let him know if- He remembers the pile of unopened letters waiting for him on the kitchen counter then and curses quietly, “Shit.”

“He’s ok,” she’s quick to reassure him, as if she knows what he was thinking. “He spent a couple of nights in hospital and still has a long way to go but at least he’s home again.” She takes a deep breath, “They had to replace his hip and he’s got a broken wrist but,” she shrugs, “it could have been worse.” 

It’s then the absurdity of the situation hits him, with him in his boxers in his living room and her on the other end of his kilometre-long driveway, talking into a metallic box. He shakes his head and pushes the button that opens the gate automatically, “I think maybe we shouldn’t have this conversation over an intercom. I could make you a cup of coffee if you want? Or something stronger? I make a mean-”

She bites her lip and seems to hesitate.

“Just a quick cuppa. It’s the neighbourly thing to do, right?”

He sees her nod, “Yeah, ok.”

He can’t help the grin that spreads across his face, “Happy days.” 

***

The house is not at all how you expect it to be, much more modern and open-planned than any of the other farm houses in the area. The west-facing wall has been completely redone in glass panels, offering a stunning view of the valley and surrounding paddocks and you can’t help but admire the interior design of both the kitchen and the living room, which is masculine but still inviting. You wonder if he decorated the place himself or if he hired some interior designer to do it for him.

“Here you go,” Daniel, who told you ‘You can call me Dan’ when he greeted you at the door with a bright smile and an outstretched hand- offers you a cup of steaming hot coffee and motions for you to join him at the kitchen table. He’s wearing white sweatpants and a matching white sweater that look incredibly comfy and that make you want to wrap yourself around him and hang onto him like a koala bear. Wait. What? 

You take your hat off to try and keep from ogling him, placing  it on the chair next to you before you sit down and smile at him, “You know, all these years I thought you were called Danny Ric because that’s what Granddad keeps calling you. I’m not sure I can get used to Daniel.” 

Daniel laughs, the laughter lines in the corners of his eyes even more prominent now, “Trust the old man to keep that gag going.” He shakes his head then, “I can’t believe he fell though.”

“Yeah,” you agree quietly, blowing into your coffee. “We’re lucky Mrs Mackenzie found him when she did or-” You let out a ragged breath and see him nod, his eyes kind, and it makes you continue, “His hip was completely shattered and his wrist is broken in three places so it’s going to take a while before he’s up and running again- I mean, if his new hip ever heals completely- He’s already seventy-eight so-” You hear yourself starting to ramble and so you fold your hands around your cup and try to calm down a little. You’re not even sure why you’re even telling him all of this, but he’s a friend of your granddad and so you figure he’s good people. “Mum and Dad wanted to come back from New Zealand to help out but-” you look up at Daniel and shrug, “I spent a lot of time on the farm as a kid, right until I left for uni, so it made much more sense for me to move in with him for the time being.” 

“That’s a pretty big thing to do,” Daniel says with a kind smile, a warmth to his brown eyes that you can feel yourself get lost in. “You sure your family can miss you that long?”

You don’t really know what he’s getting at, whether he’s talking about your Mum and Dad or the husband and kids he thinks you might have left behind to come back to Mundaring, and you don’t really know you want to tell him your truth either, after all you’ve just met him, so in the end you shake your head and settle on an honest, “I’ve got everything I need right here.” 

He eyes you suspiciously but doesn’t push it and instead he says, “If you’d have me I’d love to come over to see him some time. I’m still here for almost another two weeks  and-” 

“I’m sure he’d like that,” you offer with a smile. “He always tells me what a nice bloke you are.”

Daniel leans back in his chair and grins, spreading his arms, “Can’t say I blame him. I’m the best.” 

“He says the same thing about the postie,” you tease with a casual shrug, “so don’t get too excited.” 

“Ouch,” Daniel brings a hand to his chest, “that hurts.” 

You pout, “So sad.” 

“Very,” Daniel agrees quietly, trying his best to keep a straight face. He puts his arms on the table then and leans forward, “Before you stomp on my ego some more, why don’t you tell me the real reason you’re here. What’s up with that eagle’s nest over in some paddock?”

“Oof,” you pull a face and shake your head, “you were so close.” You can’t help but laugh when you see him pretend to be hurt at your comment. You take a sip of coffee before you explain, pointing in the general direction of your paddock, “Your dirt track borders Eagle's Nest, the paddock Granddad uses for the alpacas in September and October, and I guess normally it isn’t a problem because you usually aren’t home during this time of year but I heard you yesterday and today and-”

“Yeah, we had an unexpected three-week break this year so I figured-” Daniel waves his hand around for you to continue then.

“It’s just, we have three pregnant females this year and- I don’t know if you’re at all familiar with alpacas?”

He shakes his head, “I didn’t even know you guys had alpacas. Your granddad and I just tend to talk shit about Mrs Mackenzie and them over a cuppa but I've never really asked him about the farm to be honest."

You throw him a look, knowing all too well your granddad doesn’t drink coffee.

He quickly backs down, “Fine, I drink coffee, he drinks tea.” 

“There you go,” you mouth with a wink. “Anyway, alpacas are basically scared of everything, even their own shadow, so you know, someone riding a dirt bike close by doesn’t really help with keeping them nice and calm during these last few weeks of their pregnancy.” 

“Gotcha.”

“They’re usually out on the other side of the paddock during the day, so anything until five in the afternoon is fine” you offer, not wanting to deprive him of his hobby completely, “but we have their feeders and the shed they can hide in during the night out over in your corner, so-”

“You’re giving me a five pm curfew, basically,” he says with a raise of his eyebrows.

“Just until the end of October.” You bite your lip, “I’m sorry, it’s just-”

“Nah, no worries,” Daniel puts his hand on your forearm and gives it a squeeze to let you know he means it. “I’d do anything for old Oscar.” Then, with a grin he adds, “And his girls.” 

You can’t help the heat that rises to your cheeks and try to hide it with a smile, “Thank you.”

He squeezes your arm again, “He’s gonna be fine by the way. He’s tough, that one.”

“Speaking of Granddad,” you risk a quick glance at your watch, letting you know it’s almost eight fifteen, “I should probably head back.” You push your chair back and grab your hat, putting it on as you tell Daniel, “Thank you for the coffee.”

“Anytime,” he says with a grin as he stands up as well, following you to the front door. “Tell him I’ll come by soon, ok?”

“Will do.” You turn around then and smile again, something about not getting your hopes up but doing so anyway when you ask, “I’ll see you around then?”

Daniel tips his imaginary hat, “Yes ma’am.” 

[warnersister]

INSTAMAGINE DANNY RIC WITH AN ELITE RUNNER Pt.5

Daniel Ricciardo x Reader

Daniel Ricciardo x Runner Reader

danielricciardo

danielricciardo: time for this honey to have some well deserved time off❤️

📍: Perth, Australia

🏷️: youruser

❤️: youruser, redbullracing, aussienews, and 4,296,108 others

💬:

youruser: rest? What is this word?

-> danielricciardo: youruser I will literally sit on you so you have to rest.

-> youruser: danielricciardo :(

emmajanelbates: are those trail shoes I see?

-> danielricciardo: emmajanelbates she paced my trail race because I can go slow and it’s okay🫡🤣

-> youruser: danielricciardo and I carried the gels, 2L water, map, compass, and all of your complaining xx 😘😘

maxverstappen1: she just uploaded a 20km to Strava??

-> youruser: maxverstappen1 shush.

-> danielricciardo: maxverstappen1 WHAT

youruser

youruser: my family❤️

📍: Perth, Australia

🏷️: danielricciardo

❤️: danielricciardo, redbullracing, carlossainz55 and 5,927,015 others

💬:

danielricciardo: I love you❤️

-> youruser: danielricciardo ❤️

redbullracing: the in laws 😍🫶

-> youruser: redbullracing 🩷🩷

maxverstappen1: has she broken out the baby pics yet?

-> danielricciardo: maxverstappen1 no.

-> youruser: maxverstappen1 yes🥹😆

user1: has anyone seen the interview with Danny’s parents?

-> user2: user1 had me in tears, they love her.

f1family

f1family: INTERVIEW WITH DANIEL RICCIARDO & PARENTS ABOUT FIANCÉ YN LN -> click for post

AD

In a recent interview we sat down with Joe + Grace Ricciardo along with f1 driver son Daniel to discuss Daniel’s new fiancé, elite runner yn ln who has set multiple world records after joining the racing world -> see this interview

“When Daniel came away from his first date with yn in LA, he rang me and said ‘mum I want to marry this girl’ and he’s never said that in all the girls he’s ever dated” - Grace

“We took yn to the local parkrun recently and we expected her to just go and do her own thing, I mean - she is like a 14 minutes 5k runner. But she stuck at the back with us, walked when we needed to and crossed the line in 33 minutes and was happy as can be.” - Joe

“Daniel brought yn home at Christmas actually, and it felt like we were talking to our daughter, not ‘some girl’ he’d met and new nothing about Daniel and racing. Yn helped me cook. She washed the dishes and then we all went for a walk.” - Grace

“I pulled Daniel aside and said if you don’t marry this girl, never bring another one home.” - Joe

read more

danielricciardo

danielricciardo: relaxing🧖‍♀️🧖🏽 and planning💍

📍: Perth Beach

🏷️: youruser

❤️: youruser, user1, f1fan, mindyweiss and 4,026,816 others

💬:

youruser: I’m so excited

-> danielricciardo: youruser Mrs Ricciardo😍😍

user1: Mindy Weiss liked their post!! Isn’t she the kardashian wedding planner??

-> user3: user1 I think so😯😯

f1fan: when’s the wedding

-> youruser: f1fan December🤭

mindyweiss: what a dream to plan🥹🤩

-> youruser: mindyweiss the best 🤍🤍

youruser

youruser: if I have to put my feet up, he’s not allowed to put his foot down🤭

📍: Perth Beach

🏷️: danielricciardo

❤️: danielricciardo, maxverstappen1, perthbeachclub and 7,936,015 others

💬:

emmajanelbates: I thought you hated iced coffee?

-> youruser: emmajanelbates we don’t get this kind of heat in England I’m too hot

-> danielricciardo: youruser yeah well you didn’t mind being a sweat mess last night

-> youruser: danielricciardo children present, daniel.

-> landonorris: youruser mhm.

user1: the note on the coffee😭

-> youruser: user1 I wouldn’t call it coffee, maybe drowned milk

-> danielricciardo: youruser isn’t my fault you’re lactose intolerant and refuse to drink moo juice.

michaelitaliano: getting some cross training in?

-> youruser: michaelitaliano the Garmin is waterproof😉

-> danielricciardo: youruser stop. My love, please sit down.

danielricciardo

danielricciardo: back to work🤠

📍: Austin GP

🏷️: redbullracing, f1, youruser

❤️: youruser, redbullracing, maxverstappen and 6,927,284 others

💬:

youruser: holy mother of Mary forgive me.

-> danielricciardo: youruser you’re drooling darlin

maxverstappen1: this is just a thirst trap page for yn at this point

-> youruser: maxverstappen1 you don’t hear me complaining🤭

lilymhe: can confirm: she is drooling.

-> youruser: lilymhe ofc I am🤤

youruser

youruser: save a horse, ride a cowboy🤠❤️

📍: Austin GP

🏷️: danielricciardo, F1, redbullracing

❤️: danielricciardo, redbullracing, lilymhe and 6,728,649 others

💬:

danielricciardo: fuck me, look at her.

-> carlossainz55: danielricciardo how long have you been staring at this post?

-> danielricciardo: carlossainz55 yes.

danielricciardo: ride a Ricciardo

-> youruser: danielricciardo you know where to find me xx

maxverstappen1: he got a boner when she was riding the bull btw

-> user1: maxverstappen1 max😭😭

-> user2: maxverstappen1 I’m a girl and I got a boner looking at her

-> f1fangirl: maxverstappen1 who wouldn’t get a boner looking at yn?

danielricciardo

danielricciardo: oh she rode a cowboy, alright.

📍: Austin GP

🏷️: youruser

❤️: youruser, user1, maxverstappen1 and 7,839,603 others

💬:

landonorris: pg photos Dan??

-> danielricciardo: landonorris these are the pg versions

youruser: ;)

-> danielricciardo: youruser if all I had to do to get you to rest was this I would’ve done it before

-> youruser: danielricciardo I can’t move Daniel.

-> user1: youruser damn

-> f1fan: danielricciardo we all know what you’ve done 🫡😳

maxverstappen1: goodness gracious

-> youruser: maxverstappen1 great balls of fire😏😉

youruser

youruser: P1 honey badger, yeehaw🤠🩷

📍: Austin GP

🏷️: danielricciardo, redbullracing, f1

❤️: danielricciardo, f1wags, redbullx and 5,824,328 others

💬:

danielricciardo: is the deal still on?

-> youruser: danielricciardo I’m a woman of my word😘

user1: what’s he gonna post?? Oh no😭

redbullracing: we love having you in the paddock❤️

-> youruser: redbullracing thank you for having me again! ❤️

maxverstappen1: when did you get time to run the track

-> danielricciardo: maxverstappen1 I don’t know when she disappears to run

-> youruser: danielricciardo before you’re up😃😃

danielricciardo: couldn’t race without you by my side

-> christianhorner: danielricciardo it’s a good job she’s got a headset to keep your head screwed on right

-> youruser: christianhorner it’s a full time job🫡

danielricciardo

danielricciardo: the *insagram allowed* less pg pics📸 + the diamond❤️💍

📍: somewhere new

🏷️: youruser

❤️: youruser, landonorris, maxverstappen1 and 8,924,725 others

💬:

landonorris: 😨

-> danielricciardo: landonorris like you didn’t see the Polaroids

maxverstappen1: it’s a damn good job she’s engaged

-> youruser: maxverstappen1 always yours, maxy😘😘😘😘

-> danielricciardo: youruser I’m right here

user5: I beg for an onlyfans

-> danielricciardo: user5 yn says no 🫡

user1: dream couple

-> user2: user1 Ik

This part was more like a gap filler for the next one so Im sorry if its not good:( part 6->•

[onlyonetifosi]

I belong with you

-> What happens if he sees his schoold best friend again?

-> Word Count: 965

->Author note: my first fic I hope you like it <3 English is not my first language so sorry for mistakes

Daniel Ricciardo, F1 driver, was strugling with himself. He knew that he was in love with his best friend,

He had actually kept these feelings inside himself for many years. Now Daniel had to make a decision, to tell you or not.

He decided to go for a walk in Perth, your home place, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, at least for him.

Daniel lived in Monaco, and he spent most of the time there, but he was in Perth for the weekend in summer break.

He was in the park you always went in your teen years and spent hours laughing and been 2 best friends idiots. He was lot in his toughts when something or someone broke them.

"Daniel, how are you? It is a long time I haven't seen you around here."- You told him when he sat in the bench you were.

"Ah, I've been very busy, you know, races. I came back a little to get used to the time change," Daniel told him.

"That sounds hard. But congratulations on crossing the wins record of Formula 1. It is a hard job but it is the one you love, the one you have been training for. It is just that can keep the rest of us in good terms, huh?"-you said, putting a lighthearted smile on his face.

It had been a long time you didn't see your old friend, but it did not felt like it. It felt like you kept talking like it was yesterday you did something and laughed at it.

"How have you been? What are you doing?"Daniel asked you.

"I have been great, I'm working in my mum's company. And what about you? How have you been? I missed you Dan." You told him, laughing at the memories and pictures of when you were younger and ran away from home to go with your dad to see Danny karting and to some of his european competitions . Daniel also laughed and told you about his latest races. When you guy's had been talking for a few hours you looked at the time and saw that it was really late. "I have to go, I'm sorry Dan." You said as you gave him a hug goodbye and left towards your house.

When you arrived, you threw yoursel in your bed and remember all your memories together.

-Fuck, I'm in love with him- you realised but told yourself to stop thinking of him. You tried to sleep but found yourself thinking about him all night long, so you decided to get up and text Daniel. You started with a "Hey Dan, I miss our talks today."

He replied back almost immediately and you guys talked for a few hours until you finally fell asleep. You had been best friends since you were kids and always stuck together. Daniel had always secretly been in love with you, but never said anything as he didn't want to ruin your friendship. But now, things were different. You had both grown up and things had changed between you. There was now a spark of something more and Daniel knew that he couldn't ignore his feelings any longer. He loved you and wanted to be with you, but was scared of what might happen if he told you. Would things change between you? Would you still be friends? Daniel didn't know what to do, but he knew that he had to tell you how he felt. He was scared, but it was time to take the plunge and tell you the truth.

He finally decided that it was better to tell you how he felt and risk everything, rather than living with the regret of never having told you. st places in the world to think. As he walked along the beach, he thought about how everything started between you two.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following day he told you to come over to his house, where you had been so many times inyour childhood.

-Come with me- You were hesitant but you nodded and followed him over to the side of the room.

"What's up?" you asked. Daniel took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to say. "I need to tell you something," he began. "And I'm really scared about it."

You could see the fear in his eyes and you instantly knew what he was going to say. You had always known that Daniel had feelings for you, but you never said anything as you didn't want to ruin your friendship. But now, things were different. You had both grown up and things had changed between you. There was now a spark of something more and you knew that you couldn't ignore your feelings any longer.

You loved Daniel and wanted to be with him, but were scared of what might happen if you told him. Would things change between you? Would you still be friends? You didn't know what to do, but you knew that you had to tell Daniel how you felt.

You were scared, but it was time to take the plunge and tell him the truth. "I love you, Daniel," you blurted out. "I'm in love with you." Daniel's eyes widened in shock as he stared at you. He hadn't expected you to say those words, but they were exactly what he had wanted to hear. He quickly wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into a hug. "I love you too," he whispered into your ear. "I've been in love with you for so long." friends since you were kids and always stuck together. Daniel had always secretly been in love with you, but never said anything as he didn't want to ruin your friendship.

"Baby i belong with you"

[vicsy]

hold down, rewind

2,6k, mature, Daniel/Max. read on AO3.

I want to say huuuuuuge thanks to @leclerctops for putting up with me, reading through this mess and reassuring me that all of this makes sense. 💕 As usual, shout out to the Bread server, I love you all so much for inspiring me to write again.

Daniel processes his journey back home, curses time for its existence and kisses Max like a deja vu.

Time is a flat circle or whatever shit people keep saying on the internet; Daniel doesn't really keep up with the buzz, can't grasp the full meaning of it even if he tried amidst the turmoil of his homecoming. And yeah, everyone keeps calling it that.

For all Daniel knows, time is not some fucking circle; it's something he's constantly running out of. Time is never on his side. 

Daniel wouldn't, by all means, call himself a believer in fate or a higher power but he'd send a thank you card to the universe if a chance ever presents itself. Or if he goes completely off the rails. His journey back home – and, yeah, he's calling it home now, he's rolling with the punches – to him reads more like returning from a failed conquest, dragging his battered body to where he can lick his wounds in peace; to somewhere he feels safe enough to admit to the failures that befell him. 

Time, that bitch, would never be kind enough to him so he stops treating it like a commodity. Slaps a handle with care sticker on the whole thing and keeps on living. Without an ounce of regret, though, just with a bunch of lessons learned, a bruised ego, thicker skin and a face card that never declines.

Maybe something is wrong with time. Maybe Daniel has some screws loose in his head, not a surprise after the year he's had. Reality feels off, warped, tilted on its axis as he signs the dotted line and jokes around with Christian; poses for some photographs and records a couple of videos for good PR; greets the mechanics and Red Bull staff, who still consider Daniel one of their own more than a driver for a rival team. Frankly, he always kind of hated the taste of papaya.

It doesn't truly hit him until he's clad in dark-blue colors for the first time in what seems like forever. In what seems like lost time. It's then that he feels something catching up to him, scratching the back of his neck; asking him to turn around and witness the chances he's missed. Daniel won't look back, no way in hell. Only forward now, where the future is still uncertain but ignorance offers familiar comfort.

They say that the greatest and most impactful historical events tend to circle back and repeat themselves, like a curse of a lifetime. In Daniel's case, this for sure isn't that, barely an event. Those words are too big for an Australian boy with braces who just wanted to race all around the world, lost his way in the process, and defied all odds for a second chance. 

This time, the whole Red Bull shebang would not be the same. Daniel isn't an active part of the grid but he wanted it that way, even if some fuckers on the internet call him a show pony now. He feels indebted to the team, all the squabbles laid to rest in the past where they belong. He'll put the work in now, he'll prove his weight in gold. A time comes when Daniel would get back into a race car under his own number or abandon it altogether, douse his life in gasoline and light up a match. In his wreckage of a mind, the decision is still up for grabs. 

Daniel is not always there, at the Red Bull garage. He kicks back and lets time slip through his fingers like sand in the hourglass. Stays in Perth for so long he forgets where his passport is. Makes up for years of lost time with his family, fools around on their farm like a kid; goes on elaborate adventures with his friends, indulges in his every insane whim and finally laughs, unburdened. Time, ever the killjoy, only feeds his hunger. 

He gets the itch under his skin the moment a new season actually starts, an alarm going off in his head, shrieking you should be racing, you should be training, you should be driving. And Daniel isn't in that place, doesn't miss it, he doesn't– except he fucking does. Has to google what FOMO is because Scotty won't stop bothering him, saying he has it like some kind of disease. Daniel promptly tells him to fuck off. Time's still not right. 

Thing is, he fucking hates his friends for being right. And it's not like Daniel is… absent or something. He went to pre-season testing, all smiley and full of joy, fresh off vacation. At the track, Daniel didn't stay still for a single second. He chatted with Red Bull mechanics about the changes in the car, grilled them for all the details; distracted Max by telling him the most annoying jokes he knows, like Max hasn’t heard more of them during the short time they spent together off-season — tucked away safely on Daniel's farm, a secret to the outside world. He even got on well with Checo, not minding some tension. It was all fine. Daniel didn't feel out of place, sticking out like a sore thumb. It was fine.

When the lights go out in Bahrain, Daniel is not fine. Sitting in front of the TV in his Monaco apartment, not fine. He wants to curse the natural passage of time for the fact that his life is playing out on the screen while he's on the fucking sidelines. By choice, he has to remind himself, and yet he yearns to feel the fire ignite inside of him, but there is a dull ache in its stead. Daniel stares at his phone, at the thumbs-up emoji Max sent him as a response to his good luck message. On the screen, they're five laps in. 

Daniel spent a month leading up to the season giving out interviews, repeating word for word, it's a new exciting chapter of my life and Red Bull does feel like home to me, like coming back to family and people have different, uh, reactions to me joining the team as a third driver and I'm focusing on doing what would be best for me in the long run. This and so many other rehashed sentences that Daniel treats like a doctrine, like the only true testament to exist in the world — the one he desperately wants to believe in. But all of it is pure bullshit. People telling him he came back to Red Bull because it’s easy and he’s washed is bullshit; trying and failing to accept that he’s back at square one, not even a real driver, is bullshit. Time is unfair and cruel to Daniel and he has no one to place the blame on, wandering like an exile in a world that was once at his feet. 

He wishes for many things, honestly. To rebuild his career brick by brick; get back on the grid; not read dumb comments about his life on the internet; quit racing for good if it keeps hurting him. Stop worrying about time. But whatever Daniel wants to build from scratch is already there, waiting, after he willingly let it slip away. A couple of years ago, Daniel would have laughed at the prospect of crawling back to his old stomping grounds. You can’t go back in time, you can’t come back home and find it as it was. Right? Right. 

As the Daniel Ricciardo he is today, he couldn't not appreciate the irony. 

Time is a weird fucking concept, an indomitable force of the universe, but Daniel wouldn’t mind taking control of it, mould it to his liking, do some minor time travel while he’s at it. If he’s not behind the wheel of a Red Bull car, maybe a Delorean will do; he’ll take it for a spin, blissfully ignore Doc Brown’s lessons on messing up a timeline — it’ll do shit to whatever he wants fixed.  

At the back of his mind, Daniel knows the universe is teaching him a lesson, but he's never been good at those, so he wishes he could skip this part straight to the one where he finds atonement.

“I missed you in this, in– blue,” Max blurts out, shy, cheeks flushed a lovely pink and Daniel doesn’t need a fictional car to fling himself into the past anymore. 

On the dingy couch in his driver’s room, sitting an arm’s length from Daniel, Max looks too young again, eighteen again, with a puppy crush written all over his face. Daniel does an honest to god double take and his memory hits him with a flashback, the same setting about six years ago. Maybe he is wrong in the head. Or maybe he's just been blind and busy trying to grasp the concept of forces beyond his comprehension to see how Max was always the one who stayed, an unchanged constant of Daniel's otherwise turbulent being. A lifeline he's been clinging to as if he was drowning. 

"Aw, Maxy, you're gonna make me blush," he jokes in self-defense, throat tight, and– it's weird since Daniel's been wearing Red Bull colors for a couple of months now. He gets it a beat later — missed you at the races, Max means. Daniel missed himself that way, too. 

Max looks soft and happy, not wearing a cap for once, and Daniel reaches out to him with a quiet come here, sweetheart, forever unable to resist. Max climbs into his lap eagerly, with practiced ease, and loops his hands behind Daniel's neck. He can’t help but stare with warmth in his eyes before tilting his own head back and bringing Max down. 

It’s a gentle press of lips to lips at first, a quiet hello between them, an I missed you that they won’t say enough times. It doesn’t take long for Daniel to turn things around, slip his tongue past Max’s plush lips, tug at the hair behind his ear and make it dirty. Daniel deepens the kiss, swallows a whimper Max lets out, the inside of his mouth smooth and hot. It makes them both dizzy. Daniel strokes Max’s side up and down, draws circles on his hip, squeezes his thigh before slipping his hand underneath the hem of the tiny shorts Max is wearing, palm flat against supple skin. He gasps at the teasing touch and Daniel reminds himself not to get carried away now. 

Their first time back together in the same time zone, Daniel locked the flimsy door of the room shut, spread Max naked on that same couch, screwed two fingers inside of him and told him to keep quiet, the thrill of getting caught hanging heavy in the air. And certainly, Max couldn’t, not later when Daniel started fucking him in earnest, messy and fast, little ahs echoing in the small space they shared. Daniel moved forward with a harsh thrust and clamped his palm over Max’s mouth mid-shout. Kept fucking him shallow, eyes locked on his, waiting for a reaction, a sign. Max nodded against the stiff cushion, chest heaving with rabbiting breaths. Daniel got them both off like that. Came into the tight heat of Max with a hard gasp, pushing his head into the couch, feeling his mouth try to move under Daniel’s palm with a stifled moan; watched Max come undone beneath him, his stomach sticky with come and sweat, legs trembling at Daniel’s sides. 

Today is race day, so anything beyond would be a no-go, but there’s less rush. Daniel is in the paddock for the first time as a Red Bull driver and on his home soil, too. It feels special and nerve-wracking. Daniel forces himself not to think about it, dials it down a bit, and chooses to focus on mapping Max’s back with his hands, moving to place them on the curve of his ass. Slick sounds of kissing ring loudly in the silence around them. Max cards through his hair messily and Daniel grips him by the jaw, fingers pressed firmly into the bone there, feeling it move as they kiss, losing the sense of time. 

Max is a changed man now, too. Bigger, a new broadness to his shoulders, and so much bolder, unashamed to arch his body into Daniel’s with a lazy roll of his hips. It makes Daniel desperately want to crawl back into his own skin from years ago, dig that part of himself up and dust it off. With time, perhaps, he’ll come around. Until then he’ll just lick into Max’s mouth with renewed vigor, his weight solid and grounding on Daniel, wring ungodly sounds out of Max and relish in the thought of things suddenly falling back into place. 

Max chuckles into the kiss, inadvertently breaking it. His eyes get all crinkly, in that special, endearing way that makes Daniel think about finally letting the words he’s been keeping on the tip of his tongue free. 

"What?" he simply asks, lips stretched into an easy smile, something unspoken sticking to the back of his teeth. 

"Nothing, it is just," Max ducks his head, rubbing his thumb against a pulse point on Daniel's neck. "It is funny how we are doing the same here again. Do you remember?"

Daniel remembers, too much sometimes, to the point where he wants to scrub his memory clean and hit rewind on the banged-up cassette player inside his brain, relive it over and over again, until the record jams and breaks for good. But time, he learned, won't let him do that, not even in exchange for the most precious riches of the world. Daniel wouldn't wish for it, though, not anymore. He's hit with an overwhelming clarity that he’s not alone at ground zero; that Max might just be the catalyst he’s been missing — a pleasant handful in his lap, the reason his heart always beats out of sync. 

He still won't believe in fate, but the universe just might be his gal. She relented, guiding Daniel to the right place at the right time, rewarding him a Red Bull contract, his name written in blood on paper. Took matters into her own hands to bring him back where he belongs or whatever. Gave up on the torture and let Daniel circle back to the beginning, give it another go with some knowledge to back him up this time around. He probably needs to throw some of his old convictions in the trash, but it's not the worst he's ever had to do.  

For now, Daniel needs a place to start anew; Max tethers him to it, illuminating the path home like a lighthouse.

"'Course I remember, Maxy," he manages, voice hoarse as he traces Max’s kiss-swollen lips with an index finger, touches a freckle there. “I seduced you with my wild charms and weird noises, yeah? You never stood a chance.”

Max punches him playfully on the shoulder as Daniel laughs unabashedly, his heart ten times lighter. Of course, it’s a lie. He was gone for Max from the start, his gangly limbs and all that blunt demeanor — hook, line and sinker. Took them some time to figure each other out, but here they are, signed to the same team again, sneaking away to make out on the couch like teenagers. 

To hell with time and its tricks, then. 

"It is a little bit weird, but of course in a good way," Max concludes, grinning crookedly, pressing his chest closer to Daniel. He feels Max’s heartbeat mingle with his, nothing but a layer of navy-blue fabric between them. "How we end up in the same position like years before. And you are back on the team now. It is almost the same."

Daniel thinks back to the string of events leading up to this, like he’s some hero in search of redemption with a chip on his shoulder the size of Australia. 

“You know how some folks out there say,” he drawls, tugging Max down to kiss him stupid. “Time is a flat circle, baby.”

[remapped-soul]

christmaxiel - day 1

Decorating for Christmas

max/daniel, 1327 words, sfw

On the first day of December, Daniel discovers the ornaments. It is an innocent accident. A coincidence, really. He doesn’t mean to get sidetracked, not when he has to finish packing before Max gets home. But as it stands, Daniel is alone in the apartment, and Max is out in the city, on last-minute errands. His suitcase sits on the bed, cracked open and empty. Various clothes are strewn around it, covering the rest of the bed. Sassy sleeps on one of his sweaters. Jimmy has found a nest between his band t-shirts. The only thing that it’s ready to be thrown inside is his toiletries bag.

He sighs loud and suffering. The cats glare at him, disturbed from their slumber, and Daniel doesn’t really blame them. It was his idea to spend half of Max’s winter vacation in Belgium, half of it in Perth. Max went along with it, a shrug of his shoulders, “Whatever you want, love,” followed by a kiss on Daniel’s cheek. Now Daniel has to figure out how to stuff clothes for subzero temperatures and 20+ Celsius degrees in one suitcase. Max’s suitcase sits neat and prim by the side of the bed, finished days ago. Daniel ignores it and the voice in his head that berates him for his atrocious habits sounds strangely like Michael’s.

“What should I do?” Daniel asks the cats. The cats ignore him. He goes looking for a duffel bag, thinking that it should fix the space problem. He finds it stuffed in the back of the closet, among unlabeled cardboard boxes. When he pushes them aside, one of them sings. It’s a strange sound to be heard in the dark recesses of his closet. He shakes it again, for good measure. It sings again.

Daniel looks at the clock. He still has three hours to pack, three hours to clean the mess in his bedroom, three hours to get everything ready in time to leave for the airport. No harm, no foul to take a peek inside the box. Except, it does. Daniel doesn’t expect to find Christmas decorations, all wrapped in their original packaging, tags with prices still attached to them on a flimsy string.

They moved in together during the summer, in a brand new apartment that was neither Daniel’s nor Max’s but that could become theirs. Daniel doesn’t remember Max buying Christmas decorations in the past, so he must have brought them with him, a relic of the old apartment.

Daniel sits down on the floor, pulls the box between his legs. He finds golden tinsel and red snow globes and a thousand fairy lights shaped like snowflakes. Daniel thinks about Max buying these in-between races and winter commitments and never getting to use them. Daniel thinks about goading Max into putting up at least a Christmas tree in his old apartment, and Max always says, “There is no time. I’m always away anyway, who is going to see it?” Daniel thinks about Max growing up without understanding what the Christmas spirit is, that it’s more than flimsy decorations and eggnog drank around the fire.

Daniel thinks about all of that and his heart tugs painfully in his chest. At that moment, the decision is not that hard to make. If he ends up travelling without clothes, Belgium has H&M stores and his mother probably kept his old clothes stored in a box somewhere out of a misplaced sense of nostalgia. He will be fine.

+ + +

The front door opens with a bang, and Max’s voice travels down the hallway, into the living room.

“Did you know that they make more than one type of gin?” he asks as he takes off his coat, his hat, his gloves. Daniel can see it all from where he is standing by the balcony door. “It took me nearly half an hour to decide what to get my uncle.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine with everything,” he answers, eyes trained on Max’s rosy cheeks. He wants to kiss him badly. “Did you find anything for your aunt?”

“Some fancy coffee. I’m sure she just wants it for bragging rights. It’s not like she’s been to Monaco to know about that coffee place.”

“She wants to brag about getting it from the Max Verstappen.”

It makes Max snort. Arms laden with paper bags and gifts, he wanders into the living room. He drops everything by the couch, and when he looks up, he stops. He stares.

Daniel can’t blame him. He would be speechless too if he’d get home and find it decked in Christmas lights and decorations. “Surprise?” he says and it comes out like a question. The skin of his palms hurt from how hard he pressed his fingers into it.

“What—“ Max can’t find his words. He turns and turns, eyes roaming over every surface, taking in every single light, every single decoration hanging from the furniture and floor lamps, from ceiling and curtains. His mouth opens and closes, like a fish. Daniel would find it hilarious if he weren’t so nervous.

“Uhm, I found the box. In the back of the closet,” he says, shifting weight from one foot to the other. “Do you like it?”

 “But we’ll only be back in January,” he says, eyebrows frowned in confusion.

“Yes, but the cats will be here. They should be celebrating Christmas as well.”

Finally, Max turns to look at him. The blue of his eyes shines so brightly in all that golden light. “The cats?” he asks, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He takes a step closer to Daniel.

As if on cue, Sassy slinks around Daniel’s legs, meowing. “Yes, you,” Daniel says and picks her up. She bumps her wet nose against his chin. He kisses the top of her head. Max gets closer, close enough to touch.

“It’s nice,” Max concedes. “When did you have time to buy all of this?”

“I didn’t. It’s yours. Like I said, found everything in the closet.”

Max places his hands on Daniel’s waist, pulling him closer, Sassy slipping from his arms before she gets trapped between them. His body feels like a small, precious thing in the expanse of Max’s hands.

“I must have forgotten about it,” Max says, smile only getting wider. His hands circle around Daniel’s waist, fingers pressing into the small of his back.

“You must have.”

Max leans in and catches the corner of his mouth in a kiss. “You did a great job.”

Daniel preens. “Thank you.” He presses the tips of his fingers against Max’s cheeks to feel the warmth of his skin chasing away the chill of winter. He doesn’t say I did it for you.

Max turns his head to kiss the other corner of his mouth. “Did you also finish packing?”

Daniel stills. “I was busy decorating, obviously.”

Max grins. “I can see that.”

“I did a very good job.”

“Victoria wouldn’t approve.”

“Your sister doesn’t have to see this.”

“Oh, but she will.”

Daniel groans. “You’re a menace.”

Max laughs. Pressed together like that, Daniel feels it reverberating into his bones.

“You like it.” Daniel insists as he presses his palms against Max’s chest. “Admit it.”

“I like you,” Max says and then he presses Daniel against the window and kisses him breathless for all of Monaco to see it. Them. Daniel’s toes curls in pleasure at the thought.

“I like you too,” Daniel says when he emerges for air, flushed to his hairline, fingers curled against Max’s neck. The window is cold and it sips through his thin t-shirt, grounding him. He wants to kiss Max again.

“We’re going to be late,” Max says, reading him correctly.

“You literally own the plane,” Daniel says, smiling.

“Vicky will kill us if we make her wait.”

That makes Daniel move, but not before he presses his lips hard against Max’s one last time, a promise for later to be fulfilled.  

original prompt list here

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[vroomvroommbtch]

So it goes: Chapter 22 - MI x fem!OC

Masterlist

Summary: Perth sunsets were Maggie's favorite, but even those could be forgotten and set aside for a minute when Michael was by her side.

Pairing: Michael Italiano x fem!OC

Warnings: Fluff, kisses, love and probably rainbows and glitter because this is all cuteness. Also some mentions of sex and swearing.

Word count: 8.7k

A/N: Hi there you kiddos, this took forever again, but here we go. For once in a lifetime it’s not sadness and tears so I think we can call it a miracle. Let me know what you think? Let me know your predictions for what’s gonna happen next? Let me know what you wanna see happening next? Thanks for the love and likes, it makes me all happy and giggly. Kay, bye! 

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Chapter 22 - Let loose.

Michael was normally a guy with good ideas, but that day he just exceeded himself, and how much Maggie loved him for that. They were at the farm when he appeared in front of her and told Maggie to follow him. As always, she didn’t ask much questions when she walked behind him, following him to one of the buggies outside the house. Maggie automatically jumped into one, all excited thinking that maybe the odds were in her favor and that Michael got out of her mind taking her for a ride to race against no one around the place, but it was really none of it. She could have expected many things, but she wasn’t expecting Michael taking her to one of their favorite spots on the farm, especially when they were in the middle of a family reunion.

They spent some days in Perth, then they flew to Melbourne for the race and then back again to Perth to spend the rest of the free days with family. Maggie had no idea how it happened, before she could realize there was a barbecue organized and there was nothing that made her feel happier inside than that. Since it was Daniel's home race, her family decided to fly to Australia too, so after what it felt like centuries, they could get together and enjoy some good food and some wonderful Australian sun without the pressure or craziness. It was nothing but love, happiness, smiles, full bellies, and kids' giggles, but Maggie was still dealing with some issues that they had been carrying from the beginning of the season.

It all started in Bahrein with Daniel having covid, Jas being absolutely worried and feeling nothing but guilty, knowing her job was to take care of Olivia but also not being able to look after her sick husband, because that was her responsibility too. That look, terrible week; Maggie had to be the one looking after Jas and Olivia while the three of them shared a hotel room, all while Michael and Blake did their best to look after a very much sick Daniel who felt terrible about missing the whole week of winter testing but feeling even worse about not being able to be with his girls. A week later it was a terrible bad race for him and Lando, but it was fine considering they weren't expecting a miracle or a win in the race. It was a disappointment they could handle because it was the first race and Daniel was still dealing with the repercussions of covid, being a week in bed and missing the testing. It was nothing crazy, just another anecdote for the books, but it was definitely a way to start the season.  

Then Saudi Arabia happened. Maggie remembered everything like in a movie, but more like a horror movie. She remembered being in the hospitality, watching the practice when the explosion happened. She remembered the smoke, the noise, and the confusion, but more than anything she remembered Jas. The oldest sister was holding Olivia against her chest while the baby was sleeping peacefully. Jas was lost in her own little world, probably begging for a good race, but especially for a safe one, because that’s all she really wanted on a circuit that she didn’t like. It was just another regular Friday, but when the explosion happened Jas automatically held her daughter a bit tighter against her while she carefully reached for her sister’s hand. Maggie remembered the panic on Jas’ face, and she was sure it was the reflection of her own face. She remembered thinking how they needed to get out of there as soon as possible, but little did she know none of that was happening.

Michael had to beg her to leave the paddock without him. He had to beg her to go with Jas and Olivia so Blake could take them back to the hotel and the only way to convince her was to insist her sister was going to need help in case they had to leave in a hurry. He convinced her using the ‘Jas can’t with Oli and everything else together, and you can’t leave them alone, so please go with them’. Michael convinced her with a long kiss, promising everything was going to be fine and they were leaving as soon as possible. She agreed with a nod and another kiss as Michael cleaned the tears that fell to her cheeks. She agreed because she also knew Michael needed her help to deal with their family and because she wanted to believe they were going to get out of there as soon as possible. But little did they know they weren’t going anywhere because there were no flights.

Their bags were never really unpacked considering they were rarely more than a week in one place, but Maggie never packed as fast as she did that night. Every single one of her things was ready to go five minutes after they got to the hotel and then Jas took care of all their things while Maggie looked out for Olivia. Everything was rushed and messy and she couldn’t stop checking her phone until Michael texted her, letting her know they were back in the hotel. Once she was back in her room, Maggie thought that she was going to be able to get some sleep knowing Michael was just a wall away, but she couldn’t. She was terrified and all she wanted to do was go home and take her family out of there, but they couldn’t just because a bunch of crazy men decided to do whatever they wanted with the lives of hundreds of people working on that paddock. That was the only thing running in her head, and after half an hour of trying absolutely in vain to fall asleep, she decided to do the most stupid thing and text Michael.

She shouldn’t do it because she was sure he was already asleep considering it was way past his bedtime on a race weekend. She couldn’t because the last thing he needed was her and her nervous rambling, but she needed him. It was absolutely selfish, but she needed him. For her good luck, the very silly ‘Are you awake?’ that she sent was answered not even two minutes later with a knock on her door. She didn’t need to open it to know it was him, recognizing that knock anywhere after so many nights sneaking together. To see him standing there in the hallway was like a breeze of fresh air as she was seconds away from drowning. He looked so tired and so absolutely adorable, wearing an old shirt and some shorts, that Maggie had to do the biggest effort to not jump in his arms and forget the world existed. She was really thinking about the right thing to say and maybe to ask him to stay, but Michael was the one who broke the silence first. With a very simple question like ‘Are you okay?’ Maggie broke down. As Michael placed her arms around her body, Maggie buried her face on his chest because she was far from okay. Michael knew her enough, so the was no need to answer anything. She was claustrophobic and terrified, so it was far from okay. It took a soft kiss on her forehead for her to understand that Michael just knew, so Maggie sneezed his waist a bit tighter as she tried to get even more close to his body if that was possible. Maggie didn’t have to ask twice to stay there that night. With a soft, shaky voice, Maggie asked if he could stay with her, and for her good luck, his answer was another kiss on the forehead and a little nod. The next thing Maggie knew, Michael was lifting her, carrying her to bed, and then in no time she was snuggled by Michael’s side, hiding from the world between his arms and the sheets, trying to forget what was happening outside their little bubble, even if just for a short second. She wouldn’t have been able to sleep if it wasn’t for Michael there promising that everything was going to be okay, not moving his arms around here the whole night. But then there were counted things that made her feel as happy as waking up with his kisses. There was that small fraction of a second where she forgot what was happening, and all she could think about was the man on the bed with her, placing kisses all over her face and neck, even if it was just to let her know he had to leave. There was nothing as that little moment of happiness where she forgot about how dangerous it was to be there and how she really wasn’t with Michael, and she almost let it take over her, but Michael was quicker than the sadness. As if he knew what was going on in her head, he moved, and then nothing gave her the strength to keep going with the day as his tight hug while he laughed, saying that he was going to drop everything to stay there with her if she kept holding onto him for more time. Before he left and with another promise that everything was going to be fine, Maggie was asleep as soon as the door closed, but then she woke up again with a very sleepy Jas sneaking into her room because the boys were out and she didn’t want to stay alone in the room with Olivia. Maggie didn’t want to be alone either, so she was more than thankful because even in the middle of such a nightmare she was there with her family. Heaven knew if it wasn’t for them, she wouldn’t have survived such a thing. Between Blake –and Jon because bless his soul- affirmations that everything was under control, Daniel’s constant smile to not put the girls more nervous, Jas and Olivia all day by her side and her whole family and friends over the phone insisting to not worry because it was going to be over soon, and Michael staying with her at night, she made it through the weekend. They all made it through the weekend like the family they were, and she never loved them as much as she did that weekend. She never was as thankful for them as those crazy days, and she was never as happy to be on a plane as she was that Sunday night.

Saudi Arabia was a terrible nightmare, but then she got to go home and spend some time at home with her family in Dublin and for a while it all felt fine. Sleeping in her own bed for a couple of days was good. Eating Esme’s food again, going for lunch with her friends and hugging her favorite people was like a caress to her beaten heart and a breeze of fresh air all together. But then they went to Australia and like every single time she went back to a familiar place, all the memories came back. She hasn’t been in there since they left the safety of the farm back during the lockdown, and some much happened that it was incredible. But then they drove into the farm and she had to hold the tears, and the same happened when they walked into the house. Maggie remembered the tears, the laughs, the smiles, the hugs, the kisses and all the love, and she wanted all that back so badly that it made her hurt arch even more than it normally did.

Even with all the weird feeling and the suffering, things were relatively fine in Perth, but then she started to feel weird as soon as they got to Melbourne. The problem was, Maggie wasn’t feeling the regular longing and sadness for not being with Michael; this time she was feeling all that, plus feeling like she was constantly out of air. It wasn’t the first time she was in a paddock; it wasn’t the first time she was in an Australian GP, but it felt different. There were too many people, too much noise, and the worst part, probably how too many people knew who Michael was.  

It wasn’t new; she was also used to it, and she used to joke around being with an influencer and an old man who used TikTok, but that was it. The rest of the time for her Michael was just Michael. He was the man who she loved and the man who saw her in her worst version and loved her anyway. He was the guy who let her see him in his worst day, the guy who learned to change Olivia’s diapers and did it every single time she didn’t want and Daniel and Jas weren’t around, the one who always held her hand as planes took off and landed, the one who still made her coffee perfect, the one who always carried a hoodie in his backpack knowing she was get old at some point and the one who never complained when she wanted to watch the same tv shows or movies again and again, and who always checked on the rear-view mirror to check on her. He was her Michael, but in that paddock, he was coach Michael, which for some reason made her feel like he was miles away from her. As people called his name and asked if they could take pictures, Michael looked like some kind of rockstar and Maggie felt like she shouldn’t even be there at all. Even after years of Jas being with Daniel, Maggie wasn’t use to all the things that came from it. She wasn’t used to cameras pointing to their faces, even if the two girls stayed on a side with Blake, and certainly she wasn’t used to people calling Michael’s name. And even with her family there, she felt like she was absolutely out of place and the first one to see something was wrong was no one but Michael.

Her excuse that day was to stay in Daniel’s room with Olivia because she was being a little grumpy thing that day, and outside it was too warm for her little body. Besides, Maggie insisted she could stay with her niece as Jas went to the garage and the rest stayed in the hospitality. Nobody noticed a thing because it was normal for Maggie to stay with Olivia as Jas stayed in the garage to support Daniel, but as Michael went to check on them before the second practice that Friday, he knew there was something happening with her. Considering how busy he was that day and the fact that Olivia was finally napping, he didn’t insist when she dodged the ‘What’s wrong’ question, but there was no way he was leaving it there, and Maggie knew it. He knew that the whole ‘Let's talk later cause Oli is sleeping’ was an excuse because they weren’t going to wake her up by talking because just like her mother and nothing like her father, their niece was a heavy sleeper. Already at two months old, the smallest of the Ricciardos could sleep anywhere without being bothered for anything, which was a true blessing for everyone around her. She was a blessing for everyone, but especially for Maggie so she could use her as an alibi. She really didn’t need to look to know the one knocking on her hotel room door that night was Michael. She was expecting him to go there to talk to her after a very serious promise that they would talk later. This time there was no baby sleeping or a place he needed to go to use as an excuse, so she had to say the true when Michael asked again what was wrong. Without excuses or ways to escape, Maggie finally had to admit all the bad things that were in her head that weekend. Maggie explained everything to him because there was no reason to keep it inside eating her when the most understanding man in the world was sitting in front of her waiting to help in any way he could. There was no reason to lie to him, so she started to talk, and once she started, she just couldn’t stop. She could see how his heart broke a little as soon as she said she felt out of place and out of air. She could see his worried expression as she said she rather stayed in the hospitality to not ruin anyone’s weekend and how she didn’t want to be anyone’s burden. She could also see how Michael was trying to find the right words to say as soon as she said ‘Everyone’s happy and I know I’m the problem here, so it's fine. I just rather stay away and on my own’. But nothing compared as the look on his face when Maggie said she felt like he was miles away from her all the time, not matter how damn close he was. But what Maggie couldn’t believe was that in the middle of all the conversation Michael also apologized to her for not being able to see how badly she was feeling there, for not having more time to be with her, and for letting her down because she wasn’t supposed to feel like that. He said it was his job to not let Maggie feel like that even if they were in exactly different points in the world, and he was clearly doing everything wrong, and he couldn’t feel worse even if Maggie insisted it wasn’t his fault. She was the messed up one and he apologized for being busy doing his job. Maggie couldn’t say enough times that it wasn’t his fault at all, but all Michael did was kiss her forehead again and chain the subject. It took them both a lot to fall asleep that night. That night was nothing but long, and even if Michael needed to go to sleep, they had probably the longest pillow talk they had since they met, but it was worth the pain. There was no tossing and turning like Maggie normally would do if she was alone; instead, they held each other as tightly as possible in absolute silence. After talking for hours and apologizing to each other again and again and again, they finally kissed to close yet another deal that nobody but them were going to know about. Maggie only realized Michael finally fell asleep because at some point he stopped kissing her head and then she whispered she loved him more than anyone as she snuggled even closer to his body and finally went to sleep. It took him some kisses and some puppy eyes from Michael to convince Maggie to not stay in the hospitality during the practice and quali. It took him some extra hugs and kisses to keep her calmed during the whole day and it was the same thing during race day, but after all she made it. They made it because there was no way Maggie would have survived without him. When they made it to Perth it was like another breeze of air. It was nothing but days in the pool, lunches by the beach, playdates with the kids and a couple unplanned naps –normally in Michael’s arms and always blaming the calm of the farm–, which was the best way to stop and recharge no just for her but for everyone. Maggie really thought the rest of her day was going to be exactly like that. She was planning to sit somewhere –probably beside Michael or between his legs or in his lap– and enjoy as the rest of the day passed between conversations and drinks with her family, but it ended up being kind of different. She ended up sitting by Michael’s side, but on the roof of the buggy, in the one that was their favorite spots to watch the sunset fall and the hours pass. It was one of those places they used to sneak to be together –and make out like horny kids– when their relationship was still a secret, so it wasn’t a surprise that Michael took her there. Why Michael took her there wasn’t a surprise either, considering their hours in Australia were counted and how they were never really alone. The only moments alone they had were in her room, and it was either Maggie crying or them sleeping or saying goodbye to each other in the morning. As soon as they left Australia it was going to be back to their normal life and routine, so sneaking in some minutes just for them sounded nothing but logical. Maggie was more than happy Michael had such an idea, but then she couldn’t help but giggle as none of them really knew what to do or say once they were alone.  

“What’s so funny?” Michael suddenly asked, looking at her with a smile on his face, obviously not being able to stay serious as she laughed. “Nothing, I just remembered when we used to come here. I thought you were planning to get to third base in the back of the buggy like the old times, but I guess I was wrong” she shrugged, trying absolutely in vain to bite her cheek and not keep smiling. To say they just fucked there was an understatement because they did absolutely everything in, out and against the poor red thing, so it was more than one memory that came to her mind and made her all giggly And for the smile getting bigger on his face, Michael was remembering exactly the same things. “You want me to try to get to third base? Because you know it would take me no time to do it. Two minutes and I can get us going” “Two? Are you losing your touch, Italiano? It used to take you one minute or less” “It's that a challenge?” he asked with a fake annoyed expression on his face, looking straight at her eyes. They both knew it was all silly talk and nothing but jokes, but Maggie could see how Michael was waiting the exact moment she let him see it wasn’t a joke to act and make it happen. “I can get you moaning my name in thirty seconds and you know it” But the seriousness blew out of the windows again in a second as both started to laugh again. Maggie couldn’t remember the last time they both laughed like that while being just on their own, but it felt so right and so good that it almost made her forget how terribly it felt not being together, and how it was all because it her. “Are you gonna tell me why you brought me here if it's not to get in my shorts?” Maggie wondered, resting her head on his shoulder once the laughter was over and they were able to catch their breath. “You need to relax so I thought this would help” Michael explained very simply, kissing the top of her head before Maggie moved to look at him. “What? I’m relaxed, grá. Look at me, glasses, no makeup, your shirt, ugly shorts, and messy hair. Just like you like me the most” Maggie pointed at herself and her more than casual and more than relaxed look. She was not joking when she said Michael liked her like that. Michael absolutely loved her when she was like that. He always said she looked beautiful no matter what she wore, but she knew something about the natural Maggie turned him insane, especially when she wore glasses and his clothes. But even when she knew she was damn right, Michael gave her a look that was only saying that he didn’t quite believe the words coming from her mouth. “I’m serious! I’m in Perth, there’s this gorgeous weather, I spent the last two weeks with the whole family, we just had a barbecue, everyone is happy and healthy, Dan has no issues after goddamn covid, last night I won at Monopoly and I won against you at Mario Kart, I spent the day playing with the kids, I had an imaginary tea party with actual princess Isabella, I played football with Issac, they both told me they love aunt Maggie because they’re the sweetest babies, and on top of that I had the most wonderful gorgeous niece. And the most important thing here: you’re smiling. You have been smiling since we got here and that makes my heart melt every single time, and you know it, so that’s that” she explained, and once she was done, she grabbed his hand and gave his knuckles a short little kiss. “I know right now you’re fine, but last week wasn’t nice to you, sweetheart. It was a terrible weekend. We both know that” Michael pointed out, doing exactly as Maggie did and placing a kiss on his hand. But the difference was that Michael didn’t let her hand go like she did; he just laced their fingers together. “Last week was shit and I don’t know what’s gonna happen tomorrow, but I promise that today I’m good. I know this very handsome and very smart man who always tells me I gotta take it day by day and enjoy the silver lightnings. I’m gonna take today as a silver lightning. It's been a good day. Plus, this” Maggie smiled, pointing with her free hand at the sky in front of them. It was slowly starting to turn into a beautiful shade of orange, pink and purple, with clouds looking exactly like cotton candy, just like the loved it. “Look at this, grá. It can’t get better than this” “You like it?” “Like it? I love it. You don’t get those colors anywhere else” It took one kiss on her hand for her to realize Michael wasn’t looking at the sky but straight at her. She couldn’t blame him at all, because it was impossible to count how many times Maggie found herself looking at Michael instead of looking at whatever fascinating thing was in front of them. Most of the times it was a hundred times better to see his face lighting up, eyes shining and a smile appearing than to look at any landscape, but Perth and its sunsets was something different and she couldn’t help but stare at it. But what made her look back at Michael wasn’t the fact that she knew he was starting at her; it was the way he smiled against her skin and she was too curious to not look at him to know what was so fun. “I still remember the first time you came to Australia. You were asking all the damn time what were you supposed to do if you ran into a snake or a spider” he explained, kissing her wrist and holding her down, clearly knowing Maggie was dying to slap him. “You’re so mean” Maggie joked, shocking her head as she pushed him with her body, even if it did nothing to him considering their size difference. “I’m still trying to figure out what to do if that happens. They should give you a manual with instructions on the plane or something. But you know what I still remember? How happy I was to come here because I was going to be able to see you. It's crazy cause it feels like a lifetime ago”

“You don’t get happy to see me anymore or what?” Michael asked, again playing the offended, which only made Maggie want to kill him.

Or kiss him.

Or both. “Oh, shut up, dummy. I’m serious this time!” she exclaimed, trying to push him. This time she did it harder, which worked perfectly. In a typical Michael move, instead of covering himself like a normal human being about to get hit –even if it was a hit from a tiny body–, he went straight to place his arms around her body, holding her against his side, which let Maggie knew she wasn’t going anywhere for a long time. “I know, silly” Michael stated, kissing her temple before he kept talking. “But you’re right; it feels like it was centuries ago. Even the last time we spent here felt like it was a lifetime ago” “It's so insane how things change so quickly. Two years ago we were here in lockdown for a damn pandemic. We didn’t even know what we were; nobody knew about us. Now we have a niece. I still can’t believe we have a niece. Can you believe we have a niece?” “No, I still can’t believe it. Daniel has a kid; I think that’s the unbelievable part” Michael joked, holding Maggie tighter, knowing that he was gonna get hit again. “Hey, don’t be mean with D. He’s an amazing dad. He’s crazy in love with his girls. It's not like us having a kid or something, that would be kind of unbelievable” she shrugged, but as soon as she said it, she realized how bad that sounded. Maggie wanted to say something to fix it. She wanted to say she didn’t mean it like that, but before she could open her mouth Michael was moving her arms from around her, letting her know she fucked it. Or at least she though she fucked it, because Michael was with a surprised face, holding his heart with both hands, but there was a little smirk there letting her know that he knew what she meant. “You don’t wanna have kids with me? Margaret, you’re really killing me today” “No, don’t be all sensible today. You know that’s what I mean, Italiano” Maggie practically begged, as a pout and her best puppy eyes appeared on display. When she didn’t get an answer from Michael and he kept looking like a kicked puppy, Maggie used her second weapon, grabbing his arms to place them around her waist. And in case that wasn’t enough, she grabbed his face with her right hand and brought him closer to cover his cheeks in kisses. “Damn, she knows how to convince a man and fix a broken heart” Michael murmured, leaning against her touch, letting Maggie do whatever she wanted with him. “I just know how to convince my favorite man” she corrected him, placing her left arm around his waist while she stroked his cheek and kept kissing his skin. But like every single time Maggie decided to cover his cheeks in kisses, Michael took his change to move his head and cover her lips with hers. And to say their pact to keep their distance was long forgotten was a huge understatement. “That’s not fair. You caught me off guard” she murmured against his lips, not being able to hide the smirk on her lips as Michael kissed her again.    

Suddenly the beautiful sky didn’t seem so important as the most handsome man in the world kissed her. The beautiful Australian landscape was insignificant as she felt his teeth biting playfully her lower lip all to end up licking it to turn her insane. But she knew Michael enough –and she knew them together, too– to know nothing else was going to happen. It was just one of their make-out sessions and God, how she missed those. After their deal failed terribly during their first full babysitting day in London, there were just soft, little kisses shared between them. Ninety percent of the time the reason why they were kissing was because Maggie was feeling like crap or because something terribly was happening, so there was no really time. And then, the other ten percent were mostly sleepy goodbye kisses, good morning kisses, or stolen kisses when they shouldn’t be doing that. Always a gentleman, Michael was never one to go and push the limits, so it was always sweet and gentle.

Those stolen kisses were their way of showing each other that they still were in love with each other and that they were there no matter what. More than once it was the only thing that kept Maggie sane. Knowing Michael still loved her was what more than once kept her grounded when it felt like all was falling apart. She loved those sweet, loving, gentle and very PG kisses, but she missed their eternal make-out sessions. She missed their lips ending red and puffy after having their lips locked together for what it felt like an eternity, but not long enough. She missed the sensation of his beard scratching against her skin and not even realizing where her tongue started and his ended. She missed his hands roaming around her body, grabbing handfuls of her hair and his fingers leaving goosebumps whenever he touched her. She missed the smiles, the messiness, the giggles, the passion, the sweetest, the desperation, the longing, the belonging, the playfulness, the sweet words, the whimpers, the moans, the breaths, the grasp. But more than anything, she missed the love. She missed the love because damn, how much they loved each other. She just missed the love of her life kissing her like their life depended on it. And sometimes everything was so damn messy and complicated that she was sure it depended on it. And to not change their old good habits, Michael tangled his fingers with her hair at the back of her head as his free hand stroked her cheek and jaw until they were a little mess out of air but full of smiles. “That was…” Maggie whispered, resting her forehead against his as she tried to find the words, but it felt like they all disappeared from her mind after that kiss.

“Not part of the deal, I know. But I’m not sorry because I don’t regret it” Michael murmured, moving his nose slowly against hers, which only made Maggie smile even more. “I was going to say fucking perfect, but yeah, not part of the deal too” Maggie shrugged, not being able to take the smile out of her face, not even when she stole another kiss from him. “Do you ever think how crazy life is?” she suddenly asked, but not even the random question made Michael move away from her. “Sometimes. Why?” Michael asked, moving away enough to be able to focus on her face, but not enough to not have her in his reach any second that he wanted to kiss her. “If Jas didn’t wake up that morning, decided to quit her job, she wouldn’t have been in Monaco that day. And then if the girls had decided to go somewhere else instead of Monaco, or if they had decided to go somewhere else instead of that bar, she wouldn’t have met Dan” she listed, moving her right hand to cup his cheek with it as she kept talking. “If you didn’t go full wingman to talk to her because Dan was tongue-tied, who knows what would have happened. She wouldn’t have met Dan, but all that takes me to the terrible, terrible fact that I also wouldn’t have met you. I wasn’t planning on going to Australia and you weren’t planning on going to Ireland, so it wouldn’t have happened. I don’t know why, but lately that’s all I can think about” In another very Michael move, he grabbed her in his arms and a swift move Maggie was sitting on his lap, surrounded by his arms protectively placed around her body. He knew better than anyone that if Maggie was overthinking there was no better solution than holding her close and letting her ramble about it till it was all out of her mind, so that’s exactly what he did before he gave his answers. “DR and J were meant to be, so they would have met anyway in some other place. Maybe it would have taken longer, but it would have happened eventually” he replied, making his own speculations about what could have happened, all while he stroked her back and waist as he spoke. “And I think the same about us. We would have met anyway. There’s nothing I wouldn't do to find those cheeks. Besides, it didn’t happen, so there’s no need to worry or overthink, baby” “You had no idea I existed, you crazy Aussie” “I knew deep in my heart those cheeks existed” Michael joked, kissing her cheeks as much as possible before Maggie started to laugh and then he finally moved away. “I knew you were somewhere waiting for your cue to make your big entrance and knock the air out of my lungs, but never imagined it in such a way. It was more than I expected” “It wasn’t a grand entrance after all” 

“The girl of my dreams is the sister of my best friend’s new girlfriend and she has a boyfriend. I call that a big entrance, baby. Besides, that green dress. You knocked me the hell out of me with that, sweetheart” he remembered, and Maggie couldn’t help but melt at the way he smiled at the memory. She couldn’t believe four years had passed since that night. She had no idea how time flew so fast, but it felt like yesterday when her jaw dropped and her heart stopped for seeing Michael walking by Daniel’s side. She couldn’t believe three years had passed since their first kiss and another two since they made things official. But what was worse was thinking about how they wasted a big part of that time and how that kept happening. “You really screwed it up when you decided to sleep with me for the first time, uh? You weren’t expecting all the drama” she smiled sadly, looking down at her legs, totally ashamed for thinking how ninety-nine percent of their issues were all because of her. But Michael was having any of that, and before she could even react, he was holding her chin between his fingers as carefully as possible, probably expecting for her to break down at any moment. And damn, he wasn’t wrong. “No, I wasn’t, but I didn’t screw anything”

“Cause I’m the best of your mistakes?” Maggie asked as she smiled sadly and leaned against his hand, giving in completely at his touch. “You’re not a mistake, Margaret. You’re everything but a mistake. You’re actually one of the best decisions I've ever made, if not the best of them all” Michael confessed, resting their foreheads together once again. “But you should have kissed me on that plane or that couch” Maggie whispered, too afraid to speak too loudly and break their little bubble. But what did break their bubble was Michael and his laugh, just like every time she brought up their almost first kiss. Once in a while Maggie loved to mention it just to remind him how slow he was that night because she was right there by his side, almost on his lap and practically begging him to kiss her but being a true –and very slow- gentleman, he didn’t want to make the first move. When they started to see each other, they laughed at it because none of them knew why they didn’t kiss that night, but even when it was hilarious it ended up being one of their biggest secrets. For some reason they wanted to keep that little story for themselves, and Maggie just kept using it every time she could to remind him about one of the worst decisions of his life. “What can I say? You’re right about that. Not kissing you there was a mistake, but you know the good part? I can make it up for the rest of my life” Even when Maggie couldn’t get closer to him because she was already on his lap, Michael tried. He really tried to bring her closer, tightening the hold he had around her body, as he kissed her again. Maggie had no idea if he was already trying to make it up for the lost time as he promised, but she didn’t complain at all, she just kissed him back. She kissed him to make it up for not kissing him that night back in Vegas, and for every single chance they lost now they weren’t together. She held his cheeks between her hands as their lips and tongues moved together, hopping that maybe time would somehow stop so they could stay there at least for some extra hours. “Can we stay like this forever?” Maggie asked against his lips once they moved apart just enough to catch their breaths again. “I hate to say no to you, baby girl, but I’m afraid we can't. We have to go back to the house at some point” Michael answered, kissing the tip of her nose and then her forehead as Maggie rested her head over his shoulder, trying to deal with the reality, even if she already knew they couldn’t stay there forever as she wished “Wanna go to the beach tomorrow? We can have lunch somewhere and keep kissing for the rest of the day”

“First, I’m mad at the beach because I lost my ring there” she pointed, remembering how the first days they got to spend in Perth they went to the beach, and as soon as they got out of the ocean, she realized one of her favorite rings was gone. She had no idea how it happened, but she was still furious about it. “And second, it's our penultimate day here. Go spend it with your family. Go hug 'em, go give your Nana some kisses, I don’t know, grá. You won’t spend a day with me when you could be with them or your friends. You don’t get to see them as much as you’ll like, and you see my silly face every single day, so go or you’ll get sick and tired of me” she insisted, because no matter how much she loved the idea of spending the day by his side, Michael had more important things to do. “How could I ever get tired of the most beautiful face in the world? Look at that perfect nose and those sun kissed cheeks” he smiled, moving enough to be able to look at her face to run his index finger over the bridge of her nose, and finally stroke her cheek. “You’re a dream, sweetheart”

“What a guy is capable of saying to get laid” she joked, kissing the palm of his hand before he took it away. “Go have fun, okay? You’ll have a shit ton of hours on the plane to see me. I’m planning on using you as my pillow, so get ready” “I’m always ready to be used as a pillow. Also, now that we were talking about the beach incident...” Michael stated, looking for something in one of the pockets of his shorts. And just like a little magic trick, he made appear a small green bag, not bigger than the palm of her hand, all ready for her to take. “Here. For you” But before she even dared to move her hand to grab it, Maggie looked at Michael, looking for an answer to the big question of why he was giving her anything. The problem was that he looked so damn calmed that she couldn’t figure it out, which put Maggie on her nerves. “It’s not my birthday yet, y’know? We’re in April, no June. Maybe you’re losing track of time, old man”

“Oh c’mon! Since when do I need excuses to give you a present? I never needed them and I’m not gonna start now, Margaret” Michael exclaimed, as his hand was still open right in front of her. “It was for you, but for the old man commenting now I’m taking it away. Maybe Jas or Aoife want it. No, better give it to my dear Esmé” he shrugged, closing his hand and hiding the bag behind his bag as he put on his best offended face for her. “And then I’m the drama queen!” “You’re lucky you’re the most wonderful woman in the world” he complained again, shaking his head in the cutest fake annoying mood he could invent, all while he grabbed her right hand and placed the bag over her palm, closing her fingers around it. “Open it” “It’s an Australian opal” Maggie breathed, looking at the beautiful little ring that fell in her hand after she opened the bag. It was a simple, thin golden band adorned with a white, rounded Australian opal stone in the middle. It was so simple yet so beautiful, and Maggie loved it, and she was so in her little world, thinking ways to thank Michael for the present that it took her maybe too much time to realize it was a ring. Michael gave her a ring. “Wait, this is not…” she whispered as the air started to disappear from her lungs, because that couldn’t mean what she was thinking it meant. It couldn’t mean that. “What?” Michael asked, falling from his own little cloud to also realize what Maggie meant with that question and how it suddenly turned into a big confusion. “Shit, no!” he exclaimed as the panic appeared on his face and he covered his mouth with his free hand. “You think I’ll ask you to marry me with such a small ring, on top of a buggy and in such a bad moment?” “I don’t know, man! Maybe you've totally lost your mind!”

“No, Margaret, this is not me asking you to marry me” Michael finally clarified, grabbing her cheeks to look right into her eyes. “One day it’ll happen, but today’s definitely not the day. Unless you want me to. In that case, I’m getting on my knees right here right now in this damn buggy” Maggie knew it was half a joke and half true, but even then, she couldn’t help but feel her heart jump in her chest and her cheeks turning red as Michael offered to do it. She couldn’t help but feel happy, excited and on the verge of a nervous attack with the simple idea of Michael doing such a thing right there and in that exact moment. He was absolutely insane, but she couldn’t love him  more. “You’re ridiculous. And I’m an old classy lady for that kind of stuff, so I prefer diamonds in my engagement ring” Maggie kept joking as she looked at the ring that was still in the palm of her hand, ignoring the way her heart was racing inside her chest.

“I know that. I know you hate every single stone shape, that it’s not round. I also know you like colorless diamonds, and straight traditional bands. You don’t give a shit about the carat of the stone or the band. In fact, you couldn’t care less if it’s a real diamond, you just like shiny things, doesn't matter if they are expensive or not” Michael affirmed, leaving her with her jaw hanging. She had no idea how he knew all that. She had no idea how he collected all that information. Those kinds of comments were the ones she did while being bored with her friends or Jas, talking about girly stuff that nobody really cared about. Those were the kind of silly things she kept on her Pinterest because she was bored. But not even in a million years she would have imagined that Michael knew it all. She figured he could have an idea because he was always right with the gifts he gave her, but that was simply next level. “Don’t give me that look. I know what my girl wants. It’s my job to know” “And you’re doing it incredibly well” Maggie giggled, kissing his cheek as she looked at Michael and then back at the ring. “So, what with this cute bad boy?? “I got it because I know it's one of your favorite stones, but also because it's an Australian opal. I figured that maybe this Australian bad boy will remind you that you belong here. I mean, in case you needed another reminder besides a crazy family that loves you till Saturn and all the way back. Also, an Australian beach took one of your rings, so I thought that an Australian man could replace it. I mean, your favorite Australian man” “I thought you said you loved me till Pluto and all the way back” Maggie giggled, trying to hide with some silly comment the way her throat was notoriously closed by a knot after his beautiful little explanation. “Oh, I do love you till Pluto and all the way back. I said they love you till Saturn, but I love you till Pluto. Way further away and it's your favorite planet” “Stop acting like you know me so damn well, you eejit” Maggie laughed, slapping his chest with the back of her free hand as she was still fighting the tears. “If it fits my ring finger, I would definitely think this was on purpose” “It's not for that finger” Michael stated, grabbing carefully the ring from her hand and finally putting it on the middle finger of her left hand, just where the old ring was. “See? Fits perfectly. I’m starting to get offended with you thinking I don’t know you. It's me, y’know? I’m your Michael. I know you and your fingers and its size” “At this point I won't be surprised if you know how many freckles I have, sunshine” she smiled, looking down at her hand and its new acquisition that fitted perfectly. “I don’t even remember if I ever told you this, but I’m so very thankful that you’re my Michael. You have no fucking idea how happy it makes me, even on the worst days. Thank you for it and the ring. I really love it” “No need to thank me because there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, my sweet little Maggie” he shrugged, but Maggie did thank him with a long, sweet and loving kiss, making him smile again as she stroked his jaw and his cheek. “And about the freckles, let’s say I like to pretend that I lost the count so I have an excuse to start again” And to not fail with his word, Michael went straight to her neck, kissing the small freckles she had around there, counting in the softest voice each one of them, making Maggie giggle and melt all together. It took him just one kiss to give her goosebumps all over her body as she felt his lips and his stubble over her skin, and by the second kiss she was just a little mess in his arms, breathing fast and trying to contain the little whimpers that wanted to leave her lips. “I know I asked this already, but can we stay here forever?” she asked already out of breath as her eyes closed and moved her head to a side to give him more access to her neck. “I don’t know about forever, but we can stay for a while because I’m not letting you go just yet” Michael murmured against her ear, moving the collar of her shirt down to her shoulder as much as possible, taking the strap of her bra with it on the way.

Maggie couldn’t help but smile as she felt his fingers move around her side and all the way down her shirt, stroking the skin on her waist and up to her ribs so slowly that it was like a sweet torture. Michael was clearly trying to be as careful as possible in case Maggie wanted him to stop for any reason, but he didn’t say anything. She missed everything about him, so there was nothing she wanted more than to get lost in his kisses and his touch, not really caring if they were on the roof of a buggy. She didn’t care as long as he was the one trying to not mark her skin. She didn’t care as long as he was the one making her moan thanks to his little playful bites, clearly holding himself to not leave a mess of hickeys as a proof of what they did during their little adventure. She didn’t care and wasn't planning to stop him, but like every single time destiny was the one stopping them. This time it was his phone and she felt how it wouldn’t stop buzzing right under her ass, which was nothing but a bother, a distraction and an absolute turn off. “Who the hell is texting you, Mike?” Maggie groaned, trying to not sound as annoyed as she really was, which was actually impossible.

But Maggie wasn’t the only one bothered there. She could feel Michael exhaling, clearly pissed at whoever interrupted them, not really moving away from her neck as he took his phone out of his pocket to check who was interrupting them. “It’s Dan” he informed, reading whatever their friend was saying. "You know how we have been joking and asking what he was going to propose to Jas? Well, he somehow decided to do it today. He needs our help” “C’mon, he just ruined your proposal and my nana nap full of cuddles after a quicky and all for what? So he can ask my sister to marry him? Boring. Also rude of DR to ruin the moment” Maggie joked, not really believing that Daniel finally had the balls to get on his knee and ask Jas to marry him after four years and a baby. It was about damn time. “A nap? Really? At this hour, Mags?” “Hey, don’t judge me. Besides I was going to invite you to my room to be my pillow. Thought you wanted to count my freckles. Or maybe I can count yours, too” she practically purred, kissing one of the freckles on his cheek. “I think we’re gonna ask your parents or uncle Blake to look after Oli tonight" he affirmed, stealing one last kiss from his lips, helping Maggie to get out of his lap so they could finally get out of the roof. “Defo. Now get me out of here” Maggie smiled, extending her arms and making grabby hands so Michael would grab her in his arms. The best part was that Michael wasn’t going to let her go, at least not that night.

---

Taglist

@jamminvroomvroom @starlightoctavia @dr3lover @monte-carlando​

[thehotspurs]

profuse amounts of maxiel rambling below, because there’s this one damn song that just reminds me of them so much and i can’t hold it in any longer

SO THE SONG “DECEMBER” BY NECK DEEP RIGHT-

i added it onto my maxiel playlist on spotify a while back and only just sat down and properly clocked how much the lyrics apply to them??

(OBVIOUS DISCLAIMER THAT THIS IS ALL IN MY IMAGINATION OKAY NONE OF IT IS REAL (well okay maybe like i little bit might be) TAKE IT WITH A PINCH OF SALT)

“stumbled round the block a thousand times, you missed every call that i had tried so now i’m giving up”

(for context, this song is in max’s POV cerca 2018) the idea that he’s spamming daniel’s phone, trying to get an answer whilst he’s most likely very drunk cuz he’s all depressed from dan leaving is just something that would happen plz

“a heartbreak in mid december you don’t give a fuck, you never remember me”

MID DECEMBER. dan’s last race for red bull was the 25th november, he’d most likely be finished up with everything red bull related in mid december, hence max’s obvious crippling heartache and worries that daniel will basically forget about him once he leaves rb

“while you’re pulling on his jeans, getting lost in the big city”

HIS jeans you cry?? WHOSE??? well, wish i could give you an answer but alas i can’t - that line always escapes my explanation :| could maybe make a tenuous link to “his jeans” meaning some form of renault clothing but hey i’m tryna keep it as real as i can when i’m literally attempting to make lyrics fit to two completely unrelated people! “getting lost in the big city” is just monaco i guess, maybe LA cuz dan loves it so much??

“i was looking out our window, watching all the cars go”

they live (lived?) in the same apartment building!! chances are they share the same view, hence the OUR window

“wondering if i’ll see chicago, or a sunset on the west coast or will i die in the cold, feeling blue and alone”

i just imagine this as max wondering how he’ll spend his winter break: 1. with dan in chicago (or pretty much anywhere in the US) 2. with dan in perth, hence the “west coast” (tenuous, i know) 3. at home in monaco by himself or in holland, without dan (which is devoid of sun and warmth because he’s missing dan)

“i hope you get your ball room floor, your perfect house with rose red doors”

rose red doors. rose red doors. rose red doors. its no secret dan’s dream was/is to drive for ferrari, and what colour do ferrari drive in? rose. red. his perfect house i see as the perfect car (aka one that isn’t as shitty as that 2018 red bull) with the rose red doors as the rose red livery. max hopes dan gets his dream one day, even if that isn’t with him

“i’m the last thing you’d remember, it’s been a long lonely december”

for better or for worse, max is the last thing daniel remembers of redbull. and again, with dan leaving rb officially after the last race in november, max truly is having a long, lonely december without him

“i wish i’d know that less is more, but i was passed out on the floor. that’s the last thing i remember it’s been a long lonely december”

max doing what every good angsty bitch does and drowning his sorrows in alcohol ❤️ perhaps he intended on apologising to dan but drank too much and fucked it up? who knows (not me, i’m just the messenger of whatever my brain brings up at 3am)

“cast me aside to show yourself in a better light, i came out grieving, barely breathing and you came out alright”

it’s no secret rb favoured max and yet forming this exceptional partnership where they respect each other on track and care too much meant no normal team principle would ever think about splitting them up, but dan can’t deal with being the second driver, and so has to cut ties to try and make himself as an individual look better to escape rb. in the end, max loses his best friend, his rock, his anchor, whilst daniel gets what he wanted all along

“but i’m sure you’ll take his hand, i hope he’s better than i ever could’ve been”

bit of a reach (but we love those here), dan shaking cyril’s hand to formalise those contract negotiations and finally getting out of rb. max knows how much he hated it, and he hopes renault can offer daniel what he couldn’t - happiness and success

“my mistakes were not intentions this is a list of my confessions i couldn’t say”

max didn’t intend on causing the crashes in hungary or baku and he’d never dream of wanting rb to favour him over dan. but he just can’t seem to admit it

“pain is never permanent but tonight it’s killing me”

he knows he’ll get over it eventually, but time heals and the wound is ✨fresh✨

“i miss your face, you’re in my head, there’s so many things that i should’ve said”

this is fairly self-explanatory, max just can’t stop thinking about what he could’ve done to stop dan from leaving

“a year of suffering, a lesson learned”

2018 was one big year of suffering. the retirements, the crashes, the contract politics. it was torture.

the rest is pretty much just repeats of the chorus so i won’t bore you with that!! but yeah, my rambling is over. if you made it to this point fair fucking play, i apologise as well because my 3am thoughts are never easy to read.

i’ll link the playlist below if you wanna listen to over 24 hours of songs that remind me of maxiel, no i’m not okay but thanks for asking.

[blinkandrevile]

I meet my doppelganger by chance when I'm on my way back from therapy. The clinic is in the middle of the city, so it's only about fifteen minutes away by bus and the buildings around it are relatively fancy. The waiting room is a mishmash of businesslike types who're clearly there because it's right next to their offices, and people like me who are broke and can't afford to pay full price for a doctor so we go to the doctors that bulk bill and try our best to get decent medical treatment out of it. The therapist there doesn't bulk bill, but if you get a doctor's referral she only charges $40 each for six sessions. We've discussed a recent diagnosis, but before I could really get into how it's been affecting me it's 11:30 and I'm gently ushered out of the hall. I hear her talking to her next patient as she leads them back through. I pay my $40 and I wish I had enough money to get food. I leave and head back through the city to the bus station. I can see someone walking up the path in my direction. I'm surprised how much he looks like me. He looks surprised too. He's several meters away by the time I realize that we're the same.

He's in a button-down and slacks. Under his expression of surprise is one of permanent stress and exhaustion etched into his face. What surprises me is that he's as big as I am, round-faced with thick limbs. I feel guilty for noticing it. I feel guilty for being that way. I can see on his face that he feels guilty, too.

Our paths aren't diverging. I have to go to the bus station. I want to go home. He's got a coffee in his hand and he looks like he wants to get back to work. With opposite paths we're being pulled together and my heart races with nerves as he draws near. People talk a lot about what you'd do if you met your doppelganger. They tend either towards fucking or killing them, with some gentler types noting that they'd hug and befriend that mirror of the self. The possibilities flash through my mind as the distance between us closes begrudgingly, but all of them make me want to throw up, even the thought of talking to him. I don't want to see this, I realize, don't want to meet his eye when he gets close enough for me to see the colour of them. He drops his gaze a second before I drop mine and we push our bodies to opposite extremes of the sidewalk, my shoulder almost grazing against storefronts in my urgent need to stay clear of him. I don't see what he does but I can tell he's doing it. I can see the wide-eyed panic on his face before it glazes over into dissociation. I can feel it on mine. I'm glad I couldn't afford food. I'm not sure I would've eaten it. I think it might have gotten tainted.

I take the bus home and I'm relieved when I reach the normalcy of my bedroom. The dishes on the drawers are as comforting as always. It's too hot to be under the blankets but I crawl under anyway and I don't know what to do and I can't sleep and I wonder if he sleeps better than me and I play a game on my phone until I'm distracted enough to breathe again. As soon as I stop, I wonder if his dad's in jail and how much he eats and why he doesn't seem like he's disabled and I'm suddenly enraged that there might be a version of me out there that actually got a fighting chance at life and my stupid phone game stops working for me so I get up to make some bread. An hour later I've convinced myself that it was just psychosis rearing its ugly head again, and I resolve to talk to my boyfriend about it and what it might mean, and within a week I'm pretty much okay. I don't book another appointment with that therapist. It was my fifth session anyway. I know I won't have another $40 next week. The electricity bill's coming in soon. You have to have priorities.

It gets worse after a month. The avoidance starts to spread. It's another patch of the sprawling capital that I can't go. First it's just the area straight up from the bus station into the main CBD. Then I figure he must go shopping often there if he has a fancy desk job, so I start avoiding the shops. He probably has the same taste as me, so I keep the same clothes I've always had and hope this coming summer isn't too hot. I get on the bus to visit a friend one day and the two-minute stop in the station makes my skin crawl. On the trip back home I feel like I'm burning alive. I resent him for taking the city away from me. I'm struggling to leave the house. I live so close to the city. It's too close for comfort. I buy a plane ticket.

My boyfriend is understanding. He lives in another country, so as long as I have a reliable internet connection he moves where I move. In the airport, I don't feel as excited as I feel like I should. All of my trauma is anchoring me here, and I'm relieved to be getting out, but I feel like a dog on a chain. Still, it's better than staying. The flight doesn't take long. I'm comfortable. It stops off in Sydney, then we fly over the strait and land in the Hobart airport. Everything goes smoothly. I get off the plane and go to baggage collection.

There's someone there dressed like me, and I swear to god if it's that fucking guy again I am going to be absolutely humiliated. I squint at him - he hasn't seen me, I think - and sure enough, it's me again. He's wearing a T-shirt and jeans. It's a stupid shirt with a picture of a wolf on it. I don't own it, but god, I wish I did. It rules. I'm completely miserable about it. 

You can usually feel it when someone's watching you, and yeah, he feels it. He looks up from his phone and glances at me then does a double take, and it's incredibly embarrassing to see. I wonder if it's as embarrassing to see how shocked I am to see him. The chagrin on his face is making me want to scream. The baggage is moving so slowly. It's so slow. I rip my eyes from him and we pointedly avoid looking at each other while constantly shooting looks at each other to check if one of us has moved or done anything. I decide as soon as I see my baggage that this isn't going to work and I blow the rest of my savings on the soonest flight back to Perth that I can get. I ask my best friend if I can stay with them and they're confused but fine with it. I call my boyfriend and he's worried for me. I understand. Things are weird right now, but things with him are fine. I love him. I'm back home two days later and I sleep for 18 hours in my best friend's spare room. They live a little further out of the city. I'm comforted by that. I'm pretty sure my doppelganger is the kind of person to stay in Tasmania. Better prospects, I'd guess. That comforts me, too.

A year later, my boyfriend moves here to be with me, and we relocate about forty minutes north of the river. I don't know that my doppelganger thought I was going to stay in Tasmania and moved back here too, back to his career in architecture and what ends up being three dogs in his unit south of the river. We don't end up crossing paths. I don't need to go to the city anymore, and if I ever go further south than that, I'm always driving and I never happen to go exploring down there. I have everything I need. Several years pass.

I'm off to the shops. My husband is at work, and my freelance work isn't due for another week, so I figure I can have the day off. The small local supermarket that I grew up with has been converted into a gargantuan mall over the past thirty years. Whenever I walk through it I feel strange. The very middle of it is exactly the same; a heart of cream and turquoise with polished white linoleum floors. I remember how it echoed one Thursday night when I was fifteen and shopping for school shoes and I sang and yelled and laughed until I realized there were a few other stray shoppers and shut my mouth up very, very tight. It could never echo now. Even at 6am, the whole place is packed. I wouldn't come here, except that Lush has announced that one of my favourite soaps is being discontinued, and I want to go to the store here to stock up before it's gone forever.

I'm dismayed upon arrival to find that what once was a towering stack of yellow and gold marbled soap is now a nearly empty display. There's just one chunk of soap left, and it's relatively small. Probably won't last me more than a few months. My disappointment quickly makes way for relief as I dodge my way through swaths of excited teenagers to get into the store, making a beeline for the last of the soap. Hurrying and bumping people on my way, I finally get to the display. With a sigh of relief, I reach my hand out - but quickly draw it back as it brushes against the hand of another. He has a small white circle of a scar on his left thumb. I look up in alarm and my doppelganger stares astonished back at me. 

We look at each other for a very long time. Some teenage hand winds between us and takes its prize. I'm starting to become aware of the looks the staff members are giving us. The doppelganger is, too. His eyes are grey. I've seen that look before, when I catch myself in the mirror when I don't expect it. The whites of my eyes shine back at me like glossy eggshells. Both of us are as terrified as each other. It doesn't make it better.

The intense anxiety of the outside eyes upon us breaks the spell, and in an instant the both of us are marching shakily out of the store and in opposite directions. I'm heading out to my car. I don't know where he's going. I don't want to. All I know, all that can calm me right now, is that I could tell from his expression that this was not where he usually conducted his shopping trips. I knew what he'd wanted was the same as me. I wonder if his dad is dead. I leave the mall empty-handed.

I don't go to there anymore.

[brandongunte1r]

She had no way to move but with the river.

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But, as promised but late, a review of the costumes winning in the cosplay/costume contest for Otakon. Other people moving:Rod Perth to president exec VP of programming, USA Networks Entertainment, New York, from senior VP of late night and

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[lostitaspenbloomfield]

Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was first released anonymously in 1818 with its first volume, but her name first appeared in 1823 on the second edition. The themes in this book are individual responsibility and social responsibility.

Frankenstein is a Gothic novel with a touch of the romantic movement, and it is the first true science fiction story. It is written in the perspective of three different charters, Captain Walton, Victor Frankenstein and the creature.

It starts with Captain Waltons’ narrative of him writing letters to his sister, Margaret. Walton is a failed writer captain who set off to explore the North Pole to expand his knowledge in hope of fame.  During the voyage, the crew spots a dog sled driven by a gigantic figure. A few hours later, the crew rescues a nearly frozen and emaciated man named Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein has been in pursuit of the gigantic man observed by Walton's crew. Frankenstein starts to recover from his exertion; he sees in Walton the same obsession that has destroyed him and recounts a story of his life's miseries to Walton as a warning. The recounted story serves as the frame for Frankenstein's narrative.

Next is Victor Frankenstein’s narrative which begins with him talking about his childhood. Born in Naples, Italy, into a wealthy Genevan family, Victor and his brothers, Ernest and William, all three being sons of Alphonse Frankenstein by the former Caroline Beaufort, are encouraged to seek a greater understanding of the world through chemistry. As a young boy, Victor is obsessed with studying outdated theories that focus on simulating natural wonders. When Victor is five years old, his parents adopt Elizabeth Lavenza, the orphaned daughter of an expropriated Italian nobleman, with whom Victor (allegedly) later falls in love. During this period, Victor's parents, Alphonse and Caroline, take in yet another orphan, Justine Moritz, who becomes William's nanny.Weeks before he leaves for the University of Ingolstadt in Germany, his mother dies of scarlet fever; Victor buries himself in his experiments to deal with the grief. At the university, he excels at chemistry and other sciences, soon developing a secret technique to impart life to non-living matter. Eventually, he undertakes the creation of a humanoid, but due to the difficulty in replicating the minute parts of the human body, Victor makes the Creature tall, about 8 feet (2.4 m) in height and proportionally large. Despite Victor's selecting its features as beautiful, upon animation the creature is instead hideous, with watery white eyes and yellow skin that barely conceals the muscles and blood vessels underneath. Repulsed by his work, Victor flees when it awakens. While wandering the streets, he meets his childhood friend, Henry Clerval, and takes Henry back to his apartment, fearful of Henry's reaction if he sees the monster. However, the Creature has escaped.Victor falls ill from the experience and is nursed back to health by Henry. After a four-month recovery, he receives a letter from his father notifying him of the murder of his brother William. Upon arriving in Geneva, Victor sees the Creature near the crime scene and climbing a mountain, leading him to believe his creation is responsible. Justine Moritz, William's nanny, is convicted of the crime after William's locket, which had contained a miniature portrait of Caroline, is found in her pocket. Victor is helpless to stop her from being hanged, as he knows no one would believe his story.Ravaged by grief and guilt, Victor retreats into the mountains. The Creature finds him and pleads for Victor to hear his tale.

After this is the Creatures narrative who is Intelligent and articulate, the Creature relates his first days of life, living alone in the wilderness and finding that people were afraid of and hated him due to his appearance, which led him to fear and hide from them. While living in an abandoned structure connected to a cottage, he grew fond of the poor family living there, and discreetly collected firewood for them. Secretly living among the family for months, the Creature learned to speak by listening to them and he taught himself to read after discovering a lost satchel of books in the woods. When he saw his reflection in a pool, he realized his physical appearance was hideous, and it terrified him as it terrifies normal humans. Nevertheless, he approached the family in hopes of becoming their friend. Initially he was able to befriend the blind father figure of the family, but the rest of them were frightened and they all fled their home, resulting in the Creature leaving, disappointed. He traveled to Victor's family estate using details from Victor's journal, murdered William, and framed Justine.The Creature demands that Victor create a female companion like himself. He argues that as a living being, he has a right to happiness. The Creature promises that he and his mate will vanish into the South American wilderness, never to reappear, if Victor grants his request. Should Victor refuse his request, The Creature also threatens to kill Victor's remaining friends and loved ones and not stop until he completely ruins him.Fearing for his family, Victor reluctantly agrees. The Creature says he will watch over Victor's progress.

Now it resumes to Victors Narrative who begins by taking about Clerval who accompanies him to England, but they separate at Victor's insistence at Perth, Scotland. Victor suspects that the Creature is following him. Working on the female creature on the Orkney Islands, he is plagued by premonitions of disaster, such as the female hating the Creature or becoming more evil than him, but more particularly the two creatures might lead to the breeding of a race that could plague mankind. He tears apart the unfinished female creature after he sees the Creature, who had indeed followed Victor, watching through a window. The Creature later confronts and tries to threaten Victor into working again, but Victor is convinced that the Creature is evil and that its mate would be evil as well, and the pair would threaten all humanity. Victor destroys his work and the Creature vows that he will "be with [him] on [his] wedding night". Victor interprets this as a threat upon his life, believing that the Creature will kill him after he finally becomes happy. Victor sails out to sea to dispose of his instruments, falls asleep in the boat, is unable to return to shore because of changes in the winds, and ends up being blown to the Irish coast. When Victor lands in Ireland, he is soon imprisoned for Clerval's murder, as the Creature had strangled Clerval to death and left the corpse to be found where his creator had arrived, causing the latter to suffer another mental breakdown in prison. After being acquitted, Victor returns home with his father, who has restored to Elizabeth some of her father's fortune.In Geneva, Victor is about to marry Elizabeth and prepares to fight the Creature to the death, arming himself with pistols and a dagger. The night following their wedding, Victor asks Elizabeth to stay in her room while he looks for "the fiend". While Victor searches the house and grounds, the Creature strangles Elizabeth to death. From the window, Victor sees the Creature, who tauntingly points at Elizabeth's corpse; Victor tries to shoot him, but the Creature escapes. After Victor gets back to Geneva, Victor's father, weakened by age and by the death of his precious Elizabeth, dies a few days later. Seeking revenge, Victor pursues the Creature to the North Pole, but collapses from exhaustion and hypothermia before he can find his quarry.

At the end of Victor's narrative, Captain Walton resumes the telling of the story, closing the frame around Victor's recounting. A few days after the Creature vanished, the ship becomes trapped in pack ice and multiple crewmen die in the cold, before the rest of Walton's crew insists on returning south once it is freed. Upon hearing and angered by the crew's pleas to their captain, Victor lectures them with a powerful speech: it is hardship, not comfort and easiness, that defines a glorious undertaking such as theirs; he urges them to be men, not cowards. The ship is freed and Walton, owing it to the will of his men, albeit regretfully, decides to return South. Victor, even though in very weak condition, states that he will go on by himself.Victor dies shortly thereafter, telling Walton, with his last words, to seek "happiness in tranquillity and avoid ambition". Walton discovers the Creature on his ship, mourning over Victor's body. The Creature tells Walton that Victor's death has not brought him peace; rather, his crimes have left him completely alone. The Creature vows to kill himself so that no others will ever know of his existence. Walton watches as the Creature drifts away on an ice raft that is soon "lost in darkness and distance", never to be seen again.

[quotespicture]

https://quoteswithpicture.com/gallipoli-1981-movie-review/

Gallipoli (1981) Movie Review

By Stuart McLaren (Norwich, UK)

  Having revisited this film recently, I was genuinely surprised at how well it has stood the test of time and what a cracking story it was. The film’s major backdrop is the disastrous Dardanelles campaign in the First World War and, in particular the role of Australian troops in that theatre of war. The film was directed by Peter Weir, of Picnic at Hanging Rock fame, and starred a young Mark Lee and a young Mel Gibson (…whatever became of him)? The stars were supported by a great cast of believable character actors.

The film also gave us, in its final scene, one of the most iconic still frames and film poster photographs from 20th Century cinema. For my money the Gallipoli final frame shot is up there with the female robot from Metropolis, Charles Foster Kane surrounded by newspapers and/or booming from the campaign lectern and the isolated rickety house on the hill from Psycho.

The early part of the film deals with the story of Archy (Lee) and Frank (Gibson) and how they meet, turn from rivals into friends and then go off to enlist in the Australian Army. Archy is the beaming eternal optimist of the pair, while Frank is the more experienced, world-weary, cynical, jack-the lad character. It should be mentioned that Archy is the better runner of the two protagonists, which we glean from a country fair prize-money race where Jack is well beaten by Archy. The athletic ability of the two runners will become significant later in the film.

Archy is coached by his Uncle Jack (Bill Kerr) and that element is one of the weaker points in the film, although not from an acting point of view, as the scenes involving Archy and Jack establish a very close bond and loving respect between the two characters, as Jack tries to compensate for Archy’s missing father. The weakness is the mantra that Jack instils in Archie to motivate him when running, which involves references to steel springs and leopards (an incongruous mix) and just doesn’t sound like the sort of thing that character would have said back in 1914/15 where the early part of the film is set. It almost feels like the film is trying to do an impression of Chariots of Fire (also 1981) in this respect; although as Chariots was released in May and Gallipoli in August of the same year, I guess that must just be coincidental.

The film then progresses to Archy & Frank’s journey across Australia to Perth. Having illegally jumped on a cattle train, without knowing its destination, they awake the next day to find that their carriage has been abandoned in a stockyard and the next train is 3 weeks away. At this point, they embark on a perilous foot journey across the desert. This is where the director really captures the heat and oppressive atmosphere and sheer scope of the Australian landscape, with plenty of wide panning and long-shots although, surprisingly, very few shimmering heat-wave at ground level shots. Maybe Mr. Weir thought the definitive heat wave long-shot had, famously, already been achieved by David Lean in Lawrence of Arabia (and nobody would seriously argue with that); or maybe he just didn’t have the right lens or camera to hand? Either way, we get the message that the duo are suffering from the heat and lack of water, and in very real danger of not surviving. Spoiler Alert: They do survive.

The desert journey plot leads to one of the very best scenes in the film when, by pure chance, they come across their saviour, a camel driver/traveller (beautifully played by Harold Baigent) who provides them with food and water. The scene around the campfire is brilliant. From the rancid, fly-infested meat that is offered to Archy & Frank – which nobody would eat unless they were starving – to the topic of conversation. Our heroes tell the traveller about going to Perth to enlist and join the war, to which he replies “What War”? When it is explained that Britain and its colonies, along with France and Russia, are at war with Germany, the traveller’s laconic response is simply…“I met a German once. Good fella, he was”. The subsequent conversation reveals the extent of the traveller’s ignorance – through no fault of his own – with regard to European nations and world geography, which just enhances how remote and out of touch the Australian hinterland would have been in those times. At one point he admits that he went to “a city” once, and “didn’t like it” – a speech that, funnily enough, is repeated virtually word for word in Crocodile Dundee which was released five years after Gallipoli.

The film then progresses to Archy and Frank’s attempt to join the glamorous Light Horse Regiment. Archy is underage, but that is overlooked because of his horsemanship, while Frank’s lack of affinity with horses is shown up when he attempts the simple riding test that acts as an entry requirement for the regiment. Frank’s failure to get a horse even moving, causing much amusement for the other volunteers and army personnel. So, the two friends are separated and Frank eventually joins the less glamorous infantry, along with a bunch of old work mates he runs into in a Perth bar.

The Australian army is then shipped overseas to Egypt for basic training, before being deployed into the war zone. There are some very amusing scenes of the “fish out of water” type regarding the soldier’s adventures in a foreign land, their dealings with the locals and first experience of a foreign culture and, for some, their first time being away from home. Frank’s mate Snowy (David Argue) does a good turn as the suspicious of everybody xenophobe. Other good scenes in this part of the film include a misunderstanding about a market stall, the infantry men mimicking upper class British cavalry officers, and a memorable speech by an infantry medical officer about the dangers and debilitating effects of venereal diseases, which he knows will fall on deaf ears. The actors/soldiers all manage to convey the sense of that unique form of male bonding, good natured ribaldry, laddish behaviour, rowdiness and “no-worries” attitude (known as “larrikinism” in Aussie slang) that Australians have become associated with throughout the world.

In an attempt to relieve the boredom, the high-ranking officers arrange a fake battle in the sand dunes between the Light Horse (by now on foot) and Infantry regiments. This descends into a free-for-all punch-up, and then gets even more chaotic as the soldiers realise that by playing dead (i.e. a casualty of the fake battle), they will not have to run around in the intense heat – at which point an exasperated Sergeant screams “You can’t all be dead”! However, Archy and Frank are reunited during the fake battle, and Archy subsequently persuades his Commanding Officer to allow Frank to transfer to the Light Horse, on the basis that the cavalry units will not be using horses in the war zone and that Frank is a good runner and would make a good army foot messenger, a vital function in trench warfare. Frank joins the Light Horse much to the chagrin of his infantry buddies who think he is being a snob and just fancies himself in the ostentatious uniform – which he clearly does.

Eventually the troops embark on the journey to the Dardanelles peninsular, and this is where the serious part of the film takes hold. The historic reference point is the Battle of the Nek (from bottleneck) in the Gallipoli campaign, which in truth was a disastrous attempt to attack Turkish machine-gun armoured emplacements by means of an uphill infantry charge from the Allied occupied trenches. While this may seem like a ridiculous strategy to modern eyes, it should be borne in mind that the First World War was the first full-scale industrialised war, in terms of armaments, so there was precious little direct officer experience of that kind of warfare at the time. The Battle of the Nek took place on 7th August 1915, WW1 had begun in July 1914 and Turkey had entered the war in October 1914.   

One of my usual pet hates in “movieland” is glaring inaccuracies such a people using modern language in historical dramas, displaying modern sensibilities/political views that just wouldn’t have existed in the relevant era, etc. I think we all watch movies as a form of escapism, and to get fully immersed in the story and period being portrayed. Unfortunately, when a jarring inaccuracy occurs it throws your belief in the story and characters, which can ruin the rest of the film. Gallipoli, on the other hand, is in the very high percentiles for its historical accuracy and period detail, with just a few very minor tweaks to enhance the story and to emphasise the anti-war message.

So, some historical context. The Dardanelles campaign is often referred to as “Churchill’s folly”, or “Churchill’s biggest mistake” both of which are really misnomers. While it is true that the idea of attacking what he called “the soft underbelly of Europe” as an alternative to “chewing barbed wire” on the Western Front was Churchill’s idea – he was then First Lord of the Admiralty and, therefore, in charge of the Royal Navy – his idea was purely for a naval manoeuvre and attack. The idea being allied warships would progress through the Dardanelle Strait, bombarding the Turkish defences and then attack Constantinople/Istanbul from the sea. The overall aim (if successful) being to knock Turkey out of the war, and thus establish a second Eastern Front (Russia was already fighting on the first) from which to attack Germany, thus splitting the German forces.  However, many of the warships used were outdated and subsequently sunk by Turkish bombardment from the land and/or the mines the Turks had laid in the narrow straits. 4 warships were damaged by mines, 3 of them sinking, on just one day of the campaign. It was only after the failure of the initial naval attack that an amphibious landing of troops was conceived, and not by Churchill alone, but by the British War Council.

For those who like their numbers, in all somewhere in the region of 450,000 Allied troops took part in the Gallipoli campaign, including British, French, Australian, New Zealand, Indian and Canadian troops. The Allies suffered around 250,000 casualties 46,000 dead, and most historians estimate that the Turkish forces would have suffered similar casualty rates. Undoubtedly the Allies underestimated the strength of the Turkish fortifications and armaments, and their determination to defend their homeland at all costs. The campaign ended in a humiliating defeat and withdrawal of the allied troops after a year of fighting, for no real gain. Churchill was, (rightly or wrongly) largely blamed for the strategic debacle and resigned from his Admiralty post, and subsequently took command of an Infantry Regiment on the Western Front.

Returning to the film, the scenes prior to the battle depicting the landings, the day to day boredom of trench warfare (punctuated by periods of extreme stress and danger) and the gallows humour and fears of those involved are depicted well. The film shows that the troops fully realised what a bad strategic position they were in, encamped on a cliff face, with Turkish fortifications and machine guns occupying higher ground. Scenes such as the Aussie Insurance Policy raffle just emphasise the troops awareness of their own predicament.

Of course, the film focuses on Australian troops, when other nationalities were involved in the campaign, but this is an Australian film. Moreover, Gallipoli had a real significance in the development of Australia as a nation, because WW1 was the first time that they had entered the world political/military stage (and made a huge human sacrifice) as a relatively new independent nation, having gained independence from Britain in 1901. Which is why the Australian involvement in WWI is solemnly commemorated on Anzac Day (Australian & New Zealand Army Corps.) and other remembrance events. Nearly all the accounts of the war, both from participants and academic historians, pay tribute to the fighting skills, courage, audacious bravery, tenacity and sheer “bloody-mindedness” not to accept defeat of the Anzac troops. Therefore, it would be an act of gross impertinence to criticise an Australian film director for highlighting and celebrating those martial attributes.

In the film, Frank’s friends take part in an attack where one dies and one is so badly wounded that he is refused food and water in the makeshift hospital, thus raising Frank’s awareness of the scale of carnage. A word here about Frank’s mates, good acting throughout the film particularly the character of Billy (Robert Grubb) and Les (Harold Hopkins).

As the film builds towards the Battle of the Nek, and the disastrous infantry charges, Archy is offered another chance by his commander (an athletics fan) to act as a messenger/runner. He refuses saying he wants to take part in the battle, Frank is the only messenger we see in action. Confusion surrounds the whole enterprise, as telephone and written messages travel between the various commanders. The exact timing of the attack is not synchronised. An artillery attack that is supposed to accompany the first wave of Aussie troops going over the top stops too early, allowing Turkish troops to re-occupy their gun posts and trenches.

The commander in the Allied trenches, Major Barton, (another good performance by Bill Hunter as a fatherly figure concerned for his troops, but ultimately prepared to be sacrificed with them) attempts to relay the futility of the attacks to his superiors via Frank’s message carrying; after phone lines have been damaged. We see Frank dodging through heavily congested trenches while delivering messages back and forth. These scenes are accompanied by brilliant use of music from Oxygene II by Jean-Michelle Jarre – whose Dad, Maurice, also knocked out a few good film tunes in his time. Although Oxygene is a modern piece, and not composed as a film score, it perfectly captures the urgency, anxiety and dangerous nature of running messengers in trenches. There is even an underlying counterpoint that sounds like sniper shots and shrapnel blasts. This music is so appropriate, that I can even forgive the use of the ubiquitous Albinoni’s Adagio elsewhere.

The messages from the trenches are ignored by the superior commander, who cites reports of allied marker flags having been seen in the Turkish trenches, and demands Major Barton continues with the 2nd, 3rd & 4th waves of infantry attack, which Barton considers to be equivalent to murdering his troops. Frank then suggests Major Barton goes above his own superior’s head, in the hope the attacks will be called off, sending Frank on another important errand.

Once again, you can’t fault the historical accuracy, even if names of commanders have been changed, no doubt for fear of lawsuits. The Artillery did cease the bombardment early. There was a lack of synchronisation of commander’s watches, which led to that error. The real-life Acting Brigade Commander, Major-General John Antill, was given reports that marker flags had been seen in the enemy trenches, thus (mistakenly) leading him to believe that the attacks were successful and should be continued. There really were four waves of charges, even though those directly involved knew it was pointless after the first wave were slaughtered. Incredibly, there really was an order given for the troops to advance on one charge with bayonets only and no bullets in their rifles, meaning, technically, they could not fire at the enemy until being given a counter-manding order. The real trench commander Colonel Noel Brazier (Major Barton in the film) did call the attacks “bloody murder” and attempted to get them stopped by going to the overall commander Colonel Frederic Hughes who, according to historians, took much longer to come to a decision than depicted in the film.

The only slight quibbles I have, and I only mention them because I am British, is that we are told in the film that “the British are making tea on the beach” when in fact British troops were supporting the attacks in the actual events. And secondly, the Antill equivalent character in the film, Colonel Robinson (John Morris), is portrayed as an upper-class British Officer, when in fact all the Allied decision-makers in the real battle were Australian officers. However, this is a well-established movie and television trope, and us Brits are used to it; honest! Examples would be all of the bad Roman’s in Spartacus, Sydney Greenstreet’s villains in both The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca; George Sanders in All About Eve and voicing Shere Khan the Tiger in Jungle Book; right through to Stewie at his most evil in Family Guy…“What the deuce”! All villains with upper-class British/English accents. Talk about stereotyping.

That digression aside, the film makers seem to have done their research thoroughly in order to depict the communication failures, tactical errors, and the futile waste of life that occurred in the actual event. If you have any doubts about that I would refer you to the comments of the Australian war historian L. A. Carylon, who memorably described the combatants as “Lions led by Donkeys”. The same author is also equally scathing of the real-life commanders involved, stating that…”Hughes was the Brigade Commander and didn’t command; Antill wasn’t the Brigade Commander and he did”.

In the film, Frank finally gets a decision from the most senior officer and scurries back through the trenches. Meanwhile, Archy, Major Barton and their compatriots are about to go over the top, leaving written notes, their watches and other valuables pinned to their trenches. Yet again, this did really happen, indicating that the soldiers knew they probably weren’t going to survive. Frank is well aware that time is of the essence and is busting his lungs to get to Major Barton’s position, just as he is nearing the relative area, he hears the whistles being blown as the signal for the fourth infantry charge to go over the top. As viewers, we share his anguish at not making it in time and, of course, the hidden implication is that Archy, as the better runner, may have made it in time and thus altered the result.

At that exact same moment, Archy is seen nervously reciting that mantra to himself before leaving the trenches and running like mad towards the enemy position, seemingly without even carrying his rifle. Leading to the superbly poignant final frame of the film. If any slightly cynical movie viewers (and I would include myself in that group) think that scene is a bit far-fetched, guess what …think again! Apart from the silly leopard/steel springs mantra, the rest is almost certainly based on a true event. There are first-hand accounts from survivors of the battle, as well as the official history, “The Story of Anzac” by C.E.W Bean, where reference is made to  a soldier named Wilfrid Harper from Western Australia, serving with the 10th Australian Light Horse, who was killed in that final charge at The Nek. Wilfrid Harper was known for being a talented athlete and sprinter before the war, and according to the official account of the battle was… “last seen running forward like a schoolboy in a foot-race, with all the speed he could compass” (sic).

The losses at the Battle of The Nek may not have been the greatest in WWI, by comparison to the Somme, Ypres etc. on the Western Front, but the actual ratio of Australian casualties is horrifyingly alarming. The Light Horse (LH) Brigade consisted of 300 men from the 8th LH Regiment (234 casualties, of whom 154 were killed) and 300 men from the 10th LH Regiment (138 casualties, of whom 80 were killed).

Gallipoli, therefore, is a largely accurate depiction of a historical battle that is/was of great significance to Australia. Peter Weir has created a really good film that, without in any way minimising the tragic events and the huge sacrifices made, manages to pinpoint the accepted command errors, while maintaining the viewer’s investment in the story of the main characters. As such, this is a fitting tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice at The Nek, and a film that will probably remain meaningful for future, in a way that grainy footage written accounts from the actual events may not.

Gallipoli belongs firmly in the pantheon of great anti-war movies along with: All Quiet on the Western Front (original German version); The Big Parade; Paths of Glory; The Deer Hunter; Platoon and Born on the 4th July. There can be no finer praise for Mr. Weir’s film.

Rating: 5/5

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[dbamountaineer]

The fourth and last day tour that I had while in Perth. And while completing my writings for my travel post which started in Perth, I just realized that I almost did a counter-clockwise travel from the said city. First tour was going south, second tour was going east, third tour was going north, and last but not the least, the last day tour was going west.

Perth is already at the west side, which place I was referring to that means my tour was going west? If the three tours were all by land, the last tour was involved with crossing the sea. I took a ferry that goes back and forth from Perth to the island named Rottnest. I still booked a tour to the island since my flight returning to Manila happened at the evening. It was my last day in Perth, or let say my last day in Australia since I must return to my country that night. That day for me like, every moment counts because I am not sure when I will be able to return to the third country which became my home for more than 1.5 years.

It was Sunday and I did checked-out in my hotel. Then, I temporarily left all my luggage at the hotel lobby as I will picked them back again after my last day tour. Since it was Sunday and like my usual Sunday, I attended personal activity early in the morning. Then, I took an Uber to reach Hillarys Boat Harbour as my tour will commence from the said harbour. I reached the harbour and I was thankful that I had a bit of familiarity of it since the night before, I had a chance to drive to the harbour with the help of Patricia (my tour guide from previous tour). When I got-off the car, at first, I thought I had to go to straight to the jetty where the boat will pickup their passenger. Then, I inquired some people whom I thought will be doing the same tour in the island and then I learned that I have to go the ticket booth first to exchange my booking. I was glad that I had time and I did exchange my booking for the actual ticket. Then, I went to the boarding area and realized that the boarding had already started. I approached the staff in the area and shown my exchanged ticket. And after inspecting my ticket, I was allowed to enter in the gate and walked to the ferry, I was very excited to get on-board.

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Hillarys Boat Harbour at Night

While traveling via ferry, it was already an adventure because the ferry captain announces if they found a whales along the way so that people on-board will have a chance to see them in their natural environment. At first announcements, I missed to see them, but after third or fourth announcement, I had a chance to see them playing in the water. Unfortunately because of immediate appearance of the whales, I was not able to capture photos of them.

The travel time from Hillarys Boat Harbour to Rottnest Island is around 45 minutes. We left the harbour just few minutes after 10AM and reached the island just after more than 45 minutes. When I arrived the island that was the time I realized how popular the island to people. At the time of tour in Rottnest Island, there was bike racing event and it can be the main reason why lots of people were there at that time. Most of the visitors brought or rented a bike, a one way to enjoy and explore the island for less.

Thomson Bay

Salt Store

Walking Trails featured in Rottnest

The tour that I booked was Grand Island package where there was an assigned tour guide. As I had limited time, I took the said option. And honestly, I never regret that I took that Grand Island tour because I was able to maximize my time exploring Rottnest.

From the Main Jetty (ferry terminal), I walked and followed the path to meet the tour guide as described in the brochures that was given to me when I exchanged my booking to a ticket. And the walking path was easy to follow. Then, at first, I was hesitant because I met the tour guide and he said, we just need to wait a couple of minutes to see if there are other guests that will join the tour. And in few minutes, two female adult joined the tour. We were exactly three people in the tour.

Rottnest Island offers bus options but it was different compared with the tour that I booked. Because, the bus that we had were designated on the tour while the other bus options is operating as hop on / hop off. This means that passengers has to wait to the drop-off/pick-up point to be able to take a bus. And at the time of the visit, it will take some time to wait for the bus. While on my end, since it was a tour, our bus was right there, we were able to easily navigate and explore every corner of the island which for me was a great choice, as I don’t have so much luxury of time to see all of what Rottnest Island has to offer.

The tour started at the center of Thomson Bay Settlement area where the Main Bus Stop terminal is located. Our tour started and our tour guide started telling us information about the island. He mentioned that at that day, all the accommodations in the island was fully booked and he added that if in case we plan to book accommodations in the island, it has to be done months before your holiday to get vacancy.

Bickley Swamp

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The railway from Oliver Hill Station to Settlement Station (Left) or Kingstown Station (Right)

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Dyer Island from Parker Point Road

We took Parker Point Road from Brand Way. And along the road, we saw Bickley Swamp, a crossing rail-tracks and some set of accommodation units. Following the road track of Parker Point Road, we saw Dyer Island from a distance and our tour bus had a quick stop at Henrietta Rocks where we saw “The Shark” shipwreck which said to be the easiest shipwreck to enjoy around the island for diving and for snorkeling as it is accessible 50 meters from the beach.

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At Henrietta Rocks with Dyer Island

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The Shark Wreck

A bay scenery near Henrietta Rocks

Since we never get-off the bus, our tour guide continued driving along Parker Point Road until we reach Parker Point itself. It was the first stop in the tour where a part of its stunning turquoise water bay greeted us. Parker Point has white sand beach and some portion of turquoise water, I can say it’s a great spot for short distance swimming and snorkeling to enjoy the water. At the time of the visit, there were just couple of boats nearby the coast. Based from our guide, during peak season, it’s normal to see lots of boats in Parker Point. But for me, I can say that I was lucky seeing Parker Point with few boat as it honestly lovely.

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Porpoise Bay from Parker Point Road

Almost near at Parker Point

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At Parker Point

After appreciating the beauty of Porpoise Bay that surrounds Parker Point, we found the famous creature exist in Rottnest Island near of Perth, Bald Island near Albany and isolated scattered populations in forest and coastal heath between Perth and Albany. That animal is none other than Quokka. We found one of them drinking water (though it is advised not to give them food and water) by some bikers that were resting in Parker Point.

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Quokka

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At Jeannies Lookout

After Parker Point, we had a short drive to Jeannies Lookout where different pools between reefs are visible from the lookout.  Then, we passed Little Salmon Bay (one of the best site to snorkel and to swim), Eastern Osprey Nest (one of the 14 nest site of Eastern Osprey – a wild large eagle bird shape in Rottnest) and Salmon Bay (where beached boasted its beauties and offers lots of underwater sites to enjoy snorkeling and swimming) wherein all the photos were captured while inside the bus.

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Little Salmon Bay

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Eastern Osprey Nest

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Salmon Bay

Next destination that we stopped for a while for another great scenery was Cape Vlamingh. It was the same place where we ate our packed lunch. In that same location, where I enjoyed second incident of up-close observation of flying silver gull with the beautiful backdrop around it.

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Fish Hook Bay while at Cape Vlamingh

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At Cape Vlamingh Viewing Platform with scenery and silver gull

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At Cape Vlamingh

Not far from Cape Vlamingh is Cathedral Rocks where we had another stop in the island. This is where the New Zealand Fur Seals (local residents of the island) can be observed from the viewing platform or from the boat that can go nearer to these wilds at short distance. If lucky, will have a chance to see them playing around in the water.

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At Cathedral Rocks with New Zealand Fur Seal

West End (Between Cape Vlamingh and Cathedral Rocks) – Near the corner of Aitken Way and Digby Drive

The tour continues around the island and to be honest, I was really glad that I joined the tour, because of limited time that I had, I was able to see more in short period of time. Another places that I saw and appreciate while inside the bus were : Rocky Bay, Stark Bay, Ricey Beach and Catherine Bay Beach.

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Rocky Bay

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Stark Bay

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Ricey Beach

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Catherine Bay Beach

Taking Bovell Highway

While we took Bovell Highway, I was able to see from a distance the Wadjemup Lighthouse, Lake Vincent, Lake Baghdad, Geordie Bay and Rottnest Wind Turbine.

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Wadjemup Lighthouse

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Lake Vincent

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Lake Vincent and Wadjemup Lighthouse

Lake Baghdad/Lake Vincent Wadjemup Lighthouse

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Geordie Bay

Rottnest Wind Turbine

Taking Geordie Bay Road

Places to appreciate while taking Geordie Bay Road were : Herschel Lake and Rottnest Wind Turbine.

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Herschel Lake

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Rottnest Wind Turbine and Herschel Lake

Taking Digby Road

The scenery to appreciate while driving along Digby Road is the Government House Lake

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Government House Lake

One of the historical sites that can be found in Rottnest Island located almost at the center is Oliver Hill where it features the military remnants from World War II specifically the 9.2 inch gun battery. And I had a chance to see it up close and experience a tour on its underground tunnels. For a more details of the visit, please see my post about Oliver Hill.

After Oliver Hill, we visited Wadjemup Lighthouse which stands in the highest hill in the island. But unfortunately, tour schedules were over when we arrived. Therefore, we only took couple of photos inside the lighthouse and its surroundings.

At Oliver Hill

Wadjemup Lighthouse at Oliver Hill

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Wadjemup Lighthouse at Digby Drive

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Inside and Outside of Wadjemup Lighthouse

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At Wadjemup Lighthouse and its surrounding scenery

After coming from Lighthouse, we went straight to Thomson Bay Settlement where our tour bus ended.

At the start of my travel in Rottnest Island, my only impression was that it’s just holiday island and nothing else. While taking the guided bus tour, I was really impressed and thought that it was a perfect place for recreational activities. The last part of my tour in the island was a worthy education for me. My earlier impression in Rottnest was changed. The island has its imperfections that needs to be known by people who comes and visits the island. But these flaws should not spoil the guest perfect holidays, but at least to be a great lesson to learn, to accept and to respect what Rottnest past has.

Rottnest Island Museum is one of the colonial buildings to discover in Thomson Bay Settlement area and currently the island’s museum. To know more about my visit in the museum and some of its display, please check Rottnest … Island Museum post.

Rottnest Island Museum

Another part of the island to discover is the Thomson Bay Settlement area where most of the historical and colonial heritage building can be found and still standing today. The full post about my walk following the colonial buildings of Thomson Bay, check the post Rottnest Walks : Collonial Buildings of Thomson Bay.

Military Barracks (1844)  – 3 Flats (“E”,”J” & “H”) or Room 339, 338, & 337

The Quod

After a quick walking tour about Colonial Buildings in the island, I had to run to the Main Jetty to board the ferry that will bring me back to Hillarys Terminal. And before totally turning my back to the island, I had another glimpse of The Salt Store and Rottnest Island Visitor Centre

The Salt Store

Rottnest Island Visitor Centre

The Main Jetty

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Around the Main Jetty

When I was inside the ferry I just relaxed myself. And I had my silent moment of my life. Rottnest was the last place that I left before leaving Australia. And the thought of my flight made me reminded, when I will be able to see again the country that had been part of my life because of my career. And it made me felt that I am going to miss it a lot.

The ferry we had when returning from Rottnest Island to Hillarys Boat Harbour

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Hillarys Boat Harbour (Hillarys Ferry Terminal)

We returned to Hillarys Boat Harbour and from there, I took my last shots of the harbour. Then, I waited for my tour bus that will pick me up so I can return to my hotel before going straight to Perth Airport.

Until then.

          Rottnest Island – Its Perfections and Imperfections The fourth and last day tour that I had while in Perth. And while completing my writings for my travel post which started in Perth, I just realized that I almost did a counter-clockwise travel from the said city.

[dawnjeman]

Small Bedroom Ideas to Make Your Room Bigger

Small bedrooms can be as grand and as comfortable as any big bedrooms too. This small bedroom ideas below aims to help you design your private small spaces at home!

Our bedrooms are our sanctuary. It’s our own piece of private space where we can be ourselves, without inhibitions. If your bedroom is small and you think there are no ways to improve it, then think again!

Designing small bedrooms can be pretty tricky. Especially if you have no idea on where to start. There are a lot of factors to consider and it can be very overwhelming. But with the right information, tools, furniture and design you can certainly do so!

How To Fit Furniture on a Small Bedroom

One of the first question that home owners think of when looking for small bedroom ideas is how to fit furniture in the room.

Now, a lot of us probably love to have everything that can make the room be as cozy and as comfortable as possible.

But the truth is, we can’t fit any furniture that we want. Every piece of small bedroom furniture that you’ll be putting in should be calculated in with the rest.

Below are some effective points to consider when arranging furniture to small bedrooms:

1. Measure the big furniture.

The first thing you need to do is to identify and measure the big furnitures first. This includes the bed, the dresser, the tables and chairs. And include the size of the bedroom too.

Take note of the measurements and write them down on your notepad or jot it down to your iPad/ tab. You’ll be using it as a reference later on.

While you are at it, take note of the available outlets inside the room. You’ll need the information once you start arranging your furniture.

2. Prioritise the bed.

The bed is usually the biggest furniture in the bedroom. Meaning it will take up more space than the rest.

That being said, the bed should be the first thing you need to consider when arranging the furniture in small bedrooms. Once you know where it should be placed, arranging the rest of your furniture will be a whole lot easier.

Pro Tip: Place the bed lined up against one wall on the opposite side of the doorway. Or if you still have more room, place it on the centre of the most visible wall. Make sure that you have enough room alongside the bed to easily get up and get in.

3. Optimize your clothes’ space.

The next thing to go inside the room is the dresser. If you still have space, tuck your chest or dresser in the closet. You’ll have more room for the rest of your stuff and all your clothes will be located in one area.

Pro Tip: Remember to keep enough space between the dresser or your closet that you can open all drawers and doors.

4. Let the smaller furniture in.

Once your closet/ dresser is inside, it is now time to focus on the smaller items like nightstands and desk chair.

When arranging item, take this opportunity to eliminate unwanted furniture and de-clutter your stuff to save up more space.

5. Mimic day-to-day routine.

When everything is settled in, try moving around the room. For example, try going into the bed and getting up. You may also try to open drawers and closets and even sit down on your desk chair.

Make sure that you don’t bump into something when you move about. If you do, then you may need to rearrange the furniture again for a more convenient movement around the room.

Small Bedrooms Layout Ideas To Maximise Space

Now that we have covered the ways to fit in furnitures, next is to find the appropriate layout for your small bedroom.

Below are some popular layout ideas to maximise space that you may want to look into:

1. The L-Shaped Layout

The L-Shaped layout is an arrangement where the furniture is lined-up along two walls of a square bedroom. This type of small bedroom layout creates a cozy corner for the occupants to enjoy in. It also opens up the rest of the room and makes the space feel less boxy.

2. The Long Layout

The Long layout is an arrangement wherein the bed and the desk are lined up in a row along the same wall. This small bedroom layout helps to clearly define the sleep and work areas.

What Colours Are Good for Small Bedrooms

One of the most preferred colours when painting a small bedroom is white. As it is believed that white makes the room looks larger. While this can be true, stark white can make any bedroom feel cold.

If you want, add some wallpaper on your room walls too to brighten it up. Remember to use large-scale patterns and place it to a focal wall, like your headboard wall. Don’t forget to coordinate the colours to your beddings too!

For colour selection, here are some varying shades of colour that you can use for your bedroom!

1. Deep Colours

Deep colours on small bedrooms can camouflage the size of the space. The furniture, drapes and accessories should also complement that wall colour. You may also layer varying shades of the same colour in your trim, floors, rugs and windows.

Pro Tip: Remember to stick with colours that make you feel comfy and cozy.

2. Earth Tones and Neutrals

Earth tones and natural colours for small bedrooms are usually preferred to enhance the feeling of space. Neutral colours, in fact, can make the wall visually raced into the background. It also brings the attention to the accessories in the room.

3. Soft Tones

Soft tones like cream, butter and ivory are ideal choices to make the room feel bigger, but not too cold. You can layer complementary shades of white or some other favourite colours you love.

Pro Tip: Stick to white for your ceilings as it makes the ceiling look more higher leaving the cramped feeling.

Small Bedroom Design Ideas

After figuring out how to fit furniture, bedroom layout and colour combinations, it is now time to decide what type of design you want for your bedroom.

There are a lot of design ideas to choose from, depending on your preference. Below, we will just take a look at the more common and popular ones.

Modern Design

Modern design for any interiors usually refers to the reflection of modern art in the home. Usually, the design themes are of clean straight lines, use of metal, lack of clutter and bold accent colours to name a few.

Check out some of the modern small bedroom design ideas:

Small bedroom at the Union Bay Residence in Seattle. The wall is accented in wood with a fireplace.

Transparent walls for wider spaces at this Beachfront Home in the Oregon Coast.

The chandelier in the head side adds a comfortable touch to the interior. And it looks pretty charming too. This is one of the villas at Casa Hannah in Indonesia.

The wall art in this room at a Stockholm Villa adds a soothing ambiance to the room. It also makes the space less small.

Contemporary Design

Contemporary designs are more ‘of the moment’. The contemporary style features pieces softened and rounded. Most interiors contain neutral elements and bold colour and focuses on the basics of line, shape and form.

Below are some examples of contemporary small bedroom design ideas:

Earth tones of various shades have been used in this room at the Residencia Mirante. The colourful pattern of the bed adds a nice touch.

Add a touch of bright colour to liven up your small bedroom just like this room at a City Beach House in Perth.

Put some lovely bright colours to your room and compliment it with other furniture just like this room at the Vernon Residence in California.

Small sleeping area at a garage-turned-home in Bordeaux. A skylight has been added to allow natural light.

Minimalist Design

Minimalist style is often characterised by extreme spareness and simplicity. That being said, minimalist designs uses simple and natural forms. It commonly means spacious rooms with minimum furniture and details.

For small bedrooms, however, minimalist designs can be very desirable as it focuses on saving space. Below are some examples of minimalist small bedroom design ideas:

Minimize furniture in your bedroom with only a bed and a small bedside table like this room at the Haus von Arx in Binningen, Switzerland.

With the limited space of this room from Kristofer Johnsson, only a bed and a small stool for table has been added. A skylight has been added right at the bedroom to make it appear more open.

The room’s small white space from the Office of Architecture is maximised by minimising the furniture within the room and opening up the space at the centre for movement.

Industrial Design

Industrial design usually uses neutral tones, utilitarian objects and wood and metal surfaces. Often, the industrial interior designs have that ‘warehouse look’ with the few key traits that we love like the exposed pipes and ducts, woods and metal surfaces and vintage furniture and accessories among others.

If you are into this type of design, here are some small bedroom design ideas using the industrial interior design:

The use of the industrial lamps over the bed adds a bit more class to entire space. Plus the head board of the bed has been turned into a shelf for more space.

Despite the bulky bed at the centre, the room from the Grit and Polish has been more open with the windows on the headboard. The chair and the basket at the other side of the bed, adds a nice touch to the interior.

This New York Apartment has successfully combined the industrial design theme on this bedroom with the customised bedside table and bare walls.

The room from an Industrial Apartment in London has made use of the industrial design concept with its edgy and rustic look. The furniture has been limited to the bed, bed tables, dresser and vanity table.

This industrial bedroom makes use of metal finishes on most of the furniture and uses storage under the bed for keeping of things.

Traditional Design

If you are more of the classy and comfort type of person, the traditional interior design may just be right for you. When you use the traditional design for your bedroom, you’ll be mostly using pieces that match and are consistent. The fabrics have the same patterns which can be florals, plain colours, muted plaids, geometric and small all-over patterns.

If you are tempted, take a look at some examples of small bedroom design ideas for the traditional design.

The room from Hupomone Ranch in California has custom-built window seat to add more space in the otherwise small space.

This bedroom from a pre-fabricated house in Mallorca plays around with the same colour-theme of the view from the outside (green) and added some gray touches.

The room in this Cat Mountain Residence in Texas gives you a spacious feeling despite the limited space with its open window and chandelier.

Another fantastic way to magnify space is the large open windows of this room in the Wheeler Residence in California.

The Baby Pink and White combination of this bedroom idea for girls is rather cute and charming. The small pieces of furniture has been put aside to create a bigger space.

Mid-Century Modern Design

The mid-century modern design can be very confusing on the specifics as to what period does it cover. But for designers, mid-century modern design are often characterised by timeless quality.

The design is often identified to have clean lines and gentle organic curves. It also follows functions, uncluttered and sleek and with minimal ornamentation to name a few.

If you think this is the style for your small bedroom, here are some mid-century modern design ideas for the small bedroom:

This bedroom at the Bromptons in London is rather comfortable with the brown and earthy tones of the room accentuated by the red lamps.

Another example of how windows like this bedroom at the Palms Residence makes a room look bigger.

The limited space in this room at the Feldman House only has room for some chic furniture with an large window facing outside.

This mid-century modern bedroom design makes use of wall niche and alcove to add more space to the room. Plus, the walls has been covered with photos to make it less bare.

Key Points to Remember for Maximising Small Bedroom Spaces

Don’t we all love it when we get to save space and ultimately fit in everything we want in our bedrooms?

Here are some pretty cool tips you have to remember when designing your small bedrooms:

1. Skip the bulky bed frame.

No matter how much we love the design, forget the bulky bed frames. And this includes that king-size (or even queen) bed you want. Instead, use space-saving furnitures.

2. Add a rug in your bedroom.

It can help make a small room look bigger. It also adds softness, and introduce colours or patterns that tie your small bedroom design together.

Design key points: if the bed is centered, slip the rug about 2/3 of the way under. If it’s in a corner, put the rug next to it or under another piece of furniture.

3. Get creative with storage.

Another good way to fit furniture in small bedrooms is by getting creative with storage spaces. In truth, the way you store your stuff is one of the keys to a great small bedroom design.

Pro Tip: Use under-bed storage and custom-shelving to free up space. Store your little things like books, paperworks and footwear here. You may also look into dual-purpose storage-spacers like an ottoman for keeping your stuff and at the same time have some extra seats.

4. Go minimal.

Often we get sentimental with things, that we can’t help but keep them even if we don’t need it anymore. This also applies to when we keep things in our bedroom.

Going minimal means reducing your stuff and leaving your favourite essentials. By doing so, you also adds space to your bedroom.

5. Expand with mirrors.

Add more space (at least visually) with mirrors. You don’t need to have the floor-to-ceiling ones, body-length size or horizontal mirrors that are shoulder-length will do.

Pro Tip: Enhance the natural light in your bedroom by positioning a mirror to reflect the light of a window.

6. Adopt vertical spaces.

For spaces with higher ceilings, you may consider adding a loft or platform for your bed with storage and/ or seating space underneath. Make sure that the person using the bedroom is willing to climb up and down just to go to bed, though.

7. Make use of floating shelves.

Another space-saver are floating shelves. It will not take any floor space at all and will definitely be functional. Use it as a nightstand replacement, a bookcase, a laptop desk and so much more.

8. Create an alcove or wall niche.

If your room is set up on non-exterior wall with wood beams inside, cut out an alcove for additional shelves. The space may not be too deep, but it can definitely give you more space for your small items.

Small spaces can be very interesting to work on, especially if you love designing. But as they say, there are ways to work around it, as long as you have the right information and tools.

Hope you have found this post helpful! We would love to see how you have made your small bedrooms efficient and fun! Share it with us!

from Home https://homedesignlover.com/bedroom-designs/small-bedroom-ideas/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[getseriouser]

20 THOUGHTS: Crows Dive with Pyke

NO-ONE likes waiting around 

Here we are, after a cracking crescendo to the end of the home and away season, where permutations and calculations saw an enthralling final eight set, and now we’ve got a week off.

The end of season bye came in not just because the AFLPA wanted more rest in-season for its union, but too the AFL saw an integrity issue with the final round and stars being rested.

Yet last Friday Essendon rested some of their players still, and from all appearances, with no disrespect to Hawthorn, West Coast rested all their team too, so what’s the point Gil?

Ah well, get in the garden, Father’s Day as well, it’ll be Thursday night in Perth before you know it. We hope.

 1.       Bit of a mixed bag this week, no footy for the last weekend in August, we’re a bit lost, but let’s start with West Coast. Last three games against good teams they’ve lost now. And two of those games were at home, the narrow loss to a then spluttering Collingwood and then one out of the box to a Hawthorn team who finished ninth. Not the kind of form you’d want in attempting to defend your title, especially when it now requires four wins to do it.

2.       So some still pick West Coast to go all the way, based on what we know about their best footy. But we must realise it’s less about the talent and some about the path there. To win the whole thing, weeks two through four would mean either three wins in Melbourne against Geelong or Collingwood, then Richmond, then Geelong or Collingwood, or, week three might be in Brisbane followed up by Richmond the week after. For a team that served that up against the Hawks, when top four was on the line, they ain’t doing any of that.

3.       Brisbane has a tough assignment too. One point win over Geelong at home and then Richmond was always comfy despite the stats and the margin. So first week is no gimme, but do that they’d earn a home prelim against Geelong or Collingwood, maybe West Coast, before copping Richmond at the MCG again most likely. Somewhat plausible but I don’t see three wins in them. If they lose first week they’re done and dusted, especially if the Tigers can beat them up there, they’d be cactus if they come down and play them again, or a hot Cats or Pies, down here.

4.       Just a random one, you know you’re talking to a Victorian, South Australian or Western Australian when they speak about the speed of the wind prevailing in a measurement of goals. “Hey, go put some washing on, it’s about a four-goal breeze out there”. Love it.

5.       The Pies looked really nice against the Crows, but it was the Crows and we’ll get to them. Aside from that, awful when it mattered against the Giants, not on the Tigers’ level and the Bombers win was unconvincing. If you back them in it’s on potential but the evidence on form is still a massive question mark.

6.       Mind you, overall, the Maggies are 7-4 against fellow top eight teams, which ranks first, the Cats are 5-3, Tigers are 5-4. Both the Eagles and Lions are only 4-4.

7.       I know this might not be the best version of the Giants we’ve seen the last four or so years, but geez they’ve been stiff. Could argue in 2017 and 2018 they were the second best team in it, only narrowly beaten by the eventual premier in the prelim. Too, they lost Cal Ward in the Dogs prelim early and Dylan Shiel in the Tigers prelim as well, so bit of sliding doors then who knows? Last year, narrow loss to the Pies in a semi-final. So in reality, whilst Cameron cops it for his record, the GWS really have been mighty close.

8.       Gee Chris Scott keeps banging on about venues. Let’s be clear. Last five years Geelong has had 11 home games at the MCG, outside of finals. You’d think going by his rhetoric they’re an 11-home games a year team down the highway. If it’s good to host home games there during the year, I don’t think you can labour the specific.

9.       Further, oh, it’s the Pies home ground, well yes that’s true. But in terms of home ground advantage, 100% of Geelong home games at GHMBA are home games, they are its only tenant, whereas only 57% of Collingwood home games at the MCG are true home games, the other 43% are against fellow-MCG tenants, neutral games in essence. For Victorian teams, there’s hardly any home ground these days anywhere, no advantage to be captured during the home and away, unless you’re Geelong of course.

10.   Don Pyke might be in the gun. Two schools of thought. First, it’s not yet two years since they played in a Grand Final. Furthermore, he has two years to run on a contract. But. Second school of thought, which I starting to subscribe to, is that despite all of that in his favour, has he ever regained the players properly since the 2018 pre-season? Have they looked any good since the 2017 granny? Think about the last two weeks, with finals implications on the line, they’ve looked putrid. The last Showdown is telling too, Port hammered them by ten goals no less. We may let him go into 2020 but then see more of the same and the decision makes itself. So if that looms, might as well act now and get the restart that playing group obviously needs.

11.   And also, Adelaide, by far the oldest list in the comp as well, so when you’re finishing 11th with that hanging over your head, lots needs to happen. Lots.

12.   If the Suns get handed pick two as a concession that’s a farce. It would firstly not be an objective reaction to assessing their situation, but secondly it would be not only incredibly overs for a club that doesn’t deserve, nor do well with drafting and development of players anyway, but it would be a contrived result based on a specific regards the upcoming draft pool. The top two standouts this year are two best mates from Melbourne, Noah Anderson and Matty Rowell. Both go to school at Carey, both in the Oakleigh Chargers program, both elite midfielders with different skillsets that as a package deal, as best mates, look immense. So for the AFL to deliberately land, potentially, on a concession to hand them pick 2, so they can grab both boys in the hope they are more likely to stay up there because they’re with each other, just stinks. Would hate it.

13.   Speaking of the Suns, they say they got over 7,000 to the Suns-Giants game on the weekend. No chance. No more than 3,000 paying attended, tops, with a couple thousand freebies chucked in for good measure. Poor Stuey Dew, will likely be 1-10 or 2-9 by the bye next year, and we’ll still have no strong answer to the question ‘is he a good coach?’ or not. For all we know he is Van Gogh without any access to paint.

14.   Steve Coniglio re-signs for seven years. That wouldn’t happen at the Suns. If he was on the Gold Coast he could be lured elsewhere for a can of Sprite and a Curly Wurly. But taken unders to stay in Sydney, speaks volumes of getting that franchise right, and embedded. Big difference to the Gold Coast where Jack Martin was so eager to tell the club he was leaving he almost told the runner Saturday night.

15.   And with all this trade stuff heating up, my Lord, how many numpties now throw darts at anything or have five bucks each way on every horse in the race, then letting us all know about it when a couple of the tickets in their pocket are winning ones? Its bad journalism. You know what we should demand in footy media? You know what proper trade-breaking, player movement coverage looks like? One word. “Woj”.

16.   Like this one – a leading psychologist (as opposed to those back of the peloton, off the street psychologists that are never quoted) has said that “not keeping score in junior sport is part of the ‘wuss-fication’ of an entire generation, with young kids not learning how to be resilient”. Knock me down with a feather, halle-bloody-lujah!

17.   All-Australian tonight, my team will be somewhere, but also the Rising Star is soon as well. Could google when it is but I’m not bothered, and we know Sam Walsh just wins, will be a gem for that club. My 5-4-3-2-1 if I was voting, if I’m honest: 5-Connor Rozee, 4-Sam Walsh, 3-Sydney Stack, 2-Cameron Zurhaar, 1-Mitchell Lewis. No judge will do anything like that, but that doesn’t make them right. I think Walsh is a gun but I just think Rozee is a special, special talent Victorians don’t appreciate enough. Zurhaar is a beast and helped win North two or three games by himself, and Lewis is the Hawks’ Roughy replacement, as a 20-year-old – yeah I’d be happy with that.

18.   Why are we naming an All-Australian squad of 40 the week of the final 22 being announced? Makes no sense at all. Why stop there? Why not name a 60-man shortlist then, last week? A top 100 after Round 16. Or, maybe after each Round, Hunger Games-style, tell us five blokes definitely not making the All-Australian. Or, maybe just maybe, we don’t worry about all of that and just tell us the team on the night? Don’t know. Maybe too radical.

19.   Legends game this Friday night, and its AFLX which caused a massive stink. Hate to say it though, it might, might, actually be better. Think about it, all AFLX really is, is on a smaller ground, doesn’t need tackling and the ball moves around quicker. Sounds like the perfect ingredients for older blokes who aren’t keen on amassing big GPS numbers on a standard-sized oval. Don’t like AFLX at all for normal players, but for the legends, made for TV, for charity, I think it maybe works out for the best?

20.   In this bye week I’m allowed – want to give a shout out to Roy Laird. Who? Last weekend he coached his 357th and final game for Central District in the SANFL after 17 seasons. He coached the Doggies to seven premierships and two runners up, the only success for Centrals in their history, won 22 of the 30 finals he coached and finishes with a 66% winning record. Freak. It’s been too long to get Centrals into this column so this week, we say well done and good luck to one of the greatest coaches the SANFL, and footy in general, has seen.