#protective Charles my beloved

[fan-a-tink]

just made this gif and I'm kind of in love with it... the most brain & brawn we've ever seen them

[genevievefangirl]

Love that Charles throws that vase down onto the skeleton with ZERO hesitation. Edwin's in trouble?! FUCK THIS VASE!

Protective Charles Rowland my beloved 🥰😍❤

DBDA Haunt Watch Party Info DBDA Haunt discord server link

[lavender-twilight23]

New fanfic INCOMING!

I'm currently writing a new fanfic that probably won't be too long, just a simple one-shot, but this one explores and what-if scenario that I randomly thought up of What If Apocalypse knew about Erik and Charles' history so when he recruited Erik, he didn't tell him the full extent of what he planned to do to Charles. Therefore all he told Erik would be that he needed him to send a message, not that he was planning on hurting him in any way. So Apocalypse ends up getting super rough with Charles when Charles resists against his evil villain plan, and Erik gets SUPER protective and pissed off because Apocalypse reportedly told him that he wasn't gonna hurt Charles and Apocalypse is like "i lied, i'm the villain bitch what did you expect" 🤣

Pretty stoked about this simple little one-shot! I'll post here when it's finished 😄

[xiaoluclair]

20 chalex. 😁😙

20. laughing into the kiss // [ rating: G ]

There is a strip of Hubba Bubba between Charles’s fingers that Alex knows isn’t his because Charles would take one look at Sweet & Sassy Cherry and say, how can a cherry be sassy?

Alex is about to nudge him under the table, make an unambiguous wiggle of his eyebrows that might perceive as a mating dance to ask where he got it. Only: “Wrap,” announces Jin right into his ears, pats Alex once on the shoulder. Cue the scrape of metal chairs on hard floor, Nirei’s nose wrinkling, a shout as Fred remembers the headphones on his head when the wire recoils him back to the monitor.

When Alex looks back, the Hubba Bubba is gone; Charles is chewing. Stops when Nyck bumps into his shoulder, starts talking to him and Alex can lip read: sector three, turning apex, almond chainsaw.

They’re all in the same car back to the hotel, two rooms stacked one atop the other. Alex does what he did yesterday and the day before: talks, laughs. Gives Nyck a noogie on the hard tusk of his skull. Steals Nirei’s phone to watch PIXAR Shorts with Charles’s chin hovering over his shoulder, cherry happiness in his ear.

They split in the elevator, Nyck and Nirei leaving Alex and Charles. In the few seconds it takes for the LEDs to change from six to seven, Alex has aquired a small, thumb–sized bruise on his elbow. Charles, ever oblivious, continues to pop a pale pink bubble around the bright of his tongue.

“I am thinking,” he says ponderingly as Alex unlocks their door with a tap of the keycard, slips it into his back pocket, “we should go to Old Zealand after I win.”

“All bark no bite,” replies Alex with a grin. “Also, Old Zealand? Mate, are you tripping?”

Charles, paused in front of him suitcase, glances over his shoulder for a moment. Meets Alex’s eyes with his mouth slightly shiny between his teeth before turning back around. “People always talk about New Zealand,” he says flippantly, pulling off his hoodie, polo in the odd way he does: head halfway out first, then pulling it the rest of the way from the bottom, horrendously endearing. “But no one ever says Old Zealand, and I think we should go.”

Alex, shrugging on his own sweats as the moles on Charles’s back are swallowed by a Tee, laughs. “Just to check, you want to go to Old Zealand because you’ve never heard a peep about it in your life?”

“Yes. I think it would be fun. There could be these, um.” His brow furrows, hand twists after dropping his clothes into a pile just to the side of his suitcase — where they are meant to be. Filip will have a fun time glaring them down tomorrow. “How do you say, old, like, rocks.”

Familiar with the situation, Alex giggles as he flops to his bed. “Fossils?”

Charles snaps his fingers. Brightens with it, eyes on Alex as he sits on the edge of the mattress by his knee, completely disregards the other bed in the room. To be fair, Alex isn’t exactly giving it much attention either. “Yes, fossils! We could find a dinosaur. You know people get famous because of dinosaur bones.”

Alex, grinning, offers, “What about ghosts? Haunted houses? Malicious spirits? There must be a reason folks don’t chat the place up, right?”

“There will not be ghosts,” waves off Charles, then hesitates, “will there?” and his bubble deflates timidly with it.

“There could be,” continues Alex, leg moving until his bone could dig into the flesh of Charles’s thigh where his black shorts have ridden up. “Big scary ghosts that really want to try French for dinner. Zoo animal ghosts.”

Charles sours, “I am not French,” but Alex is already grinning, shaking his head: predictable, easy. “I am Monegasque,” presses on Charles, but he is starting to smile now too, mouth slipping into it like the syrup sliding down Alex’s throat, “and there are not zoo animal ghosts in Old York, Alex.”

“There are!” says Alex. He is not sure when it begins, but suddenly his hands are half out and Charles is between them, pinching his giggles like thumbs round a candle wick. He tastes like: pink sugar, coarse sand, cotton candy.

Charles pulls away first, eyes wide. Mouth opens and out falls his wad of gum, right onto Alex’s chin, sticky with saliva, cold and wet down his neck. “Ew, ew,” says Alex, batting it off, half a shriek in his throat that comes out like a cackle. Charles scrambles for it, shoving it back into his mouth like a reflex. His fingers glisten with spit after, loud in the silence.

Alex starts to laugh. His eyes close with it, fizzy cola under his ribs. Charles is the black in the red of his blood, heat under his hands, and soon, he starts to shake too until they’re both silly with it. His arms must hurt, couldn’t not. But when Alex blinks open again he’s still there, head hung against Alex’s neck, limbs out and bent, slightly awkward around his body.

Alex taps him on the hip. “Come on,” he says, goads, “When I win the championship—” Charles snorts against his nose, “you can come to Old Zealand with me. Just in case they like super sexy British–Thai food and I need a guardian.”

“Keep dreaming, Albon,” says Charles, and he laughs again, hardly stopped. Alex leans up into him, is tugged maybe. He tastes like: pink sugar, coarse sand, cotton candy. He tastes like: joy.

[storyslover]

Could you write another fic where y/n is in a Quadrant video maybe y/n is a quadrant athlete and lando is so loving and supportive of her

HI, I TRIED TO MAKE IT LIKE YOUR REQUEST BUT ADDED MY TOUCH TO IT. HOPE YOU LIKE IT.

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

SPILL YOUR GUTS

 Pairing: Lando Norris x F2!driver!Reader (established relationship) Setting: Quadrant YouTube studio — a new Spill Your Guts episode Tone: Flirty, intimate, realistic, and a little suggestive Word Count: ~3,500

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

“You’re gonna regret agreeing to this.”

Lando’s voice was low behind you as you sat down on the Spill Your Guts set, fake neon sushi glowing on one side of the table and bowls of unidentifiable, terrifying food on the other.

You smirked and leaned back against him slightly. “I already regret dating someone with such a big mouth.”

He gave your waist a subtle squeeze before letting go. “That big mouth’s kissed you in some pretty risky places.”

“Lando—”

“Mic’s on, by the way,” Max called from behind the camera, grinning. “Keep it down, lovebirds.”

You put your head in Lando’s neck, embarrassed. “You're evil.”

 Max, laugh at your embarrassment.

“Stop teasing her. “Lando glared at Max.

You were the guest for this episode of Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts—Quadrant’s beloved, unhinged food-and-chaos segment. Your title? Officially, F2 driver. Also officially: part of Quadrant’s new athlete lineup.

Unofficially? Lando Norris’s girlfriend.

Not that either of you had confirmed it—yet. But there were hints: a soft-launched ski trip. Your voice in the background of his stream. His hoodie is on your Twitch. A cropped selfie with a driver’s pass just barely showing his name on your wristband.

Subtle… but not subtle enough for the internet to miss.

So when Quadrant asked you to be in a video, you knew what you were walking into.

You just didn’t know they’d stack the questions like this.

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

Round One: Max vs Y/N

Max picked up his card, his grin already too smug.

“Alright, Y/N. Question one. You’ve been in the paddock for a while now… so out of all the current F1 drivers—not counting Lando—who’s the hottest?”

The table immediately erupted.

Ria howled. Niran ducked under the table.

You leaned back, eyes wide. “That’s so dirty.”

Max laughed. “Then eat the duck tongue. Or answer.”

You looked at the plate. It looked… like someone had yanked it off an actual duck two hours ago.

You turned slightly in your seat and locked eyes with Lando, who was sitting just off-camera. His arms were crossed. A single brow was raised. Amused but clearly paying attention.

You narrowed your eyes at him, then turned back to Max with a shrug.

“Easy. Charles.”

Lando let out a dramatic scoff. “Oh, wow, okay.”

You grinned, playing it up. “Objectively speaking. Bone structure? Hair? Monaco accent?”

“You’re not helping yourself.”

Max leaned forward. “Is that your final answer?”

You glanced at Lando again, then smiled slyly. “Actually… Pierre has the arms.”

Lando stood up. “Okay, she’s sleeping on the couch tonight.” 

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

Round Two: Ria vs Y/N

Ria picked up her card, practically bouncing in her seat.

“Ooooh. This one’s so good. Okay. Y/N… what’s the most scandalous place you and Lando have hooked up?”

Lando  choked on his water.

Niran smacked the table and howled. Max looked like he’d won the lottery.

Your entire face went warm.

Ria grinned. “You can tell us or eat the century egg.”

The smell hit you immediately. You gagged.

Lando, from behind the camera, said calmly, “You could just eat the egg.”

You looked over your shoulder at him. “Coward.”

“I’m protecting our dignity.”

You turned back to the table. “Alright, you wanna know?”

Turn to look at Lando behind the camera “Sorry, i can’t eat it.”

Lando rolled his eyes.

Everyone leaned in.

“The McLaren hospitality bathroom.”

The studio exploded.

Max fell out of his chair. Ria was screaming. Niran ran out of frame.

Lando covered his face with both hands, muttering, “Nooo, you didn’t—”

You grinned wickedly. “Back when I was in F3. No one knew me. We got cocky.”

Ria gasped. “So you just—”

“Used his pass to sneak in. Didn’t even lock the door properly.”

Lando groaned.

“And I’d do it again.” 

Max is dying. “I am already imagining the headlines’ Lando Norris and y/n y/l/n F2 driver get frisky in The McLaren hospitality bathroom’ and your PR teams sweating. “

I look down, embarrassed .

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

Round Three: Niran vs Y/N

Niran’s question was sneakily soft.

“Okay, final one,” he said. “You’ve got everything on the line—career, legacy, reputation. If you could only choose one: the F1 seat of your dreams… or a life with Lando. What do you pick?”

The whole room went quiet.

You blinked.

Even Lando, off-camera, stopped shifting.

You exhaled slowly. “That’s not fair.”

Niran raised his brows. “You can skip it.by drinking the drink in front of you. “

You didn’t.

“I’ve worked my entire life for a seat in F1,” you said. “Since I was a kid. Every sacrifice, every night alone in hotel rooms, every injury, every sponsor meeting, every lap…”

You looked up.

“But I’d still pick him.”

Lando’s expression changed in an instant—shock, awe, something soft and deep that flickered behind his eyes like it hit straight in the chest.

“Because if I made it to the top and he wasn’t there,” you said quietly, “it wouldn’t matter.”

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

Behind the Scenes

Later, when the cameras stopped rolling and the crew started packing up, you snuck off to the corner hallway near the break room.

Lando found you there—leaning against the wall, scrolling through your phone to avoid how your heart was pounding.

“You meant it?”

You looked up.

He was standing close now, his voice low.

“The F1 seat,” he said. “You’d give that up?”

You tucked your phone away and looked at him properly. “If it came down to losing you? Yeah. I would.”

Lando didn’t smile this time.

Instead, he stepped in and pressed his forehead to yours, his hands sliding down to your waist, warm and grounding.

“I’d never ask you to choose,” he murmured. “But just so you know… I’d have picked you, too.”

You let your eyes flutter shut, exhaling against his mouth.

“Good,” you whispered. “Because I’m not done with you yet.”

He kissed you then—slow but firm, like a promise.

And when you pulled back, his voice was rough.

“You realize the fans are going to lose their minds over this video, right?”

You grinned. “Yeah, i know “ 

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

Top Comments Under the Video:

@quadrantchaos: "The McLaren hospitality bathroom." I AM ON THE FLOOR.

@wifeyofnorris: no bc the way Lando looked at her during the F1 seat question?? soulmates.

@f2babe: We all knew they were together, but THIS?? This was a RELATIONSHIP hard launch to END ALL HARD LAUNCHES.

@lan4rdo: She said Pierre has the ARMS and lived to tell the tale. queen. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HERE IS A NEW ONE HOPE YOU LIKE IT GUYS.

[astonmartinii]

Could you do a smau where she’s max’s sister and dominating MotoGP the way max is f1. Maybe they have the typical annoying younger sister/protective big brother relationship and he finds out she’s dating one of the f1 drivers? Xx

cherry lip balm | oscar piastri social media au

pairing: oscar piastri x motogp!verstappen!reader

the verstappen siblings run motorsport, but the youngest's f1 allegiances may belong elsewhere

f1 and motogp

liked by oscarpiastri, danielricciardo and 1,405,466 others

tagged: maxverstappen1, yourusername

f1 and motogp: happy international siblings day to max and y/n verstappen, these two have 60 wins between them 🏆

view all comments

user1: my faves i love them

user2: the way jos wasn't gonna let them kids do anything else lol

yourusername: + victoria verstappen the patron saint who puts up with both of us love you 🥰

maxverstappen: you mean putting up with you ? i'm a mature man of the world now

yourusername: girl you are fussier than all of our nephews put together mature MY ASS

maxverstappen1: i am mature and i have BOUNDARIES

yourusername: yeah you have boundaries between all your food you bland man

victoriaverstappen: i think you just proved y/n right

user3: they are the most unhinged people ever i feel so bad for victoria lol

user4: patiently waiting for y/n's championship

marcmarquez93: no marquez representation?

yourusername: you need to serve more

maxverstappen1: you guys don't have the verstappen sass

user5: someone needs to stop them 😭

yourusername

liked by oscarpiastri, maxverstappen1 and 832,771 others

yourusername: the two sides of a race week

view all comments

user6: the way she won this race and was like yeah i need that 0.5 of me drinking coffee actually

yourusername: it's a hot chocolate cause i'm a child

user7: are we all collectively ignoring the whole ass man on the last slide?

maxverstappen1: no we're not Y/N Y/M/N VERSTAPPEN CALL ME THIS INSTANT

yourusername: calm it on the all caps and maybe i'll call you

maxverstappen1: MAYBE?

yourusername: well that's not making it any better maxie

user8: i can't loose this parasocial relationship y/n get that man's hands off of you now

landonorris: y/n please pick up max's call he's threatening to throw my monza trophy PLEASE PICK UP I DON'T HAVE THAT MANY TROPHIES

yourusername: please refer to my previous comment about all caps and then come back

landonorris: y/n may you please call your beloved brother back so my very limited trophy collection does not get destroyed

yourusername: sure just for you lando ❤️

maxverstappen1: STOP FLIRTING PLEASE

yourusername: i just picked up ... and ur still commenting (plus that's not lando in the pic btw he's too skinny to be him)

landonorris: why am i getting bullied by both verstappens today, i'm just trying to help :(

maxverstappen1

liked by oscarpiastri, yourusername and 1,034,661 others

tagged: yourusername

maxverstappen1: there's no party like a verstappen party and a verstappen-only party with no BOYFRIENDS because they don't exist :)

view all comments

user14: ahaha passive aggressive max is my fave

yourusername: just cause you're too much of a pussy to ask charles out so i can't have a boy friend?

maxverstappen1: what?

yourusername: what?

user15: max as overprotective brother is my new favourite thing

danielricciardo: i fear y/n is 22 years old and her own woman

yourusername: awwww thanks danny at least one man here has SENSE

maxverstappen1: how much did she pay you to comment that?

danielricciardo: she didn't pay me but my house plant currently at hers was being held at gun point

yourusername: i would never

danielricciardo: so i can delete my comment

yourusername: do that and sheila gets it

user16: i know we should be more concerned with max going insane, but daniel's choice of name for his house plant is the most pressing issue

user17: hear me out but for comedic purposes ... i need y/n's bf to be a driver

maxverstappen1: do not speak that into the universe

oscarpiastri

liked by landonorris, yourusername and 808,943 others

tagged: yourusername

oscarpiastri: i like the taste of her cherry lip balm

view all comments

user22: what 😭 the 😭 fuck 😭

yourusername: you don't taste half bad either ;)

oscarpiastri: come back to bed

maxverstappen1: NO NO NO STOP RIGHT THERE OSCAR JACK PIASTRI WHAT ARE YOU DOING DON'T SAY THAT ABOUT MY SISTER

oscarpiastri: how do you know my middle name?

maxverstappen1: i called your mum, anyhow YOU ARE A DEAD MAN

oscarpiastri: how did you get my mum's number?

maxverstappen1: i'm trying to threaten you please stop asking questions

yourusername: maxy please stop trying to be scary i know you still wear footy pjamas at christmas

maxverstappen1: well i hope oscar is terrified by my christmas spirit

user23: i feel like i lose brain cells watching y/n and max talk to each other

user24: we ignoring the fact that max managed to get oscar's mum's number just to ask for his middle name PETTY KING

maxverstappen1: it was more than a middle name, i needed a character witness

yourusername: CHARACTER WITNESS? YOU WORK WITH HIM? YOUR BEST FRIEND IS HIS TEAMMATE?

maxverstappen1: i understand you are making points and no one has a bad word to say about him ... but i've got to stick to the bit now

oscarpiastri: so i'm not going to die in hungary?

maxverstappen1: no. but keep all your business to yourself, i don't need to know what lip balm my sister uses and that you own a bed

oscarpiastri: got it 🫡

user25: well that was dramatic

maxverstappen1

liked by oscarpiastri, yourusername and 1,203,788 others

tagged: yourusername, oscarpiastri

maxverstappen1: congrats on your first podium in f1 oscar, welcome to the family i guess ... don't take photos on my phone every again

view all comments

user28: so we can all say oscar has max's approval now?

user29: mans was like wow he challenged me in the race he has the stamp of approval now

yourusername: jokes on you we look great @oscarpiastri

oscarpiastri: and what the people don't know is that max was also doing face masks with us

maxverstappen1: not the serve you think it is i am very secure in my masculinity

yourusername: i'm glad you've gotten over your weird older brother act ... does this mean you'll both come to my next race?

oscarpiastri: i'll be there :)

maxverstappen1: i guess

yourusername: whooooooooop finally

user30: the way i am so happy for oscar i feel like i've been on this journey with him

user31: honestly rookie of the year and it's not even close

user30: i was talking about him and max... but yeah he's doing great !!!

landonorris: can i also get a pass for your next race y/n for keeping it a secret?

maxverstappen1: WHAT

yourusername: ur so dumb i actually can't

oscarpiastri: i'm not helping you here dude i just got approval

landonorris: well now i regret helping you guys

maxverstappen1: open your door lando

user32: is he dead?

yourusername

liked by oscarpiastri, maxverstappen1 and 1,348,300 others

tagged: maxverstappen1, oscarpiastri

yourusername: fifth win of the season, my family and the love of my life, what could be better

view all comments

user33: i feel like the shit storm of max and oscar has defo distracted us from the fact that f1 and motogp fans are suffering through a verstappen winning nearly every race

maxverstappen1: i want everyone to appreciate my character growth as i took that gross ass last photo

yourusername: thank you maxy, what a sacrifice

oscarpiastri: thanks dude, you did push me in the water right after though

maxverstappen1: uh you snooze you lose, a verstappen rule of life, you had no phone on you so fair game, i thought you wanted to be part of this family

oscarpiastri: I DO ... does this mean i can push you in next time?

maxverstappen1: absolutely not.

yourusername: do it anyway osc i'll protect you babe

oscarpiastri: idk i'm scared

yourusername: he's ticklish he's so easy to beat

maxverstappen1: THAT WAS A SECRET Y/N

user34: if you told me last season that i'd see max go from wanting to kill piastri to being brothers with him and that i'd know he wears footy pjs and is ticklish i'd laugh in ur face

maxverstappen1: ONLY AT CHRISTMAS

oscarpiastri: don't worry mate i think it's cute

maxverstappen1: okay now i prefer you over y/n

yourusername: who? what? where? when? why?

oscarpiastri: soz babe you snooze you lose

note: ahhhhh i really enjoyed writing this so i hope you enjoy i love writing comment domestics if you couldn't tell lol xx

[httpsleclerc]

after that one video of charles holding chiara, i feel like the baby thing might've gotten to all of us, really.

i was thinking.. charles and reader's first vacation together since the baby was born and they just take a yacht trip (like the one the leclercs did on this year's summer break) and everyone's there! incluiding chiara cuz i feel like charles would make them become bffs LOL. also he's such a girls dad ughhhh

HES SO DAD SHAPED

You smiled over as Charles turned to face you, holding your baby girl, Juliette in his arms, adjusting the small bucket hat on her head which protected her from the sun. You pulled Charles button up shirt over yourself a bit more, even though Charles had convinced you that you looked beautiful without - Your self confidence had taken quite the hit since being pregnant and giving birth to your daughter, but Charles was working on making sure you felt as beautiful as you looked.

"Jules, look over at your mama," Charles pointed over at you, and Juliette's eyes followed to where was pointing, giving you a toothless grin as she spotted you, her beloved mama. You smiled widely at her, opening your arms for Charles to place her in. "How's my girl doing?" Charles asked you, placing Juliette in your arms, the two of you grinning as she babbled nonsense.

"I'm good, mon amor, just enjoying the sun," You told him, resting your head against his bare shoulder as you sighed contentedly, happy to be spending some quality time with your little family. "I think Jules is sleepy, Charles." You said, running your hand up and down your daughters small back, gently lulling the 10 month old to sleep in your arms.

You knew that the given nickname of your daughter was bittersweet for Charles, but he had asked you at the very start of your pregnancy if you would at least consider naming your child in some way that would honour his late close friend and godfather. Of course you obliged, how could you deny him such a request?

"She's so beautiful, just like her mama," Charles smiled at Juliette and then back at you, and placed a kiss on your cheek as you blushed at his compliment. "My two most beautiful girls," He started, putting his arm around the two of you as you leaned into him, Juliette sleeping peacefully in your arms and on your chest. "Ma belle épouse et ma superbe petite princesse."

my beautiful wife, and my stunning little princess.

You had no clue how you ended up so lucky with a man like Charles, a man who loved you more than life itself, who loved you enough to marry you with the most stunning wedding known to man, and a man who loved you enough to give you the most beautiful baby girl - Who sometimes you thought he loved more than you, but given her cuteness, you would allow it. You loved Charles' family, and they loved you as if you were one of their own, Pascale was especially fond of you, since you had gifted her with her first grandchild to spoil.

She knew of her middle sons tendencies to rush into relationships, but the first time she met you, she told Charles that she knew you were the one for him - that she saw that he was comfortable to be himself truly around you.

He knew she was right.

[babybearnation]

Alpha ollie x omega gn reader who is nervous their first time in the paddock so ollie the inexperienced alpha is just growling at anyone who gets too close and the others have to help calm him down

alpha!ollie my beloved

alpha!ollie bearman x gn!omega!reader

to say you were nervous would be an understatement

you were fucking terrified of being in the paddock

but you really wanted to support your boyfriend & alpha, ollie, in his racing, so you tried your best to cope with the anxious and overwhelmed feelings that were flooding your system

the amount of conflicting scents, especially alpha ones, made your hair stand on end and you were anxiously picking at your clothes as you sat in haas hospitality, waiting for ollie to join you

when he does, he's with esteban and even though you trust the older driver, you still feel a little bit anxious/nervous

ollie senses this almost immediately and, not knowing what to do, he starts growling, crossing over to you and pulling you up into his arms

esteban recognises what is going on and decides to warn the rest of the drivers about what might happen if they get too close to ollie's omega

the other drivers don't take it seriously, almost positive that such a light-hearted and friendly person like ollie isn't gonna be all growly and alpha-y

until you and ollie walk over to the other drivers

charles says hi to you and you shyly wave back, still quite anxious, prompting around round of growling from ollie's mouth

charles, a fellow omega, just laughs and tells ollie to relax but it's like ollie is a broken toy - he can't stop growling at the other drivers

you take his hand in yours and brush your thumb over his wrist, hoping to calm him down with your soft scent

it works for all of two minutes until kimi arrives

you and kimi are friends and are familiar with each other so you perk up when you see him, prompting yet another loud growl to fall from ollie's mouth

kimi just sticks his tongue out at ollie, calls him immature, and then continues on with the conversation you two are having

charles, pierre, esteban & lewis take this as the perfect moment to pull ollie away and have a chat with him about how he should act when protecting you and having you around other drivers

lewis knows from years of driving experience what alpha driver jealousy can do to even the best of people and he doesn't wanna see ollie go down that path

that sobers ollie up perfectly and he slinks over to you, joining the conversation you and kimi are having, shooting you both a small, apologetic smile as he does so

he doesn't growl for the rest of the day and you find that, actually, you have no reason to be afraid of the paddock or any of the other drivers

© all rights to babybearnation 2025.

[adventures-in-mangaland]

Even More Dead Boy Detectives Fic Recs

I've discovered some amazing new authors since my last post! And writers I've already recced have published more great stories So here's another fic rec post!

Who? You mean your teammate in the Codependency World Cup? (series) by RoseGanymede95

I couldn't chose! They're all great! Basically a series of Edwin and Charles through the years and on cases pre-show. It scratches that adjusting-to-being-dead/newly-escaped-from-Hell itch and the authors writing is magic! It also fleshes out a really interesting conflict in the payneland dynamic: Charles' drive to protect Edwin at all costs clashing with Edwin's guilt over putting Charles at risk/depriving him of some ideal afterlife. Parts one and four also introduces Constantine/Johanna and part three revolves around an absolutely gut-wrenching temporary break-up. 😢

In Hell I'll Be in Good Company by laylabinx

Charles rescuing Edwin from Hell does not go smoothly. Just. Bucketloads of Trauma for both of them. And for you, the Reader. It's so good though!

your fangs in my neck (like an anchor like a vow) by shadowquill17

Vampire Edwin AU! It's great because it combines the (homo)eroticism of vampiric feeding with Charles' whole bisexual crisis and post-confession Edwin worrying about making Charles uncomfortable. Also Charles is some kind of demigod/immortal agent of divine vengeance which is an AMAZING detail and I desperately want to see some fanart!

The same author's ongoing story to the pain is also excellent though very angsty (cw temporary character death). I'm anxiously waiting for an update!

To Memory Now I Can't Recall by engineering_madonna

This is an amnesia fic and the most recent in an established relationship series. The first two installments feature the boys getting together and navigating their new relationship, so pulling the old 'character A forgets their whole romantic relationship with character B' trope hits especially hard! The whole series is lovely, but I am WEAK for temporary-amnesia.

Lemonade & Sunrises by paraph

A Quiet Place AU! The boys are alive, but they're the only ones. Very bleak but in a way that makes me want more!

1999 au (series) by websters_lieb

The boys figure their shit out in the 90s. Also, Edwin gets to read Maurice and queer theory. The cases in both stories are compelling and the author's writing and characterisation of the boys are excellent.

I also recommend offer me that deathless death which is about the boys' first meeting, Charles' funeral and the birth of the agency.

if I could reach the stars (i'd give them all to you) by ObsessedWithFandom

Charles falls first, Edwin falls harder. This is an AU of the author's excellent Charles' bisexual awakening fic, which I also highly recommend. It has lovely OCs and Charles having a sweet little friendship/romance with the boy he saved in canon, which actually makes his death a whole lot more tragic.

Came up from that lake of fire by ghostinthelibrary

Charles and Edwin get caught escaping Hell and promise to capture a demon-eating ghost called The Deathless in exchange for their freedom. With the added twist that they get to be alive again! An exciting case, high stakes and all the alive-again culture shocks and emotional/interpersonal drama you could ask for.

gig officially gigged by laiqualaurelote

Band AU! It shouldn't work but it does. Which might also be an in-universe review for the band tbh. Idk, I loved Edwin's massive obscure musical instruments and Charles being his unpaid roadie. Peak Found Family Feels.

No Rehearsing It, No Reversing It by DontOffendTheBees

Charles overthinks being in love with Edwin, my beloved. This time with increasingly flimsy pretexts for why they NEED to kiss. Just perfect Idiots in Love, no notes.

The Case of David Bowie's Made up Sexuality by williamvapespeare

The agency attempt to help a living lesbian couple deal with a haunting. Meanwhile, Charles struggles through his bisexual (re)awakening. With bonus past (living) Charles no-homo-ing himself to the nth degree. Pure of heart, dumb of ass, indeed.

The lamps are going out by CasiHuman

Vengeful Spirit Edwin AU! Has some interesting ghost lore and Edwin being convinced his touch is painful to Charles (love that trope!). Also features some of the author's adorable/hilarious fanart at the end.

just frame the halves (and call them brothers) by Anonymous

Crystal stumbles upon the ghost of Edwin's older brother, who hires the agency to free him and his platoon from the battleground they've been haunting. Case fic with interesting details about Edwin's family life and an awkward as hell family reunion.

the case of the very long ferry ride by obsceme

Sex pollen but with skin hunger, so it's more touching turned making out and hand jobs in a bathroom. Interesting use of ghost lore and it's cute and well written.

Form 239, Schedule L by sanctuary_for_all

Charles Rowland's Love Language is Acts of Service: The Fic. So many feels! Plus Afterlife worldbuilding and some quality Night Nurse rep.

don't go sharing your devotions (lay all your love on me) by Hephanna

The boys and Crystal accidentally summon an alternate universe version of Charles. He's very... handsy. Charles being jealous of himself is objectively hilarious and it looks like it could be heading towards throuple territory. Possibly even a foursome, if alternate Edwin figures out parallel universe travel. Which he probably will.

Still a Better Lovestory by Vamillepudding

Hanahaki disease! Charles is on the case but Edwin's being weirdly uncooperative about his own curse. I loved the worldbuilding (there's a whole sisterhood of washerwomen!) and the angst, plus the writing is excellent.

The author has also written Eternal Sunshine, in which Edwin is cursed to feel no love of any kind. It makes for an interesting character study, contrasting cursed Edwin, his public reserve and his actual personality.

[fan-a-tink]

Character Appreciation Week: Edwin Payne

Edwin Payne is the kindest & bravest soul I have ever come across in fiction. He found the courage to forgive his killer, he dedicated his afterlife to helping other people, solving their cases and giving others the help he never received when he was alive. He endured decades of torture in literal hell and it only made him kinder, more desperate to help others, to protect others from the same fate. He brought Charles so much more than just a lantern, but warmth and light and comfort in his darkest hour, and Edwin was ready to let Charles move on, completely selflessly offering his friendship for a few hours thinking that's all it was ever going to be.

Edwin is also an incredible detective, and I love that he can spend his afterlife pursuing his interests, using his intelligence and analytical abilities to solve cases, and becoming like the great detective characters he always loved reading about. He takes his work seriously, but I know that he also takes pleasure in it, reveling in the questions and motions of detective work. He's actually the biggest nerd who made his special interest his profession and I love how much joy that brings him.

I love Edwin for how protective he is of his own space and for how he adopts a quiet confidence in himself as he discovers more about himself, his queerness, his relation to others. He is always very aware of the space he takes up in the world, the ghostly body he's been given, the version of himself that exists in the world as a testimony to his escape from hell and the endless cycle of being ripped apart over and over again. It's no wonder he is conscious of his body, and careful about who he lets into his personal space. But I also love that that never stops him from adding little flourishes to his movements, small gestures that become part of his very unique style of existence. By the end of the eight episodes you can really see in his movements that he is comfortable in his ghostly skin and confident about who he is. It is beautiful to see.

And finally, I love Edwin for how he loves Charles. His journey of discovery, not only of his sexuality but also of his feelings for Charles, of learning how to love and let other people in was so powerful and really hit a nerve with me. Out of all the incredibly brave things he's done throughout his after-life, confessing his feelings for Charles is by far the bravest one. He poured his heart out and made himself completely vulnerable in front of the person who had the power to hurt him more than anyone in the world. And I am so glad it was Charles, and that Charles responded with so much gentleness and acceptance. My heart sings when I think about how much Charles and Edwin care about and for each other, how gently they hold each other, how precious they are to one another. Their relationship is the definition of the secret third thing and I will forever be grateful to Edwin for being a part of that. I feel so hopeful knowing that he is finding his way through the great labyrinth of sexuality and romantic attraction, hopeful that I can navigate it too.

Edwin Payne, my precious boy, my beloved ghost detective, my favourite character to ever grace the realm of fiction. You are so loved.

[adutchlover]

Please read the whole text below since it has an important message!

BREAKING: THE INVITATION – CUT QUESTION

“Okay, next question!”

The host gestures toward the stack of remaining cards, and Charles leans forward, plucking one from the middle. He reads it quickly to himself before blinking in surprise. The question is not only unexpected, he wonders why on earth the podcast would even ask such a thing. But, having faced the consequences of not-asking a question before, he decides it’s a fairly innocent, albeit strange, one.

“Alright,” he begins, trying to keep the wonder out of his tone. “Have you ever had someone copy a signature race move?”

He expects Max ro roll his eyes, scoff and say no. His own smile is half-teasing, half-challenging, already braced for the sarcastic comeback from the Dutchman.

But Max’s expression shifts, hesitating for a long moment.

“Uh…” he rubs the back of his neck nervously, eyes flicking toward the polygraph technician like he’s debating whether to lie or tell the truth. “Actually, yes.”

Charles straightens in surprise. "Wait–really?" Who?”

Max shrugs, eyes fixed on the card in Charles’s hand as though it might bail him out. “You.”

The silence that follows is stunned — and then Charles lets out a startled laugh, eyebrows rising. “Me?!”

Max nods slowly, a small, sheepish smile tugging at his mouth. “Yeah. Years ago. Spa. You mirrored my braking point into La Source and took the outside line just like I did two races before. It was one of my favorite moves at the time.”

“I didn’t—” Charles trails off, a flush rising in his cheeks. “I didn’t even know it was your move. I just thought it looked cool.”

“It was cool,” the blond replies, voice softening. “And you nailed it. Better than most would’ve. Still... you could’ve asked.”

“And you would’ve just... What, drawn me a diagram?”

“I would’ve explained it. Given you tips. Maybe even let you test it out side-by-side in sim or something.”

Charles bites his lip and stays silent for a long time. The pang of guilt is hard to ignore, but Max doesn’t sound angry or upset at all. If anything, he sounds amused. Eventually, he remembers where they are and that the host is waiting for a response, pushes the guilt that’s gnawing inside his chest away and looks up at Max with a curious gleam in his eye. “So all I have to do is ask?”

“Next time,” Max says with a smirk, his voice dropping just a bit, “just ask.”

And again, there’s that beat of silence where the air stretches thin between them, charged and teasing.

Then Charles hums, casual but just shy of flirty. “Got any other tricks up your sleeve?”

“Plenty,” Max replies smoothly, puts his elbows on the table and leans in a bit closer. “I’ll show you, if you want.”

The blush that creeps up Charles’s neck is immediate and telling, and Max watches him with unhidden satisfaction. “Right,” he mutters, clearing his throat and looking at the host expectantly, but not before he catches Max leaning just a little closer, murmuring:

“But only in private.”

🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️

We know; exciting, right! An exclusive “cut question” from our beloved fic The Invitation. But unfortunately, not without reason.

This fic, and by extension we, were the target of plagiarism.

This text is not intended to create drama or public exposure. It is simply a brief and necessary statement — out of respect for the people involved and to protect others who share their work with confidence.

Some of our copyrighted content was used without permission by someone with whom we had close contact. This affected not just one person, but several, and it was something that only came to light recently, although it had been happening for months.

The person involved was contacted and there was a conversation. Supposedly, they acknowledged the error, apologized and presented their perspective on the situation. However, since this was a private conversation, we will not go into details here.

Not only we, but also the incredibly talented @chock-and-bates has been a victim of this. Supposedly, it would only be our fics, but it’s hard to say at this point because logically, trust has been broken.

Due to the gravity of what happened and the impact it has had in recent weeks, we felt it was important to make this public statement — without exposing, without attacking, but with responsibility.

Using someone’s work (with permission!) as inspiration is a big compliment. Using someone’s work and pretending it’s your own, isn’t. Please never consider copying work you love; it only hurts writers and readers in the end.

If you want to know more details, we have a document with the details of the case — just contact us or @chock-and-bates privately. But above all, we would like to reduce this situation to what it is now — a problem supposedly resolved.

@adutchlover & @randomwordsonpaper

P.s: Don’t worry… there IS more to come inside The Invitation universe! ;)

[amirasainz]

Can you please do amira gets her wisdom teeth removal and is so loopy and adorable, the drivers and wags heart melt?

Sure, I hope you enjoy reading this. If you have a request, let me know.

-XoXo

No Part 2!!!

Her own kind of wisdom

Amira Sainz, Carlos Sainz Jr's beloved little sister, recently had her wisdom teeth removed. It certainly was no easy thing for her to do because, like most people, she was afraid of the dentist.

"No, please don't make me do this, Carlitos. I promise, I'll stop eating M&M's," she looked at him with big, tearful eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but this is for your own good," Carlos promised her.

She gave a tearful cry and turned to Rebecca, who was watching the whole interaction. She only shook her head sadly and petted Amira's hair lovingly.

After a dramatic goodbye with lots of tears and hugs, Amira was put under anesthesia, so she wouldn't feel anything. Thankfully, she easily fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Carlos, ever the protective big brother, was pacing up and down in the waiting room. An elderly lady was also sitting there, silently judging Carlos.

After two horrible hours, the small operation was finally done, and Carlos and Rebecca were able to see her.

As she woke up from the anesthesia, she was adorably loopy, her normally sharp wit dulled into a delightful haze.

"Carlos, Carlos, Carlos. Imagine if you get lost in the parking garage. Then you are truly Car...los. Get it?" she asked, her voice muffled because of the cotton balls inside her mouth. Carlos's only reaction was to stare with an empty expression into space.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Carlos had made sure to let a few of his closest friends from the F1 grid know about the procedure. Before long, a small group had gathered at the Sainz family home, including Lando, Charles, Fernando, and a few of the WAGs like Carmen and Lily. (Their boyfriends weren't allowed to come, by order of the best WAGs.)

The moment the trio returned home, everyone cooed over the paddock princess.

"Oh, my beautiful baby. Are you feeling better?" and "Look at you, my love," were the first things Carmen and Lily said to her before leading her to the couch. Fernando and Charles had already prepared a princess-worthy comfy space there with lots of blankets and pillows.

Amira, her cheeks puffed up and her words slurred, tried to engage everyone in conversation, her usual shyness replaced with an endearing boldness. She babbled about how the clouds must be made of marshmallows and insisted that Lando’s hair was a shade of blue. The room was filled with laughter, everyone’s hearts melting at her innocence and charm.

Carlos, though usually the fiercely protective older brother, couldn’t help but laugh along, his protective nature temporarily overshadowed by the sheer cuteness of the situation. He made sure to capture a few moments on his phone, knowing these would be memories to cherish.

As Amira drifted in and out of consciousness, mumbling sweet nonsense, the drivers and WAGs took turns sitting by her side, holding her hand, and ensuring she was comfortable. Their usual competitive edges softened.

After Amira fell asleep for real this time, cuddled up between Lily and Fernando, Charles couldn't help but say:" She really is a brave girl. If I were her, I would have already fainted seven times" making the group laugh.

"So, Lord Perceval. Where is your WAG Joris?" asked Carlos, which gained him a groan from Charles.

[youkissedareaderinthedark]

Mockingbird

Synopsis: Charles Leclerc as always been a family man, so it makes perfect sense to everyone when he chooses to adopt a child. Specifically, you.

adopted monegasque daughter reader x charles leclerc

A/N: for this one; charles will adopt y/n when he’s 28, for the most part, the grid will be the same as the 2023, everyone’s just older, and because charles’ relationships are unpredictable, he chooses to adopt and raise y/n mostly on his own.

. okay so

. again, charles has always wanted a family

. small, big, when he’s young, when he’s old

. doesn’t care, just wants a family

. specifically, a child

. but after many not-so serious and semi-serious relationships

. he realizes that he’ll have to wait a few years until he can have one of his own

. unless

. “what if I just adopt a child?”

. “I won’t have to wait any longer, I can just have one and raise them on my own terms”

. charles decides he likes this idea very much

. so he thinks it over and talks about it with his own family

. then after many conversations with his mother

. he visits a few adoption centers

. talks to a lot of social workers and child protective service workers

. finds one wide-eyed, adorable, 3 year old girl

. and falls absolutely in love

. the directors of the adoption center tell him all about you

. your birth parents, your story, your situation

. his heart was set

. the adoption process takes a few months

. so charles take that time to get ready for you

. but nothing could prepare him for the day the adoption agency called and told him you were his

. he swears it was the best day of his life

. he was beaming the entire drive to the adoption center with pascale

. had tears in his eyes when he finally got to hold you in his arms

. so then

. charles leclerc is a father

. the first two years of living with charles was definitely an experience

. you don’t remember much but he tells you how chaotic ages 3-5 were

. about how he basically lived with his mother in his childhood home for those years so she could help him take care of her granddaughter

. how much he loved getting to know you

. finding your favorite foods, toys, shows, ect

. how he loved teaching you his languages

. (he raises you in french, italian, and english, particularly in that order)

. how he cried when he dropped you off for day care and kindergarten the first time

. how he loved helping you know him

. like playing songs on his piano for you

. teaching you how to play different sports

. or watching old formula 1 races together

. speaking of formula 1

. you were raised racing

. charles bought you your first kart when you were six

. brought you to your first f1 race when you were five

. actually, charles had a love-hate relationship with bringing you to races with him during the early years of having you

. because on one hand

. there’s thousands of cameras around during a race weekend, and charles doesn’t want you televised 24/7

. and there’s also hundreds of people around him while he’s in the paddock, and he wants none of them near you

. it’s also hard to give you his full attention during race weekends

. which is something he always wants to do

. so he’s against the idea at first

. but on the other hand

. he can’t bear being apart from you for a few hours, nonetheless a few days or sometimes weeks

. and he knows you don’t really understand what’s going on, only that your dad puts on a red suit and drives a very fast car for a hour and half

. but he loves coming back to the garage to see you sitting with andrea, clad in ferrari merch and big headphones with a happy grin on your face

. it cheers him up no matter what happened on track

. and he knows he has lots of people willing to look out for you while he’s busy

. because you instantly became beloved by the grid the moment charles walked in with you in his arms

. who’s carlos sainz and pierre gasly?

. you only know uncle carlo and uncle pear

. uncle lew, uncle max, the list goes on

. although charles never lets you out of the ferrari garage

. his closest friends come in and visit you often

. sometimes because your dad asked, sometimes just because they want to

. also, speaking of max

. you met penelope during the winter break when you were five

. and even though she’s three years older than you

. she instantly became like your older sister

. and suddenly charles and max hang out a lot more often for the sake of their daughters

. anyway, the early years of living with charles were still chaotic, but he says that those years contain some of his favorite memories

. he loved watching you grow up

. sending you to primary school

. watching you kart on the same track he drove on when he was your age

. spending many afternoons at his mother’s house with his brothers

. (arthur and lorenzo are the best uncles by the way)

. watching you discover your own passions, whether that be racing or not

. traveling around the world with you, both to race and to explore

. watching you become independent, speaking up for yourself and what you believe in

. it all goes by very fast for charles

. and suddenly you’re a teenager

. by now charles is close to/about to retire

. so you don’t spend that much time in the paddock as a teenager

. but the times that you do are very fun

. instead of staying in charles’s team garage, you explore the paddock with penelope, who’s still an older sister to you

. you befriend all the newer drivers

. and hang out with whichever drivers are left from the grid when you first got adopted

. however, the drivers that charles has been friends with and have retired by now

. lewis, daniel, carlos, pierre, max, george, alex, lando

. you’ve formed your own big family with them and their kids

. because almost all of you live in monaco, you see each other often

. you guys go on vacations together when you don’t have school

. holidays on private beaches and expensive yachts

. or at booked-out ski resorts and mountain lodges

. you and penelope are the oldest, and are mostly in charge of looking after the youngest kids

. but you don’t mind, you love them

. it’s your own little f1 community

. but this is barely the beginning of having charles as a father

. he loves embarrassing you, for one

. at first glance, it might seem cool to have your dad come pick you up from school in a ferrari

. until he gets out in strangely pattered pants and a shirt that will never match

. “papa, do you not have anything else in your closet?”

. “what do you mean? you don’t like?”

. he says it keeps you humble

. you say he should just stay in the car next time

. charles does make sure you’re humble and grateful for everything you have

. but he doesn’t help by spoiling you to death

. you like something from the new gucci collection? it’s yours

. new dior bracelet you said is pretty? your birthday gift

. you think aruba looks nice? where do you think you two spend your next summer vacation

. “papa, when I said I wanted a break from school, I didn’t mean in italy”

. “but mon petit soleil, you are relaxed now, non? you’ll be back by monday, don’t worry”

. whether it be italy or not, wherever you go, charles tries to keep you as safe as possible

. he’s always been cautious of fans and paparazzi around you, no matter how old you are

. making sure you’re holding on to him when a crowd comes out from no where and gets too close for comfort

. keeping you by his side when there’s paparazzi around

. and doing whatever it takes to make sure you’re safe and happy at home/school/in the paddock

. anyway

. I could go on and on about being charles’ daughter

. but the point is that he loves you

. you’re y/n jules leclerc

. his petit soleil

. he couldn’t imagine his life without you

[bcacstuff]

🚨 [This story contains major spoilers from the season seven finale of Outlander, “A Hundred Thousand Angels.”] 🚨

In seven seasons of Outlander, Claire (Caitríona Balfe) and Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) have endured enough trauma to last multiple lifetimes. While they have always found their way back to each other and the family they’ve created together across centuries, Claire and Jamie, now in middle age, are perhaps more aware than ever about what they stand to lose.

“Jamie is very much aware of his mortality. He’s talked about it multiple seasons, about his nine lives, and he’s right at the end of them,” Heughan tells The Hollywood Reporter in a joint interview with Balfe about the season seven ending. “He didn’t want to be involved in this [Revolutionary War], but his choice now is that he has to be involved to protect those he loves. I think [Jamie and Claire] are aware that they can’t exist without each other and they’d rather not. So what does that mean for the future? I think if one loses the other, then I don’t know if there’s much hope for them.”

Despite that bleak outlook, Claire and Jamie have reason to be hopeful heading into the eighth and final season of the fantasy historical drama. In the season seven finale, as Claire recovers from being shot again and undergoing a life-saving surgery at the hands of Denzell (Joey Phillips), she and Jamie discover that their first daughter Faith, who they believed died in childbirth, had actually survived and was the mother of their new ward Fanny Pocock (Florie Wilkinson) and her late sister Jane (Silvia Presente), who Jamie and his biological son William (Charles Vandervaart) were tragically unable to save from captivity just days earlier.

That shocking cliffhanger — which was not in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander novels — sets up the final 10 episodes, which Balfe and Heughan have already finished filming. Given that the show has remained a constant in their lives for 11 years, the actors, who both became producers during the fifth season, admit they are still in the early stages of grieving that loss and figuring out how to fill that new void.

“I’m reading a lot, I’m writing a bit, I’m watching so many movies at the moment — all of these things that I just didn’t have time to do,” Balfe says. “I feel like as an actor, when you’re working, you’re on output mode all the time, and it’s so important to feed your soul as well. I want to take my time, wait and do things that really mean something to me.”

Below, the actors behind one of the most beloved TV couples of all time open up to THR about the evolution of their onscreen and offscreen relationships, how they chose to play the key moments from the latest chapter of Claire and Jamie’s love story — and the one genre they would love to collaborate on in the future.

***

Having played Claire and Jamie for over a decade, what new layers were you able to find in the playing of these characters in the seventh season?

SAM HEUGHAN Jamie’s gone from being this tempestuous, impetuous highland warrior with very little responsibility to becoming a laird, and now he’s responsible for not just his men in battle, but everyone on Fraser’s Ridge. He’s essentially a landlord or a clansman. But what I think is really interesting as well is that over the past couple of seasons — but this one in particular — Jamie realizes what he’s got to lose. I think now he realizes he can’t have a life without Claire; he knows that life isn’t worth living without her. I guess being more fragile is what’s interesting about him, which I think comes with old age as well. He’s not as hotheaded, he’s definitely more experienced, and with age comes perhaps more insight into mortality.

CAITRÍONA BALFE Seasons five and six were such a huge shift in who Claire was. Going through the attack and then the ether storyline, it wasn’t like [she became] two different people, but Claire’s whole structure and her coping mechanisms had to change. In season seven, it was this tentative rebuilding of who she was, which was really interesting because I feel like up until that point, there was a lot of compartmentalization — she would do things, but it was put away in a box and she wouldn’t really deal with it. In season seven, there was a maturity to her, but it came with this new layer of vulnerability, especially the beginning of the second part. I think it just made everything much more porous and much more fragile.

As you’ve played these characters from their earlier adult years into middle age, how have you found ways to deepen the palpable sense of intimacy and chemistry between them?

BALFE One of the things that Sam and I were very interested in working out and exploring was this difference in intimacy. People talk about the passion of Claire and Jamie, and that is always a through line, but it can’t feel like those first throes of lust. You want to find something that has more depth, more maturity and more nuance. So we didn’t want to be chasing something that we had done in season one; we didn’t want to be always trying to replicate that. We wanted to find new ways of doing it — and we did.

We had those conversations for most of the sex scenes, and we had chats with the writers about how to find those intimate moments when they’re in conversation and when we see them working out issues in their marriage. It was really important to us to develop that as the seasons went on because sometimes, there’s a call from the fans, and they want to see those sex scenes, and they want the passion. And we want to give you that, but we want to give it to you in a more honest way.

HEUGHAN I think you’re absolutely right. Over the years, they’ve both had to accept each other and their failings, and all these things that have happened either together or separately. And it can’t be like season one because XYZ has happened, so therefore, who’s this character? Who’s this person in front of you now? If anything, they’ve become more understanding of each other, and I think that comes with just playing these characters over time when they’ve been assaulted and lost and found each other again.

BALFE There was a vulnerability to them in the beginning because everything was so new and they didn’t know if they could trust each other. As we were in the mid-seasons, it felt like they had really come into their own — and there was a strength. In the later seasons, there was this new and very different vulnerability. With the precariousness of life that they were experiencing, there was this whole new set of fears and vulnerabilities that came up. That wasn’t something that I expected or imagined would happen, but it naturally happened that way.

Lord John Grey (David Berry), left. Starz

Caitríona, grief is already a tricky emotion to play, but you had the added challenge of having to make the audience believe, even if for a little bit, that Claire had really lost Jamie in episode 10. How did you want to play the different stages of her grief?

BALFE It was really tough, because I feel like there is that sense of, “Does anyone really believe that Jamie Fraser is dead?” But you have to go for it. I had just lost my dad, so the last thing I wanted to do was go into work and feel these feelings. It was not my favorite couple of weeks at work. I worked really hard with the writers to craft a bit of a journey, and there was that [line] that I held on to as well: “I would know [if he died]. I would feel it.” She feels betrayed by herself because she feels like it should feel differently. So there’s the anger and the disbelief that comes with what it feels like when you can’t even trust your own emotions.

And then, of course, the added implication of Lord John Grey [David Berry] was a curveball. (Laughs) David Berry was an amazing scene partner in those scenes. To do intimate scenes with somebody other than Sam — usually all my stuff is with him, so it was like an added unknown territory. But what was also good was we approached it in a very different way to how Sam and I approached things. Sam and I have this shorthand — it’s very organic, and we don’t have to plan out things as much — whereas David likes to [plan]. I’m glad he did because I was quite lost about how we were going to achieve it, but I think in the end it worked quite well.

Claire’s grief-stricken hook-up with John — during which they were both picturing Jamie — has to be one of the most shocking moments of the series. How did you justify Claire’s actions in that moment for yourself?

BALFE I suffer from a real need for things to be logical, which drives the writers crazy, because for me to be able to play it, I need to be able to understand the journey. I think in the final edit, things are quite cut up and it’s not as linear as how we played it. But I think it was great that David and I found a linear journey into it so we could understand that [moment], because it’s also two people who are drunk.

When you’re drunk, there isn’t always logic, but there has to be those moments of, how do you get from A to B? How do these two people who aren’t sexually attracted to each other, who don’t have a history together, go from being alone, drunk and in pain to then being together? So it was finding that shared pain, that shared anger. Lord John was almost needing this kind of consolation in the beginning, and then it’s just the anger and the passion — and it had to come out in some way. So that’s how it happened.

But I think that morning after scene — that gorgeous story that Lord John had and the insight into his life — is so much more intimate than the stuff before. The intimacy the next morning is where you really see these two people form this bond that isn’t sexual, but it’s a friendship and a deep understanding of each other, which I thought was quite beautiful.

In episode 12, Jamie makes his feelings about Claire and John’s entanglement clear in a long, heated sequence where Jamie and Claire are working through their own emotions in real time. How did you each approach that fight?

BALFE Well, Sam had COVID. Do you remember? (Laughs)

HEUGHAN Yeah! It was certainly very challenging. In some ways, it was [shot] like a play, but I think we shot one direction, then I came down with COVID. I think quite some time later we shot the rest of it, and we shot it in two sections because it moves all around the house. I suppose [that sequence shows] why this couple are still together. They manage to work through it, to hear each other and to communicate despite Jamie’s stubbornness, anger and jealousy.

BALFE But neither are wrong, really. This was a situation that is so unusual and unique, so it’s totally understandable why Jamie would be so upset and angry, but it’s also totally understandable why Claire would defend herself. I think what’s great is you get this tension of these two people who ultimately love each other so much, but they’re going to stand their ground. I think both Sam and I relish when we do get to do scenes like this. There’s certain days when you’re on a show and you’re just sitting at a table and somebody’s passing somebody coffee, and it doesn’t necessarily feel like the most rewarding acting day. But when you get big scenes like this, you really feel like you have to work hard, give it your all, and make it work.

Sam, do you think Jamie could ever bring himself to forgive John?

HEUGHAN I think what Jamie did [to John upon learning what happened] — is it justifiable? No, from [the viewers’] point of view. But for Jamie, probably. But what he did to him is horrific and certainly has broken their bond. John Grey comes back and does justify it, and I think we hope that they will become friends again, but I think it’d be a lot for them to get over. Jamie is going to have to admit his wrongdoing, and I think that’s probably the hardest thing for Jamie to do. It’s certainly put a rift in that relationship, and I’m sure for Claire and John Grey as well, it’s also a pretty weird situation. (Laughs)

In episode 15, Claire gets shot in the battlefield and Jamie desperately searches for any kind of way to save her. Sam, how did you want to play Jamie’s inner turmoil?

HEUGHAN Jamie has always been in control in situations, and I thought it was really interesting in the script that he loses it and he’s lashing out. I think the only other time where we’ve seen him like that is when he lost Murtaugh at the Battle of Alamance. I think that moment was close because Murtaugh was his godfather, a father figure to him, but this is even bigger. It’s like, “How do you react in that moment when your universe has just imploded?” I didn’t want to plan it; I just wanted to go for it and see what happens. I think what’s cool about the writing and the space I got in the performance was that he’s not Jamie. He’s out of control, and he’s pleading with everyone, with God. He knows he’s on the edge of losing his entire universe.

How did you react, then, to Jamie’s decision to write his notice of resignation using Claire’s blood on the back of one of his soldiers?

HEUGHAN Look, it’s a really hard one to get your head around. It’s a book moment, and even in discussing the practicality of that [moment], we were talking about “What is the way to write on this guy’s back?” and we realized it’s actually very difficult. But I think it’s just sheer desperation; it’s a moment where he’s completely at a loss. I think he can’t work out how to get his message through to these people, and he just goes for the nearest thing. It’s a really dark idea. It’s amazing that after eight seasons — well, seven at this point — that these characters still surprised us as actors, and there’s so many times we’ve had these book moments where I’m like, “Jamie wouldn’t do that. Jamie knows better.” And then, I’m like, “OK, let’s see what happens.” And actually, you get this really dramatic moment which is shocking, and I think that’s what makes Outlander perhaps still resonate.

Caitríona, on the flip side, what was it like for you to play the aftermath of Claire getting shot?

BALFE It was very funny because they were very concerned about how comfortable I would be lying down for that long, and I was like, “Guys, I’m going to be lying down. It’s going to be very comfortable!” But they made a prosthetic for my stomach so they could do the operation. Look, I’ve never been shot. You can watch things, but sometimes we joke about it, like, “Am I just playing my version of what I’ve seen other actors do in movies?” (Laughs.) But you have to trust the director and everything that’s going on in the scene and go with it. I’m not going to lie: I don’t mind playing sick and half-dying. (Laughs.) You get to let other people do all the hard work, and you just get to lie there and moan a bit. But the set was amazing. When you have all of those things around — and Sam was incredible in those scenes — it makes your job very easy.

After they’re unable to save Jane in the finale, William has a heated confrontation with Jamie about William’s late birth mother, and William ends the conversation with the line, “I will never call you father.” The hurt on Jamie’s face is obvious, but what is going through Jamie’s mind in that scene?

HEUGHAN Jamie’s never been able to be a father to William, and I think he’s always wanted to be — from a distance. Here’s a moment where Jamie doesn’t really know how to be a father. He’s been a father to other people. He’s got so many surrogate sons — from Fergus to a bunch of people that he’s brought into this extended family that he’s got — but with William, it’s a really tough one. I think it’s great because you can see Jamie and his son are very similar; they both have that fire in them. And without giving away spoilers, it’s definitely something that plays out a lot [going forward].

But it’s also interesting because he is John Grey’s son in a lot of ways. He’s been brought up by John Grey, and that adds another dimension to that trio’s relationship. Jamie has all this pride, hurt and longing that he could be [Jamie’s] father, and also jealousy that John has been his father but also thankful [at the same time]. Certainly, it’s going to be a tough one for [Jamie and William] to both overcome their pride.

Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and his biological son William (Charles Vandervaart). Starz

In the final scene, Claire overhears Fanny singing “I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside,” a 19th-century song Claire sang to her and Jamie’s first daughter, Faith. After learning that Fanny and Jane’s mother was also named Faith, Claire now believes that Faith wasn’t actually stillborn and had somehow lived to have children of her own. How does that set up their journey in the final season?

HEUGHAN It’s a huge moment for them to find out that their daughter potentially lived, and now they have this grandchild in their life. It’s a great cliffhanger — one that I think book and non-book fans are going to be surprised by. I think it was beautifully done with the song. It’s interesting because even playing [Faith’s death] way back in season two, we played the truth of it; we had no idea ourselves. So it was a shock for us as actors reading it and learning about it, as it was for the characters. I think the thought process for Jamie is, “How is it possible?” The elation, the happiness that, actually, it could be possible. And then, who is this young girl in front of us right now?

BALFE I just love it when you are given a scene and you read it, and it’s like, “Ooh, that’s really good.” But in the playing of it, when the hairs on your arms are standing up, it’s pretty brilliant. Florrie is so amazing. Every time we have a scene with her, you’re just so blown away by how brilliant she is. It’s such an interesting cliffhanger because it just opens up this whole other world of questions, which leads us so brilliantly into the next season. I think for Claire, it’s like her heart stops, her heart breaks and her heart sings — all at the same time.

You’ve seen each other through just about everything in the 11 years that you’ve worked together. Looking back, how has your working relationship evolved over time, and what do you think has stayed the same?

HEUGHAN (Laughs) That’s a cool question!

BALFE Well, I think our childish sense of humor has stayed the same.

HEUGHAN I was going to say our humor, silliness. When we’re in the shit and it’s a tough day, or we’re in the dark and it’s cold, we’ve always had each other. I’m very fortunate to have spent so much time with such an amazing person and also managed to laugh a lot as well. But what’s changed, Cait?

BALFE I think when we first started, the job was our lives. We lived it, breathed it. Our schedules were so insane. We really didn’t do much of anything else. I think as we’ve gotten older, our lives have gotten so much busier and you have obviously a wealth of experience to fall back on with your character. So it’s not that we’re not as invested as much, but the show isn’t just the only thing going on. I think, in that way, maybe our approach to things is slightly different. Would you agree, Sam, or no?

HEUGHAN Yeah. It’s not sustainable to be all-consumed by something for that long, but in some ways, perhaps having a bit more space or a life outside of it, it also influences the work itself. We’ve just both grown over time, and I guess it’s depressing but also an amazing opportunity that we’ve got to live with these characters for so long.

What would it take, then, for the two of you to work together again? Maybe in a more modern story without wigs or period costumes?

BALFE I’d love to do a comedy with Sam.

HEUGHAN Yeah, that would be a lot of fun. And as you said, yeah, no wig. Well, actually —

BALFE The wigs would be alright. No corset for me.

HEUGHAN I’d wear a corset, so maybe there’s the comedy right there.

BALFE I’ll wear your wig. There you go!

***

All seven seasons of Outlander are now streaming on Starz.

[kalinara]

So there's this interpretation that I have, I'm not sure how common it is, that when it comes to the X-Dream, the person who tends to embody it the most is Scott Summers, rather than Charles Xavier.

For once, this isn't meant to be a Charles Xavier hate post. Because I do think the mutant dream is important. And while I definitely have my share of "Magneto was Right" moments, especially with the world as it is right now, I do think that the dream of co-existence is, at heart, a good one.

Mutants and humans are not a separate species. While the "mutant gene" has a clear genetic component, something that's come up more and more often. The vast majority of mutants are born in human families. They have human lives. They belong to human countries. They have human racial identities and sexualities. They belong to human religions and subcultures. I don't think it's wrong to want acceptance, even given everything stacked against them.

Magneto's right. Sometimes. But Charles Xavier isn't wrong.

That said though, I don't think Charles himself really serves as an example of the Dream. For one thing, for the vast majority of X-Men canon history, Charles Xavier kept his mutation a secret. To the broader Marvel world, Professor Charles Xavier was just a very mutant-friendly rich, brilliant baseline human guy.

I'm not saying this as a criticism to Charles. I think that pretending to be a baseline human for so long is what allowed him to be able to raise, train and protect mutants in relative safety. It does, however, mean that he isn't an example of what he preaches.

Scott Summers, on the other hand...

One element from the original X-Men run that gets a bit lost nowadays, I think, is that (since it's before Hank turned blue), the two characters who really didn't pass as humans were Scott and Warren.

Don't get me wrong, they don't have the same difficulty as Kurt or Beak or Glob Herman. They have ways to mask as human in a pinch. But it doesn't take much to blow their cover. Warren can strap down his wings, but he can't get rid of them. And Scott's glasses fall off so often that it became his iconic image in the animated show's opening theme.

So that means, ultimately, that Scott really doesn't have a choice about it. He's pretty much got to live publicly as a mutant - with all that entails.

The funny thing about Xavier's Dream, I've always thought, is the best examples of it actually working aren't actually the X-Men. Something about the fact of a uniformed child army appearing out of nowhere to fight bad guys and then disappear after proving they can cause massive amounts of damage (...mostly Scott, admittedly, but sometimes Bobby too) tends to make people more freaked out rather than less.

Whereas Pietro and Wanda lived fairly openly as mutants in the Avengers and were actually pretty beloved. And during their respective stints on the Avengers, Hank, Storm, even LOGAN, tend to get positive press and reception. A lot of that, I suspect, is because the Avengers is a different kind of entity and folks didn't so much accept those mutant characters as just not think of them AS mutants. But it does indicate both that Xavier's onto something with positioning his students as heroes, and fucking up the execution somehow.

It does get interesting to see how other teams and characters tackle the idea. The Original X-Factor concept was fascinating. An obviously absurd and terrible idea that was as counterproductive as it was well-meaning, but also fascinating. Secretly training mutants while publicly acting like "mutant hunters".

Most of the time though, the X-Men basically followed the Xavier formula, even when Xavier was in space or otherwise on the outs. But it gets kind of interesting in the mid 00s, when we go through that spat of Xavier's the Worst (which I enjoy but also think gets a little over the top even for my Xavier-hating taste.) When he gets booted off and Scott (and Emma, but she's more in charge of the school side of things) takes over completely, we see a shift.

Whedon's Astonishing X-Men is really interesting in this context. I've seen folks dismiss it as some kind of "conservative" attempt to go back to a status quo that never really existed. (And honestly, I wish we'd stop calling story arcs that we don't like "conservative". It's always a story about a oppressed minority trying to exist in a world that despises them, even if we don't necessarily agree with the way they do it.) I don't see it that way. Whedon's X-Men is specifically presented as a strategic attempt, by Cyclops, to present a specific superheroic face to the world.

It's basically the same as the later X-Tinction Team, but in the opposite direction. And this isn't me putting my meta hat on, this is expressly the reason given for the team in the first couple of issues.

It does get a little funny then that half the run involves internal X-Men issues and then adventures on another planet, but there you go.

Then of course, we get the Decimation. We get the move to San Francisco, where, even then, Scott Summers's primary strategy is to make friends with the Mayor and try to have them live openly as part of the community. And it seems to even be working, to an extent, until Civil War and Dark Reign put the kibosh on that. Then we get Utopia, and the mutants under attack.

We do tend to lose the co-existence thread at this point, understandably. Though you could make the argument that Logan's team going back to the Mansion was an attempt to return to the Xavier-style status quo. While Scott's X-Tinction team was meant as a return to the Astonishing style superhero team, only this time scary and a clear lightning rod distraction from the Mansion folks.

Post AvX gets interesting, because you have Logan's team openly working with the Avengers. Scott's team is of course hunted, but somehow the guy still manages to be on every college dorm wall and get a cover of Rolling Stone. The Mutant Revolution at this point is oddly friendlier than Utopia when you get right down to it, and more about trying to set up a place where OTHER mutants get to live in their homes, with their own lives, even if Scott and his team get to live in a Weapon X facility. Even when he abandons the Dream, he really doesn't.

As much as I dislike Death of X and Inhumans vs. X-Men, the Xavier-hater in me gets unpleasantly smug by the idea that the "X" in Death of X does NOT refer to Xavier. Because Xavier is the dreamer, not the dream.

(That may also be why people tend to react really badly when Scott falls off his pedestal. Milquetoast Revolutionary Scott didn't really say anything all that different from his Claremont era characterization, but they act like he's a monster because his edgelord presentation is not the Dream they signed on for.)

It does make Krakoa even more interesting though, because we've got Xavier back. He's back being the architect and the Dreamer. But Krakoa is, when you think about it, the complete antithesis of his own dream!

There are definite good parts to it. Safety, resurrection, the chance for mutants to develop their own individual culture and identity. But it's not an idea that works for everyone. Not everyone WANTS to be separate from human society. And we see that, I think, in Scott Summers.

The Summer House is the gift that keeps on giving in terms of sparking meta. This time though, I think about its location. And where it is NOT. It's cool, it's fancy, it's built with Krakoan plant technology on the moon. But it's not on Krakoa itself, and the more I think about it, the more I think that's significant. During a time that the Council wouldn't even let Scott bring the Champions - superhero CHILDREN to Krakoa for safety, he's having his very human dad for family visits. (I wonder, if Kitty and the Marauders weren't available, would a space ship have been plan B?)

Later, we have the X-Men back in the Treehouse in the middle of New York City, helping the mayor and engaging in all kinds of outreach. Xavier's got his Camelot, so Scott gets to indulge in his own version of the Dream once more.

It's interesting actually, how the From the Ashes version seems to be an interesting amalgamation of vision. In many ways, it's like post-Schism Utopia or even the Revolutionary era - a repurposed base that once belonged to the enemy. A stripped down team focused on tactics and missions. No students at all, this time, except maybe the new mutants they've accumulated accidently.

(I realize it's funny to call the Adjectiveless Team "stripped down" when it's probably got the biggest cast of the X-books so far. But it definitely feels like Rogue's team is the catch all, for any former X-Men to just drift in and out as the writers see fit, while Emma's is basically Generation X, anew. It definitely reads like each member of the Adjectiveless team was chosen for a purpose)

At the same time though, they're not as isolated as Utopia. They're working with the locals. I know some folks were pretty bitter about the idea of Scott courting the local police chief, and I get that, but I also think it's completely in character. They're making a presence for themselves in the town rather than isolated from it, and it'll be interesting to see how that all works together.

[jessaerys]

eleanor putting flint, who worked with her as a team bc they had a shared vision for nassau; charles, whom despite his many flaws was always brutally honest with her, and loved her; mr. scott, whom worked behind her back to protect his loved ones (an understandable reason that has nothing to do with eleanor herself), on the same tier as her shitty dad when she says "too many goddamn men here" is just so. idk. tragic? like way to summarize your character thesis my beloved lean-in feminist with a severe victim complex ):