#the way Oscar changed SO FAST after the podium

[jyjkj]

Get yourself a man that watches you yap the way Lando does with Oscar

[lovemomhatepolice]

what brought back that smile? - lando norris

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pairing: lando norris x fem! reader

warnings: kinda established relationship, fresh relationship, curious muppets!, English is my second language!

type: fluff, pure fluff

word count: 3,5k

summary: 5 times when someone asked the reason for Lando's sudden surge of happiness, but he preferred to keep his sweet secrets to himself

more content: f1 masterlist, lando norris masterlist, birthday one-shot

Since Lando Norris broke up with his then-girlfriend Luishina in 2022, no one has seen him this happy since. Of course, there have been moments where Lando walked around smiling - for example, when he won his first race in Miami or partying with friends in Ibiza. On more than one occasion, fans saw him joking and laughing until his stomach hurt with other drivers, but further down the line, everyone knew that the old Lando was gone. The one who laughed through love. The one foolishly in love, who proved it at every turn. Since his former relationship, Lando hasn't bonded with anyone - there were only rumors of fleeting romances or PR relationships. Until recently. In fact, no one knows when it took place. And since when Lando felt like a foolishly infatuated boy again.

THE FIRST TIME: Oscar Piastri When Oscar noticed changes in Lando's behavior, it was not much before the Japanese race. Or at least it wasn't so visible before. Norris was walking around smiling from ear to ear, constantly forgetting what he should do or who he should talk to about the changes in the car. No one paid much attention to it, and Oscar initially tried to ignore it as well, and winning in Miami a month later further eclipsed the spy's thoughts. After all, Lando had won his first race after so long in Formula One and so many times standing on the podium. The Mclaren drivers weren't the best of friends on the grid, but Oscar knew it wasn't because of winning the race. Or at least not just because of that.

Oscar was curious, even if he said very little about his life, the Lando case drilled him from the bottom up. And it started off small.

One morning 2 weeks after the Miami race, Lando showed up for a meeting with a goofy smile on his face. His attention was focused on everything during the strategy discussion, his mind was clearly elsewhere.

“Are you okay?” asked Oscar, poking his teammate under the table. As if awakened from his trance, Lando stopped tapping his fingers against his thigh and turned his head toward the Australian, smiling that silly grin again. “Yeah, all good, mate. “ he asked, tilting his head to the side. Oh, how foolishly charmed he was. “Why do you ask?”

Oscar shrugged. “I dunno. You just seem... happier these days. What brought back that smile?”

The question hung in the air for a long moment. Lando hung his head and laughed quietly under his breath, as if he was thinking whether he wanted to say it or rather not. And that was the option he chose, keeping his new infatuation to himself.

“Well, you know, buddy, I won a race recently. A chance to celebrate, huh?”

Oscar laughed, but couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else behind that smile, and that Lando was lying right in his eyes. Something - or someone - had brought back that trademark Lando smile. But Oscar decided to let it go for now.

Meanwhile, Lando was smiling to himself. Was it really that noticeable? Could everyone now know his sweet secret?

Such questions were cluttering his mind, but he tried not to worry about them. They were quickly superseded by thoughts of [Y.N]. It was wild how fast she had slipped into his life. What had started as a chance meeting turned into hours of effortless conversation, late-night phone calls, and a connection that had somehow brought him back to life. He hadn't felt this way since…. well, he couldn't remember the last time. And that was the point of it all.

MUPPETS: Carlos Sainz Jr Carlos had known Lando since 2019, so this year was their 5th anniversary of knowing each other. From the very beginning, the men, despite the age difference, got along great. And they soon became friends, too, supporting each other in worse and better moments. You could say they knew each other like the back of their hand, so while Lando was drifting away more and more each possible time during their conversations, the Spaniard had no more questions or thoughts. He was well aware that his younger friend's head was occupied by not something, but someone.

The sun beat down on the lush green of the golf course, the Spanish heat was unrelenting even in the early hours of the day. Carlos set up for his shot, squinting against the blinding glare, while Lando stood to the side, waiting his turn. It was a rare moment of calm before the chaos of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, and Carlos was glad to be spending it with his best friend.

Until he saw Lando miss every time, which hadn't happened all that often before. Well, okay, Lando was worse than Carlos at golf, but to that extent?

And those constant glances at the phone, which he was so reluctant to leave in the golf cart.

“Ay, muppet. What the hell is wrong with you?” rang out Carlos' voice as he hit the ball.

Of course it flew cleanly where it was supposed to fly. But what's the pleasure of playing as your friend drills a hole in the grass with his club, his other hand constantly checking his phone screen?

"Huh?" Lando snapped out of his trance. This had been happening to him more and more often lately, nay, it had been happening to him for more than three months now.

“You’ve been smiling like an idiot all day,” Carlos teased, though his tone was softer, more curious than mocking. “Actually, you’ve been like this for weeks like not months now. So, tell me—who is she?”

Lando’s cheeks flushed pink, and he quickly turned his attention to the golf ball at his feet, fiddling with his club. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered, but there was a grin he couldn’t quite suppress. And in fact, I don't think he wanted to get rid of it.

Carlos laughed, poking Lando playfully on the shoulder. “Come on, cabrón. I know you too well and it's been a long time since you've been this happy. So who's the lucky girl? Who brought back that smile?”

Lando sighed under his breath - he knew he could trust Carlos, he was his best friend. He just liked the fact that he and [Y.N] were in a closed bubble of happiness that they had made for themselves in three months. Of course it was still fresh and nothing was certain yet, but Lando gave in. To whom as to whom, but to Carlos he already had to tell. It was drilling him from the inside.

“It's … nothing serious,” Lando finally said, shrugging his shoulders as if it was no big deal. “It's just… I'm meeting someone. I'm trying to keep it discreet.”

Carlos raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “Dude, I've known you long enough to know when you're serious about someone,” he said, and his voice became softer. “And if she makes you smile like that, I'd say it's more than a casual.”

Lando bit his lip, trying to hide the smile that threatened to break through. The truth was that [Y.N] had quickly become the best part of his days.

“Maybe,” he admitted, finally meeting Carlos' gaze. “But for now it's just … between us, sure?

Carlos clapped Lando on the back, a broad grin on his face. “I’m happy for you, hermano. And don’t worry—I won’t tell anyone. But I have to say, it’s good to see you like this again.”

They both laughed and Lando already knew he was lost. Together, with Carlos, were like the biggest gossips, so he quickly unlocked his phone, even jumping up and down with happiness, wanting to show Carlos some pictures of them together. What luck befell him when he found out that [Y.N] also loves to take pictures.

Carlos leaned closer, curious. Lando pulled out a photo from a few weeks ago - from his once-in-a-lifetime date with [Y.N]. They were sitting on a blanket in a meadow somewhere by the water, the golden sunset casting a warm glow over them. The girl's head was tilted toward him and resting on his shoulder, her eyes were crinkling with laughter, and Lando looked happier than Carlos had seen him in a long time. His hand was on the girl's shoulders, visibly embracing her closer to him.

“I want her to be the one, you know?” muttered Lando, smiling even wider when he saw the notification from her.

LUCKY CHARM: Lando's parents Lando was able to hide his fresh relationship from his friends, from his fans and from the rest of the world. But he definitely couldn't hide it from his parents and siblings. Not even a month of knowing [Y.N] had passed when he vividly talked about how much he had fallen in love and how he hoped she was the one and last woman in his life. His loved ones were damn happy to finally see the most sincere smile of his entire life on the face of this little Lando Norris.

The air around Silverstone was charged with electricity, and the energy of the home crowd gave Lando joy like no other race on the calendar. Walking through the bustling paddock, he felt lighter than he had in years. It wasn't just the thrill of racing on his own track - it was the realization that somewhere among the sea of faces there was [Y.N], watching him.

Fortunately, he managed to smuggle her into a private hospitality suite, away from prying cameras, journalists and fans. They had been seeing each other for almost four months, in truth they were not a couple, but everything was going for it. Lando wasn't the only one who was foolishly infatuated with the relationship; the girl, like him, walked around with her head in the clouds, as her university colleagues or friends seemed to notice more than once. But in her case it was easier to hide, after all, she didn't have a million eyes on her like Lando did.

When Lando entered his private area in the Mclaren garage, he immediately noticed his parents, sisters and brother, who were smiling at him from ear to ear. The entire Norris family had a close relationship with each other, so of course everyone knew about Lando's new sweetheart, whom he had been dating with for four months.

“And there's our smiling boy!” laughed Lando's mother, hugging her son tightly. The driver laughed under his breath, hugging his family one by one, fortunately in a place where the eyes of others did not reach and they could have a moment of peace. “I'm glad you're all here,” Lando said, stroking his younger sister Flo's hair.

“How could we not be here?” asked Oliver, Lando's brother, laughing under his breath.

The atmosphere was great, however, everyone knew this question would come sooner than perhaps it should?

“Well, you know what, tell us where she is,” said Lando's dad, poking him lightly on the shoulder. “You're laughing so hard, I won't believe she's not here.”

“Yes! Show us finally what brought back that smile,” said his mom, echoing her husband.

Lando felt his face heat up, but he couldn’t keep the grin from spreading. “You two don’t miss a thing, do you?” he said, shaking his head.

“We just want to meet her,” his mum said softly, eyes twinkling with warmth. “We’ve heard so much about her, and if she’s the reason our son’s been so happy lately, we’d love to say hello.”

After a moment's thought, Lando nodded. “All right. I'll bring her - but behave,” he said with nervous but excited energy.

Lando slipped stealthily out of the garage and headed for his room, which only he and a few Mclaren people had access to. Although it was a rather hidden place, [Y.N] did not complain. She could wait out the time until the race in peace, just as she could go out to Mclaren's garage and watch it there. Lando made her as comfortable as possible.

When the girl saw him, she raised her eyes and smiled warmly in his direction. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yes, everything is fine,” he assured her, taking her hand in his. At the same time, he forced her to get up from the soft couch. “But… there is someone who wants to meet you. My family is even dying to meet the woman of my heart.”

The girl took a deep breath and smiled. “I'd love to meet them.”

Holding hands, they returned to the hospitality. When they went inside, Lando's mother sighed quietly and immediately crossed the room to hug [Y.N]. “Oh, how nice to finally meet you,” she said, and her voice was filled with sincere warmth.

“She's beautiful,” Cisca whispered, looking at Lando. The boy only whispered a quiet “I know” and laughed under his breath.

Immediately the whole family greeted the girl, hugging her tightly and bestowing kind words on her, including telling her how happy they were that she was making Lando so happy again. And everything was somehow better. His parents and siblings were talking to the girl he'd had in his heart for several months, and everything was going smoothly. Lando was just standing off to the side, keeping his hand on her back and giving her a little kiss to make her feel better. But he was probably the most stressed one there.

Lando checked his watch, feeling the familiar pre-start jitters begin to overwhelm him. But today he felt a little better than usual.

“I have to go now,” he said reluctantly, turning to face the girl. His parents moved away to give them a moment of privacy.

“You can do it, you're amazing on the track,” she purred, placing her hands on his shoulders and gently correcting his suit.

Lando merely smiled in her direction and without hesitation placed his hand on her cheek and leaned in, pressing their lips together in a quick but tender kiss. This was not how they had imagined their first kiss, but in that moment it was their best memory and the time this kiss could have happened. Lando pulled away from [Y.N], their eyes met and they both smiled at each other, giggling under their breath.

Lando checked his watch, feeling the familiar pre-race jitters starting to creep in.

“I’ve got to go,” he said reluctantly, turning to her. His parents stepped back to give them a moment of privacy.

“Good luck out there,” she whispered, her eyes shining with pride. “You’re going to do amazing.”

Lando smiled, but there was a flicker of nerves in his eyes. “I hope so. This one’s important,” he said softly.

[Y.N] reached up, cupping his cheek with her hand. “You’ve got this, Lando. I believe in you.”

Without thinking, Lando leaned in, pressing his lips to hers in a swift, impulsive kiss. It wasn’t planned, but in that moment, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. He pulled back, their eyes locking, and they both smiled.

“For good luck,” he whispered, his voice low enough that only she could hear.

And even if he came in third place after the race, it didn't bother him much. He won something better and it was an amazing woman.

HI IBIZA: Max Fewtrell stream Max knew Lando since they were kids. Both could not imagine life without the other person, they were inseparable. Even if it didn't work out for them to be Formula One drivers by their side, it didn't change anything. They were always side by side, and as soon as Max heard about Lando's new crush, he knew this was the one. Norris had never talked so seriously and eagerly about any girl before. And Max liked to tease him about it. But at the same time, he was damn happy.

The warm glow of sunset in Ibiza paints everything with a golden sheen. Lando Norris, Max Fewtrell and their group of friends held a casual live stream at their bungalow, which they rented for the whole group of friends. This stream was definitely different from their typical ones, where they played games on two different sides of the screen, but that was good too.

Everyone was more muted than at times when they were playing and shouting at each other. However, the biggest difference could be felt in Lando. He was more subdued, gently but sincerely smiling, and his eyes shone with such happiness that you could envy him.

The stream had been going on for about an hour, and the fans didn't run out of questions. They were inundated with the same questions as always, but today they had more opportunity to answer them because they weren't stressed by the background game. Lando kept getting questions about the Championship, the races, the competition and some side silliness. Until Max caught one significant comment among thousands of others. And of course he had to ask them.

Fan comment: "Lando, what brought back that smile? It's been a long time since we've seen you so happy, and of course that's great, but what's your secret?"

Max looks at Lando with a smile and winks. "Good question," he says, leaning back in his chair. "So, man, what's been making you so happy lately?"

"Oh, you know. Life has been better lately. Beautiful weather, sunshine, we have a beach house. The break from racing is good for me too, my head isn't as busy," Lando replied, playing with his hair and smiling under his breath.

Oh how he lied, how he lied to keep his bubble of happiness calm even longer.

"Really? Gee, I guess I agree with that comment, you're somehow happier lately," said Max, glancing at Lando with a teasing look. He remembered well how Lando had talked down his relationship on the stream, but he wasn't going to do the same to him. "Or maybe you've found a hobby other than Formula One?"

"Maybe," he laughed lightly under his breath, feeling the warmth inside his body. "I guess I just got old and I'm not that rebellious 20-year-old anymore "

"Oh, it's definitely old age, you name it" Max laughed and went back to looking for interesting comments, leaving the matter of Lando's happiness. He wanted his friend to still have peace from prying eyes.

After the stream was over, everyone went their separate ways. Some decided to have a bonfire, but Lando felt he needed the solitude. He walked out to the beach, which they had right outside the gate of their cottage, and felt the cooler evening wind brush his face. He smiled under his breath when he saw [Y.N] by the shore. It wasn't a smile that the cameras could see; he reserved this one for her alone.

The girl was wearing a white loose dress that swayed gently in the wind, and her hair was tousled by the wind. It wasn't a moment before she heard him and gently turned toward him, giving him a beautiful smile. "Have you finished the stream yet?"

"It's been a while now," Lando stepped closer, feeling the sand under his feet surround him pleasantly. "I had to get away from the chaos. And the fans are getting curious, they asked what secret I have"

Girl raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Secret? What secret?"

Lando smiles mischievously and walks closer. "That I'm the happiest I've been in years." - he says in a quiet but sincere voice.

[Y.N] smiles, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. Without another word, she steps into his arms, and Lando doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her, pulling her close. They stand there for a moment, just the two of them, the sound of the waves crashing in the background. Lando takes a deep breath and places a kiss on her hair, pulling her even closer to him. It was the peace he had needed for a long time

FIRST CHRISMTAS: [Y.N] Lando and [Y.N] had been together for almost half a year. Their lives were filled with happiness that neither of them had ever experienced before. From the first day, they understood each other like two peas in a pod, and that's how it stayed. That's why she was surprised by how happy Lando was.

The couple in love are together in the kitchen, with the countertop in front of them strewn with flour and other ingredients for making gingerbread cookies. [Y.N] is wearing one of Lando's voluminous sweaters and humming a Christmas carol, pacing next to the countertop. Lando, on the other hand, dressed in his loose Mclaren T-shirt and Christmas pajama pants, is trying to roll out the dough, but it's not going well. His hands are covered in flour and the dough keeps sticking to the rolling pin. Well, it's easier to say that his whole body is covered in flour.

"Do you need help, chef?" - asks [Y.N], leaning against the countertop and looking at him with an amused smile.

Lando raises his gaze, feigning impatience. "It's harder than it looks, sure?" - He laughs, combing his flour-dusted hair with his hand. "I thought baking was supposed to be easy."

"It's easy, you just have some manual problems," the girl laughs and moves to his side, gently taking the rolling pin from his hands. "Here, let me," she says, guiding him to the side. Their fingers brush as she takes over, a soft, tender moment.

"Sure, my baking queen," the boy laughs, looking at her with adoration.

"You could do the icing." the girl says, pointing to the already made gingerbread cookies.

Lando's eyes brighten, his smile widening. "Icing, huh? That's sounds better." He grabs a piping bag and starts filling it, but as he attempts to pipe a simple design, it all goes horribly wrong.

“Lando!” she laughs, her eyes crinkling with amusement. The icing has spilled everywhere.

He looks down at his hands, dripping with icing. “Well, that’s not what I had in mind…” He shrugs sheepishly.

“You’re adorable when you try, you know that?” She leans in and wipes a bit of icing from his cheek, her thumb brushing against his skin.

“And you’re just adorable,” he says, moving closer to her.

Lando’s hands quickly find their place on her waist, and his face is twisted into a genuine big smile. They both giggle, putting the matter of the cookies aside.

“What brought that smile again, huh?” the girl asks, touching his lips, which is also dirty with icing.

“You,” he says simply, and his voice carries a quiet sincerity that makes her heart skip a beat. "It was always you"

For a moment, they both stand in silence, the hum of the Christmas music in the background, the quiet crackling of the small fire in the corner of the livingroom adding to the coziness of the apartment. It’s a peaceful stillness, the kind that only exists between two people who’ve found something real.

A/N: i know it's no nut november and this should be smut but i swear when i had a vision i had to write this. i hope you like it because i won't lie, i fucking love it!

please do not copy and translate my works! in case of any issues related to this - I invite you to discuss privately :)

[percevalec]

His First, Your First

Pairing: Oscar Piastri x virgin!Reader

Summary: Oscar and you have been dating for years, but you were never quite ready to take things to the next step. After weeks thinking about finally showing Oscar a different type of affection you decide you're ready. What better moment to do it than after he wins the hungarian grand prix.

Word count: 3.8k

Warnings: smut, little bit of fluff, slight mention of religion, not proof read

18+, please don’t read in you’re underage

do not copy, rewrite or translate any of my work on any platforms.

Here it is, the moment you and Oscar have always looked forward to. Ever since you met in high-school all he would ever talk about was how much he wanted to become a formula one driver and win a grand prix. You always knew he would make it. He was so passionate about his dreams.

Now you’re in the McLaren garage watching him lead the final lap of the Hungarian grand prix. Sure, a few complications did happen along the way due to the awful team strategies, but it was still his moment. Your eyes filled with tears as you watched him cross the finish line. 

After all the cheers and screams of excitement in the garage, You walk out with the rest of his team watching him pull into the parc ferme.

Oscar couldn’t believe he had actually done it, won his very first grand prix. You watched as he parked his car and jumped out of the MCL38, Throwing up a fist into the air as his team mate and a few of the other drivers congratulated him. When he sees you standing with the team, a wide smile spreads across his face as he runs your way. He was lucky to have you. You always accompanied him to his F2 races and now you’re experiencing this moment with him. 

~

He practically tackled you, wrapping his arms around you as he lifted you into the air. “I did it!” He yelled as he spun you around in a hug. You hug him tighter as he places you back down on your feet. “It was about time,” you tell him with a warm smile. His arms remained around your waist as he pulled you in close, His face bright pink and glistening with sweat. “You don't understand, that was the best feeling of my life!” Oscar spoke fast, words blending together as the excitement coursed through his body. “I couldn't have done it without you, you've been here since the beginning” 

“I’ll always be here for you, buuut you need to go now” you say caressing his face remembering he still has to do the post race interview. Oscar looked into your eyes for a few seconds, not wanting to leave your side but knowing he needed to go. “Come here, just for a second” he mumbled as he pulled you in for a quick kiss “okay, i'll see you at the podium” you respond before oscar leaves to get interviewed. 

After a whirlwind of media interviews, the podium ceremony was finally happening. Oscar climbed to the top step accepting his medal and trophy. You watched in admiration as you make eye contact, mouthing “I love you”. He replies with a soft smile. 

Oscar immediately sprays Lando and Lewis with the champagne as he celebrates. He looked down on you again and grinned as he sprayed the champagne in your direction. You gasp at the feeling of champagne raining down on you. Oscar chuckled to himself as he saw you getting drenched.

Once the ceremony was finished, Oscar quickly walked over to you still holding his trophy. “Another to add to the collection” you say looking at the beautiful ceramic. “It’ll look amazing with the others“ he responds looking at the trophy then back at you, laughing when he sees how soaked you actually were. “Sorry babe, couldn't hold back.” “shut up” you say nudging him jokingly “Thankfully I have a change of clothes in my bag” Oscar nodded at your statement and began leading you through the garage making your way to his drivers room. His palm pressed on your lower back. 

“We’ll definitely have to shower together after this” Oscar teased as he opened the door to his drivers room, letting you enter first. “Oh, definitely” You respond to his offer. Oscar followed you in and closed the door behind him. He changed out of his race suit before sitting down on the small bed in the room. His eyes glued on you as you stripped off your wet clothes. 

“Stop staring” you tease, putting on a flowy dress. 

Oscar chuckled to himself and let out a huff “How am i supposed to stop staring when i'm looking at my beautiful girl” he teased back. His eyes looking you up and down admiring every inch that was exposed. “You're making this hard you know”

 “Yeah?” you replied in a flirty tone as you walked over, stopping a few inches away from him. 

He nodded, still staring at your figure. “Very hard” he spoke, his words almost a whisper. He ran a hand through his hair, before looking at you in the eye, giving you a small smirk. “Sit down” He patted the spot beside him gently, still not moving his gaze. You obey and sit next to him. Oscar quickly grabs your legs and places them on top of his, making you turn slightly. His palm gently rested on your thighs, his thumb slowly stroking your skin.

Oscar and you have tried to have sex before, but you were never fully ready to take it there just yet. Both of you were still at the start of your careers and you didn't want to risk a possible pregnancy. You were also just scared about the situation, growing up religious made you view the act in a weird way. But you really didn’t think about it in bad way anymore, you trusted Oscar with your body.

Both of you were quiet for a while, just enjoying each other's presence. “You know it's hard for me to keep my hand off of you” Oscar murmured, his eyes now locked on yours. You smile at him and lean in for a kiss. Oscar's eyes widened slightly in surprise, before a smile took over his lips. His hand moving from your thigh to the back of your head, pulling you deeper into the kiss. His tongue exploring your mouth, tasting every inch as his other hand gripped your hip and tugged you closer to him. 

Pulling away from the kiss you look up at him. Slightly breathless you say “You won” in a soft whisper with a smile. Oscar let out a small chuckle, his hand holding you close. “I did, didn't i” He replied quietly, his eyes locked on yours. “Winning a race makes you feel very…” he paused to look at you up and down “excited.. Maybe even cocky”. You laughed softly “Don't let it get to your head” you say teasingly. Oscar hummed, the small laugh that you let out caused his heart to skip a beat. “That's easier said than done” He responds jokingly. “But now that I've won and got you all to myself, what should I do?” He asked as his smirk returned. 

“Maybe i can be your winning reward” You respond, repositioning yourself. Oscar's breath hitches as you climb onto him, straddling his lap. His hands quickly move to settle on your waist, and hold you in place. A quiet gasp leaving his lips as he felt your body press against his “i suppose that’d make it a double win for me” He mumbled before his hand began wandering your body. 

You lock eyes with his before speaking “i've been thinking about this the past few weeks and… i think im ready” you say, your voice low almost a whisper. Oscar was slightly caught off guard, not knowing you would take the conversation there. He didn’t hate the idea of it. “You have?” He asked, his tone soft but hopeful. He looked at you, taking in your beautiful face and sparkling eyes. His fingers subconsciously tightening around your waist “Are you sure?” he asks. You respond nodding your head and smiling. Oscar couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto his face. In fact, it was like your words had flicked a switch inside of him. His arms moved from your waist, quickly removing you off of him, placing you back down on the bed as he stood. He walked over to the door and locked it. “I don’t think we’ll be leaving for a while.” He mumbled, his eyes fixed on you. He walked back to the bed and positioned himself between your legs. He was now on top of you as you laid down. You smile, slightly nervous since this was your first time. “Be gentle Osc” you say caressing his cheek. “Of course, I’ll be gentle.” He promises as he hovers over you. 

Oscar’s hands gently grab the hem of your dress and slowly begin raising it. He removes your dress and throws it on the floor, before bringing a hand to caress your skin. “You’re so beautiful.” He says quietly. You smile at the words of affirmation. You were honestly looking forward to this moment, You didn't know when it was exactly going to happen. But it being after Oscar’s first race win doesn't seem un-romantic.

~

Oscar’s hands explore your body, gently caressing your stomach and sides. His eyes drinking the sight of you lying beneath him.

His lips slowly began to work their way down your neck, trailing soft kisses all the way down to your collarbone. You whine at his actions, The feeling already making you feel good. Oscar smirks into the crook of your neck as he hears the small whine escape your lips, a noise that he wants to hear more of. He continues to leave a trail of kisses all over your upper body, while one of his hands begins to tug on your underwear. Oscar pulled away from kissing your neck as he completely removed your panties before discarding them on the floor, leaving you in nothing but a bra. He looked you up and down, admiring your body. He couldn’t help but just stare for a moment. You were simply perfect to him.

“So much for just getting dressed” You joke. Oscar chuckled and shook his head. “This is a much better sight than you wearing clothes.” He teased, his eyes roaming your almost naked body. He began to run his hands up your legs, slowly and gently caressing your skin. “You’re so goddamn gorgeous, I could stare at you all day and never get bored.”

His hands continued to travel higher, slightly lifting you up so he could unclasp your bra. His eyes looked into yours, silently seeking confirmation. You nod, grabbing his face and giving him a quick kiss. A small grin spread across Oscar’s face as you gave him the confirmation. His fingers unhooked your bra and began to slowly pull it off. He watched as the piece of clothing slowly came off and was added to the growing pile on the floor before his eyes went back to you. You gasp at the sudden feel of cold air. You've exposed yourself to him before but this time it felt different. Oscar chuckled at the gasp you let out, the sight of you naked and laying on the bed causing a surge of excitement inside his body. He gently released you, your back now touching the bed again. His chest so close to yours, the heat from his skin immediately spreading to you. “Are you still sure you’re ready?” He whispered

“Yes Oscar i’m sure” You respond. Oscar leaned back and stripped off his shirt, discarding it with your clothes he’d previously removed. He pressed himself back against you, his body feeling warm and firm against your skin. “If you want to stop, for any reason, just say so. Don’t push yourself.” He mumbled as his lips grazed your collarbone. “Mhm”' you say in response. Oscar’s hands began roaming your body again, his touch soft and gentle. “'I've wanted you for so long, you have no idea.” He spoke quietly. As he continued to caress your body, he slowly began to roll his hips grinding against you, letting you feel him. You moan at the action. Oscar let out a low groan as he heard the noise that came from you. His hips rolled against yours again, a bit harder this time. How could you have possibly waited this long, you think to yourself. 

Oscar loves the sounds that are coming out of you. His hips rolling against you again and again. He wanted to hear how far he could push you before you begged him to take you. Oscar placed a light kiss on your cheek before trailing down to your neck again, leaving little marks. “Please Osc, i need you” You manage to say in between all the sounds of pleasure coming from your lips. The plead you spoke almost has a possessive effect on Oscar. More rushes of excitement run through his body. “You have me. All of me.” He promises before his lips meet yours. He continues to grind against you, making sure you feel exactly how much you're affecting him. 

Oscars kisses become hungrier, more passionate. His tongue teasing your bottom lip, before slipping into your mouth gently caressing your tongue. All the while, his hips continue to move against yours, slowly getting more and more desperate as he seeks friction.

“Need you inside me” You whine, trying to keep quiet, afraid someone outside might hear. Oscar groans and nods, his body practically screaming for the same thing. “Are you sure?” He mumbles against your lips, needing to hear you say it one more time before going further. You nod your head looking up at him “please” you whisper. 

Oscar lifts himself off of you, a deep breath escaping his lips. He takes a moment to look at you, laid out beneath him, completely bare and needy. He got off the bed removing his jeans, reaching for his bag, pulling out a small foil packet which he quickly opened before tossing the wrapper on the floor and removing his boxers. His hand trembled slightly as he rolled the condom on, his eyes constantly looking back at you. Oscar’s heart rate quickened as he took a deep breath and positioned himself on top of you again. Your eyes met his, both of your pupils blown out due to the adrenalin. Oscar kisses your cheek as you feel him insert himself in you. A gasp leaves your lips at the foreign feeling, clawing your nails on his shoulder to stop yourself from making too much noise. Oscar whines as he feels your nails digging into his skin, adding a slight pinch of pain to the pleasure. A low moan leaves his lips as he pushes his hips forwards, completely filling you up. His forehead rests on your shoulder. “I love you. So much.” Oscar whispers in your ear, his voice low and shaky as he begins to slowly move his hips. His lips moved to your neck, leaving hot and messy kisses. After a few moments his thrusts start feeling addicting, the slight pain being completely washed over by the pleasure everyone talks about.

Oscar watches your face, seeing the expression it makes as you start to feel more pleasure. His lips found their way to your ear, whispering soft words in between ragged breaths. “Does it feel good babe? Do you like the way I feel?” He mumbles, desperate to hear more noises from you. “Fuck yes Oscar, dont stop” you cry out, overwhelmed by the felling. “I won’t stop, not until you’re a writhing mess beneath me.” Oscar groaned in your ear as he began to move a bit faster, the sounds of the bed moving filling the room.

His hands grabbed your hips, holding onto them as he pressed his nose against your neck. “You feel so good. So good for me.” He whispered between kisses. All you can do is smile at his compliment. It's like you were drunk on him, not planning to get sober anytime soon. The noises you're making are like music to his ears, and he wanted to coax more from you. 

He began to change the angle of his thrusts, moving faster and a bit rougher as he sought to bring you the greatest pleasure. “Let me hear you, don’t hold back.” He mumbled in your ear, his breath hot against your skin. A few thrust later and you were a screaming mess. In this state nothing would be able to silence your larynx. “Oscar i think i'm going to …” you trail off moaning at the feeling of getting close to unraveling. The words that came from you just encouraged Oscar to double his efforts. He picked up the pace, his hips moving faster and deeper inside you, determined to push you over the edge.

“That’s it love, just let go. I’ve got you.” He whispered, his breath coming out in ragged gasps against your skin. “Cum for me. Make a mess for me”. Hearing his words sent you over the edge. Arching your back as you came undone. Oscar whines, the feeling of you clenching down on him was almost too much causing a guttural moan to escape his lips. 

He continued to move his hips, riding out your orgasm, trying to prolong your pleasure. His face buried in your neck, muffling the sounds coming from him. “Just like that, you look so beautiful like this.” He mumbled in your ear. Small whines leave your lips. Oscar’s thrusts slowly began to slow as he helped you come down from your high. His hands roamed your body, caressing and squeezing anywhere he could get his hands on. “You did so well love.” He whispered against your skin, placing soft kisses on your neck and shoulder. “You feel so good, you’re perfect”. 

His body stayed pressed against yours, his chest heaving against your own. He didn’t want to move or pull away yet, he just wanted to stay like this for as long as he could.  “I love you so much.” He spoke into your ear, his arms wrapping tight around you, the thought of letting go physically pained him. “I love you too” you reply with a smile.

“But I want to make you feel good now” You say as you push Oscar onto his back. You're not sure what took over you, but you felt like you could be good at riding him if you tried. Oscar is taken by surprise when you push him onto his back. He stares at you with wide eyes, his chest rising and falling as he takes in the sight of you above him. “Yeah?” He mumbled with a smirk. His hand gently rested on your hip, his thumb softly rubbing your skin. His eyes followed your every move as he tried to control the racing thoughts in his head. He could feel his heart thumping just from the anticipation. “Mhm'' you respond as you grinded against him, Your silk making it easy for Oscar to slide into you. A gasp escaped his lips when you wrapped around him. His head tilted back against the pillows as he felt how warm and tight you were. His fingers gripping your hips as his body craved you. “That feels..” He mumbled, trying to find the words as pleasure took over his mind. His fingertips slightly loosen his grasp as he lets you begin to move at your own pace.

You noticed Oscar's breathing was soft and shaky as he watched your every move. Moans leaving both of your lips with every movement of your hips.

The sounds of your bodies moving together fill the room along with the noises that escape your mouths. His hips occasionally bucked against yours, desperate for more friction as his body tensed up. Your head was swimming with pleasure as you looked down at him. The only person you'd want to do this with. The person you knew you never wanted to let go of.

The tension in his body kept climbing higher and higher. The tightness in his stomach almost unbearable as the heat in his face grew. His breathing became more ragged and his eyes shut tightly as he felt the pleasure growing. He struggled to form a coherent sentence as he mumbled in time with your movements. He let out a small plea of your name and his voice cracked when he spoke. “I’m.. close.” was all he could manage to say through his heavy breaths. You pick up your speed using his chest as support. The sensation of you around him and your skin against his pushed him even closer to the edge. His grip tightened on your hips, his fingers digging into your softer flesh as he moved you against him. His voice shook as he spoke “Fuck babe, I’m almost-” He was cut off by his own moan. The words got caught in his throat as his head tilted back against the sheets. His eyes clenched shut as his entire body tensed underneath you. He whispered your name as his climax hit him harder than he expected. He pulled you down against his body as his eyes rolled back. His breathing was unsteady as his body slowly calmed down. His heart pounded in his chest as he laid beneath you. He couldn’t think of anything else besides the beautiful person on top of him. 

You slowly get off him, whining at the feeling of emptiness. Oscar removed the condom carefully as he was still a bit on edge. You cuddle up next to him as he pulls a blanket over both of you. Oscar buries his face in the crook of your neck. His nose brushes against your skin as he breathes you in, the soft scent of you calming to him. He plants small kisses on your skin as his arms wrapped around you and held you close. Every inch of his body ached for you, he held you against him as though fearing that you’d disappear if he let go. “I love you” you said as you trailed your hand up and down his chest. His lips moved to your cheek, giving you multiple kisses. His eyes looked into yours as he spoke in a gentle whisper. “ I love you too.” He mumbled now kissing the tip of your nose. He let out a shaky laugh as he buried his face once more in your neck. “And I never want to let you go.” He adds quietly, his words muffled by your skin. “Well I don't plan on going anywhere” You chuckle. Oscar’s arms tightened around you as he heard the words you spoke. His heart fluttered against his chest as his lips found yours in a deep kiss. 

“This was honestly the best day of my life.” He replied softly after pulling away. His arms stayed wrapped around you. “I love you.” He mumbled once more, never seeming to get enough of telling you that.

You were content with the decision you made that day, You loved Oscar and you wouldn't have wanted this any other way. 

[petit-papillion]

2024 Miami Grand Prix

FP

Charles spun after 2 laps and was unable to get going again.

Despite the red flag, everyone else got in some decent amount of practice.

P1: VER / P2: PIA / P3: SAI

Sprint Quali

Fairly drama-free quali with only a couple impeding incidents, no crashes, no yellow/red flags

HAM and RUS out in SQ2

LEC back to his Quali King self

RIC surprises with a P4

P1: VER / P2: LEC / P3: PER

Sprint

Even before the formation lap, Charles is hit in the pitlane by Ocon, who ignored his team when leaving his garage. 10 wecond penalty for Ocon. Damaged wing for the Alpine, Charles's tyre is okay.

First lap crash between ALO, HAM, STR and NOR ends up with a Safety Car, a retirement for both Lando and Lance, a €50,000 fine + a reprimand for Norris for walking across the track. No investigation/penalties for the crash itself.

Under Safety Car: Ocon serves his penalty, Hamilton picks up a 20-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane - given after the Sprint ended.

K-Mag leads a DRS train behind teammate HUL and in his efforts to keep HAM behind he racks up a total of three 10-second penalties and is also called to the stewards for unsportsmanlike behavior.

Meanwhile, Danny Ric does a phenomenal job with keeping up with Checo and keeping Carlos behind him. He ends the race in 4th place and his race engineer Pierre Hamelin is ectatic on team radio. Well done.

At the front nothing changes and Charles finishes 3 seconds behind Max.

P1: VER / P2: LEC / P3: PER

Quali:

RIC cannot repeat his form from earlier in the day and is out in Q1 qualifying P18 (Note: he also has to serve a 3-place grid penalty from China).

ALB causes a double yellow when driving straight at turn 17, gets going again but his tyres are gone and he ends up in P14.

LEC tops the times in Q2.

The top 3 is determined in the first run of Q3 as no one is able to improve on those times in the final run.

P1: VER | P2: LEC | P3: SAI

Petit's Race Notes:

Checo was braking way too late in Turn 1 and almost took out Max and Carlos. Charles had a bad start but was able to get back to P2 after Checo’s torpedo incident.

Max took out a bollard that then went for a bit of a ride on his car and ended up on track. A VSC was needed for marshals to retrieve it + some debris. (Max ended up having damage from both Checo and the bollard)

K-Mag got himself another 10-second penalty, then another penalty for not serving the penalty correctly, and finally took Logan out of the race by clattering into him and sending him into the barriers. Which led to another 10-second penalty. He now also has 10 penalty points. If he gets 2 more before March 2025, he will face a race ban…

It also resulted in a Safety Car which came in behind Lando Norris, the only one who hadn’t pitted yet of the front runners. He was able to get a pit stop and keep the lead of the race.

Meanwhile the Piastri-Sainz feud reached new levels as some hard racing between them escalated. First Piastri pushes Sainz wide while he (PIA) is ahead at the apex. Sainz comes on the radio repeatedly. insistent that Piastri needs to give back the position and deserves a penalty. I don’t think so, say McLaren, and so say the FIA – no investigation necessary. Sainz is clearly mad, tells Ricky to stop talking to him, and goes after revenge. He deliberately “sends it” ((as he will later say in post-race interview with Sky) and hits PIA’s front wing with his tyre. He regains P4 and Oscar has to pit for a new wing – his race ruined. After the race Sainz is summoned to the stewards and he gets a 5-second penalty (dropping him to P5) plus 1 penalty point, and Checo is promoted to P4.

NOR manages to stay ahead of everyone and takes his first win. Everyone is happy for him: drivers wave at him on track and hug him in Parc Fermé, he jumps on top of his crew who also carry him aloft, and Max & Charles completely douse him in champagne on the podium.

Top 3: P1: NOR | P2: VER | P3: LEC

Fastest lap: Oscar Piastri

Driver of the Day: Lando Norris

Fastest Pit Stop: Ferrari/Charles Leclerc (1.94)

[violentdelightsandviolentends]

f1 anon here! yall are so so sweet omg, ill cry rn. my current opinions on it are: i love mclaren and ferrari (what can i say, i love the color red). other than that i really dont even know what im talking abt, i really do just think its so fun to watch. at the end of the day i am a simple create, i like to see fast cars go fast. but please share and ramble abt your favs and your opinions, i would love to hear them!!

hi my love!! i’ve tagged you as 🏁 anon, so you can find all of your posts and responses in one place <3

oh you’re a girly with taste 😌 and that’s what it’s all about!! we like to see fast cars go fast <3

i’m about to ramble your fuckin socks off so be warned mwahahaha

mclaren are my favourite team!! it’s a funny one, because they’re so good to lando and oscar, were so good to carlos, but they treated danny so terribly. they’re definitely my number one team, 100%, but sometimes i do get a little angry when i think about what danny went through in a year there

I like the ferrari drivers - I don’t like ferrari as a team. or at least, I didn’t. fred vasseur (their new team principle) has come in and changed the game, which gives me hope. fuck mattia!! I just think… how are you the most successful team in the history of f1 but right now you have no strategy and no communication and a mess of a car etc etc. like how did we end up here

not huge on red bull as a team, but that’s probably because i’m not massive on checo or horner. but i adore maxie. i feel like we’d get along really well if we ever met. he’s such a complex personality but in the best way, and the most talented driver of his generation.

if I had to make a fave drivers list, it would probably look something like -

lando, maxie, daniel, carlos, charles, alex, oscar

alex mf albon!! he’s so underrated and we do not talk about him enough. he outperforms the car week after week. king shit <3

and lando is my number one, of course. we have a lot in common, and I think we’re pretty similar people. I do think I’d be able to make him laugh until he cried (not that it’s hard). he’s a ridiculously talented driver, which he’s proven again and again. he gets discredited because he’s never won, but it’s just an unfortunate coincidence that his best season coincided with maxies best season too. he’s always learning and experimenting, and other drivers have said that they watch his onboards to look at the lines he’s choosing etc etc, because he’s always pushing the limits. I cannot even describe to you how much I would love to watch him win this season.

and daniel, sweet daniel. he’s so bittersweet to watch, because he really did leave red bull thinking he’d find something better and then never found it. genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if he took checos seat next year. he’s so talented, and he’s been racing for such a long time, so it’d be nice to see him on the podium again soon. he just needs a rocketship of a car!! glad to see him back in a team that cares about him, though. he’s a ray of sunshine <3

I shall not ramble anymore… unless… 😌

anon, tell me your thoughts and faves and opinions, don’t let me talk your ear off anymore!!

[twinkodium]

While I agree with many of these I need to add a few things (not to create drama or anything, I love when fans can discuss stuff in a civil way and exchanging opinions).

Oscar’s attitude and behaviour I assume were different to papaya rules before the summer break because he wasn’t out of the title fight either. And imagine, telling one of your drivers who you just won over from another team to slow down and give places back to his teammate. Like they did in Australia, when nothing was on the line yet and I’m sure it left a bitter taste a give up his podium to Lando (who was faster anyways and could’ve overtaken him but he asked for the safer option FAIRLY). I hate team orders but they necessarily in a way to tell the drivers what they expect of them, racing but not crashing both cars that they didn’t so far. Monza was unfortunately in many ways, Lando had a poor exit after turn 2, was sliding so much Oscar and Charles gained on him and he went for the move because he’s a racing driver. And he was allowed to race with Lando.

I love how Lando was shutting the interviewers down for not asking about the wdc. He’s so done with it already, he can’t change how Max performs he can only focus on himself and control his approach going into the final rounds.

On times in quali. Lando wasn’t on a great lap (white one of the shared graphics - Oscar’s white coloured lap is his cool down, he was crossing the line way earlier he has time for a cool down), he was 2 tenths down alone in the second sector compared to Oscar and his own benchmark. Hence the abortion. He couldn’t beat Oscar, the lap fell apart in the second sector, he was sliding so much.

Oscar had indeed upgrades both in Mexico and Austin, but a floor change can give so much advantage and pace if it’s developed correctly which McLaren didn’t know so far, that’s why only one of them got it to test it out (in Zandvoort last year he got the upgrades first and crashed the rear wing in fp2 so and he doesn’t crash often, for safety reasons it’s acceptable to give them to Lando). Lando is more experienced and has more insight to tell the team where to improve and while Oscar is intelligent himself and have engineering background in a way he lacks a little bit still but his feedbacks just as useful as Lando’s (confirmed by many team members, Lando and Andrea over and over again).

I expect McLaren to mess up this front row lockout as well. While Lando needs points especially if max stuck behind Charles I don’t think he wants to win because Oscar slowed down and gave him the position. Everyone is shitting on the team for letting them race but do anyone think about what if Lando wants that too? He wants to beat everyone including his teammate on pure pace not because they use team orders. He wants to race fair and square, making the fans proud and all in all himself as well. He’ll not be satisfied with a giving win and podiums. That’s not the man he is. He needs Oscar help to take points away from Max yes, but for that has to beat Oscar too and be ahead of him with PACE. And just imagine him winning a championship because his teammate slowed down for him to gain points on his rival. It’ll leave him unsatisfied, people would start shitting on him and calling him undeserved of winning.

McLaren wasn’t ready to manage teo fast drivers and made so many poor decisions. Hopefully, they’ll learn and grow up for the job, otherwise it’ll be a big problem going forward because none of the drivers will get slower in the next couple of years, especially if the car is this fast.

My take on a certain part of the McLaren fandom:

Every tag I open I see parasocial behavior.

Let's just touch grass and stop it. It prevents people from enjoying the sport without cringing (and, moreover, be happy for a team's success).

Why do I have to mute stupid tags (anti...) and block people in order to appreciate F1 in peace? Why do people do not understand that this is an highly mechanical/engineering sport and not only a driving sport? Why do you not understand that drivers are humans too?

But mostly, why does it seem so difficult to root for an entire TEAM?

Like, can't we JUST collectively appreciate everything that happened today? Just for once.

Like:

1. Oscar's sprint pole was a significant milestone for him and his career. (And i would love to see him win the sprint). Although he's still a rookie, he's developing into a really good driver (just needs one or two more years to settle down). Also, he has been maturing a lot since the start of the season and you can see that in the way he speaks about the whole "papaya rules" situation (still hate it, no team orders please... Just tell him to not crash both cars.) now compared to before the summer break. (please Oscar, do not let Mark Webber's delusions get into your brain. Thanks.) Also, nice helmet. Love it.

2. Lando finally looks serene and at ease without succumbing to anxiety for other's expectations. (He also seems to not be willing to give a f*ck about WDC, good for him). I'm also really happy that he's back to eating/drinking before races and can finally enjoy driving again. (Noticed him eating an energy bar before the race in Mexico)

I also noticed that he, just like Oscar, matured A LOT this year, especially after the summer break. (Speaking of the elephant in the room: Despite the team's apparent indifference, I still think that WDC can be achieved if he chooses to. Even if they're not interested in helping him due to different priorities or contract clauses)

And no, he is definitely a First Driver. If you think otherwise you are just living in a delusion, sorry. Telemetry, just like Math, is not an opinion.

Like, look at the last qualy time he did (and aborted) before pitting.

(the green lap records are the last sectors performances set by the driver. Look at them. Just look.)

And yes, if he gets the points he deserves a WDC, if he wants to. He IS a really good driver.

Mentality is a concept as old (and toxic) as Helmut Marko. Please, don't be like him.

3. We are finally seeing what the upgrades were for... Especially after whatever Austin was. (And yes guys, BOTH of the drivers have had the upgrades since Austin. Oscar just got 6 upgrades out of 7 at that time... Not none. Sorry to burst your bubble.)

And no, the upgrades DIDN'T actually upgraded the car's overall performances in Austin, you can clearly see that from the data. They purposely sacrificed it for the next races. See this:

https://f1i.com/news/521800-mclaren-explains-decision-to-delay-updated-floor-in-austin.html

Also they took risks with the floor too in Mexico. And no, they didn't give it to Norris because they hate Piastri. They give it to him mainly because he is more experienced and can provide useful data during practice while Oscar still needs to improve this skill.

4. Also, the team has done a great job in finding a way to change the banned rear wing without compromising performance and exceeding the spending cap. Love it. (also they made a new beam wing configuration specifically for Interlagos and it, apparently, works really well!)

I'm still not convinced that we currently have the best car on the grid (Ferrari looks really solid anywhere) but it's already better than the rocky start we got in US.

Not gonna lie, the moment they sprayed the WHOLE side of the car with the flow-vis in Austin i was like "goddammit, no improvements"... So I'm relieved that it wasn't the case (better sacrifice a race than discard the upgrades package entirely like Ferrari did in Silverstone).

WCC wise, I just hope that today they don't do something silly risking two MCL38 in a multi21. (And that we get some good strategies... Hopefully... Ok, I think I need to start pray some ancient god for that.)

And what If they multi21? Well, it would be really entertaining, but I don't think Lando wants to risk points/DNF for that. It's just not his style. (Mentality again? Go to bed grandpa... And take your medicines)

Let's be healthy fans, guys. Not parasocial delulus. We can rant about McLaren shenanigans TOGETHER.

Like, YES, i'm still convinced that the strategy team/management team is doing a real poor job this year. Both in managing the races and managing the drivers. (Including Bortoleto's contract clauses...)

And last (and least?), I loved the Google chromed livery aesthetically... HATED it aerodynamically. You won't be missed. Sorry Google, I had to say it.

Thank you for reading my rant. Love y'all (even if you don't agree with me)!

[itsclydebitches]

RWBY Recaps: Vol. 5 The More the Merrier

This is a re-posting from October 9th, 2018 in an effort to get all my recaps fully on tumblr. Thanks!

Hello, moon.

Will we ever learn what happened to you? Not in this episode! That ominous shot (countered with the oddly soothing sound of crickets) is just to situate us before we pan down, revealing the gang making their way to the meeting with Lionheart. And honestly? I kind of love everything about this composition. Let’s tick things off:

We have Jaune and Ren mirroring each other with determined expressions and clenched fists. They’re ready to kick ass if need be.

Same with Ruby and Nora except they look like they’re out for a casual moonlit stroll—with the added bonus that Nora is manically thrilled about this adventure.

Yang is pretty blasé. Been there. Done that. Survived worse.

Weiss? The embodiment of “Ugh I could be home right now instead of walking around in this heat this had better not mess up my hair.”

Oscar looks way out of his depth and is hanging back from the rest, as we’d expect given that he’s a farm boy joining a group of elite fighters that have had years to bond without him. It’s Awkward New Kid Syndrome with a side of extreme danger.

And then there’s Qrow. Out in front. Suspicious looks all around. Iconic hunched shoulders. Really wants to put his hands in his pockets but the animation isn’t quite there yet. Behold, everyone. Our leader.

For real though, jokes aside I honest to god love this opening. It’s quick and from a practical standpoint sets up only that they’re heading somewhere as a group, but if you take the time to actually look you’ll see each of their personalities shining through. We might bitch about RWBY’s faults, but there’s a whole lot of love poured into this series and more often than not you can see it in the details.

Ruby pauses then to take in Haven tower—always one to appreciate beauty even when things are bleak—and then hangs back until Oscar has caught up. It’s a wonderful little moment between them because there’s no dialogue and ultimately none is needed. He doesn’t stop for reassurance, but he could. Ruby gives him that option and waits until Oscar passes her before continuing herself. The whole scene is heavy and poignant. There’s nothing but music until they arrive inside and Lionheart breaks the peace with, “Why hello. There… seems to be more of you than last time.”

Yeah. You can hear the fear in his voice. As if the rest of this setup didn’t already scream “TRAP, TRAP, TRAP,” He’s gotta be super suspicious in his greeting too. Leading them out here in the dead of night. Lionheart up on the podium—both figuratively putting himself above them and literally keeping himself out of harm’s way. Then the first thing out of his mouth is a worried comment on their numbers? Suspicious, suspicious.

Qrow: “Oh you know what they say. The more the merrier.”

He did the title thing! Love that.

Except the delivery makes it clear that Qrow is also suspicious as hell. No one has drawn their weapon yet, but the fight has already started. Qrow and Ozpin know that this is no simple meeting. Now Lionheart knows that they know. A quick shot reveals both his fear and the fact that he came with a weapon of his own:

Qrow tries to continue the charade by asking what’s up with the council and Lionheart is so bad at acting casual it’s actually painful to watch. He wants to know why they all brought THEIR weapons while hiding his own behind his back. As if they in any way failed to miss him standing there with it in full view for the last thirty seconds.

I can’t with this guy. He's just so bad at being bad I almost feel sorry for him.

(Although, as we in the U.S. have certainly discovered the last two years, the incompetent ones are often the most dangerous…)

As said, the fight has already begun. While Qrow and Lionheart trade subtext Yang checks out their perimeter, immediately picking up on the raven that just happens to be chilling on the banister. A simple, whispered “Mom?” and Qrow has his weapon out and a shot off, barely missing Raven as she swoops down beside Lionheart.

Can we appreciate that reaction time for a second? I feel like between Ozpin’s Super Secret Magic and Qrow’s self-deprecating drinking the fandom tends to forget that he’s easily one of the most powerful fighters we’ve seen to date. He demonstrated that in his playful spar against Winter, keeping Tyrian on his toes while also ensuring that the kids were safe, and here as he responds blindingly fast to a one syllable word. A few seconds later Raven calls him out for missing or, just as likely, deliberately missing since he doesn't want to kill her—yet. Which makes it all the more impressive that he can aim and achieve the results he wants in such a short amount of time. You 100% do not want to fuck with Qrow.

A nice cut using Lionheart’s back and Raven becomes human once more. In the realm of ‘artists paying careful attention to how their background characters act,’ Oscar is uncomfortable but isn’t even looking at the threat—almost like he’s listening carefully to something the rest of them can’t hear—while Nora looks downright floored. “They really are magic,” she says to herself, solidifying with evidence what they'd been told a few episodes back.  

Okay. Rant time. I still don’t buy these reactions. Really not great on the world building front here. I mean, we’ve had Pyrrha who controls magnetism, Ren who manipulates emotions, Yang has a Hulk mode that includes changing eye color, Blake can create clones of herself, Weiss is basically a necromancer, Ruby turns into rose petals, give him an episode and Jaune will straight up heal a girl, and Nora herself can store/release electricity. Why is turning into a bird so incredibly shocking? It would feel way more natural if they saw Raven and Qrow’s transformations and went, “Okay… so that’s their semblance?” and then Oz has to explain about the difference—being born with an ability vs. being granted it—which is cool and there’s surprise that that’s a Thing, but their reaction to the ability itself is still pretty meh. Because they’ve literally seen weirder.

We’re given no indication as to WHY a bird transformation instinctually reads as more impossible than transforming into rose petals, other than “one is magic and one is not because we say so.” There’s no justification behind the characters’ ability to recognize magic when they see it, especially given the incredibly wide range of abilities RWBY has shown us over the years. Either attach more overt rules to semblances (obvious boundaries where the viewer understands what is and is not possible) or make Ozpin’s magic look radically different. In this world summoning storms and turning into birds doesn't read as radically different. Hell, in many ways Dust, an incredibly common commodity, is more powerful than this supposedly gasp-worthy magic. Why be impressed with Raven summoning rain clouds when Weiss can create powerful winds in her fight against Flynt with just a bit of Daddy’s money?

But anyway. I digress.  

The verbal sparring continues. Oscar still isn’t making eye contact. Raven spouts more of her excuses, Salem can’t possibly be stopped, we're all out for ourselves, blah blah blah. Ruby emphasizes that they’ve already done the impossible, but they only achieved that because they were working together. Separation and a pessimistic attitude is exactly what Salem wants. Ruby wants Raven to join them.

And take a gander at that contrast between sisters. As I’ve said before, Ruby is the classic full-of-heart protagonist who believes that almost everyone can be redeemed. As we’ll see in a second, the exemption to this appears to be Cinder. Her murder of Penny and Pyrrha highlights her irredeemability in a way that overshadows Raven’s—and even Salem’s—more nebulous crimes. The bigger your actions are the harder they are to conceptualize. The smaller and more personal they are the harder they are to forgive. Paradoxically, it’s easier for someone like Ruby (and the fandom…) to shrug off Raven’s actions because as of yet she hasn't felt their repercussions as intimately.

Yang though? She has. And in this moment she’s not ready to forgive.

Raven refuses of course and tells Ruby she sounds just like her mother. (Give us flashbacks of Summer!) She summons a portal where a fireball flies through, hitting Ruby square in the chest and allowing the whole evil gang to join the party. We get a closeup on Oscar as he and Oz recognize Hazel, locking them inside while the White Fang sets up their bombs.

Hazel: “No one’s getting in… and no one’s getting out.”

Because RWBY, for all its dark storylines, is still hella cheesy at times lol.

Weiss: “So this was all just a trap?”

Ren: “It appears so…”

Ah, naive little children. If only you were watching from our fourth wall perspective you would have realized it was a trap more than an episode ago! Too bad.

We learn that Lionheart was the one who secured Team Bad a place in the Vytal festival. Not only that, but he’s been passing information about huntsmen and huntress whereabouts to Salem. That’s how they were all murdered and Qrow’s realization of this—after spending all that time looking for them and hoping against hope—is definitely a kicker. “I couldn’t find any of them… because you let her kill them.”

Keep in mind, most of those people were Qrow’s friends.

Jaune, as we’d expect, is at his breaking point. Pyrrha’s murderer is standing right there and, as he says, rubbing their faces in how many people she’s killed—“All with that damn smile on your face!” We’ve had all of two instances of RWBY cursing and it’s definitely needed here. I appreciate that his tears and his anger are basically a call to arms. Most everyone draws their weapon as soon as he's finished speaking. Qrow’s still trying to keep the peace, but Jaune’s very existence is a walking testament to exactly how much these people deserve to be brought to justice.

He yells that he’s going to make Cinder pay for what she did and then comes the most brutal line in all of RWBY.

Cinder: “Who are you again?”

Damn. They’re never gonna top that.

Perfect characterization though. As the audience it’s easy to forget who knows who in a big ensemble cast and, more importantly, who cares about who. From Cinder’s perspective Jaune is a nobody she's barely met. Why would she remember him? If she’d instead made a taunt about his dead girlfriend most of us probably would have just shrugged off the plot-hole, but paying attention to details like this is not only, a) satisfying but b) wonderfully vicious. Way to twist the knife here.

Jaune attacks as we knew he would but Cinder easily blocks him. Ruby joins the fray only to be stopped by Emerald—“You’re not getting near her.” (Love the devotion.) Yang pairs off with Mercury to settle an old score. Raven orders Vernal to take out “the heiress” (rude, she has a name) and in another excellent nod to the switcheroo that tricked both the team and a large chunk of the fandom, she casually throws out that Vernal doesn’t need to use her power to kill a kid.

Good excuse too. Considering, you know, she doesn’t have any.

No more fake outs. Qrow attacks Raven head on with the announcement that they’re not family anymore. Harsh, but deserved. Raven’s “Were we ever?” smells more like denial. We also get a good look at their similar, but differently balanced color schemes.

As their fight takes them out of frame we stay with a rather terrified Weiss. To her credit though she holds her ground against Vernal, assuring her that she’s “more than a name.”

Finally, Ren and Nora—ever the perfect duo—are left to fend off Hazel. He’s one of those real asshole villains who has a “code” that they follow. He doesn’t want to fight two kids half his age and power level… but he has to. Just like he has to keep pursuing his misguided revenge against Ozpin. And he, like Raven, feels the need to announce to the world that this isn’t what he’d prefer. It’s just how things are! Totally out of his hands, I’m sorry to say.

We’re seeing a trend with the villains and their justifications, yeah?

With everyone paired off Ozpin-Oscar (I need a portmanteau for them…) sneaks over to confront Lionheart. Lionheart goes from telling this supposed stranger to get himself out of the fight while he can to attacking him with a rock-lava-energy blast thing in like five seconds flat. Of course, our two favorite BAMFs block it with ease and we get the RWBY equivalent of,

(x)

Holy shit this kid blocked my hit??

Beautiful.

The second the cane comes out though everything makes sense and we get another stellar line of “Not quite” when Lionheart identifies him as Ozpin. I really love that they let Oscar handle the first half of this battle. Yeah, it’s a little flimsy that he’s able to take on an adult after just a few weeks of training, but we also don’t know how much he and Oz are already sharing. Fighting might come naturally to him now in a muscle memory sort of way. Regardless, he kicks ass and I’m loving it.

“You found Qrow,” Lionheart says. “How?” implying that he might have been doing even more work than we saw to keep those two apart. A voiceover from Ozpin wonders what happened to his former ally. The fact that Lionheart knows all the details of Ozpin’s reincarnation tells us that yeah, they were really, really close.

That knowledge is dangerous too. Realizing that Ozpin “couldn’t have had that form for long” Lionheart gets over the debilitating shock of fighting, you know, Ozpin. We hear him rationalizing in the wonderfully creepy manner of the desperate that this is just a boy in front of him, a boy soon to be Ozpin, and if he delivers the kid to Salem he’ll “finally be free" of her. Sounds a lot like Raven thinking that the relic will protect her; a lot like a hurt Tyrian muttering that she’ll forgive him.

RWBY does a good job of reminding us in small ways how utterly terrifying Salem is...and what that fear drives people to do.  

This would be the (supposedly) perfect moment for Ozpin to take over. Oh no! Lionheart is all serious now! Oscar is worried! But the only thing Ozpin does is tell him to “fight.” I’ve heard a lot of people in the fandom claim that Ozpin is a monster for his possession, culpable for something that’s outside of his control. But Ozpin has no desire to take over people’s lives like this and—unlike Hazel or Raven—it really is out of his hands, to say nothing of the fact that he does all he can to actually achieve what he thinks is right. He can’t keep himself from merging with Oscar, but he can give Oscar as much agency as humanly possible, including here. The only times we see Ozpin take that agency away is when it really is for the greater good (they can’t afford to hide on a farm forever) or when Oscar is well and truly in over his head, like after the fight with Hazel goes on too long. Taking over Oscar at that point is to save his life, akin to forcing someone out of the way of a blast.

But we’ll get to that.

We come back to the fight between Weiss and Vernal as Weiss tries to buy herself enough time to summon her knight. Vernal easily cuts through her summoning though… which is kind of a relief? In that RWBY (usually) knows when to limit new powers. If Weiss had no real limitations on her summoning—the time it takes, the energy it requires—we’d be wondering why she didn’t just summon a whole, super-powered army every time they were in a spot of trouble. Too many shows (Supernatural...) craft crazy powerful characters and then conveniently forget about that power when it would too easily solve a conflict.

Also, check out that smile from Vernal.

We segue to Cinder and Jaune. Kudos to Jaune for holding his own one-on-one! He really is Pyrrha’s student. Remember what other kid managed to hold her own against a freaking Maiden, at least for a time? 

Emerald won’t let Ruby get anywhere near Cinder. She “owes her everything" after all. But she’s willing to indulge her (so to speak) and summons up a mirage of Cinder to fly at Ruby. That and the resulting attack startles her enough that she sets off Crescent Rose, the bullet narrowly missing Weiss.

…Portent of things to come.

Because we’re back on Weiss and it's becoming clear to the viewer why we’ve been focusing so much on her in this battle. A shock from Vernal’s weapon rips out a scream from her, draws Jaune’s attention, and Cinder cruelly asks if he’ll “let her die too.”

Gotta have the fake-out first though. Deciding to take him seriously, Cinder charges with intent to kill and the head-on strike triggers Ruby into remembering Pyrrha’s death. Her silver eyes instinctually go off, blinding everyone and halting the battle.

Emerald knocks her out fast but even those few seconds was enough to effect Cinder. Apparently once you’re struck by that kind of power your body remembers it. She’s down on her knees, clearly in pain, and Jaune takes the opportunity to get a strike in, managing to clip the half-mask she wears.

And yeah. Cinder’s pissed.

Partly from getting caught in one of Ruby’s blasts again. Partly because a “nobody” like Jaune managed to hit her. Awful when that power you sought isn’t as perfect as you were promised, huh? Jaune makes the mistake though of declaring that he’s not important, only his friends are… and Cinder knows exactly how to make one of the good guys suffer.

Why just kill him when you can instead kill the girl he was worried about moments before? Why grant him peace when you can vividly recreate the trauma of Pyrrha’s death instead?

We have just enough time left in the episode to see the team’s shocked faces, watch Cinder’s weapon disappear, and then we cut with Weiss in mid-fall.

It’s a brutal combo of content and editing. Thanks, Rooster Teeth! I hate it!

We all know how things turn out though… so that's some kind of comfort. Until next time!

Other Details of Note

When everyone enters Haven tower we see this statue… and honestly I’m not entirely sure what to make of it. Something something it’s a maiden guarding a Maiden relic. Something something broken chains and freedom. Something something Atlas-esque imagery of holding up a world…you get the idea. It’s symbolic.

Cinder calls Qrow “little bird” and Lionheart “lion.” Always something wonderfully creepy about villains with a penchant for nicknames.

When Jaune first charges Cinder we pull back behind the chain on the statue and see it sway from the force of his attack. It’s quick and subtle, but an excellent visual detail to show us how strong he’s gotten. Pre-Fall of Beacon Jaune never would have managed that kind of force.

For all its faults in places, I enjoy how much this fight makes use of space, especially when it comes to Weiss using her glyphs. It’s not perfect or as complex as what we might have had with Monty, but I think the team is improving in their choreography overall.

Yes, Jaune is well over his schoolboy crush on Weiss---something I'm pleased about---but it still hits hard to have her as the victim here. Out of every team member Cinder could have targeted she chooses the one other girl Jaune might have had legitimate, romantic feelings for. In an alternate timeline, so to speak. 

So the whole “villain walks slowly towards the person they’re gonna kill and everyone who normally has superhuman reflexes doesn’t move an inch” trope is crazy annoying, right? Just putting that out there...

[buffyfan145]

Somebody Like You 4/?

Fandom: Victoria, Vicbourne

Characters: Queen Victoria, Lord Melbourne, Emma Portman, Dash, Nancy Skerrett, Charles Francatelli, Prince Albert, Prince Ernest, Duchess of Kent/Victoria’s mom, Robert Peel, various other characters from the show & real life, and new characters created for the story.

Rating: PG

Summary: Modern day teacher AU. Victoria is a young English teacher facing her first year of full time work. After making friends with the staff, she comes to rely on William Melbourne, the head of History department, and the teacher across the hall for advice and wisdom as their departments work closely together with the senior class.  As the two grow close feelings start to emerge which complicates various parts of their lives. Will they act on their feelings or choose to do what each thinks is best? Title from the Keith Urban song.

Ch. 1, 2, 3

Author’s Note: Meant to post this a few days ago but got busy with college and the Oscars but should be able to post more very soon. Here's the Halloween chapter including a similar costume scene from the show, a certain nickname, and Dash finally shows up. :)

Chapter 4

As the term went on William was proud to see how far Victoria had come with her teaching and her way of speaking.  It showed even more when they had parent/teacher conferences and had a special meeting for parents of the seniors to better explain the senior projects and college applications that the parents were asked to assist their children with.  Victoria even took part of the presentation herself and had an easy way of conversing with the parents.  She was a fast learner.

She was also very optimistic and it was a nice change to have someone so cheery around.  William was usually more cynical by nature and his daughter was more introverted, so he'd never really been around a woman like Victoria.  Even his first wife Caroline wasn't like that when they first met.  She, like most of their friends in college, was more artistic and would get into these dark moods.  He had no idea how serious things would become or how worse it would get with Caro, but being around Victoria was a welcome change.

William looked forward to their meetings and just talking with her.  The topics varied and they both found similar things amusing, and even got into a long discussion over one of the Shakespeare plays as they disagreed on a few things in the story.  A few times he was able to eat lunch wit her, but normally their schedules didn't' match up.  They did though sometimes meet in the hallways or parking lot and would walk together, or they would catch each other by their classroom doors and smile across to the other.  She even gave him a nickname.

She first used it in late September and they were ending one of their meetings after school.  He had stopped by the podium in his classroom and was getting it ready for the next day's class when he heard her laugh.  "What is it?"  He asked confused.

"You look like one of those politicians standing there.  Like President Melbourne," then she shook her head as that didn't work, "no, Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne."

He laughed at that.  "I would hate that job."

"But it would suit you."  Victoria laughed again but she seemed serious too.

"I'll see you tomorrow Victoria."  He said goodbye to her.

She started to walk out the door, but then turned back with a mischievous look in her eyes.  "Goodnight, Lord M."

He wasn't expecting that but he liked it, as some of the students already called him Mr. M.  Now she kept calling him that when they would see each other and it had officially become his nickname, which he enjoyed too hearing her say it.

 As the fall went on it got a bit chilly but the trees were turning into their vibrant colors and William liked to watch the birds from his window or in the courtyard at lunch.  Sometimes Victoria joined him and would bring her dog Dash when she brought the dog to school.  Dash took a quick liking to William, and especially to Kaitlin and Bonnie.  He would play with the girls and it warmed William's heart to see his daughter having fun after all the pain they'd been through.

That Halloween was very memorable as William wanted to do something with his costume to surprise Victoria.  Kaitlin helped happily once he told her his idea and they found items to perfectly get his costume ready.  As he walked into the school that day he was met with mostly praise, especially from Emma and she thought it suited him perfectly.  Peel, on the other hand, huffed and hurried into his classroom when he saw William as Peel wasn't one for celebrating Halloween.  His reaction made William laugh quietly.

When he got to Victoria's classroom he walked in as the students weren't there yet.  She didn't see him at first but he saw that his costume would match hers perfectly.  Victoria was dressed in more of a costumed ball gown styled like one of the Disney princesses complete with a small tiara on her head.  Dash spotted him first and ran over for William to pet him.

"Dash, what is it?"  Victoria asked but then came to a stop when she saw William.  Her smile widened as she took him in.  "Why, it looks like we matched up perfectly."

William took off his top hat and placed it on a desk.  "That we do ma'am."  He then straightened his long Victorian coat and walked over towards her, taking her hand and kneeling down for full effect.  "Hello, your majesty."

"Hello, Lord M."  She giggled again as their eyes locked.  Something passed between them as they silently stared into each other's eyes.

Before he realized it he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.  As he rose he noticed her blush and he let go of her hand.  "Wanted to surprise you."  He quickly said and was grateful no one saw what happened besides Dash.

"I love it."  She said happily.  "Happy Halloween."

"Happy Halloween."  He replied and smiled at her again before he took his hat and went into his own class room.  William didn't expect to feel this way but he enjoyed making her happy and hoped that feeling of his own happiness would last too. 

[aoimeru14]

THANK YOU! It's always a pleasure to interact with ACTUAL fans!

Before starting with my (expected) long post here is a summary for everyone:

Silverstone... The trauma made me forget how mclaren clownery poisoned also their home race...

Everyday McLaren wakes up and demonstrates that a good car and good drivers are not enough if you are aiming at championships. They are still midfielders in their minds. Like, waiting for the rain in Brasil could have worked only if you aim to reach the point positions, not the podium. If you want the podium you have to be more insightful, like Redbull demonstrated by not making Max pit and making him wait for an obvious VSC.

(let's not talk about Ferrari's fiasco, we all know that strategy is not always their forte. Some times they have god tier strategies, like in Monza. Sometimes... Not)

(also, is the meme "Sbinnala" worldwide or just Italian? Every fan deserves to know it)

As you said "they became title contenders super fast" yes! and, unfortunately, couldn't live up with the new expectations of the fans... (And the new hate that came along with it)

If I have to be optimistic: Maybe they are just taking it easy, thinking of changing things slowly until 2025, praying that the MCL38 stays consistent also next year. Not rushing things now.

If I have to be pessimistic: they could have taken things easily and STILL could have made better calls, better managing for their drivers and PR. Like, sometimes their strategy is just nonexistent or really simplistic. Like "if it goes well then ok, if it doesn't well, nee, we are gonna have a to talk about it later".

They really rely too much on their drivers and too little on actual data (or just logical assumptions... Like, rain = car on wall = red flag = VSC = Free pitstop + reset all grid positions and distances)

I could have accepted it this spring (as they didn't expect to be a rocketship), but I genuinely hoped they did better after the summer break.

Completely agree for the behind the scene discourse. We don't know exactly what they agreed upon and what the drivers actually wanted. And I agree with your point on Lando wanting to beat Oscar fair and square. Both because he respects and wants to protect (in his own way)/ race Oscar, and, mostly, to silence his worst hater: himself.

(projecting, projecting.)

PR wise, McLaren should be addressing this situation clearly and admit some of their wrongdoings... Leaving Lando alone like that, after the race, is not what I expect from a team that has a page like this in its social media community code:

Like, Redbull did it for Max (and Perez) in 2022

https://apnews.com/article/sports-f8cb80408ef87da1d7d6f7cd9b03976c

For the "I really hope they learn from this disastrous year" paragraph, yes, I agree. They really need to learn. I don't know if you saw the transcript of the false start... But saying "likely an aborted start" when IT HAS BEEN COMFIRMED was embarrassing. Well, not "waiting for rain in 7 laps [so don't attack Leclerc]" level of embarrassing, but still a bit unfortunate/unprofessional.

(also Charles is making me laugh out loud)

I think that Courtenay will be a fine addiction to McLaren strategy in 2026. He will bring some of Redbull's insights and organized thinking/procedures. My hope is that we will see landoscar on the grid by that time. (Yes, I'm pessimistic by nature).

For the switch: Stella said to sky Italia that he would have preferred a larger gap (2/3 seconds) from Leclerc for switching mid race, but it then become apparent that it was impossible to create and so they opted for a switch at lap 24 (last lap). So, to me, they talked about a switch during the race after they created a gap from P3 and changed plans only when they understood that neither him or Oscar had sufficient pace for that. Lando just got the news on radio and was his genuine confusion.

For keeping him behind because he was a better defender... MMMH. Don't know.

No, I mean. He is better at defending than Oscar (and not because Oscar is not good, we saw him defending in Baku). But I don't agree with that strategy as it was obvious that Leclerc would have succumbed to Verstappen very soon.

Verstappen, clearly, is always looking for a DNF when it comes to Lando (he knows he wins easy the WDC if they both DNF or just Lando does, like in Austria) while he would never risk a DNF with Oscar. (He sees him as useless, WDC wise). And we saw that Verstappen was more "gentle" (by his standards) with Oscar when he attacked after the VSC...

Speaking about Oscar and Max "overtaking"... Why no one is speaking about Max saying "Leclerc was the only decent enough" when speaking of his climb up from p17?

While it being true, as no one, apart from Charles, really battled him, i still think "why didn't they told Oscar to keep him behind? Or just making him attack his tyres in order to prevent him not pitstopping or climbing up?". So many questions I don't have answer for... We saw Oscar's skills, he could have tired him if just they let him to. (That "just Leclerc was decent [battle]" was MHHHHH like no, it's just that no one told their drivers to attack you... Just leclerc did, for the WCC)

(that said, Max did a masterclass, yes. Especially consistently setting fast laps since lap 33. With the advantage of clean air, yes, but with changing weather conditions and without burning the engine. But we have to be realistic and admit that luck, good strategies from Redbull, bad strategies from Ferrari/McLaren, were involved too.)

(and it's normal)

Even if it was bittersweet we still got this, so, at least, the drivers are on the same page:

Happy to have found a fellow yapper, maybe we should create a tag for our yapping session and use it... Or something like that! I really like to read your opinions as they are healthy and well spoken.

Also, this post is getting really long!

My take on a certain part of the McLaren fandom:

Every tag I open I see parasocial behavior.

Let's just touch grass and stop it. It prevents people from enjoying the sport without cringing (and, moreover, be happy for a team's success).

Why do I have to mute stupid tags (anti...) and block people in order to appreciate F1 in peace? Why do people do not understand that this is an highly mechanical/engineering sport and not only a driving sport? Why do you not understand that drivers are humans too?

But mostly, why does it seem so difficult to root for an entire TEAM?

Like, can't we JUST collectively appreciate everything that happened today? Just for once.

Like:

1. Oscar's sprint pole was a significant milestone for him and his career. (And i would love to see him win the sprint). Although he's still a rookie, he's developing into a really good driver (just needs one or two more years to settle down). Also, he has been maturing a lot since the start of the season and you can see that in the way he speaks about the whole "papaya rules" situation (still hate it, no team orders please... Just tell him to not crash both cars.) now compared to before the summer break. (please Oscar, do not let Mark Webber's delusions get into your brain. Thanks.) Also, nice helmet. Love it.

2. Lando finally looks serene and at ease without succumbing to anxiety for other's expectations. (He also seems to not be willing to give a f*ck about WDC, good for him). I'm also really happy that he's back to eating/drinking before races and can finally enjoy driving again. (Noticed him eating an energy bar before the race in Mexico)

I also noticed that he, just like Oscar, matured A LOT this year, especially after the summer break. (Speaking of the elephant in the room: Despite the team's apparent indifference, I still think that WDC can be achieved if he chooses to. Even if they're not interested in helping him due to different priorities or contract clauses)

And no, he is definitely a First Driver. If you think otherwise you are just living in a delusion, sorry. Telemetry, just like Math, is not an opinion.

Like, look at the last qualy time he did (and aborted) before pitting.

(the green lap records are the last sectors performances set by the driver. Look at them. Just look.)

And yes, if he gets the points he deserves a WDC, if he wants to. He IS a really good driver.

Mentality is a concept as old (and toxic) as Helmut Marko. Please, don't be like him.

3. We are finally seeing what the upgrades were for... Especially after whatever Austin was. (And yes guys, BOTH of the drivers have had the upgrades since Austin. Oscar just got 6 upgrades out of 7 at that time... Not none. Sorry to burst your bubble.)

And no, the upgrades DIDN'T actually upgraded the car's overall performances in Austin, you can clearly see that from the data. They purposely sacrificed it for the next races. See this:

https://f1i.com/news/521800-mclaren-explains-decision-to-delay-updated-floor-in-austin.html

Also they took risks with the floor too in Mexico. And no, they didn't give it to Norris because they hate Piastri. They give it to him mainly because he is more experienced and can provide useful data during practice while Oscar still needs to improve this skill.

4. Also, the team has done a great job in finding a way to change the banned rear wing without compromising performance and exceeding the spending cap. Love it. (also they made a new beam wing configuration specifically for Interlagos and it, apparently, works really well!)

I'm still not convinced that we currently have the best car on the grid (Ferrari looks really solid anywhere) but it's already better than the rocky start we got in US.

Not gonna lie, the moment they sprayed the WHOLE side of the car with the flow-vis in Austin i was like "goddammit, no improvements"... So I'm relieved that it wasn't the case (better sacrifice a race than discard the upgrades package entirely like Ferrari did in Silverstone).

WCC wise, I just hope that today they don't do something silly risking two MCL38 in a multi21. (And that we get some good strategies... Hopefully... Ok, I think I need to start pray some ancient god for that.)

And what If they multi21? Well, it would be really entertaining, but I don't think Lando wants to risk points/DNF for that. It's just not his style. (Mentality again? Go to bed grandpa... And take your medicines)

Let's be healthy fans, guys. Not parasocial delulus. We can rant about McLaren shenanigans TOGETHER.

Like, YES, i'm still convinced that the strategy team/management team is doing a real poor job this year. Both in managing the races and managing the drivers. (Including Bortoleto's contract clauses...)

And last (and least?), I loved the Google chromed livery aesthetically... HATED it aerodynamically. You won't be missed. Sorry Google, I had to say it.

Thank you for reading my rant. Love y'all (even if you don't agree with me)!