#we got to see this a little in miss americana as well with ME! but these moments feel more organic

[titsthedamnseason]

the video of taylor and gracie songwriting is amazing. it reminds me of the famous getaway car clip….its just so cool to see how her songwriting brain works in real time

[daisyswift3]

🧩🍂🍁

Ok I could be completely wrong and seeing patterns that aren’t there (it wouldn’t be the first time) but I think Ed Sheeran and Sabrina Carpenter might come out tomorrow. I think they’re the next dominoes to cascade or FALL after Shawn Mendes. Let me explain

The 10th and 11th 🎃 messages -> Oct (10) and Nov (11) -> “the turn of the decade beFALLs the facade” -> “it was the end of a decade (the end of Oct or 10th month) but the start of an age” -> Change -> revolution/The Hunger Games ⚡️🏹😈🎯🔥 -> HALLOWEEN COSTUMES in the 11th 🎃 message -> Ed's gay little monkey meme costume and Elton John esque pfp (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) and Sabrina's Tinkerbell costume 🧚 (Tinkerbell connects to the Peter Pan metaphor, growing up = coming out of the closet 🚪) (Sabrina is the one on the rollercoaster 🎢) -> Enchanted Forest and fairy wings 🧚 in 10th 🎃 message (OUT Of The Woods, “screaming color 🌈,” “somber woodland fairies”) -> “I hope your Halloween is enchanted” in 14th 🎃 message -> passing the torch/relay race/Paris Olympics/Nothing New, “she’ll know the way and then she’ll say she got the map from me” // “my bare hands paved their paths,” (x) -> Death with Dignity in Gracie’s playlists // Die With A Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars // funerals 🖤 // my tears ricochet eras tour performance and visuals // Billie’s Hit Me Hard and Soft album cover which is her free falling out of a closet door and drowning in the deep end (the deep end in Gracie’s Risk and Under/Over, Lizzy’s Pushing It Down and Praying, “softer, harder, in between”, Gregory’s Mistakes, Guilty as Sin?, “you’ve made your bed now lie in it”) -> Castles Crumbling (PLURAL bc multiple artists’ castles are crumbling in this mass coming out, there’s an intentional ‘s typo which connects it to the “i’s” in the 14th 🎃 message and to all the other intentional glitches/errors) -> Lizzy’s All Falls Down -> Jump Then Fall -> Birds of a Feather/The Albatross -> 2nd 🎃 message -> Gregory’s The Fall and Before the Sun (55 mile signs and Gaga’s Smile being changed to sMILE on Spotify) (x) -> All Too Well (Sad Girl Autumn Version) bc autumn is FALL 🍂🍁 -> “autumn leaves FALLING DOWN like PIECES INTO PLACE” 🧩 -> “and all the pieces fall right into place” -> “and just like clockwork the dominoes cascaded in a line” -> Gracie’s Cool, “I'm actin' bored, it's my right, after all the love that you bombed” -> “tick tick tick of love bombs” -> tick tick tick BOOM 🧨🌋🕰️ (TNT, the reticent volcano) -> going back to the Halloween costumes, Taylor was dressed as a squirrel and there was Project Acorn bc the mass coming out movement (The Story of Us/The Manuscript/the film) is “nuts” lol (x) -> Ed Sheeran’s insta having an acorn and 🍂 for his Autumn Variations album -> Run ft Ed Sheeran (the relay race metaphor) -> Red being a FALL 🍂🍁 album

I think this all ties into the election too hence all the red, white, and blue and 4th of July easter eggs lately 🇺🇸 (Gregory’s Before the Sun mentions the 4th of July). And I think that’s why Karlie (Miss Americana, KARma) wore the Kill Bill costume 👀 -> Better Than Revenge Spotify canvas and TSMWEL eras tour visuals -> shattering glass ceilings -> “The Mountain: ‘You can say I like girls or boys; So call it what you want, call it what you want’” in the anon message -> Coldplay’s iAAM (i Am A Mountain): “I got this feeling that the ceiling is for bursting through…I got this feeling I can summon up lightning…Everyone taking aim, Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain” -> “Dear reader when you aim at the devil make sure you don’t miss” ⚡️🏹😈🎯🔥 -> The Archer/Katniss

[jessicaloons]

Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince:

Chapter 6

Masterlist - Previous - Next

The Heartbreak Prince

23 April 2023:

"She’s gorgeous. Look at this beautiful girl." Pascale Leclerc cooed at her granddaughter, eyes full of love.

"She really is. And she’s so small… like a little doll." Charles smiled, watching his mother cradling his daughter to her chest, when his phone rang "That’s Fred. I have to take it."

"It’s okay, don’t worry, I’ll stay here with my beautiful, little girl." his mother said, not looking up from the bundle of joy in her arms.

Charles walked outside, accepting the call.

"Fred…"

"I got your text earlier. Congrats Charles, mother and daughter both okay?" his team principal asked.

"Yeah. Both healthy."

"That’s good. Really good. And the rest- umm… everything arranged?"

"Yeah. It’s been taken care of." Charles sighed.

"Good, good… I really don’t like to do this Charles- but I have to ask. Will

you race in Baku? I would understand if you didn’t want to… but- well it’s Baku. You always been quite good there, so I think… maybe…" Fred stuttered a little, as a father himself, he knew what he asked of his young driver.

"No. I have to… I said I would do everything in my power to be able to do both. Race and be a good father…" Charles replied, although he honestly didn’t want to leave his precious girl behind.

"You don’t have to come with everyone else, be here on the 27th, for media day, that’s fine…" his Team Principal suggested and he nodded slowly.

"Thanks Fred, see you in Baku."

"See you in Baku…"

Charles pocketed his phone, leaning against the wall when the door to the hospital room opened, his mother looking outside.

"You need to feed her, come on in…" she smiled at her son and Charles pushed himself off the wall, following her back in.

The gorgeous baby girl scrambled in the little crib, soft cries leaving her.

"Here, it’s warm. Take her and sit down…" his mother instructed him and he did as told.

After a couple of minutes a comfortable silence fell over the room. Only the newborn’s tiny sounds while eagerly suckling on the bottle were to be heard.

Charles eyes were full of love and adoration for the tiny human being in his arms, to think he would only have 4 days until he had to leave his little girl for the first time hurt him beyond belief. But he knew that he made a promise. He would do everything to give his daughter the best life possible.

"It’s just you and me, mon ange… just you and me, but I promise you, I will do everything to keep you safe, keep you happy." Charles leaned down to gently kiss his little girls forehead "I love you, my beautiful Ava."

"And this will be your room, I mean, when you’re a little older of course. I know, it’s nothing special. It needs colour, decoration, maybe even different furniture… but I wanted to have the nursery ready before you were born… we change that, don’t worry, pretty girl." Charles cradled his daughter to his chest, standing in the middle of the plain, white nursery. It looked sterile. Cold. He knew it. He just didn’t have the time to change it until now "You’ll sleep in my bedroom for now anyways… here, I show you…" he walked outside the nursery, down the hallway, through the door at the end "This is where we sleep, how do you like it?" he looked down at the sleepy baby girl, chuckling "It’s not like you’re going to answer, right? I guess your silence means you love it…"

"I hate it, I want my own bedroom, daddy!" Joris' high pitched voice behind him made Charles roll his eyes "I thought you’re a millionaire, why do we have to share a room?"

"Ha-ha, very funny…" the Ferrari driver turned around, glaring at his best friend "Before she’ll move into her nursery, I need to make it homely first. Worthy of my little princess." his eyes softened as soon as he looked back down into the baby’s face.

"You still got time, don’t worry. For now, you should enjoy the next couple of days with her, before leaving for Baku…"

"I can’t believe that I’m saying that, but I don’t want to race, I want to stay here with her, I don’t want to miss anything she’s learning, or doing for the first time!" the new father sighed.

"I know. But let’s face it, Ava is only 3 days old, she won’t do much besides sleeping and pooping…" Joris shrugged his shoulders.

"Watch it, Trouche, or I’m rethinking my choice of making you her godfather." Charles turned slightly, smiling at his best friend.

"Wha-… are you-… are you serious? M- me? Godfather?" he stumbled over his own words, eyes wide as he stared at the young father with his daughter in front of him.

"I’m serious, yeah… I mean, obviously only if you wa-…"

"Yes! YES! Of course! I just… I didn’t think you would choose me? Lorenzo? Or Arthur… but… wow. WOW!" Joris stepped closer, looking at the little angel in her father’s arms, his goddaughter "My beautiful Ava. I will try to be the best godfather, I promise!"

"And you know what? One of your first duties is to help me change her diaper… I did it the last days with maman’s or a nurses help… but now… I’m scared…"

"I mean, how hard can it be?" Joris chuckled and followed Charles to the changing table, where he gently laid down his little bundle of joy.

"Yeah, shouldn’t be that big of a problem." the new dad shrugged.

It was a problem. A big problem. And when ten minutes later the little girl was all fresh and dressed up, both young men slid down on the floor, leaning against the bed and drawer.

"I will have nightmares of this- this experience…" Joris mumbled and Charles nodded slowly.

"How can this precious, sweet little thing create such an atrocity?" he looked down at his daughter, who dozed off already, letting out the sweetest sounds.

"And now look at her! All cute and adorable!" Joris smiled and his best friend scooted over a little.

"Do you want to hold her?" he asked and looked at him.

"Umm-… sure. But you have to show me, I never held a baby that little!"

"I’ll show you, don’t worry…" Charles replied and showed Joris exactly how to held his little baby girl.

"Oh wow… oh wow… she’s so tiny…" Joris mumbled, looking at his goddaughter "She’s so cute…"

"She is perfect… I know that it won’t be easy, being here for her, taking care of her. My career. Keeping her safe from my crazy life. The media. My fans. I know the next months, maybe years will be pretty tough… but when I look at her? I just know it all will be worth it." Charles almost whispered, his gaze softening.

"I think you’re right… I mean, just look at her…" Joris replied, gently taking Ava’s hand in his much bigger one, inspecting her tiny fingers.

"I know this all was unusual. A drunk one night stand. Hiding her mother away from everyone. Keeping her a secret? But I would do it all over again, just to have her…"

Joris looked up at Charles, smiling at the way how his best friend’s soft gaze lingered on his baby girl. A content smile on his lips. His eyes full of love. He always knew that Charles would be an amazing father one day, the way he treated his little fans a clear indicator, but seeing it happening before his eyes made his own heart double in size.

"She’s your little girl."

"My little girl. My princess." Charles whispered, gently kissing his daughter’s tiny hand "My everything."

Baku 2023:

"Question for Charles, you only arrived today, everything okay? I’ve, and I’m sure I’m not the only one, noticed that you’re a little pale?" a reporter asked at the press conference and Charles picked up the microphone, clearing his throat.

"I’m good, thanks. I had to sort out something back at home, nothing bad, don’t worry, just a family- a private matter. It’s all good and I’m here, ready to race." he said it with a big smile on his face.

A smile he kept for the rest of the press conference. A fake smile. Leaving Ava behind after not even a full week hurt. It didn’t sit right with him. But he promised his team he would race. He promised him being a father now wouldn’t affect his career and he planned on keeping that promise.

"You’re alright mate?" Max asked when they left the press conference and Charles nodded "Everything alright at home?"

"Yeah, sure… it was just-… my mum. She was sick, nothing serious, but there were some things we had to take care off. Her hair salon. Stuff, you know?" the Monegasque was a horrible liar and he knew he had to improve in order to keep his secret under wraps.

"Okay-… well, I’m glad she’s good again?" Max replied.

"Hmm. Yeah. All good…"

"Alright. What do you think? Another pole this year here?"

"I much rather would start in P2 but actually win the race… but honestly? I’m not having much hope." Charles sighed, thinking about the weekend ahead, hoping for a decent outcome at least. And when Sunday came and he sat in the plane back home late at night, the smile on his face wasn’t just from being happy to see his daughter again, but also from a second place in the sprint race and a third place in the main race. His mood was only dampened by the fact that he would have too little time with his baby girl, considering he had to catch his flight on Thursday to Miami, but even if it would only be for 10 minutes, Charles would take the detour. Every single second with his daughter was precious.

"Hey my little princess…" Charles cooed at his little one, inhaling the unique newborn smell, sighing contently when he finally made his way back home "I’m back baby girl and this time I’m staying for longer than just a day!"

He thought back to last week when he made a quick stop over in between Baku and Miami, hating to leave her after only a day already.

"She was a perfect little angel." Pascale smiled, packing her granddaughters bag "Are you sure you want to drive home? You could stay here?"

"No, I really should go home. I have to get used to taking care of her alone…" Charles replied.

"Okay, here, I’ve got her a car seat." Pascale sat down the Maxi-Cosi and helped her son buckling in the little baby girl "If you need anything, call me, okay?"

"Will do. Thanks Maman, for taking care of her." Charles kissed his mother’s cheek, who gently squeezed his arm.

"I told you, we’re all helping you. It’s going to be fine. And now off you go. It looks like it’s about to rain soon…"

And Pascale was right, the moment Charles left the underground parking garage in his car the first drops fell and by the time he reached his own home it was already raining cats and dogs. But it was good like this. Not many people out in the streets. No one walking up to his car to take a picture. When he took Ava out of the carrier and laid her down in her crib he dialled his brother’s number.

"Hey Charles, how’s Ava?" Lorenzo asked and Charles rolled his eyes a little.

"What about me?" he pouted, gently stroking Ava’s cheek.

"You’re right, sorry! How are you? How is Ava?" his older brother chuckled.

"We are both doing fine. But I realised something today…"

"Yeah? And that’s what?"

"I need a new car. A bigger one. A safer one. With tinted windows. I can’t risk someone recognising me and then coming closer, taking pictures and spotting Ava. Chasing us…" Charles quietly left his bedroom, leaving the door a crack wide open.

"Okay, yeah that shouldn’t be a problem."

"Good… and now I have a week with my little one before I have to leave her yet again…" the young father sighed.

"Although I don’t know how you must feel, but let me tell you this. Formula 1 is your job, it’s been your life the past few years and you’re on a good way of finally making one of your biggest dreams come true… don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re doing your job, so it’s okay. And it’s not like you leave Ava all alone! You leave her with Maman who adores her!" Lorenzo said and Charles nodded slightly.

"You’re right… I know that… it just… it sucks a little…"

"Enjoy your week off with her for now, okay? The rest we’ll figure out! In the meantime I’ll check some cars out for you!"

"Thanks Enzo…"

"No worries little bro…"

Charles sat in his bed, Ava comfortably snuggled into his chest, watching the news about the weather in Italy.

"Looks terrifying, no?" Arthur said quietly, walking inside "I’m not even sure if we’re racing…"

"Yeah… and look at all the damage. Those poor people…" Charles sighed.

"Isn’t umm-… Alessia and her family aren’t they living in the Emilia Romagna region?" Arthur said hesitantly and by the way his brother’s head snapped up, looking at him he held up his hands "Sorry… I shouldn’t have said that…"

"You’re right. You shouldn’t have. I don’t know where they are. I don’t care where they are. I hope they’re safe, like everyone affected, but that’s it. I don’t know these people. I don’t want to know these people."

"I have food for you, from Maman…" Arthur tried to change the topic and Charles was more than happy about it.

"I’m starving…" he replied and his little brother nodded.

"I’ll go and fix a plate for you and then you can eat and I snuggle with my little bumblebee…" he left the bedroom and Charles looked down at Ava again.

She slowly opened her eyes, yawning and squirming a little.

"Hi my little princess…" Charles whispered, leaning down, kissing his daughter’s cheek "Did you have a nice nap, baby girl?"

He had to chuckle. He used to shake his head at people who exaggerate using a baby voice when tending to their babies. But now he was just like that, cooing at his little girl with a high pitched voice, waiting for a reply that wouldn’t come.

"Here you go… and now I want my little bumblebee…" Arthur sat down a plate on his older brothers night stand, looking at his niece, smiling when Charles gently laid her down in his arms "She’s so fu-…"

"Arthur!"

"- freaking cute! So incredibly, incredibly cute!" he cooed at the little girl in his arms.

"That she is…" Charles replied "I don’t want to leave on Monday… but it’s Imola, there is a ton of events Silvia couldn’t pull me out off, so I have to go…"

"I don’t want to leave either, staying here would mean no fu- messed up race weekend…" Arthur mumbled and Charles looked up from his plate.

"Don’t be too hard on yourself, Arthur…" he began but Arthur shook his head.

"4 race weekends, 8 races and only one P3… no win, no pole position, mostly finished out of the points, crashes here and there… I guess I’m just not good enough…" he sighed.

"Hey! Stop that! It’s only the beginning of the season, you need time to get used to an F2 car!" Charles sat down his plate, looking at his little brother "You wouldn’t have made it into F2 if you weren’t good enough!"

"Everyone is saying I only made it because of you…"

"What? Who’s saying that?" Charles was confused.

"Everyone. It’s everywhere, experts, journalists, they all say it. Or write it." Arthur replied, smiling at Ava holding onto his finger with a tight grip.

The older Leclerc brother grabbed his phone, opening Google typing in his brother’s name and to his shock, his little brother was right. He clicked on the first YouTube video, not wanting to believe that people would say things like that.

"… now let’s talk about his team mate, Arthur Leclerc…" the blonde woman said, looking at her two male co-hosts.

"Leclerc didn’t have the best start of the season and some people start wondering if he deserves a seat in F2 and of course how much his brother had to do with him having a seat." the dark haired reporter said, while the blonde haired guy next to him nodded.

"Don’t get me wrong. Racing is in the Leclerc brother’s blood. But I guess you can say, when back in the day their parents had to decide which brother could continue and which had to stop, they made the right choice."

Furiously he exited the app, locking his phone.

"Are you watching that?" he looked at his little brother who only shrugged his shoulders "If they can’t talk shit, they’re not satisfied."

"But they’re right, no? I’m not having a good season. I am not good enough…" Arthur mumbled "So yeah… I guess it really made sense that mum and dad put all their money on you instead of me…"

"It had nothing to do with who was better, Arthur! I was older, already further into my racing career. That was it. Nothing else." Charles said and Arthur sighed.

"If you say so." he shrugged.

Charles got off from his bed and sat down on the stool in front of his brother.

"This all, racing, it’s already tough enough without all that bullshit coming from so called experts and you know it! It had nothing to do with me, that you got your seat, Arthur! You had an amazing season in F3. You won the Formula Regional Asian Championship. That’s what got you your seat. You have proven that you’re good enough. Got it?" he said, looking at his younger brother intently who just nodded after a while, his eyes still trained on his niece "And now come on. I want to go for a little walk with her, and now that Enzo brought my new car, we can drive a little out of town to somewhere quiet. Let’s worry about racing and that all tomorrow again, okay?"

"Okay… but just so you know, I’ll sit next to her in the car, I just love looking at her…" Arthur smiled a little and Charles chuckled.

"Same, Arthur, same."

"It’s cancelled. You can go home." Mia said and Charles cocked an eyebrow.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah… I know you just arrived early this morning… but it’s official. You won’t race. You can go home." she smiled at him and it didn’t take Charles longer than 5 minutes to pack his bag and leave.

"Hey! You’re leaving?" Carlos.

Charles stopped dead in his tracks and turned around slowly "I thought we had this dinner with some sponsors later on? Discuss what we can do to help? Or at least that’s what Silvia said?"

He was right. Silvia told him about it, but also said that if the race got cancelled she would make Carlos attend alone.

"Yeah-… umm. I know… it’s just- there is a family emergency back home. I have to go." Charles lied and his team mate looked at him empathically.

"Oh shit, mate. I hope nothing too serious?"

"No. It’s, it’s not too bad, but I have to check in and make sure it stays that way."

"Alright. Do that. And take care, the streets are flooded at some parts and the re-routing isn’t working at all times…" the Spaniard clapped his back and Charles smiled at him.

"Will do, thanks. And sorry for leaving you alone with Silvia and the wolves…" he felt bad.

"Don’t worry, cabrón."

Charles slipped into his car, starting the engine, his mind already at home with his little one. He drove off the Ferrari premises and quickly made his way to the motorway, thankfully without any serious delays or issues. When he finally arrived back home in Monaco and parked his car he leaned back in his seat. Closing his eyes for a minute. He flinched when his phone beeped and he saw a text from his manager, Nicolas, coming through. A new brand collaboration. He sighed, closing the message and getting out of the car. Another gig would mean more time away from his daughter. Something he didn’t like.

Charles quietly closed the door behind him, slipping of his shoes, when he heard the soft voice of his mother, cooing at her. He stood in the doorway of his bedroom, watching his mother sitting in the rocking chair, his beautiful baby girl in her arms and his heart almost bursted.

"Look, little Ava, your papa is here…" Pascale cooed to the little girl and got up, walking over to her son.

"Hi my little princess…" he smiled at her and then kissed his mother’s cheek "Let me take a quick shower and then I’ll take her and you can go."

"Take all the time that you need." she replied, sitting back down in the chair "We are just fine…"

"I can see that." Charles chuckled and grabbed some fresh clothes, making his way into the bathroom, where he took a quick shower before joining his mother and daughter again.

"You look tired, Charles…" Pascale looked worriedly at her son, dark circles under his eyes.

"Driving late last night to Maranello, just an hour or two of sleep in the morning and then driving straight back home around noon? Yeah… I’m tired. But it’s okay. I would do everything for her…" Charles yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"Why don’t you eat something and I make Ava bed ready? Change her, feed her, take her to bed and then you can go to bed as well and take over from then on?" his mother gently rubbed his arm "There are some leftovers in the fridge."

"Sounds like a plan. A good plan…" he mumbled, walking out of the room to warm up the leftovers, eating in silence before returning to his bedroom where Ava was already sleeping in her crib.

"Look at this little angel." Pascal whispered.

"She is perfect." Charles replied quietly, disappearing in his bathroom, getting bed ready himself "You should stay here Maman, it’s late."

"I’ll be fine, don’t worry. You sleep now!" she kissed his cheek "Good night, Charles."

"Good night, Maman… and thank you."

"Not for that…"

The next days Charles spent in pure bliss with his little girl. He felt like he learnt every other moment something new about her, saw a new expression in her face, a new movement of her head.

"Look! It’s like she understands what I’m saying!" he exclaimed "You’re so clever, Ava! So, so clever!"

"She doesn’t understand you. She just recognises your voice!" Lorenzo chuckled but his younger brother didn’t listen "So- umm have you thought about what to do during the Monaco GP?"

"What do you mean?" Charles looked up from his daughter, cocking an eyebrow.

"Charles, you cross the street on any normal day and at least a dozen of people swarm you here. But this week? It’s going to be crazy! Your fans will even follow Maman around, as soon as they spot her somewhere, imagine how they would stalk her if they saw her with a stroller… and she can’t stay inside the entire week with Ava! Also, everyone knows that she’s always in the paddock in Monaco. If she’s not here this year, people will start talking, and when they talk, they will look even more for her…"

"Fu-… damn. I haven’t even thought about that… but you’re right. Oh god what am I supposed to do? I don’t want people to assume that something is wrong with Maman, first Baku and the mysterious family matter why I arrived late, then the dinner in Imola that I didn’t attend because of a family emergency… if she’s not here this weekend… some people would start looking for her..." Charles leaned back, ruffling his hair.

"So umm we- no Charlotte had an idea… when I talked to her about it. We weren’t really spotted together by anyone, so she’s kinda unknown, no one would connect her in any way to you… she could take care of Ava? Go for a walk here and there with her? Watch her at least enough for Maman to be at qualifying and the race?"

"And she would be okay with that? Didn’t you ask her to join you this weekend?"

"She wouldn’t offer it if it wasn’t okay, I’ll ask her to join me next weekend then." Lorenzo replied and Charles nodded.

"If it’s okay for her? She would definitely help me out big time."

"I’ll text her then…" he said and typed away in his phone, a reply coming through almost immediately "'I can’t wait to spend some time with the precious little princess'"

"She’s an angel, tell her that. Thank you! Like seriously. Next weekend in Barcelona, you book the nicest, most luxurious hotel for you two, take her to dinner to the best restaurant. My treat."

"Stop that. She loves to help out. Also, she loves Ava, I think we’re doing her a bigger favour…" Lorenzo laughed but Charles shook his head.

"Doesn’t matter. My treat next weekend."

"She’ll be delighted."

"It’s like this." Charles mumbled, shaking his head while leaving the garage with Andrea.

"You can still get up on top…" he replied but Charles scoffed "It’s not impossible! Just wait… and even if not, then you drive home and cuddle your little girl."

"Yeah. Holding her is better than lifting any trophy out there." the driver smiled.

"See? That’s the spirit." his athletic trainer bumped his shoulder.

"Yeah, I’m trying to…"

"Now come on. Let’s get home, eat something and relax, tomorrow is a new day."

And although Charles gave his best, he wasn’t able to make up any positions. He climbed out of his car, frustrated and congratulated Max on his win.

"Well done mate, congrats."

"Thanks man." Max clapped his back and smiled "Maybe next year you’ll beat the curse."

"There is no curse. Just me or my team not delivering." Charles mumbled and walked off.

He knew how everyone talked about his Monaco curse, but looking at it, it was always just a mistake by himself or, like last year, his team. After his weighing he made his way back to the Ferrari garage and prepared for the media pen.

"Hey Charles. Another year, another disappointing result for you. What went wrong?"

"I didn’t qualify good enough. In Monaco your starting position is crucial for the race outcome. And with the penalty, starting in P6, in the middle of the DRS train in Monaco? Yeah you will most likely finish in P6, like I did." Charles sighed.

"You complained about the stiffness of the car, do you think that will be an issue next week in Barcelona as well?"

"I don’t know. We will see I guess. If the car is like this next week… we have to wait and see…"

"It’s your home GP so now you go home, have a little time with your family and then off to Barcelona?"

"Yeah. Weekend debrief with the team now and then back home where my da-…" Charles stopped abruptly, eyes wide, thinking about what to say "Where my dance partners in crime wait for me." he scolded himself.

"Dance partners in crime?" the reporter cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah after a race like today I need to dance it out, you know?"

"Okay… umm- then have fun and see you next weekend."

Charles could kick himself. He had to be more careful from now on.

"You covered that up quite well…" Mia whispered, seeing how tense Charles was "Sure it was a little… well it was different. Nothing people are used to from you but it’s okay…"

"Dance partners in crime? Dance it out?" he sighed.

"Yeah, I mean, after this weekend? Who wouldn’t want to dance it out." she squeezed his shoulder "Now come on, let’s make this quick and then you can go home, to your dance partner in crime."

"Very funny." Charles groaned and when he finally slipped of his shoes back at home, he couldn’t wait to see his daughter, knowing that she would make him forget the whole weekend with just one little smile.

"She was just a perfect little angel." Charlotte smiled at him when he walked into his living room "She watched her daddy race and then she fell asleep, just like a good little girl."

"There wasn’t much to watch today, no?" Charles mumbled, picking his daughter up from the sofa "But it’s okay… I’m here now…"

"You’ll come back stronger next week."

"I guess we’ll see."

Chapter 6 - Ladies and Gentlemen, baby Ava has arrived and she’s already wrapping EVERYONE around her tiny little fingers. Writing Charles as a dad is one of my favourite things and I can’t wait for you all to read more about him and his little girl.

Please leave a comment/ like/ reblog/ message and tell me how you liked it! I'm dying to hear your thoughts!

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Last but not least, English is not my first language and although I tried my best: please excuse any mistakes I made!

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[cherriegyuu]

seventeen as song from lover (ts)

a/n: for this, i'll be giving songs and lyrics to each of the members, as well as small plots based on those lyrics. i don't plan to write all of these, but they are still my ideas (as basic as some of them might be). so if you are interested in writing one of them, you can message me about it. if you want to read one of them you can send in a request and i'll write for you

red | 1989 | reputation | lover | folklore | midnights

• Seungcheol ➝ Cruel Summer Fever dream high in the quiet of the night You know that I caught it (Oh yeah, you're right, I want it) Bad, bad boy, shiny toy with a price You know that I bought it (Oh yeah, you're right, I want it) ↳ Seungcheol was infamous, the bad boy like you see in the movie, and god you wanted him.

• Jeonghan ➝ Afterglow This ultraviolet morning light below Tells me this love is worth the fight, oh ↳ Jeonghan was never one to lose his patience with people, least of all you. But one day a fight gets out of control and it leaves you wondering if your relationship has come to an end. ↣ read here

• Joshua ➝ Lover And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years? ↳ you’re scared you might be falling in love a little way quickly for Joshua

• Jun ➝ Cornelia Street And baby, I get mystified by how this city screams your name And baby, I'm so terrified of if you ever walk away I'd never walk Cornelia Street again ↳ A year after the end of your relationship with Jun, you go back to the small apartment you used to share. To your surprise, Jun is next door to you.

• Hoshi ➝ Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince I counted days, I counted miles To see you there, to see you there It's been a long time coming, but ↳ one day you got a letter in the mail by mistake from someone named soonyoung. You spend years going back and forth with the letters until you finally meet each other.

• Wonwoo ➝ False God I know heaven's a thing I go there when you touch me, honey Hell is when I fight with you ↳ you and Wonwoo never fought before, at least not to the point where both of you were screaming at each other.

• Jihoon ➝ The Archer I've got a hundred thrown-out speeches I almost said to you ↳ for years you had a one-sided crush on Jihoon. You planned to confess your feelings many times but failed at every single opportunity.

• Minghao ➝ London Boy Show me a gray sky, a rainy cab ride Babes, don't threaten me with a good time ↳ Minghao is always one to see the beauty where most people see none, so when he drags you out of your apartment on a particularly rainy day you don’t complain, sure that whatever it is that he planned is a perfect date.

• Mingyu ➝ Paper Rings I hate accidents, except when we went from friends to this ↳ Mingyu had always been your best friend and that line had never been crossed before, then, one day, you woke up naked in his bed with a vivid memory of the previous night. ↣ read here

• Seokmin ➝ I Think He Knows He got that boyish look that I like in a man I am an architect, I'm drawing up the plans It's like I'm 17, nobody understands No one understands ↳ there was nothing in the world you loved more than Seokmin’s smile.

• Vernon - You Need To Calm Down And I ain't tryna mess with your self-expression But I've learned a lesson that stressin' and obsessin' 'bout somebody else is no fun ↳ nothing can make Vernon mad but you’re adamant about proving him wrong

• Seungkwan ➝ Death By a Thousand Cuts I get drunk, but it's not enough ’Cause the morning comes and you're not my baby ↳ in which Seungkwan drunk calls you, his ex, and finally tells you all the feelings he kept to himself for months. ↣ read here

• Chan ➝ Daylight I don't wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you I've been sleepin' so long in a twenty-year dark night And now I see daylight ↳ it was impossible not to compare Chan to a ray of sunshine, especially after he was the one who brought you back to life

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a/n: somehow three of these could become smut and i'm thinking of writing them that way

[9w1ft]

I always interpreted evermore as a song about depression, I never linked it to Kaylor, can you tell me your view on this song?

dang i had a conversation about this with someone several months ago but i can’t find it. ill give you the abridged version. firstly, i think it can be about both! because the situation got depressing there for a hot minute!!

taylor said in an interview with zane lowe for apple music that she had written the song when the election was upon us and she didn't know what was going to happen. evermore the album was released in december 2020, which suggests that she wrote it pretty close to the release date, but also had time to reflect on what she knew to be true before releasing it— that trump wouldn’t win reelection. there’s a billboard article where she talks about the moment she learned biden won and i think it meshes really well with how evermore concludes thematically and emotionally.

when we think about the impact that trump being elected had on kaylor back in 2016–throwing a birthday party for lorde only days before the 2016 general election and wearing the vsfs angel wing ring in public for the first time, and that picture of them both kissing lorde on the cheek, going from that to at once enacting a love blackout and never being seen regularly in public again (the next time being rep tour 2018)— and on top of that, them going out of their way to separate themselves in the media via the creation of a “feud” during 2017 (swish swish, sushigate, etcetera) which pitted karlie with katy perry and kanye and cast her as someone for swifties to hate, guilty by association, we can imagine the weight and sadness of this chapter in their story. this is the start of the pain. this choice (i consider it a choice), to take the battle underground, sunk kaylor little by little into the world of the improbable for any casual observer. and it also put somewhat of a hex on karlie indefinitely, and for as brave of a soldier as she is, its an awful long while to be put in jail for something you didn’t do.

with these details as the background, i consider evermore to be a song chiefly about 2019 onward, though you might also position some of the date markers in the song within a sort of 2016/2017 focused timeframe. personally though i tend to think that 2019 events work just as well and operate under similar themes. for example, “hey november i’ve been down since july” could be in reference to the period of time where it became slowly more clear that the 2016 election results might not be a non-starter. or, it could reference the day after the masters sale (which was end of june 2019) and the theorized “failed coming out” that many expected her to do at the new york city pride parade that week. this followed by november, the conclusion of editing Miss Americana which would be released the following month (“motion capture put me in a bad light”) or alternatively november 2020, the point at which she is writing this song. there’s also an lsk theory that taylor and karlie were broken up from july to november 2019 but im not so versed in that so i’ll just keep it to a mention.

in any case, “hey december” can circle back to miss americana being released, not as a coming out documentary but as a “political coming out” documentary. hence the “can’t remember what i used to fight for.”

or it could be both, in a way. for example rewinding the tape but all it does is pause on the very moment all was lost could be both the rewinding of the miss americana documentary released in 2019, and/or perhaps conceptually the idea of the 2016 election night footage being rewound by everyone in the disbelief that occured the night that “all was lost”

because all was lost that night, in a way, no?

i tend to see justin vernon’s part as being a depiction of karlie after kaylor was exiled to a new level post the masters sale. i don’t mean this to say they were broken up. it’s just that they had to do a factory reset on a lot of the progress that had been made up until that point, and they would not be seen together (in order to accomplish some vigilante shit, is what i think anyway). back to justin vernon’s lines. it just reminded me deeply of all the hate karlie got that summer. and indeed, all the hate she had accrued until then. whether summer or winter, this feuding arc had put karlie in a position that i would argue was growing unbearable and incessant. “out on waves im being tossed, is there a line that i could just go cross?” referring to the latest wave of said hate. in this scenario, “can’t not think of all the cost and the things that would be lost oh can’t we just get a pause to be certain we’ll be tall again?” seems like karlie calling out to taylor, amidst the haze and confusion of the masters sale, think about everything that we would be giving up if you don’t come out right now. (think of me.). and then upon that line leading nowhere saying hey let’s pause before we hurt each other, to be certain we will make it through. here ���tall again” reminds me of paper rings “standing here so tall”

so what of the ending? well, as a time marker i would once again refer to when the song was released, post-2020 election, where taylor saw that trump had lost and they would have a path forward. …covid-19 was yet to happen of course, and with that i think there were life priority shifts, but i just see evermore as a song that covers taylor and karlie seeing a light at the end of the tunnel that had been their love lockdown to love blackout to exile story. its a song that encompasses so much hope and i just really really really love it as a kaylor song because of the specificity with which you can tie it to their story, specifically a more contemporary chapter, the likes of which we hadn’t had too many songs depicting up until that point (basically just peace/hoax/the lakes).

so yeah that’s why it’s a kaylor song to me 🫶

[jacksprostate]

Before Project Mayhem, before fight club, before Marla, before Tyler — there is still one sad sack of shit.

.

.

The hard part about work trips isn't making the plane or seeing another family of five burnt into their leather seats. It's missing support groups.

See, if you're lucky, the company will send you out to a major city. Cities are great. A little advanced work to find a slightly below average church or library, you're set each night you're there.

It's a bit of novelty, getting to be a new face all at once. People assume you've just been diagnosed. It's never the failed treatments, the degradation of their life and everyone in it, the continuous experience of knowingly dying — none of those things are the worst thing that happens to you.

It's finding out they will.

So people cry. They crowd around, I sob like I've been told I've got stage four colon cancer and three weeks to live. We all cry. I sleep soundly on the plane back or in the nice, four star hotel my company provides me.

Flying out to a small town, though. I'll be awake enough to be hallucinating by the time I get back for Remaining Men Together. The only mercy is that the next time I show for all the groups I missed, I can see who thought I died. I get to be resurrected.

The other part about small towns, you have to take a second, shitter plane to a local airfield, or you have to take a rental car. One of the most popular rental cars available right now, it'll light itself on fire if you use the cruise control at the wrong time. I know this because I sat next to another guy with my job, who worked for a different company, and he said I'll show you mine if you show me yours. So I told him about the faulty airbags, and he told me about the overheating switch.

I prefer to avoid driving.

All the rental place at the airport has left for me, it's one of those flaming cars. I use cruise control. If I don't, one of my narcoleptic spells will send me into the Jersey barrier.

When you drive into these small towns, you have to try to pay attention, or you'll end up a county over talking about the wrong wreck. They're otherwise interchangeable, but the miles on your rental car won't line up and those are the type of records that might get pulled out when the company is finally sued for the big one ten years down the line.

As a result, I see the same decor on the way in every time. Meth lab. Abandoned homes. Garbage fire. Classic Americana. There is no four star hotel here; I sleep the same.

The only reason I've been brought out here is because the poor shithead who drove his truck into the ditch drunk was driving my company's flagship vehicle. It loses power steering if the car jostles the right way going above 55 miles per hour. I've been told to keep track of potential incidents and make sure the company can firmly claim it's not at fault.

We've had this problem for decades, and we will for many more. Sometimes, everything is falling apart.

The job is simple, and I only get tempted by the town's blatant opioid addiction for a day and night. Painkillers would probably make me sleep. The thing about being a recall campaign organizer, though, is like recognizes like. It's not only other Compliance and Liability guys who tell you company secrets while sharing the aisle in business class.

When I'm finally back in my own town, after my own support groups, after crying my eyes out into Bob's meaty middle — I pick up my mail. There's the newest IKEA magazine. Half of it looks like shit. The type of thing you'd only see in some curated art deco, modernist, post-modern traditionalist bohemian minimalist apartment.

I have to have it.

I go to sleep, hard, like God himself tucked me in. I sleep with my wallet net four hundred heavier, because even an IKEA spree tends not to outweigh a work trip. I sleep, with my called in IKEA goods only two short weeks away, my job well done, and I know, my life is complete.

[sturnstvs]

covid - matt sturniolo

summary: matt ends up getting covid however his best friend has it to. maybe a sickness can turn into something more

warnings: use of y/n

when chirs said pray for nick in the previous car video and him shutting it down immediately thinking that it was just allergies, he didn't expect it to turn into a actual sickness let alone covid-19

when nick found out he had covid, the first thing he did was tell his brothers as well as his best friend to take a test to see if either of them were sick as they had all hung out together. when it came down to the first set of tests all of them were positive except chris.

y/n wanted to go home she really did, but at the same time that was the last thing that she wanted, she wanted to be by her best friends even if they were all sick, she wanted to get through this together. plus matt insisted on her staying with them saying that she shouldn't be alone.

he opted for her to stay in his room as it would make the most sense considering that the girl more then likely caught it on the same day that he did. what she didn't know however was the boy had harbored a little crush on the girl and thought that maybe this was the week they would be able to hopefully mend out their feelings for each other. he told his brothers this plan and they as well thought this was a stupid idea that would end badly but he insisted so they let him. which led to where they are now

the first couple of days into the quarantine was a mess, the two were miserable and couldn't even get up to eat. on around day two nick had informed them that they would each have to vlog separately in their rooms together for the wednesday video to be out in time. the others agreed which has led them to be vloging about their days in quarantine.

y/n was on matts bed scolling on her phone hearing matt talk into the camara about the quarantine life saying all they have been doing was sleep, play fortnite and watch movies witch was very much true, however y/n was getting bored of watching matt play on his computer, see she hadn't brought much for herself to do besides the few things she originally had in her car, but other then that she was bored out of her mind.

"matttt..." y/n whined 

"what?" matt asked the girl turning around in his game chair

"im bored, can we please, please watch the eras tour movie again?" y/n begged from the bed needing something for her to do

"again? really" matt sighed but he did feel bad because she did look really bored in his room, plus he had a soft spot for the girl

"yes, please, we can finish saltburn" she once again tried convincing him

"fine" matt told the girl getting into the sheets and pulling up youtube.

even though she was sick she couldn't get away from watching anything to do with taylor swift. as the intro to miss americana and the heartbreak prince played y/n cuddled closer to matt making him lean into her body heat. as the concert movie went on he couldn't help but admire the girl laying next to him. her hair was a mess and looked like it hadn't been washed in days, her skin was breaking out a little because of her little skincare, and she had slightly dark under eye circles, however she looked gorgeous to the boy.

she kept singing along to the songs while matt just looked at her in awe the whole time. when the cords of the 1 started to play y/n got up to pause the TV, confusing matt in a second

"i thought you loved folklore" matt asked

"aww you pay attention" y/n teased the boy

"what? of course I do, now why did you pause it? is there something wrong?" matt asked concern laced all over his face

"no...you just keep staring at me like im this beautiful princess that just got out of the water" y/n  told the boy

"is that such a bad thing" matt asked once again confused

"no its just i look like a huge mess right now and you're looking at me more then you normally do" y/n told the now blushing boy running a hand through her hair

"i don't look at you. what??" matt defended scratching the back of his neck

"oh come on yes you do, its okay though im fine with it, if you don't want to watch this we can watch something else" y/n told him letting the TV switch to saltburn

"y/n, that's not what i said" matt told the girl

"no its fine"

sense neither of the two had seen the movie and didn't know what was happening they didn't even think that they were watching this movie with their best friend until a wired scene came up which made matt immediately switch it back to youtube, which made y/n more confused

over the next couple of days matt had been filming himself for the video which has been making y/n go crazy. see like matt she also harbored secret feelings for the boy she just didn't think he felt anywhere close to what she felt until she watched him do push ups.

"okay! that's it, i cant take it anymore, you cant just do that and expect me to be okay with it" y/n sighed in frustration

"what are you talking about" matt asked

"first you're really wired with me while we were watching the eras tour, then you turned off saltburn, now you're doing push ups!" y/nrambled

"i still don't understand what you're talking about here, what am i doing wrong" matt asked really confused at his best friend right now

"because i like you, you idiot and you keep giving me these signals that you might like me back but at the same time not even acknowledging i'm there sometimes. like sometimes i believe you actually like me then other times i think oh wow maybe he doesn't actually like me and those little stares from across the room are really-"

y/n gets cut off with a pair of lips on hers. the kiss was slow but filled with passion, she kissed back immediately when she realized what was happening. years of pent up tension finally being released into one kiss. matt was the first to break the kiss, his hand still on her check.

"i like you too, trust me i really do" matt told the girl leaning back in

the two kissing for about a minute longer breaking it, needing air

"is it wired that we just confessed our feelings for each other and kissed while also sick" y/n asked throwing her head back with laughter

"yeah probably" matt said also joining the laughter

"when were not sick anymore let me take you out on a date" matt proposed to the girl

"i like that idea" y/n said leaning back into the kiss

safe to say that they didn't get much filming done after that, and when nick didn't have as much footage for the video as he wanted he instantly called matt. and him saying that the two had finally confessed, which made nick call chris and the two exchanged words of surprise and excitement to their brother.

who knew covid would bring two people together

[winniethewife]

It's you and me, that's my whole world (Shiv x Reader)

Warning: Violence!

Words: 878

Shiv had spent a lot of time perusing her. The American Hottie that moved to Russia as a reporter for a major newspaper back in the states. She has a sweet look, but as he got to know her she had come out of her shell to reveal a badass woman with a great sense of humor. Making each other laugh late into the night when he wasn’t busy with “Business” it didn’t take much to convince her to be his girlfriend, and she was the one that offered for him and Andrei to come stay with her, she had a spare bedroom, what was the harm? As it turns out, there would be a lot of trouble.

They had been dating about a year, Shiv had left early to go to the corner shop to get her flowers. He was walking back with some nice roses for her when He got a call. He gabbed his mobile and flipped it open

“Hello?”

“It’s been a long time coming” a voice said before the line went dead.  He scoffs and closed up the phone before walking up the steps to the apartment. When he comes in he puts the roses on the table and goes looking for his girl.

“Hey, Baby?” he peaks in the bedroom to find her still asleep in the bed. He smiles and walks over to her touching her shoulder, she opens her eyes and smiles.

“Shiv…what time is it?” She asks sleepily.

“Just past 8. We’ve got an hour before we gotta go.” He kisses her forehead. It was their usual rutione. He’d wake up early to get some stuff done then He would drive her to work before hitting up the market

“I don’t go in today. They’re fumigating the building.” She smiles and touches his face gently. “How about I come with you today? Hmm? Watch you do Business” She chuckles, she knows full well what he actually does but enjoys his delusions. Shiv hesitates.

“I don't want you to go, it can get dangerous.” He looks at her with his brow furrowed. She laughs slightly.

“Shiv…My love, I’m a Jornalist, its nothing I haven’t seen before.” She sits up and starts to get ready for the day.

“Right, I nearly forgot, Big time reporter here coving all the gangs of America.” He teased. He wasn’t wrong she had done some major reporting on some big player gangs back home, she could hold her own in the face of danger.

A while later they were walking down the street the market was set up on. As he came by the stands collecting the protection money for Tusk. She stands at his side as he does this, watching him joke around with the people running their stalls, she loved how he was with people, if he had been in a better position in life…she shakes her head, thinking like that doesn’t do any good for any one. When he was done he takes her hand and walks with her down an alley to the next location, and that’s when the trouble starts. He feels her hand pulled from his and he turns quickly to see Her being held with a knife to her neck by two punks from the other gang that operates around here. Shiv pulls out his own knife

“Hey! I don't really wanna fight But I will if I have to” Shiv growls at them.

“Darling, I'm scared…” She says softly. Shiv feels tense, the look of fear in his lover’s eyes was enough to actually piss him off.

“You can try to fight us tough boy but you know you should consider not doing so, 'Cause nobody's gonna win,” One of the guys threatened

“What do you want? What does this have to do with her? She doesn’t work for Tusk I do!” Shiv starts to yell

“Our boss tells us that your girl has wronged his girl, something about her little boy calling her Mama.” The man holding the knife to her throat says.  Shiv felt his blood go cold, of course Oxsana would do something like this.

“What do they want then Huh?” Shiv glares at them but before anyone can respond the unexpected happens. The guy holding the knife lets go of it and screams out in pain as she smashed her heel into his foot and ducks and turns grabbing the knife from the ground and holding it to the man’s throat.

“You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes” She hissed as he put his hands up.

“Alright, alright…we’re leaving…” the other guy said. She backed off and the two ran off. Shiv put his knife away and rushed to hold her.

“Fuck. You okay baby?” he was petting her hair as he looked concerned.

“Yeah, I’m fine Shiv.” She placed her hands on his chest as they both took a second to calm down

“I don’t know what I would have done if something happened to you.” Shiv manages to say pressing his forehead to hers.

“Hey, its okay…It's you and me. We’ve got this.” She responds softly

“Yeah…My Miss Americana.” He chuckles taking her chin in his hand looking down at her.

“My Heartbreak Prince...” She smiles, leans in, kissing him.

[taylortruther]

RAE HOW WAS IT I would love to hear you thoughts / impressions / surprise songs commentary etc

OKAY OBVIOUSLY IT WAS INCREDIBLE but here are my more detailed observations/notes!! i broke it down by era

overall

the miss americana intro was gorgeous, it gave me goosebumps - the arrangement, the flickers of previous songs and tour sounds, the dancers and their shell parachute things... idk the atmosphere and mood was just chillingly beautiful. i almost cried lmao and i NEVER get emotional at these types of things.

we were seated very close to some of her backup singers and band members (in section b by the floor) and they were so sweet and fun to watch! their expressions and interactions with each other were so fun and karina is hot like... hot

the pyro is HOT, i have no idea how her band stands it, they were soooo close to it.

lighting and AV tech was honestly an INCREDIBLE feat. i have so much awe and respect for her AV people and taylor's own interest in it.

overall, taylor seemed a bit subdued during my show. the performances were still on point but at the end she did seem a little over it and i wanted to tuck her into bed tbh.

also i have to laugh because, as y'all know, i am not a debut/fearless girlie so it's like taylor said (with love) "this goes out to all my fake fans" with the surprise song choices. but obviously i loved them!!!

folklore/evermore

the marjorie performance and her remarks after were so emotional. i got teary (and i think she did as well.)

i was in awe of the trees, costuming, choreography, props, etc. for evermore/willow... that set design was incredible

her voice during the evermore and folklore sets was just... incredible. i would sit through 3 hours of taylor just singing, with her guitar and piano.

the seven spoken word interlude was inspired and i loved it

red

tbh i did not expect to be affected by atw10 but i am so so so glad i watched it because it was amazing. incredibly moving, and the arrangement was beautiful especially after the last verse.

rep

unexpectedly, the rep era was probably my favorite! she brought so much energy to it, it felt like a major high point of the evening.

i saw the moment taylor realized she was bleeding and my first thought was "can't wait to see what the tumblr girlies are saying about this" lmao

WHY DON'T WE TALK ABOUT THE SEXY BAD BLOOD VISUALS MORE????

midnights

i love how in midnight rain, the choreography shows her dancers holding umbrellas for her, but she just keeps walking out from under them... they wanted to protect her from the pain, but she wanted it!!

[scheodingers-muppet]

taylor time. last album at this point in time ! lover !!

I Forgot That You Existed - Steve and Tommy. you can decide if it’s platonic or not. “got out some popcorn as soon as my rep started going down” tommy leaving steve for billy. “would have fought the whole town” “sent me a clear message, taught me some hard lessons”

Cruel Summer - steddie. “bad boy, shiny toy with a price” eddie “the freak” munson. “devils roll the dice” hellfire dnd club…a game involving a lot of dice. “i’m not dying. you say that we’ll just screw it up in these trying times” you cannot convince me eddie wouldn’t be really nervous in the relationship.

Lover - steddie and byler. twofer, here. “i’m highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you” steve being popular in high school and everyone hitting on will throughout the show. “with every guitar string scar on my hand, i take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover” eddie with his guitar and “king” steve. “my hearts been borrowed and yours has been blue. alls well that ends well to end up you.” mike “borrowing” his heart out to el, but eventually ending up together. “swear to be over dramatic and true” eddie.

The Man - nancy. we’ve seen her getting frustrated with the blatant sexism in her field, being ignored and pushed down for being a woman. “they’d say i played the field before i found someone to commit to” and the slut shaming in season one. “when everyone believes ya, what’s that like?” and getting ignored and made fun of at her job in season 2. the bridge can also apply to guys in her life. “ranking in dollars and getting bitches and models” steve and tommy in season one (i’m willing to assuming tommy and steve bragged about getting with girls before carol and nancy) “and it’s all good if you’re bad and it’s okay if your mad” billy

The Archer - nancy again. “i’m ready for combat” always on edge after what happened with barb, always ready for the upside down to come back. “i’ve got a hundred thrown out speeches i almost said to you” we see her struggling wanting to open up in season 2, with her guilt with steve and letting barbs parents know what happened. “i ride off alone” becoming a bit of a loner and not making new friends after barb. “who could ever leave me darling? but who could stay?” her and steve breaking up, having issues with jonathan now. “all of my hero’s die all alone” barb died alone. she’s watching her mom raise them pretty much alone, with little to no help from her dad. “all of my enemies started out friends” her vecna traumas were her friends and peers. “they see right through me. can you see right through me?” having a strong shield but being scared and broken under it all

I Think He Knows - steddie. “his hands around a cold glass” the broken glass bottle. “wanna see what’s under that attitude” both sides, steve and his sarcasm and eddie and his standoff-ish-ness. “lyrical smile” (a reach, i know) “i’ll drive” paralleled with “harrington’s got her” just imagine steve gushing to robin like this LIKEEEEE COME ONNNNN

Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince - stancy, when they got back together between season one and two. “i saw the scoreboard and ran for my life” nancy leaving after everything that happened. “we’re so sad we paint the town blue” both grieving and processing. “they whisper in the hallway she’s a bad bad girl” and the cheating rumors during season one. mainly, nancy is the perfect girl next door troupe on first glance, miss americana, the perfect symbol. steve is known for being smooth and popular and a flirt, a heartbreaker kinda deal

Paper Rings - jopper. “i’ve waited my whole life” “i hate accidents except when we went from friends to this” “without all the ex’s, fights, and flaws, we wouldn’t be standing here so tall” they have their little family cause of their past, cause of the fights and exs and mistakes. joyce would also love just a little wedding in the back yard with inexpensive rings and just surrounded by their family and friends

Cornelia Street - steddie. I KNOW I SAY EVERY LOVE SONG IS STEDDIE BUT AHHHHH. anyways. “i get mystified by how this city screams your name” eddie thought king steve was still the king. “jacket around my shoulder is yours” eddie’s battle vest. “barefoot in the kitchen” so many steddie fics have them dancing or cuddling in the kitchen. SO MANY. and i think steve loves VERY deeply and would wrap around love like this.

Death By A Thousand Cuts - el and mike AND lumax. “chandeliers still flickering here” el messing with the lights with her powers. “i see you everywhere. the only thing we share is this small town” lucas seeing max at school but not being able to talk to her. “i look through the windows of this love even though we boarded them up” lucas wanting to try again, el fighting for mike back. “trying to find a part of me that you didn’t touch” mike helped el form who she is. “searching for signs in a haunted club” max’s happy place was the snow ball. “paper cut stings from our paper thin plans” el with the “from mike” letters.

London Boy - honestly no one. really just us with the british actors ig

False God - jancy. “the ocean separating us” and then going long distance. “the road gets hard when your guided by blind faith” the recent troubles in their relationship. i also just adore the idea of nancy viewing love as religious. like, she’s seen all the worst the world can give, with the upside down, losing her best friend, etc. easy to imagine her losing faith through that, so clinging on to something good she has in a religious since, like worshiping love or finding religion in being loved

You Need To Calm Down - el. i just think she’d like it

Afterglow - nancy. with who is up to you. but i think she has a tendency to self destruct and taking things out on the wrong people. see blowing up at steve when feeling guilty or fighting with her mom and jonathan when stressed. pushing away those there for her, even with being cold to robin at first. “put you in jail for something you didn’t do” “thought i had reason to attack, but no” “why’d i have to break what i love so much” “tell me that we’ll be just fine even when i lose my mind”

ME! - byler. “troubles gonna follow where i go” wills tied to the upside down. “i know i tend to make it about me” mike kinda ignoring will in season 3 and 4. “when we had that fight out in the rain” “living in winter, i am your summer” idk why but just really reminds me of them

It’s Nice To Have A Friend - elmax. “school bell rings, walk me home” “video games, you pass me notes” i like to imagine max taught el how to play dog dug. “20 questions, we tell the truth” “call you babe. have my back…every day”

Daylight - joyce. “love was as cruel as the cities i lived in” her ex was awful, and she wasn’t treated well by the town when will was missing. “i became the butt of the joke” “clearing the air, i breathed in the smoke” she used to skip class to smoke with hopper. “maybe i stormed out of every single room in this town” “in a 20-year dark night” i know it’s been longer since her and hooper met, but life without him in her day to day and then getting him back. the whole end is so her. “i just think that you are what you love”

[pacinosgf]

🎁 a study of a cultural icon.

🌱 ‘ of course, we start with miss americana, this ghost who has been chasing me for all of my life. my biggest problem with it is that it makes me look patriotic, something that i have never been, not even when i was a child. i was born and raised in rural texas, a land that seemed to have been forgotten by god. we didn’t live, we survived, and we had no hopes of a better existence. it got worse after i moved to houston and saw the world. i had no damn reason to be proud of being american.

then you ask: why miss americana? i don’t know. i think it was going to be satiric but it ended up being a silly love song. the american dress of marrying your childhood sweetheart and being a good wife. people loved that, and while it was known that brooke and dash were freely screwing around, every time i asked about men, i said that the only man i cared for was my husband. which was the truth, but not entirely, well, you know the story. anyway, at the top of it, we were southern. a perfect symbol for conservative people.

but i was gorgeous, let’s be honest. i would like to make that pretty girl a symbol too! i wore those housewives frilly dresses everywhere, with cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. brooke loved it, jim loved it, people started sending me customized belts, customized boots. i eas the face of a southern belle. so yes, it was kinda my fault that i didn’t say i wasn’t conservative. then the news were out, the whole country learned u was a dyke, and they left us alone for good. ’

🌱 ‘ then we get to the heartbreak princess. no one called me that, i gotta say the truth. only for jokes, only when the media wanted to take their bite, but i think it explains this phase very well. beforehand, dash and brooke were singing these duets about fucking each other and fighting, while i was there with my bass singing about flings and paper rings. now i got to be who i was, and who i was? sad. thoughtful, maybe thoughtful is a better word! i wrote dreams and convinced dash to let me sing it, and then it became one of our biggest hits. maybe it’s our biggest hit. i wrote rhiannon and sang it. i wrote beautiful people, beautiful problems. i wrote layla for dash to write. a little later i wrote the great war… the heartbreak princess.

i used to be very afraid that anyone would look at me and think i was pretty, actually, hot. not anyone, any man. getting married was a protection, talking about jim was a protection, but by then i felt respected enough that i felt comfortable to wear what i wanted. long flowy dresses, short tight dresses, mini skirts, i didn’t wear a bra, courtesy of brooke’s influence. i wore pants with tiny little tops, sometimes tiny shorts out of the house. complicated times, but also glorious times. i’m glad i enjoyed my youth. ’

🌱 ‘ contemplations. believe it or not, that’s what people know me the most for: the sad woman on the cover of a record that barely made any noise when it was released. there’s no evident difference from the clothes i wore before contemplations, i just got older, more mature, had been through an experience that changed me. long dresses so i could feel safe within my body, that had been so mistreated lately, but inside my house i kept wearing my housewife dresses, my tiny shorts. don’t be fooled: that’s not me, just the last thing the public ever got to see. i’m not bitter, but it’s important to highlight that. ’

@gllianowens

[astro-tag-9]

Taylor Swift lyrics for various Astro placements Part ✌🏼🖐🏼

“Some wanna-be Z-Lister” (Paris) - Gemini Lilith

“I can’t talk to you when you’re like this” (False God) - Aries Mercury

“When Emma Falls In Love she paces the floor, closes all the blinds and locks the door” (When Emma Falls In Love) - Virgo Venus

“Home is where the heart is” (London Boy) - Leo/Sag Mars

“Put my name at the top of your list” (The Last Time) - Libra Venus/Lilith

“And when I fell hard, you took a step back” (I Knew You Were Trouble) -Gemini moon/Lilith

“I can see you up against the wall with me” (I Can See You) - Sagittarius/Scorpio Rising/Sun/Venus

“Let’s get out of this town” (Wildest Dreams) - Gemini Moon

“Knew he was a killer first time that I saw him” (…Ready for It?) - Aquarius Rising

“When Emma falls apart it’s when she’s alone. She takes all the pain and bears it on her own” (When Emma Falls In Love) - 12th house Moon/Mercury/Lilith

“They whisper in the hallway she’s a bad bad girl” (Miss Americana And The Heartbreak Prince) - Leo/Sagittarius Lilith

“You were Romeo I was a scarlet letter” (Love Story) - Cancer/Leo moon

“You always knew how to push my buttons” (I Wish You Would” - Aries Moon/Lilith

“Back when we had all night” (We Were Happy) - Pisces Rising

“And something’s you just can’t speak about” (Epiphany) - Scorpio/Sagittarius/Capricorn Mercury

“Met someone at the club and he kissed her” (Paris) - Taurus Sun

“Sneakin out late tapping on your window” (Our Song) - Venus in the 3/4/5/9 house

“I just wanna know you better” (Everything Has Changed) - Cancer Sun/Moon

“Right before your eyes, I’m breaking” (The Last Time) - Sagittarius Moon

“Little miss sunshine always thinks it’s gonna rain” - Libra/Taurus Lilith/Venus

“Remember how I said I would die for you” (False God) - Scorpio rising/sun/lilith

“I left my scarf there, at your sisters house and you still got it, in your drawer, even now” (All Too Well) - Aries moon

“Breaking all my rules to see you” (Superstar) - Cancer/Libra Venus

“I guess you didn’t care, and I guess I liked that” (I Knew You Were Trouble) - Virgo/Aquarius Lilith

“Your picket fence is sharpe as knives I was dancing around, dancing around it” (High Infidelity) - Aquarius/Taurus Rising

“When I was drowning that’s when I could finally breathe” (Clean) - Pisces Venus/Lilith

“I hate the crowds you know that” (Betty) - Virgo Rising/Moon

“When all those shadows almost killed your light” (Safe & Sound) - Cancer/Taurus Moon/Lilith

“Take a deep breathe in the mirror” (Begin Again) - Sun in 2/5/10 House

“There’s nothing I hate more than what I can’t have” (Gorgeous) - Leo/Taurus Sun/Rising/Lilith

“No past. No reasons why” (The Last Time) - Capricorn Moon/Lilith

“Once I had an empire” (Castles Crumbling) - Sagittarius Sun

“Big mistake” (Babe) - Taurus Mars

“Try and catch me now” (White Horse) - Aries Venus

“You need to hear me out” (Speak Now) - Mercury in 1/2/3/11 house

“I am no one’s exception, this I had previously learned” ( Girl at Home) - Sun in 3/4/5 house

“I looked at you like the stars that shine” (Mary’s Song) - Taurus/Leo moon

“That’s a lie” (Tim McGraw) - Scorpio/Capricorn Sun

[jessicaloons]

Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince:

Chapter 3

Masterlist - Previous - Next

Miss Americana

October 2022:

"… and then Miss Larimer said that we can pet the puppies…" Gabriel said excitedly, jumping up and down "They are so cute, Rach, I swear! I want one! Do you help me to convince dad to get me one? Pleeeaseee?"

Rachel only listened half-heartedly, reading the text on her phone while unlocking the car.

"Rachel! Please! I swear I’ll always eat my veggies, brush my teeth and go to bed when you tell me to, for the rest of my life! Please!" the little boy kept going but his nanny still didn’t react, her eyes still trained on her phone "RACHEL!"

She flinched looking into the rear view mirror at Gabriel who rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, what did you say?" she stuttered, trying to calm herself down.

"I said that Miss Larimer brought her puppies to school today and we could pet them and they were so cute and I want one! Can you help me to convince dad?" she saw her own set of puppy eyes in the mirror and laughed.

"Your dad is allergic to dogs, Gabe. You know that… are you buckled in?" Rachel started the car, driving off the parking lot, after Gabe nodded.

"That sucks…" the boy puffed out, looking out of the window, watching the boats and yachts in the harbour "One day I want to be a vet and then I can hang out with animals all day long."

"A vet? That’s an amazing idea, Gabe!" Rachel smiled and he nodded "And I’m sure you’d be an amazing vet!"

"You think so?" the blonde boy asked, making big eyes.

"Are you kidding me? Do you remember when we were at the zoo and you weren’t afraid to hold the snakes? Or touch the tarantulas! You even held up this definitely not cute looking lizard and cooed at it like it’s a sweet, fluffy puppy." the nanny recalled and Gabe smiled, thinking back to their trip to the zoo a couple of weeks ago.

"All animals are cute somehow." he shrugged and Rachel chuckled.

"See? You would be a perfect vet."

"You’re taking care of people and I’m taking care of animals. We’re both lifesavers!"

"Oh well, I’m not there yet. I only started my practical studies 6 months ago… as of now I’m not a lifesaver…"

"Yet. You’ll get there." Gabe chimed in and Rachel nodded.

"I will."

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence and when they arrived at home Gabe sat down at the kitchen island, starting with his homework.

"I’m back in a minute and then I make you a snack before we leave…" she said more to herself and walked out the back door, hastily making her way into her little studio.

She closed the door, pulling out her phone. With trembling hands she opened up the messages she got earlier.

I was at your university today.

According to your schedule you sent us you should’ve been there.

Where were you?

Also, isn’t it interesting that in the dormitory you’re supposed to live no one knows you?

Where the fuck are you, Rachel.

Tony. He was here. With trembling fingers Rachel dialled Stuart’s number.

"Hey Rach…"

"The app that’s blocking others from tracing my phone works, right?" Rachel cut him off and there was silence, the girl thinking her friends might’ve hung up on her "Stuart?"

"Yes. Of course? What’s going on?" her friend sounded concerned "Where are you?"

"At home. But-… they’re here. They checked in on me. But I wasn’t at university, because I didn’t update them on my new schedule… they won’t like that I specialised on paediatric… they were at my dormitory-…"

"Your dormitory? You don’t live here?"

"Yeah, but I didn’t tell them… I said that I was living at St. Julie Hall, they shouldn’t know that I saved a shit ton of money because I work and live outside of campus…" Rachel breathed out.

"Ignore it. You were at the hospital today. Answer tonight. Say that you moved to a different dorm and thought that you told them but must’ve forgot…" Stuart suggested.

"And what if they decide to come back?" her voice barely above a whisper.

"We’ll figure it out."

"They can’t find out about Gabe and Peter…"

"They won’t. Rach, they can’t track your phone. The only location they will get is the campus or the hospital, Marcus took care of it. You have a good excuse. It’s going to be fine, okay?" Stuart reassured Rachel, who took a deep breath.

"I have to take Gabe to his soccer practice now." she got up, checking herself in the mirror.

"Okay… take care Rach, and if you need anything, call, text, whatever…"

"Thanks Stu."

Rachel was tense and on alert the whole afternoon, looking around, searching the park and parking lot for someone from home, but thankfully she didn’t spot anything out of the ordinary. When she stood in the kitchen, preparing dinner, her phone rang and she took a deep breath, before she answered the call.

"Rachel?" her father.

"What’s up dad?"

"Don’t what’s up dad me! Where have you been? Why didn’t you answer your phone?" he was mad.

"What are you talking about? I just left the hospital when you called? I had a training shift today." Rachel lied, trying to sound confused and annoyed at the same time.

"You were at the hospital? Not on the campus?"

"No. I have more and more training shifts now, I’m getting my practical hours in now and I swear I love it." fake excitement.

"That’s good to hear, Rach… but Tony said it was weird that no one knew you in your dorm…"

"What? Why was Tony at my dorm?"

"He wanted to check in on you-…"

"Why? We had a deal! I’m allowed to finish my studies and not be bothered!"

"I don’t know, okay? He came over and told me that he visited you… something about checking in on their investment…-"

"Their investment? I’m here on a scholarship! None of you is investing anything in my education! I have a deal with his father. And I have no problem in calling him and telling him the deal is off the table if you lot don’t hold your end of the bargain!" Rachel was furious and didn’t even had to fake it.

"I don’t think his father knew that he was visiting you… Tony just stormed in here and told me that you weren’t at the campus and no one knew you at your dorm-…"

"Because I moved! When I came back after the summer a fellow student told me that there is an open spot at Fennell Hall, the dormitory right on campus. She knows the RA and so I got the spot. It’s a little more expensive but I only need 5 minutes to classes now. I told you that!"

"You did?" her fathers voice faltered.

"Yeah, right after my first week back. It’s a new term and when I came back I didn’t know most of the students in my old dormitory anyway, so I thought a change would be nice." Rachel said casually, when she saw Gabe getting off the sofa "Listen dad, it’s been a damn long day, I’ve been awake since 5 am. I just want to drive home, take a shower and sleep. Are we done here?" she fake yawned, hoping her father would believe her.

"Yeah… sure. Take care, Rachel." he said and Rachel thanked the universe for making him believe her.

"Will do. Good night dad." she hung up, right when Gabe sat down at the kitchen island, sniffling the air. She calmed herself down, smiling at the young boy.

"Smells good, what is it?" he asked.

"It’s a beef stew, here, have a taste." she scooped up some of the stew and blew cold air on it while Gabe walked around the island "Careful, it might be still a little hot."

The young boy chewed his food, making big eyes, swallowing his bite down.

"That’s good!" he exclaimed and his nanny smiled "Will dad be here to eat with us?"

"He said he will."

"Good. I want to tell him that I want to be a vet when I grow up."

"A vet? Where did that come from?" Peter walked into the kitchen, loosening his tie "What happened to rocket scientist?"

"As a vet I can hang out with animals all day long…" Gabe shrugged taking the plates from Rachel, setting the table.

"Well that’s true." his father laughed, squeezing his nanny’s arm "Are you okay, Rach? You’re a little pale?"

"I’m fine, it’s just a lot right now, everyone is starting to prepare for the exams…"

"Already? Wait? When are the exams?" he looked confused.

"We still got time, but yeah. Preparation is key, that’s what our professors love to say." Rachel rolled her eyes and Pete laughed, getting himself a beer.

"I can’t believe that in not even 8 months you’re done. God where do I find another amazing nanny just like you again?" he pouted, sitting down on a stool "A nanny that can cook like you!"

"Why don’t you stay with us forever?" Gabe looked at his nanny "I don’t want you to go."

"Believe me, Gabe, I don’t want to either, but when I’m done, I’m a nurse, I’ll have to take over so many shifts and I just wouldn’t have enough time for you." Rachel ruffled his hair a little.

"But you come visit us? Right?" he asked and she swallowed hard, nodding.

"Of course, little one." Rachel lied, feeling sick doing so.

The girl was quiet during dinner, listening to Gabe and his father, enjoying the family time. She knew that as soon as she graduated she would be gone. Telling Peter a half truth why she had to leave so fast, promising to stay in touch, knowing it would all be nothing but lies. She dreaded that day, over the past years she really grew close to the father son duo, loved them wholeheartedly. But she couldn’t risk them getting into harms way. And she wouldn’t do it. But she knew that leaving them behind would break her heart. And when she sat down with Gabe after dinner, all cuddled up on the sofa, watching cartoons, the first crack in her heart already formed.

"I’m going to miss you so much… you’re my best friend." Gabe whispered, making Rachel close her eyes, trying her best to not cry.

"I’ll miss you too, buddy, so damn much."

June 2023:

With her diploma in hand, Rachel walked off the stage, waving at Peter and Gabriel, the only ones to attend her graduation. After shaking some more hands and joining her fellow graduates for the hat toss, she walked over to Peter and Gabriel. The boy running up to his nanny, hugging her tight.

"We’re so proud of you Rachel!" Peter said, hugging her as well "Valedictorian. Wow. Amazing."

"Thank you for coming." the young girl blushed a little, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Are you kidding me? We would never miss this opportunity!" Peter smiled "And now, I’d love to take you out for dinner, if you haven’t planned anything yet? You didn’t say that you would celebrate afterwards so I reserved a table at La Chabelle just in case."

"Oh wow, Peter! You didn’t have to." Rachel blushed even more.

"You worked so hard over the last four years. You deserve a treat!"

"Okay…" Rachel began when she felt her phone vibrate "I umm- I just want to say goodbye to a few of my classmates and then we can leave."

"Okay, we’re waiting by the car." Peter and Gabriel walked off and Rachel took out her phone, reading the text.

"Rach-…" Stuart grabbed her shoulder, making her flinch "Hey, it’s me. Sorry! I didn’t want to scare you."

"I need to leave as soon as possible." she just said and Stuart looked confused "Here…" she shoved him her phone in his hands and he read the text.

"Next Friday? Didn’t you say that your graduation is on Friday?"

"They want me to come back immediately after. They’re sending someone to help me with my stuff… I have to play my part to make them believe I’m still here. They can’t know that I’m gone. They would send someone after me immediately. I should leave now. Yes. I’m leaving now."

"Okay, take a deep breath for me. Look at me Rach. I call my contact person and tell them you’re coming earlier than planned. But for tonight you’re going with Peter and Gabriel to La Chabelle, you’re enjoying your last night here. I’ll go to your place and start packing your stuff, we’ll figure it out okay?"

"But what will I tell Peter and Gabe? I have to tell Peter the truth. I planned it all out. Fuck this is ruining everything! But he has to know that I’m leaving. I can’t just disappear…"

"You will tell him tonight. It’s fine."

"Okay-… I- I have to go now, they’re waiting for me." Rachel looked towards the parking lot and Stuart nodded.

"You go, I take care of the rest. It’s going to be fine, you’ll see." he reassured the blonde girl and she nodded, then she pulled him in a tight hug.

"Thank you Stu, for everything. You’re a true friend…"

"It’s okay Rach, really. Now go."

With one last look she walked off, towards the sleek, black Mercedes of her boss, getting in as soon as she reached it.

"Ready?" Peter asked and Rachel nodded.

"Ready."

"Me too!" Gabe said from the backseat and they laughed.

"Then let’s go." Peter steered the car onto the busy road, driving across town and stopped in front of La Chabelle.

"Good night, buddy." Rachel kissed the young boys forehead, ruffling his hair while getting up.

"Good night…" Gabe mumbled, almost drifting off to sleep immediately.

The nanny carefully walked over to the door, quietly opening it before turning around once more, looking at the boy she took care of for the last 4 years. All the memories of the past years came to her mind. She felt her heart ache, not ready to say her final goodbye, although deep down she knew she had to. In order to keep Gabe and his dad safe, Rachel had to disappear. She took a deep breath and quietly closed the door, gathering herself for the conversation she would now have with her boss of the last 4 years. Peter was amazing. He paid Rachel more than well, took her and Gabe on little trips here and there. Always treated her like a part of the family, rather than a subordinate. She would miss him as well.

"Rach? Can we talk?" the girl flinched when her boss appeared out of nowhere in front of her, stopping her train of thoughts.

"Umm-… sure, I actually wanted to talk to you as well…" she gulped, following him downstairs.

"Yeah?" Peter replied and pointed to the sofa "You want a drink? Because I sure as hell need one…" he poured himself a glass of scotch, before looking at his nanny "Oh I forgot, scotch tastes like washing detergent, was it?"

"Yeah…" Rachel chuckled, accepting the can of coke her boss handed her "So- umm… about what did you want to talk to me?"

"Gabe and I… we’ll leave next week…" he blurted out, rubbing his neck, and Rachel tilted her head a little "Of course you’re free to stay until the end of the month in the studio, as we agreed on. But Gabe and I, we won’t be here until then…"

"You’re going on vacation?" the girl asked, although she was sure that she would’ve known if her boss had planned something.

"No. Not on vacation. Rachel, Gabe and I, we’re moving to Austin. I got a new job there…"

"Wow! That’s amazing!" a big smile spread on Rachel’s face, in Austin they would be safe "You didn’t tell me that you were looking for a new job? But I’m so happy for you!"

"Yeah, it was… well my boss contacted me out of the blue last week and offered me the job… they need me there as soon as possible… but this job, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, you know?"

"Sounds amazing and I think Gabe will love it, he can become a real cowboy then…" the girl laughed, looking at the man in front of her, a serious look on his face "It’s going to be fine, just don’t let him alone with a horse for too long or you have to buy it!"

"Yeah… probably." Peter smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

"Okay, what’s wrong?" Rachel asked, looking at him intently.

"Is it too rushed? I don’t know how Gabe will take it? All his friends are here? Tearing him away from everything familiar?"

"You know your son, he can deal with everything. He will find new friends in no time, don’t worry!"

"Yeah, you’re right…" he sighed a little, scratching his chin "And what is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh- umm… I wanted to say that some friends asked me if I wanted to join them on a little trip… we would leave in the next days, I don’t know when exactly. I know, it’s a little spontaneous, but yeah…" Rachel lied, smiling innocently.

"Sounds wonderful! You should go, Gabe and I will be fine… we need to get used to a life without you now anyways! Unless you want to join us in Austin?" he smiled, a tinge of hope in his voice.

"As much as I appreciate the offer, I already have some job interviews lined up here, so…"

"Understandable, but you know that you’re always more than welcome!" Peter said and the girl nodded.

"I know Pete, and I really appreciate it…" she got up "I guess it’s time for me to pack my stuff then, maybe Stu can come in tomorrow and help me with it, so I don’t have to worry about it after I come back and you’re long gone…"

"Right, yeah… will you help me tell Gabe tomorrow?"

"Of course!" she smiled and kissed his cheek "Good night, Pete. Best boss in the world…"

"Night Rach, best nanny in the world…"

She chuckled and left the living room, through the kitchen and out into the backyard, the light in her studio already switched on.

"Please tell me that everything is arranged?" Rachel asked as soon as she closed the door behind her.

"Everything done." Stuart replied and she looked around her room.

Her life fitted into 2 cardboard boxes, a suitcase and a backpack.

"That’s all?" she mumbled and her friend nodded "I can’t take the boxes with me…"

"I know… I put all your personal belongings, pictures, books and stuff like that in your suitcase… the boxes is stuff you won’t need anymore, also some clothes I don’t want to see you ever in again…"

"Ouch, thanks…" Rachel chuckled "When am I leaving?"

"Sunday morning."

Rachel looked out of the window, as the plane slowly made its way higher up into the sky. She looked back one last time at her home. She knew, would she ever return, it wouldn’t be by her free will, she would be forced. It meant they found her and she had to make sure that that would never happen. She leaned back, closing her eyes. She still felt her heart ache, thinking at Gabe’s tear stricken face, but she knew that what she did was right. In two days they would be gone as well. Far away from Boston. Gone. No one would know she ever worked for Peter Hastings. No one would ever bother them. No one would know she’s gone until next Friday.

And when they would try to figure out where she was, when they followed her trace, she’ll be long gone. All planned out by Stuart. Rachel didn’t know what would happen to her old life, she didn’t ask. She didn’t want to know. But one thing was for sure, as soon as she would land in Montreal the life of Rachel Lombardi would end.

Chapter 3 - Goodbye Rachel’s old life, this looks like the start of something new… I know I’m rushing a little through the timeline here with big time jumps, but this is all just backstory to prepare you and our characters for the main plot, so please, bear with me 😅

Please leave a comment/ like/ reblog/ message and tell me how you liked it! I'm dying to hear your thoughts!

If you want to be added to the taglist, drop a comment!

Last but not least, English is not my first language and although I tried my best: please excuse any mistakes I made!

Taglist:

@glitterquadricorn @lottalove4evelyn @janeh22 @itsjustkhaos

[concerthopperblog]

Relix Presents: Yonder Mountain String Band, Railroad Earth, and Keller Williams & The Keels Live at The Eastern!

What more can I say except Atlanta loves their bluegrass and jam bands? On April 11th, Yonder Mountain String Band (YMSB) announced a Fall tour presented by Relix for later in 2023 that would feature Railroad Earth and Keller & the Keels (Keller Williams and Larry & Jenny Keel). I am here to tell you from experience that this is one of the best bluegrass/jam/jamgrass tours of 2023! Not only did Relix snag Yonder Mountain String Band and Railroad Earth, but they also got Keller & The Keels to come along for this wild and crazy ride. It is not often that a tour comes around that features so much talent and musical experience between all the touring bands on this bill.

My girlfriend and I knew that we would be attending the tour stop at The Eastern in Atlanta no matter what. So, we quickly purchased tickets when this show was announced just in case I was not approved for photography. Between the crossover of musical genres between all three bands and the eclectic fanbase that attends these shows, I knew that this was going to be a memorable night of Flatpicking and dancing for us all. The vibe with the crowd was at an all-time high from the time the door opened for those who waited patiently in line outside the venue.

Kicking off the festivities, Keller and The Keels is a supergroup formed by combining the powers of Keller Williams with Larry and Jenny Keel. Keller & The Keels have released three (3) LPs together since 2006 with Speed being their last release in 2019. What makes this tour special for me is that this little supergroup decided to reunite for this tour with other amazing and very talented musicians.

Keller Williams is a bluegrass/folk/alt-rock/jazz/funk/reggae/electronica/dance singer/songwriter from Virginia who has been performing since 1991. Keller has released seventeen (17) LPs, two (2) Live albums, one (1) children's album, and eight (8) collaboration albums. This would be my first time watching Keller perform live and I know I have missed out on some great shows.

Larry Keel, with his wife and bassist Jenny Keel, are Bluegrass royalty and have been performing together in various bands over the years. I have seen The Keels perform previously and sometimes even when it was just Larry joining someone else on stage. Regardless of the times, I am a big fan of the Keels and all the performances that I have witnessed. Tonight would be no different. This would be one of my favorite sets of the night hands down. Especially near the end of this blistering set when Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth) and Dave Johnston (YMSB) came on stage to join Keller & The Keels to create some magic for the fans! I hope that we can get another Keller & The Keels tour sooner rather than later. A dream tour would be Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway with Keller & The Keels co-headline tour.

Follow this link to check out Chris Griffy’s album review of Speed by Keller & The Keels exclusively over on Concerthopper.com.

Next up, Railroad Earth is a folk rock/progressive bluegrass/Americana/jam band from New Jersey that formed back in 2001. Currently, the band consists of Todd Sheaffer (guitar/harmonica/vocals), Tim Carbone (violin/accordion/electric guitar/vocals), John Skehan (mandolin/bouzouki/piano/banjo/vocals), Carey Harmon (drums/hand percussion/vocals), and Dave Speranza (acoustic bass/electric bass/vocals). While on tour, Mike Robinson (acoustic guitar/steel pedal/banjo) and Matthew Slocum (keyboards) also lend a helping hand in melting the faces of everyone who comes to their shows. We got to see Railroad Earth on tour at the Georgia Theatre in Athens, Ga. back on May 10th, so I can say that I was well prepared for what the crowd was witnessing during their incredible set. I was very happy that they started off the night with “Elko” and “Slippin’ Away” back-to-back. By the end of their set, their diverse mix of bluegrass mixed with rock and country kept the crowd happily dancing along with their music.

Check out Railroad Earth’s set list from this night at The Eastern below:

·      “Elko”

·      “Slippin’ Away”

·      “Old Man and the Land”

·      “Potter’s Field”>

·      “Mourning Flies”

·      “Dandelion Wine”

·      “Any Road”>

·      “Walk Beside Me”

  Finally, Yonder Mountain String Band (YSMB) is a progressive bluegrass band (also can be described as jamgrass) from Colorado that started in 1998. The band consists of Ben Kaufmann (bass/vocals), Dave Johnston (banjo/vocals), Adam Aijala (guitar/vocals), and Nick Piccininni (multi-instrumentalist/vocals). According to Discogs.com, YMSB has released nineteen (19) LPs, one (1) EP, and has been featured in one (1) compilation. I knew that the night was going to end on a great note when YMSB opened their set with a Marc Anthony cover of “I Need to Know”. Between their progressive bluegrass jams to their foot-stomping traditional bluegrass tunes, to me, YMSB is one of the best jamgrass bands on the touring circuit today. The night ended with an epic all-star jam of “Dancin’ in the Moonlight” featuring Tim Carbone, Larry Keel, Matt Slocum, and Carey Harmon.

Check out YMSB’s fiery set list from The Eastern (09/22/2023) below:

·     “I Need to Know” *

·     “Just the Same”

·     “On Your Dime”

·     “Used to Call Me Baby”

·      “Fire on the Mountain” > “Granny Wontcha Smoke Some Marijuana”

·     “If Only”

·    “Little Maggie”

·  “On the Run” > “Mother’s Only Son” > “On the Run"

ENCORE:

·   “Shady Grove”

·    “Dancin’ in the Moonlight” #

 * Marc Anthony cover

# King Harvest cover

You can read my previous coverage of YMSB from the 11th annual Papa Joe’s Banjo-B-Que from their Saturday, October 15th set. You can also check out Chris Griffy’s album review of YMSB’s Get Yourself Outside exclusively over on Concerthopper.com.

You can still catch this tour with the last two remaining dates below.

September 28th                                 Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium         Spartanburg, S.C.

September 29th                                 Devils Backbone                                               Roseland, VA.

September 30th                                 Baygrass Festival                                             Annapolis, MD.

  Curious about Concerthopper? You can find more music-related articles, interviews, various photo galleries, indie music reviews, our ‘Bars & Bites’ section, our exclusive “She Said, She Said” column, or become a Concerthopper at www.concerthopper.com. Sign up for our monthly newsletter by following this link: The Setlist! Please ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date in 2022, on all music-related events/festivals such as ‘Rise of Brutality’ Tour: Hatebreed w/ Terror, Inhuman Condition, and Vein.FM @ The Orpheum (Tampa), North American Tour: 1000 Mods & The Well Live at Bogg’s Social & Supply (Atlanta), Double Trouble Live II: Cradle of Filth & Devil Driver @ The Ranch (Fort Myers), AmericanaFest (2023), Sweet Oblivion Tour - Baroness: Live at The Masquerade, Darkbloom II Tour 2023: We Came As Romans live at Town Ballroom (Buffalo), This Wild Life live at Montage Music Hall, Blackout Tour Part 1: From Ashes to New w/ The Word Alive, Catch Your Breath, and Ekoh @ Rapids Theatre, Twins of Evil Tour: Boris & The Melvins @ Variety Playhouse, Beast in Black: Live @ Exit/In, Kiss of Death Tour ’23: In This Moment & Ice Nine Kills w/ Avatar and New Years Day Live at Hertz Arena, It Still Moves Anniversary Show: My Morning Jacket @ Fox Theatre, 10 Years of Wage War: House of Blues (Orlando), and Nth America Tour: Wolfmother @ The Eastern following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  You can also follow my concert hopping on Facebook and Instagram for even more photos not available on Concerthopper.com.

[9w1ft]

Random thoughts today that have helped me get to the place you are of no expectation.

Was thinking about that Miss Americana clip of Taylor saying she was falling in love with someone with a normal, balanced, grounded life and that they decided together to keep their relationship private. That coupled with the messages in Peace and Robin helped me set my expectation that publicly we may never have confirmation of what we believe to be true. All to give those who mean the most peace. Freedom to live life apart from the circus. Safety from crazy people. Ability to be individuals apart from the enormous brand. Even though I’d love them to have all that and a public life, those things sadly may never coexist. I don’t envy those tough decisions, but I hope they are able to live genuinely to those who truly know them. I believe they obviously want us to pick up on the truth. To quietly celebrate the real story and see a glimpse of the real people behind it. All while keeping that personal balance that allows a simpler life. So my expectation is that we’ll be given nothing. We aren’t owed anything. Will be here for any of the journey that is chosen to be shared with us. And though I might sometimes question my sanity, I think in a way the greatest of luxuries are the best kept secrets.

thanks for sending this anon! it’s really nice to hear that you’ve found a mindset that is working for you!

i am ultimately in a quite similar place but i guess it’s a tiny bit different so i thought i would share. i have a modified twist on the “expect nothing” mindset, and it is: “i expect them to prioritize their happiness”

and my thoughts on what happiness might look like for them is informed by the sorts of things that you mentioned. if, as a result of them prioritizing their happiness, we as fans do not ‘get’ this or that, then that’s okay. because i expect them to pursue their happiness.

in other words, i’m not looking for something more from them because i feel like kaylors already got to our win condition. all the little gifts we have got ever since have just felt to me like fun reminders of this fact.

and i think it’s up to all of us now to embrace this happiness. sometimes i feel like it gets rejected in pursuit of other win conditions that put a focus on what people want for them, or what people want them to want for us. and in the process it can lead to a bit of an unforced struggle.

as of now, they both miraculously continue to drop hints that they’re doing well. and if that’s the case, then as a fan i really couldn’t ask for more.

[legit9thlunaticwarrior]

alright, the kid stole my heart. let’s do some taylor swift songfic magic

|remember to leave feedback and i love all you heathens|

��Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince’ Hook (Tyler) x fem!reader

^they grew up together. did everything together, even had a joint debut. but one day, her feelings bubbled over^

- taylor got so much gud gud for inspo my dudes - donna projecting and daydreaming again, dw abt it - i hate the concept of adults being like ‘oh theyd make such a cute couple’ with kids but for the sake of this fic, im letting it slide - also for shits and giggles, he played high school football - Y/F/N - your friend’s name - powerhouse hobbs (will) and i call taz mr. s

Y/N POV:

You know I adore you I'm crazier for you Then I was at sixteen Lost in a film scene Waving homecoming queens Marching band playing I'm lost in the lights

From the moment we met, I felt my heart rate rise anytime he was around me. Even when we were little, other parents and teachers said we would grow up to be together. Tyler and I had always been glued to each other since age four. We always got put in the same classes all throughout our school years; and when we got to high school, I always wore his jersey number on my cheek as I cheered him on with the rest of the cheer squad during his football games. 

 American glory Faded before me Now I'm feeling hopeless Ripped up my prom dress Running through rose thorns I saw the scoreboard And ran for my life

When the senior prom rolled around, we went with who we were dating at that point. Truthfully, I wanted to go with him but I couldn’t risk our bond. What I didn’t know is that Peter would ditch me for another girl halfway through the occasion. Tyler found me in the hallway by the lockers bawling my eyes out, “Y/N? Buzzy, what happened?” He rushed to sit beside me and held me close. “Peter dumped me.” He kissed the top of my head, “I’ll fucking break his face.” Since we started wrestling training together, his confidence grew. “Why were you looking for me? What happened to Alexa?” He laughed, “Turns out she doesn’t swing that way. No hard feelings though, the want to end it was mutual. I came out here because Y/F/N said you ran out in a rush.” We stayed sitting by the lockers until Tyler got up and helped me to my feet,  “Y/N, since we are now both dateless, how would you like to accompany me to prom?” I blushed and gave the obvious answer: “Of course Tyler! I would love to!” We went back in and danced like nothing happened.

No cameras catch my pageant smile I counted days, I counted miles To see you there To see you there It's been a long time coming but

We finally had our All Elite Wrestling debuts. As much as I would have liked to tag with him like we did before, I was so proud to see him in his element. After winning my match against Britt, I got to watch his. He came out victorious as usual and when we met back in the Team Taz locker room, I jumped onto his back. “I’m so proud of you T!” I congratulated him then kissed his cheek before getting down. “You did it too Buzzy. You beat Britt Baker!” Then, Tyler’s dad came over to us, “Both of you were stellar. Y/N, you have some of the greatest ring awareness I’ve ever seen.” “Thank you Mr. S, I learned from the best.” He kissed my cheek and left. He was always like another father to me; so when he suggested I join Team Taz, I couldn’t say no.

It's you and me That's my whole world They whisper in the hallway, "she's a bad, bad girl" (okay!) The whole school is rolling fake dice You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes It's you and me There's nothing like this Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince (okay!) We're so sad, we paint the town blue Voted most likely to run away With you

As our careers at AEW progressed, I was established as an important part of Team Taz. Provide distractions, take over the women’s division; both of which I did well. I was the only one in the group that no one knew where I stood: Heel or Babyface? We used it to our advantage, until Sammy Guevara and Tay Conti decided to run their mouths. That I was probably just a hot piece of ass getting passed around in the group. After that shot, Tyler and I had enough and we got our first match together. 

My team is losing Battered and bruising I see the high fives Between the bad guys Leave with my head hung You are the only one Who seems to care

This was so important to the two of us but probably for me more. I felt this need deep down inside that I needed to prove myself. I belong in this company and with the team. The match was going great and Tyler and I were so close to the win, until Sammy yelled to me from ringside, “You’re just gonna get replaced once they see you’re worthless in this business-” Tay took the opportunity to go for the roll up and got the pin. The two ran up the ramp while Tyler came into the ring and knelt beside me as the rest of the group came out. I couldn’t hear the rest of the scolding as I got up and left the ring to go to the locker room and change. I was about to just leave after I got my stuff until Tyler came in, “Buzzy, I know one of them said something. Talk to me.” 

And I don't want you to (go) I don't really wanna (fight) 'Cause nobody's gonna (win) I think you should come home

If we weren’t attached at the hip already, after what happened in the ring, he was even more close to me. It had gotten to a point where I brought up me leaving Team Taz. “Y/N, no.” I knew he was serious because he never used my name, I was always Buzzy, “You deserve to be here. And I don’t want you to go.” I sighed. “I don’t really wanna fight, Tyler. ’Cause nobody’s gonna win.”  He had decided that the crowd tonight would convince me to stay. The team was in the ring and Mr. S brought up the situation. The crowd chanted for me not to leave, “I think you should come home. They want you with us. I, want you with us Buzzy.” He spoke into the mic; something that felt more special than it seemed. He handed the mic to his dad and pulled me closer so only I could hear what he said next, “I can’t do this without my high school sweetheart.” He put his hands on my face gently and kissed me. It felt like fireworks went off and we were floating above the whole arena. When he pulled away “I love you Buzzy. I always have. Stay?” I nodded. Will yelled into his mic, “She’s staying!” “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince are official!” Ricky added. Tyler wrapped his arm around me and leaned down, “Does that mean you’re my girlfriend?” I kissed him again “Does that answer your question?”

We were cuddling in our hotel room when I finally asked him after all these years, “Tyler why do you call me Buzzy?” He smiled showing off those dimples that make my heart thump. “Once when we were at the park, a bumblebee had landed on your hand. You didn’t even flinch; you made it your friend. We had to be ten years old but that might’ve been the moment you stole my heart.” “Well now, It's you and me There’s nothing like this. I love you too T.”

~~~~~~~

lovely taglist babes (dm or comment to be added) @josiewrites @rubyred1980 @chrisdickinson @xkennyxomegax​