#this isn't even like an accessible sport

[no-i-dont-exist-keep-talking]

I think a lot of the exy history would be easier to flesh out if exy was invented two generations back instead of one tbh

[quadrantadvisor]

I'm trying so hard not to be a hater but the more I learn about other ttrpgs the more the way that people talk about dnd annoys me

[merry-maker-of-marks]

I'm about to vent real quick about something real random here so bear with me guys.

Curling (the sport) is actually difficult. Like. It's hard. On multiple levels. And just like any other sport takes YEARS to master to even a single degree.

I get it. Everyone likes to meme on it. And there are people out there who will meme on every sport no matter how "legitimate" it is. But people. People. I cannot empysis enough That This Shit Is Hard and Yes The People Who Play it Professionally Deserve to Be At the Olympics.

Okay, I'm done, sorry everyone, thanks.

[earlgraytay]

So, you've probably all seen this post going around, about how The Chuds Want Gentleman's Clubs (but can't afford to go to the things called "gentlemen's clubs" today, so wouldn't have been able to in the past either). And I hate to say it, but that post isn't accurate.

The things we call "gentlemen's clubs" today and the things that were called "gentleman's clubs" in the past are not the same thing; the one is descended from the other, but they used to be a lot more common and served a purpose that they don't really serve anymore.

The modern equivalent of the historical gentleman's club isn't the thing currently called a gentleman's club; it's the premium airport lounge. And by losing the concept for all but the turbo-rich, I think we genuinely have lost something! Let me explain.

(NOTA BENE: This is mostly about England and from about 1880-1930, and most of my experience with this is from fiction written in that era. I know enough to know what I don't know, but I also know menswear guy is wrong about this.)

So- gentlemen's clubs started in *wiggles hands* the late 1700s, and mostly served a particular purpose: they were places you could stay in a city if you mostly lived in the country, instead of staying in lodgings or owning your own place. Finding a place to stay in London was kind of a misery at the best of times, and owning your own house in Town wasn't practical for a lot of people, even rich people. If you were, say, a young man, just starting out in life, and you hadn't inherited your father's wealth but also weren't set up to live on your own? Having a place you were guaranteed to be able to stay was a fucking godsend. And as time went on, even people who lived in London most of the time started joining clubs, because they served another important purpose- they were a place you could go if you didn't particularly want to be at home, for whatever reason.

The way that historical gentlemen's clubs worked is, you got recommended to the club by a friend who was a member, you paid dues to the club, and in exchange, you'd get to use the club's facilities. * Most gentlemen's clubs had, at minimum, a dining room (with waitstaff, natch), a library, a couple of nice places to sit and hang out, a game room, and a bar. Many of them also had rooms you could sleep in overnight, fitness equipment, or stuff related to the club members' interests. Most of them had a room or two where you could invite friends who weren't part of your club and spend time with them. In the era where phones were a thing, a lot of them had a phone. You could write letters there and get your mail sent there.

Here's the thing: in the period I know best, gentlemen's clubs weren't just for the turbo-rich. They were the province of rich guys, yes- you had to be a 'gentleman' and know the right people to get in. But men who were doctor/lawyer/software-developer rich were most likely members of a gentlemen's club. Anyone who was rich enough to travel regularly was part of at least one club, because having somewhere to crash when you were going between (say) London and Delhi and back again was worth the cost.

Most gentlemen's clubs were owned by their members- not an outside corporate body. The club leaders were elected, usually by a small committee.

And a lot of gentlemen's clubs founded around specific interests, as time went on. There were gentlemen's clubs specifically for Guys Who Were Really Into Radio. There were clubs specifically for men who spent a lot of time traveling. There were clubs specifically for dudes who wanted to talk your ear off and clubs for old dudes who mostly wanted to nod off in their chairs and talk about The War and clubs for dudes who did not want to be percieved at all.

There were clubs for men who were really into science, or the arts, or sports. And one perk of being in a club like this is that you had access to equipment that you might not have been able to buy on your own. You didn't have to shell out for an entire library of scientific and medical books; you could go to your club and read in the library there. If your club had, say, an art studio, you could go paint at your club and not have to keep a studio space of your own.

There were gentlemen's clubs specifically oriented around specific political or social views. There were socialist clubs. (And a lot of them admitted women, which was !!!SCANDALOUS!!!) Like, they were still the province of goddamn rich people, there were a lot of trust fund baby socialists and not many working people, but there were socialist social clubs.

...I don't want to pretend that gentlemen's clubs were some kind of idyllic haven. 99% of these clubs were For Men, and For The Right Sort Of Men at that; if you didn't have a friend who was a member, or you weren't "respectable" enough, you didn't get to join. There's a reason that most of these clubs are gone now. Part of the point was excluding the Wrong Sort of People, and that became gauche over time. After a certain point, being part of a club became a thing for stodgy, out-of-touch rich men- not just "men who happened to have enough money to be part of a club"- and so most of the men who could join one didn't, and people stopped forming new ones. Only Old Money assholes (who will continue to do what they've always done, current trends be damned) keep the concept alive.

But like... the thing that replaced gentlemen's clubs for 99% of the people who would have had one a hundred years ago... is the premium airport lounge, and the premium gym membership, and the ~coworking hub~.** Anyone can join, yeah, as long as they're able to pay. You pay a corporation a chunk of money for similar amenities, and the amenities are ... fine? But because the entity is driven by profit, most of the money you're paying them goes into running their other business concerns and paying their CEOs a fat paycheck.

I think... as exclusionary as gentlemen's clubs were back in the day, there's the seed of a good idea there. I think the guys who wish they were still an attainable thing for a middle-class person have a point, and I wish we could inject some fucking nuance into this conversation.

A community-owned space that gives you a place to crash when you need one, has community-owned resources for its members, and isn't beholden to a corporation is a good thing. Third spaces that don't have to turn a profit are a damn good thing.

At the end of the day, my politics are 'everyone should get to have the kind of luxuries that were historically reserved for the rich'. Everyone should get to have the best life has to offer- leisure, beauty, good craftsmanship, and community. And so, you know, if this kind of community space sounds like a thing you'd like to have, maybe it's something you could work towards creating, too.

*TBF, this is still how they work today! But the networks are much smaller.

**I do find it very funny that apparently one of the biggest problems facing the few remaining Actual Gentlemen's Clubs (TM) is that people are trying to use their space to telework-- a lot of them are trying to ban laptops and business talk to "keep the club's character" (read: "we're too rich to have to work here").

[daughter-of-sapph0]

I can't believe we're actually having the fucking bathroom debate again

for literally the past ten years I avoided using public bathrooms in general. every time I'm forced to use them I fear for my life that I'll be harassed, threatened, attacked, raped, or killed for no other reason than someone doesn't like that I exist in proximity to them.

obviously this isn't the biggest issue in the world that I can't use public restrooms. I've lived like this for ten years, I don't care if I have to pee at home for the rest of my life.

the real issues trans women face are far greater than bathroom or sports.

homelessness for trans women is at an all time high. we are on average paid less than cis women and other queer people. I'm not even going to explain what v-coding is because it's too horrific to even mention. not to mention that access to medication and therapy is often barred for us, and getting the treatment we need is often impossible for many of us

how many more of us have to die before we finally get the respect we deserve?

how many more of us have to starve to death on the side of the road, cold, homeless, turned away by shelters?

how many more of us will end up taking their own lives because they couldn't access the support they needed to live?

how many more of us will be assaulted, raped, and murdered, only for their obituary to use the wrong name, and for people to blame us for being victims?

I'm tired of being a topic of debate! I'm a human fucking being, god dammit! I demand to be treated like one!

[brodygold]

The Lecture

Bruce slid into his usual seat in the front row of the lecture hall, noting his best friend, Sawyer, already there. Sawyer was hunched over his desk, rearranging his meticulously organized notes. His wide-rimmed glasses slid down his nose as he adjusted his pocket protector, crammed full of pens in every color imaginable. The faint glow of his acne-covered cheeks highlighted his enthusiasm.

Bruce set his worn-out bag on the floor and pulled out his trusty notebook, a favorite blue pen, and his lucky number 2 pencil. He also placed two highlighters—yellow and green—on the desk for easy access. He and Sawyer exchanged quick grins, ready for another one of Dr. Hanson's legendary physics lectures.

"I heard we're talking about quantum particles today!" Sawyer whispered excitedly, the grin on his face wide enough to show his braces.

"Poggers, Sawyer! I've been waiting for this since the semester started," Bruce replied, his voice buzzing with equal enthusiasm.

While Bruce didn't sport Sawyer's stereotypical nerdy look, he had his own geeky charm—a mop of unkempt blonde hair that fell past his shoulders, a pair of noise-canceling headphones permanently dangling around his neck, and a gamer’s gut, nurtured by too many late-night snack breaks. They were an inseparable pair, their shared passion for science and gaming solidifying their bond.

As the rest of the lecture hall filled, a hush fell over the room when the door banged open. A young man, probably in his late 20s, strolled confidently to the podium. His athletic build was hard to miss under a tight gold jersey, the fabric hugging his broad chest and biceps.

"Hey there bros. You all can call me Mr. Gold. Or Brody if you're feeling more casual."

Sawyer shot his hand up. "Mr. Gold, where is Mr. Hanson? He didn't say anything about missing class today."

"Great question, bro. I actually ran into him on his way to class and we had a nice chat. We both decided it might be good for me to give a guest lecture today while he runs some errands." Mr. Gold took the opportunity to write the title of the lecture on the board:

The Physics of Football

"Ew. Sports." Bruce thought.So much for quantum particles. He didn't even like playing video games about sports, and now they were forced to learn about the "math and science" behind it all? He wondered if he should just get up and leave, but he was sitting in the front and everyone would see him. Might as well just sit and listen to what Mr. Gold had to say.

"Now it might sound strange to you nerds, but there's actually a lot of math involved in sports. The players may be too dumb to do the calculations in their head, but they're there. Let's go over an example."

Mr. Gold turned around and started drawing on the board. It was easy to see it was one football player throwing the ball to another.

"Let's say that during the play, the QB wants to throw the ball to the wide receiver. Thanks to forces like gravity, the ball will eventually land. The tricky part is getting the ball to land in the receiver's hands. Let's say he throws the ball and the two are 70 yards apart. What shape is the path of the ball?"

Pfft. That was an easy question. Bruce went to put his hand up and give the answer, when his mind suddenly went blank. He knew they'd just covered this exact topic in his calc class, but nothing came to mind besides "curve." He tugged at the collar of his button down, feeling uncomfortable in it all of a sudden.

"Anyone? Guess we have a bunch of dumb jocks in this class." Mr. Gold let out a chuckle. "The answer is 'parabola.' The ball travels in a parabola from the quarterback to the receiver. Now let's just say the equation representing the parabola is as follows." He turned back around and wrote a relatively simple equation on the board.

"Now obviously the dumb jock isn't going to know what the equation is when he throws the ball. He just goes off of instinct and practice. But there's so much we can figure out from knowing the exact equation. For example, we can figure out when the ball hits the ground. Any idea how we might do that?"

Bruce scoffed. Another easy question. You just sent the equation equal to zero and... and... damn it! This was supposed to be so simple to a nerd like him! His mind felt like it was slowing down. Though the football example was making more sense now. He was getting a bit invested in it and could see Sawyer was too, the other nerd having taken off his glasses to better pay attention.

"You bros really are dumb jocks, huhu." This time some of the guys in the class laughed along, their voices seeming deeper than Bruce remembered. Maybe he shouldn't have stayed up all night binging that new space documentary series. "Let's work through it together nice and slow. We set the equation equal to zero like so. Then we just need to solve for x. Simple algebra at this point. Why don't we try it ourselves and see what we get?"

Bruce tried to solve the equation in his notebook, but he found it harder to hold the pencil. His hands almost seemed meatier than they should be. His grey t-shirt felt great though. Nice and tight, just how he liked it! But seriously, who would ever need to know this stuff? Like Mr. Gold said, it's all instinct and practice anyway!

"Alright bros. Did any of my dumb jocks get the answer? You should have gotten 6 seconds. By the blank looks on your faces, it seems you all may be a bit too dumb for this. I was going to ask if any of you remembered how derivatives worked, but why don't we all go throw the ball around outside instead?"

Bruce let out a yell of approval with all the other jocks in the class. He turned to look at his best bro Sawyer and gave the hot jock a fist bump,. Who cared about any of this nerd crap anyway? He looked at the golden jersey he was wearing with pride. The Golden Army was his home, through and through. He was just in school to get a sports management degree and work full time for the best team ever made!

Mr. Gold smiled at the cheers. "Excellent. Class dismissed."

[hrrtshape]

hi emma,

yk, the ask about the possible inequality and bigotry in ur dr made me notice smth. in ur most recent post about things that are unreal but were natural in ur dr, u mentioned certain prestigious private schools like st. lazarus and le rosey only being accessible to the elite. this made me raise an eyebrow bc u mentioned how u removed all that nasty stuff, but isn't scripting stuff like that making good and quality education inaccessible to the working/middle class population? or do u have alternatives that still provide good education at an affordable fee to those who arent as extremely privileged?

there is no hate or malice in this message btw!!! its ur dr and honestly do wtv u want. love yaaa

AAA HI OKAY. i probably misspoke in my original post, my bad, my bad. so. the thing is. poverty literally does not exist in my dr. like. gone. outta here. no one is clawing their way out of some american dream nightmare, no one is rationing toothpaste, no one is fighting a raccoon over dinner scraps. just. not a thing. nonexistent.

but. okay. the fancy schools. st. lazarus, le rosey. they’re just prestige. just a name. like getting into a fancy university. connections, kewl facilities, sure. but education itself is good everywhere. and i mean everywhere. even in places where, in my cr, people think europe is a country. like. no gaps. no oh well if you went to a public school you’re kinda screwed lol. no one’s being held back because of where they were born.

and money is easy to get. embarrassingly easy. it’s not a game of oh well, you’re poor, tough luck. no class warfare, no systemic barriers. you want something????? you can have it. no one’s being exiled from good education because of a paycheck. that’s just not real.

tax evasion exists. old money, new money, yeah, still a thing. but but but but but !!!!!!! WAIT WAIT WAIT. just wait.

the difference is that none of it is life-ruining. no one is getting crushed under the weight of wealth disparity. no one is locked out of opportunity because of where they started. the whole ��if you’re born poor, you stay poor’ thing is deleted. poof. gone.

the rich still do their little rich people games, sure. but no one is suffering because of it. no one is choosing between food and rent. no one is trapped in some hellish cycle of struggle. it’s just… aesthetics at that point. flexing for sport. you can literally become rich as hell in my dr if you work for two years. everyone is rich. everyone.

like. you wanna be rich???? you can be. you wanna be comfortable and never think about money a day in your life???? also very very very very VERY possible. the gap exists, but it’s not a problem. it’s not the monster it is in our cr. it’s just. background noise. set dressing. as i mentioned, no wars, no poverty, no racism, no weird shit happening. ITS A BETTER CR FOR A REASON

hope that clears it up. mwah mwah.

[twinsimming]

TS4 to TS3 TV Channels Default Replacement by Twinsimming 📺

This mod replaces video clips from The Sims 3 TV channels containing Sims 2 characters with video clips from Sims 4 TV channels containing Sims 3 characters and adds new channels converted from The Sims 4!

Place in your Overrides folder.

Overview

Replaced Existing Channels

New Channels

Replaced Existing Channels

The following channels have had their video clips replaced:

Basic

KidZ Zone

Romantic Rendezvous

Sports Universe

Action World

Basic Plus

Cookin' Cable

New Channels

The following channels are new and available depending on the quality of your sim’s television:

Basic

TV Classics - Shows old black and white TV shows and soap operas (from Vintage Glamour Stuff)

PolitiSim - Broadcasts political debates and campaigns (from City Living)

Basic Plus

Civic Public Access - Features various shows including a sitcom, a dating show, and news broadcasts from different city festivals (from City Living)

BEtween - Features a cartoon based on MySims Agents as well as other shows for more mature kids (from Kids Room Stuff)

Premium

World Culture Network - Features documentaries about Champs Les Sims, Al Simhara and Shang Simla (from City Living)

High Definition

Music TV - Mainly shows music clips

Laugh Track (renamed from Comedy) - Shows a stand up comedy set and a parody of a late night talk show

Conflicts & Known Issues

- Conflicts with any mod that edits TV.xml file.

- Videos are no longer black and white on older/retro TVs.

- The video clips don’t fit all TVs perfectly due to the different aspect ratios. Some fit better than others.

- The video quality isn't the greatest (even when uncompressed), so if anyone knows how to upscale videos, please reach out!

Credits

EA/Maxis for The Sims 3 and The Sims 4, s3pe, s4pe, and Notepad++.

Thank You

Thank you to @simbouquet for extracting the video files and answering all of my questions, and to @riverianepondsims for testing!

If you like my work, please consider tipping me on Ko-fi 💙

Download @ ModTheSims

[canisalbus]

You might have answered this before but is there any aus or routes where Machete doesn't get assassinated, and he and Vasco get to live somewhat happy lives together? Or is the heartbreak and tragedy always set in stone?

I think in order to avoid the bad ending he'd have to resign from his position and find something less distressing to do with his life. I'm not entirely sure how that works though, I believe relinquishing cardinalship for example is extremely unusual and a big deal even in modern times, usually you hold these titles until death, retiring isn't part of the plan. And since he's had to fight tooth and nail to get where he is and his sense of self-worth is tied to it, I find it hard to believe he'd have enough sense to just leave everything behind. Besides, he was saved, raised and trained by the church, in some way he must feel like he owes his life to it.

I feel like the modern au, not that such thing exists at the moment, would be relatively happy and free of drama and tragedy. Now that I'm thinking about it, the root of Machete's problems must be health issues. In present times he wouldn't get left behind for being weak and ill so he wouldn't have any specific reason to pursue ecclesiastical career. I don't know what job he'd land but I don't think he'd be a priest. Having access to modern medicine and diagnostics would certainly help a ton, no more bloodletting, valerian root and laudanum for him. I see no reason why he and Vasco wouldn't be happily married. They'd probably travel a bunch and have a habit of frequenting snobby little bistros and overpriced restaurants. Machete would drag Vasco to museums, theatre and opera. He'd still be workaholic but with the additional boost of very strong coffee. Vasco would own some sort of garish Italian sports car. He'd be good at cooking and baking. He'd still ride horses. Maybe he'd be an avid football fan even.

[coimbrabertone]

The End of an Era - Philip Morris Has Left Ferrari

I was considering writing about the Daytona 500 and the state of superspeedway racing, but quite frankly, I didn't want to go on a super negative rant saying a thousand things that have already been said about NASCAR plate tracks.

Fortunately for me, something else happened.

The Decalspotters twitter account noticed that Philip Morris International is no longer listed on the bottom of the page sponsors on the Ferrari website. Using the wayback machine, I was able to confirm that the Philip Morris International logo was still there in November 2024, so they were removed specifically for the 2025 season.

Now, Philip Morris hasn't been on the cars in awhile. Their last attempt, on and off from late 2018 until 2022, was with Mission Winnow, a brand seemingly created for the sole purpose of subliminal advertising.

By 2023 they seemed to have abandoned this plan and the logo on the website changed from Mission Winnow to Philip Morris International, which is how it was all the way up until the end of the 2024 season.

Nobody has run with the story quite yet, but it appears that Philip Morris has finally left Ferrari.

You can still access the Philip Morris page on Ferrari.com if you search for it specifically, but the same thing applies to Santander, and we know they're gone. Ferrari has even signed UniCredit as a replacement bank sponsor.

This is huge, as Philip Morris has been in F1 in some form since 1972 and has been with Ferrari in some form since 1973 when they became a driver sponsor. 1973 to 2024 is perhaps the longest sports sponsorship ever, and even if you don't want to count the driver deals, they've been a team sponsor of Ferrari since 1984, which is still a forty year run.

So is this the end of tobacco sponsorship in F1?

Not really.

McLaren has a partnership with British American Tobacco (the same company that owned BAR and also acquired Rothmans International in 1999, which had sponsored Williams with its Rothmans and Winfield brands). BAT dodges restrictions in a number of ways, with the A Better Tomorrow subliminal advertising brands, as well as Vuse vapes and Velo nicotine pouches.

Vapes, all the health risks of cigarettes with none of the coolness.

I say that flippantly, smoking isn't cool: it stinks, and it kills you.

Tobacco liveries did, however, have a great aesthetic to them. I wish the likes of Marlboro, Player's, KOOL, Benson & Hedges, and all the rest would make like teddy bears or koala heart transplants or something because they made a lot of pretty race cars and their money funded a great deal of racing teams.

Though the problem there is that the very reason why tobacco got so big in motorsports is because they weren't allowed to sponsor anywhere else. Marlboro poured millions into Ferrari, Penske, and Ducati because those were the only places where they could still show their logos.

The most iconic racing sponsors only became iconic because their products were so deadly they couldn't advertise anywhere else.

In fact, a small part of the reason why NASCAR got so big is probably because tobacco liveries weren't that big in NASCAR. The series had a title sponsorship with Winston, and because of the Viceroy Rule - something I've discussed previously on this blog and itself a product of tobacco sponsorship - none of the other cigarette companies could touch NASCAR teams.

So instead of the best drivers being sponsored by Marlboro or Camel or West, they were sponsored by DuPont, Kellogg's, and Home Depot.

Brands that you could market to anyone, even kids.

Thus, the kids of the 90s and 2000s grew up with NASCAR diecasts and wearing M&Ms jackets instead of repping tobacco-laden F1 or CART merch.

There's a lot more to NASCAR's rise than that, but it likely has something to do with why, when the average American thinks about racing, all they know is NASCAR.

And when the entire field decides to wreck repeatedly so that the guy who starts the final lap in ninth manages to stumble into the win, that ubiquitousness of NASCAR makes all of racing look bad.

Positive though, stay positive...

How about a quick rundown on Marlboro in F1?

Well, the story begins in 1972, with Marlboro signing on to sponsor the BRM team. BRM was British, as the name British Racing Motors may suggest, but like their name also suggests, they made their own engines. BRM weren't a garagista team running the Cosworth DFV (Cozzeh!), instead, they were running their own 3.0L V12.

It was in one of these 3.0L V12 BRMs that Peter Gethin drove the car out of a giant Marlboro pack to unveil the car. The Marlboro era had begun.

They won their first race that year with Frenchman Jean-Pierre Beltoise winning in Monaco.

That was their only major success that year, as that win, paired with a 4th in Germany, and then 6th in both Austria and Germany was only good enough for 7th in the standings.

1973 was even worse, as despite running a stacked lineup of Beltoise, Clay Regazzoni, and Niki Lauda, they were still in seventh. In fact, their points total slipped from 14 to 12, and they didn't even have the saving grace of a win or a podium.

Thus, Marlboro went to McLaren for 1974, while Lauda and Regazzoni went to Ferrari, where they'd wear Marlboro patches as well.

The Marlboro McLaren partnership was obviously successful, with Emerson Fittipaldi winning the title in 1974, James Hunt in 1976, Niki Lauda in 1984, Alain Prost in 1985, 1986, and 1989, and Ayrton Senna in 1988, 1990, and 1991.

The success continued when Marlboro went to Ferrari, where Marlboro progressed from mere sponsor in 1984 to main sponsor by 1993, and finally becoming title sponsor from 1997, after the McLaren deal had ended.

Ferrari won the constructors' championship in 1999, followed by Michael Schumacher winning the drivers' championship in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. Kimi Raikkonen would add a title to the list in 2007, Ferrari's last championship to date.

The team was still officially Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro all the way up until the 2011 British Grand Prix. After that, Philip Morris' sponsorship became more subtle, first with the new-for-2011 Scuderia Ferrari logo that many accused of mimicking the Marlboro logo - and it didn't help that it took the engine cover placement that Marlboro's bar code filled until the 2010 Spanish Grand Prix - along with a similar rebrand from Ducati Corse in MotoGP.

That part is all pretty well-known, but what some people may not know if how widespread Marlboro sponsorship really was.

Back in 1973 and 1974, while Marlboro was sponsorship the BRM and McLaren teams, they also supported the original Frank Williams Racing Cars team, with the cars initially known as Iso-Marlboros.

Not too long after, Marlboro would sponsor the Alfa Romeo team from 1980 to 1983, during their McLaren years.

Then from 1988 to 1992, Marlboro would sponsor the BMS Scuderia Italia team, an Italian backmarker that is best known for becoming a Ferrari B-team in 1992 and 1993, the first of those years being with Marlboro, the latter year with Chesterfield as sponsor.

Merzario, Team Rebaque, Fittipaldi, Spirit, Rial, EuroBrun, Onyx, Arrows, Minardi, and Forti would all also carry minor Marlboro sponsorship at one point or another.

That's just the team deals, if I tried to list out all the drivers that Marlboro sponsored...we'd be here all day. Plenty of drivers would have Marlboro on their helmet or overalls with driving for a team with different sponsors.

One such case was Michele Alboreto, who was at Tyrrell in 1989 and had Marlboro paying his salary at the unsponsored team...until Ken Tyrrell secured Camel as a sponsor. Alboreto refused to break off his deal with Marlboro, so Tyrrell had to fire him and replace him with a young up-and-comer named Jean Alesi.

Michele Alboreto then lost his Marlboro sponsorship because he didn't have a ride anymore.

Two races later, Micheel Alboreto found a ride at Larrousse...which was also sponsored by Camel. Meaning Alboreto was wearing Camel stickers on his helmet and overalls anyway.

A very pointless episode, but one that kicked off the career of Jean Alesi.

Jean Alesi who would then race for the Marlboro-sponsored Ferrari from 1991 and 1995.

Tobacco money made everything go full circle.

[thehelltingvilleclub]

Matt Montgomery - Closet Geek & Closet Freak

An Adult in Eltingville that actually acts like an adult???? WHAT???

Matthieu "Matt" / "Mattie" Thomas Montgomery [02/16/1978] Not Affiliated with TEC - Known Tournament winner amongst Jerry's MTG players. Cosplayer and College student in Manhattan. AOL / Online Users: [MTM_cosplay] | [GoblinHoarder] Theme Songs: Talk talk - Charli xcx | Move Along - All American Rejects | Somebody Told Me - The Killers

Favorite Shit: Trading Cards, Puzzles, Sports cards, Cosplays, X-Men, Monsters, Kaiju, Robots/Mecha, Dr. Who, Rubicks Cubes, Hard Cover books, YAPPERS, Movie Marathons, Beast, Wolverine, MTG, D&D, Cosplay Contests

I don't know how tf to describe this man other than tired and done with everybody's shit and he hasn't been awake more than an hour. He's three years into his bachelor's degree, essentially has 3 full time jobs between cosplay, tournaments, and all of his school work PLUS TUTORING, homie barely has enough time to breathe let alone deal with the TEC. However, that doesn't mean he won't find a way to weasel himself in-- even if its.... by unconventional or rather... *unexpected* means.

Guys I have like no art of him SORRY

Mattie generally only gets introduced very sparingly during 1999-2005, essentially in passing by Jerry or Josh, but he's still present and alive during this time, obviously. Him being friends with Jerry is what gets him to recognize Josh later.

Matt is studying for a Bachelors in English Comp, specializing in Journalism.

Speaking of, Josh and Matt work together at the editors office for the Comic Book News site in the epilogue. It's how they find each other again after Matt graduates and moves back home.

Matt is from northern Vermont, around the Canadian border, and has a bit of a Canadian accent because of it.

Everyone picks on him about it except for May and Jerry, (yes, even Josh, but it eventually becomes endearing to Matt.)

MATT. LIKES. YAPPERS. He doesn't talk much, he doesn't have much to talk about. Books and papers and trying to explain gymnastics routines isn't exactly the most interesting thing in the world, y'know.

He also doesn't have the time to really subject himself to the extreme absorption that Josh and Bill can get with their comics and shows, so.. Tell him about them!

He didn't get access to a lot of the more nerdy, pop culture side of things because of his parents. They had a significantly stronger iron grip on what he and his sister were exposed to, so he never really...

well, he didn't get to express his love for the more geek-y side of life until he moved to NY for college.

He became a professional cosplayer via his roommate forcing him to post, invited to events and photoshoots for his live floor routines he'll do in character, though he almost always wears a full-face mask or enough make up that you can barely tell who he is.

he can't have his sister finding out he dresses up as a blue demon freak in his spare time, yknow? (god she'd bully the shit out of him if she did--)

He's been in gymnastics since he was in middle school, and he's actually quite good; he's on a scholarship at his university, for pete's sake.

unfortunately a bad fall broke his clavicle and made it so he can't do vault anymore, but he enjoys his time doing floor routines and fucking around on the pommel horse from time to time.

Matt also.. is weirdly envious of TEC's... closeness? The fact they barely get along and yet they're all still together, they all still try and see each other or keep in touch..

He's never had that, and it makes him horrifically jealous, but he keeps it to himself-- smile and wave, swallow it down like normal, hm?

please subject him to a movie marathon. Infodump on him everything about whatever you're fixated on. He likes listening to people's voices, so please, just do it. It doesn't bother him at all.

This man has a TEMPER. His mother and his sister have this too, and it is BAD. Matt, however, learned ways to keep his temper at bay and calm down. to an extent. Bill, however, always manages to get his blood to boil by just the mention of him, so maybe... don't

Also, Matt and Pete absolutely bicker. A lot. Matt is constantly showing off that even though he's only an inch taller, he's able to do soOOSOooo much more! and Pete is convinced that Matt isn't actually gay and is trying to steal May away (guys Pete is such a fucking jealous goober I hate him)

Meanwhile literally the only person Matt wants is Josh. Pete should open his eyes maybe but like it's fine.

HOLY SHIT GYUSY

Okay UHM Hi Matt probably won't be talked about much but if you see me Vermont Honey posting it's because I need my comfort ship back okay THanks Also the NSFW cut is coming guys It's gonna have em all And I'll draw Jane and Matt's little sister soon, as they go to school together (Jane absolutely hates her guts OOPS unfortunately she's a bitchy cheerleader so you bet Jane has a voodoo doll of her somewhere in her room).

[maxdibert]

Hello, I've been following you for some time and I love your posts and analyzes about Severus, I regularly update your blog hoping for more and I always wanted to send you something, but I never had the opportunity.

But recently I saw a video on TikTok, which I didn't pay much attention to, but I saw the comments and one of them talked about how if Harry was a woman and looked like Lily, Severus would be a pedophile and that that gave people the creeps. And I, personally, find this statement very funny, because as far as I remember, Snape never had inappropriate contact with any Hogwarts student, or with anyone, in fact. But people intentionally forget that the only person who had the opening to do this was Peter Pettigrew. Ron himself said that they slept together and, probably, Peter saw the boys, literal children, changing their clothes, but, obviously, it would be Snape who was the child predator.

Sorry if it wasn't very understandable, English isn't my first language and I'm using Google to help.

Hi! Thank you. I'm glad you like my rants and sometimes nonense lol

About your pint... Well, this is a very old story. If I had a penny for every time I’ve read someone spouting this nonsense, I wouldn’t be rich, but I’d have enough for a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant. It’s so absurd that I don’t even think it’s worth refuting, but just to clarify a few things:

Severus resents Harry for two main reasons, and neither of them has to do with being in love with Lily. It’s not something as childish as “uh, my crush married someone else.” No, there are several layers to it.

The first and most obvious is that, unfortunately, Harry is the spitting image of his father, who, unfortunately, was a jerk who spent his school years torturing people—specifically, and with great enthusiasm: Severus Snape. James spent seven years hunting him down and attacking him for sport, backed by his loyal ally Sirius Black and supported by his lackeys, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. While the latter two might not have physically assaulted Severus, they were there as enablers and complicit bystanders. Four against one, at the end of the day.

Severus never had the chance to heal from that abuse because, at 21, he was forced to return to the very place that had been hell for him. He had to teach students who were likely old enough to have witnessed some of those humiliations during his time as a student. A victim cannot heal in the place where they were consistently harmed.

Then Harry comes along, looking like an exact replica of James, and every time Severus sees him, it triggers him immensely. When he looks at Harry, he doesn’t see Lily’s son, nor does he see a child—he sees his abuser. And we all know Harry isn’t to blame for any of this, but the thing is, we can’t expect someone who isn’t acting rationally to be rational. Especially when we’re talking about someone who desperately needs therapy and probably medication, neither of which he’s ever had access to.

Then there’s another factor—a deeply emotional one—which is that Harry’s very existence is a painful reminder of Severus’s own role in Lily’s death. The fact that this kid is there, an orphan, is a constant reminder that Severus overheard a prophecy, reported it to Voldemort, and that Voldemort then chose to kill the most important person in Severus’s life because of it. It’s a perpetual mix of anger and guilt.

Looking at Harry forces Severus to relive his past as a victim, his most humiliating moments, as well as the terrible decisions he made because of them and their devastating consequences. This doesn’t excuse his behavior, but it does explain it quite well.

What I’m trying to say is that the reasons behind how he treats Harry are deeply tied to trauma. If Harry were a girl and resembled Lily, Severus would still feel deeply triggered every time he saw her. The only difference would be that instead of seeing James in her, he’d see Lily. I think, rather than anger, it would fill him with depression and guilt to such a degree that, instead of antagonizing her, he’d try to avoid her as much as possible. He wouldn’t want to get within ten miles of her because seeing her face would constantly remind him of the person he failed and indirectly condemned.

At no point do I imagine anything even remotely sexual crossing his mind. Especially when you consider that Severus never once confessed his feelings to Lily or behaved inappropriately toward her. I do think he’d act “softer,” but not because of her appearance specifically—more because Severus is always gentler toward women. I mentioned this in another post, but his more cordial relationships are almost always with female characters, and when he’s cruel, it’s typically far worse with men than with women.

People who lack even the most basic comprehension or analytical skills… Honestly, if they’re going to hate on him, the least they could do is come up with more convincing arguments. Sometimes it’s just exhausting to explain why their theories don’t make any sense.

[our-queer-experience]

I just went searching through Radblr to block people and I feel like I need to wash my eyes out.

Fascinating takes I saw include, but are not limited to:

- "Libfems" are sexist for saying that women are as strong as men and should be allowed to play the same sports

- Voting for conservative politicians is okay because banning trans healthcare is more important than protecting things like abortion access

- It's also somehow trans people's fault if we get a conservative politician who targets abortion

- Asexual women are mentally ill and should try sex to "heal"

- But, also, sex is inherently traumatizing and TERFs should be celibate, even with other women

- There is no homophobia, biphobia, or aphobia in radfem spaces, and you're a misogynist if you suggest there is

- There is also no racism or ableism in radfem spaces, and again, you're a misogynist if you suggest there is

- Having pets is unethical because it mirrors men's ownership over women

- Being asked for your pronouns or filling out a form that has a third option for gender is literally traumatizing

- Trans people are Everywhere which makes going anywhere or doing anything Unsafe somehow

The saddest thing to me was an asexual radfem who seemed to be constantly arguing with other radfems about her orientation because they kept telling her it isn't healthy to be asexual and she's only ace because of men. I hope she makes it out of there okay.

god. yeah.

[thearchercore]

charles renewalgate, PR insights

charles renewed! yay! but was it an ordinary renewal announcement? hell no! so let's unpack that!

first interesting thing about the announcement was the leaking of it in the morning by spanish press. "Carlos Miquel leaked the news about the announcement earlier today; we can see what type of articles he wrote before, as we know he has links with the sainz family" which was very odd by itself because even the closest journalists of ferrari didn't know. it's all part of fred's 2024 strategy of tightening the access to information from maranello.

so the leak obviously came from the carlos gang who knew about it internally. why would they leak it? questionable. people discuss it's to gain public sympathy for carlos who is still struggling to lock a contract (and holds his singapore win as the great reason why he shouldn't be dropped).

then we got new information today about carlos talking with audi:

🚨 | Audi is a possible alternative for Sainz if progress isn't made in Ferrari negotiations.

Both parties will consider their options as talks waver

this is him applying the charles 2023 strategy when he used the red bull move allegations to put pressure on ferrari between qatar-las vegas (also known as the lestappengate)

now moving on, what was odd about the charles contract? not specifying its length. we got multiple quotes: CHARLES: "Today we are announcing that i'm signing for more years" FERRARI: "Charles Leclerc who therefore will continue to drive for the Italian team in the Formula 1 World Championship beyond the 2024 season."" CHARLES: "I’m very pleased to know that I will be wearing the Scuderia Ferrari race suit for several more seasons to come." the way the length is not specified is simply odd. it's not usual for a driver/team to not specify the timeline. only lance has that, but for different reasons as you may know. pr statements like these are SO perfectly curated, they go through multiple people, so this is a very deliberate choice. how it will unpack? we'll have to see.

charles took creative control of the announcement. while ferrari posted the classic graphic - a standard for renewals in f1 for other teams, charles went above and beyond and with his creative PR team put together a personal video that he even composed a song for. INSANITY. what does it say? compared to other announcements, he made it his own. and ferrari let him. why? because now he can, and they let him do it because he most likely negotiated all that and they just have to support him and not be the main source of his public pr -- he now has his own PR moves that he prioritizes over the ferrari ones.

f1 is going crazy! they posted a supercut of charles moments which is not a standard move at all, usually they just post the renewal graphic. they also teased the announcement with a few charles focused clips in the past week leading up to today.

why? well, it comes down to Stefano Domenicali, the CEO of F1 who has a lot of influence on the sport. he was vocal about a missing rivalry in the sport, and how the red bull dominance decreased interest in the sport as of recent. charles is exactly what they need, they want people to promise an intense red bull/ferrari rivalry so pushing charles on social platforms helps form the narrative.

i will further explore all interesting insights in the new tag: ferrari renewalgate bc i am noisy

[betterbemeta]

I like the cockroach spirit of posts going around to encourage queer community in the USA during this current time. I think that's valuable.

Where some of them are losing me though is 'do you know how to DIY HRT'? Which is definitely a valuable knowledge to have! You should know all that is possible regardless of what choices you make. But I think we need to have a chat about illegalism. okay.

Illegalism is: "illegal actions, seen through a lens of praxis, ideology, systemic activity."

When you tell someone that they should/must be prepared to break the law for their safety, security, survival, or even just because it's a stupid law, illegalism has entered the discussion.

in the USA, Testosterone is classified as a Schedule-III controlled substance. The penalty for illegal possession and use is not as high as Schedule I or II. But we should still understand what its status means, beyond the concept of 'magnitude of punitive consequences' when we talk about it. Illegalism can help us do that.

Public understanding of illegality is pretty much dog shit where I live, starting in early childhood. We typically are taught early that it's bad to break the law, without a need to know what any laws actually are in detail. Or how they're enforced aside from 'by the police,' or the level of knowledge enforcers have, what the objectives of said laws are, and if you had any say in the process. The idea of 'criminals' is hazy at best, like, 'bogeymen.' Religion definitely pollutes this, like 'a criminal' is a Bad Person, Unlawful, Sinner, Punishable, etc.

But this means many people think of 'crimes' in very limited ways, or don't update this knowledge over time. I think it would be fair to say that it's common to think, 'when it's hard to compete, some people cheat.' It's very popular to believe that it's 'easier' to do illegal, dishonest, illegitimate actions as if these are all the same concept. They aren't.

But that narrative seems to 'make sense' as its commonly applied to a doping scandal. That person couldn't win a sports competition fairly. So they took testosterone, or a steroid. That's easier than 'competing fairly,' isn't it?

No! It's way more expensive, riskier to get and use a prohibited substance than to not do that.

In reality, illegal actions are harder than legal ones. This has nothing to do with whether this is a moral or immoral action, enforcement of the law is only about making some actions harder to accomplish than others.

This is not always enforced by the cop form of violence, the prison form of violence. Sometimes it's enforced by the fine form of violence. Or the 'fee' form-- others are 'allowed' to capitalize on the barrier to access. Scarcity can do the job with years-long waiting lists or every warehouse out of stock of something you're technically allowed to obtain. Inconvenience can be enforcement too: requiring so much time or effort that it's easier to quit than to complete the process... if it even has an end.

Some things are hard to 'successfully' prohibit even by all of these means. The consequences may be enormous and brutal if the police raid your 1950s gay scene, but it costs people very little money, frustration, time to 'go to the same place as other people in your local area.' This is because many non-illegal activities require 'walking around', 'meeting people'-- laws against 'crossdressing' or 'soliciting' are often written to select 'the criminals' out of a bunch of people doing ordinary things.

But can you tell me your plan to DIY some Adderall? Do you know how to make Adderall? Do you know a drug dealer? Can you pay the price they set? Can you protect yourself from that person's level of risk as well as manage your own? Are you capable of giving informed consent about the Adderall you obtain-- if it's just some cornstarch in a pill jacket, do you have a way to test that?

If you answered yes to these things, you probably have more resources than some people who will hear 'just DIY it.' Yes, that includes 'do you know a drug dealer.' Drug dealers aren't 'those things poor people know.' And someone who currently pays nothing for their medication via a govt. program, and loses access to that program, is not going to be helped by The Ability To Buy Weed In The State of Georgia.

So we can now understand that unlike walking, meeting people, 'obtaining restricted substances' is an extremely specific behavior that authorities assume no 'normal' people need to do. Even crossdressing in the 1950s, dresses had to be available for women so the sale of dresses, creation of them couldn't be regulated. Laws are enforced at the stage that 'selects the criminal'-- if that enforcement is absolute, you may not be able to break a specific law at all even if you wanted to. DIY me some Plutonium-239.

But what difference does it make if Adderall, HRT, become simply so difficult to access that they might as well be weapons-grade plutonium even to people who legally could obtain them? That's already true for some people, and if conditions continue to deteriorate could apply to more people. How do you 'DIY' your way out of that? (Hint: it may require...)

"Be prepared to break the laws you can break," is a less attractive statement, isn't it?

It's necessary. But it also admits that some of us may not be able to successfully resist oppression even by illegal means. Or at least not completely, or in all ways. Some of us could just be stuck experiencing the material consequences of losing human rights. The scope of illegal actions some will be capable of will be like, shoplifting laundry detergent. violating a lease, working extra unreported jobs, squatting. Rioting. While not being on T.

[joelslegalwhre]

Hey!! was just looking to request a little something, if you don't want to/don't have the time I don't mind.

So, like a Max V x Reader where reader is Toto's daughter. Reader and Toto doesn't have a good relationship because she isn't very interested in the Mercedes team and after a petty fight he kicks her out of the house, max hears them fighting (they're in the paddock) and offers to host reader and as time goes, they start to build a relationship and then everyone finds out about it. Also if it could take place under the 2021 season. 🏎️🤍

*sips on dr pepper* Alright Toto my beloved, it‘s time to be a bitch

Thank u sm for the request anon! I made some small changes to the plot but nothing major xx

Paddock Pass pt.1

pairing: max verstappen x fem!reader, dad!toto wolff x fem!reader

word count: 1.6k

summary: After Toto takes your paddock pass, Max comes to your rescue. You didn‘t think that rescue would lead to something much bigger. (Pls trust me this is good, I just suck at summaries)

warnings: angst, fighting, bad dad-daughter dynamics, fluff, mutual pining turning into more, use of Y/N one time, not really proofread (anything else? Tell me if I missed something)

Masterlist || taglist || part one || part two || part three

There wasn't a year when you hadn't attended at least half of the grand prix. And this year was no different. 

Your job allowed you to work from everywhere you liked, so it was the perfect opportunity to follow your dads team around the world. 

The Mercedes Formula One team was something you’d consider family. 

You knew everyone by name, some of them knew you since you were only a few years old, attending your first races. 

But you never cared for the strategies, the way the cars worked, or anything in that field. 

You were here for the excitement of the races, the familiarity and the people. The drivers, the mechanics, the strategists or the people working for the media… they were close to your heart, and you couldn't imagine not being part of this world.

Even if you weren't the least bit interested in the details; you knew everything about the sport, you just didn't want to go into detail why the car would work better if you added this thing to whatever part of the car that your dad had explained to you so many times. 

But Toto Wolff would not understand that. And he made it very clear. 

In his eyes, you should be just as interested in all aspects of the sport. To be like him, you thought.

„You know what, Dad? Shocker, but not everyone shares your fucking interests and cares for them as much as you do!" 

You've never talked to him like that, but you've had enough. "I know I'm not the daughter you'd like to have," you continued, „I really don't care  about the aerodynamics of Lewis‘ car and how it's different to Valtteris'! I simply don't care!" 

You felt hot tears burning in your eyes, but you managed to blink them away. Barely, but he didn't have to see them. "They all know that," these damn tears wouldn't stop, you thought, "Everyone except for you, Dad.

The disappointment in your voice was clear as day, "Why do you even take me with you, when you don't just accept me as I am?" Your lips were pressed in a tight line, the tears still on the verge of falling. 

"You're right." Toto said in the coldest voice you might've ever heard from him, his accent thick, „I don't have to drag you with me anywhere, you're an adult after all. But I also don't have to give you access to the paddock, nor to the garage or anywhere else."

You clenched your teeth, hard. He just had to snap his fingers and your all access pass was worth nothing. You couldn't enter the paddock, couldn’t go anywhere else. And he knew, clear as day, that you couldn't just take a plane back home. You needed the money to pay your rent and couldn't just waste it on a plane ticket that was way too expensive. 

But you wouldn't give in this time, no, if he wanted to punish you for telling him the truth, fine. But he couldn't just humiliate you like he did right now. You grabbed the all access pass hanging from your neck and shoved it in his hand. "Take it then." you said, your voice matching his cold tone. 

Max was hearing every part of it. He'd noticed your voice just before he walked past the Mercedes facility, stopping dead in his tracks when he heard the tone of your words. The voice he had heard so many times, the kindness you always spoke with. All gone. And then Toto's. Just as horribly cold. The two of you were standing between the facilities, so he pretended to be on his phone answering someone, so he could wait in front of his own facility. 

"Take it then." he heard you say in a bitter tone, and just a moment later, you walked past him. He could tell that you were upset. Hell, everyone could've. The way you almost ran out of the paddock and tried to blink away the tears - of sadness, anger, or possibly both, he couldn't tell - it was obvious. Max waited another moment, and when he saw Toto returning to the Mercedes facility, he quickly followed you.

He had to quicken his pace, due to your fast steps. Some were curiously watching where he wanted to be so quickly, but he didn't notice them, just trying to catch up to you. "Hey," he called after you, "wait for me!" 

You didn't hear him, and even if you did, you wouldn't think he'd meant you. It was when he called out your name, that you finally turned around. 

"Thank you." he said, taking a deep breath. He stopped right at your side. "Ehm," you looked at him in utter confusion, still trying not to be obvious of your emotions. "Can I help you, Max?" 

You haven't seen him, when you walked past the Red Bull building, too focused on what to do now. 

„Uhm, yeah, I mean… Can we find a-„ he looked around, “a more private place to talk?” 

His gaze was filled with sincerity and softness. You needed a second to answer him. „Uhm, yes. Of course.“ you quietly said. 

“Great.” Max gently took your wrist and led you to a more secluded place between two facilities. The grip he had on your wrist turned into him sliding his hand in yours. It didn‘t surprise you how the skin where he had touched you tingled, the feeling of your hand in his a feeling you could never quite explain. It was childish, but ever since he started driving for Red Bull, you had a crush on him. You obviously never told your Dad or anyone else about it, hell would've broken loose if you did. 

“I was actually heading out of the paddock,“ you started, “I don't have a pass anymore.” 

His lack of confusion or surprise to that made you draw your brows together, and then he simply answered, „I know.” 

“So what are you-„ you started, but he interrupted you, “I know it's not the most gentlemen thing to do, but I heard all of the-“ he thought for a second, “discussion, between you and your Dad.” he ended. 

That actually made you smile a little, he tried his best to be as gentle as possible and you appreciated it. „It’s okay, Max. I guess everyone kind of heard us.” you sighed, „We had a fight, and he kicked me out.” a bitter smile formed on your lips. 

„Yeah, but he can't kick you out of the paddock.” Max's lips turned into a mischievous smile. “What do you mean?” He looked at your hand and his thumb caressed it for a second. „I'll give you one of mine.” 

„Max,“ you started a little shocked, but he quickly shook his head, „It's really no problem at all,“ he smiled, „It would be an honor to have you in the garage.“ he winked.

His knees almost buckled at the sight of you.

He had given you one of his spare Red Bull shirts. It was a little too big for you, but you had styled it perfectly, the new pass dangling from your neck with every step you took.

You looked absolutely beautiful. And you weren't walking past his garage like you usually would, because his garage was the one you'd watch the race in. It filled him with a sort of pride he couldn't explain. Never in a million years, had he dared to believe you'd be rooting for him and his team. Little did he know, you did since meeting him for the first time. 

"Hey," you greeted him with a warm smile. Max was glad that you seemed to be in a much better mood than yesterday. „Hey.“ he grinned. „Is this-„ you gestured over your outfit and pass, „Is it really okay with the team?“ 

You were a little nervous how they'd react to you being in the garage. Nearly everyone knew you were Toto's daughter. And although you knew most of the other teams, including the people who worked for them, you felt quite nervous. „It is.“ His voice had no trace of uncertainty in it. And when he grabbed your hand for the second time since your encounter yesterday, your stomach did a little happy flip. 

„Alright, I have to go, but you can just go over there to watch the race,“ he pointed to your left, „But I guess it's no different to the Mercedes garage, so…“ he laughed. You smiled and chuckled, „It isn‘t, but thank you.“ He gave you a small nod, still smiling. „No Max, really. Thank you.“ Your voice became more serious, and you looked at him with utter gratitude. 

Just when he gave your hand a light squeeze, you noticed that you must've still been holding hands. „I already told you it's no problem, I'm glad you are here.“ You couldn‘t tell the look on his face, you just knew that he was standing so very close to you that only a few centimeters separated the two of you. His gaze wandered from your eyes to your lips. His hand that caressed yours as you still watched him with such intensity, trying to figure out what he was thinking, but at the same time just taking him in. „Y/N, I-„ he started whispering, so close to your own lips, just so very close. 

„Max! We need you over here!“

The voice made both you and Max look up, almost startled. He turned around to the mechanic, and nodded quickly before turning back to you. 

But the moment was gone. You took a step back, letting go of his hand in the process. You smiled at him, though nervously, „Good luck, champ.“. And with that you left him standing there, your heart still aching for so much more than a simple ‚good luck‘. 

I appreciate your comments and reblogs so much!

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