#source manchester evening news

[fastandcarlos]

Biggest Fan : ̗̀➛ Lando Norris

summary: lando had never expected to fall in love when he was invited to visit psg…that was until he met you

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liked by oscarpiastri, danielricciardo and 849,302 others

landonorris: pretending to know what I’m doing 😂 thank you psg for inviting me to watch a game tonight - I loved it ⚽️

73,940 comments

username1: new signing when???

username2: I love that he went to watch the women, I heard he even stayed around to meet the players after too

danielricciardo: not you pretending to be good at another sport

landonorris: @/danielricciardo idk what you’re talking about, ronaldo is quaking in his boots 😂

username3: nobody show this photo to manchester united

oscarpiastri: so this is why you refused to have dinner with me tonight 🙄

username4: footballer lando was an aesthetic I did not prepare myself for

georgerussell63: personally very offended you didn’t invite me to come and enjoy this with you

logansargeant: I thought I taught you better than this…this is what we call soccer 🤦🏼‍♂️

landonorris: @/logansargeant get in the bin 🗑️

username5: I play football too, come and see me play instead 😂

ynusername: thank you for stopping by and seeing us, we had a great time meeting you and learning a bit more about formula 1 ☺️

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liked by ybffusername, jackie_groenen_14 and 482,050 others

ynusername: quick getaway during the winter break ⛷️❤️

39,583 comments

username6: wait what whose the guy

username7: since when has y/n been in the dating game wtf

ybffusername: excuse me missus, you’ve got a lot of explaining to do

grace_geyoro: you said you were going on a solo ski holiday 🙄

ynusername: @/grace_geyoro whoops 💁🏻‍♀️

landonorris: the question is…are you as good a skier as you are footballer?

ynusername: @/landonorris I’m a woman of many talents 😂

username8: are we watching lando norris shoot his shot with the y/n y/l/n right now

username9: peep how y/n was the only player he followed after visiting psg

username10: can’t be the only thinking they’d make a pretty hot couple 🔥

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liked by landonorris, danielricciardo and 382,493 others

ynusername: thought I’d repay the favour and see what f1 is really about, thank you for a great day mclaren!! ps am i a papaya girl now?? 🏎️🧡

48,596 comments

mclaren: you’re welcome back anytime y/n 🧡🏎️

username11: how do you look better in papaya than in red and blue 😭

username12: the photo of lando’s garage too 🤔

oscarpiastri: it was lovely to meet you, make sure you come back and visit us soon!!

ynusername: @/oscarpiastri give me a date and time and I’ll be there…I had a blast!!

username13: has lando managed to turn y/n into an f1 girlie?? 😂

landonorris: definitely think you should stick to kicking a football around 😂

ynusername: @/landonorris I’d have been able to drive the car if I didn’t have such a rubbish teacher 👀

username14: something is brewing…trust me

georgerussell63: the mercedes garage is always open fyi 😂

ynusername: @/georgerussell63 lando told me to tell you I’m a mclaren girl now

username15: omg lando told y/n what to say

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liked by username16, f1source101 and 3,593 others

f1wags: rumour has it around the paddock that y/n and lando aren’t just winning on the pitch and in the car but off them two. our sources have told us that the duo have been spotted throughout the weekend looking very close with each other. maybe not so much friends after all?

695 comments

username17: my heart won’t ha able to take it if these two start dating

username18: officially now my only otp

username19: lando has seemed to be a lot happier recently ☺️

username20: pls don’t break my heart like this lando

username21: they both deserve happiness!! we need confirmation asap

username22: I’ve never shipped two people harder

username23: apparently they were all over each other most of the weekend 🥰

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liked by psg_feminines, oscarpiastri and 439,103 others

ynusername: huge win in lyon tonight, so proud to be part of this time ❤️💙

38,594 comments

psg_feminines: two goals and an assist…you’re our superstar y/n!

username24: yay y/n!! man of the match for sure tonight!

landonorris: huge win!! smashed it legend 💙❤️

ynusername: @/landonorris I didn’t realise you were watching 🥺

landonorris: @/ynusername ofc I never miss a match ⚽️

username25: it’s not fair how one person can look so good on the football field

oscarpiastri: can confirm that lando was glued to the screen for the entire match 😂

ynusername: @/oscarpiastri I’m so sorry you had to sit through it 😬

username26: lando’s so busy and yet he made time to cheer for y/n

username27: can you two just date…forever??

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liked by landonorris, ybffusername and 593,054 others

ynusername: a well deserved weekend off, with some pretty cool company too 🌊🤍

73,842 comments

username28: LANDO LANDO LANDO AODLDQML

username29: damn I knew it

ybffusername: you’ve got to be kidding me right now omg

username30: my heart has never beated so fast in my life

landonorris: look at you all sunkissed and relaxed 🔥

ynusername: @/landonorris it’s amazing what a holiday - and pretty fun company - can do 🥺

username31: this is everything!!

danielricciardo: I’m guessing my invite just got lost in the post 😔

alex_albon: look at you two 😘☺️

username32: my two favourite people in the world

username33: oh to be on a beach with lando norris

oscarpiastri: make sure you bring him back in one piece y/n

ynusername: @/oscarpiastri 🫡🫡🫡

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liked by georgerussell63, alex_albon and 583,506 others

ynusername: always an honour to wear the badge of my country, a great weekend of internationals before heading back to paris! merci ⚽️🏆

69,293 comments

landonorris: so glad I could be there to watch 🥺🥰

username34: lando was there that’s so sweet

username35: notice all of lando’s friends in the likes, they adore y/n too

username36: people on social media are saying how loud lando was all night long

username37: @/username36 I was there…he didn’t stop cheering every time y/n touched the ball ☺️

alex_albon: who knew watching football could be so fun 😂

oscarpiastri: even without lando I tuned in…what have you done to me y/n??

ynusername: @/oscarpiastri you’re so sweet, thank you 🥺

username38: y/n has been playing out of this world since she started talking to lando

username39: world cup incoming surely!!

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liked by ynusername, maxverstappen1 and 904,843 others

landonorris: adventuring with my favourite person ❤️💙

104,382 comments

georgerussell63: we get it okay, you’re not single anymore 😂

landonorris: @/georgerussell63 now you know how I’ve felt for all these years

ynusername: I had the best time with you!! thank you for being the best taxi driver 💕

landonorris: @/ynusername it’s an easy job with you as passenger princess

username40: you cannot convince me that these two aren’t just the cutest couple in the world

username41: being driven by lando is the dream, y/n is so lucky damn

danielricciardo: looks like a great adventure!! 🤩

maxverstappen1: love seeing you so happy brother ❤️

username42: wherever they are, I want to go

username43: still managing to get the papaya in too 😂🧡

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liked by psg_feminines, oscarpiastri and 1,392,906 others

landonorris: champions league final ⚽️ so proud of you and the team my love for getting this far - you’re amazing!! 💙❤️

104,593 comments

alex_albon: good luck y/n, we’re rooting for you!!

oscarpiastri: lily is disapproving but I’m watching too, go y/n go!

georgerussell63: cannot wait to see you at the next race with that winners medal round your neck!

danielricciardo: ik nothing about football but hoping you win y/n ❤️

maxverstappen1: just remember to do what I don’t, aim at the goal 😂 you can do it y/n!

lewishamilton: no doubt in you y/n…victory is yours!!

mclaren: everyone at the mtc is rooting for you y/n 🧡🧡🧡

logansargeant: good luck on the soccer field y/n 🏆

lance_stroll: idk what the champions league is, but judging from your suit I’m guessing it’s serious - good luck y/n

carlossainz55: seeing as madrid aren’t playing I guess I can cheer for psg just for tonight 😂

charles_leclerc: allez y/n allez psg

ynusername: thank you for always supporting me - and everyone else too ❤️💙⚽️

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liked by danielricciardo, landonorris and 593,604 others

ynusername: winning on the field and off the field these days - ily lando 🩷💕

58,704 others

landonorris: if anyone is winning, it’s definitely me 😂 thank you for choosing me 🧡❤️💙

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˗ˏˋ 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ! ´ˎ˗

[assortedseaglass]

🌟Wassail | Yuletide🌟

Tom Bennett x Fem!Reader

Summary: A minor indiscretion leads you to chaperoning the yearly children's wassail with none other than Tom Bennett.

Content: Fluff, Language.

Yuletide Masterlist

Spending the evening with a handful of excitable children and Tom Bennett wasn’t too bad, as far as punishment went.

You supposed your father thought the children, full of a night’s sugar after years of rationing, would tire you out with their boundless energy. Perhaps he also thought that Tom Bennett would scare you. A petty criminal that good, honest girls should be frightened of. Well, your father should know that you were far from good or honest. That’s why you needed punishing in the first place.

Word got to your father that you were seen in a compromising position behind the Capital Club with Willie Murphy on New Year’s Eve. You traced the source easily. Your father heard it from that busy-body, Mrs Browning, who heard it from her neighbour. The neighbour’s daughter just happened to be Minnie Goodman, Willie’s on-again-off-again girlfriend. The tale was a tall one, for in truth Willie Murphy snuck his hand up your skirt and you’d given him a smack. If Gossip Goodman wanted that creep all to herself, she was welcome to him.

“Hurry up you!” One of the little lads shouted at you as he made his way to the next house.

“Watch your mouth, Harry Tollet,” you said, coming to stand beside him and the other children. “You won’t be wassailing next year if your mother hears you talking like that to a lady.”

“My mum says you aren’t a lady,” Harry said, knocking on the door. A little girl beside him gasped. Before you could speak, Tom Bennett, who had been silent on the evening’s walk, stepped forward.

“You’ll get a clip round the ear an’ all if you keep on.”

Harry had no time to cower for the red door opened and the children sang a chorus of We Three Kings. Their tin cups were filled with mulled cider by the old lady at the door, and Tom ushered Harry away before his could be filled.

“That’s not fair-”

“Shoulda thought about that before you ran your mouth,” Tom shoved the little boy towards the rest of the group. “Best behaviour.”

One of the little girls whispered in Harry’s ear and gave Tom a wary glance. She smiled awkwardly at you and turned around as the next door of the street opened and the children began their singing once more. The house belonged to old Mr Preston, a widower who lived alone. His only son died in the war. He had no grandchildren. You watched, heart growing as the old man gave the children their cup of mulled apple and presented them each with a mince pie.

Silenced for a while by their full mouths, the children listen to old man Preston telling them tales of Christmases long ago. Enraptured, they forgot all about you and Tom. Thank Christ.

You smiled at Mr Preston and showed him your cigarettes, indicating the pavement on the other side of the street. He nodded knowingly and continued his tale.

Leant against the lamppost, you clicked your lighter and inhaled the heady smoke of the cigarette. Tom Bennett took out his own packets of cigarettes and placed one in his mouth. With his hands safely back inside his pockets, he swaggered slowly towards you, looking over his shoulder in a half-arsed attempt and chaperoneship. You snorted.

He came to a stop before you, clicking his heels together as though he were still in the navy. He looked down his long nose at you a moment, smirking. You weren’t rattled. He brought his long fingers to take the cigarette from your mouth and light his own with it. The end sparkled into life, the tobacco crackling. The low, orange flare of light illuminated his sapphire eyes, which were fixed on yours. That rattled you, just a bit. This was a man who made flirting an artform. He looked at your cigarette as he passed it back to you.

“Lucky Strikes? Very posh,” he drawled in his Manchester burr.

“Got ‘em from a Yank. Better than your filthy Marlboros. Bloody stink,” you took a drag and exhaled the smoke in his face. He didn’t budge, the smoke dissipating to reveal a fully born grin.

“Lucky Strike for a lucky strike?” Tom raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t be jealous,”

Tom puffed out his chest and sniffed the night air. He glanced over his shoulder. You smiled to yourself; you never knew it was so easy to hurt Tom Bennett’s pride.

Across the road, Mr Preston had finished his story and gone inside. The children were walking to the next house, some hand in hand.

“They don’t need us,” you nodded towards them.

“Nah,” Tom said. “War made them different. Self-reliant.”

You hummed in agreement.

“You’re welcome, by the way.”

You stared at him, amusement tugging the corners of your mouth. Tom Bennett always thought so highly of himself.

“What for?”

“Harry.” He stated simply.

“But you didn’t do anything,” you laughed brightly.

Despite himself, Tom smiled. “Hold on-”

“Don’t think I could have handled a ten-year-old myself?”

Tom took a step up onto the pavement and, in doing so, brought himself closer to you. “Oh no,” his voice dropped to a gravelly whisper. “I heard you can handle yourself very well,” One of his hands slipped inside your coat to rest against the slope of your hip.

It wasn’t his hand that made you bristle. It was the assumption that you were easy. Sure, you’d had your fair share of flings, but you didn’t drop your knickers for any fella with a sly grin and foreign cigarettes.

You took his hand in yours, moving it from your waist and dropping it back at his own side.

“I’m only here ‘cause Dadda believed in a load of old hearsay,” You flicked your cigarette to the ground and stamped it out under your heel. Tom didn’t hide the way he stared up the length of your stockinged leg. “I wouldn’t touch Willie Murphy with a ten-foot barge pole-”

“I know,” Tom said simply, idle hands tucked back into the pockets of his jacket.

You stared at him, lost for words. No-one ever believed you. Seemed to think because you’d had three or four Longsight lads, you’d had the whole lot. “Really?”

“Yeah, course I do. He’s an ugly little bastard with more spots than I’ve had hot dinners.” You laughed. Towards the end of the road, the children were singing again, and the lamplights began flickering into life. “I didn’t try it on ‘cause I think you’re easy,” with another step, Tom was pressed flush against you. “I tried it on ‘cause I like you.”

Your smile of genuine happiness turned to one of mischief. “Tom Bennett, are you going soft?”

In the dim light, his blue eyes twinkled. With a wink, he stepped back and began his slow walk towards the gaggle of children. Falling into step beside him, you walked in silence but for the chorus of We Wish You a Merry Christmas and clack of your heels on the cobbles.

Gently, boldy, you tucked your hand into his. “Not so bad, is it,  this punishment?”

“Not a punishment for me. Not a petty criminal anymore.” Tom said, smiling down at you and tugging you closer so that the kids wouldn’t see your entwined hands. “Nah, I volunteered.”

You stood still, mouth agape with amused shock.

“What?” Tom tugged your hand and you kept walking.

“You really have gone soft!”

“War’ll do that to you.” You bowed your head solemnly. “And the prospect of an evening with you.”

“Even with a headache’s worth of kids?”

“Even so.”  

Finally back with decent internet! The last few days of Christmas are going to be heavy with uploads!

The usual suspects: @arcielee @targaryenrealnessdarling @theoneeyedprince @ewanmitchellcrumbs @ellrond @cyeco13 @babyblue711 @exitpursuedbyavulcan @humanpurposes @myfandomprompts @barbieaemond @anjelicawrites

[humbledragon669]

Book to screen comparison P1 – new elements and confirmed information

Whilst reading the book, it became clear that the notes I was making fell into three loose categories:

Things that were new information, or only disclosed in the book (but would still fit into the canon of the show).

Information that is confirmed in the book, or possibly explicitly stated (rather than being implicitly stated in the show). This blog post will cover these and new information only (for brevity) – differences will be covered separately.

Things that are fundamentally different between the book and the show.

Not all of the notes fit neatly into one category or the other (there are shades of grey...). The first two of the categories will be presented within bullet lists, with a description. The last of the categories will be presented in a table. I'll make comments about anything I find particularly notable after each category.

N.B. I have made the comparisons between the book and the finished episodes that were released, NOT the Script Book. Some of the elements I have commented on can be found within the Script Book, but never made it to the finished episodes – I will point these out on their individual list/table entries.

New information

Crowley’s “real name” cannot be represented in words, only a “complex, wiggly sigil”.

The bullet holes in the Bentley’s window are a James Bond-themed window transfer from 1967, the only time Crowley has even bought petrol.

It is necessary for Crowley to use the lavatory.

The “Arrangement” was put in place “somewhere around” 1020.

Newt is three and a half years older that Anathema.

Crowley is responsible for the establishment of Manchester.

Aziraphale is responsible for the development of Shropshire.

Crowley is responsible for the establishment of Glasgow.

Aziraphale is responsible for the establishment of Edinburgh.

Aziraphale has a soft spot for regency silver snuffboxes.

There is an edition of the Bible that contains an account of the conversation between Aziraphale and God, where she asks him where the flaming sword is. It is suggested that the additional verses containing this information were written by Aziraphale himself.

There were three Shakespeare plays whose contents have been lost:

The Comedie of Robin Hoode, or, The Forest of Sherwoode.

The Trapping of the Mouse.

Golde Diggers of 1589.

One of War’s other names is Scarlett.

Pollution’s other names include Blanc, Albus, Weiss, and Snowy.

Pollution was responsible for the disasters at Chernobyl, Windscale, and Three Mile Island.

Crowley is responsible for the invention of the TV game show format.

Both Crowley and Aziraphale have considered asking the other side for asylum under the threat of impending Armageddon.

Crowley isn’t very good with animals.

Anathema assumes that Crowley and Aziraphale are a couple when they drop her off at Jasmine Cottage.

Demons can see in the dark.

Crowley’s favourite shape to be in is the human form.

Aziraphale buys his clothes.

Crowley wills his clothes into being.

Newt wanted to join the Territorial Army before signing up to the Witchfinder Army.

Aziraphale has a list of agencies that he can call upon to help with his Heavenly duties.

Shadwell’s cellmate in prison was Witchfinder Captain Ffolkes, imprisoned for 10 years for arson (trying to burn a coven in Wimbledon).

One of Anathema’s ancestors, Joshua Device, invented something small but crucially important for the operation of mechanical clocks. His name is (supposedly) the source for the current day word, “device”.

Anathema has met the Tibetan people digging the tunnel – she gives them tea when they dig their tunnel up into her garden.

The rainforest starts to reclaim the built-up areas when Adam starts to come into his powers, destroying entire buildings with new lush and leafy growth.

Crowley does read books.

Crowley’s CDs and bookcase have been sorted alphabetically.

Crowley has an impressive collection of soul music.

The Bentley can drive itself.

Madame Tracy’s real name is Marjorie Potts.

A rain of fish takes place as part of the lead up to Armageddon.

Crowley’s apartment is in Mayfair.

Agnes predicted the Crowley’s flaming drive in the Bentley.

The Them have their own rival gang – The Johnsonites, headed by Greasy Johnson (or Baby B).

Two people have opened the box delivered to Newt and Anathema before it is delivered to Jasmine Cottage.

Warlock and his family return to the USA after Armageddon fails.

There are some really lovely little bits of information to have here. Lots of them don’t necessarily hold any great meaning, they’re just nice to have (like Madame Tracy’s real name). And there’s no guarantee that any of these morsels will ever make it into the canon of the show, but I don’t think that anything that we’ve seen so far that would directly contradict them either, so let’s treat them as if they are part of the show’s storyline for the purposes of this post. With that said, there two bits of information that feel important to me – the year that the Arrangement was established, and the Bentley being able to drive itself. It is possible that the author decided the latter of these two points was something he consciously didn’t want to be included as part of the show’s storyline, although I’m not sure why that would be as it would confirm the car’s sentience that’s hinted heavily at throughout the show. The date for the establishment of the Arrangement though, even if it was changed between the book and the show, why we’re never given that piece of trivia is something I can’t really understand. Based on what we see in episode 3, we know that the idea of some sort of mutual agreement is levied in 537 AD, and that the Arrangement is in place by 1601 (and has been implemented “dozens of times”), but that’s a period of over 1000 years, which I would think would qualify as a long time even by immortal standards. I think I just struggle with the idea that, despite the fact that so much work went into giving us a history of the relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale, this fairly vital bit of information (the time period that the two of them actually recognised their inclination to work together instead of against each other) wasn’t given to us. It makes me feel like their history isn’t complete. Perhaps it’s been done on purpose (for a revelation later on) but given that season 1 was the only confirmed season at the time, that feels unlikely.

I’ve already discussed the concept of Crowley and Aziraphale discussing the possibility of claiming asylum from the other’s side in the script-to-screen comparison for episode 2, so I won’t go into it here, but there is one more point I want to touch upon: the missing Shakespeare plays. I haven’t had a chance to discuss them yet as I haven’t made it to the season 2 write-ups (I’m getting there!), but two of these actually turn up in Aziraphale’s bookshop, carelessly sorted into the empty box that Gabriel shows up with:

Interestingly, the mention of these books is made in a section that hints at Aziraphale being something of an underhand and self-serving individual – inserting his own history into the Bible and stealing important works of literature. It’s not something I can see our version of the angel doing (at least not without having a huge guilty conscience), but it’s a nice little demonstration of some of the subtle differences between book-Aziraphale and show-Aziraphale.

Confirmed/explicitly stated information

Any CD left in the Bentley eventually morphs into Queen albums.

Crowley likes to sleep.

Crowley does eat.

Crowley likes people.

The terms of the “Arrangement” – a “non-interference in certain of the other’s activities” and to “hold the fort for one another whenever common sense dictated”.

Nanny Ashtoreth is based on Mary Poppins.

Types of venues considered safe for Crowley and Aziraphale to meet:

The tops of buses.

Art galleries.

Concerts.

The events leading up to Armageddon take place in August.

Neither Aziraphale nor Crowley need to sleep.

The double yellow lines outside the bookshop miraculously disappear when the Bentley requires a parking space.

The third baby from the baby switch, Baby B, did survive, and grew up to become Greasy Johnson, the Tadfield bully.

The prophecies in Agnes’s book aren’t in chronological order.

Aziraphale definitely does not understand the concept of an answerphone.

Crowley holds no authority in Hell.

Angels could dance if they wanted to, they just “don’t feel the urge to”.

Demons don’t need sound to communicate.

Aziraphale has never had any dealings with any demons other than Crowley.

Crowley is an optimist.

The fact that everybody starts to forget what happened on Armageddon day is Adam’s doing.

Again, plenty of bits of information that are nice to have confirmed (if we’re going on the basis that what is canon in the book is also canon in the show), particularly the clarifications around sleeping and, in Crowley’s case, eating. There are two pieces of information on the list that I consider important, one of which I was so excited about reading, I put a red Post-it note on the page it was written on. Let’s start with the first one – the fate of the third baby in the baby swap. As a reminder of the ambiguity of Baby B’s outcome, here’s what we ended up with in the finished episode:

GOD: It would be nice to think that the nuns had the surplus baby – Baby B – discreetly adopted. That he grew to be a happy, normal child, and, then, grew further to become a normal, fairly contented adult. And perhaps that is what happened. He probably wins prizes for tropical fish.

On paper, it’s very open-ended. In the show however, with the ominous music and the way the speech is delivered, we as the audience are led down a much darker imaginative path. That speech actually originates from the book, almost word-for-word, with the original text going further down the suggestive route that something sinister happens to the “surplus” baby. The difference is that the book resolves that tension. There isn’t even a hint of the child that will become Greasy Johnson in the show, despite the fact that he and his gang actually form an important sub-textual point about rival groups and their ingrained need to best their enemies, for no other reason that to prove that they’re the best. I can live with it, seeing as it would have required a number of extra child actors and all the other necessities that they come with, I just feel a bit slighted that we don’t find out that the nuns weren’t so deplorably evil that they would dispose of an hours-old baby like unwanted trash.

Now I’m off my high horse about that particular point, let’s have a look at the one that caused me to dig out my special labels.

[…]demons don’t necessarily need sound to communicate.

I have seen a lot of fandom-generated content speculating on the whole non-verbal communication concept, and I’m down with a lot of it. Mostly I was thinking that the times that Crowley and Aziraphale apparently speak to one another without using actual words was more to do with their knowledge of one another and the intricacies of their relationship. But actually it’s here, in black and white, just over halfway through the book. No speculation, no theorising. An actual statement. If this is canon for the show as well as the book, this would both answer and pose a SHITLOAD of questions. And if demons can communicate without sound, does that mean angels can too? They are “from the same stock” after all. With that little piece of information, there are a lot of opportunities that suddenly become very possible. As with the idea of the Bentley driving itself, I find myself wondering if this has been left out on purpose – perhaps it was something that wasn’t wanted or needed for the first season, but maybe (just maybe) it’s being kept as a trump card for later. I guess we’ll have to wait and see…

[hayleythesugarbowl]

Hi, sorry to bother you I know requests are closed but can you do a romantic x reader oneshot on Ray Manchester/Captain Man ❤️ for valentine's day

(Where ray falls quickly in love with the newest helper at Junk N'Stuff (unaware that Jasper put out an ad in the swellview news paper saying that junk n stuff is looking for a helper) and wants to ask her out on a date after mindless flirting with her a bit and working his charm on her, on the day of Valentine's Day Ray wanted to set up a surprise romantic dinner for him and the reader down in the Man Cave even though Henry and Charlotte tried to talk him out of it since the reader doesn't know about the elevator, or the Man Cave, or that ray is Captain Man saying that bringing the reader down to the man cave was a bad idea, but ray had decided to tell the reader his secret during dinner so there won't be any secrets between them due to the fact that ray wants to start a relationship with her. During dinner ray finally told the reader his secret which thrilled her (after she found out about the elevator and met and befriending Schwoz), at the end Henry came back after he forgot his backpack and saw both Ray and the reader sharing a long passionate kiss together due to his dismay)

My Valentine || Ray Manchester/Captain Man x reader

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ masterlist • ray manchester masterlist ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

summary: when you start working at junk n’ stuff, ray is immediately attracted to you and wants to do something special for you on valentine’s day

word count: 3.8k

warnings: none

a/n: hey!! happy valentine’s day!! i love this idea and i rushed to get it to you by v day so you could spend the holiday with ray 🤭 hope u enjoy this love!! 💌🫂🍒

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“Henry!” A voice called from somewhere behind you “Where’re my beans?”

     “What?” Came the reply.

     “My lucky beans!”

     “I think Jasper has them,” the boy who must’ve been Henry shouted. 

     You turned around to find the source of the yelling, but you couldn’t see anything behind a curtain that blocked of the front of the store from the back.

     You had only been working here at Junk N’ Stuff for a few hours and you were still a bit confused about some aspects of your job.

     Jasper, the curly-haired boy who’d hired you, had given you a quick tour of the store—except for the back, which he’d said was due to the construction happening—before ushering you behind the counter.

     It was odd, you thought, leaning on the desk—you hadn’t heard any sounds of construction over the past few hours. 

     You looked over at Jasper, sorting though a pile of pails and buckets with vigor and ignoring the conversation he had obviously heard about him and beans. He caught you watching him and smiled.

     “I’m looking for the bucket that belonged to Louis XIV,” he called, “You haven’t seen it, have you?”

     You shook your head, “Can’t say that I have, but I’ll keep an eye out.”

     You sighed. It wasn’t your ideal job, working at a junk store. But you had known what it was when you applied for the job after seeing the strange yet intriguing ad in the paper. And this job would do in the mean time while you figured out what to do next.

     “Why would Jasper have my beans?” You heard the first voice again, closer this time.

     “Something about hair growth? I don’t know,” the younger voice answered.

     You weren’t aware that anybody else worked here besides you. You didn’t think the junk store needed more than one or two employees. You hadn’t even seen one customer enter the building all day. 

     The ad had said they were ‘looking for someone to watch over the shop—the perfectly normal, nothing-at-all-weird-about-it shop and handle customers full time. Must have experience with plants’.

     You’d thought that part was weird—actually the whole advertisement was odd—but had ultimately looked past it. The pay was good and you needed a job right now after the unfortunate end of your last one.

     And the store did have some cool items, if you were into that sort of thing. You played with a toy monkey dressed like Elvis Presley laying behind the front desk.

     “Jasper!” A man pushed through the curtain and entered the room. He wore dark jeans and a tight-fitting yellow shirt. He was followed by a blond-haired boy and a girl with dark hair.

     Jasper looked up from where he was sitting.

     “Hand over the beans,” the man said, his back turned to you. 

     “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jasper held his ground. “Henry, Charlotte, tell him I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

     “Nice try, but your hair wasn’t that lustrous and voluminous yesterday!” The older man shouted.

     The girl—Charlotte—massaged her temples. 

     “Just give him the beans, dude,” Henry said. 

     Jasper ran a hand through his hair, “Oh all right.”

     He reached into his pocket and handed something to the other man. But not before kissing what must’ve been the beans and whispering ‘I’ll miss you, my little hair-miracle workers’.

     You watched this whole thing with a strange amusement. What had you gotten yourself into?

     “Oh, Ray,” Jasper said, perking up, “Speaking of beans, I hired a new helper.”

     “You what?” The man—Ray—asked.

     “Yeah, you what?” Henry echoed.

     “Well, you know how you’re always saying we need someone else around to man the shop because I’m just too handsome to be believably working at a junk store?”

     “Literally never said that,” Ray said.

     “You’re delusional,” Henry said at the same time.

      “You’re foot’s stuck in a bucket,” Charlotte added 

     “Well,” Jasper continued, shaking the container off of his foot, “I hired some help!”

     He gestured to the front desk.

     “Jasper, we’ve talked about making decisions without asking me first. I told—” Ray started as he turned around to look in the direction of where you were standing. 

     You attempted a small wave. 

     “—Hello there,” the man finished, his voice taking on a slower cadence. He walked over to you and leaned an elbow on the desk. “I’m Ray. Ray Manchester.”

     He held out his other arm and you shook his hand. “I’m (Y/n).”

     The first thing you noticed about him were his eyes, such a bright shade of blue. You couldn’t deny he was an attractive man, you thought, as you took in his features. You caught yourself staring and quickly looked down.

     Ray rested his chin in his hand and looked you up and down, “So, you work here at Junk N’ Stuff?”

     “As of four hours ago, yes,” you smiled. “Do you work here also?”

     “I’m actually the owner,” Ray smiled at you. “I’m kind of an entrepreneur.”

     “Are you now?” You fought back a laugh at his confident tone. 

     “You bet, darling. And as the owner and this fine establishment, I hope you’ll come to me if you have any questions or concerns about anything,” Ray said smoothly, leaning towards you.

     “Do you treat all your employees this nicely?” You replied, smiling.

     “Just the beautiful ones,” Ray said and even though you knew he was shamelessly flirting, you couldn’t help the blush creeping up your neck. “Especially the ones I hire myself.”

     “Hey—” Jasper started, probably to argue that he was the one who had given you the job, but Ray interrupted him.

     “So,” he continued, “Since you now officially work here, I am required to conduct a, uh…”

     He fumbled for words.

     “Stay Conversation?” Charlotte supplied.

     “That!” Ray said, “Which means I have to ask you some questions about how you’re liking your job, the hours…your boss.” 

     Charlotte smacked her face with the palm of her hand.

     “Ask away,” you said. You were positive this was something that shouldn’t be done mere hours after you began working at a place, but you decided to humor him. 

     “Question one,” he started, “how are you liking your time at Junk N’ Stuff so far?” 

     “I’m liking it very much,” you said.

     “Excellent,” Ray continued, “which brings us to number two. Are you seeing anyone right now?” 

     “So not how a Stay Conversation works,” Charlotte walked away. 

     “Shut up!” Ray whisper-yelled. He turned back to you, “So, your answer to question number two…”

     “No,” you laughed, “I can’t say that I am.” 

     “Very interesting. And, how would you describe your ideal romantic partner?”

     “Oh, I don’t know,” you said playfully, “I like blonds.”

     You said it just to mess with him and you enjoyed watching him process your statement. 

     “Question three. Would you ever date someone who’s not a blond?”

     You giggled. “Depends on the someone. What’s your type Mr. Manchester?”

     “I like beautiful women who prefer blonds,” he winked at you. 

     “What a shame,” you tapped his chest, “I like men who like women who prefer brunette’s”

     Ray got a faraway look in his eyes as he tried to work that one out. 

     “I think you’re just trying to confuse me,” he accused.

     “Guilty as charged.”

     You were close now and you really studied him. You’d been enjoying the back-and-forth banter and you hadn’t realized how you’d both leaned towards each other. 

     You took your gaze from Ray to the floor and back to Ray again, and found him staring at you intently. 

     “So is the questionnaire over?” You said to break the silence.

     Ray nodded, “I found out all I needed to know. You are so transparent, Miss (Y/n).”

     “Oh yeah? And what’d you find out?”

     “Well, I now know you have a thing for blonds,” he said and at your smile he continued. “I know you’re smart and funny and pretty—although I didn’t need a questionnaire for that—and, what was it? Oh, you think I’m devilishly handsome and are wondering how I get my hair to look this good, because it certainly isn’t because of those beans.”

     “You’ve got me all figured out,” you laughed, rolling your eyes. 

     “You’re an open book, gorgeous.”

     “Well,” Henry’s voice interrupted your conversation and you instinctively stepped backwards. “I’m uncomfortable, so I’m going to bounce.”

     You knew you should be getting back to your job and Ray probably had something to be doing as the owner of this place, but you were enjoying talking to him and you wanted to know more about who he was.

     “So, we’ve established that you know everything about me,” you said. “But what about you? Who are you besides handsome business owner with beans.”

     “First of all, told you so,” Ray said winking, “and second of all, I am so much more than—in your words—handsome.”

      A look of determination crossed his features and you furrowed your brow. 

         “You wanna know what else I do, babe?” Ray leaned forwards, “I’m actually—”

     “—a knitter!” Henry finished, rushing over, eyes wide. “Ray loves knitting.”

     The boy glared at Ray and he rolled his eyes.

     “Yep, I just love yarn,” Ray said mechanically.

     You looked between the two, at the unspoken words that had passed between them. What just happened? Was Ray keeping some secret?

     “I didn’t peg you as the knitting type,” you said.

     “Yeah, me neither,” Ray said to Henry through clenched teeth. 

     “Well, it seems I have a lot to learn about you,” you teased.

     “Oh (Y/n),” Ray said, “You don’t know the half of it.”

₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

     And that was how the rest of the week went. And the one after that. And the one after that. 

     You working at Junk N’ Stuff, and getting to know Ray. Trading quips as both of you tiptoed around the attraction that you obviously felt. 

     Well, you specifically felt. You couldn’t speak for him. He didn’t shy away from calling you gorgeous and beautiful every few seconds, but it had been 26 days and he still  hadn’t asked you out yet.

     You thought for sure, or at least hoped, that he would make a move, but he hadn’t yet. 

     And as the days went on, you found yourself wishing more and more that he would just do it. He was obviously attractive—you could tell that the minute you saw him—but as you spent more time with him you realized how funny and charming and interesting he really was. 

     You began to fidget with a figurine of a fox dressed like Cupid that was on the desk. Today being Valentine’s Day so did not help your mood as you pondered your romantic struggles. You layed your head down on the counter and let out a breath. The shop was completely empty and only you and your feelings occupied the space right now—you know, other than the piles and piles of junk.

     In fact, you hadn’t seen a single person since this morning. Which was normal in the way of customers—you were beginning to wonder if this was really a store!—but you were surprised you hadn’t seen Jasper or Charlotte or Henry. 

     Or Ray. 

     You wondered where he was right now…

…

     “No. Absolutely not.” Henry crossed his arms and sat down on the couch in the center of the Man Cave.

     “But why not!” Ray pouted.

     “Because it doesn’t matter how hot you think (Y/n) is! You can’t just go around telling everyone you’re Captain Man.” Charlotte finished, annoyed.

     “Yeah,” Henry echoed, “this is one of your worse ideas. And you’ve had a lot of bad ideas.”

     “But Henry, I love her,” Ray emphasized, ignoring Henry’s jab.

     “Ray, you’ve known her for like—”

     Ray picked up a weapon laying on the desk next to him and aimed it at Henry.

     “Alright man, you love her!” Henry said quickly, putting his hands up.

     “And that’s backwards,” Charlotte gestured at the weapon.

     “I knew that,” Ray said sheepishly, turning the thing around and setting it down.

     “But c’mon,” Ray continued, “we can trust her!”

     “Who knows where Jasper found her!” Charlotte exclaimed.

     “Then trust me,” Ray said desperately, “I’ve never felt this way about any girl before. She’s intelligent and sweet and I really feel like she gets me. I want to ask her out, and I don’t want there to be any secrets between us!”

     Henry and Charlotte shared a look. 

     “I don’t know, man.” Henry rubbed the back of his neck.

     “I just don’t think it’s smart,” Charlotte said gently.

     Ray sighed. “No I get it. Superhero code and all. It’s in the handbook. You guys are right.”

     The kids looked relieved.

     “There’s a handbook?” Henry asked.

     “Was. Accidentally set it on fire years ago,” Ray said, dusting an imaginary price of lint off of his sleeve. He looked up. “And hey, why don’t you guys take the day off! You work so hard, and it’s Valentine’s Day. Go, eat chocolate!” 

     Ray shooed Henry and Charlotte away and they both stepped towards the tubes.

     “I guess we could go to Jasper’s Valentine’s Day party,” Henry suggested. “Y’know, so there’ll be actual people there.”

     “Alright,” Charlotte sighed, “but if he brings out that giant roll of cheese I’m leaving.”

     “Bye guys! Have fun!” Ray called as the kids disappeared up the tubes. “I definitely won’t be having dinner with (Y/n) in the Man Cave. And you’re good if I tell her I’m Captain Man, right? Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

     Ray smiled, satisfied. “Schwoz!”

     The short man ran into the room. 

     “How do you feel about making this room look like Saint Valentine threw up?”

…

     “(Y/n)?”

     You turned to look behind you and found Ray standing in the doorway.

     He was wearing a tuxedo with a pink bow tie and holding a rose and that wasn’t even the most surprising part.

     “How did you get there?” You said, “I’ve been here since this morning, so unless you slept here…”

     Ray smiled and held out a hand to you, “Allow me.”

     You hesitated but finally placed your hand in his, smiling up at him.

     “What are you up to Ray Manchester?” You said.

     “Who says I’m up to something?” He said innocently, handing you the rose. You took it gently.

     As Ray pushed back the curtain, you caught a glimpse of the room beyond. Even though you’d been working here nearly a month, you still hadn’t been behind this curtain.

     Someone always found an excuse for you not to go back there and you were beginning to wonder if there really were man-eating lounge chairs behind the curtain. That had been Jasper’s latest explanation for why you could absolutely not look for cleaning supplies in the back. 

     Seeing it now, it looked…normal. Just a storage room with an elevator on the back wall.

     Ray walked you over to the elevator and stepped inside, bringing you with him.

     He took a deep breath, “You ready?” 

     You looked at him strangely. “Why wouldn’t—”

     But you never got to finish that sentence because Ray pushed a button and suddenly the world was rushing past you and jostling you around and turning your stomach inside out. You screamed and reached out for Ray. 

     You landed with a loud bang and you attempted to stand up, but your legs protested. 

     Ray grabbed onto you and helped to pull you up. You clung to him, shaky and sincerely hoping the contents of your breakfast stayed inside your stomach.

     “Don’t worry,” Ray said, rubbing your back, “Everyone has that reaction the first time they take the elevator.”

     “You mean this thing isn’t broken?” You managed, “That’s normal?”

     “More or less,” Ray said, looking unconcerned. “Now can you stand? Because you’re kind of wrinkling my suit.”

     You rolled your eyes but let go of his arms. You were feeling much more steady as the effects of the elevator wore off and you smoothed your hair down as Ray smoothed down his suit.

      You still didn’t know what you were doing down here and you told Ray as much.

     He smiled and took a step closer to you. “Let me show you.”

     He pushed a button and the elevator doors opened to a wide room and you gasped.

     The room was dimly lit, with candles lining the floor and rose petals sprinkled amongst them. Strings of hearts hung across the walls and ceiling and in the center sat a table, perfectly set, with two chairs next to it. A small man dressed in a maid’s uniform stood next to it. The maid winked and gave you a wave.

     It was beautiful.

     “Ray, this is—” You didn’t know what to say. 

     You looked back at him as he watched your face nervously. 

     “Do you like it?” He took a step backwards, “Because if you don’t then it was all Schwoz’s idea!”

     He gestured at the maid who yelled ‘hey!’ in outrage. 

     “No, I love it!” You said quickly. “I just—you did all this for me?”

     “Well, I helped,” Schwoz said, crossing his arms. 

     “Zip it, Schwoz!” Ray yelled before turning back to you. “Shall we.”

     He gestured to the table and you followed him there, taking a seat as he pulled out a chair for you before sitting in his own. 

     As Schwoz poured your drinks, you looked at Ray in amusement.

     “What?” He asked.

     “I just can’t believe…all this!” You gestured around you. “That you went to all this trouble for—”

     “(Y/n), it’s no secret how I feel about you,” he said quietly. 

     You stopped breathing. “And that is?” 

     “Well for starters, you’re gorgeous and—”

     “Medium or well done?” Schwoz interrupted and you turned to see he had a grill in the corner.

     You barely registered the question though. You were much more interested in what Ray had to say than the quality of your steak.

     “Medium! Annyway, like I was saying,” Ray continued, “Ever since—”

     “Do you want any seasonings?” Schwoz peered back around to your table.

     “Dang it Schwoz!” Ray pounded the table. 

     You giggled and put a hand on Ray’s. He looked down at your hand atop his and swallowed. 

     “What I’m trying to say is, I like you a lot, (Y/n),” Ray said. “I have liked you a lot from the moment I met you.”

     You smiled, “I like you too, Ray. A lot.”

     Ray grinned giddily before standing up, and beginning to pace. 

     “(Y/n), I like you so much that I don’t want there to be any secrets between us.”

     You furrowed your brow and sat up straighter. Ray walked over to the side of the room and pulled out a small tube of red and blue spheres.

     You raised your eyebrows as he took one of the balls and popped it in his mouth and began chewing what must have been gum.

     “And your secret is you’re a gum addict?” 

     You watched as he blew a bubble and suddenly a flash of light filled the room. You blinked and standing before you was no longer Ray in his tuxedo, but a superhero.

     A superhero who you recognized—who anybody in Swellview would have recognized.     

     “You’re Captain Man,” you breathed.

     “That’s right, I’m awesome,” Ray said, smirking and walking over to you.

     “So you—and this is—we are—” You processed all of the information at once. “This isn’t really a junk shop, is it?”

     “It’s as real as the meat Schwoz is cooking,” Ray said. Note to self, you thought, don’t eat the ‘steak’.

      Everything that you’d known about the store and everything that didn’t make sense all came together in your head. The pieces  clicking together perfectly.

     “This,” Ray continued, “Is the Man Cave. My superhero headquarters. Where I live. And the junk shop upstairs is really more of a front—and a place to keep Jasper busy while we fight crime.”

     “So Henry—” 

     “—Is my sidekick, Kid Danger.”

     “And Charlotte—”

     “She helps too.”

     “Jasper—”

     “Well, he doesn’t help that much,” Ray said, waving it off. “And Schwoz works for me.”

     “Wow,” was all you could say, “I had no idea.”

     “Yeah,” Ray said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Guess you probably don’t want to keep your job at the store now that you know it’s not really a real store. The only customer we ever get is Jasper.”

     “Are you kidding? This job is the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” you said. “If I’d never been here, I wouldn’t be here with the Captain Man.”

     Ray stepped closer to you, a grin on his face. “Oh yeah? And what about Ray Manchester?”

     You shrugged, playing along “Don’t tell him I said this, but I’m kind of eternally grateful I met him too.”

     Ray wrapped his arms around you. 

     “Well, now that there’s nothing hidden between us, there’s one thing I’ve really been meaning to ask. So, (Y/n), will you go out with me? Will you be my valentine?”

   Valentine’s Day. That’s what all of this was for. You’d been so blinded by everything Ray had done for you, you hadn’t registered the pink and red theme.

     You looked at Ray, looking at you like he needed you to say yes. You took in the decorations behind you and all the effort Ray had put into making this a special evening for you. It was finally happening. The moment you had been dreaming of since you had met him.

     “Because if you say no, I promised Schwoz he could eat all this food,” Ray teased

     “Yes, Ray,” you smiled, feeling like your heart couldn’t swell with more joy and elation than it already had. “I’ll be your valentine.”

     Ray leaned in to kiss you and you leaned towards him, your lips meeting.

     “Aww, young love, so touching.”

     You looked over to find Schwoz watching you, and Ray shot him a glare. He scurried away and Ray brought his lips back to yours. 

     You kissed him and he kissed you and it was magical. His hands went to your hair and you wrapped your arms around him tighter. 

     You never wanted this moment to end. 

     “Hey, Ray, have you seen—”

     You and Ray broke apart and you looked at Henry’s shocked expression as his gaze went from you to Ray in his Captain Man uniform to Schwoz and the decorations.

     “I just thought I left my backpack here,” Henry said weakly, “but, uh, I’ll get a new one. See you later, Ray—or should I say Captain Man.”

     Ray turned to you guiltily, “I wasn’t exactly supposed to tell you about the whole ‘being a superhero’ thing.”

     He looked to Henry now, “She begged me to tell her, kid, I couldn’t help it.”

     You smacked him in the arm and Henry let out a laugh despite himself.

     “Besides, we can make an exception for my girlfriend, can’t we?” Ray said, grabbing your hand. 

     Ray’s girlfriend. You liked the sound of that. You leaned in and kissed him softly.

     “Right, well,” Henry looked at the ground, “I should go. Jasper’s cheese isn’t going to eat itself. Happy Valentine’s Day, you two.”

     You watched him turn to leave, smiling. You still couldn’t believe how perfect this all was.

     “And Schwoz?” Henry called, his back to you. 

     “Yes?”

     “Nice skirt.”

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ˋ°•*⁀➷ hope u enjoyed this babes 🫶 i think im going to start a ray masterlist so look out for that!! have a lovely valentines day!!

[dreamonseems]

Clumsy Mommy

Erling Haaland X Female Reader

Summary: Reader slips and falls and Erling worries.

Ok, I literally have re-uploaded this 100 times. I hope this is the final time I'm having such a hard time uploading this. I hope the anon can see it 😔

Y/N and Erling were overjoyed to be expecting their second child. As the months went by, Y/N couldn't help but notice the stark difference between this pregnancy and her previous experience carrying Ragnar.

With baby number two, her body seemed to have found its rhythm, and she sailed through the journey with much greater ease. At six months pregnant, Y/N was in the midst of a blissful period, experiencing fewer discomforts and even enjoying the luxury of minimal morning sickness.

Today was an exciting day for Y/N as she found herself at the heart of the Manchester City stadium, surrounded by the vibrant energy of the team she had grown to love and support. As a valued member of the social media team for Man City, Y/N felt a deep sense of fulfillment in her work.

The fact that she could conveniently work from home allowed her to strike the perfect balance between caring for their lively son, Ragnar, and immersing herself in her professional endeavors. It was a privilege she treasured, cherishing the moments she got to spend in Erling's presence whenever their paths crossed at the stadium.

Y/N sat in a bustling meeting room, passionately discussing projects with her team. The hum of creativity and ambition filled the air as they delved into strategies to engage and captivate the club's vast online community. Y/N's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, her dedication to her work shining through her every word and gesture.

Being in this vibrant environment, surrounded by like-minded individuals, invigorated Y/N. It was a testament to her unwavering commitment to both her family and her career. As she dove into discussions, her growing baby bump served as a reminder of the new life blossoming within her, a constant source of inspiration and motivation.

Even amidst the buzz of professional responsibilities, Y/N couldn't help but occasionally pause, her hands instinctively cradling her abdomen as she felt the gentle movements of her unborn child.

Each flutter reminded her of the miracle of life unfolding within her, reinforcing the significance of the choices she made and the legacy she was creating for her growing family.

Erling stood on the field, his heart filled with immense joy as he went through his rigorous training routine. A bright smile adorned his face, one that could only be described as contagious. Deep within his soul, he carried a profound sense of contentment, knowing that just a few steps away, Y/N was inside the stadium, passionately immersed in her work.

The thought of Y/N being in such close proximity ignited a flame within Erling, filling him with a sense of pride that he couldn't help but display. His eyes gleamed with adoration as he thought about the life growing inside her, a testament to their love and commitment. There was an innate satisfaction that welled up within him, knowing that he had played a role in creating this new life, that he had left an indelible mark on Y/N's body.

As he trained, Erling reveled in the knowledge that people around the stadium were aware of Y/N's pregnancy. It was as if he had an unspoken connection with everyone, a silent understanding that he had contributed to the creation of this beautiful, growing belly. A primal instinct awakened within him, a sense of possessiveness and protectiveness over Y/N and their unborn child.

He took pride in showcasing Y/N to the world, as if boldly proclaiming, "Look, she belongs to me."

Erling's joy knew no bounds as he trained, his movements infused with a newfound vigor and determination. With every stride, he carried the weight of responsibility and the desire to provide for his growing family. The knowledge that Y/N was nearby, diligently working, fueled his determination to succeed, not just on the field, but in life as a whole.

"Haa…land!" Erling's name rang through the air, causing him to abruptly halt his training. His heart pounded in his chest as Sam, one of Y/N's team members, sprinted towards him on the field. Confusion etched across his face, Erling anxiously asked, "What's going on?"

Breathless and filled with urgency, Sam managed to convey the distressing news. "Y/N... Y/N is in the Infirmary, She had a fall and hurt herself."

Panic seized Erling's being, his mind racing with a torrent of terrifying thoughts. Y/N was six months pregnant; any mishap could have dire consequences. Was the baby alright? Was Y/N alright? A surge of fear coursed through him as he sprinted towards the stadium, his every step weighted with trepidation.

With trembling hands, Erling pushed open the door to the infirmary and beheld Y/N was seated on the bed. Relief flooded through him as she turned towards him, a gentle smile gracing her lips, attempting to soothe his troubled soul. Her reassurance brought a semblance of calmness to his shattered nerves, though his face remained ashen, his eyes haunted.

"I'm fine, Erling," Y/N softly spoke, her voice a balm to his anguished heart.

"It was just a small slip. I didn't notice the wet floor. The baby is fine, and I'm fine. I just have a scratched knee." Her words, though meant to provide solace, couldn't fully alleviate the terror that still lingered within Erling's trembling frame.

Erling rushed to her side, enfolding her in his strong, protective embrace. He held her as if she were the most fragile thing in the world, unwilling to let go. His hands instinctively moved to her belly, where their precious baby resided. With tenderness, he caressed her tummy, his lips gently pressing kisses upon the growing life within.

Y/N's giggle filled the air, a testament to her love for the care he showered upon her and their unborn child. In that moment, Erling's fears seemed to dissipate, replaced by an overwhelming sense of love and gratitude.

"Mommy is clumsy, and she has to be very careful," he whispered to her belly, his voice laced with a mixture of adoration and concern. His eyes locked with Y/N's, conveying the depths of his fear and the unwavering love that coursed through every fiber of his being.

Erling and Y/N found solace in one another's arms. Their love, tested by the unpredictability of life, emerged stronger than ever.

They understood the fragility of their precious bond and vowed to protect it fiercely, cherishing each moment and the miracle they were nurturing together.

As they lingered in that embrace, time seemed to stand still. The worries and anxieties that had threatened to consume Erling's heart were replaced by a profound gratitude for the safety and well-being of his beloved Y/N and their unborn child. In that sacred space, they reaffirmed their commitment to one another, vowing to navigate the challenges of life hand in hand, their love an unwavering source of strength and resilience.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - March 6, 2023

🐎 - News That'll Make You Say "Neigh" to Negativity: My Weekly Positive Roundup

1. Drugmaker Eli Lilly caps the cost of insulin at $35 a month, bringing relief for millions

Eli Lilly will cap the out-of-pocket cost of its insulin at $35 a month, the drugmaker said Wednesday. The move could prompt other insulin makers in the U.S. to follow suit.

The change, which Eli Lilly said takes effect immediately, puts the drugmaker in line with a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act, which in January imposed a $35 monthly cap on the out-of-pocket cost of insulin for seniors enrolled in Medicare.

2. Over 7,500 Pot Convictions Expunged in Missouri

More than 7,500 individuals in Missouri have had their prior marijuana-related convictions expunged with recreational cannabis now legal in the state.

The expungement is the latest byproduct of the constitutional amendment that was approved by Missouri voters last fall, which legalized pot for adults and cleared the way for Missourians to have their records cleared.

3. Scientists cure 22 year old former race horse's behavioral disorders after 15 years of symptoms

A team of international researchers from Italy and Brazil published findings earlier this month in the science publication Veterinary and Animal Science in which they reported a “successful outcome of four weeks-therapy with CBD” in a clinical case involving a 22-year-old Quarter horse that was experiencing behavioral disorders.

The clinical case study was a collaboration between investigators from the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences at the University of Bologna in Italy and the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences at the University Metodista of São Paulo in Brazil. At the heart of the study was a 22-year-old mare subject that was reportedly suffering from “chronic crib-biting and wind-sucking,” which are common behavioral disorders in horses for various reasons, including but not limited to poor welfare

4. Clean energy record: More than 40% of US electricity now comes from carbon-free sources

Power from zero-carbon sources made up a full 41% of the U.S. electricity mix in 2022, a record-breaking number that has increased almost every year since 1990.

That mix includes power from nuclear plants, hydroelectric dams, solar and wind. With nuclear and hydropower relatively unchanged for years at about 19% and 10% respectively, the majority of the increase has come from the rapid build-out of solar and wind power, whose costs have plummeted in the past two decades. 

5. ‘Cruelty-free’ circus replaced animals with holograms

Holograms of horses run in circles. The Circus Roncalli stopped using wild animals in its shows in the 1990s. Circus Roncalli was among the first circus acts in Europe to stop using animals in acts.

6. New UN brokered High Seas Treaty Places 30% of Ocean into protected areas by 2030 after decades of talks

The High Seas Treaty places 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, aiming to safeguard and recuperate marine nature.

The agreement was reached on Saturday evening, after 38 hours of talks, at UN headquarters in New York. The negotiations had been held up for years over disagreements on funding and fishing rights.

7. 'Heroic' Wirral student rescues dog from Manchester canal

Watch the video here:

https://twitter.com/feelgoodnws/status/1632323139454550018

- - -

Lastly, I opened a Youtube account. Subscribe for more wholesome videos. That's it for this week. If you liked this post you can support this newsletter with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

[riaaanna]

On the Trail of Queen Live in Manchester (1973 - 1986)

Just in case I haven't mentioned it enough (lmfao) I spent about fifteen months in Manchester which was amazing! I've been home for only two months and it pains me to say that I already miss it. Despite its constantly horrendous weather I do hold this place dear in my heart and so did Queen throughout their touring days!

So while I was there I spent some time to visit all six venues in Manchester where Queen once played live. Now if you think I only got this idea on the last few weeks while I was still in Manchester, you're right lmao. Short daylight during winter time, venue constructions, etc... well at least I could say I was there where Queen was!

All date links below are to queenlive.ca. Images of live shows are from there as well (unless otherwise mentioned), please click date links for the sources. Thank you Bob!

1. Opera House (26 Nov 1973)

Queen first played in Manchester at The Opera House when they supported Mott the Hoople on tour! Its first name was The New Theatre when it opened in 1912. It started off as a cinema, momentarily a bingo hall, then back to a theatre in 1984. (Ticket stubs credits to Martin of queenconcerts).

Just my luck of course, the one time I'm around the area and had the idea to drop by Queen's gig venues in the city, the place seemed to be under massive construction and didn't look pretty at all. (Except that it was where the premiere of a musical using Kylie Minogue's songs so they've got posters of it there which was nice cause I love Kylie!). The idea came up on a whim, when my friend Kumi dropped by to visit me in Manchester and I suddenly had the thought of visiting past venues. We happened to be closest to Opera House at that time, and it happened to be where Queen played here the first time! It was nice so I took it upon myself to continue the rest of the exploration around Manchester.

I reckon they must have mostly finished the construction by now but I'm not there anymore, so here's a nicer picture of what it looked like a year ago! (📸 Trevor West)

Anyway, the place wasn't really on my usual route, I would have had to go out of my way to get there if it weren't for meeting up with my friend, so this was all I could get. I wish I had been there sooner to see what it really looked like! Still, gave me chills to be there where Queen was playing... FIFTY years ago then.

The best part? We have surviving audio of the show! (Lots more shows on the channel by Leon, if you like it go subscribe!)

2. University of Manchester (20 Mar 1974)

Fair warning this is gonna be a long one... their next gig in Manchester was at the University of Manchester! (Look at that gorgeous old building on a rare sunny day!)

Or, at least, I assumed it was there, because the original listing and every other source I look up only says "University". While I couldn't find any specific record in the University of Manchester's archive (I know, what a failure), I didn't think it was any more likely to be in Manchester Metropolitan University, or even the Royal Northern College of Music (which was only established in 1973 combining the Royal Manchester College of Music and the Northern School of Music). I asked Bob of queenlive.ca if he knew exactly where, but he didn't, and he UNO-reversed me to tell him if I ever finally find out where, which of course I haven't lmfao.

So gigs in the University nowadays are almost always around Manchester Academy at the Student Union. I tried doing a bit of detective work... The Academy's website has a Roll of Honour page listing the famous artists who ever played there and I found more questions instead of answers. On the 1974 page, there is no Queen, but there are others. They listed Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel playing there on 21 March, a day after Queen's gig. I looked it up, and it seems everywhere else their gig was listed as "Manchester University" too. I thought okay that looks consistent, that's how they used to refer the place! But then on the same page, they listed ELO playing there on 18 Feb. I looked that up too, and turns out ELO's gig on that date was not in Manchester University, but it was in Free Trade Hall in Manchester. So was it a mistake on that page, and does it mean the page is unreliable? I would email them but their contact just goes to the Student Union. So I don't even know anymore, but in conclusion, I'm about 70-80% sure that Manchester University refers to this place, and you can decide if that's enough to go along with.

So firstly, the photos above are not mine I'm sorry! I now regret that I take going past these buildings every day for granted and never took my own photos of them from outside. But those are nice pics of mostly students queueing for a gig in the evening, which still blows my mind that it was such a regular thing there. Big positive culture shock. There are four different venues in Manchester Academy. There's Manchester Academy 1, 2, and 3, which are all in the building in the left photo (📸 Joseph Bradshaw). Then there's Manchester Club Academy, which is a smaller venue and is actually inside the Student Union building itself on the right photo (📸 Trevi Yeung).

What I did take some photos of are the inside! Last year I watched Sam Ryder in Manchester Academy 1 and Go_A (from Ukraine!) in Manchester Club Academy. I don't know which of these was the one Queen played in. Of course it's possible that it was an entirely different venue that's been demolished or reconstructed, but this was as close as I could get to where Queen (probably) once played live.

3. Palace Theatre (30 Oct 1974)

Palace Theatre! Another building I pass every single day on Oxford Road, just across Manchester Oxford Road Station. I also never actually went in there unfortunately, I never really found anything playing that I was okay spending a lot of money for, the whole year, and eventually that was the case until I left Manchester. The building first opened as "The Grand Old Lady of Oxford Street" in 1891 and is one of the main theatres in Manchester.

This is the second time that year where Queen played in Manchester! Palace Theatre is also home to an iconic show in Queen's history because according to queenlive.ca:

This is the beginning of Queen's first full-scale European tour. Tonight are the first performances of new songs from Sheer Heart Attack: Now I'm Here, Flick Of The Wrist, In The Lap Of The Gods, Bring Back That Leroy Brown, and In The Lap Of The Gods...Revisited (Stone Cold Crazy had already been performed as far back as 1970).

And you can listen here for those first performances above!

4. Free Trade Hall (26 Nov 1975) (x2!)

Unlike the other venues in Oxford Road I don't often pass this building. In fact, I think it's actually closer to the Opera House but I didn't realize it at that time. And it's not like I've never been around that area, but at first glance this wouldn't have registered as a concert hall in my head!

There's a nice article about Free Trade Hall here telling its history and how it became a concert hall. It was apparently a historical site, built to commemorate "the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846" (idk man, but it has to do with pushing towards free trade, as the name suggests). It was also the site of the Peterloo Massacre in 1816, which was marked by the red plaque on the building. I'm not British so I was learning all this for the first time when I looked it up.

But anyway, at some point it became a concert hall and Queen played here in 1975. On the same day they played two shows, at 6 PM and 9 PM. Imagine that happening nowadays! But here's the actual best bit about the show they played here (the first one), according to queenlive.ca:

This show is the first known instance of Brighton Rock being played live, and it contains a superb Brian May guitar solo.

There were actually several shows before this one where Brian probably actually first started playing Brighton Rock Live, we just don't have a recording of it, hence the first known instance. But even so, that settles it, easy as that, of the six venues in Manchester this is my favourite and I claim this mine. And how lucky was I to have lived just around there!

And here's the aforementioned show, Brighton Rock truly did not disappoint!!!

5. Manchester Apollo (26-27 Nov 1979)

Remember what I said about last-minute ideas and short daylights... this was it. I think this is the furthest I went to visit and take pictures out of the six venues in Manchester. It wasn't that late but it was dark (I'll never get used to that) and there was nothing on, so that was what I got, on the left. Photo on the right (📸 Ed Dro) is when it was nice and sunny with a decent queue for a show!

Apparently it first opened as a cinema and variety theatre before it started to host concerts in 1960s, one of them being The Beatles, and it just became a proper concert venue since then.

Queen played two nights for the Crazy tour (ticket stubs credits to Martin of queenconcerts). And on the second night, according to queenlive.ca: "Liar is performed tonight, its first performance since May 1978." Very proud that Manchester was once graced by the almighty Crazy Tour, and the presence of Liar alone for me is enough indication of what must have been a fantastic show.

6. Maine Road (16 Jul 1986)

Last but absolutely not least! This place is what used to be Maine Road stadium and home to the Manchester City Football Club in 1923 - 2003. This is also a thing btw, just because I lived in Manchester my friends and relatives expected me to suddenly become a football fan. I only know that Manchester United and Manchester City exist, but that is literally it.

When I first looked up this place, I realized this was in Moss Side, and it was so near to where I lived (after I moved out of the student flat)! I couldn't believe how close it was that I could actually just stroll there to such an monumental place. But I already paid for a yearly buss pass so I took the bus for two stops lmfao.

The first picture is what it used to look like in 1991 (from Manchester Evening News). As you can see, it was a huge stadium cramped and surrounded in lots of housings. In 2003 the Manchester City left, and the stadium was demolished. The area is now a housing site, with a circular "centre spot" marking the centre of where the stadium used to be.

I tried to record the engraving on the stone, which reads: "The Centre Spot, heart of Manchester sport, music, and culture. 1923 - 2003. Maine Road - from Moss Side to the world."

On the other side of the circle, if you zoom in to the picture behind where I stood, there's another part of the engraving which is apparently the Manchester City chant which reads: "Listen and you will hear us singing..."

As you can see, this was apparently a legendary stadium in the sports world, or something like that, which makes it stand out from the rest of the venues Queen played in in Manchester. About seven years after the last time they played, they came back with Magic Tour bigger than ever. This was certainly a special one, and it's not just me saying it! According to queenlive.ca:

A few weeks later the Manchester Evening News reported in a piece entitled "Friends of the Fans" that Queen awarded a plaque to Manchester City football club and its fans to recognize the concert. It read: "In honour of one of the best concerts we have held, the reception we received and audience participation was unsurpassed."

Lots of audience bootleg sources for this one but here's a video source of the show:

And those are the six venues! Now before we close, here's a fun bonus. I've just read this fun fact as I was writing up this post and putting in sources from queenlive.ca:

It's a slight coincidence that Queen played in Manchester on November 26th in three different years - 1973, 1975, and 1979.

I thought huh that's nice. Then I went back to my photos folder to select which ones to upload. Then I looked at the date on the file names, and I thought wait a minute. 20231126?? Lmfao??

Don't mind my silly selfies but guys. I cannot make this shit up. The one day I cramped in most of these visits, only excluding Opera House (the first day I got a lightbulb moment for this "tour") and University of Manchester (kind of doesn't count lol), I did it all on 26 November 2023, without even realizing that it was the same date Queen played in Manchester in three different years. I was pretty much celebrating their anniversaries without knowing. What a nice item to add in my list of Queen coincidences. (#1 on that list is still Roger Taylor in Eurovision.)

This is the end! I don't believe any of you will be reading this sentence by now. 😂 But if you are, whether you read all that or just skimming through, thank you for sticking around! This was a silly little personal tour but I really enjoyed visiting them and sharing the experience. More posts of my time abroad to come. Hopefully soon! (as I always say.)

[paralleljulieverse]

A Milestone in Time: Julie Andrews' 15th Birthday Celebration

In honour of Julie Andrews' birthday on October 1, the Parallel Julieverse takes a nostalgic look back at a festive occasion from her past: her 15th birthday celebration in 1950, featuring a few photos from the party held at The Old Meuse, her childhood home in Walton-on-Thames.

A 15th birthday is a significant coming-of-age milestone in many cultures, marking the transition from childhood to adolescence and the onset of adult responsibilities. For Julie, it was particularly meaningful, as it marked her release from UK juvenile labour laws, allowing her to work freely as an adult. In her memoir, she recounts:

"On October 1, I turned fifteen and was officially freed from the London County Council’s child performer restrictions…To celebrate my ‘liberation,’ Mum threw one of her great parties. There must have been about sixty people in the house. Everybody danced and jitterbugged and had a fine old time" (Andrews, 2008, pp. 128).

Elsewhere in her memoir, Julie describes how her parents' parties were legendary, with friends eagerly anticipating each gathering at The Old Meuse. The evenings typically began with drinks at the bar before moving into the sitting room, where Barbara played the piano and Ted sang, bringing the party to life. Guests danced, sang, and socialised, with Aunty Joan encouraging everyone to join the fun. Between these lively moments, there were quieter intervals for food and tea, before the revelry resumed (Andrews, 2008, pp. 89-90).

One of these "quieter" moments at Julie’s 15th birthday took a sudden, chaotic turn when an intoxicated Ted Andrews made an inappropriate remark. Annoyed by his behaviour, a family friend picked up a large dish of blancmange from the supper table and hurled it at him. As Julie recalls, "Pop ducked in the nick of time, and it hit the wall behind him…There was utter silence in the room as everyone watched the wobbly pink goop slide slowly down the wall…Then everyone began talking at once" (Andrews, 2008, pp. 129). After the mess was cleaned up, the party continued late into the night.

Interestingly, the blancmange story resurfaced three years later in a 1953 news article where it was adapted as a Christmas "anecdote from the stars." In this version, however, Julie was the one throwing the pudding, and the target was a fellow child rather than her stepfather. She writes:

“When I was seven, I had a Christmas children’s party soon after our house had been redecorated. During tea, one of the children annoyed me, so I scooped up a handful of blancmange and threw it at my guest. Of course, it missed and hit the newly-painted wall. Mummy has kept the mark as a souvenir to this day” (cited in Hubbard, 1953, p. 5)

This was likely a bit of PR embellishment, but if it really was another flying blancmange incident, the walls of The Old Meuse must have been a frightful mess!

Either way, Julie's birthday respite was short-lived. By Monday morning, she was back at the BBC's Paris Cinema for rehearsals ahead of that evening’s broadcast of Educating Archie. Two days later, she was on a train to Manchester for a charity concert, before returning to London for another week of shows. Such was the gruelling schedule that young Julie Andrews maintained during these early years.

Happy birthday, Dame Julie! However she chooses to celebrate her 89th year, we hope the festivities are as joyful as ever—and that, this time, the blancmange stays safely on the plate!

Sources:

Andrews, J. (2008). Home: A memoir of my early years. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.

Hubbard, D. (1953). '"'Anecdotes of the "Stars": When Julie threw the blancmange.” Bristol Evening Post. 24 December: p. 5.

[button-kin-games]

Little Wins, October 2024

Oh hey! It’s been a minute. What’s new with you? Oh, me? Not much, just finished a Kickstarter campaign and then went off grid for a month to de-stress. Yeah, feeling much better thanks.

I did promise myself that this month I would write the post-Kickstarter wrap up - what worked, what didn’t, what’s next - but it doesn’t feel like time for that yet. Maybe once the books are out in the post and the campaign is really and truly over? Yeah. Let’s do it then. In the meantime I have a couple of updates.

Even more llamas! While I was away resting my brain post-Kickstarter I found time to write up and lay out a trio of one-shot session plans for Drama Llamas and chuck them out into the world. Each plan includes a unique show concept, plus all the locations, NPCs, and challenges you need to run a high hilarity session of my reality TV themed TTRPG. They’re available on my itch.io for just £1 each. Or if you’re around in Manchester this Saturday I’ll be selling physical copies on my stall at Manchester Geek Fayre. Come by, say hi!

Aegean! I think mentioned a while back that I’d landed my first writing job for not-my-own-game? Let’s say I did. I’m too lazy to actually go back and check. Well, that was a chapter for a Peloponnese-themed source book for Aegean, a marvellous TTRPG of ancient Greek heroism and politicking from We Evolve Publishing. If you, like me, can’t get enough of ancient civilisations and mythology, check out Aegean: The Isle of Pelops, coming soon to Kickstarter. You can also find the core rule books on We Evolve’s website now along with existing expansions, including campaigns set in ancient Crete or Troy.

[formulaphoe]

the legend, michael schumacher

note: any comments disrespecting the schumachers' privacy will be deleted. don't be an asshole.

image source: manchester evening news

when you think of motorsport legends, one name that immediately comes to mind is michael schumacher. a name synonymous with speed, precision, and fierce competition, schumacher's career in formula 1 is nothing short of extraordinary. let's take a deep dive into the life of this racing icon, from his early days to current situation, while celebrating his unparalleled legacy.

early life and entry to racing

image source: fia karting

born on january 3, 1969, in hürth, germany, michael schumacher showed an early affinity for racing. his father, rolf, was a karting enthusiast and quickly recognised michael's potential. by the age of four, he was already racing karts, and he soon began climbing the ranks in various karting championships. his talent was undeniable, and in 1988, he made the leap to car racing, competing in the formula ford series.

schumacher's persistence paid off when he caught the attention of f1 teams, eventually leading to his debut with jordan grand prix in 1991. it was clear that a star was born.

rise to stardom

image source: ferrari

after his brief stint with jordan, schumacher moved to benetton, where he truly began to make his mark on the sport. he won his first world championship in 1994, followed by another in 1995, showcasing his incredible skill and ability to push the limits of his car.

but it was his time with scuderia ferrari that solidified his status as one of the greatest drivers in the sport's history. from 2000 to 2004, schumacher dominated the championship, winning five consecutive titles. his combination of speed, technical prowess, and teamwork with ferrari's engineers created an era of dominance that many thought might never be replicated.

records and achievements

image source: maxf1

schumacher's record speaks for itself. with seven world championships to his name—equalled only by lewis hamilton—schumacher held numerous records, including the most wins in a single season and the most wins overall, until hamilton broke them. his remarkable ability to adapt to changing regulations and technology in f1 only adds to his legendary status.

his charismatic personality and competitive spirit endeared him to fans worldwide, making him not just a driver, but a global icon of motorsport.

life-altering accident

image source: about france

in december 2013, tragedy struck when schumacher suffered a serious skiing accident in the french alps. the severity of his injuries left him in a coma for several months, and the recovery process has been lengthy and complicated. while details surrounding his health have been largely kept private, recent reports indicate that schumacher has made significant progress over the years.

friends and family have maintained a strong support system, but they have also been fiercely protective of his privacy. jean todt, a close friend and former team principal of ferrari, recently shared insights into schumacher's current life, stating, "his life is different now." the changes brought on by the accident have been profound. but even though he is no longer in the limelight, the legacy he created continues to inspire.

recent developments

image source: the sun

as of this month, news of schumacher's condition has emerged, marking the first (alleged) public sighting of him in eleven years. reports indicate that he attended his daughter, gina's, wedding, highlighting a poignant moment for his family. this rare glimpse into his life suggests that while schumacher's health journey is ongoing, he remains strong and surrounded by love and support.

michael's contributions to f1 cannot be overstated and the emotional weight of his journey should remind fans that there is a human behind the racing suit.

sources

"michael schumacher." wikipedia, 3 oct. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Schumacher

"michael schumacher." encyclopedia britannica, 28 sept. 2024, www.britannica.com/biography/michael-schumacher

donaldson, gerald. "michael schumacher." formula 1, www.formula1.com/en/information/drivers-hall-of-fame-michael-schumacher.7KdX5nJlTG55vR5JQSbZ21

"michael schumacher." ims museum, 2021, imsmuseum.org/fame_inductee/schumacher

"michael schumacher formula 1 driver biography." racefans, www.racefans.net/michael-schumacher

"michael schumacher now: what do we know about the f1 legend?" crash, 20 apr. 2023, www.crash.net/f1/news/1009933/1/michael-schumacher-now-what-do-we-know-about-the-f1-legend

"michael schumacher 'seen in public' 1st time in 11 years after skiing accident. reason is special." ndtv sports, 2 oct. 2024, sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/michael-schumacher-seen-in-public-1st-time-in-11-years-after-skiing-accident-reason-is-special-reports-6700825

jackson, kieran. "michael schumacher update given by close f1 friend jean todt: 'his life is different now.'" the independent, 2 oct. 2024, www.independent.co.uk/f1/michael-schumacher-update-f1-health-jean-todt-b2622507.html

averre, david and brookes, sam. "inside michael schumacher's health mystery over 10 years after ski crash horror." daily mail, 2 oct. 2024, www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-13915827/inside-michael-schumachers-health-mystery-10-years-ski-crash-horror-f1-legends-privacy-wall-finally-coming-breaks-cover-attend-daughters-wedding.html

if any errors or typos are noticed, PLS PLS point them out via comment, ask, or dm. if there is a specific topic you would like me to cover, send in an ask and i'll look into it!

[takeariskao3]

Day 7: Lover written for #SeveralSunlitDaylights & @corneliaavenue-ao3

a version of this has existed since may of 2020 and it feels so good to finally put it into the universe after sitting on it for three (THREE!) years... i have a feeling i will continue this at some point and hopefully turn it into a full blow fic, but until then, enjoy some non-traditional, pandemic themed, sex pollen, a/b/o dynamics <33

They said it started in China. At the annual festival in Shanghai. 

Some experts claimed the mutation originated because of an uncharacteristically dry winter. Some blamed climate change. Others said it was all part of the cyclical nature of the earth. A purification process. Nature taking its course. 

The more hysterically minded said it was the end of the fucking world. 

Either way, Ginny watched in horror with the rest of Edinburgh as more and more reports flooded the news.

All across the northern hemisphere, the cherry trees were blossoming, and people were going mad.

~~~

The thing about fear was that it spread like wildfire. 

Grocery stores emptied of necessities overnight. The Prime Minister issued stay at home orders, some of the more populated areas even attempted a voluntary curfew. Borders were closed, air traffic came to a grinding halt, restaurants were instructed to only offer takeout, and any non-essential businesses were told to close their doors entirely. 

For a while, it all felt over-cautious. 

At least until the first case hit Cardiff. 

They said the little omega lasted three days in a severe heat until the pain and the dehydration finally rendered her unconscious. Her family rushed her to the emergency room and it was another two days before the hospital identified what was happening to her. They said before she was quarantined, she infected almost thirty people, nine of them hospital staff. 

It spread from twenty-nine confirmed cases to over three-hundred within a week, three-hundred became eight-thousand within the month.

And that was just Wales.

~~~

Birmingham was the third city to reach critical levels of contamination, after Liverpool and Manchester. 

They projected a global spread, the more densely populated areas being hit first. Each day the estimates increased, predicting numbers so catastrophic, there hadn’t been anything like it in over five-hundred years.

The real test, however, was London. 

There were reports that all the major cabinet members had been moved to separate and secure locations. That way if any of them contracted the sickness, at the very least, they wouldn’t infect the rest of the country's leaders. 

The worst part was nobody seemed to know anything. Records of the last pandemic were inconclusive or didn’t exist. No one knew how long the sickness lasted or how debilitating it really was. Less reliable news sources even reported deaths when the first wave hit eastern China, rumours spreading of alphas ripping each other apart over the chance to mate an omega.

But that’s all they were. 

Rumours. 

~~~

Designation had never mattered much to Ginny. It was just something stamped on her birth certificate next to seven pounds two ounces, eighteen inches long. Her ruts weren’t dramatic events, they were hardly even a disruption. Four times a year, she’d get the urge, use her fingers on herself three nights in a row and wait out the subsequent five days of bleeding.

Designation also hasn’t mattered to the world in decades. Suppressants went out of fashion after the turn of the century, the human race’s more animalistic instincts fading with each generation until the ruts and heats became nothing more than quarterly nuisances. Only a very small percentage of the population still needed herbs and homoeopathic blockers to get by, the rest went about their lives business as usual.

Humanity had evolved past such trivial things as Alpha, Beta, and Omega. 

But now, it was all anyone could talk about.

~~~

Dawdling around the townhouse, Ginny took her frustrations out in the form of kneading a lumpy, soon to be loaf of bread while half listening to the news. Her television emitted a scratchy noise every few seconds, but for a dumpster dive, it worked fine enough. Especially since for the six weeks she’d been stuck at home, she’d hardly turned the damn thing off. 

It wasn’t so much that she was dedicated to being informed, she just couldn’t bear the silence.

No honking cars, no nosy tourists, no shouting street vendors.

It was quiet in an uncomfortable way, in an unnatural way. In a way that left Ginny too much alone with her own thoughts. 

As she punched the dough down as hard as she could, her telly warbled out an odd static followed by the evening news anchor chatting animatedly with a couple who supposedly recovered from the sickness.

“And you think having each other,” the journalist asked in disbelief, “helped speed up your recovery?” 

“We realise it sounds a bit crazy, we aren’t even sure if there is science to support it–” a male voice responded. He sounded rational enough even though what he was saying went against every directive of social distancing. “But I’m an alpha, and my wife is an omega. When we both came down with it, we decided to stay home and wait it out together. Within a week or so we felt completely back to normal...”

Ginny snorted. The hospitals reported the illness lasting between twelve to fifteen days, not seven. And what were their credentials besides claiming to have been infected? The news station could interview anyone off the street. They’d probably interview her if she claimed she danced naked, covered in chicken’s blood beneath the full moon and it spared her. If anything, the segment was irresponsible. Now people were going to go out looking for a sex partner for the week.

Sighing at the downturn in journalistic integrity, she tuned out the rest of the interview, content to bask in the early May breeze wafting through the open windows.

Until she heard the squeak of brakes slow to a stop out front. 

And muffled voices. 

Followed by a car door slamming shut. 

She’d just begun to wonder which bluenose neighbour had arrived to hole up in a holiday house when footsteps scuffed up the stone walk, her stone walk, and a key slid into the lock of her front door.

The knob turned, the door clicked open, and Ginny stood rooted to the spot, covered in flour as her landlord (slash older brother’s best mate) appeared framed on the stoop. 

At first, Harry didn’t notice her. He stepped inside, careful to scrub his shoes on the mat before closing the door behind him and dropping his duffle unceremoniously in the foyer. He looked the same as he had nearly a year ago. He scratched a hand through the disaster hair piled atop his head then patted it all down again. His glasses were the same, and he still had the same little divot permanently etching his brow into a scowl. Beneath his anorak she could tell his lean frame still gave way to lanky limbs that shifted into slender fingers. 

Then the telly switched programs, the News giving way to some crime documentary, or something. Ginny wasn’t actually paying attention. At the change in music, Harry froze with his back halfway to her and his shoulders went tight. 

Then he turned on the spot, and he finally registered Ginny’s presence tucked away in the kitchen at the back of the house.

Their gazes held for several beats too long, both of them wide-eyed and startled by the existence of the other in such close proximity. 

Ginny’s heart thundered inside her chest, in a way that was achingly familiar and entirely unwelcome. 

“What are you– I didn’t think–” Harry stammered quickly. “Ron said he was meeting you back home?”

“He was,” Ginny answered, just as flustered. “I’d planned on it but– I couldn’t– I mean, I…changed my mind.”

Harry dug his fingers into his eyes behind his glasses and swore softly. He looked a bit peaky.  

“Christ, I’m an idiot,” He croaked. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve called.”

“No, it’s fine,” she reassured, not quite sure why she was pardoning his intrusion. “It’s still your house.”

They stared at each other in the silence for several beats too long, both of them seemingly at a loss for what to do next. 

“Er–” Harry finally stammered, a grin taking over his face. “Hi, by the way.”

Ginny laughed. “Yeah... long time, no see.”

They went in for a hug at the same time, but it was too light and too quick to feel natural. As he pulled away, Harry averted his gaze and let his eyes wander around the hall and the front two rooms. 

“Is Luna…” he trailed off, as if those two words were question enough. 

Ginny realised she was still covered in baking powder and half finished dough. She grabbed a tea towel from the hook and wiped her hands just for something to look at besides him. “She and her Dad were visiting family in Hamburg when the stay at home orders hit. She’s been stuck there for over a month. They can’t get a flight home.”

Harry nodded and let out a deep exhale of sympathy. “Fuck, yeah, that’d be awful.” He paused, shooting her a furtive glance. “And you? How–how are you?”

“Yeah, fine,” One half of her mouth tipped into a smile. “You?”

Shaking his head as if in thought, his hands fidgeted slightly in front of him. “Well, London is a disaster. They aren’t letting anyone leave their homes, or letting anyone into town. They’re letting people leave, but it took me ten days just to get approval to hop a train. I figured it couldn’t be so bad up here, you know? That’s why I…”

He trailed off again and Ginny wondered if he’d become incapable of finishing a coherent sentence in the time since she’d seen him last. 

“Makes sense,” she nodded generously. 

Harry remained exactly where he was, awkwardly perched on the welcome mat. 

“You can come in,” Ginny asserted and he flinched a bit like he hadn’t expected to actually be allowed to stay. 

“Right,” he cleared his throat and stepped forward like a man walking the plank. 

Busying herself with the kettle, she tried not to be too aware of his progress through the sitting room. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him wave to the bookshelves on either side of the fireplace. “I like what you’ve done with the place.”

Ginny grinned. The house held tell-tale signs of being solely occupied by her for the last month and a half. Stray jumpers, and rumpled throw pillows, and forgotten cups of tea sat scattered all around. The dishes in the sink were piled several days too high and the bananas on her countertop were just a shade too brown. 

“It’s a disaster,” she corrected, pulling her last two bags of tea out of the cupboard. 

Harry flashed her a smile, but it was gone just as quickly as it came. “I mean the furniture and things. The colours.”

“The colours?” she repeated incredulously. 

“Yeah,” he hummed, finally inching his way fully into the kitchen. He swallowed as his eyes settled on her once more. “It looks nice. Cosy.”

Snorting, she pulled her nearly empty carton of milk out of the refrigerator. “A sight better than when you and Ron lived here, you mean?”

That fleeting smirk again, there and then gone. “Do you know our sofa broke in two when we tried to move it out?”

“That does not surprise me in the slightest.”

Ginny poured and they both chuckled. She passed him one of the mugs and the milk, remembering how he took it. She reckoned it was one of those things she’d never forget. Like the opening to her favourite Spice Girls’ song, or her childhood phone number, or the rhymes to bonfire night. Two plus two equals four and Harry took his tea with milk, no sugar.

He tipped a splash into his cup, seemed to hesitate for a second, and then burst, “I can get a room. There’s got to be a hotel open in Old Town–”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Ginny cut across him, spooning a heap of sugar into her own tea. Again, she wasn’t quite sure why she was contradicting him, but she refused to chase the thought down, because then she’d have to acknowledge that somewhere deep down she wanted him to stay. 

“Ginny,” he croaked. “I can’t intrude like this. I’ll figure something out. I’ll go stay at Sirius’ place in the country, or–”

“Harry,” she interrupted him again. “It’s your house.”

He seemed determined to put himself out. “But I can’t just show up out of the blue and–”

“Luna took your old room–” she continued as if he hadn’t spoken.

“I mean, you pay rent!” Now he was just talking to himself. “I had no right–”

“And she’s obviously not using it–” Ginny reasoned, though the ramifications of what she was suggesting crept up on her in a gradual recognition of awareness. 

“I bet the Chisholm Hunter has rooms–”

“Harry!” she cut across him in humoured agitation. “It’s fine. Stay tonight, or the next few days, or a week, until you figure it out. It’s fine.”

He blinked, the furrow between his brows deepening in thought. “You’re sure it’s okay?”

“Yes,” she lied, like a liar. “It’s not a big deal.”

It was kind of a big deal, but she could handle it. 

“You said they aren’t letting people into London, right?” Ginny continued. “What are you going to do? Rent a room until they let you go back home? That could be months!”

He opened his mouth as if to argue, then shut it again and exhaled sharply through his nose. 

“Yeah, alright,” He conceded. “But only until I can get ahold of Sirius. Then, I swear, I’ll get out of your hair.”

The statement stung, just a little. As if getting out of her sight was vastly preferable than remaining in it. 

“Where is he?” Ginny asked instead, lifting her mug to her mouth as if completely unaffected. 

Harry pulled out his mobile and punched in his passcode. “Australia. Apparently their cherry trees don’t bloom until September.”

A scoff bubbled up in the back of her throat. “Lucky Australia.”

He muttered something that sounded like agreement and pressed the phone to his ear. As he meandered back into the sitting room, Ginny turned her cupboards in search of biscuits. Surely, she still had a package left somewhere. 

Harry returned within moments. “Didn’t answer.”

“Well,” she shrugged, “Isn’t it like three in the morning?”

Harry gave her a flat look. “It’s Sirius.”

She laughed. “Yeah, okay, that’s fair.”

Something in his expression sparked at her reaction and it made the breath in her lungs go shallow. 

Just like his smiles, the flare of something was there and then gone in an instant. She tried not to feel the familiarity of it, really she did, but something hollowed out spread through her middle at the reminder of her nearly debilitating infatuation, and then its eventual collapse. 

Ginny cleared her throat, coming back to her senses. “So, you said it took you forever to get a train ticket. Have they decreased the routes?”

“Oh, erm–” Harry took a sip of tea that was clearly too hot for his mouth and he winced. “Yeah, and they’re checking into everyone who books.”

Understanding washed over her. “Right, so they make sure people aren’t…”

Great, now she was incapable of finishing her sentences. 

He looked to her uncomfortably. “I hadn’t actually ever seen my birth certificate, I just always figured I was a Beta. Had to have a Doctor check me over once to make sure I wasn’t — you know — that I hadn’t gone unidentified.” 

“Right, good. Nice.”

Why exactly was it nice? She should really stop talking. 

“Is that why you…” He gestured vaguely south with one hand. “Couldn’t…go home?”

“Oh, er-” Ginny resisted the urge to cringe. “No.”

In reality, she’d had plenty of time to book a train to Devon before they started restricting the passengers who were designated one way or the other, but she hadn’t had the funds.

Harry’s gaze sharpened in curiosity. 

“Do you want to put your stuff upstairs?” she asked brightly. “You must be knackered after travelling all day.”

~~~

Ginny retreated to the bathroom, closing the door softly behind her and leaning back against the sink. Shortly after Harry had settled into Luna’s room, his old room, she’d heard his mobile ring. His muffled voice through the mostly closed door had been maddening, and nearly too tempting to eavesdrop on, so she’d escaped. 

She was half-torn. One part of her wished Sirius was offering up his country house to his godson immediately, and the other part hoped there was some flood, or fire, or other natural disaster that made it inhabitable. 

Because the prospect of spending time with someone, but especially him; to not be alone hour after hour and day after day, was almost too exquisite to contemplate. 

Christ, she was hopeless. 

With nothing better to do than simmer in her own thoughts, Ginny turned the taps to the bath and adjusted the temperature until the shower spray was borderline scorching. She spent an excessive amount of time washing her hair and scrubbing her skin. She didn’t bother trying to figure out if she was doing it consciously or subconsciously, but she did know she was avoiding the end of her shower. Because as soon as she left the bath, she’d find out if he was staying or going. 

Both scenarios felt too formidable to contemplate. 

Eventually, though, the water ran cold, and Ginny couldn’t hide any longer. 

After brushing her teeth, applying night cream, and wrapping herself up in her dressing gown, Ginny yanked open the bathroom door to find Harry standing directly in the doorway, with his fist raised as if to knock. 

“Oh, sorry–” He muttered, his gaze flitting down her body and back up again. His face flushed just enough to notice. “That was Sirius,” he continued. “I can stay at his place, so I’ll be out of here as soon as I can book a train.” 

Ginny pulled in a breath and did her best to keep it even. “Right. Good.”

She felt anything but good. 

Squeezing past him and into the hallway, she kept her expression bright and open until she was safe inside her bedroom. 

In her haste, she missed the way his eyes fluttered shut as she passed. 

~~~

That night was unseasonably hot. The forecast had called for it to be a mild week, balmy and temperate, so Ginny wasn’t sure why the air wafting in through her open window felt so stifling. As she tossed and turned, a light sheen of sweat clung to her skin, and she contemplated the merits of another shower. This time a cold one. 

She settled for a glass of water instead. 

Padding down the hall toward the stairs, Ginny skirted past Luna’s room as quickly and quietly as she could. However, in the end, stealth didn’t matter.  

Harry was already in the kitchen, propped up against the sink and looking pale. 

“You okay?” Ginny muttered, taking a tentative step forward. 

Clenching his eyes shut, Harry kept his head down and nodded. “I don’t know what’s happened to my stomach. Food poisoning or something–”

“I may have some Pepti upstairs?”

Harry nodded again. 

She took a step closer, reaching for a glass from the shelf when the scent hit her. It smelled like fresh spring mornings, and the citrus of Earl Grey tea, and the warmth of never being alone. It smelled like home. 

Every instinct she had screamed at her to take in more of it, to surround herself in it. Harry’s eyes met hers through the dim light and she saw him pull in a deep inhale through flared nostrils. 

In an instant, her mind was restless and her body uncomfortably warm. Parts of her she didn’t know could ache, gnawed and cramped in time with her too loud pulse.

She dropped the glass she’d been holding at the same time Harry lept backwards. 

In some corner of her mind, she knew what was happening. All of the doctors listed the same symptoms over and over; heightened senses, irregular body temperature, lower-abdominal cramps, increased libido. However, she was firmly ignoring the signs… especially the last one. It was much easier to dismiss her body’s immediate urges as coincidence. Otherwise, she would also have to admit what triggered it. 

For fuck’s sake, Harry triggered it. 

But that would mean he–

Fucking fuck, fuck, fuck.

[zot3-flopped]

https://www.tumblr.com/zot3-flopped/761437381828149249/liam-has-moved-to-the-states-he-did-the?source=share

Where is his new reality show being filmed? Maybe he's renting temporarily while he films the show? If not, I have no words for the fact that he would move to a whole different country with a woman who spends all his money, but barely see his own son even when they were in the same country. Also, where are their animals??

The talent show he's a judge on has already been filmed in Manchester. He probably used the money he got for it to finance this move to Miami.

I think they've dumped Stan and the two bunnies on friends and relatives - or, worse case scenario, at a Rescue. I fully expect them to purchase another puppy. Kate seemed very enamoured of a pomeranian calling Sterling so maybe one like that?

It's shocking that Liam has moved over 4000 miles away from his little son. I have no words to describe how selfish this man is.

[octarineblues]

ok so if you live in the uk, you might have heard of the student rent strike at the university of manchester.

(its all pretty badass, actually. theres over 600 people witholding rent for official student accomodation. the main strike group occupied several buildings, including the main administrative offices, for weeks)

here's the bbc northwest report on the strike from a few months ago (showing both the occupations and conditions in student accomodation). and a bbc article about student strikers being forcibly removed from the occupied building.

and the wikipedia entry on the strikes, which i didnt even know existed. it has all the sources you might need, tbh, tho it doesnt cover the most recent stuff from what i see.

a few days ago the news went out that the university will seek disciplinary action against some of the students - something that the uni is, according to their own rules, not allowed to do, but is a stalling tactic that might prevent the students from passing the year or graduating. this is after the uni fined those withholding rent and violently removed strikers from occupied buildings.

please consider supporting the rent strike - here is a letter in support of students undergoing the discicplinary action (you dont have to have to be in the UK or have anything to do with UoM to sign it!) and you can also support the strikers financially!

[mountttmase]

With Mount's departure from Chelsea still raw, sources say he has purposely done almost no interviews. There is, however, an acceptance that he'll have to address the move at some point soon, if only to ensure that supporters understand his side of the story.

Yep he will have to do an interview eventually :( The Manchester evening news said that even he refused to do an interview after the brentford game with other sources and would only do an interview house one with mutv.

Masey 😭 come and talk to me baby I’ll keep you safe

[peacerisendove]

I was thinking more about Bart and the contrasting perspectives between him as his civilian self and as Impulse. And as I've alluded before Impulse always gets the short end of the stick socially.

He considered uncool and a NARC by the kids of Manchester, Alabama despite being a hero, and he's viewed under a general perspective of being unreliable by the older heroes of the hero community, which is pretty sad and typically the opposite of how having a secret identity works with other heroes/with the trope of secret identities and how they are a source of freedom or becoming someone who is more extraordinary than their civilian self.

In contrast, Bart Allen is BELOVED by his friends and the Manchester community. He is incredibly popular and considered the most popular guy in his junior high. His fellow students consider him more trustworthy and reliable than Impulse who is a well known hero.

And just following this perspective I think that the role of Impulse and the spirit of the Impulse legacy should follow a similar suit.

I think that instead of Irey becoming Impulse, that Jai should have been Impulse instead solely from how he CONSTANTLY gets the short end of the stick in contrast to Irey. Especially in New Earth canon. He's initially was the one who lost his powers, he was the one who had to watch his sister become a hero and take up the name Impulse while he was simply a civilian, in general he seemed to play second fiddle to her, and who in my personal opinion seemed like he was estranged from the West family/Flash Family in general. (How he appears unhappy and playing video games during that one comic with the big Flash parade comes to mind specifically). Irey just takes up the mantle of Impulse because Bart was her favorite person, and honestly while she's right and Bart is great, the spirit of Impulse, other than following the beat of your own drum, seems to be: A person who is not understood by his community and isn't as appreciated or liked as much.

Which in general feels like it fits Jai much more than Irey, even now. I know he and Irey have their own hero identities now (RIP the Impulse legacy), but in general I feel like he still plays a bit of second fiddle to Irey, and especially so when they appear as their younger selves in the comics such as when he didn't even have a role in the Flash: One-Minute War event and was instead used as essentially a human battering ram.

[gemsofgreece]

https://www.maxmag.gr/politismos/archaies-ellinides-mystika-gyro-apo-ti-zoi-toys/

Found this article about the lives of women in Ancient Greece, and i liked for a chance that they didn't only mention how confined they were in houses (mostly yes). Fortunately they mention that many women were able to go to schools like men and have high education and been taught even among the best.

The sad thing is that history often forgets to mention them. In schools they don't mention at all the women philosophers, mathematicians that broke the stereotypes, which is a shame. If we want an equal society, children should be taught the same about these great women. They were and still represent half the population after all, they contributed to society just as much.

Agree! While I am not as optimistic as this article, I too had expressed some time ago my confusion that women's significance and pivotal role in Ancient Greek art, mythology, literature and theatre do not exactly agree with how bleak historians describe their place in society.

The link is in Greek so I translate some main points that I could also "confirm" in other sources:

In the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, there is a gravestone on which is inscribed the name: ΑΘΗΝΑΪΣ ΘΕΟΦΙΛΟΥ ΚΕΚΡΟΠΟΣ (Athinais Theophilou Kekropos). Also inscribed on that ancient tombstone is the following epitaph: “The whole world of Athens cried for me, for my youth, my ethos, my virtue, but mostly because I was taking so much care and attention for my education and wisdom. The tears could not stop flowing from my father’s eyes, who lost the joy of his life and also the loving hands that would have been next to him taking care of him in his old age. My age at the time of death: 20 years old.” This shows that there were women who earned the community's respect through their love of education and knowledge and that the loss of a young woman could make the city grieve. The epitaph is clearly written by the heartbroken father.

Basic education for little girls included writing, reading, lyric and epic poetry, dancing. Teenage girls were taught by their mothers household management, weaving, handicraft and decoration. Rich girls could also attend private lessons to study music, singing and string instrument playing. Pythagoras and Epicurus welcomed women in their communities and academies, and we have found the documented attendance of at least two women in Plato's academy. Women could also get educated in the medicine schools of Kos, Knidos and Alexandreia.

Women took care of their appearance with fashion, make-up, elaborate hairstyles and the production of perfumes. Beauty pageants were taking place in some cities.

They had a lot of rights and influence in religion, they had some rights and presence in secular events. They didn't have political rights but women earned those very recently in time worldwide.

Noble women by birth had a status respected as much as that of their noble male relatives. Several very big and / or luxurious tombs of women have been found.

Important women you should learn about are: Aglaonice of Thessaly, Agnodike, Axiothea of Philus, Arete of Cyrene, Arignote, Theano, Damo, Hypatia, Themistoclea, Phintys, Lasthenia of Mantinea.

Professor Terry Brown, of the Faculty of Life Sciences at Manchester University, has argued the traditional takes of historians on the extreme Ancient Greek patriarchy reflect their own misogynistic views rather than the exact historical truth.