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bts-ficrecs · 4 years ago

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BTS Bodyguard AUs

Anon request: Any bodyguard aus you recommend? 🥺

Doth mine eyes deceive me???? bodyguard???? um???? YES???? I…… may have gone overboard…. again….. Lmao Enjoy!~ and remember to give these writers lots of love!!!!

Note: I have not read a majority of these, so I’m super giddy to get into them!~ And as always, if you have a fic that you think should be added lmk and I’ll check it out! ^^

KIM NAMJOON.

23 by @yoongisbbydoll

— Genre: angst

— Summary: It never occurred to Namjoon that he would lose such a big piece of himself to you. All those nights spent together, he never realized that he was slowly falling for you and everything you do. He only ever saw himself as a friend to you, someone who protected you at all costs, someone expendable. Namjoon had never even pondered the idea that you could feel the same.

Because She (and You) Give Me None by @namjooniebjonesuniverse

— Genre: angst, fluff, ongoing series

— Summary: Ever since he took the throne at the tender age of sixteen, King Kim Seokjin of the Tuhan Kingdoms is seeking to create peace between the Vampire and Shifter races, who have been at odds with each for a decade. In order to demonstrate to his people that said peace is possible, he hires a new security detail for himself and his younger brother. Both of them being Vampires. Crown Prince Kim Namjoon is absolutely thrilled with the idea…

Caged by @mrsmon

— Genre: angst, fluff, complete series

— Summary: You didn’t turn around. You didn’t have to. In the last three months, you had grown so accustomed to his presence that you could tell when he was around by the way the air shifted and the world seemed to stop in its tracks for the fraction of a second, and with it your heart.

Impossible Ghosts by imlittleredbird & serClizia (AO3)

— Pairing: Namjoon x Seokjin

— Genre: fluff, smut, complete series

— Summary: Namjoon is the crown prince of South Korea and he has 99 problems, all of which are Kim Seokjin. Jin is the personal bodyguard of the prince and has 1 big problem: the way his ears turn red because of his crush - which happens to be the crown prince of South Korea.

Power by @ironicarmy�� (AO3 link)

— Genre: angst, fluff, smut

— Summary: You always go out of your way to remind Namjoon who’s boss. Until he snaps and you find out that he’s the one in charge.

Rotten by @1kook

— Genre: fluff, smut

— Summary: How bold of him to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong, as if his presence alone doesn’t contribute to the distance your father places between the two of you.

KIM SEOKJIN.

About Time by @i-would-rather-be-queen

— Genre: fluff

— Summary: You caught yourself staring at him again. Kim Seokjin.

Borders by @drquinzelharleen

— Genre: angst, smut, discontinued series

— Summary: Jin has been a faithful and loyal bodyguard to your family for years, not that you’ve noticed. He’s the best at what he does, which is why he has been assigned to take care of you. Of course it’s hard when he’s so unlike anything you’ve ever been around.

Heaven's Light by pact (AO3)

— Pairing: Seokjin x Jungkook

— Genre: angst, series (on hiatus)

— Summary: Kim Seokjin has been raised and trained to serve whatever it is that pleases the clients of the establishment that took him in when nobody else would. But when he is brought up to the palace of The Majestic to be the pet of a prince who shows little concern to anyone who he deems inconvenient to him, Seokjin soon finds himself drowned in a series of manipulation, cruelty, sadism and the spoiled demeanor of a young man who holds the fate of his life between his fingers.

If I Kiss You, I Won't Be Able to Stop by @hoseoksyn (AO3)

— Genre: smut

— Summary: The mafia's daughter's crush on her bodyguard reaches breaking point.

Safe and Sound by bazooka (AO3)

— Pairing: Seokjin x Namjoon

— Genre: fluff, twoshot

— Summary: From a tumblr prompt: Jin is a prince, and Namjoon is his bodyguard. "You're sort of bad at this." "Nah. You're safe, aren't you?"

The Bodyguard by @hollyxqx

— Genre: smut

— Summary: Seokjin, hired to protect you by your wealthy father, can’t keep his hands off you after a night together.

MIN YOONGI.

At Your Service by @magicalsalamander

— Genre: angst, fluff, smut

— Summary: Your Grandpa adopted him, ex-K-9 police dog hybrid, to kept the auto shop safe. He had to fulfill his vicious guard dog hybrid appeal, but he was putty in your hands. However, when an unexpected event happens you took ownership of Yoongi, your best friend…but when tensions build, will he want to stay with you?

Breaking Point by @i-would-rather-be-queen

— Genre: fluff, 2shot

— Summary: Months went by with him at your side. He was diligent and always polite but kept a professional distance. It was hard to know what was going through his head. You supposed you didn’t mind. Maybe it was easier for him to do his job that way. But sometimes it irked you that as friendly as you tried to be, he always held a part of himself back.

Orbits by @galaxyseokjin

— Genre: angst, fluff

— Summary: Life in this sector of the galaxy had always been rough, always had been a fight to live. Life as a mercenary never one you thought you’d fall into. But here you were, earning a pretty penny now that you’d made a name for yourself. When you’d accepted the offer to be a body guard for the son of a politician, you expected the life of luxury. Easy days and nights with no worries. Unfortunately for you, Min Yoongi had no intention of falling into that plan.

화양연화 (The Most Beautiful Moment In Life) by sunshinejoon (AO3)

— Pairing: Yoongi x Jimin

— Genre: angst, fluff

— Summary: "With every empty office and every light left on -- it only means that people have left, y'know? They've left, just for a while, to be with their families." He falls silent, before picking back up again. "These people, they're with people they love. People they're trying to love. Or maybe they're all alone in their shitty apartments -- but they're someone to love too, are they not?" Yoongi exhales, and Jimin thinks he feels it expand, curl against his insides. "Maybe these lights like the night."

JUNG HOSEOK.

Guarded By @xjoonchildx

— Genre: angst, fluff, smut, complete series

— Summary: You’ve tried to separate yourself from your infamous crime family, but a new case has your carefully-constructed world crashing down around you. now you have to figure out how to heal old wounds and handle the new man who enters your orbit.

Nothing but the Rain by @i-would-rather-be-queen

— Genre: fluff

— Summary: Most people didn’t know the real role Jung Hoseok played in your life. He was too loud, too impulsive to be seen for what he really was: your bodyguard. Granted, the man had a massive startle reflex so it was hard to imagine him being a dog in any kind of fight.

Protected by @jungk0oksthighs

— Genre: angst, smut, infidelity warning

— Summary: He was your bodyguard, and he never left your side. As somewhat of a celebrity your brother hired a bodyguard to ensure your safety, but Hoseok was more like a friend than somebody who was paid to be around. It wasn’t always easy though, things became complicated when you started to catch feelings for a man who attended your brother’s masquerade ball with another woman.

PARK JIMIN.

Don’t Care If It Hurts by @hollyhomburg

— Genre: angst, fluff, smut, complete series

— Summary: After a rival gang makes an attempt on your life, Your older brother, the infamous leader of Seoul’s largest gang; Kim Namjoon, gets you a guard hybrid; Park Jimin, The reigning champion of Seoul’s underground hybrid fighting ring.

I Blow up Buildings (but I’d Blow You) by sugaretreat (AO3)

— Pairing: Yoongi x Jungkook

— Genre: fluff

— Summary: The AU where Yoongi has been receiving death threats from an enemy organisation known as Skeletal, and Jeon Jeongguk is the lucky bastard brought in to be his bodyguard. Yoongi tries to hate him. He really does.

Knight by junglec0re (AO3)

— Genre: angst, fluff, smut, twoshot

— Summary: In which Jimin is a Prince, and Yoongi is his personal bodyguard that would do anything for him.

Protegere by @taesbetch

— Genre: angst, fluff, ongoing series

— Summary: In a land where the crown means everything, everything will be risked in order to protect it. when Y/ns older brother dies its time for her to claim the throne, however, she is seen as weak and an easy target to those lurking in the shadows. The park clan has been trained from birth to protect the throne and those on them, but the death of Y/ns Brother and other suspicious events seem to of happened coincidentally close. what happens is something no one is ready for.

Sunflower by @i-would-rather-be-queen

— Genre: fluff

— Summary: Jimin was your favorite guard. So many of them were gruff and treated you as an inconvenience. A valuable inconvenience to be sure, but still not one with which they wanted to interact. It made sense you supposed. Emotions can cloud judgement and that’s the last thing a bodyguard needs. But from his first day assigned to you Jimin was different. He always made eye contact and smiled warmly. It was a welcome change from being seen as an object.

KIM TAEHYUNG.

An Ocean Heart by @always-in-an-alternate-universe

— Genre: ongoing series

— Summary: There was once a beautiful woman who was as strong as she was beautiful and as smart as she was strong. She had always been the radiant one in the room, who had a presence that was as deep and rich as the ocean’s depths. In that sense, an ocean was the perfect metaphor for her, because the further you looked into it, the less you saw. It’s hard to say whether or not she was born to be this way or eventually grew into it, after all, she was born into the largest South Korean mafia.

The President’s Son by @jimlingss

— Genre: fluff, complete series

— Summary: Kim Taehyung is the President’s son, mischievous and playful, and infamous for being a troublemaker. When everyone’s given up, they call for you to be his personal guard. There’s no other choice when your dad’s assigned you to it and surprisingly Taehyung doesn’t mind either. Maybe because you happened to grow up with that brat.

JEON JUNGKOOK.

Angel With A Shotgun by @taegonia

— Genre: angst, fluff, smut, ongoing series

— Summary: You knew that hiring Jungkook as your bodyguard would be a mistake and that it would lead to… unprofessional actions.

Bodyguard by @minsugapie

— Genre: fluff, complete series

— Summary: You didn’t want to have someone with you at all times, let alone some butch man you’d never met before. It just didn’t sound appealing to you in the slightest. Plus, how popular were you getting that a man had literally given up his life to serve yours? It wasn’t like you were the goddamn Queen of England.

Crown of Gold by @fairykooks

— Genre: fluff

— Summary: Jeon Jungkook is the nation’s pride - kind, charismatic, honest, loving, courageous, beautiful. and in love.

Heavens Will Burn by @gyuten

— Genre: angst, fluff

— Summary: The truth is that love is only easy for the very lucky few. Jeon Jungkook is in love with someone, and she him. Their love should have come easy, if only life hadn’t given him the biggest misfortune of all: a curse to never be able to touch others without harming them. To Jungkook, his love becomes nothing but sweet pain.

I Found Peace (in your body’s skin) by Ahgamo (AO3)

— Pairing: Jungkook x Yoongi

— Genre: angst, ongoing series

— Summary: Prince Jeon Jungkook has been receiving death threats for a couple of months. They hire one Agent Kim (not Taehyung) to guarantee The Prince’s safety. When the assassin makes his first move, killing Agent Kim in the process, they hire one Min Yoongi to protect Korea’s Prince instead. Jungkook isn’t happy with his replacement.

My Terms by @nomnomsik

— Genre: smut, yandere warning, ongoing series

— Summary: Relatively close in age and similar hidden personalities, an idol and bodyguard discuss secret terms unbeknownst to the company. What will come about them and what exactly did they discuss?

Now Breathe by @hereforaus

— Genre: angst, smut, ongoing series

— Summary: People invading your personal space is one of the top most annoying thing to ever exist on earth and your overprotective politician mother hiring a personal bodyguard for you didn’t help at all.

Off Guard by @diortae (AO3 link)

— Genre: fluff, horny jk so

— Summary: bodyguard!jungkook and rich girl!y/n who has made it her mission to make the 25th bodyguard, jungkook’s life hell to make him quit but jungkook’s one tough cookie who’s always thinking one step ahead of her.

Only You by shellflower (AO3)

— Genre: angst, fluff, smut, ongoing series

— Summary: It didn't surprise you when you were chosen as one of the top 4 students at the Security Protection Program. It surprised you a little to learn that you would be assigned to one of the four Heirs to the throne. It surprised you a lot to learn that the prim and proper Princes were...not quite what you imagined. Despite this, you would do anything to protect them with your life. And you will.

Order by @rainwards

— Genre: angst, twoshot

— Summary: In which you give Jungkook a very important order.

Protection by @koosgrl

— Genre: angst, fluff, smut

— Summary: “you can’t protect me.” Being the heir of a mafia empire has its pros and cons, what you hated the most was the annoying body guards who were constantly glued to you. however, you always found a way to get rid of them, until you met jeon jungkook that is.

Stubborn Love by @hoseoksyn

— Genre: angst, smut, infidelity warning

— Summary: Love is not a choice, this much you knew. for a girl like you, neither was marriage. married off to a prince, you had the life most girls would dream of. but your dream didn’t end with prince charming. yours ended with your loyal bodyguard that you could never have.

— Mai’s Thots: READ THIS AND THEN CRY BC ANGST AND THEN CRY AGAIN BC SAM IS WRITING A SEQUEL

The Bodyguard by @letspurpletogether

— Genre: angst, smut, ongoing series

— Summary: Your father is the Don, so you’ve pretty much had enemies your whole life. But when he fails to protect you like he should, you realize maybe it’s time for you to take the matters into your own hands and gather your own men. Perhaps, starting with that tattoed fellow over there with the bad attitude.

The Singing Guardian by @sugaabooga

— Genre: fluff

— Summary: “A singer!” your five-year old self gleefully smiles at your teacher with your chubby hands clasped together in a dreamy-like way. Your teacher gives you a warm smile as she writes down ‘SINGER’ in big fat letters on your assignment sheet. “Well, Y/N. I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful singer. Contact me when you become famous!”

True Care by @joonsgalaxy (AO3 link)

— Genre: angst, fluff, smut, ongoing series

— Summary: your (endearingly) shy bodyguard—hired by your father—would do anything for you. even though you roll your eyes at his persistence and pretend there’s no need for him to follow you to every and any place you go, there might be many more hazards in your life than you let on. and you might end up needing him in more ways than you—or your father—would ever think.

Untitled by @an-exotic-writer

— Genre: fluff

— Summary: The morning had been a bit too quiet for your liking and you can’t decide if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.

OT7:

Sanctuary by @minniepetals

— Genre: angst, fluff

— Summary: Sometimes home isn’t a specific destination, sometimes home is when you’re crying and they reach out to hold you in their arms despite the rules. sometimes home is what you call their arms, your sanctuary.

congrats. you made it to the end.

#bts fanfic #jungkook fluff #yoongi fluff #jimin fluff #namjoon fluff #taehyung fluff #hoseok fluff #seokjin fluff #bts fic rec #g recs

216 notes · View notes

blackswaneuroparedux · 5 years ago

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penman47 asked: Your pages on Stirling Moss and Graham Hill have brought back fond memories of my passion for Formula 1 racing and the Grand Prix races from 1963 through1972. Mechanical failures often plagued Stirling Moss, Graham Hill and Jimmy Clark as man put machine to test. My question would be who of the three would come out on top driving the same mechanically perfect car at say the British Grand Prix Silverstone.

Thank you for your question @penman47

I received this question just before the sad news about the recent untimely death of the legendary Sir Stirling Moss. It feels prescient to respond now after a bit time to pass to reflect with a more sober perspective rather than let sentiment and emotion cloud any judgement.

In my family we are, it is fair to say, racing nuts. My grandfather had the racing bug and drove classic cars at amateur meets like Goodwood through his friendship with Freddie Richmond and was involved heavily in the RAC Club. He was fortunate to see all three of these racings icons race. He saw all of Jim Clark’s five victories at the British Grand Prix and regularly went to Monaco to see Graham Hill win there five times. He saw Stirling Moss race too and he was there for the Glover Trophy at Goodwood in 1962 when Stirling Moss had his career ending accident. Without taking anything away from the modern era drivers like Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, and Lewis Hamilton - all of whom he thinks are a credit to motor racing - he is very much of his era. As a proud Scots, he thinks Jim Clark was the best he ever saw.

My father got the racing bug too but was more of a Le Mans fan when he was growing up because spectators were closer to the action than F1. He had inherited and also built up his own classic car collection that he sometimes races at Goodwood. He was a wee laddie when he saw Clark and Hill race but he doesn’t fully recall because he was too young to fully remember. He loved watching James Hunt, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost but had a grudging respect for Nikki Lauda. He never saw Stirling Moss race but knew him quite well through Goodwood and at the RAC Club in London. I know his head says Jim Clark but his heart says Stirling Moss was the best British driver.

For one of my older brothers, who has a thing for speed as I do, he was always a big Ayrton Senna fan. Again as a small boy he saw Ayrton Senna race and was part of the converted to consider him as the greatest driver of all time. Senna’s bravery was his own inspiration to take part in the Dakar Rally and other endurance races.

It’s indeed one of my unmet ambitions to ride in the Dakar Rally but it’s always been on the back burner. I would like to ride with my brother because he has the experience but he and I are too competitive and we would fight over who was the better driver - for the record, I know I am.

My mother - being Norwegian - is left to make dry sarcastic remarks about boys and toys whenever my grandfather, father and us siblings talked about racing. But she’s not immune to the glamour of F1 racing either. I’ve been told by my aunts that when my mother was at her Swiss boarding school, and later learning to be a ski instructor in the Alps, she would descend upon Monaco during the Grand Prix with her friends and enjoy the social side of racing i.e. the partying side of Formula One racing. But she’s quite buttoned up about her partying past. Meanwhile she and my other siblings continue roll their eyes when the subject of racing comes up.

But speaking for myself, speed has been my drug of choice and flying combat helicopters in the army for a time helped satiate that need. When I left I felt empty and bereft. But if flying single craft planes and gliders gives me weird sense of peace these days (when I can make the time to do so), I get a decent rush from riding motorbikes hard and fast on the open country roads (forget about the urban traffic congested cityscape). Racing the odd fast car I managed to get my hands on through pliant boyfriend or good friend has given me a brief thrill too but it’s been spoiled often with my driving companion screaming in my ear or pissing their pants as I take the turn hard. With my penchant for crashing - tsk, more like a graze - I’m not allowed any where near my father’s classic cars.

I have been to Grand Prix races, including ones at Silverstone, Spa-Francochamps, Singapore, Shanghai, Suzuka, Yas Marina, Monza, and Monaco, from the time I was at boarding school. I would either go as a guest of my grandfather or father or even with some school friends who lived in Monaco and had links to get entry into the drivers’ paddock. But these days it’s more likely because of wrangling a corporate hospitality invitation that I would have the chance to go - sometimes if I plan my calendar fortuitously and Lady Luck smiles upon me I can catch two birds with one stone e.g. do a business trip to Shanghai and stay on to see the Shanghai Grand Prix. So I follow racing avidly if I can. For me of course the amazing Lewis Hamilton is the driver of our generation along with Michael Schumacher’s imperious reign at the top. And I do like the cut of Max Verstappen’s gib too.

Of course it’s hard for me to credibly assess who was the better driver between Stirling Moss, Graham Hill, and Jim Clark because I wasn’t a direct witness but not many today were either. But I consider myself a racing fan and I have seen old footage. I have also read about the history of Grand Prix racing and listened to others whose expert views I respect. So I hope what I offer is just an educated opinion at the end of the day but I recognise the heart will come into it because racing - at least in the vintage years - was quite romantic even as it morphed into something more glamorous in later decades.

Anyway, your question just added more fuel to the fire in our family discussions over our recent Zoom calls.

I have to say upfront that I consider Jim Clark as the greatest British driver of all time. I’m with my grandfather on this one and I always enjoy playing contrarian to my father(!). But all things considered Jim Clark was on a different level to both Stirling Moss and Graham Hill. And why I think so I hope I can lay that case out below.

It’s important to put all three drivers in their racing context.

Firstly, they all didn’t race at their peak at the same time and in the case of Moss in a different era. But there was some overlap between Moss and Clark and Hill. Stirling Moss had active career from 1951-1961. Graham Hill had his active years between 1958 to 1975. And Jim Clark was only active for eight years from 196O to 1968.

Secondly, unless you’re a racing fan or have seen old film footage, it really is hard to convey to our present times just how dangerous driving was in that era. It was known as the Killer Years in Formula One history. Back in the days when the British government leached up to 97 per cent from a race driver’s income, a racer had at least a 40% chance of dying at the wheel, so tragedies were commonplace. Some prodded the tiger once too often and ran out of luck. It really is hard for us to fathom the extreme danger Grand Prix drivers put themselves under when they hared around the track as one mistake might well cost them their life or a body of broken bones.

And thirdly, it may sound simple to say this, but they drove extremely fast at very high speeds. The temptation again is to look at vintage racing cars in the light of modern super engineered racing cars and think they were easy to drive.

Few drivers in the history of motor sport can prove they’ve won the elusive Triple Crown. Only Graham Hill can. Formula One world champion in 1962 and 1968; winner of the 1966 Indianapolis 500; winner of the 1972 24 hours of Le Mans and five time Monaco GP winner. An incredible achievement that underlines the fact that Hill was one of the most complete drivers of his time. He was fast, but not the fastest. Talented, but not the most talented. The best, but not always and everywhere. Explosive, but predictable. Professional, but with enough self-mockery to pull his pants down at dinner parties, running up and down the tables. Hill drove his cars throughout the most dangerous years of the sport. Calmly and reserved, while he tried to fight off virtuoso's like Jim Clark, Jochen Rindt and Jackie Stewart.

When Stirling Moss drove on the track, he was there to race, not to eke out championship points. And to do it fast, faster than anyone else. For a driver whose competitive peak coincided with one of motor racing’s most dangerous periods when death regularly stalked all drivers, a time when average lap speeds escalated while safety precautions stood still, Moss’ courage and achievements were even more astonishing. Moss knew all about that: witness the serious leg injuries he suffered during practice for the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix, a race in which compatriots Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey both died, or the career-ending aftermath of his accident during the 1962 Glover Trophy at Goodwood.

But for his own unswerving sense of fair play, he could have pipped Mike Hawthorn to become Britain’s first world champion in 1958. Moss won four races to his rival’s one, but the latter benefited from greater reliability and consistency. The pivotal moment came in the Portuguese Grand Prix, from which Hawthorn was initially stripped of second place for receiving a push-start after slithering off the track. Moss was among those who came to his defence.

To this day Moss has won more world championship grands prix than any other driver never to have secured the championship, despite the ever-escalating number of such races. He has always maintained that he’d like to remembered as “a driver who preferred to lose while driving quickly than to win by driving slowly enough to get beaten”. For a few years, after the retirement of the great Juan Manuel Fangio in 1958, he was the finest and most famous racing driver in the world. He was so good that Ferrari not only wanted him to drive for them but were prepared to have the car painted blue, the team colour of his friend Rob Walker. And it is worth remembering that Enzo Ferrari rated Moss ahead of Fangio and placed him alongside Tazio Nuvolari. He is, perhaps then, the ultimate proof that raw racing statistics sometimes mean very little when you are natural racer.

Jim Clark’s raw racing statistics spoke volumes for his achievement and the astonishing records he set, a few of which still remain unsurpassed. More than that he has been hailed as one of the top three drivers of all time in any reputable survey. His achievements were a reflection of the awe and admiration many of his driving peers and others since his untimely tragic death have held about the man and the racer.

Clark began matching Stirling Moss’s speed in the second half of the 1961 season, and took over the Englishman’s mantle in 1962 when Moss was injured in a crash at Goodwood on Easter Monday. Clark narrowly lost the World Championship that year to BRM rival Graham Hill, after his Lotus developed an oil leak while dominating the finale in South Africa. Two years later he lost another championship to an oil leak, literally on the last lap of the season-closing Mexican GP. The honours fell instead to John Surtees. But in 1963 and 1965 Clark was unstoppable in Colin Chapman’s green and yellow Lotuses, and their driver/engineer relationship was symbiotic.

Jim Clark not only won his second title in 1965 but he did so by leading every single lap of every race he finished in the 1965 season. Therefore, he won every race he finished with what we now call lights to flag victories. It was an incredible feat which has been unmatched by the other truly greats of the sport, Fangio, Senna, or Schumacher.

In 1963 only some obfuscation by the establishment at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in favour of the traditional front-engined roadsters prevented him from beating Parnelli Jones to victory on his Indy 500 debut in Chapman’s rear-engined Lotus ‘funny car’. He led the 1964 Indy 500 race before his rear suspension broke, and in 1965 dominated the event and became the first Briton to win this iconic race since Dario Resta in 1916.

Clark remains the only man in history to have won the Formula One World Championship and the famed Indianapolis 500 in the same year (1965).

His tally of 25 victories was a record at the time. It has since been surpassed by several other drivers, but none in so few races. Clark's came in just 72 starts, a win ratio surpassed only by Alberto Ascari and Juan Manuel Fangio.

Likewise, his tally of 33 total pole positions was first passed by Sebsatian Vettel, with only Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton ahead of Clark. But in percentage terms, Clark is ahead of them all. He was on pole for 45.2% of his races - only Fangio, on 55.8%, did better.

Those numbers give a sense of how Clark towered over his era, a period when he made many grands prix mind-numbingly boring, so completely did he and his Lotus dominate them. Yes, the Lotus was often the best car, but Clark's supremacy was not in doubt. His two titles in 1963 and 1965 were exercises in crushing superiority, and he would have won in 1964 and 1967 as well had it not been for the notoriously poor reliability of Lotus's cars.

But does any of this tell us which of the three would have won between the three of them at the British Grand Prix as you suggest?

Graham Hill may have been the monarch of Monaco - his nickname was after all ‘Mr Monaco’ with his magisterial six wins between 1963 and 1969, a record only bettered by the great Ayrton Senna - but much to his regret he never won a British Grand Prix race.

Stirling Moss won two British Grand Prix races in 1955 driving a Mercedes car and in 1957 where he shared a drive in a Vanwall car with Tony Brooks.

Jim Clark won the British Grand Prix an astonishing five times. In 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 he won driving the same Lotus-Climax car and in 1967 he won with a Lotus-Ford car. His five victories were a record that stood through the subsequent decades until Alain Prost equalled Clark’s tally in 1993 (Prost won on and off between 1983 and 1993). Clark’s record was only surpassed in 2019 when Lewis Hamilton won his amazing sixth victory at the British Grand Prix (with perhaps more to come). Even more remarkable was how peerless Clark’s domination was as he won four British Grand Prix races consecutively. It was yet another amazing record that belonged to Jim Clark until Lewis Hamilton joined him in the record books with four straight wins (2014-2017).

It might be churlish to point out that Stirling Moss, like Graham Hill, never won at Silverstone even when he raced there. Clark won three times.

In those days the British Grand Prix was not always held at Silverstone. Between 1926 and 1986 the venue track chosen rotated between Brooklands and Silverstone, then Aintree and Silverstone, and later Brands Hatch and Silverstone. Only from 1987 onwards to the present day did Silverstone become the established venue race track of the British Grand Prix.

Moss’ two British Grand Prix victories were both achieved at Aintree (1955 and 1957). The British Grand Prix races that Moss did compete at Silverstone he retired due to engine or axle trouble.

In contrast Clark won his first British Grand Prix victory at Aintree in 1962, and another one at Brands Hatch in 1964 but the other three victories were at Silverstone.

So one would have to give the win to Jim Clark on paper.

But some may argue yes, that’s all well and good but who was the fastest driver and who really was the better driver?

Here again the stats speak for themselves. The all time list of fastest laps set during their respective careers gives us some clue because the tracks they drove on were the same during their eras. Graham Hill is 34th on the all time fastest laps set with 10 fastest laps in the Grand Prix races he drove in a 17 year career (1958-1975). Stirling Moss is 15th on the all time fastest - one position above Ayrton Senna - where he set the fastest laps in 19 Grand Prix races in his 10 year career (1951-1961). Jim Clark is 7th on the all time fastest laps set by a Grand Prix driver. He recorded 28 fastest laps in Grand Prix races in his 8 year short racing career (1960-1968). Only Mansell, Vettel, Prost, Raikkonen, Hamilton and Schumacher as 1st stand ahead of him. What makes Clark’s achievement staggering is that he was competing in an era where technology was in the Bronze Age compared to the modern marvels of technology, aerodynamics, and speed. It’s also worth noting all the other drivers had much longer racing careers than Clark did before his untimely death. At the 1968 South African Grand Prix - his last before his death in Hockenheim ring in Germany 3 months later - Clark won way ahead of the pack led by Graham Hill who came in second. He was comfortably on his way to another world championship with more records to be smashed.

Clark still holds the record of eight Grand Slam race wins - that is winning pole position, putting in the fastest lap, and leading every lap of a race to the win. Only Lewis Hamilton comes close with six and Schumacher and Ascari with five. He achieved this twice at the British Grand Prix in 1962 (Aintree) and 1964 (Brands Hatch). Again it needs to be emphasised that Clark did all this while driving in the most dangerous era of Formula One - The Killer Years - where death of drivers and lack of driver and track safety was all too common. This is simply astonishing.

Of the three, Jim Clark was the fastest. I think this isn’t just about stats it’s also the they way they drove that made all three such great racers. All three certainly had limitless courage that even now demands total respect and awe. In particular it’s breath taking watching old film footage of Moss driving his most famous and greatest victory of all was the 1955 Mille Miglia in which he covered 1,000 miles of open Italian roads at an average speed of 97.96mph in 10 hours, seven minutes and 48 seconds.

But the fastest doesn’t make you best of course. When it comes to judging who was the best I think what their peers and contemporaries thought of them counts a lot in coming to some conclusions as to who was the best driver.

Sir Jackie Stewart, three times world champion and a team mate of Jim Clark as well as friends with all three drivers, is worth listening to.

Many think that Graham Hill wasn’t the most natural driver. This isn’t said to slight him or doubt his abilities but to acknowledge his approach to driving. As Jackie Stewart said, “Whereas Jimmy [Clark], Stirling, to a certain extent myself, would drive around a car’s handling problem, Graham would fiddle with the car until it was right. Graham would take very different lines around a corner to others, and I know because sometimes I was following him.”

Sir Stirling Moss has echoed Stewart’s comments. “I’d go along with Jackie and say that Graham didn’t have a natural ability to drive a car extremely quickly. But having said that, when I was to choose a partner for a sports car race at say, the Nürburgring, I would always choose Graham because he was so reliable. Quick, but unlikely to do anything stupid.”

Jackie Stewart’s comment unearth one of secrets of why not only was Jim Clark the fastest but also the best of the three. Simply put Clark knew how to take corners and know when to brake.

It must be stressed that both Moss and Clark knew how to take corners and mastered the art of breaking to a level very few drivers reached whatever car they were driving.

Moss was certainly a pioneer in taking corners and knowing when and when not to brake. Moss - especially at his peak in the Lotus - would cut into the corner early and with the brakes on.

Most drivers run deep into a corner before turning the wheel. In this way a driver could complete his braking in a straight line, as is the standard practice and one everyone did and still do, before setting the car up for the corner. But natural drivers like Moss (and Clark) preferred to cut into the corner early and even with their brakes still on to set up the car earlier. In this way such drivers almost make a false apex because they get the power on early and try to drift the car through the true apex and continue with this sliding until they are set up for the next bit of straight. In other words, the result is a smooth line as you come out of the turn and race on at faster and more seamless speed.

Clark would take this to the next evolutionary step from Moss - also in a Lotus - as cars became more mechanically challenging to handle. Clark placed a big premium on braking. In his book At the Wheel (1964) he expounded on this belief, "The most important thing you can learn in racing: how to brake. Often, if I want to go through a given corner quicker I don’t necessarily put the brakes on any later than usual, but I might not put them on very hard, and take them off earlier. Where you are led into the trap is leaving your braking too late and having to run deep into the corner and brake at the last moment, you might certainly arrive at the corner quicker, but there is a psychological tendency to brake much harder than you need to and therefore over-brake."

A good example of this is looking at footage of the 1965 French Grand Prix in Clermont-Ferrand where Jim Clark won from pole position and set the fastest lap around this new track that no one had driven on before (see below)

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Fast forward to the 9 minute mark you will see all the top drivers of that era tackling a fast downhill left - unfortunately you don’t see Graham Hill, who had an off day and ended up 13th I think - but the point remains valid.

Jim Clark drives a Lotus in this 1965 French Grand Prix race and is bombing away from the rest of the pack as was his usual MO. The interesting thing to notice is the turn. Clark’s Lotus is 2-3 feet inside the painted white line as he turns into the corner. It’s really more of a smooth elegant sweep into the corner. Clark clearly turns in much more earlier with the brakes - as we now know - are lightly caressed. Clark smoothly glides through out of the turn as he disappears from view carrying crucial extra speed. Then the rest come and the difference is soon clear. Jackie Stewart’s BRM P261 car grazes the line and grappling with more understeer than he might have liked finds himself to the right of the dotted line when he comes out of the turn. The V8 Ferrari of the great John Surtees also grazes the line with a similar result. Dan Gurney’s Brabham BT11 car crosses the painted line and he pays for his aggressive stance by sitting cross the road’s dotted centre line. On this track at Clermont-Ferrand there were forty-eight corners in its five sinuous miles to perilously navigate and Clark using this MO had the nonchalant confidence and consistency as well as the driving artistry to increasingly pull ahead of the chasing pack to victory.

Analysing the Clark technique, Peter Collins (a former team manager at Team Lotus and Williams, and an avid Clark fan), who knows more about what makes great drivers than most, made a key observation, “His driving was incredibly fluid even in dramatic moments. Watching the first laps of various races you got a very strong impression that he was mentally more ahead of the car than was the opposition. Watching him leading at the ’Ring in 1967, for instance, the impressive thing was that there were no dead moments in transition from braking to turn-in, to throttle on. He was able to drive an understeering car in a four-wheel drift and judge the exits to perfection.”

Graham Hill, who was a good friend of Jim Clark’s as well as being a fiercely competitive rival on the track, knew better than most and so I shall let him have the final say on this. Hill in his penned eulogy to Jim Clark noted his mastery of taking the corner, “For a driver, the excitement of racing is controlling the car within very fine limits. It's a great big balancing act, motor racing. It's having the car broken away and drifting and doing exactly as you want it to do and getting around the corner as quickly as you can, and knowing that you've done it, and hoping that it is better than anyone else has done. You are aiming at perfection and never actually getting it. Now and then you say, "That's it. That's how I want to do that corner. Now beat that, you bastards." This is the essence of racing, and at this, Jimmy, in his era, was unsurpassed.”

A word must be said about the cars these drivers drove. Racing cars in that era were extremely fast but also extremely unreliable. One can only lament how many world championships Moss, Hill, and Clark would have won if not for some mechanical car failure that did cost them dearly. In the case of Clark, he agonisingly lost the world championships in 1962 and 1964 due to oil leaks in the final race both times.

Of the three Hill was the most technical, not surprising given that he started life with the Royal Navy as a technician specialist. When he was racing Hill took notes of every test, every practice, every race and how his car handled specific track conditions and setups. He was constantly on top of his mechanics with these early versions of telemetry and his expertise on engineering meant that the difference between mechanic and driver was nothing more than a grey area. According to some of the mechanics who worked with Hill, it was sometimes impossible to please him. Both Moss and Clark by contrast didn’t really bother with that side but rather they just jumped into the car and worked around the problems on the track relying on their natural flair and genius. That’s how brilliant they both were.

So how would Moss and Clark fare if they both had the same car and barring any technical issues. There are no certainties but they did both briefly overlap in their careers, as Moss was coming to the end of his and Clark was about to start his ascension. The race that most would point to is the 1961 South African Grand Prix. Stirling Moss was the undisputed world's best in 1961, pulling off some famous victories in inferior equipment, but Clark's performances at the end of the season showed that things were changing. Clark's Lotus Climax 21 car had beaten the slightly older Lotus Climax 18/21 model of Moss in the Natal Grand Prix earlier in the month, but the East London race stepped things up a notch. Clark was fastest in qualifying and started on pole position with Moss +0.2 seconds behind.

Both Clark and his Team Lotus team mate Trevor Taylor led the way at the start but but Moss was soon into second and took the lead when Clark spun avoiding another car. Now Clark charged, despite sustaining gearbox damage, lapping faster than his pole time, and Moss was powerless to stop him coming through to win."Moss pulled in behind Clark and tried to stay in his slipstream but could not keep up with Clark's fast and furious driving and fell slowly, but surely, behind," read Autosport's report. "Clark demonstrated that the world championship is no pipe-dream for him." Clark was a little more circumspect, though beating Moss was clearly a watershed: "I had the satisfaction of beating Stirling twice in two weeks, although, in all fairness, my car was newer than his," he wrote in his 1964 book, Jim Clark - At the wheel.

That Clark was being characteristically modest and magnanimous isn’t the main point to take away. The point is made by Colin Chapman the iconic genius behind Lotus who said of Clark, “when there was no mechanical trouble, Clark absolutely blew away the opposition. One prime example of that was the 1967 German Grand Prix when the Lotus was not an easy car to drive but still Clark got pole in it by a staggering 9 seconds. This also brought out another of Clark’s skills – to drive around problems. He was capable of driving a car with any given setup – he never asked to change the setup to make it to his liking, he went out on track and tried to make the car go faster by adjusting accordingly at corners, which was very easy for him as he had a very smooth driving style and it never looked like he was trying to muscle the car across the corners.”

Once Clark was in front he was almost unbeatable. No matter who you were or how good you were, Clark was quicker and relentless. It was almost game over once Clark took the lead and slowly pulled away from the rest. Graham Hill said in his eulogy to Jim Clark, “He was also particularly competitive, particularly aggressive, but he combined this with an extremely good sense of what not to do. One can be overthrusting—aggressive to the point of being dangerous. Well, this Jimmy was not. But he was a fighter, a fighter that you could never shake off. He invariably shot into the lead and killed off the others, building up a lead that sapped their will to win.”

This is one main reason with all things being equal, Clark would beat Moss and Moss would beat Hill. The really scary thing about Clark’s complete mastery of driving was what Colin Chapman said years later, "I think Jim never drove really 100% - he was so good, he didn’t need it to beat the others. Perhaps only in Monza 1967 he had the knife between his teeth...."

Moss is rightly celebrated as an icon of motor racing. Moss had a fantastic 15 year career on the track and just as importantly he had an even longer one off the track as the fantastic ambassador of Grand Prix racing. Moss lived to be 90 years old and he used that time to deservedly cement his legendary status as a Formula One great. He was a very charismatic and convivial personality. He is revered by contemporary drivers and racing fans because his presence was anywhere and everywhere. No racing event would be complete without the vintage stardust of the great Sir Stirling Moss. At Goodwood and at the RAC Club racing enthusiasts would mill around him and listen to his endless yarns. At race circuits during the Grand Prix season his presence in paddock would stop everything as racers and technical crew were in awe of him.

In contrast Jim Clark’s racing career was tragically cut short to a mere 8 years and yet he had achieved so much at the age of 32 years old. Arguably his death had the greater impact because it was more keenly felt by his peers and those within the racing world. So when he was killed by a puncture during the wet Formula 2 Deutschland Trophy race at Hockenheim on 7 April 1968, after his Lotus crashed into unforgiving trees by the side of the track, race drivers around the world felt death’s hand on their shoulder, and asked themselves, “If it can happen to Jim Clark, what chance do we have?”

The consequence of Clark’s death cannot be stressed enough. Clark’s death was the sacrificial blood price for the more modern era drivers to race with greater driver safety measures in place and safer tracks for spectators that these days we today take for granted. A lot of credit is due to Clark’s close friend and team mate, the great Sir Jackie Stewart, who at the risk of his own personal reputation, pushed hard for the racing world to take driver safety seriously. A lot of danger - and perhaps even the excitement - has been taken out as Moss used to say. But there is no question racing - whilst still relatively dangerous because of the higher speeds they are pushing for those micro margin of victories - is much safer than the dangerous era of Moss, Hill, and Clark.

So why isn’t he more well known or revered by the general public (as opposed to hard core racing fans and those within the racing world)? I suspect it was due to his shyness and aversion to publicity. Clark grew up on a Scottish farm and he was clear to many that this was his roots that he always returned to. While he couldn’t entirely avoid the glamour of the racing world with its hedonistic side effects of women, sex and fast cars - as personified by Graham Hill or James Hunt - Clark eschewed all that in favour of simple living on his Scottish farm. His only indulgence was an airplane that he used to piloted into race circuits in Europe - Hill could fly too and it cost him his life in 1975 in a tragic plane accident. Clark simply loved racing. The proud Scot was a gentleman with self-deprecating charm and modesty to match. He was simply a good and decent man revered by his own peers in his own time.

At Clark’s funeral, Jim Clark Snr, beloved father, confessed to Dan Gurney, a racing rival, that he was the only man his son had feared. Gurney, who died in January 2018, spoke of Clark thus: “It is certainly an honour to have had the opportunity to know him as a team-mate, a friend, and to have competed with him on so many memorable occasions. Jim whipped us so many times that we all sort of got used to it. Naturally, we didn’t like being whipped, but, it is probably a testimony to Jim’s integrity and stature among us, his peers, that we couldn’t help loving the lad in spite of it.”

Elizabeth ‘Widdy’ Cameron, whom Clark nearly married in 1960, and with whom he stayed close despite rising fame, said: “He was very shy. And he was a terrific gentleman. I didn't hear him say bad things about anybody. He was a good, good man and I hope everybody remembers that. He was very special.” Sir Jackie Stewart, the three time world champion and another great British driver, still sheds a tear when he’s asked about Jim Clark. The two Scots were close friends, and three years earlier when Stewart had arrived in F1, he played the Robin role to Clark’s undisputed Batman. “Jim Clark,” he says still, “was everything I aspired to be, as a racing driver and as a man.” When Jim Clark this humble man as a product of his upbringing on a Scottish farm in the Scottish Borders insisted that inscribed on his tomb stone would be, ‘farmer and world champion’.

Of course I never saw Moss, Hill and Clark race but I’m definitely in the camp that considers Jim Clark as not only the greatest British driver of all time but also arguably the best driver in the world of all time alongside that other most naturally gifted racer, Ayrton Senna. There’s not much to differentiate their greatness and genius.

It’s fitting that the final judgement of who was the best driver of the three should rest with their peers and contemporaries. Juan Manuel Fangio, the Argentine great is one of my favourite racers and one who is also considered one of the greatest of all time, said this about Clark in 1995: "He was better than I was - the greatest driver ever." Even the great Ayrton Senna when he went to Clark’s old Scottish boarding school, Loretto, confessed to the schoolboys, "After all - Jim Clark was the greatest driver ever."

The wonderful thing about arguing about who is the best with British icons like Moss, Hill, and Clark as examples is how the past can inspire the present generation of drivers to aspire to greater heights than the peers of the past. Who knows perhaps one day we will be talking about Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen in the same hushed tones of reverence and awe. Then as racing fans we should count our blessings that we can witness their special racing artistry on the track first hand while we can in the same way past generations were in awe of such special talents as Moss, Hill, and Clark.

Thanks for your question.

#question #ask #grand prix #racing #driving #stirling moss #jim clark #graham hill #formula one #britain #british #sports

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h3rmitsunited · 4 years ago

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Continuing Thoughts on Age of Calamity: I am about 19 hours in at this point and oh man are things going down. Just wanted to record some of my thoughts, theories, reactions, etc... before I get to the last four missions of the story because I’m just thinking about this non-stop and want to share.

Spoilers below the read more, so don’t read if you plan on playing the game. It is a lot more fun to experience in the game than reading it, so just you know, don’t read it.

THE NEW BOTW CHAMPIONS ARE HERE, THE OG CHAMPIONS ARE ALIVE!

-After the siege of the castle mission that ends with the king's death at the hands of the guardians off screen and the menu music changing to the awesome dark theme and the prompt on the screen saying that Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa are trapped in the Divine Beasts, I legitimately cried a little bit. Like I was mostly tearing up because of the bit with Zelda and her father and Link dragging her away, but with the context of BOTW and the Divine Beasts and the Champions having been killed in battle with the Calamity Blights, I was like holy crap, they killed them, they're trapped because they died, but then I started the next chapter and decided to do Urbosa and Revali's first and then it starts and they're both still alive and then we see that Teba and Riju come through and like I lost my shit. I was like WHAT!? IS!? HAPPENING?! I thought that it was a really cool way to get more characters to play as (because this is a Warriors game so the vast array of characters to play as is a selling point) and a cool way to keep the OG Champions from being dead which is depressing. So I got Urbosa and Revali back and then realized what this meant for the other mission, that Mipha would be saved by giant grown Sidon and it was just as cute and sweet as I thought it was going to be. And then them working together on the Divine Beast and teaming up and you can see how much Sidon missed his sister and looks up to her, despite the fact that he is literally ginormous and she is a tiny little thing. It made me tear up. The other champion relationships don't really hit that hard because none of them actually met each other before, but it was pretty funny the bit with Teba and Revali when Revali is once again being an asshole to Link and Teba is just like.... WTF? This is the Rito champion, he's like kind of a di- and Urbosa is like yes, we know. Moving on. Because like damn, they really turned Revali's dick factor way up in this game. Like seriously, bird, can you like chill?

-Anyways, another thing that got me going literally insane was the bit in Hyrule field with Astor and Sooga and Kohga when Astor was like...pulling soul power or something from the Yiga soldiers and like turned it into Hollow Link and when I saw that I was like losing my mind. I don't know why it got me so hyped up, but it did and I'm very excited to battle it out with this dark Link character.

-I just finished the battle at Akkala citadel, which was a pretty cool fight, and going to go into the next battle, something about thunder, so obviously another Divine Beast lead in with Divine Beast support trying to fight off Guardians and monsters and stuff. From the placement, it appears like it'll be near Hateno, and will be involving Urbosa and Vah Nahboris. I don't really care for the Divine Beast levels. They are frustrating to control and the camera movements are annoying and the targeting system just is frustrating. The level with Vah Rudania fighting off the guardians was so annoying, just trying to target the guardians and move around and then I just kept getting stuck on the walls and stuff and the movements are so slow, and it was just like, I don't really care for this at all, thanks... I much prefer the on the ground, quick fighting. Obviously, Link is the most intuitive and easiest to use, he's the highest level, and he's the main fighting character, so he's my favorite to use. I really want to unlock the Hyrule Warriors armor set, so I'm going to have to do a ton of quests and stuff which is a lot, but it will make me keep playing the game for a while, which is good since the game cost sixty dollars. It's fun to play though, so I feel like it's worth it. -Regarding the timeline pieces, I'm really conflicted about the backstory elements that we're getting, and I realize that the moment the eggo was introduced, it set this timeline off into a completely different direction, but it brings up questions for me about the original timeline. We don't really know exactly when the Hyrule Warriors timeline starts out and how far from the Calamity attack it was in the past. I would assume that it wasn't too far in the past, most like like less than a year, maybe less than six months? It's difficult to tell because we don't get a whole lot of context. We are given the information that in this game, the Calamity attack on the castle happens at the same time as in the original timeline, on Zelda's 17th birthday, maybe a little sooner, since in the OG, she's coming down from Lanayru with Link and in this one, I think she's leaving the castle to go to Lanayru when the attack happens. But when did everything else happen? How long has Link had the Master sword and been the chosen knight? He's been following Zelda in this timeline since eggo was introduced, but he was still "just a knight" at that point, even if he was a really good and talented one. But wouldn't that mean that he activates his power in Korok forest like barely anytime before the Calamity attack? I mean I guess in the OG timeline, we can kind of get hints that Link hasn't been chosen for a super long time, since Zelda questions him about how confident he is with the Master Sword and can he hear the voice, and is a bit more antagonistic with him, so he probably hadn't been doing that for a super long time either, but it does feel like he's had it longer in the OG timeline memories compared to here when he gets the Master sword and then like two missions later Ganon is popping up at the castle. I mean, it wouldn't make sense really to drag things out a super long time, so I understand that having a bunch of extra cut scenes and missions that aren't super plot relevant would be kind of weird, especially with this Astor dude's involvement, he would want to push things along. But the Ganon attack still happens the same time as the OG timeline, so all of these things happen within the same amount of time. I don't remember in the OG timeline if we ever got any details about how Link awakened his power. I do like how they did it in this version, how it was like a parallel to how Zelda awakened her power protecting Link, which gave me all the Zelink feels, but I just want canon backstory for the OG timeline, you know? We know that this timeline isn't canon for the OG timeline because of eggo being involved, so we can only really pull character elements from this timeline rather than specific plot elements. I also wondered about Impa since she is there kind of escorting Zelda in most of the missions, but was only in BOTW as an old lady, which is fine because they likely hadn't have developed that into the story at that point, but I also think maybe since Link in AOC hasn't become the chosen knight until later, he wasn't seen as capable or trustworthy enough to be her sole escort knight and wanted to keep Impa around for additional protection or something. I don't know, doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but whatever. I'm also trying to remember... when did the Champions get their champion clothes? Does Link have the blue tunic on in all the memories? I'm pretty sure that one of the first memories is that depressing one where Zelda is like knighting Link or something in the gazebo thing in front of the castle, but I can't remember the order... It's just all so confusing and I'm sure I'm deeply overthinking everything and that they're kind of just like retconning elements, but like what does it all mean? I mean maybe... maybe... since Zelda remembers the eggo in her like baby dream memory in that one cut scene, maybe that means eggo was also sent way back in time to the beginning of her life, so this timeline is deeply changed from the beginning of her life, so while the initial difference weren't super evident, just some small things, once they got to later in the timeline and all the Master sword/Champion stuff, it really just like threw everything in the air. I don't know why it bothers me so much, I think it's just me Zelink heart wanting Link and Zelda to have more time together when it's not just crazy monster fighting sad Zelda all the time like in the AOC cutscenes. In BOTW, we get these soft little memories of Zelda and Link researching in the field and riding horses and stuff and like yes the ever present concern about Zelda's power and Ganon is there in the memories still, but it feels more intimate and slow and down to earth. I think it's also because in several of the memories, it's just them two, and in AOC, there hasn't really been any memories with just the two of them together, so it has a different feel to it. I liked in BOTW, the stories in Zelda's diary about talking to Link about his destiny and why he doesn't talk and how he feels the weight of this title and it keeps him silent and it gave Link this interesting depth and emotion that you couldn't really see without that, and then in the AOC, there are some little moments where you see Link having a scrap of emotion, tiny smiles he gives to Zelda, serious face, confused, happy to eat stuff, but most of his moments are the little grunts and blank stares that he gives. Like seriously? Zelda's father just died, she feels like it's all her fault and Link's response is a tiny smile and a "huh". Like yes, there are dynamics with them, she's a princess, he's a knight, he's protective of her and doesn't push her boundaries or whatever, but like just hug please. I loved that memory in the forest in BOTW where she just collapses into his chest and he holds her and we see this pained expression on his face and it's like yes please give me more not lobotomized Link. Like I know this sounds like complaining, because it is, and like I do understand they want Link to kind of be this blank slate, character insert type of character, but give him something please!

-I'm hoping we get some good content in these last few mission cut scenes. I'm getting down to the last few missions, only four left, and looking at the chapter titles, which is the only spoilers that I have allowed myself, I'm like, okay, what is going to happen next. And like I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that we win and the bad BOTW timeline ending is subverted and Ganon has to go night night, but like who knows, maybe they'll surprise me, but probably not. This is supposed to be a game that you keep playing after you finish the main story, so like killing off a bunch of playable characters and having it end in destruction would be probably not so smart...

-Okay, that's all my current thoughts. I'll be playing more tonight and we'll see if I finish the story tonight, or maybe I'll have to stop myself and take a breather before blasting through the remaining missions. I finished I think three missions(?) last night, and I had a break for dinner, but like I don't work tomorrow, so like, I could probably blast through the last ones, but I'd also still need to do some additional quest stuff in between for level up purposes since I just go through rupees like crazy. Oh my gosh, that reminds me... it is so dang annoying when you get one of those like quest find item marker things that lights up when you have all the items and you're like sweet I'll complete this and as you're pressing the button, out of habit, without super paying attention, you realize it's going to cost like 2,000 rupees or something and it's like... not again! I can't tell you how many times I have done this and it's so annoying. Like warn me if I have to pay rupees, I don't want to use my brain, game! Lol yes, it's my fault, I'm not really mad.

-Okay, the end. For now. TLDR: This game is fun and unexpected, but it is also not BOTW, so don't go into this expecting BOTW mechanics or gameplay. But hey, smashing through tons of enemies is also kind of satisfying too. Also, like the new enemies are wild. Elemental Moblins, Hinoxs, Lynels, Guardians(!), the use of the Elemental weapons is a cool mechanic, and it's cool having some cinematic fight moments, even if it might get repetitive after playing the game for a while, but you also can use a ton of different characters, so there's variety there, I just have yet to leave my boy because he's the easiest to blast through anything and everything, though Impa is pretty cool too, even if most of my moves with her are random button smashes since I don't really have a good grip on how her moves work. At least with Link it's pretty obvious and I've gotten better about actually having some sort of strategy with how he works, the other characters I haven't played enough to have any sort of knowledge on how they work. Also Zelda's moves are not fun to play at all, sorry, but they're just annoying and useless. Also Daruk is bad at fighting Hinoxes. Okay, now, the end.

#hyrule warriors age of calamity #age of calamity #hwaoc #hwaoc spoilers #loz

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devotedlydeepeststrawberry · 5 years ago

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Sooouu, I started this by wanting to explain why Rise!Leo wouldn't be a good leader right now and I kinda ended up explaining where I would take the story if I wrote it. Anyway I'm a bad writer and English is not my main language so if anybody gets inspired by any of this and decides to write a fan-fiction from it, be my guest (and please link it).

First of let's start with my initial why Leo wouldn't be a good leader. Even though he has a great gut feeling (I think he was wrong only one time in the first season), is relatively good at planing, is able to motivate his brothers with his speeches and his brothers do listen to him sometimes he lacks responsibility and confidence.

Different to Donnie, who is awesome at one specific thing and seeks recognition for it, Leo does not have a specific thing he is good at. Instead he seeks recognition in medals and competitions, he is boasting about his wins because they are the only thing he has going for him and nobody else is praising him for anything, even when he is right or saves somebody. This lead to Leo thinking he is not good enough on his own, even tough he proved otherwise in Bug Busters where he was alone in Big Mama's Hotel and was still able to save his brothers. The first thing he did in Portal Jacked when his brother were lost was to go to Señior Hueso for help(sorry for misspelling his name), in Flushed but Never Forgotten he went to his father for help. Unless he can't help it, he makes sure that he is never alone in a situation that might go south because he lacks the confidence to use the skills he has.

The second point is the fact that he isn't responsible enough to be a leader. He tries to avoid responsibility for his actions every chance he gets. That's why this Leo doesn't want to be leader because he knows that he would be responsible not only for himself but also for his brothers. And that ties in with his lack of confidence. However, in Flushed but Never Forgotten, when his family was in danger he threw away his reason, went after them without a plan and took on full responsibility for the plan while being ready to be the only one to take punishment, sacrificing himself. Meaning he is only ready to take responsibility in dire situations.

On the other hand Raph, being the oldest, is used to care and be responsible for his brothers, but he cares too much. He didn't want to let Mikey go on a mission alone, his plan for better teamwork only worked because his brothers pitied him and when Donnie put their family in danger with his gifts Raph didn't want to hurt Donnie's feelings. This are things a big brother would do, not a leader. As it is right now both Raph and Leo are bad leaders, the former for caring too much and the latter for not wanting to be one.

And this where I explain where I would take the story so Leo can become a leader.

First off, Leo needs to get confidence and more leadership skills. But where would he get that? Of course by being away from his family and meeting new people. But, where?

Currently, we know three places where he can go do that:

human world(with the thing that turns yokai's into human)

The Mystic City

Battle Nexus

The human world is more for Donnie. He already has a group he fights against (Purple Dragons), and is more interested in normal school than his brothers. Aside from that, Donnie has the brains to recreate the thing that could turn them human plus he would greatly benefit from being a human. Donnie's main issues are his constant need for praise and his lack of understanding other people's feelings. For him meeting teachers who praise him and people who have the same intellect as him would do wonders on his mood. Of course he would also need to handle bullies and realize that in the real world team work and communication is really important. Plus you won't be able to choose who you work with, you need to be able to compromise and understand the other persons strengths and weaknesses, that also means putting other people before himself. Donnie also needs to understand that, as much as hates being sociable, everybody can be useful so he needs to make a lot of connection, even with people dumber than him and he is not allowed to insult them. Leo would be there to tell him that, but Donnie wouldn't listen to him until he is in a great pinch. In the end he realizes that Leo was right, but never tells him that and his live improves greatly.

Leo is a sociable person. He would be quick to make new friends and maybe be relatively popular. He wouldn't benefit at all from going to a human school.

The Mystic City is not a challenge for Leo. Aside from Draxum, there aren't really dangers he would need to face there. The last time he was there, he survived without his sword in the bad part of the city. He did have Hueso with him but why would Leo go there alone in the first place? Leo also doesn't have good mystic powers, but do you know who does? Mikey. From what we have seen of Mikey, he is friendly and creative. Mikey would thrive in the Mystic City, find friends, be creative and maybe even learn a thing or two to impress his older brothers. For why he would go there, he would want to prove himself to Raph. He is not just a baby anymore, he can survive without him breathing down Mikey's neck. Leo would be supportive, give Mikey some advice on pirates and bad places, maybe ask Hueso to help Mikey discreetly. It would work out in the end. Leo would be right once again. Raph wouldn't like all of this one bit.

Now to the Battle Nexus. I really thought that this would be the perfect place for Leo. Being a champion is an easy bait for him, but Leo isn't dumb. He wouldn't trust Big Mama and would not easily fall into her trap. Besides the Battle Nexus is one against one, not for teams and why would Big Mama want Leo there in the first place. No. She would want somebody strong, feral, somebody like Raph. Give Raph some cutesy stuff and the trap is laid. So we have a Raph that is totally alone in the Battle Nexus for days while fighting big scary mutants and yokai. He would go crazy, and wouldn't find a way out. Cue, the other three trying to save him with Leo's plan. It fails, miserably. For the first time in Leo's life he was actually wrong at something and it could have cost his brothers lives, it was all his fault. And this time it wasn't a lesson by his father. He needed to plead Raph to calm down while protecting his other two brothers. Raph listens to Leo's pleading and calms down after a while, but in Leo's eyes Raph didn't calm down because of him but out of his own strength, since, after this, Raph learnt how to control his feral side and was able to save all four of them all on his own.

All of Leo's brothers overcame their weaknesses. They became better ninjas. Leaving Leo the only one who hasn't changed. He was still bad with his mystic powers, and the medals he earned were worth nothing.

So how would Leo grow? Simple, just like all the Leos before him. He gets to fight the same enemy as them but in a different way. There was a shot in the episode Shadow of Evil(around the 18 minute mark, can't screen shot it now) where Draxum creates a rift. On one side of it are three turtles and Splinter and on the other side, The Foot and Leo. All of them look surprised at where Draxum is. Now, this could be as to create a balance in the scene or for foreshadowing. I will choose the latter for my story.

As we know Draxum and the Foot soldiers are not on the best terms. There will be betrayal and fights in their future. However Draxum became too powerful for two soldiers to defeat, so they steal the finished armor but they don't wear it. Fast Forward to turtles plus April plus Splinter vs Draxum. Turtle family loses and the only one to escape is Leo. Leo has show to go to drastic measures for his family and is ready to accept help because he is too scared to fight alone. Enter The Foot Brute and Lieutenant with the finished armor. They tell him about how the armor grands wishes and could give Leo the power to save his family. His gut tells him that this is a bad idea but his gut was wrong before, and this was the only way to save his family. He accepts wearing the armor to save his family, together with the Foot clan.

Of course they succeed, but Draxum manages to escape. Now that Leo's wish was granted the armor or, better, Shredder takes over Leo's body. Like I said, Leo is skillful but he doesn't know how to use his skills and has no confidence but imagine Leo's skill and weapon in Shredder's hands. The turtles are lucky that the new villain isn't yet used to his new body, so he decides to escape, together with the Brute and Lieutenant.

And that's it for what we see of Leo for a while. The other episodes would be about a life style without Leo. His family will realize how much Leo has actually done for them and even start missing his jokes. They will live their lives, fail and succeed at stuff, while searching for Leo. Each turtle will get their individual episodes that seems fine, but kinda off in way. This way ROTTMNT can fulfill their promise to not be a Leo centric show because every turtle gets their own arc. They will have their own enemies and issues to fight and overcome, while Leo is just a supporting character and he importance only becomes clear once he is gone.

Now, while the other turtles had a few episodes of their story arc with some interludes for comic relief and episodes of the family members, I want Leo’s story to have one half hour episode episode, like Shadow of evil. So, what is happening with Leo?

While his his body is controlled by Shredder, his mind is trapped in the armor, together with the person who sealed Shredder all those years ago, Karai. You can imagine her anger when she realized a turtle let Shredder lose. They talk. He explains who he is, how he got here etc... Karai explains to him what ’here’ is and who Shredder is. Leo realizes he released armageddon upon the world, and, more importantly, his family. However not all hope is lost. Since Leo has Lou JItsu’s DNA, he, in a way, is related to Karai, meaning he has the power to fight against Shredder and take his body back. Leo tries calling Karai grandma, that did not end well. Anyway, Leo doesn’t know how to fight against Shredder so Karai offers to teach him and since they are in the armor Karai decides to use Leo’s memories to create a copy of Lou Jitsu to boost Leo’s moral.

Leo needed a pep talk, a bunch of stuff happens but Leo still wasn’t able to understand how she could fight against Shredder and Karai got more irritated by the minute. Meanwhile, Shredder realized what Karai was doing, knowing what and who Leo is and how dangerous the situation could get for him, he separates Karai and Leo by trapping Leo in a simulation of what happened in the war when he was sealed according to his and Kara’s memories. Bad move.

Leo was stuck in a never ending loop, where a bunch of good people died and Karai sacrificed herself to stop Shredder. Turns out Karai was quite similar to Lou JItsu since she didn’t care for her families destiny as well and that was the catalyst for her families death by the hands of Shredder. After a while Leo had enough and managed to use Karai’s training to stop the loop, turn back time and fall right into the story. He meets Karai and Usagi the young, soon to be leaders of their repective armies. Right then they were arguing about what they should do. In fact, one of the main reasons why Shredder couldn’t be defeated in the past was because Usagi and Karai would argue too much so they created two armies instead of one. Leo knew if they had put their differences aside or at least compromise lives could have been saved, so he decides to change this simulation

He acted as the middle man for the two and compromised a co-leadership. They didn’t trust him at first but with time they became close friends with Karai teaching Leo about swords and Usagi helping with the mystic powers They created an army and when the time came to choose a leader Leo was chosen with Karai and Usagi being his advisors. They managed to defeat Shredder. Leo got back to the Karai in the armor and they continued their training until Leo’s family came to save him.

The turtle plus April and Splinter used their training from their own arcs to save Leo. They were apologizing to Leo and all the typical stuff. Leo didn’t finish his training with Karai so he still wasn’t able to defeat Shredder for good but he couldn’t let Shredder use his body to kill his family, Karai understood and let him go with a last words being something along the lines of ‘Go my teenage mutant ninja turtles’, giving them their name while he just said ‘bye, grandma’.

He managed to get his body back but the armor and Shredder were still alive. Giving Leo an end goal. After this incident Leo had some PTSD to handle(he fought in war). Things happened and everybody gradually realized that Leo would be good leader and he was offered the position he accepted. I mean it couldn’t be worse than what happened in the simulation,

#rottmnt #tmnt #Rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the tmnt #tmnt 2019 #tmnt leonardo #leo #rottmnt leo #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt mikey #rottmnt michelangelo #rottmnt raph

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meltypes-blog · 6 years ago

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peapod mchanzo week day 2

[it’s me again, this time with a Pokèmon AU because I really enjoy it!] 2. Pokèmon AU | ao3 link |

Hanzo was, what some might call in the bigger towns and cities in the Hanamura Region, a highly unusual case. Most trainers left their houses at age 10 or 11, met up with a certified Pokèmon professor for a digitized logging codex, and jaunted merrily from town to town, training their Pokèmon until they became Rangers, Pageant Winners, Medical professionals, or whatever occupation they fell into after a couple of years of adventuring. And while most jobs were completely respectable occupations, Hanzo knew most children originally desire to become one of three things: a Gym Leader, one of the Elite Four, or- the most sought after of all- the Mysteriously Legendary Champion. Hanzo knew this was what all young trainers strived for, because he used to be one of them.

At the vehement insistence of his family, Hanzo trained since he could walk in the different strategies of Pokèmon battle. What types dominated over others, how to care for your Pokèmon after a particularly grueling match, how to use their moves to your advantage to guarantee success. It was clinical and methodical, the way the Shimada’s taught both Hanzo and Genji, to use their Pokèmon rather than to work together with them. The Shimada’s kept a subtle stranglehold on the brothers, promising them both the title of Champion if they worked just a bit harder, trained a little longer, studied battle after battle a little more closely. Hanzo spent countless hours listening- and it cost him his childhood. Most kids left the house at 10 or 11. Hanzo left at age 17.

Genji….Genji was lucky. Their father had poured enough strict teaching and private tutoring into Hanzo that by the time Genji had turned 12, Sojiro had decided one deluded dedicated son was enough to bring glory to the Shimada name. He let Genji go, and go he did, to never return. Well- to say that he never did would be inaccurate. Genji had come back once, aged 13, proud and happy, to show Hanzo a completed Pokèdex.

“How does it make you win?”

Genji’s smile faltered. “Win?”

Hanzo raised a brow. “Does it enhance their movements? Show enemy weakness?”

“In a way,” Genji said slowly. “It’s mainly for cataloguing what Pokèmon you find! It’s so cool, yesterday I saw a-”

“I do not care. What is the point if it does not help in battle?” Hanzo said coldly.

Genji gave his brother an incredulous look and stared. Then his face crumpled.

“Hanzo, please- come with me. It is so much different out there- it’s- there’s more to this than winning.”

Hanzo scoffed, bitter at his brother and not yet ready to accept the truth. He repeated to Genji what he’d heard the elders say countless times:

“I must stay here, as is my duty. One of us needs to not be the family disappointment.”

Genji never came back after that.

On Hanzo’s 17th birthday, however, he found a letter addressed to him in familiar writing. It was around this time that Hanzo began to realize just how fucked up his entire situation was, how little he cared about winning anymore, yet still strove for it because it was all he knew. He had conquered every single gym in the region, and the one over, and the one next to that one. The name “Shimada” was featured in the news constantly, and Hanzo started using just his first name in casual battles to avoid fleeing trainers or news people. His father and the elders were proud and truthfully, it made Hanzo feel all the more worse.

He was getting ready to challenge the Elite Four, studying their previous battles and Pokèmon, curating an almost unbeatable team in preparation. The appearance of the Champion and their team, as everyone knew, remained secret and for those who made it that far (which, the numbers of could be counted on one hand) and beyond (which practically never happened) showed the common courtesy of not letting a single detail slip. This anonymity fed into his anxiety, was almost ruinous to Hanzo’s party building skills, and at the time of the letter’s arrival, he was still missing a single Pokèmon for his belt. Suffice to say, Hanzo was pretty much at a crossroads at his life and was stressed to Kanto and back. He hoped, secretly, that his brother’s letter would give him some wise advice to help him win; Hanzo knew he was happy, there must have been some secret Genji found that he didn’t yet know of. But the letter read as this:

Hanzo,

Happy Birthday! It has been a long time, and I’m sorry. Don’t feel guilty about not writing to me either. I forgive you, for everything.

Mom writes to me though, and has recently told me that you are going to battle the Elite Four and the Champion soon. Wow! Dad did spend a lot of money on you though so I guess that is where you would naturally end up. Good for you! (I honestly don’t mean to make this letter sound as sarcastic as it does.)

Mom also tells me she’s worried about you. It makes me worried about you too, Hanzo. Are you okay? Mom says the bags under your eyes are almost as heavy as a Snorlax! I hope you are at least getting enough sleep. Stop watching those cooking programs you like so much after studying. I’m sure mom tells you that enough, but maybe a second mouth will get it across….

I don’t know if you would care to know, but I have been doing good. A peace task force called Overwatch has recently asked me to join them, and I think that I will! With that pesky Talon on the rise bothering people, I feel it will be a good use of my time. Perhaps after you win the title, you could spend some time helping us!

I hope you and dad are doing well, and that you find time to read this. I have not forgotten about you, my only brother, and I never will. I miss you dearly. I miss home and the gardens and the pond of Magikarp that we used to throw bread in, then got yelled at for. Ah, good times.

Speaking of that, you should check your PC. I sent you a gift. She is the very first Pokèmon I ever caught after I left, and she holds a deep place in my heart, as you do. She is kind, and thoughtful, and wise, just as I know you are. I hope you get along.

I love you brother, and Happy Birthday again,

Genji

Hanzo’s first thought was of the Pokèmon his brother sent. If Genji had had it for so long, and it was that dear to him….

He raced to his PC, logged in, fingers trembling in anticipation- and blinked at what showed up on the transfer screen.

The red fins and wispy whiskers were unmistakable to any person, trainer or not.

A Magikarp.

He sent Hanzo a fucking Magikarp.

Hanzo stared at the screen before he turned away.

A hysterical laugh bubbled it’s way out of Hanzo’s throat- and then a terrible gasp. His eyes welled and spilled over, hot tears tracking down his face. He choked on another unrelenting sob, covered his mouth to keep them in, shame at himself and what he had become curling and weighing heavy in him. His estranged, caring brother had lovingly hand-written him a letter in an age where people communicated through holograph, sent him his most precious Pokèmon- and still Hanzo’s thoughts were fixated on winning, and battle, and personal gain.

Enough was enough.

So, Hanzo prepared. He took the Magikarp into his party, almost laughing at the irony when his father whispered to him that the Champion’s party apparently consisted of fire, ground, and steel types. Hanzo didn’t want to know where he got the information, just like every other time his father gave him “tips.”

The first two of the Elite Four were easy enough. A blonde man in blue with normal types whose motto was, “Old Trainers never quit.” The second, a man in dark clothing with ghost and dark types whose Pokèmon creepily yelled “Die!” with each attack. But the third was a woman with a tattoo on her face, whose prowess and keen eye for battle equally matched Hanzo’s, and Hanzo decided she was the first trainer he would ever lose to. He winced as each of his Pokèmon fell, the feel of guilt strong and new to him, and he sent them each a silent apology. He held his last ball in his hand, and was about to throw, when she stopped him with a question.

“Why are you here?”

Hanzo slowly dropped his arm and looked to her. The words were loud and echoed off the high ceilings of the empty arena, and Hanzo felt small. She stood patiently, she and her Decidueye staring at him, and raised a brow. She wasn’t going to repeat herself.

Hanzo swallowed. “I….”

He looked down at the ball in his hands, thought of his brother, and spoke truthfully.

“I do not know. I don’t want to be.”

Elite Four Ana sighed. “You are aware you cannot flee from this battle, my child.”

Hanzo nodded and held the ball tenderly, saying another silent apology to Genji’s Magikarp.

“But….”

Hanzo looked back up to see the small smile on her face.

She tilted her head. “I think you and I both know that sometimes breaking rules is necessary.”

Hanzo had left significantly happy, never defeating the Elite Four, never glimpsing the Champion, and- technically- never having lost a battle. He spent the next few years reconnecting with Genji, disconnecting from the family, and adventuring as he should’ve as a child. His bonds with his Pokèmon had grown stronger than ever, but rare were the occasions that he engaged in battle. After treating his friends the way he did, he was hesitant to put them through anymore strain, and thus, declined Genji’s offer to join the peace force. Instead, he settled on an enormous private piece of land he bought himself (never losing a battle had its perks) and built a small villa dedicated to taking in abused Pokèmon.

So finds Hanzo in the present: age 38, happily tending to his garden as his Roselia sprinkles pollen on the flowers, waiting patiently for the man in red to come back around, as he always did at this time.

The man in red had been a….pleasant deviation from his routine. It started a year ago, when he had rushed into Hanzo’s villa with a shivering baby Ponyta in his arms, desperate and shaken. He still hadn’t told Hanzo what happened exactly, and Hanzo never pried. After he was assured the poor thing would be okay, Hanzo let him stay the night. And the next night. And the night after that. Really, Hanzo never told him to leave, because the man was charming and handsome, and hit every single check-box on the list that constituted Hanzo’s type if ever there was one. What irked Hanzo, however, was the fact that the man hadn’t given him a name.

“You can call me ‘Sweetie’ if you like,” he had grinned one morning over breakfast, effectively warming Hanzo’s face and causing him to sputter.

“I’ll be the Spice to your Sugar,” punctuated with a wink in the shade of the gardens, another damaging blow to Hanzo’s heart.

“How’s about you can call me anytime?” This one, Hanzo let out a laugh at, doubling the size of the stranger’s grin and making him turn as red as his flannel for a change.

Hanzo enjoyed the flirting thoroughly, feeling warm and content in the man’s presence, flustered but never overwhelmed at his words. The stranger visited at least thrice a week since his first arrival, and Hanzo looked forward to every moment. A splash in the large pond next to Hanzo pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned to see the man in red behind him, frowning at the Magikarp that poked its head at him.

“Don’t know why you’ve always gotta tattle on me, Aka. Defeats the whole purpose of a surprise.”

Hanzo stood up and brushed his hands on his apron, smiling, the warmth in him growing.

“Do not blame her for your lack of subtlety,” Hanzo teased. “You could not properly sneak if you tried.”

The stranger chuckled. “You’d be surprised. I can be quiet when I want to be.”

“I am sure the spurs and hat give you an agility bonus then?” Hanzo grinned slyly and flicked the brim of his hat up as he walked by, heading for the villa’s kitchen. The stranger sputtered behind him.

“Don’t disrespect the hat!”

They sat in the kitchen and talked, mugs of warm coffee in their hands, cooks and chefs behind them baking poffins and human food for the guests and recovering Pokèmon.

“So, there’s a reason ‘m here today, actually,” Honey (as the stranger told Hanzo to call him) said. “I got a favor.”

Hanzo tilted his head to the side. “What do you need?”

“We found more, a little outside of the Hanamura district. Abandoned, I think. Or dumped. ‘S a bunch of Magikarp and Goldeen, so I hope Aka is fine with sharing her pool.”

“She will share,” Hanzo decided. “When will they arrive?”

“Sometime this afternoon.” Honey looked into his mug, brows furrowed. “I just….I don’t know how someone can just dump them out like that.”

Hanzo hummed sympathetically. “People do not appreciate what they have until it is gone, and those in privilege take advantage of what they can. It is sad.”

Honey looked up at that, a strange expression on his face, as though he just discovered Hanzo existed, and stared.

Hanzo flushed under the scrutiny. “I….speak from experience.”

“You’re a good man, you know that?” Honey spoke suddenly. “I like doing this- talking with you, getting to know you. I-”

For the first time since Hanzo met him, the man was speechless. The stranger let out a frustrated breath, opened his mouth, closed it. Hanzo waited.

He knew that the man had secrets he couldn’t tell him- how he found the Pokèmon he brought to the villa since he discovered it, his true occupation (Hanzo didn’t believe for a second that this man was a farmer), his name. But the retired trainer’s life had been rigid since youth, so fundamentally routine and planned, that he now welcomed uncertainty and mystery.

Especially when it came in the form of an attractive cowboy.

When it turned out that Honey wasn’t going to say anything more, Hanzo stood and grabbed their mugs. He tilted his head to the garden silently and both men made their way back out. They took a long walk around, talking about everything and nothing, until the sun was high in the sky. Aka poked her head up once again when they strolled to the edge of the enormous pond and Hanzo bent to pet her. She cooed softly as his touch, shaking some water on him and the cowboy, much to Hanzo’s delight.

“How would you like some friends here with you, Aka? Do you think the others in there will be fine with it?”

Aka chirped merrily, splashing, more water falling onto her owner. Hanzo smiled, turning to the man behind him, and was surprised to find him already staring at his face. Hanzo flushed and stood up, Honey’s eyes never leaving his.

“I do not think she will mind,” Hanzo said, suddenly realizing how close they were. Hanzo’s shoulder brushed against Honey’s chest as the stranger turned to face him fully.

“Okay,” Honey smiled softly. He lifted a thumb to Hanzo’s face, wiping a drop of water that was falling down his cheek. Then, his hand traced his jaw, and moved slowly back up to tuck Hanzo’s bang behind his ear.

Hanzo’s breath stuttered and he could do little more than watch as Honey gently gripped the back of his neck and drew in closer, and closer. Hanzo closed his eyes at the feel of his nose against Honey’s cheek, and their lips softly brushed-

SPLASH!

Hanzo gasped and jerked away as a cascade of water suddenly dropped onto the two of them, dowsing them thoroughly. A cacophony of Pokèmon calls and coos were coming from the water. The stranger cursed and looked up to the sky as Hanzo looked down, watching as the new additions to the pond swam around happily. Aka’s eyes were crinkled in mirth and Hanzo got the impression she was laughing.

“You son of a bitch!” Honey yelled at the sky breathless, and Hanzo finally turned his head upwards.

A giant dropship with an equally huge, empty glass tank attached to the bottom hovered above the enormous pond. The only sounds for a while were the quiet hum of the vehicle, the loud splashing and songs of the Pokèmon, and Hanzo and Honey’s quiet breathing, until-

“McCree.” a familiar voice scratched out of the carriers speakers.

Silence again.

Then-

“Are you fucking my brother?”

Hanzo face and ears flamed as Honey- McCree- took to yelling back and the green haired bastard just cackled loudly until it was cut off.

As the ship landed with the tank pulled into the bottom, and the occupants made their way to the pair, Hanzo realized three things in horrific progression:

1. The Man was in Overwatch

2. The Man’s name was McCree

And the third and most surprising realization was, that despite those of the region conveniently not recognizing the Champion’s appearance, their name was common knowledge.

Jesse McCree. Hanamura Region Champion for 22 years.

When Genji made his way to them, he had a shit eating grin on his face. Hanzo wondered if it was possible for Aka to learn hyper beam in the next five seconds.

“I am glad to see you two already know each other,” he said, raising his brows annoyingly.

McCree gave a strained smile and emptied the water in his hat on Genji’s shoes. “Give a fella a warning next time, would you?”

“Rude,” Genji pouted, looking at his soaked footwear. He turned to Hanzo. “It is good to see you, brother. But, really, what’s up with-”

“You are the Champion then?” Hanzo turned to McCree, ignoring Genji and instantly regretting that he blurted the first thing on his mind.

Jesse flushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, I guess….”

“Wait, you didn’t tell him?” Genji asked. His eyes shifted between the two of them. “Hanzo, you didn’t know?”

Hanzo’s mouth betrayed him again. “Up until three minutes ago, his name was Honey.”

Genji choked and Jesse had the decency to look a little chastised.

After the excitement and reunions had ended (Ana was on that mission and lovingly gave Hanzo’s cheeks a pinch), Jesse and Hanzo walked along the edge of the pond. It was a little after sunset and the first layer of stars were peeking through the sky.

“Sorry I didn’t tell you.” Jesse bit his lip. “I mean- I tried, today, because I knew your brother was going to end up here, but I….I didn’t know how to say it.”

“You knew who I was,” Hanzo spoke softly.

“Yeah.” McCree turned to face him fully again, their shoulders brushing. “Who doesn’t know you, though? Shimada Hanzo, young prodigy who fell off the face of the earth after making it to the Elite Four, never heard from again in the region. Your story makes for a good mystery novel.”

Hanzo grimaced. “I am not that person anymore.”

“I know. You aren’t.”

Hanzo looked at Jesse, surprised at the passion in his voice.

Jesse gazed into his eyes. “I heard a lot about you, back then. How ruthless you were, to trainers and Pokèmon, how you’d never lost a single match.”

Hanzo trembled a little at the reminder.

“There were rumors that you’d been groomed to be the perfect battle strategist and I was scared shitless to tussle with you. I mean, it had only been a year since I’d grabbed the title from Reyes, and it’s not easy. Then….well, heard some things about how you treated your own kin, got a bit upset, and couldn’t actually wait to kick your ass.”

Jesse chuckled, and Hanzo felt his stomach drop. Right. So this is what heartbreak felt like. Hanzo moved to step away, but McCree stopped him, drew him closer, a hand on his arm.

“But one day,” he continued, hand sliding up slowly yet again,”Ana shows up and tells me that I wouldn't have to worry. That the ruthless Shimada boy threw the battle, and was actually just a bit sad and a whole lotta lost. To be honest….”

Jesse’s hands found their way in the same places as before, one hand gently brushing his bang and the other on the back of his neck.

“To be honest, I’m glad I found you.”

Hanzo surged upward, hands grabbing at McCree’s shoulders, lips pressing firmly against the other man’s. He sighed when McCree softened it, their heads tilting to the right angle, deepening the kiss. They moved slowly, Hanzo’s insides turning into a mixture of warm syrup and molten lava as they parted, only to move together again, and again, warm mouths and tongues sliding. Jesse broke it off, only to press his lips to the side of Hanzo’s warm face, on his jaw, down his neck. Hanzo could only hold on as Jesse nipped softly at his ear, then under, and he shuddered.

They came together again, until the sky darkened completely, and Jesse placed a final closed mouth kiss on Hanzo’s swollen lips. Hanzo buried his face into Jesse’s neck, arms going around his shoulders, and the other man rubbed his hand down Hanzo’s back.

“So,” McCree rumbled. “Didn’t mean to get carried away like that, but ‘s my roundabout way of saying that I don’t care about your past, and that I actually might be a little in love with you.”

Hanzo inhaled deeply, breathless at Jesse’s candor.

“So you do not want to fight me anymore?”

Hanzo mentally slapped himself as he felt McCree’s body shake with laughter.

Jesse pulled back to look at him. “I mean, we could battle, but it’d be a little weird for an official first date.”

“So we are dating?” Hanzo wondered when his foot was going to vacate his mouth.

Jesse just smiled softly, touching his hair again. “If you’d like. I don’t kiss everyone like that, y’know.”

“Okay,” Hanzo said. “Good. Because I think I am in love with you too.”

Jesse’s grin was almost big enough to split his face, and he pulled Hanzo back in, resting their foreheads together.

The morning after, Hanzo found a note from Genji taped to his bedroom door. He took it back to his bed to read.

Hanzo,

Thank you for being accommodating, I know it was last minute. This place is….it’s good, Hanzo. I am proud of you. We had to leave a little earlier than planned, but I couldn’t find Jesse and wasn’t going to check on you to get him back to avoid mental scarring, so you’re welcome.

Make sure to use protection!

Also, PS: Get that Everstone off of Aka, you idiot. She’s had it on for 27 years and I think she’d like to evolve.

PPS: I love you and will see you soon.

Genji

“Holy shit,” Hanzo breathed, and Jesse shifted in the sheets next to him, lifting himself up. He hummed in question, still sleepy, resting his forehead on Hanzo’s bare shoulder.

Hanzo laughed softly, eyes watering. “I’ve had a Gyarados in a Magikarp’s body all this time.”

#mchanzo #peapodmchanzoweek #jesse mccree #hanzo shimada #writes #its like 4k words bc i have no self control

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celticbarb · 3 years ago

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Just Released!

The Hunter & The Heiress by Claire Delacroix Series: Blood Brothers, Book #2

Release Date: 2/15/2022

Page Amount: 410

Publisher: Deborah A. Cooke

Description

Nothing could be further from Amaury de Vries’ expectations than joining his half-brother’s company of mercenaries in the wilds of Scotland. A knight and a champion at the joust, he expected to inherit a holding—until the man he has known as his father revealed a terrible truth and disavowed him. Left with nothing, Amaury rides to Kilderrick, where he loses his heart to a beautiful noblewoman in the forest. A practical man, he knows he has no right to court the lady, but when she is abducted, Amaury follows, determined to fulfill his knightly duty by aiding a damsel in distress.

Elizabeth d’Acron has been a pawn and a prize, pursued for her father’s wealthy holding, and wants only to be desired for herself. Seized again, she vows she will surrender to no man—even the handsome knight who comes to her rescue. And truly, there could be no one more vexing than this confident yet inscrutable man, so concerned with duty that he could be wrought of stone—but Elizabeth soon learns that she can trust Amaury to defend her at any cost. She does not expect the seductive fire awakened by his touch, much less his conquest of her wary heart—but has she fallen in love with a man whose affections are already claimed?

Snared between duty and passion, Amaury finds himself beguiled by the lady who challenges his every expectation, but knows he has little to offer her. But when Elizabeth is threatened by a former suitor who will not be refused, Amaury risks his all in her defense, hoping it will be enough. But can he intervene in time? And will love alone convince Elizabeth to place her hand in his for all time?

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Hunter-Heiress-Medieval-Romance-Brothers-ebook/dp/B09FHZ3NV1/

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-hunter-the-heiress/id1584562889

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-hunter-the-heiress-claire-delacroix/1140135963?ean=2940162177692

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=The%20Hunter%20%26%20the%20Heiress%20(Claire%20Delacroix)&ac=1&acp=Claire%20delac&ac.title=The%20Hunter%20%26%20the%20Heiress&ac.author=Claire%20Delacroix&sort=PublicationDateDesc

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umbraja · 7 years ago

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Half Baked Goods

This is a list of ideas I'm keeping partially to remind myself so I don't forget them but also to get some feedback on if anyone wants to see them developed.

If you're interested in any of these ideas being finished please let me know so I can move that up on my list of priorities. As you can see, I've got a lot of ideas all competing for attention so I'm only working on the ones that other people actually want to see.

Some of the things on this list are continuations of stuff I've already posted so I've got them linked to that.

Works in Progress

Things for the Kidge Zine - This beast is taking up almost all of my time.

Collab Artwork - This one's a drawing, might end up animated.

Monsters and Mana Fic - I HC Keith as a closet nerd so I just couldn't help myself.

D&D Module - Working with a few artists to make a 5e D&D module based off my M&M fic.

Rover Models - Prototyping 3D models with LED lighting.

Space Caterpillars - Prototyping plushies.

Kosmo - Prototyping plushies.

GoT AU - An art series that took over my life recently.

Keith (Jon) Snow - Keith looking badass with Longclaw and Kosmo as Ghost.

Pidgett (Ygritte) - Pidge in furs with a bow - not the ribbon kind.

Allurys Targaryen - Mother of Dragonmice.

Hunk (Sam) Tarly - Hunk and Sam are basically the same person - the sweet cinnamon rolls.

Lance (Oberyn) Martell - I considered Loras Tyrell but, come on, the spear.

Shiro - I need help with this.

VLD Mix Tape - A collection of songfics from various genres, set in various AUs, some canon, featuring various ships and all the feels.

Simple Man - Based on the song "Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Originally this was going to be for Desert Keith Week but I didn't get it done in time. Some real good Keith and Krolia angsty sweetness.

When I Die - Based on the song "Wolves" by Down Like Silver. Pretty much Keith's thought process in that last scene of Season 4. Sad AF and super short but I'm working on illustrations to make up for it. Will post when the art is done.

Rough Ideas

Possible One Shots - These are probably going to be shorts but I never can tell and could all end up sprawling AUs given my track record with trying to write shorts.

Red Thread - Gritty Soulmates AU, future noir conspiracy plot where the government pairs people by a system that supposedly traces Red Threads to match soulmates but it’s imperfect and corrupt. Keith is a hard boiled detective, Pidge is a tech genius and daughter of a renowned scientist who is openly critical of the soulmate pairing system and hires Keith to find her father when he goes missing.

Douglas Adams Tribute (working title) - Almost Canon AU style study where I tortur- I mean, where Shiro gets thrown into the sort of absurd adventure that you would expect from the creator of the Hitchhiker's Guide, Dirk Gently, and some classic episodes of Dr Who. I want this sooo bad but it takes so long to write like that.

80s Romance (working title) - Modern AU where Keith's parents are living one of those fiery, doomed romances that make for such great stories but kind of shitty lives. Thank the-ghost-of-keith-kogane for this one. I might integrate it into my Quiet Kind AU cuz it fits.

Dancing in the Dark - Modern AU where Keith works dispatch for the university police at his school and his desk just happens to overlook the dance studios where he can't help but watch Lance practice every night.

More to Lose - Canon Divergent AU in which everything is basically the same but when the war ends and they go home the others find out that Keith had motivations to save Earth beyond just natural heroic tendencies and he actually did leave something (someone) behind.

Identity - Canon Divergent AU where Shiro is acting strange (so maybe canon?) and has a bit of a mental break that leads down an insanity spiral into Lovecraftian horror.

VLD Mix Tape - A collection of songfics from various genres, set in various AUs, some canon, featuring various ships and all the feels.

Stuff that Works - Based on the song "Stuff that Works" by Guy Clark. Basically a music video for my Quiet Kind fic. Soooft Kidge and real friendship between the Paladins.

Champion - Based on the song "Champion" by Barns Courtney. Not just about Shiro.

In the Valley - Based on the song "Through the Valley" by Shawn James. Basically a music video for the Western AU listed below.

Only Human - Based on the song "Human" by Rag 'n' Bone Man. This just screams of Shiro.

Broken - Based on the song "Broken" by DNMO & Sub Urban. Something with Lotor.

Wisdom of Officer #3 - Based on the song "Girls on Trampolines" by Ludo. Cuz even Paladins need to have fun sometimes.

Probably Series - These are probably going to be longer works, anywhere from three to infinite parts.

Trip the Light - Canon Divergent AU where Keith comes into contact with some strange alien I'll just call it a drug and, well. . . Keith without inhibitions is a beautiful and terrifying thing.

In the Valley - Western AU where the Paladins have to save a frontier town being threatened by Rail Barrons (Galra). Shiro is the sheriff, Pidge is his deputy, Matt's the sawbones, Lance manages the cat house, Hunk tends the saloon, Coran is the priest, Allura is Coran's niece and the school marm, Keith is a gunslinger.

Rabbit Hole - Almost Canon AU where Voltron has fans and they are very much like the real fandom (without the ship wars) and when Pidge stumbles across it she shows the others which kind of breaks Keith cuz he doesn't like how accurate some of the information is and thinks there could be a spy and this could be dangerous so it's tinfoil hat time!

Elsewhere - Canon Divergent AU where the Paladins stumble upon a Fey Gate into a fantasy realm where they get to meet all my OCs and participate in the insanely huge uber plot I've been running D&D groups through for decades now.

Reflections AU - A canon compliant (for the most part) series of (so far) fluffy team bonding moments that lead to introspective scenes where Keith slowly opens up to each of the others about himself. Kind of an excuse to get down some of my headcanon for Keith's past. Parts of this are already published but here's some ideas for more.

Lance (working title) - Keith opens up to Lance.

Pidge (working title) - Keith opens up to Pidge.

Allura (working title) - Keith opens up to Allura.

Hell in a Handbasket - Series of gritty, realistic vignettes showing the progression of what went wrong in Keith's past to make him the way he is. Backstory behind the fluffy parts. Waiting to see what season 6 does with Keith's mom on this.

Country Christmas - Adorable vignette of Keith's childhood in the Texas panhandle to make up for that darkness and prove it wasn't all bad. I didn't finish it in time for 2017 but I'll probably have this out for 2018.

Lone Star AU - Modern AU, Lance PoV, Klance that was going to be a much longer work but I don't have time to finish it and reader feedback suggested it would be better just to focus on the relationship dynamic between Lance and a closeted, slightly homophobic, rodeo Keith anyway. So that's what this is. Parts of this are already published but here's some ideas for more.

Au Naturale - Lance talks to Keith about skincare, or the lack thereof.

La Grange - How Lance met Keith and what started his Telecaster crush.

Bullrider - Lance observes one of Keith's hobbies.

Rattlesnake Roundup - Texas has some strange traditions and Lance can't wrap his head around this one so of course Pidge forces him to attend.

Hermanos AU - Canon Divergent AU, started as a request fill for a 5/1 where the team slowly realises that Keith and Lance are adopted brothers but I'm seriously considering expanding it into a multipart AU.

Homecoming - The Paladins return to Earth and Keith goes home with Lance. Waiting to see what season 6 does with Keith's mom on this.

New Kid - Look at the past when Keith first went to live with the McClains.

Brothers - Rewrite of the original fic but from Keith and Lance's perspective.

The Paladin Saga - Canon Divergent AU that was going to be an insanely long work where I keep mostly to canon but fill in plot holes with eldritch horrors, tie up loose ends in ancient myths, and shed light on the "legend" of Voltron to show a much darker history than Allura would like to admit while also letting humans be a little badass for once. This one was gonna be a long, sprawling epic full of Lovecraftian horror and moral ambiguity but I don't have time to finish it and reader feedback (or lack thereof) suggested I should focus on my fluffier works. Here's a list of chapters anyway, not a complete list mind you and possibly a bit out of order:

Is it Real - The Paladins refuse to believe Kolivan when he tells them Keith is dead.

Space Between - Keith wakes up in a strange place and finds something Dark there.

Fire and Darkness - The Paladins get Keith back but the Darkness has affected him.

Sins of the Father - Lotor tells the Paladins what Zarkon told him of the Darkness.

Waking Dreams - Keith struggles with the Dark, Shiro loses time, Lance gets visions.

Scorched Earth - Shiro loses control, Keith puts him down, Hunk keeps them all alive.

Things I've Seen - Lance tells others about his visions, Coran tells them about the Price.

King of Death - Zarkon returns from the dead (again) with a new weapon.

When the Arm Breaks - The Red Lion pays a heavy price to save the others.

Tides Turn - The Galra rally under Zarkon and his new power.

Devil You Know - An unlikely ally offers the Paladins help.

Fool's Errand - The Paladins make a desperate move to save Red.

The Dreamer Awakens - The Paladins find a sixth Lion and Allura gets an upgrade.

A Sword Reforged - The Paladins return with Voltron made whole and defeat the Galra.

At What Cost - The Coalition takes power but peace isn't easy and bills are due.

The War to Come - The Paladins learn of their part in an ancient prophecy.

See You on the Other Side -

#umbrajasfics

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inloveandwords · 6 years ago

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One of my favorite things to do on a laidback weekend is to take a break from prepping for the week/doing chores and spend a few hours shopping (even if it is just window shopping) while listening to an audiobook. (This is where my airpods come in handy, for sure!)

I know. It’s totally antisocial of me, but I’m fine with getting lost in my audiobook world while browsing mindlessly. It’s relaxing to me.

Also… I need as much time as I can get reading or listening to books since the end of the year is quickly approaching and I’m ridiculously far behind on my Goodreads challenge!

Anyway, it’s the beginning of November and that means it’s time for a new reading list…

November Reading List

These are all books that I own and want to read this month! Titles link to Goodreads.

Audio

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

Aelin has risked everything to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation―and a better world.

And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever.

As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.

Penmort Castle (Ghosts and Reincarnation #1) by Kristen Ashley

Cash Fraser is planning revenge and to get it he needs the perfect woman. So he hires her. Abigail Butler has lost nearly everything in her life and she’s about to lose the home she loves.

Cash meets Abby, who is posing as a paid escort, and the minute he does he knows he’s willing to pay for more than Abby being his pretend girlfriend. A lot more. Abby needs the money or the last thing that links her to her dead family and husband will be gone. The deal is struck but both Cash and Abby get more than they bargained for.

Cash realises very quickly that Abby isn’t what she seems and while he changes strategies, Abby discovers that Cash’s legacy, Penmort Castle, is like all the tales say – very, very haunted. Making matters worse, the ghost in residence wants her dead.

Abby’s found herself in the battle of her life so she enlists Mrs. Truman, her nosy neighbour; Jenny, her no-nonsense friend; Cassandra McNabb, white witch and clairvoyant with a penchant for wearing scarves (and lots of them); and Angus McPherson, dyed-in-the-wool Scot (which means he hunts ghosts in a kilt) to fight the vicious ghost who has vowed that she will rest at nothing to kill the true, abiding love of the master of Penmort.

Blurred Lines (Love Unexpectedly #1) by Lauren Layne

When Parker Blanton meets Ben Olsen during her freshman year of college, the connection is immediate—and platonic. Six years later, they’re still best friends, sharing an apartment in Portland’s trendy Northwest District as they happily settle into adult life. But when Parker’s boyfriend dumps her out of the blue, she starts to wonder about Ben’s no-strings-attached approach to dating. The trouble is, even with Ben as her wingman, Parker can’t seem to get the hang of casual sex—until she tries it with him.

The arrangement works perfectly . . . at first. The sex is mind-blowing, and their friendship remains as solid as ever, without any of the usual messy romantic entanglements. But when Parker’s ex decides he wants her back, Ben is shocked by a fierce stab of possessiveness. And when Ben starts seeing a girl from work, Parker finds herself plagued by unfamiliar jealousy. With their friendship on the rocks for the first time, Parker and Ben face an alarming truth: Maybe they can’t go back. And maybe, deep down, they never want to.

Where I Belong (Alabama Summer #1) by J. Daniels

When Mia Corelli returns to Alabama for a summer of fun with her childhood best friend, Tessa, there’s only one thing keeping her on edge. One person that she’d do anything to avoid.

Benjamin Kelly. World’s biggest dickhead.

Mia hates him with a fury and has no desire to ever see him again. When she decides to start her summer off with a bang and finally give away her v-card, she unknowingly hands it over to the one guy that excelled at making her life miserable, learning a valuable lesson in the process.

Always get the name of the guy you’re going home with.

Ben can’t get the girl he spent one night with out of his head. When she leaves him the next morning, he thinks he’ll never see her again. Until he sees her lounging by the pool with his sister.

Mia is determined to hate Ben, even though she can’t forget him.

Ben is determined to prove he’s not the same guy he used to be.

What happens when the one person you wish never existed becomes the one person you can’t imagine being without?

Kindle

Cards of Love: Five of Cups by Trisha Wolfe

“How do you see your cup, Dr. West? Half full, or half empty? Her life depends on your answer.”

Dr. Ian West is the best trial consultant in the city, and he knows it. He’s made a living—a damn good one—helping lawyers win cases through his special brand of trial science. As a natural people reader, West’s one grave error presents in the form of a murderer named Quentin Shaver.

Amid Shaver’s trial, a dangerous bargain is struck, and—impressed with Dr. West’s abilities—Shaver engages him in a battle of wits. The prize? One gritty defense attorney from West’s past—the one woman West could fall for.

Loss broke West once before. Grief his sole companion, until Porter breaks down his defenses. But just as West is about to take a chance on love again, Porter becomes leverage in a sadistic game between doctor and madman.

Can Dr. West save the woman he loves before the last cup runs empty? (

The Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting

Is it love, or is she just his good luck charm?

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting absolutely delights with this witty and fun standalone contemporary romance.

Lilah isn’t sure what hurt worse: the day Ethan left her to focus on his hockey career, or the day he came back eight years later. He might think they can pick up just where they left off, but she’s no longer that same girl and never wants to be again.

Ethan Kane wants his glory days back. And that includes having Lilah by his side. With her, he was magic. They were magic. All he has to do is make her see that.

Just when Lilah might finally be ready to let him in, though, she finds out their reunion has nothing to do with her and everything to do with his game. But Ethan’s already lost her once, and even if it costs him his career, he’ll do anything to keep from losing her again.

Hard Copy

My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

From the New York Times bestselling authors of America’s First Daughter comes the epic story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton—a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy. Haunting, moving, and beautifully written, Dray and Kamoie used thousands of letters and original sources to tell Eliza’s story as it’s never been told before—not just as the wronged wife at the center of a political sex scandal—but also as a founding mother who shaped an American legacy in her own right.

A general’s daughter…

Coming of age on the perilous frontier of revolutionary New York, Elizabeth Schuyler champions the fight for independence. And when she meets Alexander Hamilton, Washington’s penniless but passionate aide-de-camp, she’s captivated by the young officer’s charisma and brilliance. They fall in love, despite Hamilton’s bastard birth and the uncertainties of war.

A founding father’s wife…

But the union they create—in their marriage and the new nation—is far from perfect. From glittering inaugural balls to bloody street riots, the Hamiltons are at the center of it all—including the political treachery of America’s first sex scandal, which forces Eliza to struggle through heartbreak and betrayal to find forgiveness.

The last surviving light of the Revolution…

When a duel destroys Eliza’s hard-won peace, the grieving widow fights her husband’s enemies to preserve Alexander’s legacy. But long-buried secrets threaten everything Eliza believes about her marriage and her own legacy. Questioning her tireless devotion to the man and country that have broken her heart, she’s left with one last battle—to understand the flawed man she married and the imperfect union he could never have created without her…

On the Way to You by Kandi Steiner

What makes you happy?

That was the question Emery Reed asked me the day we met, and I couldn’t give him a single answer. I could have said my dog, or my books, or yoga — but I just stared.

And then, I got in his car.

It was crazy to take a road trip with a stranger, but after years of standing still, he was my one-way ticket to a new life, and I wasn’t going to miss it.

We shared the same space, the same car, the same hotel room — and still, we were strangers. One day we’d be laughing, the next, we wouldn’t speak. Emery was surrounded by impenetrable walls, but I wanted in.

Discovering his journal changed everything.

I read his thoughts, words not meant for anyone’s eyes, and the more I learned about him, the harder I fell. It turned out nothing made Emery Reed happy, and I wanted to change that.

I earned his trust by violating his privacy, and as wrong as it was, it worked — until one entry revealed a darkness I never knew existed, a timer I never knew was ticking.

Suddenly, what made me happy was saving Emery from himself. I just didn’t know if I could.

What are you reading this month?

Reading List: November 2018 One of my favorite things to do on a laidback weekend is to take a break from prepping for the week/doing chores and spend a few hours shopping (even if it is just window shopping) while listening to an audiobook.

#Reading List

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