#And he proves me that we are absolutely no better and it's not about country and more about institutions

[maburito]

Me : Man the American secret services are so fucked up, they did so many awful stuff throughout the world with no consequences

My dad : You think that's just an American thing? Look up Rainbow Warriors New Zealand

Me later : Nevermind, all secret services sucks

#French things #I didn't even know we had secret services #Prop to my dad for keeping me in check whenever I criticize something American #And he proves me that we are absolutely no better and it's not about country and more about institutions #Man I thought François Mitterrand was a cool president since it's thanks to him that in France we got 35h week for minimum wage #But nevermind

[multifandomimagin3s]

They have a crush on you (HC's) - Team 141 + König

Requested by Anon

Simon "Ghost" Riley

*Honestly I could write an essay on this complicated man, he's such an interesting character - but I've summed up some HC's below*

This guy is so hard to read, but at the same time he's not.

At first glance, he's a hardened man who keeps his cards close to his chest and never lets his guard down around anyone. And that's true.

Given everything he's been through in life, that amount of trauma is bound to have a long-term effect on every aspect of his life - not to mention the fact that he's probably learned to repress all of that shit for most of his life.

So I reckon that even if he did have romantic feelings towards you, it would take him a long, long time for him to even process what he's feeling - he's not stupid by any manner of means, more so he doesn't know what to do with this newfound information.

He would probably try and be mean to you - not that he was ever truly sweet on you in the first place, he couldn't let people know he had a soft spot; a weakness.

If you were part of 141, he would probably try to completely ignore you - unless he physically had to speak to you, like if you were on a mission together ((ngl I think Price probably would put the pieces together and would try to push you both together by sending you off on the same mission - fulfilling his Dad Captainly duties)).

You'd probably have known Ghost for a while before he starts to open up to you - it's superficial stuff, like maybe when his birthday is or his favourite food, little details that didn't really give any crucial information away, but you knew better than to pry as it would probably just make him shut himself away more.

He'd probably be protective of you - like if the team were out at a pub after a mission gone well, and there was a creepy guy bothering you, he would loom over you to scare the guy shitless with piercing, cold eyes.

We all know that as soon as Soap figures out that Ghost has a crush, he's going to absolutely want to take the piss out of him for it...he just needs to pick his words carefully, since he chooses life :))

It's hard to tell when or if he would actually confess his feelings to you - I can see it happening in one of two ways:

1 - You almost died on a mission, and he deeply regretted not telling you before when he thought you weren't going to make it back to base in time; he visited you every day while you were in hospital, and ended up bluntly just coming right out with how he felt because he needed you to know.

2 - Soap tells you before he can. With this scenario, I don't see Ghost blowing up in a fit of rage - it would be the silent death stare with the promise of an arse-kicking in the training room, maybe even making the Sergeant clean the bathrooms with a toothbrush for a few months for good measure. Ghost probably wouldn't even deny it, and would wait for you to come to him... and whatever happens next is a mystery ;))

Johnny "Soap" MacTavish

*Ahh my fellow Scot - just to preface, Scottish slang and dialects vary across the country and I'm not 100% sure where Soap is originally from, so I'm just going to improvise and use local slang from where I'm from ~*

My guy wears his heart on his sleeve - he's naturally very flirty with you from the get-go, so it wasn't hard to figure out that he fancied you.

"Hello, Darlin', if yer wantin' a tour of the base, don't be feert* to gie me a shout ;D" [feert = afraid] [gie me a shout = ask me; gie = give].

With his flirty nature, it was difficult to discern if he was actually being serious about liking you, or if he was just flirty with everyone.

He'd probably realise that he was going about things completely wrong, and would make normal, friendly conversation to get to know you - he just wants to prove that he's a good guy and not a raging hornball :(

The longer time goes on, he starts to tell you more about his life outside of the SAS - he comes from a big family, he's the youngest sibling, his favourite colour, etc.

I can absolutely see his chest puff up a bit with pride when you compliment his skills - he disposes bombs and risks his life all the time, its his job and he doesn't expect praise other than a curt "good work" from his superiors; but from you, the tips of his ears are turning red, and a smile is practically splitting his face ~

Definitely doesn't use the excuse of training to get some time alone with you - not in a creepy way, he just likes spending one-on-one time with you.

If he really trusts you, he asks you to help trim his hair - he did do his mohawk mostly by himself but trying to do the back of his head on his own was an actual nightmare.

Likes watching the look of concentration on your face as you make sure that his hair is even - winks at you when you catch him staring~

(Y/N): There we go - a job well-done, if I do say so myself.

Johnny: *just admiring your smiling face, smitten*

Would probably ask you out then and there, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

Certified Best Boy™.

Captain John Price

This guy doesn't fuck around - he's older, mature, and knows what he feels, and straight up tells you.

He'd call you into his office for a "chat" - queue you absolutely shitting yourself, being called for a chat with your superior in any circumstance automatically has you going through everything you've ever done prior to this moment to see what he could be mad about...

If you were a Private or any rank beneath him, he probably might hesitate to tell you a bit; HR really wouldn't like it but then again they wouldn't need to know... ;))

If you were a medic, nurse, doctor or civilian, he wouldn't hesitate to tell you.

The Team wouldn't know he even had a crush on you - even if you were on base, as a soldier or medic, they wouldn't have a clue.

The only time they grew suspicious was after they had all been to the pub and after a few too many drinks, one of the new recruits started talking about you and how he thought you were fit; Price's eye twitched slightly, eyeing the recruit with a poker face but with a slightly flash of anger in his eyes, cigar between his teeth.

"Bit inappropriate to speak of a comrade like that, Private, don't you think?" The Private sheepishly let out an apology.

Gaz and Soap gave each other a knowing side-eye; Soap looked to Ghost, who stared back blankly - he'd figured out that the Captain liked you ages ago, he was just waiting on everyone else catching up.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

I see him as another guy who wears his heart on his sleeve, so to speak.

I think he's the silent type though - while Johnny will flirt with you openly, regardless of where he is or who he's around, I think Kyle would be more discrete about it.

At first, it would be the little things like making you your favourite tea when he's making his own cup - sometimes he'll just make you your own, delivering it to you with a little smile.

He even offers to spar with you during training - he wouldn't go easy on you but he would be missing the usual fire that he has when training with other members of the team, he doesn't want to hurt you :((

As he gets more comfortable with you, and you with him, he absolutely loves to wind you up.

I think he'd be a genuinely funny guy, so be prepared to laugh until your sides hurt.

He'd probably express his feelings for you in a cheesy but still down-right cute way; probably shows up at your door with flowers and asks you out on a date.

((Proud Dad™ Price is just around the corner))

König

Another certified Best Boy™.

Honestly, he probably didn't speak to you at all for the longest time - not because he was intentionally trying to be rude but because if he feels like he has nothing good to say, then he just won't speak at all.

His social anxiety probably fluctuates day-to-day; one day he feels alright, can make small talk with others on base and do whatever he needs to do. But then the next day, he won't leave his room unless he has to, and when he does he's just this hulking mass of poorly concealed anxiety.

I think his anxiety would probably accidentally be projected outwards and would make him appear more intimidating, especially when all people can see are his eyes underneath his hood. Poor baby :(

He definitely knew that he had a crush on you - he's anxious in social settings, crowds, and he knows what that feels like - but with you? He gets full-on butterflies and he's scared to speak in case he says something embarrassing.

You'd most likely have to make conversation first, keeping it casual as to not scare him off - ironic, since the man is over 6ft and is built like a brick shithouse.

It would take time but he'd slowly open up bit by bit.

The first time you saw him out in the field - completely different ballgame entirely.

Who is this guy and what has he done with Konig??

He probably confesses his feelings on the way back from a mission, still high on adrenaline and confidence.

Oh he absolutely full-on panics when the adrenaline wears off and the penny finally drops...but he meant what he said. He really likes you, Maus.

#simon riley #soap mactavish #konig #kyle gaz garrick #captain price #simon riley x reader #ghost mw2 #soap mactavish x reader #konig x reader #gaz garrick x reader #kyle gaz garrick x reader #captain price x reader #john price x reader #johnny mactavish #johnny mactavish x reader #call of duty #cod mw2 #multifandomimagin3s

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Sirius Black was the best adult in Harry's life and I'm forever salty that we didn't get to see more of him

So, I love Sirius Black. He's a complex and interesting character that I love dearly. He's handsome, smart, brave, not as reckless as some fanon make him out to be, and above all else, he tried his best to be a good godfather to Harry.

I truly believe Sirius could've been an amazing father figure (more than he already was) to Harry if given the proper chance. And he's a much better parent to Harry than Arthur and Molly Weasley.

Here are some quotes along with my ramblings to prove it.

So, what I'm going to cover here are some quotes from Sirius and Harry that show their dynamic and how much Sirius cared and tried to be there for Harry. Also, I think Molyl and Hermione are wrong about Sirius seeing Harry as a James replacement.

“He came back to the country just because my scar twinged. He’ll probably come bursting right into the castle if I tell him someone’s entered me in the Triwizard Tournament —”

(GoF, page 290)

Harry wrote to Sirius at the beginning of GoF about his dream with Voldemort and his scar's reaction to it. Sirius left everything immediately to return to Britain — a place where he is hunted down and is a wanted man. All because he wants to be close to Harry, so he can spring up to protect him if the need arises.

Harry is correct in his assessment here.

“Poor old Snuffles,” said Ron, breathing deeply. “He must really like you, Harry. . . . Imagine having to live off rats.”

(GoF, page 534)

Ron is absolutely right. Sirius loves Harry more than pretty much anything. He would and does go incredibly far for Harry. I don't think Molly and Hermione are right about how Sirius sees Harry as James. He just doesn't.

He doesn't treat Harry as an equal to him, but as someone he needs to protect. Someone he is responsible to protect.

He stays around Hogwarts, eating rats in GoF so he can better protect Harry. He wouldn't have done the same with James because he treated James as an equal, not as someone he needed to protect.

“It’s not my fault you haven’t been told what the Order’s doing,” said Sirius calmly. “That’s your parents’ decision. Harry, on the other hand —” “It’s not down to you to decide what’s good for Harry!” said Mrs. Weasley sharply. Her normally kindly face looked dangerous. “You haven’t forgotten what Dumbledore said, I suppose?” “Which bit?” Sirius asked politely, but with an air as though readying himself for a fight. “The bit about not telling Harry more than he needs to know,” said Mrs. Weasley, placing a heavy emphasis on the last three words. Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George’s heads turned from Sirius to Mrs. Weasley as though following a tennis rally. Ginny was kneeling amid a pile of abandoned butterbeer corks, watching the conversation with her mouth slightly open. Lupin’s eyes were fixed on Sirius. “I don’t intend to tell him more than he needs to know, Molly,” said Sirius. “But as he was the one who saw Voldemort come back” (again, there was a collective shudder around the table at the name), “he has more right than most to —” “He’s not a member of the Order of the Phoenix!” said Mrs. Weasley. “He’s only fifteen and —” “— and he’s dealt with as much as most in the Order,” said Sirius, “and more than some —” “No one’s denying what he’s done!” said Mrs. Weasley, her voice rising, her fists trembling on the arms of her chair. “But he’s still —” “He’s not a child!” said Sirius impatiently. “He’s not an adult either!” said Mrs. Weasley, the color rising in her cheeks. “He’s not James, Sirius!” “I’m perfectly clear who he is, thanks, Molly,” said Sirius coldly. “I’m not sure you are!” said Mrs. Weasley. “Sometimes, the way you talk about him, it’s as though you think you’ve got your best friend back!” “What’s wrong with that?” said Harry. “What’s wrong, Harry, is that you are not your father, however much you might look like him!” said Mrs. Weasley, her eyes still boring into Sirius. “You are still at school and adults responsible for you should not forget it!” “Meaning I’m an irresponsible godfather?” demanded Sirius, his voice rising. “Meaning you’ve been known to act rashly, Sirius, which is why Dumbledore keeps reminding you to stay at home and —” “We’ll leave my instructions from Dumbledore out of this, if you please!” said Sirius loudly.

(OotP, page 88-89)

This above quote is a long one, but I love it. I mean, this shows a big contrast between Sirius' approach to parenting and Molly's. Sirius, while not seeing Harry as his equal, does see Harry as a capable wizard who deserves to know the full picture. Sirius knows Harry would be in more danger when ignorant and wants him as safe as possible. He thinks Harry deserves to know things that pertain to him, and I have to agree with him here. Keeping Harry in the dark is what eventually cost Sirius his life.

Molly, on the other hand, is intent on keeping Harry, Hermione, and her kids ignorant. She has the same intention as Sirius: to keep them safe. But she tries to keep them safe emotionally, even when this ignorance can and does place them in physical harm's way.

And Sirius is right. Harry is capable. And a 15-year-old shouldn't be treated the same as an 11-year-old child. And let's be real, Harry was never a regular child with how he grew up, and I think Sirius sees his maturity and treats him accordingly. Sirius actually gave Harry advice to not approach danger in GOF and Harry listened to him because Sirius treated him with respect, which works best with Harry who never really had parental figures.

“I don’t know,” said Sirius slowly, “I just don’t know . . . Karkaroff doesn’t strike me as the type who’d go back to Voldemort unless he knew Voldemort was powerful enough to protect him. But whoever put your name in that goblet did it for a reason, and I can’t help thinking the tournament would be a very good way to attack you and make it look like an accident.”

(GoF, page 334)

This is an expert from the Fireplace conversation Haryr had with Sirius before the first task. Sirius shares his theories with Harry because he needs him to know who to watch out for. Because everything he does is to keep Harry safe. And this is the same approach Sirius wishes he could take with Harry in OOTP. Because he knows it works. Keeping Harry informed means that if he does put himself in danger, at least he would inform Sirius about it; Which would allow Sirius to protect him.

I'm not copying all of them, but Sirius' letters to Harry throughout GOF are so caring and sweet. Harry deserved to have more of his godfather in his life:

Nice try, Harry. I'm back in the country and well hidden. I want you to keep me posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts. Don't use Hedwig, keep changing owls, and don't worry about me, just watch out for yourself. Don't forget what I said about your scar. Sirius

(Gof, page 240)

This treatment encourages Harry to actually share everything with him and ask him for advice. Something he doesn't do with Dumbledore ever. (Harry actually doesn't like or trust Dumbledore all that much until book 6, it's usually Hermione who trusts Dumbledore fully)

“Sirius — how’re you doing?” ... “Never mind me, how are you?” said Sirius seriously.

(GoF, page 331)

Sirius again, shows his responsibility towards Harry's well-being over his own (both here and in the above letter).

Sirius is the only adult who actually talks to Harry about the Dursleys with sympathy:

“But if they do expel me,” said Harry, quietly, “can I come back here and live with you?” Sirius smiled sadly. “We’ll see.” “I’d feel a lot better about the hearing if I knew I didn’t have to go back to the Dursleys,” Harry pressed him. “They must be bad if you prefer this place,” said Sirius gloomily.

(OotP, page 116)

We know Sirius would love nothing more than for Harry to stay with him. He's lonely and bored at Grimmauld and would love to have Harry there. But at the same time, he doesn't want Harry expelled from Hogwarts and is trying not to be hopeful for it.

Sirius understands the Dursleys are awful, he just know the full scope, but it's more of a reaction than we get from most adults in this series. To me, it looks like Sirius is annoyed by how limited he is in helping Harry. He can't really do much about the Dursleys or their status as Harry's guardians.

“So you want me to say I’m not going to take part in the defense group?” he muttered finally. “Me? Certainly not!” said Sirius, looking surprised. “I think it’s an excellent idea!” “You do?” said Harry, his heart lifting. “Of course I do!” said Sirius. “D’you think your father and I would’ve lain down and taken orders from an old hag like Umbridge?” “But — last term all you did was tell me to be careful and not take risks —” “Last year all the evidence was that someone inside Hogwarts was trying to kill you, Harry!” said Sirius impatiently. “This year we know that there’s someone outside Hogwarts who’d like to kill us all, so I think learning to defend yourselves properly is a very good idea!” “And if we do get expelled?” Hermione asked, a quizzical look on her face. “Hermione, this whole thing was your idea!” said Harry, staring at her. “I know it was. . . . I just wondered what Sirius thought,” she said, shrugging. “Well, better expelled and able to defend yourselves than sitting safely in school without a clue,” said Sirius.

(OotP, page 371)

I love this scene as well. Sirius cares for Harry's safety first and foremost. Harry being safe is his top priority at every given point. And he's reasonable and logical and treats Harry like someone to protect, not like a friend.

Like, Harry when he has a problem and needs advice throughout books 4 and 5, he calls Sirius. He's Harry's go-to parental figure for advice, and Sirius takes his rule seriously. He gives the advice he honestly thinks is best and ensures Harry's safety and continued survival to the best of his ability.

“It matters because we don’t want to draw attention to the fact that Harry is having visions of things that are happening hundreds of miles away!” said Sirius angrily. “Have you any idea what the Ministry would make of that information?” Fred and George looked as though they could not care less what the Ministry made of anything. Ron was still white-faced and silent. Ginny said, “Somebody else could have told us. . . . We could have heard it somewhere other than Harry. . . .”

(OotP, pages 476-477)

Again, Harry's safety is Sirius' first priority above everyone else. Harry's happiness and privacy also take precedence over most other things. He doesn't want Harry under even more scrutiny from the ministry and the Wizarding World and protecting him from that is just as important to him.

To me, it feels like people who say he treats Harry like a James replacement didn't read the books....

“It must have been the aftermath of the vision, that’s all,” said Sirius. “You were still thinking of the dream or whatever it was and —” “It wasn’t that,” said Harry, shaking his head. “It was like something rose up inside me, like there’s a snake inside me —” “You need to sleep,” said Sirius firmly. “You’re going to have breakfast and then go upstairs to bed, and then you can go and see Arthur after lunch with the others. You’re in shock, Harry; you’re blaming yourself for something you only witnessed, and it’s lucky you did witness it or Arthur might have died. Just stop worrying. . . .” He clapped Harry on the shoulder and left the pantry, leaving Harry standing alone in the dark.

(OotP, pages 480-481)

And I love this too. How he tries to comfort Harry and make everything easier for him. When the rest of the Order were gossiping about how dangerous his connection to Voldemort is, Sirius is honestly trying to get Harry to worry about it less.

He might be lying here, but he is right about sending Harry to sleep after a sleepless night like they had. And he is right about Harry being in shock and needing the rest. I just, really like how much Sirius cares. Harry just doesn't have other adults in his life who care for him like Sirius does.

But some part of him realized, even as he fought to break free from Lupin, that Sirius had never kept him waiting before. . . . Sirius had risked everything, always, to see Harry, to help him. . . . If Sirius was not reappearing out of that archway when Harry was yelling for him as though his life depended on it, the only possible explanation was that he could not come back. . . . That he really was . . .

(OotP, page 808)

This. Scene. Just kills me.

Like, Harry understands how much Sirius cares about him, and how Sirius always puts him first. He knows the only way Sirius won't drop everything to come and when Harry calls for him is if he can't.

Because Sirius escaped Azkaban when he realized Harry might be in danger from Peter, not for his own safety, but for Harry’s. Sirius dropped everything and moved to live in a cave and eat rats when Harry's scar hurt. He stuck around Hogwarts and Hogsmead during the Triwizard Tournament, when it was crawling with ministry officials because Harry might need him. He was willing to do so much for Harry. And Harry knew this.

I think, given time, they could've had an amazing dynamic, and I wish we had more of Sirius and his care for Harry. That we saw more of his approach to parenting Harry.

#harry potter #harry potter thoughts #hp theory #harry potter theory #hp #hp thoughts #sirius black #good godfather sirius black #hollowedtheory #sirius black was a better parent figure for harry than the weasleys #pro sirius black #I also wanna talk about how smart sirius is #but that'll be another post

[mickstart]

Hi! I don’t know if you still take Formula 1 asks but I was wondering after watching the Senna documentary, WHY ON EARTH everyone deems Senna better than Schumacher?!

Everyone always talks about Senna as the greatest, but he can’t be better than Michael Schumacher right? Or better than Fangio or Vettel, and definitely Hamilton.

Which I know Verstappen always says you can’t compare different eras but I can’t understand the hype around Senna,

I mean, personally, I prefer Prost because of how Jenson Button describes his driving style.

But I would like to understand though. I always like your input, so that’s why I’m asking. Thank you!

Have a lovely week!

Hey! yeah F1 will always be a part of my life so I'm always down for F1 asks. Fdfsjfdsghjds as for this it's a... complicated question. There's a lot of stuff going on.

So fair warning, this is going to be a long fucking answer.

For me personally, I totally agree with the argument that you really cannot compare different eras. Like, Max for example having more wins per season means Nothing when there are statistically more races per season. But then does this mean Fangio's statistic of winning the highest percentage of races per season is the real meaningful record, and it means he's better? Well, not in a way you can meaningfully prove, because fewer races per season means fewer chances to lose, or to have a mechanical problem, or a freak accident.

So you see really quickly how comparing different eras is like. Almost meaningless, because the skills needed in each era varied so much. It's not like a lot of other sports where the rules and structure were already consistent more than a hundred years ago and so it's easier to compare across a few decades. The physical demand an F1 race places on the body today would have been absolutely unthinkable to those drivers in the mid 20th century, even in the late 80s. They'd think it was a different sport entirely.

Like to me, The Greatest in F1 is about how they impact you personally. Michael is The Greatest and I don't feel any need to justify that by comparing his stats to others. It's about what he makes me feel in my chest, not his numbers.

And I think that's the crux of the issue w/ Senna. LOTS has been written about his driving style, his accomplishments, his determination. When Michael was peaking people were doing NASA level calculations to explain why Senna would actually always be better than Michael in numbers still. But I think some of that is people's personal attachment to both of them. Michael is a godlike figure to the tifosi and in German motorsport, and Senna is arguably an even more religious figure to Brazilians. Like I don't even feel right explaining here how much Senna means to some Brazilians because I know it is that deep of an emotion he brings out. He was a big donator to charities, he was a public figure representing Brazil on a global stage at a time the country was recovering from various crises. His funeral was enormous because he was arguably the biggest celebrity in the country.

And that mythical status spreads into motorsport as a whole. First of all because of his success, then because of how he himself weaved his religion into his racing - allegedly talking to god during the race and claiming God chose him to be a racer - then because of his rivalry with Prost, and then, finally, because of the impact a champion dying in an F1 race had on safety in F1 and across motorsport as a whole. Today we don't really appreciate how insane it was that F1 went from the death toll it had before Senna's death, to immediately going 20 years without a grand prix race killing a driver.

(Sidenote but I wish Ratzenberger's death didn't go ignored so often in this legacy and I can't talk about it without mentioning him for the sake of not letting his name go unsaid. Imola as a whole sparked change, not just Senna. It was too much tragedy in too short a timeframe for them to ignore it.)

Senna being "the last death" for such a long time only made his mythical status bigger. The religious wording he'd used about his own career, the way F1 (Brundle) tends to 'valorize' risk and danger, his popularity in Brazil, the mourning his death produced, it all pulled together to create something that's more legend than man. It became less a historical record of a real racer with numbers to his name and more a story about a doomed hero who died too young. When I was watching F1 as a kid - before Jules' death - Senna to me had this image of a martyr now guarding the racers in death and protecting them. That was sort of the 'vibe', I guess, that F1 liked to push.

(There's really something to be said about how Ferrari and Brazil and Italy and Catholicism shaped F1 into a religion with saints of its own I guess.)

Like, I wasn't alive when Senna was racing. I don't consider myself a spiritual person. I don't really even care about Senna, and frankly I know his personal life includes essentially an arranged marriage to an underage girl. But still, I hate it when we go racing at Imola. The whole track feels eerie to me, like it should be left alone, like we're disturbing something. I know that IS superstitious and I never let that feeling out, but it's in the back of my head. That's how strongly F1 has pushed Senna on the fans as a legend beyond questioning, and how it effects even someone who doesn't consider him the greatest and never has.

This ties back into people comparing him to Michael, I promise. I think a lot of the reason people do that, is actually that they're mourning that they never got a definitive answer to the question "Which one is better?" because Senna was killed before the championship could be settled. They try to find other ways to give an answer, to prove it, so they can feel satisfied, so they feel there WAS some sort of resolution to the question and it was just hidden.

But death isn't neat and tidy like hypothetical answers. It just happens. That's natural, and so is resisting the truth of it and the questions it leaves unanswered, or the gaps it leaves in our lives. Senna is framed like a story - F1 is framed like a story - and human nature is to give a story a conclusion with meaning that answers all of our questions - Senna was the best, Michael was the best, Lewis is the best, Fangio is the best, etc - not... nothingness. Not a sudden and abrupt ending to a young life that had nothing to do with the story he was carving out. So Senna's death becomes the turning point for safety in F1, the answer to the question of 'the greatest' becomes something that has already been given, and we create whatever proof we needed to simplify these things down.

In reality, F1 went 20 years without a death from a grand prix because of luck, swift action, and the tireless work of many, many individuals. Stewart, Watkins, Lauda, the drivers who reformed the GPDA after Senna's death and had it up and running by the next race, the people who redesigned Imola to be safer, the FIA circuit grading system, the track marshalls, the medical staff, and hundreds more.

In reality, there is no definitive greatest, and if there is, if we can somehow prove it via mathematics, very few statistics are on Senna's side.

But like. For all that we live in reality, that doesn't inform how we perceive it. When Michael equalled one of Senna's records he broke down crying, and for the rest of his career he always said Senna was the greatest without pause. I'm pretty sure Lewis himself still holds Senna up as the greatest. Because at the end of the day that title isn't something that can be 'proven' to some people, me included. It's not actually about records or statistics or proof. It's about who makes you feel like an awed little kid watching a very brave man in a very fast car.

People don't like to admit that though. People like to be right, and they like it even more when the thing they're right about makes them part of a group. (Senna Fans, Schumi Fans, Hamilton Fans.)

For me personally though, I never like to argue or debate about who is the 'best'. I know nobody will ever change my mind about Schumi, and frankly I don't want to change anyone else's mind about who the 'best' is, and as soon as the conversation starts it always ends up becoming about doing one of those things. I don't see the appeal of it. If someone out there is convinced Maldonado would be a 10 time WDC if he had been in a good car then fine, fuck, sure. You keep believing that.

Sorry. I've rambled a lot and this became more a general treatise on What It Means To Be The Greatest and How Sport Becomes Folklore than an answer to your question. I just didn't feel I could answer without Getting Into It. I hope I've kept this respectful to the drivers of the sport, and it hasn't felt like me lecturing you when I just got super carried away with my theories sfdghfsdhg

TL;DR - I don't think Senna is the greatest, but I think it's purely because of his legacy and myth.

#long post #I'm literally praying read mores still work on mobile

[naazaif327]

It’s so strange to me seeing people bend over backwards to try claiming that there’s absolutely no connection between TLOU2’s setting and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Like, I absolutely love The Last Of Us from the bottom of my heart, those games and characters will stay with me for the rest of my life, but also it’s just like so clear from any angle that Seattle’s war between the Seraphites and the WLF is just Druckmann’s “progressive liberal” zionist view of the irl occupation.

Like, on the one hand you’ve got the WLF (IDF/Israel), who are clearly criticized as being overly militarized and doing a bit too much torture and dehumanization, but they’re also super diverse and queer-friendly, and they’re very accepting of various different faiths and religions while still being overall pretty secular (this isn’t just me speculating btw, as you pass by you’ll listen to various WLF npcs openly talking about their faith and sexuality). They’ve got a fucked up leadership/governance under their angry ruler Isaac, but they’re good people as individuals, they’re just caught up in a cycle of revenge/violence. They’re mostly made up of people who were oppressed (by FEDRA) before staging an uprising and revolting to take back their land, which they lovingly cultivate and make use of innovative modern technology to make their world better. It’s a perfect metaphor for Israel to a Zionist who truly thinks that he has a nuanced view of a country he loves.

And then you’ve got the Seraphites (Palestinians/Arabs/Muslims), an angry backwards religious cult that hates progress and queerness and religious freedom, it’s members all brainwashed and worshipping a powerful prophet who proved her worth by performing miracles to win military victories for the cause. All of their children either become child soldiers or child brides for the elders. They hate using technology or anything from the modern world, their backwards culture holds them back and makes them socially/militarily weak. They enact violent lynchings against any poor WLF soldier that crosses their path. Besides Lev and Yara, they are a monolith, a people who exist as violent enemies to slaughter or as brainwashed masses to be pitied as they are massacred. Again, a perfect metaphor for both Islam and Palestinians to a man who has only ever seen both groups through the eyes of Israeli propaganda.

Notably, there is of course no apartheid, no checkpoints, no forced migration by one group or another in the history of the conflict (which we slowly learn through notes and diaries and letters scattered throughout the game). The WLF did not slaughter Seraphites in order to steal their homes, did not take their land and murder their families, nor did they force the Seraphites into concentration camps. The WLF has not been policing the Seraphites’ crops, has not been seizing their funds or resources, or poisoning their wells. The Seraphites aren’t trying to reclaim their stolen land or get the boot of the WLF off their neck. There is no actual ongoing reason for the war, the only reason the Seraphites are still fighting is to “get vengeance” and “kill the degenerate Wolves” rather than to live freely, because Druckmann sees this as the root of the Palestinian cause. To him, Palestinians are not fighting because they’re oppressed by Israel but because they hate Israeli culture and Judaism, and because they can’t just let bygones be bygones (the “bygones” in this case being ethnic cleansing). To him, Israel isn’t oppressing Palestinians and profiting off their suffering, Israel is just fighting back against antisemitism and maybe going too far to protect itself.

In the game, both sides were hurt by FEDRA, and then after the WLF defeated FEDRA, the Seraphites randomly pushed into the suburbs to terrorize the citizens there, causing them to rush to join the WLF. From then on both sides in tandem kept attacking and thus escalating conflicts into more and more violence. There is no oppression, no power differential, one side is not living in the forcibly abandoned houses of the other. There is no reason for conflict, only the meaningless violence that would immediately end if we could all just get along and stop trading completely equal blows.

The conflict ends on an uncertain note that nauseatingly mirrors the current reality. After escalating conflicts, the WLF launches a violent all-out attack on the largest Seraphite base, their island, wiping out most of the Seraphites, razing their fields and crops, slaughtering their children, and burning down almost everything the Seraphites spent decades building. The WLF in turn have lost much of their military force, but their homes and their children seem blissfully unharmed at the end of this. The future is uncertain, but it seems that the WLF/IOF is the “winner”. And it’s all very tragic to Druckmann of course, the dead Scars/Arabs are a very sad thing that could have been avoided if everyone just listened and relaxed. Material oppression doesn’t matter, and this could all just be solved by having integrated schools or whatever.

#the last of us #tlou #neil druckmann

[differenteagletragedy]

Our Life Swap AU continues to haunt me. This one begins sometime between Step 2 and 3. Baxter and MC befriend a stray cat and they pay attention to that instead of to their feelings.

The first time the cat came around, Baxter was having a bad day.

You weren't sure exactly why, but you could tell by his demeanor that it wasn't the time to pry. He'd tell you eventually whatever it was that had happened, he always did, but sometimes it was better for him to push the bad things away at first and to let a little light back in before he could face them. You were, he'd often told you, that light for him.

He'd come over that afternoon, and the two of you were sitting outside your house, just talking about nothing in particular, when the cat showed up. It was a stray, you could tell that much, and had a black coat with some white markings that made it look like it was wearing a tuxedo.

Baxter had brightened up when he saw you, but at the sight of the cat, he began beaming.

Your best friend always loved being fancy, he had since he was small, but he was no snob, so it wasn't a surprise when he knelt down right on the street and held his hand out, trying to coax the cat over.

"Here, kitty kitty," he began saying in such a soft, earnest voice that you couldn't help but smile.

"Careful," you told him, but the warning was unnecessary. Almost as if it sensed that Baxter could use the extra support, the cat cautiously made its way over to his outstretched hand and lightly touched it with its nose.

"I think it likes you," you said.

Judging by the massive grin he shot back at you, dimples shown prominently in his smooth cheeks, the feeling was mutual.

The rest of the afternoon was spent focused solely on the cat. You theorized where it came from, how old was, if it was a boy cat or a girl cat. Baxter in particular wondered about its family, and he came up with an elaborate backstory spanning generations before you thought to ask a more basic question.

"What do you think we should name it?"

He took a moment, looking the cat over, then said "Busby."

Smiles came awfully easy that day, and you gave another then. Before you met your friend, you'd never heard the name, but it was one that belonged to his favorite film director. Memories of watching Busby Berkeley movies, black and white classics with big dance numbers that he thought were absolutely magical, came to mind. Considering the cat's built-in formalwear, it was a fitting name.

"Busby it is," you told him.

You both knew you couldn't keep the cat. Your parents wouldn't allow pets, and neither would Baxter's. You decided to spend the day with it until you had to go back inside for the night and then bid it farewell, but Busby had other plans.

Day after day, week after week, the cat came back to your neighborhood. Eventually months went by, then a year, then a couple more, and your furry friend still made a point to stop by for food and pets nearly every day.

The week before Baxter left for college, the two of you sat outside your house like you'd done countless times, taking turns petting Busby and imagining all the adventures he'd been going on when he wasn't with you. At one point, the cat climbed on Baxter's lap and started kneading his stomach with its little paws. You both heard a loud purr, then it nuzzled its head firmly against his chin.

"I'm going to miss this more than words could possibly express," he said softly. You caught him glance at you, but before you could properly meet his eyes they turned back to the cat.

"Me too."

He was moving to Virginia for school, across the entire country. You'd been thinking about it constantly since he'd dropped the news, but it wasn't something you'd be able to fully grasp until he was gone. The idea that Baxter wouldn't be nearly within arm's reach every day was unfathomable. You knew it was something he felt like he had to do -- he was desperate to put as much distance as possible between him and his parents, and he wanted so badly to prove that he was capable of making it on his own. But still, life wouldn't be the same without him so close.

"Moms are going to keep taking care of our little friend?" he asked, giving Busby a gentle scratch behind the ears.

You nodded, reaching over to stroke the cat's back. In doing so, you scooted closer to Baxter, enough that your legs were touching and you could feel the heat coming off of him.

"And you're going to keep taking care of yourself?"

You looked up at him at that, and he looked back this time, his expression full of meaning. You saw ten years worth of caring in his eyes, what felt like almost a lifetime worth of love.

"Of course," you told him. "And you'll do the same?"

Instead of answering, he brought one hand away from your best furry friend and used it to slide around your shoulders. You felt him give you a squeeze before he pulled you against him, and he placed a firm kiss on your temple. You let out a shaky sign and leaned into it -- it lasted long enough for that -- and hoped that your own expression showed the same kind of friendly love and affection, that it didn't give away the years of longing that you'd felt for him.

"I'll take care of you too," he said, landing a series of smaller kisses along your cheek and forehead. It felt impossibly intimate between just-friends, but you didn't dare stop him from doing it.

"Always," he continued. "We may not be living on the same street or in the same state, but I hope you do know that you have a home in my heart. Anything you need, anything at all, for as long as you live, that will be my priority."

It was a heavy promise, but you didn't doubt he was sincere. He shifted slightly, pulling you a little harder against him. Another one of his kisses went further in your cheek, almost to the corner of your mouth. He stopped, taking a moment to look at you. There was a question in his eyes, and a sort of darkness you didn't recognize.

You'd wanted Baxter for a very, very long time. You'd thought about him looking at you like this, feeling his lips on your skin, more and more as time went on. Every time, you convinced yourself that your feelings were one-sided -- how could someone as beautiful and sweet and funny and perfect as him possibly want you?

But now, it felt a little different. His eyes trailed down to your lips, and he leaned a fraction closer.

"What if I need ear scratches?" you whispered, looking back down to the cat, deflecting because that was safer than whatever this was.

A moment passed, then Baxter's hand, which had made its way down to your hip at some point during his declaration, came up to your head. You felt gentle scratches against your scalp, and one more kiss on your cheek.

"I'll give you whatever you want," he told you.

#our life beginnings and always #our life #olba #our life baxter #baxter ward #baxter x mc #baxter x reader #baxter x you #baxter ward x you #baxter ward x reader #baxter ward x mc #our life swap au #this mc is gonna be the death of me i swear #open your eyes baby doll he is right there for the taking

[adoristsposts]

false god | nico hischier

author's note; obsessed w that false god edit of him on tiktok by zegraser like i cannot stop watching it summary; christmas has a set-in-stone tradition: going to mass with your grandfather. but this year you and your boyfriend are coming up with your own traditions. word count; 0.9k warnings; reader isn't religious but her grandpa sure is! characters; Reader x Nico Hischier

When you agreed to spend Christmas with Nico's family in Switzerland, you had no idea the uproar it would cause. Namely with your grandfather. The man was so old that he could rival Mr. Magoo for senile shenanigans. You loved him, but the absolute offence he took to your missing Christmas mass was shocking. "You're breaking the old man's heart." Your mother joked. Your father mumbled something about how in all his years of living, he had never been able to escape his father's demands to go to mass. But being in a different country seemed like a great excuse.

"Baby, you ready?" Nico asked, poking his head into the room. "Yeah. I gotta go, guys. Tell Papa I love him." Your mother grimaced. "He says he's not talking to you right now. But he loves you too." You laughed and told your parents you loved them before hanging up the phone. "Okay. I think I'm ready." "It's not that big a deal," Nico told you for the millionth time. His mother had put the two of you in charge of making the Zimtsterne and Mailänderli. Nico had gone on and on about the importance of making Christmas cookies every year in Switzerland. Now you were a part of the tradition and you were determined to prove yourself. "It is to me, Neeks." You got up and kissed his nose. "Need to get it right so we can make them next year." He smiled and flashed those obnoxiously gorgeous dimples at you. "Fine." He sighed, even though the simple mention of there being a next year for the two of you had his heart fluttering.

You had missed Santa's visit that brought nuts and mandarins, which Nico joked he was devastated about. His two older siblings had already eaten the cookies and chocolates he had brought. He was showing them to you now, as you waited for the cookies to bake. "Nuts and mandarins?" You asked, scrunching your nose up. He laughed, "Not a fan?" "Of nuts, no. I've never had a mandarin." "Try one." He offered, handing one to you. You pursed your lips. "What?" "I feel like we need to do something fun with this." You admitted. "I'm missing my traditions. Let's come up with something new." "I have an idea," Nico said. He took the mandarin from your hands and peeled it open. Expertly, he pulled out two slices and set the rest on the table. "Come on, don't want to give my mother a heart attack." He laced his hand in yours and pulled you into your room. "Nico," You laughed, "What on Earth are we about to do?" He stood facing you and grabbed your other hand lightly, careful not to crush the slices. "We," He took a deep breath like he was preparing, "Are going to put a slice in each of our mouths. And we are going to bite down. And whoever's sprays the most juice gets to eat the chocolate from the advent calendar." "Oh you're on, Hischier." You said, even though it would be all luck. He pulled his hand out of yours and opened it to you, letting you pick your slice. You pursed your lips and pretended you were thinking. In all reality, you didn't really know which one to choose. "This one." You grabbed the one on the left. Nico hummed like he was sure you had made the wrong decision. Both of you placed the slices in your teeth. The juice sprayed a little when you bit down and dripped down onto your chin. You couldn't help your laughter as you watched Nico's do the same. You swallowed what was left of your mandarin slice and wiped the juice off your face. "I think mine was definitely juicier." You reached up to cup his face. "Oh really?" He said. You just hummed against his lips as you pulled him into a kiss. You had to admit, this new tradition was a lot better than listening to some priest preach for hours about things you didn't fully understand.

Later, you and all the Hischiers were still bundled up in your warm clothes from your walk when Nico's mom happily exclaimed, "You should light the Adventskranz!" And you had no clue what she was talking about. "The candles." Nico's older sister laughed, "We light one a week. Usually, we let Neeks do this one, but we like you more." "Hey!" Nico protested at his sister's teasing jab. He wrapped and arm around you and you leaned against his chest. "I'd be happy to." You told them. You weren't sure if the flush of your cheeks was from the warmth of the house or the absolute joy as you felt yourself slotting into their family activities.

That night Nico traced patterns on your hip. He was propped up on his elbow, watching his finger drawing elaborate swirls as you studied his features. "I love it here." You finally told him. His eyes lit up as he looked at you. "Really?" He said excitedly. "Really. It was worth my grandpa's wrath." He laughed at that. "Tell Papa it's my fault." You waved a hand in the air dismissively, "Please, he loves you." "I'm glad." He dropped his head to nuzzle into your neck. "I'm going to marry you someday." You couldn't stop your grin. "Oh, really?" "Yes." He pulled his face up. His hair was falling every which way and you adored it. You adored him. "Just don't propose on Christmas." "Why not? Overdone?" He asked. "No," You said, "My grandpa will never forgive me for taking attention away from Christmas mass."

#adoristsposts #nhl #nico hischier fic #nico hischier fluff #nico hischier x reader #new jersey devils #new jersey devils fic

[hetaologist]

APH America "Ethnography" and Headcanons (SFW)

The United States of America, Alfred F. Jones, Mr. Stars and Stripes, 'Merica, Pretty Boy, um... or just simply America.

Here is a list of data I have gathered from this country and oh boy, what an interesting specimen we have here....

Ethnography

You will find this find this mythological creature at your local Walmart superstore during the evening hours on a weekday, sporting flannel loungewear pants (The plaid kind), a cotton t-shirt that definitely has been worn no less than two (2) times, Old Navy $1 flip flops, and a gray jacket.

When asked about his late night runs to the popular supermarket chain, his answer is just simply:

"There's nothing else to do and no where to go."

America's Cart Inventory for March 22nd:

One (1) package of "Mega Stuf Chocolate Oreos" for $5.97, One (1) 6-Pack of "Starbucks Frappuccino Chilled Coffee Drinks" in Caramel Flavor for $7.98, One (1) Family Sized Bag of "Flaming Hot Cheetos" for $5.94, One (1) "Furby Interactive Toy" for $39.19, and One (1) Stick of " Axe Apollo Men's Deodorant Stick" for $4.97. Total of purchase was $64.05 before tax.

When questioned about the "Furby Interactive Toy", he replies:

"Yeah dude, there's this thing I wanna make that's called a "Long Furby". Wanna come by my place and check it out?"

I agreed to the invination as it would give me a better look into his living space and lifestyle. He's very friendly person.

Living Space (Home):

Oh dear god, why did I agree to come here?

House is a what you would expect from a typical American college student such as:

"Saturdays Are For The Boys" banner flag, Marvel and DC posters, a very unsettling looking blue leather couch that looks like it has been through hell and back, random dumbbells and untouched exercise equipment, every game console from the 1972 "The Magnavox Odyssey" to the PS5, action figures from various popular TV shows and comics, an old KFC bucket with half eaten chicken on the coffee table and a shelf with a huge vinyl record and CD collection.

Conclusion: What a fucking gross nerd.

America offers a cold can of Coca-Cola, I accept it.

He shows me a very long light blue "Long Furby" from his collection, further proving how much of a dork he was.

When asked what kind of music he liked (in regards to his music collection), he replies:

"That's hard to answer, it changes every week. Because of my diverse music, I pretty much like everything. One week I could be listening to 1980's classic rock, 2000's techno-pop, Bluegrass Country, 1990's Hip Hop or anything. But, if I had to give you this week's favorite artist, it would have to be Taylor Swift and Doja Cat."

"Interesting..." I replied.

I have recorded enough data for today (the smell was bothering me) and left his home to do further extensive research.

Headcanons:

America has a deep love for cars and trucks, he can be seen working on his vintage 1968 Dodge Charger R/T called 'Thunderbird' (an absolute speed demon that can reach at top speeds of muthafuckin' 156 mph), and his enormous 2019 Ford F-150 'Big John' that he loves to drive to world meetings because he is a total stud muffin showoff.

Oh yeah, he defiantly modded 'Big John' horns with airblasters. So when he parks his car and he sees other nations come out of their vehicles, he pounds on that horn and scares the living shit out of them.

He totally does 2 am donuts in the Thunderbird the front of Walmart parking lots with his brother Canada to freak him out.

Other than seeing him work on his cars while listening to "Waking Up in Vegas by Katy Perry" on the radio, he's in his room sorting out his action figure and comic book collection.

Damn, what what a geek.

He has an eBay account where he buys, trades and auctions his collection as his interests constantly change.

If you think him being a geek, dork and a nerd is gonna save him from getting a basic ass Stanley cup, you're wrong.

He has a navy blue one that he takes to meetings and he would get dirty looks from the other nations.

"Goddamn it America, you do not need that much coffee."

"Fuck you, you scone sucking twink. It's not coffee, it's the Panera Super Charged Lemonade mixed with Redbull."

"I beg your fucking pardon..."

He gave Canada a red one for his birthday that he also takes with him to meetings.

"Canada, mon ami~. That better not be that merde American drinks that makes your heart explode."

"No, it's Tim Hortons iced coffee."

"Well.. that's better than what America drinks..."

#hetalia headcanons #hetalia axis powers #hetalia oc #hws #hetalia world stars #hetalia america #aph america

[coldhndss]

──★ ˙ ̟ Blue Lock matchup No.5 @mooncakes-and-peaches

Hello! This is my last current matchup. I’ll be writing more soon as I have 3 shorter bonus ones planned for the few people who sent in after the cut-off. I’ll be opening them up again soon once I find I have more free time! I also have some special types of matchups planned so stay tuned!

So anyways, some of the things you noted in your matchup felt really refined and sort of sophisticated, in a way? So, with that, I decided to match you to Reo Mikage!

I know you’re anime only, and so matching you to Reo might not make much sense now, but his personality really shines through in the manga, and I might write a bit over my intended limit trying to prove that to you, so hear me out!

―୨୧⋆ ˚ “I'm a huge homebody. I enjoy watching TV… drawing occasionally.. writing ideas and characters for stories…” 

“…and working out (my goal is to look fit and I’ve actually managed to get some muscle!) I like playing tennis, but I have to be in the mood and the weather has to be right.” 

If you’ve read most of my matchups so far, I’ve said this same thing a few times, but most of your description sort of gave me Reo vibes (if that makes sense). We know that canonically, Reo is/was studious in school, achieved high marks and always performed well in what he did/does. Despite this, I feel as though he’d definitely enjoy staying home after a long day of training (as anyone else probably would). Though, Reo would definitely motivate you to play more tennis; he’d probably see potential in your skills despite you having specific conditions to be in the mood to play right! He’d also bring you along when he has training at the gym, and the two of you would train together, and this way, the both of you can meet your fitness goals together. Though on those off days when the both of you aren’t in the right mood to go to the gym, you’d stay home, and binge watch a TV show together, sharing a bowl of popcorn and different types of chocolates that he picked up from a super-high-end chocolatier earlier that day. I feel like Reo, being the rich kid that he is, is probably used to super refined tastes, like 95%+ dark chocolate. I’m not sure whether you like dark chocolate or not (personally, I absolutely love it) but if you don’t he’d try to convince you to try it, and if you do, the two of you would eat the box of chocolates together.

―୨୧⋆ ˚ “I'll let things slide here and there, but I've never been a big risk-taker/have been rebellious. At the same time, and I know this is contradicting, I'm a very lazy individual, but recently I've been doing better doing what needs to be done and more.”

Seeing as Reo is kinda a textbook spoiled rich kid, he also carries a little bit of a ‘look at me, I’m following the rules’ kind of personality, but not necessarily in a bad way. Seeing as you’re someone who seems to avoid trouble, he may see you as a ‘refined’ individual and take interest in that. We know that Reo is a huge business and stocks nerd, (duh) his family says it all. So, I’d imagine that he’d constantly yap to you about those types of things, asking you if you’ve seen the stocks today, and always telling you and about the shifting economic state of whichever country is on his mind today. I may be wrong about this, but in the case that you do know about those types of things (I def do not) I can imagine the two of you talking about it for hours. In the case that you don’t really know much about business-y type things, you’d listen to him talk and talk about something he read in a book he bought earlier that day, only to end his yap session by saying: 

“Well, I don’t really care since I don’t want my dad’s company anyway. I’ve got Nagi, and together, our soccer will…”. Congratulations, yap session number 2 is about to begin! Although, you don’t really mind, because seeing Reo finally have something to call his own brings a special type of warmth to your heart. His newfound motivation towards wanting to be good at something that he grew from nothing himself definitely makes you feel like you can motivate yourself to build your own skill at things that you already enjoy doing. 

I’d imagine that Reo would obviously bring you to meet Nagi. He’d take you along to watch him practice one time and introduce you to his closest friends (literally only Nagi, maybe Chigiri? – but I won’t spoil anything for you). Seeing as you didn’t mention soccer as one of your interests he might suggest that the three of you play a sport together one day, and you’d suggest tennis. With Nagi being the talented freak he is, his general skill in almost anything he does may physically exhaust you, with you opting to watch him and Reo go against each other in a match while you keep the scores. That’s not to say that you’re bad at playing tennis, of course. Nagi is (was) known to make these types of underhanded comments at another person who isn’t up to his skill level (😭). 

―୨୧⋆ ˚  “I don't have an aesthetic, I just like to wear whatever is comfy and don't really stray from my regular stuff (another thing I need to work on).”

Given his riches, Reo would obviously have expensive taste. If I’m not wrong, he wears designer clothes and all that jazz. So, seeing as you also have a super self-improving orientated mindset, (in my opinion) he’d always motivate you to do new things and open your avenues up a little. That’s why I think he’d pamper you with new clothes, or randomly take you ‘shopping’ where in reality he takes you to get one of those colour analyses, where the person would help you figure out what colour ‘looks best’ on you. He’d pay extra attention to it and buy you things based on what the analyst says. Of course, he takes it with a grain of salt, and lets his personal opinion seep through when buying you gifts. As for you, you’d give him a little ‘fashion show’ where you try on the clothes he bought you so as to not disappoint him, even if they’re not really your style. In the end, you’d pick out a couple pieces that you ended up liking a lot and scold him for splurging (just because he has tons of money, doesn’t mean he should spend it all!). He’d also take note of the types of things you ended up keeping and use it as reference for his next shopping haul for you. From personal experience, he knows that money isn’t the only thing that can keep a person happy, so he definitely tries to not overwhelm you with all his gifts and stuff. Seeing you smile and be content is one of the most important things to him, and he’d be absolutely torn if he was the reason for you to feel any sort of sadness.

#btw all the character dividers in this series were made by me :D #coldhandsss #writing #blue lock #fluff #anime #bllk #blue lock x reader #reo mikage #mirage reo #blue lock reo #reo x reader #reo mikage x reader #bllk x reader #matchups

[gothicprep]

so glad that AI video is here! sort of. kind of. you ever want to see a screensaver that looks like it was designed for windows 2000, where fish are flying through the air across village streets? sora can do that with one easy prompt! you ever wanna see a woman lying in bed, roll over, and watch her arm turn into the comforter? sora can do that too! it's amazing! do you ever want to see a POV of an ant's tunnel that looks like something worse than what you'd see on bbc's planet earth? sora can do that too!

i'm sure we've all seen these videos and many more at this point. the ai evangelists swear that this is a game-changing revolution in its ability to turn simple prompts into movie quality video. assuming that movie quality means a late-stage mcu movie, or madame web, or a direct to video dreamworks knockoff from the early 2000s. really? none of those things. it's not as good as any of those things. and yeah, yeah, i know, "it's going to improve", "this is the worst it's ever gonna look", "it's gonna get more realistic". but there are some who will tell you that this is the beginning of a brave new world. a whole new era! we've got a whole movement that's going to unlock creativity that's been untapped, trapped within people who have no actual talent but, um, some ideas i guess. there's a deep reservoir of those people who society has been wasting for all these years.

let's be real here. more likely, the AI is probably going to be used to much more boring ends than new great works of art when it's not being used for more nefarious ends. on the more boring side of things, you'll have people on the internet say "what if you had batman fight the straw hat pirates from one piece? that's something an ai could do!" fanfic kind of stuff. "what if goku fought superman? who would win? i'll bet ai can show us that!" another thing it can bring to life? sex tapes that you didn't make, but you're going to be starring in! get ready for the future where someone gets mad at you online, and five seconds later, you're in a bondage orgy! have fun at the bondage orgy! that's what ai promises :)

but that's not the worst of it, believe it or not. the real problem with ai is that it's going to give bad actors the ability to create international crises by ginning up phony videos. want to spark a riot in the urban center of a country you don't like? fake a video of a cop killing a kid. it'll go viral and the gas stations will be burning before the city can prove it didn't happen.

wife & i were watching the second season of tokyo vice last night while we were waiting for true detective: night country to come on, and in the premiere episode, there's a video of a sex worker being beaten to death while a gov't minister looks on. when presented with the video, he pulls the shaggy defense and just says "it wasn't me". the denial doesn't wash because the technology at the time couldn't have faked it, but in short order, we're going to be in a future where we won't be able to prove it was or wasn't him. "oh, it was ai". welp. no one will know.

the ability to circulate low-quality, unverified information has real downsides. and if anything, the decades during which i've grown up with the internet prompts me towards a lot more wariness of ai than unbridled enthusiasm. if the best case scenario for ai is what the internet did to the information environment already, we're all fucked. the speed with which things can spread and proliferate is frankly terrifying. the prompts people are using now are dumb, and the programming is not very good, but the ai evangelists are right when they say it's going to get better. and as it gets better, it's going to be more tempting to use it in ways which absolutely are negative for society. i'm sure there are cgi artists working at major studios who will be able to use these things in good ways, but i sit here and i hear people talk about "oh, the great wave of creativity is going to be unleashed by ai!" and i'm just like. what kind of future are you living in, where the technology always works out the way you want, and everyone is happy, and there are flying cars in the sky and rainbows?

#oppenheimer ending but he doesn't understand the ramifications of the nuke so he's just smiling

[alittlebrownbat]

My Year-End Wrap Up

It's nearing the end of the year and I've read a lot, and I mean a lot of fics this year. Millions of words worth of fics. Refusing to acknowledge I have a problem; that's something I'll face in 2024. It's become my nighttime routine and my favorite thing to do before I fall asleep. I thought I'd do a little roundup of my favorites. They're mostly Wolfstar with a smattering of Dorlene and Jily. These are them, in no particular order:

Let's Play Pretend by MsAlexWp - I had trouble choosing between this and A Potter's Field, which I also highly recommend. I followed this work in progress (now finished) all summer and it was an absolute delight. R/S are both young, single parents and pretend to date to appease the nosy ladies in Sirius's building. It is chicken soup for the soul and will make you both laugh and cry. I can't wait to reread it.

The Fragile House of Black by @fantismal and Jormandugr - This is a series that has a brilliant interpretation of the Prophecy. I don't think it's a stretch to say it's the best magical AU I've ever read. It also has a few Peter POV chapters and gives a backstory for why the betrayal happened, something I feel was undercooked with the original series. Heavy on Black brothers healing. It is perfection.

The Many Lives of Sirius Black by enigmaticblue - A bring back Black treat, also a series. Sirius goes through the veil and meets Regulus, who presents him with a series of doors which will allow him to restart during specific years. We get to explore what it would have been like through each choice.

Honey Honey by @aeoneskova - Marlene is teaching in the muggle world after essentially being exiled for trying to prove Sirius's innocence. That is, until an underfed boy with a scar and glasses ends up in her classroom. This is heavily influenced by Matilda. Marlene is a bad ass loner who can do it all.

The Hand that Feeds by @rollercoasterwords - A canon-compliant Dorlene enemies to lovers fic following the two from Hogwarts through the first war. It gives us an explanation to why Voldemort killed Dorcas personally. This backstory is canon to me.

10 Reasons to Go to Michigan by @greyeyedmonster-18 - Remus returns to his roots in the Upper Peninsula after abruptly leaving a 10 year relationship. This is about finding yourself again, and sometimes finding a little something more. It's just utter perfection. Sirius being a literal potter makes me chuckle.

Just What the Doctor Ordered by @wrapped-up - Sirius finds a stray puppy who he names Padfoot and brings him to the local veterinarian, Dr. Lupin, for help. This is about heartbreak, and finding love, and growing up. It was hard picking just one by wrapped-up because everything she writes is a work of art.

Under a Big Blue Sky by @eyra - Sirius and James, two wealthy city slickers, help out on the Lupins' farm for lambing season. If you liked God's Own Country, I highly recommend this, and if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend both.

Don't Panic by redspottywellies - Lesbian Sirius and Remus absconding with Harry after the events of 10/31/81. This fic does action better than any I've read. Pure brilliance.

all the lonely people by superloonyluna - What would you do if a beautiful stranger asked you to join in an all-night heist?

The Archivist by @wanderingbandurria - An author and an archivist team up to uncover the mystery behind the commune in West Godric's Hollow. There is so much thought that went into world building for this fic.

Favorites Under 10K:

Signs of Affection by Kittycargo

Marlene McKinnon is Not a Coward by AllThisandLoveTooWillRuinUs

Never Doubt that It Was Real by @soloorganaas

Basilisks, Boggarts, and Boyfriends, Oh My! by optimisticdinosaur

I Love You A Latte by @jamesunderwater

My favorite WIPs:

As The Worm Moon Dies by @rollercoasterwords

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts (can't lose either way) by @greyeyedmonster-18

Dead to Me by @jamesunderwater

Right Back Where We Started From by @soloorganaas

Darklands by @newsom

Happy reading xx

#fic recs #year end wrap up #wolfstar #jily #dorlene

[shitpostingkats]

Since I think you have met most of the Ignis now- what's your thoughts on them so far? They are like one of my favorite things in Vrains so I wanna hear your thoughts :DDD

BOY ARE YOU IN LUCK BECAUSE I HAVE MANY MANY THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THEM! :D

For anyone who isn't op, these rambles will include SPOILERS up to the end of season two of yugioh vrains. If ye wish to not know, scroll past quickly.

Okay SO:

Ai- Little little guy. I freaking love him so much. Yugioh has pretty consistently done a Dark =/= Bad and Light =/= Good, (more on that later) and Ai is such a freaking good entry into that. Ai is the dark ignis and he's the most human of them all, messy and lazy and silly. And he's like the only one of them who has ANY non-cyberse, non-Lost Incident life experience like!!!! Of course he talks like a comments section! Of course he has free will and self awareness and the first thing he did to prove this was "exerting his free will" by rolling his eye(s)! And OH MY GOD him and Yusaku. The relationship each ignis has with their lost child is SO important to me. Ai and Yusaku are, on the surface, the most different, but where they agree is their sense of surety and their sense of freedom. Ai and Yusaku have the exact same confidence in themselves. In Yusaku, it's the self confidence of knowing he's done everything he can and is smart enough to be prepared for anything. When Ai tells him "just get lucky!" and Yusaku goes "No, I'm not going to get lucky, but I'm going to win anyway." And that's SO fascinating because Ai has that same self confidence, but essentially learned it from Yusaku, that survival response of 'I am good enough that this will work'. Yusaku taught Ai everything about asserting yourself, and it's buried beneath layers and layer of different experiences, but fundamentally they're the same, the same trauma of 'I will be better. I will be enough by myself, because I am in this alone.' and then they find they are both strong but they're stronger together and it makes me want to BITE SOMETHING.

(Readmore because this got long whoops)

Flame- Why is he britsh??? Theo isn't british. He was not made in britain nor was anyone on the project british. I can only assume he purposefully chose that accent to make himself sound smarter. I love him for it. Flame and Theo are tied up in a lot of headcanon for me, most specifically I think Theo is the lost kid who lost the most (barring Spectre, who sometimes lost on purpose) before getting the hang of the game. Thus, his whole rising from the ashes motif. Teddy and Flame are the survival response of spitting out a tooth and getting back up again. They lived through the incident by refusing to stay down, and yet somehow they came out of it as a friendly jock and a silly little nerd guy. The obvious care they have for each other absolutely sends me. Flame's argument against the war is literally "We can coexist with humans. I am coexisting with a human right now, and you cannot stop me." When his home was destroyed the first thing he did was seek out Theodore. I AM GOING INSANE. And of course Theo dropped everything and moved across the country just to help someone he really didn't know before that day ARE YOU KIDDING ME. They are involved in this entire story because they cannot comprehend not helping eachother. Also, again, jock and nerdy solidarity but the dorky guy with the glasses is the jock and the literal being of fire is the nerd.

Lightning- ALSO INSANE ABOUT HIM. JUST IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING. Okay so like I said I have only recently finished season 2 and haven't started on 3 yet so we haven't had a whole lot of screentime with Jin so I can only guess on how they impact and inform each other but. OH MAN. I mean, I feel like I have to take a whole section just to talk about his PERFORMANCE. His english voice acting is phenomenal, just the right amount of utterly sinister, tempered with this no-nonsense confidence that feels perfect for his grand speeches of logical thinking. Lightning is terrifying, easily one if not the stand out villain performance in all of yugioh for me. You don't side with him, but the audience can see exactly how he gets from Point A to Point B, and that clarity of reason makes him both easily understandable and terrifying. And his visual aesthetics. Blinding light, scorching brilliance, the exact same electricity that the Lost Incident is so known for. Lighting shares a lot with his progenitor experiment, with both him and Revolver learn from Dr. Kogami's "The ends justify the means" approach. Really, Lightning and Revolver are the real opposed rivals here, except they're both the villain so neither one can narratively win. All they can do is ensure the other loses. And I said we haven't seen too much from Jin yet but that does not stop me from CONNECTING SOME THEMATIC DOTS. The complete and total shutdown of Jin compared to the detatched and pragmatic coldness of Lightning. Their survival instinct is disassociation. Shutting off the panicking part of the brain, and all its human responses, in favor of pure autopilot and a "Whatever It Takes" approach to ensure continued survival. Lightning rejects so much of where he cam from, but is so clearly the product of the Lost Incident, and more specifically, Jin. Of humanity. He's got this great line towards Ai where he berates him for basically screwing around in cyberspace for five years, while the rest of them were being actively targeted. Hunted. Surviving. Ai got new experiences, isn't defined as strongly by his trauma. But Lightning and Jin? Both of them completely froze their development, are still stuck in their survival instincts, and cannot move on from it. And I have a pet theory that may or may not see validation, that the Armatos Legios aren't really Lightning's. I mean, roman gladiator don't really tie into anything else about his aesthetics. No, I think no matter what he pretends, the Armatos are Jin's deck, and Lightning is still using them, after all these years.

Windy- Haha silly little fast talk guy who- THIS SIX INCH TALL LITTLE FELLA STRAIGHT UP KILLED HIS LOST KID. This little whirlygig canonically ended the life of his counterpart, something Lightning himself actually frowned upon. I think about this way too much. Windy isn't pragmatic, he isn't logical, he's the free spirited "fuck around" to Lightning's "find out". Windy does what he wants when he wants, and that's somehow equally as scary as Lightning's calculated cruelty. I am gutted we didn't get to meet or ever find out anything more about his human partner, and I'm pretty sure that's the whole point. There was a kid out there with his own struggles, his own problems, his own ways of dealing with the trauma of the Lost Incident, and we just. We will never get to meet him. Windy's kid is the first casualty in this war, and we never get to even learn his name. Also the ramifications of Windy being so cavalier about killing someone who is in some lights a version of himself, of the casual dehumanization Windy takes, not just to himself, but to his fellow Ignis. When threatening to kill Ai, Lightning had a "Well, it will kill 16% of our population, but it will ensure the safety of 84% of us." Windy has no such calculation. Windy doesn't bat an eye at his own death, or the death of another Ignis. And yet. And yet. And yet. When designing a servant for himself, Windy formed one out of a music note. A treble clef. The symbol for the start of a song. Does it mean something? Probably not. But I am freaking haunted by the idea that this wounded ai escaped a second attack on his world, and started rebuilding, not weapons, or schemes. But a new home, and one with music.

Aqua- You know, the ignis are one of the few artificial intelligences where it kinda makes sense that they have genders. Aqua is a girl because she learned from a girl. Her femininity is a gift, or a memorial. So is her kindness. Aqua is the only ignis who really internalized hope and compassion. She sees truth and she doesn't let it break her, she fights by encouraging choice, by asking for opportunity. Her refusing to tell Earth which way to feel in regards to the question of Humans vs. Ignis is such a poignant moment for me, that here is someone who understands better than anyone, what Lightning feels and how humans act, but rather than share her suspicions, she asks Earth to form his own opinion, not just listen to her as his only source. In general, I just like Earth and Aqua's dynamic so much. Two sweet protectors, two pacifists, represented by plant life and water??? Good good good visual motifs. That said, I definitely think Aqua is a character they could do a lot more with. All the other Ignis are just so weird, so charmingly strange in any conversation, that it feels a bit of a missed opportunity that Aqua seems completely "normal" and well adjusted. I also am saddened we haven't seen Miyu aside from in a coma or in flashbacks, because as I mentioned, I am utterly insane for the ignis/lost kids dynamics. But she got introduced pretty late in season two, so I'm holding out hope that we see more of Aqua (and maybe Miyu!) in season 3. Also, the crystal heart combo was some of my favorite gameplay story telling this season, hands down.

Earth- Pour one out for my guy. They really did that to him. As silly as Spectre's backstory is, it really gets me that he has this deeply unhealthy attachment to literally anyone who offers him a place to belong. And his Ignis is the protector, the caregiver. Earth, who can make flowers bloom with barely a thought, who's "socially awkward" but genuinely kind, comes from the child who just wanted attention and was at home in the forest. The freaking hardest gutpunch of the season for me was when Earth is being ripped apart, and we cut to Spectre, shedding a single tear, and he has no idea why. Also THAT'S A PLOTLINE THAT REALLY EXISTS IN YUGIOH. Earth's death is almost jump-scaringly brutal, from the same series that brought you such fun euphemisms for a character being killed as "sent to the shadow realm" and "retired retired". Yeah, no, here's a character being systematically unmade, then those leftover pieces shoved into one dude's brain. The dub could have downplayed it, but the sheer horror every character gives when Gore has his big reveal, really sells the brutality of Sol Tech towards these ai, and any living being that isn't contributing to their bottom dollar. Ryoken's cold deliverance to Ai and Flame about Earth's fate, even almost making light of the situation, had me 100% down to declare for the ignis because what the hell, you can't just do that. If Ai turns heel next season, I'm not saying I support him, but I get it. Earth's death feels like it rattles the whole narrative, in a way that forced me to be just as distraught and emotionally invested as the characters. That's good storytelling babey.

This got long, and this is barely scratching the surface on some of my thoughts for these silly little computer guys.

Needless to say, I enjoy them <3

#windy being lightly implied to be a fan of music hecks me up so bad for literally no reason and its the tiniest background detail #but something about computers that make music absolutely gets me man #I hear IBM 7094 and Hatsune Miku singing Daisy Bell together and I burst into tears #yugioh #vrains #yugioh vrains #ygo vrains #spk watches vrains #ai #ai vrains #flame vrains #lightning vrains #windy vrains #aqua vrains #earth vrains #yusaku fujiki #theodore hamilton #rambles #asks #answered asks #if there's any spelling errors in here rip

[escapingpurgatory]

Preacher's Daughter Review

I relistened to this album a week or so ago and became inspired to write a review of each song as well as the album as a whole. I wrote this in my notebook, but I wanted to type it out and post it here! I'm gonna do this song by song, then an overall review and rating of the album. Let's begin!

Family Tree (Intro)

A very beautiful and mellow start to the album. I find the lyrics most beautiful, as well as hard hitting. At the beginning of the album, Ethel's father, a preacher, dies. This helps set up the majority of the album. One lyric I love is when Ethel is talking about her father saying "You know I raised you better than this." My rating for the track is an 8/10.

American Teenager

God, I love this song... My favorite part about the track is the guitar parts. That shit sends me FLYING. I love when she says "It's just not my year." Multiple times throughout the song. The whole chorus in general is just so gooddd... Every part of the track is truly perfect, I also love, love, LOVE the ending. When she repeats "For me" multiple times, it's so perfect, it just draws you in. This track is a solid 10/10.

A House In Nebraska

This song is absolutely SOUL CRUSHING. Like, holy shit... This song represents how Ethel was so in love with Will, and was devastated when he left her. She repeatedly talks about loneliness throughout the track, really proving the point I made previously. My favorite line from this song is "Your mama calls me sometimes to see if I'm doing well, and I lie to her and say that I'm doing fine, when really I'd kill myself to hold you one more time." Aside from the lyrics, the actual music is so fuckin' breathtaking. Another perfect 10/10 track.

Western Nights

This song is really interesting, and I sometimes feel like people overlook it. Ethel falls in love with a man named Logan, who uses crime to support himself and Ethel. I find the trope of love and crime to be really cool, and very in place in the album. The whole "bad boy" shtick is fitting for Ethel's rebellious treck away from home starting in the sixth track. My favorite line from this one is "I'd hold the gun if you asked me to, but if you love me like you say you do, would you ask me to?" This one is a good 7.5/10 from me.

Family Tree

Meant to reflect on Ethel's relationship with Logan after is death in a shootout, this track is very beautiful. She ultimately finds similarities with loving such a violent man to her relationship with her family. Along with being in love with the entire chorus, my favorite line is "I've killed before and I'll kill again, take the noose off, wrap it tight around my hand." Back to the chorus, I find it so hauntingly beautiful. I love this track, 9/10.

Hard Times

Yet another devastating track from the album. This song is about the molestation of Ethel from a young age by her father, Joseph. As we know, he died at the beginning of the album. He began doing this when Ethel was 9, up until the time of his death when Ethel is 20. The idea that a "man of god" could commit such vile, disgusting acts should be eye-opening for some people. My favorite line from this track happens to be from the final verse of the song, "I'm tired of you, still tied to me, too tired to move, too tired to leave." This song marks the beginning of Ethel going on the run. Beautiful and disturbing, 8.5/10.

Thoroughfare

One of my favorite tracks on the album, it documents Ethel meeting Isaiah in Texas and travelling west to California with him. On the way there, Ethel and Isaiah develop a mutual attraction. As soon as they reach the coast, they start a relationship. Ethel was kidnapped, but since she had seemed to have developed Stockholm syndrome, she didn't see it as such. This song has a very country feel, but I absolutely love it nonetheless. This was actually the first song of Hayden's that I'd heard. The lyrics are beautiful and represent blossoming love, but it quicky turns sinister. I can't even choose my favorite line because I love every single part of it! This is a 100/10.

Gibson Girl

After Isaiah and Ethel have been out west together for a while, the relationship turns abusive. They both fall into drug addiction which leads to Isaiah convincing Ethel to become a prostitute to help pay for more drugs. She begins to see her mental health deteriorate, along with her sense of who she is. Ethel talks about her struggles with her mental health and the prostitution throughout the song. My favorite line from this song is "Obsession with the money, addicted to the drugs, says he's in love with my body, that's why he's fucking it up." It's sad hearing and thinking about how pieces of who she was fading away. Solid 8/10.

Ptolamaea

Wow. This song is phenomenal... It represents a hallucination Ethel has while on drugs. She envisions Isaiah as a demon which represents her finally realizing the kind of man he is, as well as his intentions. She has this hallucination after Isaiah uses physical violence towards her. This song is so haunting, when the climax of the song hits, it's like my soul leaves my body. That being said, my favorite "line" of the song is the scream itself. It's the perfect representation of feeling trapped and wanting to be released. This is another fuckin' 100/10, hands down.

August Underground

The first of the two back-to-back instrumental tracks on the album, August Underground represents Isaiah taking Ethel to a house in northern California and ultimately murdering her. Another beautiful track off the album, but in a melancholy way. 9.5/10. This track leads to...

PART 2 ⬇️

#Spotify #ethel cain #mother cain #indie #hayden anhedönia #music reviews #album reviews #preacher's daughter #preachers daughter #southern gothic

[blorbocedes]

okay, your anon/nico thesis has really got me worked up because it's so true! i am also rewatching the 2016 season (for fic purposes) and the sky commentary is absolutely killing me. at first i thought it was just my hatred for the british (my country doesn't run their own f1 coverage and english is the only other language i understand so sky sports f1 it is) but these commentators and pundits are soooo biased.

whenever nico has a great race and just zooms off into the distance the commentators talk about how it's just because he's got the best car or it's really easy winning from the front, but i've just watched the malaysia race and when lewis is doing the same thing, just racing off into the distance, crofty and brundle were going on an on about how brilliant he was and how well deserved his win would have been.

equally, when lewis was fighting through the pack throughout races, usually because of bad starts (which were his fault) they would go on about how brilliant he was at overtaking blah blah, but in malaysia, when nico was having to fight his way through the pack because seb ran into him, they went, oh well of course he can, he has the best car on the grid.

also, the blatant lies and conspiracy theories that they promote are ridiculous! in malaysia, lewis complained that it was just his engine that was blowing up, but we literally heard nico's engineer telling him not to push the engine too much at the beginning of the race because they have some issues with it. and earlier in the season, when lewis said oh they switched our engineers for no reason, but we know that toto told them the reasons...

and it's so obvious that the team backed lewis. even when he was on his petty rants about how they supported nico and wanted him to win, not lewis, toto and niki put so much effort into appeasing lewis. at malaysia (still fresh in the mind lol) nico had what was genuinely one of the best races of his career, with some incredible overtakes, and managing to come back from literally last on the grid to the podium, including a time penalty (which the sky reporters were then trying to say wasn't long enough) and in the interviews afterwards toto and niki spent the entire time talking about lewis.

also if i were nico i would have been literally insane after barcelona. lewis took him out because nico was going to get him off the line again, and he wasn't even punished. he took 43 points from the team and got away with it. when nico took lewis out in spa 2014, he at least got points for the team, but was still punished for it. i literally don't know how nico didn't go completely insane over at mercedes.

this rant got really long, lol, sorry about that

no please feel free to go off lol 📣📣📣 I haven't rewatched all of 2016 but I can attest to the sky coverage and the lewis dick sucking fest that goes on roflmao... lewis talking about the team favouring nico is REALLY funny in retrospect. but that is why lewis himself admitted he's a better teammate now than he was in 2016 -- his own words!!!

did you know niki talked about how lewis would tear up his room after losing to nico (which he then paid for), then merc made him officially retract his statement 😶

i mean. nico did go insane lol, the training and full focus regiment and diet he did for 2016 was nuts. he needed 2 hours of therapy a day!!! and he walked out of a 100 million multiple year deal -- which he'd already signed!!! which means he had to pay a sweet payout for breaking the deal no doubt. but yeah even though he didn't air this part out to the media, it clearly did get to him — he proved he Can be world champion in the right car and now he had a family to go home to. and that's slay on girlboss 🫰

#nico rosberg #f1 lore #blorbocedes ask #nicology

[pintsizemama]

Christmas Carols

Day 16

Daddy Dave ‘verse

Welcome to the 2022 Christmas Writing Challenge!

Summary: You and Dave get a surprise during your weekend tryst.

Pairings: Dave York x Reader (female), Dave York x You

Fandom: The Equalizer 2

Rating: Explicit 18+ ONLY

Word Count: 1,100

Warnings: language, infidelity, SMUT, PiV sex, unprotected sex, Daddy/baby girl relationship, age gap…let me know if I missed anything!

A/N: This takes place directly after last year’s Day 21; Naughty or Nice.

Day 15 Day 17 Christmas Masterlist Series Masterlist Main Masterlist AO3 Join my taglist

“Fuck, baby, you feel so damn good wrapped around me,” Dave groaned as he pounded into you. You could only whimper in response. Dave had you pinned down on the couch on your back. Your legs were pressed together and propped up on his shoulder. He was able to get in so deep this way, you saw stars every time he slid back in.

Your parents were still away on their long weekend. Dave had snuck into your room two nights ago to punish you for being ‘naughty’ and hadn’t left since. Apparently Carol thought he was away on business, but the only business he had conducted all weekend was between your legs.

You were used to sneaking around, catching stolen moments when you could. You rarely got to be with him for this long. It was absolute bliss. You loved having him all to yourself.

“Gonna cum,” you moaned. “Please, Daddy, can I?”

“Yeah, baby girl,” he grunted. “Soak my cock.” He speared into your g-spot and your whole body arched as you hurdled into the most intense orgasm.

“That’s it, baby,” Dave groaned. “Fuck, you’re squeezing me so tight.” He pumped a few more times before he stilled deep within you and came with a shout. Not five seconds later the doorbell rang. You were still in a post orgasmic daze, and it didn’t register immediately. Dave, always on high alert even after coming, snapped his head in the direction of the front door.

“Are you expecting someone?” He asked.

“Huh?” You murmured.

“There’s someone at the door,” he told you. As if to prove his point, the doorbell rang again.

“What the hell?” You said, lowering your legs from Dave’s shoulder and sitting up.

“Are you expecting someone?” Dave repeated.

“No,” you said with a shake of your head. Dave stood and grabbed his boxers that he had tossed on the floor in his frenzy to get inside of you. He pulled them on and handed you your discarded robe.

“Let me go check who it is,” you said as you stood up.

“Wait,” Dave warned, “maybe you should let me go…could be anyone. That boy still bothering you?” You shook your head no immediately. Blaine. The guy who had been low key stalking you. After your Spring break trip with Dave, Blaine had practically disappeared. You still saw him sometimes on campus, but he always took off once he noticed you. You couldn’t help but wonder if Dave had said something to him.

“He hasn’t even looked in my direction since Spring,” you told Dave.

“Good,” he growled. He started walking towards the front door. You ran after him and pulled him to a stop.

“What’re you doing?” You asked. “You can’t answer my door in your underwear, Dave…what if it’s someone we know?” Dave frowned when he realized what he had been about to do.

“I’ll just see who it is and get rid of them as quickly as possible,” you said gently. “If it makes you feel better, just wait nearby, but out of sight.” Dave nodded and moved into a position near the door, but not visible to whoever was on the other side. You looked down to make sure you were presentable, then opened the door. You were greeted by eight of your neighbors…including Carol—Dave’s wife—with their young daughter, Molly.

“Merry Christmas!” Tom, the head of the country club board said cheerily.

“Hi, Mr. Campbell,” you replied. “What brings you all here?”

“Well, we’re out and about, spreading Christmas cheer!” He exclaimed. They immediately launched into song. You just stared at them, trying desperately to keep the look of horror off your face. They finished their song and stared at you expectantly. After a moment you recovered from your shock and clapped.

“That was wonderful,” you said. “Thank you so much for stopping by. It was beautiful.” They wished you a merry Christmas and moved on to the next house, but not before Molly ran up to hug you. You squeezed her back and tried to ignore the pang in your chest at what you were doing to this beautiful little girl’s family.

“I go sing now, but we play later?” She asked in her sweet voice.

“I’ll always make time to play with you, Molly,” you replied with a smile.

“Yes, Molly, dear, she’ll be babysitting you in a few nights when Daddy gets back,” Carol said.

“What?” You asked, surprised.

“Oh, shoot,” Carol groaned. “I completely forget to ask you! Are you able to watch her Wednesday night? Dave has been out of town, and I’ve planned a wonderful date night for us once he gets back.” Your stomach dropped.

“Oh, uh,” you stuttered, not sure what to say. “I’ll check my schedule and let you know.”

“Great!” Carol said happily. “We better catch up with the others. See you soon!” She whisked Molly away, and you closed the door quietly. You stood there, staring, your hands still on the door. Dave came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist.

“I’m sorry you had to do that, baby,” he whispered into your ear. You shivered.

“I feel like such a piece of shit,” you whispered back. Dave turned you around and grasped your throat gently.

“You are not a piece of shit,” he ground out between his teeth. “Do you understand me? You. Are. Not. A. Piece. Of. Shit. Carol and I have not been husband and wife for a long time. You know how I feel about her…how I feel about you.”

“But you’re married to her,” you said quietly, “not me…it’s still morally wrong.”

“Baby girl,” he smirked, “nothing about me is moral.” You couldn’t help the little giggle that escaped you. “Don’t worry about all this. Let’s just enjoy the rest of the weekend before we have to go play pretend again.”

“Ok,” you said with a nod. You really didn’t want to examine your thoughts on this arrangement right now. You decided to try to lighten the mood. “I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t answer the door after all.”

“That would have been a bit awkward,” Dave said with a smile. “Now forget about all that and take your robe off. I need to suck on those perfect tits.”

“Daddy!” You squealed in mock horror. “That’s so crass.”

“Get your sweet little ass over here,” he growled and yanked you back onto the couch. You still had two more days until your parents returned home, and Dave intended to make the most of it.

Day 17

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Deadly Sin of Pride - Osborn Character Study

My favourite concept for personalities is this: "Your curses are your blessings, and your blessings are your curses". It can be understood as there being no such thing as a character flaw, just a strength that has been stretched too far.

How this applies to Osborn is that one of his most magnetic traits—his unbending spine and confidence—is also his curse. In another perspective, this trait can be seen as being bullheaded and his refusal to admit that he could be wrong has pushed him to the brink of death many times and made him treat the other half of his soul (his "goodness") with contempt.

[CHAPTER 17-7]

Osborn: When we first met, [the other Osborn] said something to me. Osborn: He said that I was actually self-abased and cowardly. That regardless of whatever it was that failed, I would always find the reason on myself. Osborn: That I thought it was because of him I ended up in those circumstances. Osborn: Maybe, back then, I only had self-respect left and so I was determined not to lose anything more. Osborn: I thought that if I got rid of him I would have absolute control over the external world and things would get better. Osborn: In the end, I spent an even longer time to make peace with this half of the soul in my body. As if he made a decision, Osborn withdrew his gaze and placed it on Zhou Weicheng. Osborn: He's right, the things I can truly control are very few. Osborn: For so many years, I've never faced him squarely. In fact, it's just me refusing to admit that I made a mistake. Osborn: It was my choice to abandon him back then and I don't regret it, but I have to bear that responsibility now.

Unexpectedly, Osborn's attitude was hinted at in [SSR The 400 Blows TRAJECTORY - 14 Years Ago Early Spring].

I'm incomparably looking forward to the moment I kill myself. At least that proves that, at the very end, before the world abandons me, I severed my relationship with it first.

I had thought this came out of spite or anger, but turns out it was pride all along. There is a myriad of ways abandonment trauma can manifest on someone and for Osborn it looks as if he internalized everything—in [SSR Blazing Love Song], he admits that he thought his mother left him because he wasn't good enough—and also developed a desire to control what he could and the one thing you will always have absolute control over is yourself.

[CHAPTER 17-11]

Osborn: First, imagine your life after going abroad and then imagine your life if you stay in the country. Osborn: Have you noticed that, even if two options are similar, people's hearts will definitely have a leaning? Osborn: Being unable to choose is just because you're distracted by "what ifs, maybes, and worst case scenarios". Osborn: Ask yourself what it is that you want most, and then trust your own judgment. Osborn: Making a choice isn't difficult, what's difficult is believing that you chose right. MC: But how can I be sure the path I choose is the most suitable one for me? Osborn: Do you have to be sure? Can't you make a choice first, and then properly walk the path you choose? Osborn: Besides, what counts as most suitable? MC: It's... the path that's most helpful to my life. Osborn: How old are you? You can wait until you're eighty to think about these things and it won't be too late. Osborn: Moreover, do you think you can walk on this path until you're old? Osborn: Are you certain there won't be any new forks in the path, or that it's actually very short and you can finish walking it in a year? Osborn: And then when you walk to the end you find that there's no more path and it's turned into a sea. At that time, won't you need to learn how to cross the sea? I followed his words, nodding from time to time. Osborn: Anything can happen, you can't predict them all and you can't control them all. Osborn: But they haven't happened yet, so why worry about things that haven't happened? But— MC: What if I walk a few steps and discover that it's completely different from what I imagined and regret it? Osborn: Then go back and start all over again. Or grit your teeth and keep going. MC: I already regret it but I still have to walk on, isn't that making my own misery? Osborn shook his head and his expression seemed to say that it wasn't so absolute. MC: Have you run into this sort of thing? Osborn: I used to be afraid of water. One time, I jumped into a river and my foot was cut by a discarded drainpipe, leaving a scar. Osborn: So later, Ye Chuan advised me to change my major. MC: But you didn't change it? Osborn: Mhm. MC: Why not? You didn't need this major, right? Osborn: Because I refused to accept this. I wanted to prove that my choice wasn't wrong, and I wanted to prove more that even if I was wrong I could make it right. Osborn: Who says that if there's a right path, there must be a wrong path? Why can't everything you choose be right? Anything chosen was right...? Osborn: Once a decision is made, don't regret it. Living is the best trump card, keep looking forward.

First, a moment of appreciation for Osborn's "Chicken Soup for the Soul" because his outlook on life is so motivational. He's personally experienced every advice he gives to people and that's what makes it convincing and powerful. Second, you can see his stubbornness here again where he forcibly overcomes his trauma over water.

Now, the picture of Osborn drawn for us after all this is a free-spirited man who barely has attachments to this world because he only has control over himself. He will offer a helping hand to people who need it, but he knows that everyone has their own lives to walk. The world doesn't care for whether or not he gets disappointed and stops on a path, and so he chooses to never regret the paths he chooses and makes them right in his eyes. This actually reminds me of a Buddhism concept where you can and should choose not to suffer. Life can be painful and you can be unhappy, but it is your choice as to whether or not you are "suffering" in that moment.

So, what happens when this man with a titanium sense of self, independence, and pride falls in love?

[CHAPTER 17-11]

Ke Yang: But why did he suddenly bring you here? If he said a word, I could have made something for you to eat. Gu: Look at us, are we normal? Reliable? If I had friends, I wouldn't bring them here either. MC: Are you guys saying Osborn didn't want to bring me here? Ke Yang: You didn't know? Ke Yang: Little sister, don't blame him. He's afraid you'll have a bad impression of him after seeing us, that's normal. There was no embarrassment on his face, on the contrary, he seemed to be used to this situation and he could even use it to jeer at himself. I didn't know what to say and just shook my head. MC: He wouldn't think this, he's not that kind of person. Zhou Zhou: Look at my big sister and her generosity. Zhou Zhou: But, sis, don't be surprised. You see, once my big bro meets someone he cares about, he won't like anything about himself. Zhou Zhou: He won't show it on the surface, and instead he'll be super prideful but, in fact, he treats feelings very seriously in his heart, even making it more important than himself.

Falling in love is like giving someone direct access to your self-respect with a blade and trusting them not to bring it down, to say nothing of what it might mean to someone like Osborn who only got this far because of his unbending spine and pride. His abandonment trauma makes him this oxymoron of being both confident but also inferior when it comes to the person he loves because it would be too heavy a blow if someone abandoned him again, and so he becomes so so so careful in a relationship.

[CHAPTER 17-11]

I gave an eloquent and long speech and thought that Osborn would support me and be happy for me, but his brows actually furrowed. MC: What's wrong? Don't tell me you think I shouldn't give up on going abroad? He nodded with great seriousness. MC: Why? His silence made me understand immediately. MC: Do you think it's because of you? But you're only one of the reasons. Osborn: I shouldn't be in your reasons. Did this mean that I didn't need to consider him at all when I made any decision? Osborn: You also said this opportunity is rare, what if you regret it later? MC: Just now, didn't you say not to be distracted by "what ifs"? How come, when it comes to me, you're distracted? Osborn opened and closed his mouth as if he didn't expect me to use his own words to refute him and now he didn't know what to say for a moment. But he still had that expression, one that disapproved of my decision. I could feel that he didn't want himself to influence my future at all. This knowledge made me feel the joy of being cherished, but it also made me especially sad. MC: At the time, didn’t you also stay to study at the local university for Uncle Ye? Osborn: We’re different. MC: How are we different? Osborn: If I was Ye Chuan, I wouldn’t wish for you to stay for me at all. Osborn: I want you to be selfish, and think about yourself for anything. He said this resolutely and there was a ball of flames that burned in his eyes as he looked at me. I grabbed his hand and pressed my question, unreconciled. MC: Then why can’t you be a bit more selfish? Weren’t you happy when you heard it? Osborn: Yes. I was very happy. Osborn: But if you delay yourself because of this, then regardless of whether or not you regret it, I’ll regret it. Osborn: So, my happiness isn’t important at all. My hand was held to the point of pain. He was trembling. He also didn’t want to let me go. I could feel it; this clear and obvious feeling that filled my chest. However, in the next second, he let go. Osborn: Think about it carefully again.

It's revealed in the next scene that, even if the heroine decided to go abroad, Osborn would have moved to that country to be with her because there are R1 races in that country too and he trained abroad when he was 17 years old.

Look, Osborn may be a dog-type boyfriend but I will die on the hill that his core nature is a cat. He's fiercely independent and proud, but he'll reveal his soft belly only to you. Because he himself craves the freedom to live however he wants, he gives others this same respect (it's why he can pick up and put down relationships in his life, such as his friends and his mother); but the moment he decides on someone romantically then they are infinitely more important than anything in the world, including himself.

#光与夜之恋 #light and night #LN Osborn #LN Xiao Yi #meta of light and night