#texts from alex rider

[textsfromalexrider]

[deadrobinsclub-est1988]

Propaganda:

Stormbreaker claims he appears to be in his late 20s

Eagle Strike claims he appears to be in his late 20s but explicitly states he is 35y/o

The Russian Roulette prologue, which takes place at the end of Stormbreaker, explicitly states he is 28y/o

The Eagle Strike prologue takes place when Yassen is 19y/o and Alex is newborn or about to be born. Plus 14 years to the start of Stormbreaker would make Yassen approx. 33 or 34y/o

[povlnfour]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ PADDOCK TO PADDOCK (LN) PART ONE

lando norris x fem!horse rider!reader

series masterlist | next part

yourusername just posted a photo ੈ✩‧₊˚

liked by flo_norris_showjumping, lilymhe and 128,303 others

yourusername nice little practice today in between interviews. ready for a relaxed weekend

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user1 give bean all the carrots from us!

user2 so excited for the showjumping season!!!!

flo_norris_showjumping what a duo you two are already👏🏻

user3 i love that you practice in a full face of makeup. go girl slay!

yourusername @/user3 LMAO my makeup did not look that good by the end of it. p much had to redo it all for interview no.2

lilymhe OBSESSED

yourusername @/lilymhe GIRL I MISS YOU

lilymhe MISS YOU MORE. gotta link up when you’re back around :’)

user4 lily + y/n. my fav duo. i’ve missed their flirting

landonorris just posted a photo ੈ✩‧₊˚

liked by yourusername, alex_albon and 277,098 others

landonorris not meant to be today but we bounce back

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user5 we love you🧡 you did so well

mclaren onto better things🧡

user3 @/yourusername ARIANA WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE

liked by yourusername

user6 @/user3 SHE KNOWS HIS SISTER OFC SHE FOLLOWS HIM

user3 that’s hot

oscarpiastri 🧡🧡🧡

user7 the loves of my life fr

f1updates just posted ੈ✩‧₊˚

f1updates star studded turn out today for @/lilymhe’s golf game! joining f1 stars such as lando norris, charles leclerc and alex albon is lily’s friend and pro showjumper y/n y/l/n!

user1 SHES SO CUTE

user3 the way this is just her jumping off a flight to go support her bff…. i’ll cry she looks so pretty

user7 WITH LANDO ALEX AND CHARLES???

user5 I KNOW I DONT KNOW HOW MORE PEOPLE ARENT FREAKING OUT

user8 i mean we know she knows alex bc of lily but…. lando and charles

yourusername stop looking at these photos i was so jet lagged….

user4 AND STILL CUTE!

user2 not bestie following f1updates😭

user3 @/user2 i bet she’s a lewis girlie. she has that vibe

twitter reacts ੈ✩‧₊˚

lilymhe just posted a photo ੈ✩‧₊˚

liked by yourusername, landonorris and 202,311 others

lilymhe good game, better celebrations

👤tagged yourusername, alex_albon, landonorris

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user1 Y/N AND LANDO??? DANCING N HANGING OUT?????

alex_albon y/n is a terrible photographer but lando is a bad dancer. it equals out

yourusername SLANDER ON MY PHOTOGRAPHY SKILLS

landonorris @/yourusername i’ll teach you to drive, you teach me to dance?

yourusername @/landonorris … meet my horse i’ll consider it

landonorris @/yourusername i said it last night and i’ll say it again… NO! no reason for an animal to have that long a neck

yourusername @/landonorris wow. friendship over before it began

alex_albon @/landonorris giraffes are calling

user7 what is going on in these comments…

user5 damn they just met and are already flirting? the devil works hard but lando works harder

yourusername just posted a photo ੈ✩‧₊˚

liked by charles_leclerc, carlossainz55 and 152,009 others

yourusername life lately

👤tagged landonorris, lilymhe

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user2 OH SO UR HANGING OUT NOW?

flo_norris_showjumping MY BROTHER?

yourusername @/flo_norris_showjumping ANSWER MY TEXTS

user6 why texts what’s going on miss y/n👀

user3 beauty

user5 all the grid boys liking… oh you know lando is talking about her

user7 who can blame him i mean LOOK AT HER

alex_albon how come lily gets a cute ass photo and the one you posted of me last week made me look like a demon

yourusername she’s my favourite parent🩷

y/nupdates posted a photo ੈ✩‧₊˚

liked by landonorris and 21,335 others

y/nupdates the showjumping season is officially underway! sending all our love to @/yourusername and mr. bean today on their first competition🩷

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user5 lando creeping in the likes lmao

user2 what is going on between lando and y/n…

y/nupdates all we know is that they’re friends and we love that!🩷

user9 hm

user1 ?

user9 @/user1 he doesn’t need any distractions.

user1 @/user9 bestie it’s a post announcing a competition season not a marriage proposal💀

a/n: first part down!!! not super interesting but this is self indulgent as a horse girl myself LMAO. welcome to my acc i guess???

to be tagged when the next part goes up (won’t be long): taglist

- giselle

[ray935sworld]

I wonder what the retired riders think about Marc at the moment.

Like imagine, Dani Pedrosa sitting in the KtM facility working, analyzing how Pols bike is doing, keeping an eye on Acosta, Fernandez, Binder and Miller, comparing the data when he sees Marc overtaking Pecco, like he was overtaken by the Spaniard so many times before. He watches him fight his way up the standing and his celebration. He watches Alex pulling up next to him, to congratulate him, like he had congratulated when they were teammates. Does he remember their best races? Their shared podiums? Is he happy for him? Is he getting nostalgic?

Or Jorge Lorenzo being able to actually enjoy Marc's wins and podiums. There is no underlying jealousy that he manged to win instead of him or that he is on the podium when they are fighting over the championship lead. No nagging feeling that maybe one of that risky moved could have caused Marc going wide and losing points. He watches the Spanish hero, the man that has gotten up from a terrible injury, without a worry about his own racing career. He can interview him and finally mean his congratulations. He can finally actually enjoy seeing his home country on top. Especially in Misano of all places.

In Misano where it has always been a home race for Andrea Dovizioso. Did he watch Marc crossing the line and excitingly shaking his head? Did he laugh about him? "After all those years not a thing has changed" Does he remember the pain he used to feel at the sight of Marc's bike being parked at the P1 sign when it could have been him? Or does he forgot about it and moved on and now only focuses on texting Marc a quick 'congratulations 🎉 that was an amazing ride. Truly sick. You deserve it' because he think that he and Marc won't find each other in the chaos of the circuit.

And Casey... Does he watch the races? Some of them are in the middle of the night for Australia. Does he stay awake? Maybe not. So he wakes up, makes breakfast for his wife and children and suddenly the news reporter is at the sport part and he hears that Marc Marquez has won a race after 1043 days and then only took 7 days to secure his 2nd Ducati win. When he was new in retirement, had he been angry? Watching a rookie win races and a championship on a bike that could have been his. And now that Marc is 5 years older than he was when he won his last championship, does he wonder whatelse the used to be golden Honda rookie has up his sleeves at Ducati? Do they all? Or do they not care?

And when Valentino Rossi stands infront of the podium in Misano, trying to only look at the success of his academy, can he really ignore the dancing man who is the focus of the attention? Can he ignore the sun shining as bright as he used to do more than a decade ago? Can he really deny himself to remember the little bit of memory left of from the 2013/2014 Marc, when he was just a happy and successful rookie and Vale could still handle it? Can he really forget the feeling of happiness a shared podium bought them? Does he remember what it was like to stand up there, watching a smiling Marc, hearing his giggle while being the center of their world for just a few minutes? Or is all he feels the rage and betrayal he went through? Maybe he sees the darkness and demons that's hidden in the lights shadow.

[hotmessmaxpress]

Rosquez Horror AU

Vale turns up at Marc’s motorhome after his crash with Pecco. 

Marc stares at him, where he is on the front step, and genuinely takes a moment to wonder if it’s really happening. Vale barely looks at him, much less speaks to him. Despite Marc’s deepest desires to move forward with Vale, he can’t even get the other man to acknowledge him. 

Until now, he supposes. 

He lets Vale in the door, and stands a healthy distance away from him. Suddenly the motorhome feels entirely too cramped, too close. Marc doesn’t know why he feels like he needs space from him; it’s not like Vale will hit him. 

Vale looks at him with narrow eyes. 

“Your crash-” 

Vale gets no further before the siren starts and they both freeze. 

It’s been a long time, years, since one has appeared in the paddock. 

The mandated emergency screen in the corner of Marc’s trailer flares to life with a crackle and an animatronic voice speaks. 

“Attention all drivers, staff, and guests. A void creature has been spotted in your vicinity. Take shelter immediately. Lock all doors and windows and arm yourself if possible. Take cover and stay quiet. Do not respond to voices you cannot see. Repeat. Attention all riders, staff, and guests. A void creature has been spotted in your vicinity. Take shelter immediately. Lock all doors and windows and arm yourself if possible. Take cover and stay quiet. Do not respond to voices you cannot see. May Mercy be with you all.”

Vale and Marc move quickly and silently. Vale locks the door, while Marc checks the windows. He shows Vale how to pull down the metal safety panels in front of the doors and windows, and Vale helps him secure the rest of the motorhome. 

Marc sends off a text to Alex with a half moon emoji and waits for the avocado Alex is supposed to send in return. Their code, unable to be mimicked by an outsider pretending to be one of them, and meant to signal “I’m safe and sheltered.”

The avocado pops into his messages shortly after, and Marc lets out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. Vale seems to be doing something similar, staring at his phone in concern. 

“Okay?” Marc whispers. 

Vale nods, but Marc can see the tension in his shoulders. 

“Bedroom,” Marc suggests. “It’s the safest.”

They carry food and water from the kitchenette to the bedroom, and Marc closes the door. Another metal safety panel comes down, and latches into place, and Marc breathes a sigh of relief. 

“Is Alex okay?” Vale whispers. 

Marc nods. 

“Safe and secure. Are all of your riders?”

Vale looks nervous. 

“I’m still waiting to hear.”

Marc nods. 

He has the urge to reach out and comfort Vale, but the space between them in the tiny room feels vast. It’s not lost on him that Vale is only here because he wanted to yell at him. The ongoing anomaly event may be uniting them for now, but Marc has no doubt that when the threat is gone Vale will be back to hating him. 

He reaches out anyway, squeezing Vale’s hand. He pulls him to the bed and they sit.

“We may as well be comfortable,” he suggests. 

Vale doesn’t relax, though. He checks his phone again.

There’s a scream, so far off in the distance that Marc wonders if he heard it. He glances at Valentino, who has frozen in place, and assumes it must have been real. 

He has a terrible thought that at least it was far away. At least it wasn’t near them. If it has to happen, let it happen somewhere away from himself and his family. 

He wishes Alex were with him, like the first time he experienced an anomaly from the void. They were so young, at home in Cervera. He remembers watching television after dinner, then the screen cutting to a news anchor. 

The news anchor had said something confusing, and Marc had looked over at Alex, who was similarly confused and annoyed that their show had been interrupted. Whatever the anchor had said terrified Roser, though. She had come running, grabbing Marc and Alex by the arm and dragging them down the hall to the small room under the stairs that they weren’t allowed to play in. 

Alex had started crying, scared and startled by the way their mother had roughly grabbed them, and Roser had hissed at him to be quiet. Marc thought she was being mean; he remembers yanking Alex out of her arms, as if to protect him from her, and he pulled Alex against him. They’d been almost the same size at this point, long before Alex had his massive growth spurt and shot up past Marc’s height. 

Marc had held his little brother in his arms, petting his hair, as Alex calmed down. He glanced at Roser, seeing her silently praying. At the time he hadn’t known the danger they were in– he didn’t understand the sirens surrounding them and the noises outside that he’d never heard before. 

Roser brushed his hair back from his forehead, and her hands were shaking. It felt like hours that they sat there in that small closet-room, legs sore from squeezing together and sweating from the close space. 

Marc and Alex hadn’t dared to complain though, sensing that now was not the time to press their mother for information or to whine. Once the wind outside died down and the sirens finally stopped, Roser had released them from the room and fed them dessert like it was a special occasion. She kept touching their faces, kissing their cheeks and their foreheads, and she spent most of the rest of the evening on the phone. 

It was only once they reached school-age and got their first mandatory anomaly safety lesson that Marc really understood what might have happened to them.  

Vale is still tense. Marc sees it in the lines on his face, lines that weren’t present the last time Marc and Vale shared a shelter during an anomaly. 

They had been in a hotel that time, toward the end of their relationship, but before things got awful, and the hotel was expensive enough that they hadn’t had to leave the bed for more than to close the curtains. The doors and windows were already secured, and it was easy to forget the void creature lurking outside, far below them. They had climbed back into bed after they ensured the curtains were closed, and they muted the TV. 

They treated it almost as if it was a thunderstorm, wrapped up in blankets and waiting for it to pass. Vale had pressed kisses along his neck, whispering reassurances in his ear. 

“You’re safe,” he had said. “I won’t let anything hurt you.”

At the time, Marc had believed him. 

Marc swallows the lump in his throat, and reaches for a water bottle. He cracks the top and takes a long drink, trying to soothe the dry feeling in his throat. 

Vale checks his phone again. 

“Pecco hasn’t checked in,” he says, so quiet that Marc barely hears it. Marc’s heart jumps into his throat. His brain races through the full spectrum of possibility. It could be that Pecco was separated from his phone, and when the sirens go off it’s instinct to run without reaching for something like a phone. It could also be much worse– Marc’s ears strain for another scream. 

“He might just not be near his phone,” Marc says, reaching for Vale’s hand again. 

Vale allows Marc to take his hand, and he squeezes it. 

They sit in silence for another long while, simply holding hands and waiting. 

“I’m sorry about the crash,” Marc says. 

“No you aren’t,” Vale says, giving Marc a dry look. 

“I don’t want to crash. I don’t want anyone else to crash either.”

Vale grits his teeth, and Marc tries to pull his hand away. Vale doesn’t let him, and it reminds Marc of all the arguments that ended with Vale trapping him in his arms until they both calmed down. 

“You race like you want to crash.”

Marc doesn’t have anything to say to that, at first.

“I’m getting older,” he finally breathes. “Things are changing for me,” he adds, leaving it at that.

Vale turns and stares at him, appraising him. 

Marc wonders if Vale can see the lines that Marc himself sees when he looks at himself in the mirror. He wonders if Vale’s eyes pick up on the way that Marc’s body hurts; he wonders if it shows on his face how tired he is of being in pain. 

Vale opens his mouth to speak, but they’re interrupted.

“Valentino!”

Marc’s entire body freezes. Pecco’s voice is outside, calling through the walls. 

Marc squeezes Vale’s hand hard. He knows Vale is smart enough not to respond, but he can’t take that chance. He hoists himself up and straddles Vale, pressing his forehead to Vale’s. He stares Vale in the eye, keeping Vale’s focus on him. 

“Don’t,” Marc warns, nearly silently. 

Vale wraps his arms around Marc, and squeezes him tightly. 

“Vale, please,” the voice outside begs. “I don’t know where the thing is. I know you’re in there- I need shelter.”

Vale buries his face in Marc’s shoulder. 

“I left my phone in the garage and got locked out,” the voice yells. “Please, Vale! Please don’t let it get me.”

Marc thinks Vale might break his ribs with how tightly he’s holding him. Marc wonders how loud his heart is; if Vale can hear it from where his face is pressed against him. Marc puts his hands gently over Vale’s ears, trying to spare him the trauma of being targeted by an anomaly. He knows how it feels to have the voice of someone you love trying to tempt you into welcoming your own death through the door. 

“Valentino!” Pecco’s voice yells again. It sounds desperate, pleading, and Marc can feel tears well up in his eyes. He hopes Vale can’t hear it. It’s a wretched thing, copying the voice of another.  

Marc has never seen a void creature. He knows that people have seen them; he went to school with someone who claimed to have run from one. Marc knew that was ridiculous; you can’t run from them and live. But they have been captured on camera, and seen through windows. Marc only knows that they’re ungodly things, wrong and twisted and otherworldly. 

He wonders now what the one outside must look like. He wonders if it bothers to take on Pecco’s appearance, or if it looks like the shadowed monster his school teachers had taught them to protect themselves against. The horns and claws made from the absence of light; sucking in light from everything they are near. 

Vale is shaking now. He’s still gripping Marc tightly, and Marc still has his hands sealed over Vale’s ears. 

There’s a scream outside, so nearby that Marc physically flinches. For a minute he has a horrified thought that it could be in the motorhome with them, and he wrenches his body around to look at the door. The metal sheeting is still in place, just like the metal over the windows. 

It won’t break in, he reminds himself. He presses his lips against the crown of Vale’s head like a blessing, like it might protect them both. 

He thinks of the time he had been in Vale’s position and thought Alex was outside. They were in Vale’s motorhome that time, before they had started to put a name to the thing that was developing between them. 

“Marc! Are you in there? Please let me in!” the thing had screamed in Spanish. 

Marc had shot up from where they were seated on Vale’s couch in silence, and Vale had thankfully gotten to him before he reached the door. Vale had gripped him around the waist, yanking him backward. 

“No!” Marc had said, and Vale had clapped his hand over Marc’s mouth. 

“Marc, that is not Alex,” Vale had hissed in his ear. He had dragged him away from the door, and Marc had struggled and cried. 

“Marc!” the voice outside called, coming nearer. Marc sobbed against the hand pressed to his mouth. Vale dragged him into the toilet of his motorhome, shutting the door behind them and bracing his body against it. He forced Marc to look at him, keeping a hand over his mouth. 

“Marc, that is not your brother. It’s not him and you know that,” he had whispered desperately. Marc had pressed his face hard against Vale’s neck and sobbed silently, and Vale had covered Marc’s ears for him. 

It was a long time that they sat there, pressed tightly together while Marc prayed to every God that his baby brother was safe. 

It was after that experience that Vale had suggested Marc and Alex have a code; a way to prove to one another that they were safe. 

Marc can’t remember if he ever thanked Vale for that.

Marc thinks of that now, as he sits with his own hands over Vale’s ears. Marc wishes he could make it end, but he knows that if the anomaly is still outside now it will be a long time before they’re released from the lockdown and fear. 

The voice outside has stopped, at least, so Marc takes his hands off of Vale’s ears. Vale doesn’t let go of him, but his arms relax a little. 

“I think it’s gone away,” Marc whispers. “It’s silent, at least.”

Vale takes a shuddering breath. 

A scream sounds from outside; Marc guesses it’s a motorhome or two over, but it sounds as if it’s in their ears. Marc flinches hard. 

“Not gone,” Vale hisses. 

Marc glances apologetically at him, then sighs and wraps his arms around Vale’s neck. They’re already in too close and intimate a position as it is. They’ve crossed a line that Marc knows they’ll regret later, but he doesn’t care. His heart has been racing since the whole ordeal started, and if pressing himself against Vale makes him feel a little less terrified he’s going to do it. Vale doesn’t seem bothered, and his arms are still around Marc’s waist. 

“It’s going to be okay,” Marc whispers. 

Vale snorts. “Are you telling that to me or yourself?”

“Both,” Marc admits. “It’s been so long since I’ve heard one so close.”

Vale is silent for a moment. 

“We had one a few months ago in Tavullia. I was there with the boys.”

Marc can only imagine how tight Vale’s security is at the ranch. 

“It was you outside.”

Marc’s heart stops in his chest.

“What?” Marc asks, voice coming out just slightly too loud. Vale squeezes him a little tighter and they both sit silently for a moment, holding their breath and listening. 

Nothing makes a sound, so they relax slightly. 

“It had your voice. I almost opened the door.”

Marc has no idea what to say about that, so he rests his head on Vale’s shoulder. He wonders how the academy riders must have reacted to that; he’s surprised Uccio didn’t open the door to run outside and punch him in the face. The mental image of Uccio running full force at a void horror because of his hatred of Marc is such a fine line between hilarious and disturbing that Marc has to cover his mouth to muffle the high pitched, hysterical laughter bubbling up. 

Vale runs a hand through his hair. 

“Calm down,” he whispers flatly. “I don’t know what you’re laughing at.”

Marc shakes his head. If he tries to explain he can only imagine he’ll laugh harder. 

Once he calms down he climbs off Vale’s lap and lays down on the bed, coaxing the older man into joining him. At first Vale stays far from him, but Marc gives him a dry look and Vale gives in. It’s not as if they haven’t already been on top of one another; pretending like they need to be separated is almost funny. 

Vale allows Marc to cuddle up to him, and after all these years Marc still slots against him easily. Their bodies both still remember how to fit together; where to put their arms and legs so that they match up like puzzle pieces. 

“I miss this,” Marc says, heart still pounding. It’s a cliche, he knows; it’s a notorious joke that there’s nothing that makes you want to bare your soul like a void event. There’s just something about thinking you’re going to die that brings out the honesty in people. 

Vale is so quiet that Marc wonders if he’s pretending he didn’t hear him. 

“I do too,” Vale says. 

“What?” Marc asks, freezing. 

“I miss you. I’m still angry, though,” Vale admits. 

“I’m sorry,” Marc says. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I never hurt you on purpose.”

He knows Vale doesn’t believe him, and the silence hangs heavy between them. Marc wishes he could make Vale see the truth in his words. He wishes he could do anything that would make Vale understand. 

The next thing Marc knows, he’s waking up to the blare of the release sirens. 

“Attention all drivers and staff. The void creature has been neutralized and the anomaly event is over. You may leave your shelter and resume regular activities. Please stay alert for any further emergency communications. Repeat. Attention all drivers and staff. The void creature has been neutralized and the anomaly event is over. You may leave your shelter and resume regular activities. Please stay alert for any further emergency communications.”

“Pecco,” is the first thing Marc says, and Vale jolts up from the bed and scrambles for his phone. It’s already vibrating with incoming messages by the time he picks it up, and Marc can see as Vale’s entire body relaxes. 

“He’s fine,” Vale says, voice cracking. “He’s okay.”

Marc sits up and pulls Vale toward him, hugging him tightly in relief. They’re both shaking now, from the rush of adrenaline and relief. 

“He’s okay,” Marc repeats. “Thank God.”

Marc’s own phone is vibrating with messages of friends checking in, but he and Vale stay holding one another anyway. 

When they finally have the energy to release one another, they don’t hurry to get up. The rest of the paddock will be recovering, taking stock of who was injured. Everything will no doubt be cancelled for the rest of the day. 

They take their time opening the metal shields and restoring the motorhome to normal. They don’t move far from one another either, though they don’t acknowledge that. 

“Why did you want to open the door? In Tavullia?” Marc blurts. 

He thinks that there’s a non-zero chance that Vale leaves here and never speaks to him again anyway, so he may as well ask. 

Vale is quiet for a moment, but he puts his phone down. 

“It was a moment of panic. I thought– I thought that if I didn’t open the door for you I’d really never see you again; nevermind that it didn’t make sense for you to be there. I just thought that I couldn’t let you die.”

Marc has a lump in his throat that makes it hard to talk. 

“I know you don’t believe me when I say it but I love you. I never meant to hurt you.”

Vale isn’t looking at him, and when he doesn’t raise his head to look at him Marc turns his back, busying himself with putting away the bottled water and snacks they didn’t use when they were under lockdown. 

“I know, I think,” Vale says. “I think I know that you didn’t mean it.”

Marc’s heart is racing and he freezes in place.

“I love you, Marc. I’m still so angry but I do love you.”

“Just give me a chance,” Marc says desperately. “Let me fix things.”

Vale looks at him for a long moment. 

“Okay.”

[formulapookie]

rosquez for on a scar pls<3

20. on a scar

Marc is tracing a pattern between all the moles on Vale’s chest, head resting on the older’s arm as he strokes his hair.

This is one of the moments Marc prefers in their newfound routine. The domestic feeling of belonging somewhere that’s not a place per se, but the arms of someone you love so dearly, like Marc loves Vale.

Vale is home to him as much as he is home to Vale.

It’s enough to look one of the two in the eyes while he’s watching the other do anything.

It’s pure love.

Vale watching Marc pace around the house? Love Marc watching Vale cook? Love Vale watching Marc getting ready to go train? Love Marc watching Vale while he explains to him all the different kinds of wines he has in his cellar? Love

Vale is looking at Marc right now, and he wants nothing more than to hug him tight and never let him go again.

He’s divine, perfect body, out of this world face, amazing personality and that god forsaken smile that never fails to brighten up Vale’s days.

Vale’s eyes lock on that scar, one of too many, the one which had Marc almost stop racing, the one he got back in 2020, when he was so high on painkillers and antibiotics he hallucinated Vale being with him, in Cervera, holding him at night when the pain was too much.

Vale hates it.

Not the scar as a thing, but what it means.

They weren’t speaking back then, not even a greeting.

Not even “hello” if they met in the hallways of some hotel they were both in.

And when Marc had gotten injured, and declared he was going to miss the season because he had to get surgery, and because his arm hurt too much and had to undergo rehabilitation Vale hadn't called.

Or texted. Or sent anything to say “I’m sorry you’re going through that, as a rider I know how awful that must be”

Nothing. Complete Radio silence.

The scar reminds him of what he had managed to get of those years, 2020 especially, when he wasn’t there.

Marc didn’t like to talk about it, he hid his scar for the majority of times, either with sleeves or bandages or simply sitting, standing or laying making sure to cover it.

But Alex did.

He told Vale everything, how awful he was for letting his brother suffer alone, calling for him during the night, blindly reaching out to someone who wasn't there, who was probably at some club getting shitfaced with his friends, who was probably making fun of him.

He had told him how Marc, in his less lucid moments, thought Vale was really there, and he would find his brother hugging a pillow, sleeping while hugging it tightly and sometimes telling Alex not to yell because he would’ve woken Vale up.

Vale’s fingers find their place tracing the outline of the scar, slowly, feather-like touches.

Marc tenses up, his hand not moving anymore.

Vale leans down tentatively, slowly, he doesn’t want to do something that will drive Marc away.

But Marc lets him, waits to see what will happen.

He presses a light kiss on the boy’s scar, then locks gazes with him.

There’s tears in Marc’s eyes, while he looks at Vale, because the scar is something they never talk about.

Vale just knows that if Marc is hurting 90% of the time it’s that arm.

“You’re beautiful, every part of you is, even the ones you don’t like, they’re perfect”

Marc can’t keep the tears in anymore, he just breaks down in Vale’s arms, sobbing loudly as Vale hold him tighter than ever before.

It’s not often he sees Marc crying like this: real, deep, hurt.

The last time he had seen him like that was after Sepang, when Vale had doubted Marc ever being a fan of his and had called him other names too.

That night, when Vale was in his hotel room with a bunch of the Yamaha crew and some friends Marc had gone to him, lips red and patchy from Marc obviously biting them till they bled, fingernails bitten and the area surrounding them coloured of a bitter red.

He was standing in front of him, a sad face on, looking up at the man who was supposed to be the love of his life.

“Can we talk Vale please?”

“What do you - CUT IT FOR A MINUTE GUYS MARQUEZ CAME HERE - what do you want?”

Vale remembers his crew getting up from wherever they were sitting and going to the door to see how destroyed that kid looked.

“Can we talk like - without all these people?”

Marc was hurt, Vale could fucking see that, could feel the desperation coming from him.

“Talk or I’m shutting the door Marquez”

“I - why did you say that? About me, my room with your poster - you know they are there. You’ve been to mine you saw them”

Marc had looked for confirmation in Vale’s eyes, but had only found hatred and sick fun.

“If I was ever in your house it was in your wet dreams Marquez, surely I never set foot there”

And he laughed. Alongside with all the others.

Marc had stood there, heart caught in his throat, feeling laughs like daggers in every part of his body.

And he had cried, hot tears streaming down his face as he tried to walk away, shame surrounding him like a cloud.

Marc feels like that right now, ashamed weak, stupid.

Because he hates crying, much more so doing it in front of the man he loves.

And Vale is just holding him, cuddling him and stroking his back lulling him to make him calm down.

“I love you Marc, I love all of you, I always will”

He kisses the scar again, this time it calms the sobs down, Marc hiding his head more in the crook of Vale’s neck, waiting for him to finish.

“I love you too” Vale is happy, happy Marc is as well, because he deserves happiness more than anything right now.

Marc manages to fall asleep in his home, Vale’s arms, and slowly gets Vale back into his comfort zone.

“I am so sorry baby, so so sorry I wasn’t there”

A cut sob comes from Vale.

“But I promise I’m not letting go of you anymore, I want to bring you to the altar”

A third kiss on the scar, softer this time, like a peck, like a butterfly just rested her tired body on Marc’s scar, giving him a little relief.

Semd me a Ship name and a Number and I’ll write a kiss

[ur-mom-did-69]

My heart is yours

Nika Mühl x Bull Rider

Word count: 974

Hey yall I’m back! Im sorry for taking sorry long work has been extremely busy💀 Anyways here’s part 2!

Watching Alex’s face fall was like watching a heartbreak in real-time. The fire in her girlfriend’s eyes dimmed, replaced with sadness and disbelief. Nika hadn’t intended to hurt her, but the urgency of schoolwork and training was pressing down on her, clouding her judgment. In a moment of selfishness, she had let her words cut deep.

As Alex turned and walked out, her silhouette disappearing as she walked out the door the sound of her truck engine fading into the distance, Nika had watched, frozen in place as the realization hit her like a bucket of cold water. She had driven Alex away with her words. The reality of their relationship hung heavy in the silence, one they had built together now threatening to crumble.

That night, Nika lay in bed, replaying the argument over and over in her mind, each loop echoing her failures. In her heart, she’d known Alex’s bull riding was more than a hobby—it was a passion, a dream, something that, until that moment, she had failed to appreciate. The distance between them felt impossibly wide, the anger fresh but the love underlying it all undeniable.

The next morning Nika woke up with puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks, only being able to get two hours worth of sleep with the rest of her night being a mixture of her clutching Alex’s favorite hoodie and tossing and turning trying to sleep without the heat and warmth of Alex beside her. Nika immediately checked her phone to see if any new messages or calls had been from the only person who mattered to her when she checked the messages between them only to find that her spam of texts had been left unanswered by Alex.

After sulking in her apartment until noon, she knew what she had to do. She knew that this was her fault. She also knew that she needed to be the one who fixed things between her and Alex. The thought of Alex not forgiving her gnawed at her heart. Sure they had argued before, but it had never escalated to the point of one of them walking out and leaving. Nika sighed as she tried planning out what to do to hopefully make Alex forgive her. Suddenly an idea came to her that was too good for her not to put to use.

With the way Nika drove to Alex’s new farm, a normal person would’ve thought that someone was in the car dying or that the person driving was a self-proclaimed Formula 1 driver. She sped the entire way not letting her car go under 75 on her speedometer. Nika parked beside Alex’s truck and stepped out, taking in the peaceful surroundings. The sounds of nature fluttered around her, but she felt her heartbeat thud loudly in her chest.

Nika found Alex in the barn, tending to the horses, her body moving gracefully as she brushed the silvery mane of a gentle mare. When Alex heard her approach, she turned, her expression softening like an instinct and then hardening as she remembered what Nika had said to her the night before.

“What are you doing here? How’d you find me,” she said, her voice flat, as if bracing for a storm.

“I checked your location,” Nika replied timidly, her heart trembling and eyes teary. “I came to apologize. What I said last night was so uncalled for and out of line from me and I am so sorry, Alex. Please, I really didn’t mean it, baby.”

Alex shook her head, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “You said some hurtful things, Nika. I don’t want to keep going through this cycle of arguments and silent treatments. It hurts too much.”

“I know, and I promise to do better,” Nika pleaded, stepping closer, her heart in her throat. “No more belittling what you love. I will make time for us—I don’t want to lose you.”

“Are you just saying what you think I want to hear?” Alex challenged, her vulnerability visible in her posture. “I need to know you mean it.”

“Feelings are complicated. Life is complicated,” Nika answered earnestly. “But I know one thing: I want you in my life, Alex. I want to be here helping out on the farm and have you here supporting me on the court. We can make it work if we communicate. I’ve realized you're more than my girlfriend; you’re my partner in everything. How can we get past this?”

The silence stretched between them, thick with emotion. At last, Alex took a deep breath, her walls slowly crumbling as she stepped closer. “I want that too, Nika. But it’s gonna take time and trust.”

Nika nodded, tears pricking her eyes. “Then let’s take that time together. I’ll prove to you how much you matter, no more distractions. We’re a team.”

With that, Alex reached out, breaking the distance, and took Nika's hand in hers. “Oh, I almost forgot”, Nika said as she ran back to her car coming back with flowers and Alex’s favorite candy. “I had to have a plan B in case this wasn’t enough”, she said sheepishly. Alex grinned as she took the gifts from Nika and gave her a soft kiss as a thank you.

“You know how many stores I had to go to for me to get your candy?”, Nika asked jokingly.

“Let me guess, uh three? Wait no, four! Yeah, four”, Alex responded confidently.

“Wrong. I had a secret stash at home. I had to stop to get the flowers, silly”, Nika said barely containing her laughter and running away.

“Hey, you totally set me up!”, Alex pouted. “That isn’t fair!”, she said chasing Nika.

The warmth of the gesture enveloped them in understanding and hope, as the sun shone down on the farm, illuminating a new chapter they would write together.

So what did y’all think? Also I please feel free to send requests as I’m really new to this so I don’t know how to do a lot but I promise to try💀 I also have some ideas that I might write soon so stay tuned!

[textsfromalexrider]

[dickinfectionbez]

Le Mans was not at all how Marco wanted it to go. P2 in the sprint only to lose it during to a crash.

Marco went into his garage, feeling like a wet puppy. His team surrounded him, trying to elevate the pain and embarrassment. But there was only one thing, one person on his mind.

Bez made his way to the Gresini box after the celebrations. Marc leaning against the wall, still in his leathers, arms dangling around his legs. Marco held Marc's face with both his hands, kissing his lovers face all over, tasting champagne. Marc giggled as warmth blossomed in Marco's chest, and a little further down in his trousers, leaving him half-hard. Marco continued on his attack, focussing on the side of Marc's neck, gripping the other side with one hand as he held his waist with the other. "Sorry about your race." Marc whispered. Marco stopped kissing him for a second. Looking Marc straight in the eyes. "Congratulations on your P2."

Marc smiled, lighting up the whole room as he tucked Marco's hair behind his ear. He placed a gentle kiss on Bez's nose before kneeling down. Marco's heart began to beat rapidly. He could never get over the view of Marc below him, looking up with those eyes, eyelashes curling up like a doll. Blood rushed to his cheeks, the majority flowing down to his penis. Marco held Marc's face once again, leaning down to kiss him passionately before tangling his fingers in his hair.

Both their breathing turned heavy, ears ringing as the door slammed open, Alex Marquez bursting in.

Marco's hands dropped from Marc's hair as Alex made a noise of what could have been mistaken for a lawnmower. He turned on his heels and ran. Marco, frozen in place, could do nothing but watch Alex run off into the distance, probably telling anyone who would listen that his brother was on his knees in front of Marco.

His heart dropped as Marc stumbled up, tears in both their eyes as Marc ran after his brother, begging something in Spanish. Marco held his head in his hands as he slid down the wall. He twisted his fingers into his hair, trying to pull ringlets out.

This was not how Alex was supposed to find out. Bez had it all planned. He wanted to invite Alex to stay in Italy. Just him, Alex, Marc and their dogs. A small family holiday with no journalist prodding and poking them. No bikes to race. Just them. He wanted Marc as a whole. If that meant Alex too, then Marco wanted Alex in his life. But he had to go blow it and for what? A pity blowjob?

God.

Marc caught up to Alex, grabbing onto his shoulder and turning him around. Marc searched Alex's face, blood ice-cold as he saw no disgust in his eyes, only awkward horror. "Alex I can expla-" he was cut off by his brother. "No. I don't want to know what you and Bezzecchi get up to. No need to explain, everyone knows." Relief flooded Marc's veins before immediately freezing them again.

Everyone knew?

"how?" He asked slowly. Alex wiped a hand down his own face. "You aren't quiet, I've heard you both. Everyone could see the two of you sneak away." Alex patted Marc's arm. "Nobody in the media knows, just us riders." Marc sighed, head bowed as he and Alex made their way to their hotel. The car ride was silent, nobody wanting to think about the events of the day.

The pair were alone, standing in the elevator. Alex turned to look at his older brother. "Are you happy?" Marc was confused. "Yes?". Alex shook his head. "No. With Bezzecchi, are you happy?" Marc paused. How could he put what he felt into words? "Yes." Alex nodded, turning back to look at the doors of the elevator. "Good." The doors opened and they walked out into the hallway down to their rooms.

They split into their rooms, Marc diving onto his bed to text Marco.

[arshipweek]

AR Ship Week - Fandom in 2024

Another year, another shipweek, and another State of the AR Shipping Fandom post. This is the first weekly post leading up to the Alex Rider Ship Week. Just under 4 weeks to go!

This post focuses on pre-S3 fandom, since the data was scraped before the season was released, but we might do an update for post-S3 fics. For methodology, it can be found both on the graphic analysis pages and in the notes at the bottom of this post. For those only curious about the popular pairings this year (1), feel free to read right on.

This year, we have analysed a few specific shipping stats to get a look at us as a fandom.

We have also created an interactive dashboard of all the graphs for you to explore. This is where the following data was taken from, as well as some bonus visuals!

A Timeline of AO3

For a blast from the past, we took a look at the shipping timeline - the count of fics and authors per year for the top ten most popular AR ships - and found immediate proof that as a shipping fandom, we're still small enough that a few, determined people can make a difference. AR fandom's use of AO3 as its primary fandom purveyor is fairly recent, as most of its history can be found on FFnet, but with a total of just under 3k fics as of April 20th, we're gaining on FFnet's 4.5k of AR fics at a very respectable pace.

Some particular developments were:

The number of Yalex authors was about the same in 2021 - 2023 (just around 40) but the number of Yalex fics in 2022 was almost double that of 2021 and 2023. This was not due to a sudden, imported backlog that we could see but a handful of popular events/challenges and potentially the release of S2 in December of 2021.

Tom/Alex and Yassen/Ian both had a peak of fics in 2021, most likely because of the release of S1 that gave Tom a much larger part and offered an intriguing look at Yassen and Ian's potential past.

Fiona/Sabina had a huge spike in fics in 2023 due to a Femmeslash February event (2) that sent it firmly up the ranks of popular ships.

The State of the OTP

For the top ten AR ships, we also took a look at how many of the writers that had written other AR ships (and which ones) to look for interesting patterns and to see if there was any real difference to spot. As it turns out, the answer was a resounding yes:

At one extreme, we have Alexmis (Alex Rider/Artemis Fowl) which is a fandom unto itself. Only 20 percent of the writers of the pairing have written for other pairings in AR fandom fics, and Alexmis fics as a whole tend to lean more towards adding Alex to the Artemis Fowl world rather than vice versa (3).

In the middle range, we have Yalex and Alex/Wolf - two pairings about as old as the fandom itself, and which both have an OTP percentage around 55 - as well as (mostly) newcomers Tom/Alex and Kyra/Alex, both with an OTP percentage in the 40-50 range.

At the other extreme, we have Yassen/John with an OTP percentage of just 4. Fiona/Sabina does it one better with an OTP rate of 0 (!) but the sample size here is so small it makes no meaning to compare it.

So what other pairings do these writers enjoy indulging in, then?

Yalex writers really like their Yassen pairings. Out of the combined number of non-Yalex fics the Yalex authors have written, 24 percent of them are Yassen/Ian and 22 percent are Yassen/John. This means that almost half of their non-Yalex pairings feature Yassen in some way.

70 percent of John/Helen shippers have written other pairings, too - probably because of the pairing's nature as a background part of Alex's story and not necessarily the focus of a shipfic they're in. 30 percent of the fics written by John/Helen writers outside of the ship are Yalex (and 6 percent are Yassen/John).

The case is even more extreme for Yassen/John, which is firmly entwined with the Yalex pairing. 96 percent of the writers have written other AR ships, with three quarters of those fics being Yalex.

Text Analysis

Interactive dashboard with graphs and visuals

We also ran a text analysis on the shipfics to look for patterns and recurring details in the writing - first in general, then for specific ships. The amount of detail for each ship depends a lot on the sample size, which results in a detailed, varied word cloud for Yalex and somewhat less so for several of the smaller ships.

For that analysis, we recommend clicking around to explore the word clouds and get a feel for the different ships, but for the ambitious types, we have a word hunt ready as well (4):

Word Hunt, Significant Phrases edition:

Tools of the Trade:

Duct tape

Frying pan

Krav Maga

Sniper rifle

Zip ties

I Know That Reference:

Fer de Lance

Air Force

Albert Bridge

Point Blanc

Brecon Beacons

Getting Kinky:

Boxer briefs

Dimly lit

Lower lip

Pressed a kiss

Yes sir

Feel free to comment with any particularly entertaining/intriguing/otherwise just plain fun word cloud combinations you've spotted, and we will see you again next week!

______ 

Note on methodology:

The two Alex Rider sections (main + TV) were scraped over the course of two days in early March 2024, except for fics that were locked to AO3 users only (5). For the author specific statistics, we excluded orphan_account and anonymous authors. Median measures were chosen over average the majority of the time to account for outliers, especially in the case of the rarer pairings (6).

For ship-analysis, a fic counts under every pairing it has. This means that someone who writes Yassen/Alex, Yassen/John and Yassen/Ian in the same fic (7) will count as an author for all three pairings and under the Yalex OTP analysis, they will have an additional fic marked under both Yassen/John and Yassen/Ian.

(1) Yalex. It's Yalex. Look, we're not even going to bother posting the stats for that. It's still Yalex, trust us. Though we can talk again next year, considering how well Kyralex is currently doing post-S3. (2) Proving that a few, determined writers can make or break the non-Yalex ship rankings. Please use this power for good; if someone manages to get Sayle/Nadia Vole or something into the top three next year, I'm outsourcing that part of the stat post to a particularly enthusiastic raccoon with a keyboard. (3) Canonically, the wholesale kidnapping of Alex is pretty on-brand for Alex Rider supervillains so really, Artemis is in excellent company. (4) Technically two, but there is unsurprisingly a lot of overlap between the general wordcloud and the Yalex one. For those curious, here's the Word Hunt, Yalex edition:

Adam's apple

Bottle of lube

Cock

Index finger

Nerve endings

Pale skin

Scar tissue

(5) As of April 20th, 225 out of 2961 fics were locked to AO3 users. (6) Meaning anything non-Yalex, let's all be honest here. (7) Because sometimes, like a particularly persistent Pokémon player, Yassen also needs to catch them all. Traumas or Riders is dealer's choice.

[povlnfour]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ PADDOCK TO PADDOCK (LN) PART 2

lando norris x fem!horse rider!reader

series masterlist | prev part | next part

mclaren just posted a photo ੈ✩‧₊˚

liked by landonorris, oscarpiastri and 206,311 others

mclaren always wanted to see the paddock in its full glory? go behind the scenes with todays special guest, @/yourusername, as she swaps one paddock for another to see a little of what happens on a race day!

view all 2,472 comments

user3 HELLOOOOO WHAT.

user7 WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

user9 lando needs to stay focused :/

user1 stfu

alex_albon @/yourusername this is betrayal i’m disowning u

yourusername noooo dad pls. i’ll come to williams next💙

user7 y/n calling alex and lily mom & dad… she’s just like us for real

landonorris 🧡

liked by yourusername

y/nupdates just posted a photo ੈ✩‧₊˚

liked by mclaren, landonorris and 21,305 others

y/nupdates y/n today after the race!!! she was seen leaving with teammates lando norris and oscar piastri, and oscar’s girlfriend lily! thank you @/mclaren for taking care of our girl today🧡

view all 202 comments

user4 prettiest baby in existence she is GLOWING

user6 can’t believe she’s an f1 fan this feels unreal

mclaren it was our honour🧡

meanwhile, in texts ੈ✩‧₊˚

yourusername just posted a photo ੈ✩‧₊˚

liked by landonorris, carlossainz55 and 128,119 others

yourusername back from my adventures into training. qualifications coming up which means extra work for this little (big) man🫣

view all 3,915 comments

user3 BEANIE BOYYYY🥹

user8 you got this y/n/n!!!!

flo_norris_showjumping best of luck for qualifying, let me know how it goes🩷

user2 carlos in the likes again i’m TELLING YOU lando is talking abt y/n to the grid boys

landonorris he’s kind of cute ig

yourusername DOES THIS MEAN YOU’LL MEET HIM

landonorris @/yourusername literally where did i say this

user4 petition for lando to meet mr. bean

f1updates just posted a status ੈ✩‧₊˚

f1updates asked about his growing friendship with showjumper y/n y/l/n, lando said today that the two are ‘just becoming friends’ and ‘don’t have much time to see each other’ now y/n is back in her home county. but sources close to the two say they’ve been facetiming most nights👀

view all 106 comments

user10 everyone leave them alone and let them have their private lives challenge

user11 good! lando should be staying focused on getting good face results. he can’t afford this right now.

user9 thank you! i’ve been saying this for ages!

user3 jobless ppl in the comments he’s a grown man and they’re just friends anyway

landonorris just posted a photo ੈ✩‧₊˚

liked by carlossainz55, danielricciardo and 226,382 others

landonorris p2 quali in home race, and some great company. what could be better🧡

👤 tagged yourusername, oscarpiastri

view all 10,400 comments

user7 WHAT HAPPENED TO BEING TOO BUSY TO HANG OUT MR. NORRIS?!

carlossainz55 well done brother❤️

user3 CARLANDO🥹🥹🥹

user1 y’all weren’t apart for very long i see👀

user5 OSCAR IS SO CUTEEE😭

yourusername 🧡 can’t wait to watch tomorrow

liked by landonorris

user6 SHES GOING TO THE RACE????

williamsracing just posted a photo ੈ✩‧₊˚

liked by alex_albon, yourusername and 52,118 others

williamsracing just call us mr steal your girl👀 @/mclaren

👤tagged yourusername, lilymhe, zoe_albon

view all 2,466 comments

user5 AHAHHA IM HERE FOR MCLAREN VS WILLIAMS

user1 admin i love u so bad rn😭

mclaren @/yourusername how could you?!

yourusername a rock and a hard place…

alex_albon the BETTER team

user4 y/n, lily and zoe all together🥹🥹🥹

landonorris …

user7 OH HES SNDJSJSJS

user9 you deserve better lando!

user1 @/user9 once again, stfu

yourusername answer my text douchebag

yourusername added to their story ੈ✩‧₊˚

y/nupdates posted a photo ੈ✩‧₊˚

liked by yourusername and 23,404 others

y/nupdates sending all the luck to @/yourusername and mr. bean today as they compete in the final qualification around for paris 2024!🩷

view all 233 comments

user2 good luck y/n🥹🫶

user5 eeee today is the day!!!!!

user12 came for lando, stayed for y/n. good luck hon!

yourusername thank you guys🥹🩷 hope i can make you proud

a/n: i realise this wasn’t v interesting but… attempting a slow ish burn bc i love pining

taglist for the next updates can be found here!

- giselle xx

[ray935sworld]

10 with Rosquez? :)

Hi! I am not sure if I completely fullfiled the promp "a kiss to get them to talk" but here is my version if it!

I really hope you like it and let me know what you think :)

"Your quite worries me" - Rosquez 1.7k words

The first thing Rossi noticed was that Marc had been quite. A characteristic that he normally didn’t associate with the younger one. But he had barely said a word since he had picked him up from the airport. Not to mention one of his bone shattering laughs that the Italian had grown to love.

Vale decided to blame the long trip the Spaniard had, after visiting his parents and now returning home to him. But as the minutes passed in complete silence, Marc not even reaching for the radio to fill in for the missing talk, the retired rider knew that he was fucked. Something happened. It must have been so bad that Marc didn’t even talked to him about it. He didn’t even try to.

So something really, really bad had happened. After all, since their reconciliation, they had promised each other to always talk things through. That his favourite person in the entire universe now did the exact opposite, worried him.

Normally the first hours after they had been separated, Marc talked for minutes. Sometimes it was so fast that Vale wondered if he was still breathing. Or how he was getting the air to talk as much as he did. He normally told him everything that happened. From day one to their last day. From Alex stupid jokes to the meaning conversations with his mother when helping her prepare dinner. He told him everything even if he had already mentioned it in one of his messages or during their phone calls.

But now? Nothing.

“How is Alex doing? His relationship is now public, right?” Vale tried. It was a safe topic, right? The older Marquez loved to talk about his baby brother. “He’s fine… Gabriela is nice.” “Fans are nice to her?”

The words left his mouths before he could think about them properly. Fans and their behaviour towards someone might not be as safe of a topic as he had hoped it to be. “I guess” Okay he was fucked. In his mind he tried to find something he did. He must have done something stupid. Again. He often did.

He tried to recall their last interactions. Marc was normal when he left. He had jokingly asked him to just come with him. He had looked up with him with big puppy eyes, smiling at him and whispering “And what if I really, really need you to come with me? What if I’m lonely?” He had known it wasn’t possible. Vale had testing for WEC and Marc would do some family with just his parents and his brother good. That’s why they had arranged it after all.

They had texted and called over the week. He had sent Marc plenty of pictures, knowing it gave the younger one reassurance. He had told him how much he loved him plenty of times. He had even gave him flowers when he had climbed in the car.

But instead of being hugged tightly and showered in kissed, he had simply given him a short kiss and a fake smile. He had thanked him but his voice held something that made Vale’s concern grow with every mile he drove. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to fix things.

“Marc?” “Vale.” His voice was small. “You seem off… Are you okay? Did something happen?” “No. I’m okay” he insisted. “N-No worries.” “But I do worry. I always worry about you” he said softly. He hoped that his voice portrayed the love and care he had for the young man.

“No need.” “What? Marc, you’re barely talking to me. The last time we were like that-“ Was before we broke up. He luckily wasn’t able to finish his sentence. “I’m just tired, okay?!”

Marc turned away to look outside the window. He watched as the dark trees and bushes passed them. Vale looked at him. He wanted to say something. He wanted to tell him that no, he wasn’t just tired. He knew a tired Marc. A tired Marc would lean towards him, not away from him. He would ask him to tell  him how his week has been, what the boys had told him and how everything else was going.

He decided not to ask again. Right now he was driving and couldn’t focus. He let the last 20 minutes of the ride pass in silence while Marc had rested his head against the glass. He had his eyes closed, faking being asleep but Vale had spent so many hours – probably days or weeks if counted together – admiring the younger one in his sleep. He knew he wasn’t.

When he pulled in the drive way, Marc was awake again. They stood up without a word. Marc grabbed his backpack and the flowers and Vale took his suitcase. Quietly, they entered their house. “I’m just gonna go to bed” Marc muttered and went upstairs towards their shared bedroom before Vale could say anything. He just nodded.

He quickly placed the suitcase in the washing room. The cloths would be dirty tomorrow or next week as well. No need to rush it when he had more important things to deal with. And right now was an emergency.

5 minutes later, he caught Marc leaving the bathroom. He was already wearing a lose pair of shirt and an oversized shirt. Actually it was only oversized when he wore it, as it was an old shirt from Vale. The Italian couldn’t help but smile as he saw that. Maybe he hadn’t catastrophically fucked this up.

Before Marc could make an other step, he was wrapped up in a tight hug. Vale buried his head in his shoulder. Their heads leaning against each other. Marc could feel the curly hair against his cheek. He heard his lover breath. He felt his chest rise and fall against his back. He was so close he could smell him. Vale smelled of dirt and sun and lemons. He smelled like the perfect summer evening. He smelled calm and used and old and comfortable.

After a few seconds when he had started to relax in his hug, Vale began to hum a song. Marc knew it was an old Italian love song but he couldn’t remember the name. But Vale sometimes made them dance to it.

Half a minute passed when he finally answered to his touch. His hands softly touched the older ones arms and hugged his face.

After two minutes, Vale carefully turned him around. Without saying a word, he puts his hands around Marc face. He looked at him with all the love he has for him in his heart, soul and his entire body. He smiled and leaned down to softly kiss him.

It was almost like their first kiss, more than a decade ago. Careful and without any kind of rush. He kissed him just to kiss him. He kissed him to taste his lips on his own. He kissed him to feel his breath on his chin as he pulled away. He kissed him to get him to talk cause he knew that his Marc would always answer him once he was sure he was loved and safe.

“Marc… I love you. I love you so incredible much and I don’t even want to spent another day not being allowed to love you. I just can’t. So please… Please, what ever is going on – whatever happened… Whatever I’ve done, just know that I love you and even if I’m an idiot, I won’t let you go to bed while you are so sad.”

Tears were forming in Marc’s eyes as he let his head fall against his lovers chest. “I- love you too” He choked up between sobs. His body was shacking as he pressed himself closer to Vale.

Without a second thought, Vale lifted his boyfriend and brought them to the bedroom. There he laid down first so that Marc could still rest on his chest. The younger one was still crying so he started caressing his hair and softly massaging his sculp.

Eventually his crying died out, until he was just lying there, listening to the Italian heartbeat. “I don’t like seeing you cry” he whispered which made the Gresini rider look up.  He kissed him again. “Come on. Please, Marc. Tell me what happened – if you want to of course. What can I do to fix this?” “I… I’m just being stupid. I’m – I’m sorry, it’s actually not worth-“

He quickly silenced him with a kiss that left no room for discussion. The kiss left the Spaniard in a grinning. He felt warm and safe. Like he could say anything without losing the feeling. “Mi amore, if you’re crying over it, it’s definitely important.”  He nodded, like a kid being scolded before he answered. “I… I read a few… not very nice articles about me on my flight home… They were from… some… journalists loyal to you and it… It felt like it used to be and… It scared me”

Valentino froze when he heard that. There was so much wrong with that statement and he hated everything about it. He hated the way Marc had felt. He had gone to bed – or more cried himself to sleep according to a very angry Alex – with that feeling to many times.

He hated that he had somehow caused that. He hated that he couldn’t control it. He hated himself for letting things go on for too long. He could have solved this years ago but he had been to blind and arrogant and Marc had to pay for it. Even now. He hated that he felt closer to angry. So he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The last thing Marc now needed was an angry Rossi. So he just smiled at him and said “Even if the whole world would hate you, you’d always be safe with me. I promise you, I will never leave you. I was an idiot and I will spent the rest of my life making sure that you know how much I love you”

He kissed his forehead before he continued. “I will do whatever I can to make you feel as loved as possible because for me, you’re the best human in the entire universe and I would trade you for nothing…”

His hands, that had been resting around his waist grabbed him a little bit tighter, just to have him even closer against his body. “And if you’re ever deciding that enough is enough and you want to pack your stuff and move to an abandoned cabin in the middle of nowhere – then be sure that I will be there, holding your hand, happy to follow you to the end of the world”

“Really?” Marc asked with a shy smile. “Really.” “And the ranch?” “Eh… I think Luca is old enough to manage that” he joked and kissed his one and only love again.

“Oh god… You have no idea  how much I love you”  

[hotmessmaxpress]

Rosquez Horror Au, Part 2

When the notification goes out it is met with groans and disappointment. 

Today’s sessions have been postponed indefinitely due to the rapid onset and opening of a Cavity. Expect more updates as the situation develops. Watch Your Step, Walk Carefully, and Stay Safe.

A safety alert goes out in the local area a few moments later, pinging into all cell phones. Some fans begin leaving the stands, while others wrap themselves in blankets and stay put.

Marc sighs, leaning back for a moment and staring at the ceiling of the garage. Conversation develops around him, debating whether it’s best to stay put or go back to the hotel. Frankie gets notification that the radius of the Anomaly isn’t that large, so some of the staff start to filter out and evacuate with the promise that they’ll stay tuned for a guidance to return. 

Michele offers for Marc and Alex to go with the staff back to their hotel, but Marc shakes his head. 

“I’ll go back to the trailer.”

Frankie seems apprehensive at that, but shrugs.

“Keep your eyes and ears open. We can’t have you going Misplaced.”

Marc grins. 

“What would you do without me?”

“We don’t want to find out,” Michele offers, before making his way out of the garage quickly. Alex follows, but not before reminding Marc to keep his eyes peeled and stay in contact. 

The paddock is rapidly clearing out. Cavities aren’t something that always calls for an evacuation, especially if it’s only one, but some people prefer to keep it safe rather than sorry. 

Marc tries to grapple with the disappointment of having the race postponed. It’s hard to get pulled abruptly out of his racing mindset and then return to it later in the day. He finds himself for a moment hoping they’ll cancel the race, but shakes the thought from his head. They’ll only cancel the race if it becomes a security threat; right now they’re just playing it safe. After all, having a rider speed through a Cavity and disappear wouldn’t be ideal. 

Marc heads out of the garage and heads toward his motorhome. He considers texting Vale to ask him what he’s doing, but he’s apprehensive. Since they’ve rekindled this thing between them, Marc has been trying to keep a careful distance from the older man; to play it cool. 

It’s not working. Marc has always been entirely too obsessed with Vale for his own good, and now that he is allowed to talk to Vale again it’s all he wants to do. He wants to talk to him about everything all the time. 

Still, he doesn’t want Vale to become annoyed by him. Vale himself even said that he is still working through his anger. Marc worries that the more he bothers Vale the more likely he is to inadvertently reignite the man’s anger. Marc would never forgive himself if he ruined his second chance with Vale demanding too much time and attention. 

Marc is nearing his motorhome when his phone vibrates. As he takes it out of his pocket, he hears a whooshing sound, loud in the air like when the jets do flyovers before races. It’s followed by a boom, loud enough to rattle the metal stairs of the motorhome closest to him. 

He steps forward and looks to his right, where he can see through a gap out into an open area between garages and motorhomes. 

A Cavity has opened, and Marc gasps as he sees a woman in Pramac purple scramble away from it. Time feels like it slows as he watches her get up to try and run. He knows without a  doubt that she’s too close, and it’s too big, but he holds his breath.

Long black arms stretch from the Cavity, shooting through the air like ropes. A hand wraps around her ankle, and another around her neck. Another wraps around her waist, holding her in place as she tries to scream and fight. She kicks and flails but they’re holding her too tightly, and the hand around her neck tightens. Marc sees her eyes bulge as it cuts off her oxygen. 

The arms drag her backward before Marc can suck in another breath. 

He backs away slowly, hoping that this one is sated for now. The edges of the black hole quiver and shake, flickering like a candle, and then it seems to suck all sound out of the area as it collapses in on itself and disappears with a hiss. Marc stands silently for a few long moments, feeling as if his lungs aren’t drawing in enough oxygen. He feels like one of the arms is wrapped around his chest, though he knows it isn’t. 

He says a quick prayer for the Pramac woman, casting his eyes upward. 

“Marc!” a voice hisses. 

Marc violently startles, jerking backward. He turns toward the voice to find Vale, huffing as if he’s been running. 

“They’re getting worse,” Vale says flatly. “We need to leave.”

Marc isn’t going to argue. He follows Vale, who leads him between motor homes toward the parking. 

“Did you see-” Marc starts, brain now trying to process what he saw happen to the Pramac woman. 

Vale turns to glance at him, concern flitting across his face, and Marc loses the words he was trying to say. He doesn’t think he can speak about what he just saw without taking time to process it, and time is something that isn’t on their side right now. He takes Vale’s hand instead, and Vale squeezes it as he tugs Marc along. 

They’re near the gate when a loud crack pierces the air. Marc lets go of Vale’s hand, stumbling as the earth around them seems to rock and shake. 

He falls, landing on his backside and looking up at Valentino. Vale steps toward him, but retreats as the earth between them splits and widens, opening into a chasm deep down into the earth. It shimmers and fills with darkness.

“Run!” Vale yells, as the crack in the earth between them widens further. Arms reach up from the depths of the Cavity, reaching for them. 

Marc drags himself to his feet, scratching his knees and palms in the process. Vale runs toward the parking, and Marc runs in the opposite direction, deeper into the paddock. 

He weaves between motorhomes until he can’t breathe anymore, and he finally slows down enough to turn and check behind him. He can’t see the hands reaching for him, but he hears a scream. The blood pounds in his ears as he prays that it wasn’t Vale; wasn’t someone he loves. 

A siren sounds across the paddock, finally announcing that the situation has gotten out of hand. Marc’s heart sinks. If they’re sounding the sirens it means an evacuation; the situation is going to get worse, not better. The disembodied voice of the emergency announcement system echoes across the landscape. 

“Attention all drivers, staff, and guests. Cavities are opening at random across the area. These Cavities present an immediate threat to health and safety. Local law enforcement and the Anomaly Bureau have issued an immediate evacuation order. Please proceed cautiously to the nearest exit and move as far away as you are able. Watch Your Step, Walk Carefully, and Stay Safe. Repeat. Attention all drivers, staff, and guests. Cavities are opening at random across the area. These Cavities present an immediate threat to health and safety. Local law enforcement and the Anomaly Bureau have issued an immediate evacuation order. Please proceed cautiously to the nearest exit and move as far away as you are able. Watch Your Step, Walk Carefully, and Stay Safe. May Mercy be with you all.”

“Fuck,” Marc says aloud, taking off again. 

He hears another boom, somewhere off in the direction of the track, and then another, far behind him. It’s not a good sign that they’re opening so quickly. He has a moment of regret for not agreeing to leave with Michele, Alex, and Frankie. 

He needs to find Vale and evacuate. The smart thing to do would be for him to evacuate and then try to meet up with Vale, but as another shout echoes from the track Marc can’t help but want the older man in his sight. 

He finds a corner to hide in, and calls Vale. 

Vale doesn’t pick up the first time, so Marc calls again. The call connects on the first ring this time, and Vale sounds out of breath once again. 

“Where are you?” 

Marc looks around. 

“Ducati hospitality,” he wheezes in response. 

Vale swears loudly on the other end of the phone. Marc hears a boom from the other line and holds his breath as he waits to make sure Vale is safe. 

“I’m coming to you,” Vale huffs. “Don’t move.”

The line drops, and Marc swallows thickly as he hears a crack nearby. He sees around the corner as a crack appears in a nearby building, hands stretching out blindly. Marc drops to the ground, squeezing himself under a metal box attached to the side of the red hospitality building. 

He knows the Cavities don’t see; he could be perfectly hidden and they’d still find him if they wanted him, but hiding feels like the right thing to do. It feels slightly safer to make himself small like this. 

It reminds him of playing hide and seek with Alex when they were little, wedging himself into tight spaces and making it impossible for anyone to find him. He tucks his face against his knees, and squeezes them as he hears a blood-curdling scream from nearby. His heartbeat pounds in his chest. 

He thinks of the Pramac woman and wonders where she is. Being Misplaced can mean a lot of things; he wonders if her family will ever see her again, and if they do, will she be the same as she was before?

Alex had a friend named Manuel when they were growing up who carried his dog everywhere. Marc remember’s scratching its scruffy face as he watched his baby brother race. He doesn’t know when it happened, but he remembers one weekend Manuel showed up without the dog. 

“Where is he?” Marc had asked innocently. 

Manuel made a face that Marc hadn’t been able to recognize at the time; grief. He pretended as if he hadn’t heard Marc, and when Marc opened his mouth to ask again, Alex took his hand and gripped it so tight that it hurt. Marc jerked his arm away, but was silent at the serious look on his normally joyful baby brother’s face. 

He waited patiently until Manuel was gone, then asked Alex. 

“It was Misplaced,” Alex says uncomfortably. “And it came back–”

“That’s good!” Marc interrupts. Alex shakes his head.

“When it came back it was… different. It watched Manuel sleep and it never slept. It bit people and killed birds. He said that its eyes were different, and its teeth were longer. They, um, they had to get rid of it.”

Marc hopes the Pramac woman comes home like normal. 

He hears the quiet rumble of an engine, and when he looks up he sees Vale’s shoes. He drags himself up from his position to see Vale on a scooter, looking haggard. 

“Let’s go,” Vale says. Marc is only barely seated when Vale is off, pushing it to the very limits of its speed. Marc grips his waist, trusting Vale to get them out safely. He tucks his face against Vale’s back, trying not to listen to the cracks and booms they pass by. He tries to think of anything other than the screams of the Pramac woman and the scruffy face of Manuel’s dog all those years ago. 

He must have talked himself into some sort of trance, because the next thing he knows he and Vale are on the highway, passing through police evacuation checkpoints. Marc feels like his ears are stuffed with cotton, and he doesn’t let go of Vale even as the police look at him in concern. Whatever Vale tells them satisfies them, and then they’re off again. 

When they reach the hotel, Marc has difficulty standing off the scooter. His eyes are dry from the speed they rode here at, and his face feels dirty. His hands are shaking desperately. 

“We are okay,” Vale says gently. “We are out of the radius.”

“The Pramac woman,” Marc says, nonsensically. “Will she be okay?”

Vale doesn’t answer, but he tugs Marc against his chest. He wraps an arm tightly around his waist and cups the back of his head with another, holding Marc entirely too tenderly for where they’re standing. 

Eventually he stops shaking so hard and Vale releases him. 

He holds Marc’s face gently in his hands for a moment, and then presses a soft kiss to his lips. 

“We’re okay,” he repeats. 

Marc follows him through the hotel to Vale’s room, taking out his phone in the elevator to check in with Alex and the others. He informs them that he’s at Vale’s hotel, and they’re all happy to know he’s safe. Michele informs him that the race will probably be cancelled altogether due to the volume of Anomalies. 

He stays within arm’s reach of Vale, and if Vale is bothered by it he doesn’t say. He just silently starts the shower for both of them, herding Marc in and then following closely behind. He takes care of Marc, washing his hair and keeping his hands on him. 

Marc still feels stuck in a haze, unable to keep his mind off the Pramac woman. He lets Vale wash him and dry him off, and he slips into one of Vale’s sweatshirts and a pair of his boxers. The sweatshirt is a little more snug on him than it is on Vale, but it’s still comfortable enough for Marc to join Vale in bed. 

Vale is quiet, and Marc wonders what’s running through his head.

“I was so afraid of losing you,” Vale finally says. “I didn’t know what to do.”

Marc is a little shocked by that statement. 

“You got us both out,” he responds. 

Vale is silent for another long moment. 

“I can’t ever lose you again.”

Marc isn’t sure if he’s talking about being separated by the Cavity or by Sepang, but he agrees. He doesn’t ever want to let Vale go.

[natduskfall]

I’m not good at putting my feelings into text, nor am I a writer, or good at literature analysis, but I do have thoughts.

I never liked SSO’s writing to begin with. The writing of SL was okay for a game of that scope. I loved the mystery of a seaside town and strange powers that be. But SSO’s writing is confusing to me.

Dialogues almost always try to be funny, relatable, and it comes across as shallow or boring. I try to read all the dialogue because I am invested in the universe by now and I want to know everything about the events of the world and it’s characters. But lord is it hard sometimes to not skip the repetitive, shallow dialogue.

The characters lack debth and it is hard for me to like any of them. It feels like the Soul riders are just written as stereotypes. Don’t know something? Talk to Linda, she knows everything and loves doing research! She’s a nerd! Alex is the hurr durr let’s do shit without thinking anything over. Haha, Lightning goes zap zap!! Elizabeth is our teacher. A druid. And? Fripp? What even is Fripp? “Mysterious” leader who I don’t know anything about or don’t spend any time with. Who comes across as emotionless and disinterested in his charges. Avalon? Recluse who barely shows up and when he does, he always disagrees with everything.

I like that SSE has been trying to focus on the characters more. Elizabeth’s death didn’t make me feel anything because I just didn’t know her, didn’t have any attachments to her. If anything I laughed during that scene because of the way she ass slammed Darko like that Ground Slam Ash of War from Elden Ring, then got turned into Annie from Attack on Titan, and then blew herself up. That scene should have been an emotional story beat that should have gripped me and made me sad. Red Dead Redemption does that so well. I cried a lot during that game. I wish SSE took the characters seriously tho. It’s like every quest is an episode of The Simpsons where shit happens, it never gets acknowledged after, the characters don’t change. Every episode is a new start. I really like that they commited to the darker and real events, such as Lisa losing her mother, Alex having a dysfunctional low income family, and Anne getting over the real trauma of Concordes death, her kidnapping, and isolation. BUT THEY DON’T GO ANYWHERE WITH IT.

I want to love these characters and I want them to feel like real people, but it’s hard when they get treated as a joke, or the real and traumatic things that happened to them never get acknowleged and have no impact on them or the story. What about Linda and the betrayal of the Baroness? What about Meteor being lost. She didn’t even mention Meteor until the spymaster sent MC to tell her where Meteor was. And I am still waiting for the new Fort Maria quest to see the dynamic between the druids and the Soul Riders after the events of Justin’s rescue.

And the story…. Sometimes it just feels too whacky to me. I don’t know if the witches and golden apples are some folklore from Sweden, but I did not expect that when I first played through, and I did not like it. It felt like the game was spreading itself too thin? It felt out of place to me.

And sometimes, the quests feel like they have no impact. We need to do a difficult thing. Ha let’s do it this way. Go there. Click the ground. Done, we did it, yay!! It just feels very childish, lacking weight. I’m not sure how to put this into words, and I think there are people out there who are much better at this then I am.

I disliked the new Alex quest and felt unsatisfied. The whole questline had me anxious because the job of an event planner is so hard for me as a person with zero organisation skills and confidence. I am sure it is a very important and difficult job, and I was waiting for how SSE handled it. The entire time I felt like MC and Alex were not making any actual tuall progress. Then the whole thing got derailed to “let’s record a narrated tour of the CIty”. And when the quest ended, I was like “that’s it?”

The cinematic for Alex shows a resourceful, hard working and strong individual who got delt a bad hand, but found hope in Elizabeth. But the game keeps treating her like a stupid comic relief character who can only do one thing, and that is use her lightning power no matter the occasion. Even the Freeing Anne quest felt off to me. Why would Alex chose to go back and face Darko alone, when they keep rehashing the theme of “we’re stronger together”. Her power can be fueled by anger, but her main thing is to protect her loved ones. They got Anne, her priority should have been to get Anne out of there, not come back alone for Darko. It just felt like the writers did that because they needed Elizabeth to die, and MC getting stranded in Pandoria so that Lisa could use her singing power. And how would getting blown off a cliff into a bottomless space get rid of a powerful individual who can easily teleport himself and other people?

I really wish SSO would hire actual writers do deal with their story, the structure of the story, and the characters. Helena did such a good job making the main cast feel real, and structuring the story.

TLDR: SSE please hire a writer, and stop treating your characters like stereotypes. Stop treating Alex like a stupid person who goes zap

[thecedarchronicle]

I played through the new beginning of the game and I have to say it's much better than I was afraid it was going to be. I like the angle of MC first discovering another side of Jorvik through the Moon Circle, it feels like a good introduction. Especially since it happens right after you create the first connection with the canonical soul steed!

Except - what's the deal with seeing the Soul Riders right out the gate? I understand wanting to introduce your new players to the main characters as soon as possible, and maybe I am put off since I'm already familiar with them, but it just seems way off. Why is Lisa taking complete beginner classes at Moorland when she's already learning under Herman at Jorvik Stables? Why are all five of them so keen on befriending this random kid? I'm glad they didn't introduce more NPCs to immediately abandon but it doesn't feel like the right fit. Also, am I missing something? Why is Maya the instructor? Isn't she a stable girl trying to save up to start taking riding classes?

I'll be clear I don't want this to sound like I'm bashing on SSE. I really really like the new start of the game. I think it's a much gentler introduction and in general a way better tutorial. I actually feel like I know why the MC is here and what's going on, and as a result immediately feel way more grounded in the story. I just think their choice of characters did them a disservice.

I'm no professional writer, but I think it would have been really cool if Maya was the student learning with us. She could even be the person sharing the cabin with MC. Give MC and Maya a chance to bond as the "newbies" and become friends during the first day, and you immediately have a good reason as to why the MC would be invited into the Soul Riders' group.

Maybe the next day, after having a strange dream, Alex comes and visits Maya, and when you approach them to start the day, you overhear snippets of the conversation they didn't really intend for you to hear --- something about Dark Riders following Anne to France, and hopefully she's safe, or that Lisa just got back from tour, but she's not responding to any of Alex or Lisa's texts, asking Maya maybe Lisa's done with all the magic and danger?

Or maybe MC mentions something they see in their dream that Maya recognizes. MC overhears Maya mentioning it to Alex and realizes these two girls know way more than they let on, and later MC follows them to eavesdrop and gets the drop on the two of them + Linda saying some really incriminating stuff about the druids and Aideen, and once they realize MC is there, they finally give an explanation. It would give MC some more agency in the story, too. Instead of being told to "go here with me and you'll be given answers" MC decides to explore the underbelly of this place themselves.

Although. A really cool thing. Would be if you advanced along the main story to get to the druids and they admit to you that Fripp or whoever sensed a huge energy shift and realized someone of huge power had arrived on the island, and you find out that the entire first couple of days on Jorvik all five of them were just doing this huge undercover operation on you to figure out what your deal was. Because if I was a new player and wasn't familiar with SSO's brand of storytelling I would have been so suspicious of them the entire time.

[justforbooks]

How to read 225 books in a year ?

A self-confessed bookaholic who read 225 books last year shares tips on how to increase your reading capacity

In 2023, I read 225 books or over 80,000 pages, depending on your preferred metric. Rather than being surprising, this is just the culmination of my interest in reading.

Like any skill, I’ve worked on it—whether that’s making sure I can access books, looking at when, how and what I read, or considering how I can best reflect on what I have (or haven’t) enjoyed.

It's often noted that reading and collecting books are two different hobbies—and buying books can get expensive. Charity shops are one solution, especially if you aren’t looking for recent releases.

The emergence of online charity marketplaces makes it even easier to find books when you’re looking for something specific. If you’re struggling for space, why not return books to charity shops after you’ve read them?

Libraries are also a great resource. However, it can be tough to find time to visit and the pandemic has often shortened their opening hours. There’s a simple solution. Many libraries now have online offerings, from e-books to audiobooks to magazines, all accessible via apps like Libby. All you need is your library card.

You can even request books and they’ll be automatically downloaded to your device when ready. It’s a great way to support libraries and authors (they still receive a payment when books are borrowed) while saving space and limiting your spending.

This does tie your reading ability to your phone’s charge and could increase your screen time. But it’s also a great way to associate reading with something you already use, alongside providing free access to books. The library system also encourages immediate reading rather than an endless “to be read” list—if you don’t use it, you lose it.

Once you’ve got your books, the next step is reading them. That’s not as easy as it sounds, as anyone with shelves of pristine, unread books can testify.

Building a new habit into your daily routine can be tough. James Clear’s method of habit stacking is a good solution. Just as reading on a phone or tablet associates reading with a device you already use, habit stacking involves using activities you already do to build reading into your daily routine. For example, brushing my teeth prompts me to read before bed. This causes a new habit to emerge and it’s relatively easy to keep this up.

Often, though, it’s not simply a matter of practicality. It’s easy to feel we aren’t reading “properly” and this can arouse complex feelings.

To someone still traumatised by secondary school English, the world may seem to be full of dull classics. While there’ll probably be a piece of canonical literature for everybody, there’s no benefit in forcing yourself through a book you hate. Instead, find something you think you’ll enjoy and then look to expand your horizons.

In recent years, I’ve re-read a children’s book series each summer, ranging from Alex Rider to A Series of Unfortunate Events. Often these remain enjoyable in themselves. They’re also an opportunity to reflect on how my perceptions have changed. The typically disabled villains of Alex Rider, for example, went unnoticed as a child but now I find this pattern troubling. Regardless of its social capital or place in the canon, any book can provide a rewarding and enriching experience—and if you pick something you enjoy, you’re much more likely to finish it.

Non-traditional formats like audiobooks, similarly, often cause worry. It’s not the way we’ve been taught to read—so is it “real reading”?

There are some clear advantages. The slower pace allows more time to digest information. This is particularly relevant for non-fiction (where it can be tempting to skim pages of facts). Audiobooks can also make texts more accessible, particularly for those with busy schedules or who struggle with the act of reading.

They can also be more impactful. My experience of David Olusoga’s Black and British was so powerful because of Olusoga’s narration, adding another layer of emotion to his unflinching and vivid history of Britain’s troubled past. Audiobooks provide another tool for readers, allowing them to alter their approach to a book.

If a 2024 resolution is to read more, keeping track of your progress can be a source of encouragement and motivation, reminding you how far you’ve come. I also love seeing what I tend to read rather than imagine myself reading— I never realised how much I skewed towards modern literature.

GoodReads is the most established tracker with the largest community while newcomer The StoryGraph offers beautiful graphs of monthly and yearly reading. Analogue trackers like reading journals are also an alternative if you want to get offline. A middle ground is Excel trackers; they also tend to be more customisable as you choose the data you’d like to analyse but do require more upkeep.

However, tracking can also be being detrimental; like all social media, there’s a tendency towards unhealthy comparison. If it aids your focus on reading experience, then go for it. But, if it causes disruption, there’s no shame in not tracking your reading and considering more holistic measures of enjoyment.

Ultimately, that’s all there is to trying to read more. It’s easy to over-theorise whether reading after making your morning coffee or your evening tea will best optimise your reading journey. Read what feels natural—whether that’s comforting, challenging, both or neither—in a way that feels right. The important thing is simply to start and go from there.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?