#Circus Melbourne

[retrocgads]

UK 1987

#UK1987 #MELBOURNE HOUSE #BEAM SOFTWARE #ACTION #LICENSED #C64 #SPECTRUM #INSPECTOR GADGET AND THE CIRCUS OF FEAR

[alexanderpearce]

i understand slacklining bc u can set it up anywhere unlike tightrope walking but also unlike tightrope walking it is so insanely difficult. i tried it the other friday and could not even stand up it has no business being that difficult. give me that sweet sweet tight cable or nothing

#part of my lore is that i was taught tightrope walking by a russian guy at a circus school in melbourne #shut up ulrike #circus

[itwizardakif]

Boosting website traffic through SEO (Search Engine Optimization) requires a combination of technical optimization, content creation, and strategic promotion. Remember that SEO is an ongoing process, and results may take time to manifest. Consistently implementing these tips and staying updated with the latest SEO trends can help you steadily increase your website traffic over time. Here are some tips to help you improve your website's SEO and increase traffic:

#business #business growth #digitalmarketing #emailmarketing #marketing #social media #socialmediamarketing #the amazing digital circus #branding #entrepreneur #seo #seo services #online marketing #digital marketing #search engine optimization #smm services #search engine optimisation services #search engine optimisation melbourne #search engine optimized (seo) articles #search engine optimisation in navi mumbai #searchengineoptimisationusa #usa #usa news #united states #america #united states of america #the united states #uk #spain #canada

[travsd]

Salute to Circus Oz

It’s Australia Day, and I’ve already done my big Australia omnibus post, so this year I thought I would do a short piece that flows very naturally out of my recent ones on Martin Sharp and the Luna Park Fire. Melbourne-based Circus Oz is a “New Organization” with a lot in common with American organization like Big Apple Circus and The Flying Karamazov Brothers, and was founded at around the same…

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#Australian #Circus #Circus Oz #Melbourne

[artistbookings]

Rich Royale - Circus Performer

Rich Royale is a multi-disciplined circus artist who specializes in fire performance, juggling, and acrobatics. With a diverse range of movement styles at his disposal, Rich crafts performances that range from bright and colorful displays of kaleidoscopic geometry to raw and unrefined expressions of emotion, soul, and animalistic desire.

As a seasoned performer, Rich brings a dynamic energy and captivating presence to every show. Whether he's juggling flaming objects or executing daring acrobatic maneuvers, he never fails to leave audiences breathless and wanting more.

With years of experience in the circus arts and a passion for pushing boundaries, Rich Royale is the perfect choice for any event that calls for a touch of excitement and spectacle.

Instrumentation: Juggling Clubs, Juggling Balls, Poi, Staves, Dragonstaff, Lycopodium Flame Effects

Performance Genre: Juggler, Fire Twirler, LED Performer, Circus Performer, Contact Juggling

Size: Solo

Hire For: Weddings, Birthdays, Private Parties, Public Events, Community Events, Festivals, Nightclubs

Equipment Supplied: Yes

#Juggler #Fire Twirler #Hire LED Performer #Book Circus Performer #Melbourne Juggling Clubs #Juggling Balls #Poi Artist #Staves #Dragonstaff #Lycopodium Flame Effects

[opsbritney]

BRITNEY SPEARS The Circus Starring Tour, Melbourne, Australia (2009)

#britney spears #bspearsedit #britneyspearsedit #femaledaily #dailywomen #femalestunning #gifs #blondessource #the circus starring tour #era: circus #flawlesscelebs

[gonnaupdatethisrandomly]

Wolff hugs his replacement drive "Schumi is immediately in the car when something happens".

Since big money and social media took over the secret command in the GP circus, team bosses also became restless. Their choice of words has changed before the respect of the big sponsors. Today, these species with a clear opinion are almost extinct in the paddock. The exceptions: Franz Tost at Alpha Tauri, Otmar Szafenauer at Alpine, Günther Steiner at Haas and Toto Wolff at Mercedes. Anyone who asks clear questions always gets a usable answer.

As in Melbourne from the Viennese Toto Wolff (51). In the case of his eternal "pit shadow" Mick Schumacher (24), Wolff makes it clear: "If one of our drivers gets covid or injured, Mick is in the Mercedes! Period, end of discussion!" Schumi junior has never sat in a Mercedes. Wolff: "We'll try to provide an old car for him as soon as possible."

When Hamilton was out in 2020 because of Corona, Mercedes brought Russell from Williams for one race (Bahrain), abandoning its own reserve drivers (de Vries, Vandoorne).

Wolff: "This time Mick would drive. I'm watching for the little guy. All I can say is that his parents did nothing wrong in their upbringing. And I maintain that if Michael had accompanied his son during the two Haas years, Steiner wouldn't have dared to handle Mick like that!"

source: blick.ch

PS: The original article is in German. It has been translated to English through an online translation website.

#mick schumacher #toto wolff #mercedes #michael schumacher #mercedes amg f1

[elisysd]

60. But I promise you this I'll always look out for you

Masterlist - Previously - Epilogue

Chapter soundtrack: Sparks - Coldplay

Melbourne. The last race of the season. The last dance. The last chance. The last opportunity to try something crazy. In her hotel room, shared with Louis who had traveled with his mom for the occasion, Julia was anxiously pacing back and forth. She had voluntarily disappeared from Ethan’s life after Vegas, barely answering his texts to tell him she was busy. It was true, she had been. Busy working on Somnis, busy spending time with Louis and her mom, busy stressing out about what she was going to do. For someone who loved being in control, the last part of her plan was a jump into the unknown without any parachute and in the dark. That’s how it felt for her and when she had exposed it to her therapist, his only response had been to laugh. If giving Ethan the scrapbook had been hard as she was basically offering him all that she was without asking for anything in return, the next step was even wilder for her and was ticking every single box of what she hated in life. She hadn’t said a word to anyone about what she had planned, not wanting for the words to be involuntarily spread. She was feeling like those giant and cheesy romantic heroes, about to pour their heart out to the person they loved in a grand gesture. She had hers. She wasn’t totally sure she had the guts to do it.

The streets of Melbourne were crowded on their way to the Albert Park and she didn’t count the number of times her dad and mom were stopped for pictures by fans as they were going to the paddock. She linked her arm to Louis’ and when she didn’t feel him stiffened, she stopped.

“Since when are crowds not wanting to make you run away?” she asked.

“Ethan is brave when he is racing so I want to show him that I’m brave too.” he shrugged, pulling his sister with him as he started to walk faster.

“Eager to see Ethan?”

When she saw Louis blushing, she instantly knew Ethan was not a priority on his list, which made her even more curious. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw Louis walking straight to the Ferrari’s hospitality to greet Martin. His third place in championship would be definitely won today, after the race unless Elijah was winning which Julia strongly doubted. The polish driver wasn’t alone, an elegant woman with the exact same black hair and green eyes was standing next to him, both of her hands on the cheeks of her son and a soft smile on her lips as Martin was talking. His dad was standing a little further away, looking at the scene with cold eyes, a hand put firmly on a young teenage girl who Julia recognised immediately to have seen countless pictures of her in the past. Martin stopped talking when he noticed Louis and gave him a little handshake before looking at Julia and signaling her to come.

“Mom, this is Julia and her brother Louis. They are the children of my team principal.” he introduced them.

“Nice to meet you. Martin doesn’t talk much about his racing life. But if I’m being honest, I prefer it that way, the less I know the less I worry.” said his mom. “I’m Zofia and right there is my husband and Martin’s dad, Aleksander. And our daughter, Georgia.”

Julia saw Martin tensing and Zofia slightly flinching when the man stopped next to them, as Georgia circles her brother’s waist to hug him. A strong aura of dominance and power was radiating from Aleksander and Julia couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. He didn’t say a word, only looked around before finally talking.

“I can’t wait for this circus to be over. I have an important meeting to take care of tomorrow. As soon as we’re done here, we are leaving.”

“You’re not staying for celebrations? Your son is third, it’s amazing for a rookie season in a top team.” sad Julia.

“I don’t see why you should celebrate. He is third. Not first. I didn’t finance his career for him to finish third. I didn’t raise a loser.”

“Aleksander… it’s still an achievement and…” Zofia started but quickly stopped when she felt her husband's hard gaze on her.

“I’m proud of you.” whispered Georgia as Martin pulled her more against him.

“That’s what matters the most to me.”

“Will you be here for Christmas?” asked the young girl.

“Martin has business to do and attend. I don’t think he’ll be able to join us, right son?” answered Aleksander.

“Yeah… but I promise I’ll find time for you. One way or another.”

“You always say that…”

Julia intercepted Martin’s sad look as he clenched his jaw. She knew he had a few family issues but he had always been very secretive about them. The main problem was apparently his dad but she didn’t dare to say anything. It wasn’t her place. Fortunately, Louis came forward completely unaware of the coldness of the situation and looked at Georgia.

“I’m not a big fan of racing but I have a ton of books in my bag. If you want, I can give you one.”

The girl looked at him and smiled shyly.

“I have a book with me, too. But thank you.”

Louis was about to say something when Aleksander asked his daughter and his wife to come with him to find their seats. They didn’t bother to even say good luck to their son who still looked hurt. Still, Georgia turned her head one last time to her brother, mouthing something that Julai didn’t catch but made Martin smile, at least a little bit.

“I’m sorry you had to meet them.”

“Your dad is quite something.” she said.

“A piece of shit. That’s what he is. But I won't let him ruin my day. How are you?”

“I’ve never felt so anxious in my entire life, to be honest.”

“Why?”

She didn’t know if she should talk about Ethan with him. It was weird and she didn’t want to hurt his feelings more than she already had. But one look at him, confirmed that he knew.

“You’re watching the Grand Prix with Maserati?”

“No.. I’m staying here.”

“Ethan must be happy.”

“I haven’t seen him since Vegas… I’m planning something for him. That’s why I’m a little over the edge.” she forced a smile.

“Whatever you have planned, he is a lucky guy and I’m convinced he will love it. I would have loved to chat with you more but I have to go. Preparation and all.” he apologized, heading out of the hospitality.

Julia wasn’t the only stressed out one. Ethan was fidgeting in his driver room, playing with the red bracelet around his wrist. He knew he had to take it off, he couldn’t race with it but Julia had almost been in full radio silence with him and he didn’t know why exactly. She had planned something that he was sure of. But not knowing what would happen and when was even more stressful than having to intend a press conference, something he hated more than anything.

To try to clear his mind, he decided to go out, walk around the paddock. He still had time before the start of the race. A race he was starting twelve which wasn’t very enthusiastic for him. But he had faith in his capacities to know he could aim for the top five. He had too if he wanted to end the championship in fifth place, right before Elijah.

Walking around he was quickly stopped by Christian who was on his way to the Lamborghini’s garage, certainly to check a last minute detail.

“Ethan? The man I was searching for. How are you doing, kiddo?”

Ethan arched an eyebrow.

“Good. Focused. How are you? How does it feel to know it’s Kyle’s last race under your colors?”

“Weird. I saw him grow up and become the man and the driver he is now. I’ll miss him. The team will miss him. But it’s part of life. Do you have a minute? There is something I want to talk about with you but I can”t do it here.”

Ethan didn’t think much of it and nodded before following Christian. He probably wanted to plan a farewell surprise party for Kyle and wanted Ethan’s help. Christian led him to his office before inviting him to sit on a chair.

“So… Now that Kyle’s not part of the team, do you already know who will take his place?”

“I have an idea, yes.”

“Is that Derrick? Your third driver? I mean, he was very good at the last free practice he drove and I’m sure he would make a great teammate to Ludwig. Because now, he is going to be your number one driver, I presume.”

“Actually… Derrick is not the one on my list.”

“Really?” Ethan asked with surprise.

“Well… Listen. When Kyle came to me to tell me about why he didn’t want to renew his contract, he also asked me something. He wants you to take his place, Ethan.”

He was speechless. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to speak but no words seemed to come out.

“He wants me to take his place?” he repeated.

“Yes. But before, I need to make sure that you have what it takes. You’re starting P12, right?”

Ethan nodded.

“Well, if you manage to make it to the podium, the seat is yours.” Christian simply said.

“That’s a big challenge.”

“ I know. But I’m sure you’ll find a way. Lamborghini is your dream. You fight for your dreams.”

Coming out of the office, he met Kyle who was leaning against the wall, earphones on and eyes closed, fully focusing. As if feeling his best friend he turned his head towards Ethan and smiled before removing his earplugs.

“Christian told you, I guess.”

“You’re stupid. You’re forcing his hands.” Ethan complained for the sake of it more than anything else.

“I don’t. You still have to show him that you want it and you deserve it.”

“I’m going to do the race of my life, brother.”

“See you on the podium, then.” Kyle winked before joining his physiotherapist.

And Ethan didn’t know if it was because he wanted to honor Kyle on his last race for Lamborghini, or because he had his fate right between his hands, quite literally, but he couldn’t wait to jump in his car. His eyes caught one of the giant screens where interviews were broadcasted and it took him a few seconds to recognise Julia. She was smiling, wearing one of his shirts and he wondered for a moment what the heck was she being interviewed and even more why was she smiling so much and felt so confident. He ran to his hospitality as fast as he could but when he finally was able to hear something it was over. He swore, attracting the attention of his mechanics before feeling someone behind him.

“I recorded it. I think you’re going to find what she says very interesting.” Chloe winked, leaving her with her phone.

He thanked her and went in a corner, away from everyone to isolate himself. When he was sure he wouldn’t get bothered he pressed play and pushed the volume to the maximum, to make sure he would hear everything.

“And we are here with Julia Leclerc. So, as you probably know, today we are wandering the paddock alleyways to ask people who their driver of the year is. The one that made their heart beat faster after each overtakes. We had your dad a few minutes ago who told us that to him it was Romy, but who is it for you?”

“I have to say that Romy would have also been my first choice for the incredible season she had and her wins. I’m happy that she keeps on showing people that a woman can do it as well as men. I know that so many young girls are watching her thriving and aspire to be like her. Same goes for Chloe who arrived in the middle of the season and is doing amazing. I’m sure she will keep on improving and we have seen nothing yet. Boys, you better watch out. But if I had to choose one driver, it would be Ethan. It would always be him. It’s not a revelation, I think a lot of people here know about our relationships, about the ups and downs, but not once have I ever believed he wasn’t an exceptional driver. He deserves everything that comes to him and more. And I know the best is yet to come. If I can say one thing, just one…” she took the microphone and looked straight at the camera. “ Ethan, I love you, I’ve always loved you. Loved to hate you and loved to love you. If you feel like it, meet me in two days where it all started.”

He stopped the recording and it was with a newly found passion that he headed to his car, after giving Chloe her phone back.

“So… Where it all started, what does it mean?”

“She means Singapore. I’m sure of it.” he smiled, proud of him.

Putting his visor down, he saw everything he had been fighting for his whole life. A place, a sense of belonging, his dreams, his friends, people who supported him his whole life, the kids from Little Smiles, Louis, and finally Julia. And when the lights out, the grid better watch out, he was a man on a mission.

Julia didn’t dare to move her eyes from the screen, scared to see his car out in the gravel. But it didn’t happen, instead she saw him gaining positions after positions, laps after laps  until he met Martin’s Ferrari for the fight for third place. The fight lasted for a while until Ethan finally managed to get rid of him. The whole garage but Julia was disappointed. She almost screamed of joy when she saw the overtake but contained herself. But still, when her mom looked at her, she knew it was no use to try to fool her. Ethan was going to be on the podium, for the last race of the season. And with his two best friends. She knew how much they meant for him and she was so happy to see that he would be able to live this moment.

And when Kyle crossed the checkered flag, for the last time under the white of Lamborghini, Julia let out a tear. Next year would be weird without him in white but she was sure Audi’s colors would look good on him too and she was excited to see how he would perform. She watched the podium's celebrations from afar before leaving the paddock, she had a plane to catch.

Frantically, Ethan was searching in the crowds for hazel eyes. He was searching for her. For her smile,for her arms, for her words. He wanted to tell her the news, he wanted her to be the first one to know. But she was nowhere to be found. He ran to the Ferrari’s hospitality in hopes to find her there but for the first time, he was disappointed to find Louis.

“Louis! Have you seen your sister? Where is she?”

“She left. She couldn’t stay.”

“Do you know where she is?”

“I do. But I can’t tell you, she made me promise to not say a word. She knew you would come.”

“Cmon, buddy. I’ll buy you all the comic books you want.” Ethan begged him.

“That’s also what she told me you would say. I promised her.”

“She is going to Singapore, right? Where it all began… it has to be there.”

And when Louis shrugged, he was sure he had the confirmation. He went back to his hotel, packed his bags and booked a flight there as soon as possible before going to the club where everyone would be celebrating the end of the season. Kyle was obviously swarmed by people from every team, thanking everyone and trying to have a word with each of them. He was looking at the scene from afar as a blonde girl joined him.

“Congrats on the fifth?” Romy told him, giving him a glass of champagne.

“Congrats on the fourth.”

“What a season it has been. For all of us. What a ride.”

“Yeah… a lot of unexpected things happened.”

“We fell in love. We won our first race… we made new friends.” she listed, eyes glued to her boyfriend. “Speaking of love… Did you solve Julia’s riddle?”  she asked.

“It was not a riddle. It was quite obvious. I’m leaving for Singapore tomorrow. And when I come back it will be with my girlfriend.”

“Singapore? Are you sure of yourself?”

“Of course. Where else could it be?” he shrugged but suddenly doubted himself when he heard Romy laughing.

She was trying to play him, to tease him. If he could trust something for sure in his life, that was his gut. He came back from the club very late, ready to catch on some sleep before his flight in the afternoon. Sleep that was highly disturbed by poundings on his door barely a few hours later.

“You’re not going to Singapore.” exclaimed Ludwig, barging in the room, followed by Kyle.

“I… am going to Singapore…” Ethan replied, looking at his best friends suspiciously.

“You don’t. You’re making a mistake.”

“I’m going to meet Julia, how can it be a mistake? Listen, guys, I appreciate you caring for me and wanting to protect me but that’s okay! You have nothing to worry about!”

“I think we do have reasons, yes….”

“What Ludwig is trying to tell you is that Julia is not in Singapore. She is waiting for you in Paris.” Kyle explained and Ethan paled.

“Fuck! I… I’m supposed to leave later… I have a plane ticket for Singapore… not for Paris…”

“We got you covered. We bought you one and managed to cancel Singapore. You can thank Romy… she told us right on time before you make a stupid mistake. Now, you should prepare yourself, your plan is to take off in four hours.”

Never had he rushed this fast to an airport and when the plane finally took off, he hoped he wouldn’t regret listening to his friends. After hours of anxiety and anticipation, he finally landed, late at night, after almost a day in the air. He was tired, he was a bit disoriented but he was excited. Now, Paris was a huge city and he wasn’t sure where she would be. Until the obvious struck him. The Eiffel Tower, of course. His first podium, their first kiss, where their relationship had truly started for better and for worse. How stupid he had been.

Alone in the cold air of winter, a brutal change from Australia she had to admit, Julia was starting to regret every life decision that had let her freeze to death in the middle of the tourists. She should have given him a precise hour, not just a day. For all she knew he could be there tonight. If he was coming, she didn’t even know. She only hoped he had the right destination in mind. Just in case she had informed Romy about the answer but a part of her hoped he had guessed it right the first time around. People were looking at her weirdly, wondering what a lonely girl like her was doing standing there on her own. She couldn’t help but jump at every sight of a blond young man, each time her heart beating a little faster. She was cold, she was tired and she was angry but never would she dare to make a move. She didn’t want to miss him. She didn’t want to risk it.

Hours went by without a sign of his presence and when the sun made place to the night, she almost wondered if it wouldn’t be best to give up. Tourists had left, leaving her alone. She sat on the cold floor and looked at the picture of Ethan and her, taken there by photographs. His hands on her waist, his lips on hers. She sighed. He wouldn’t come. She was about to go back to her hotel when she saw a shadow running, dragging a huge suitcase.

“Julia! Julia!”

“Ethan! Over here!” she screamed, waving at him.

She didn’t know if he started to run even faster or if she had started to walk to him but soon, his hands were grabbing her waist, his head buried in her neck as he crushed her body with his.

“You’re freezing. How long have you been there?”

“Too long.”

“I thought you would be in Singapore… I was ready to go there. Thank god Kyle and Ludwig stopped me. I took the latest plane from Melbourne, if I hadn’t been this stupid I would have been there sooner.” he explained, breathless.

“You’re here. That’s all that matters.” she whispered, mixing her breath with his in curls of air.

“What you did in Melbourne… your speech… Gosh, Julia.”

“You deserve someone who shows up for you, someone who stands by you, someone who won’t run away. I want to be that person. I want to show you that I can be that to you. And I don’t want to hide. I don’t want to hide that I love you, or hide myself. I want to show the world that you’re mine just like I’m yours and I’ve always been.”

“I’m going to kiss you. So hard. You have no idea. And I won’t let go of you. Never again. But first, I have something for you.”

He kneeled in front of her and when he heard her gasp he quickly went back on his feet.

“No! No, no,no! I’m not proposing! I’m not Kyle. It’s just… it’s in my suitcase. I just have to retrieve it, give me a minute.”

He opened his suitcase wide on the ground, not caring about what anyone could think, before taking out a little package.

“This is for you.” he handed it to her and watched carefully unwrapping it. She looked at him curious when she saw her red bracelet.

“Has your mom never told you it was rude to give back a present?”

“Give it a closer look.”

That’s when she noticed three new additions to the bracelet. The eiffel tower, an ace of spades and a kangaroo. She let out a tear escaping her eye, quickly caught by Ethan’s cold fingers.

“But… It's a gift. It’s…” she stuttered.

And that’s when Ethan revealed his left wrist where a red bracelet was also hanging around it. It was an exact replica, with the same little trinkets.

“As soon as you gave it to me, I went to a jewelry store and asked them to make another one. So I give you back the original and I keep the copy. And I can’t wait to add new things to it. I can’t wait to explore our story further, Julia.” he said to her, pressing his forehead against hers as she closed her eyes.

“You said you were going to kiss me, right?”

“That I did.”

“Well… what if I’m the one to kiss you first.”

She didn’t let him react as she glued her lips to his, her hands in his hair in an attempt to draw him closer. It was just like she had imagined it and more. She felt him smile against her, as his hands circled her waist and when they finally let go of each other, she had never seen him look so happy. And she wouldn’t trade it for the world. She snuggled deeper against his chest as he let his lips fall on top of her head.

“Paris, hum? I mean… I understand why you chose it but Singapore has more meaning, in my opinion.” he told her, playfully.

“Are you seriously going to argue with me on the place where our story really began?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Well… it’s where the lines were blurred.”

“And we got rid of the lines in Paris.”

“You should have said your little game in another way, then. For example, where our story began for real.”

“You’re impossible.”

“It’s fine. It wouldn’t be us without a little bit of miscommunication.” he laughed, kissing her lips once again.

“You’re right. We still have to work on that. But, one thing is for sure, I’m going to over communicate that I love you so much that you’re going to wish I’ve never gone to therapy because I learned about how important it was to tell people that we love them.”

“I think I can deal with that.”

He bent once again, capturing her lips with his has he linked his fingers to hers and hand in hand, they wandered the street, not sure of where their feet would lead them but they knew that as long as they were together, all would be okay.

Author's note: And with that very last chapter, that's a wrap for Gold Rush. I'll make a more detailled note, later with the epilogue, for now I'll let you say, not a goodbye but, a see you soon to Julia and Ethan. The epilogue will come out on Sunday with a little announcement =)

Don't hesitate to leave a comment or an ask, as well as reblogging and leaving a like. Besides the fact that I absolutely love to read you, it helps a lot for the story to find its audience. I also have a taglist for this story, so if you want to be added so you never miss a chapter, let me know.

Taglist:

@herondalism @aundercover @musingsbyshreya @karmabyfernando @reengard @mycenterfold @smoooothoperator

#writing #fiction #charles leclerc #f1 fanfic #f1 fic #f1 x oc #charles leclerc fanfic #max verstappen fanfic #max verstappen

[fourmula1]

Not sure if you’re taking requests. But what about depressed Omega Daniel and Max during the Melbourne Weekend. I just think he’s looking so good lately.

“You’re really sure?” Max asks him for the hundredth time today.

Daniel would be annoyed if he wasn’t so endeared.

Max has been stressing since they left Monaco; fussing over Daniel, worrying about if this was the right move for Daniel, if he should be traveling back to Australia and fucking up his routine he was getting into. How his mental health would be.

Daniel was sure. He’d have a lot of support going to the race with Max, the love of the team, getting to see Michael.

And his family.

First stop: Melbourne. Next stop: Perth.

A whole month home in Perth with his parents and sister and the kids. And Max.

He’d had his doctor fill his meds and birth control for the next month so he wouldn’t have to worry about any of that and instead could focus on soaking up the Australian sun and filling his cup with the love of his family.

“I’m sure,” Daniel said as he adjusted his backpack straps, waiting near the hotel suite door for Max to stop fussing so much about how this weekend was going to go. “Stop worrying so much, think about the race!”

“I am of course always thinking about the race but that does not mean I cannot think about you, too,” Max said with a little frown as he picked up his own backpack, eyeing Daniel carefully. “Do you have your pills?”

Daniel rolls his eyes, sighing exasperatedly. He takes his birth control and his anti depressant every night when he and Max brush their teeth together before bed. It’s only media day; they’re not going to be at the track until bedtime.

“Max,” Daniel says, shaking his head. “I’ll take them tonight, we’re fine. Just, hurry up so we can get out of here,” he nods to the door, ready to get going. Brad texted that he was downstairs with the car fifteen minutes ago.

Finally Max agreed and they left together, heading down the hotel hallway and riding the elevator to the lobby.

It was surreal to be back at Albert Park and not racing this year, but the atmosphere was warm none the less. His face was plastered everywhere despite not having a seat. Daniel knew the media and the fans anticipated him being here this weekend and he was finding it rather nice, if he did say so himself.

Things weren’t perfect. He wasn’t perfect. He wasn’t even great, if he was honest. But he was home and he was going to make the most of this weekend, even if that meant hiding in the garages and watching from the sidelines.

It was also his and Max’s first public appearance as a mated couple. People had suspected for years, rumours had flown, but they’d kept it to themselves because they didn’t want the media circus to be about their relationship instead of their racing.

Now, Daniel supposes, he’s no different than any of the WAGs who will be here this weekend.

-

Daniel stands on the sidelines of the Fan Zone stage and watches Max and Checo address the crowd, watches as the fans go crazy, peeks out to see a few giant cut-outs of his own head bouncing in the crowd. It makes something warm bloom in his chest to know that even though he’s not racing, the fans are still thinking about him. Missing him.

One of the fan questions is about the month-long break between now and Baku and what Max and Checo will do with all that time between races.

“I will be spending some time in Perth,” Max says and Daniel grins when the crowd breaks out in a cheering roar, clearly picking up what Max is putting down. When Max looks toward the side stage where Daniel is stood the crowd roars louder now that they’ve spotted him there. “With Daniel, of course,” Max finishes, the cheek of him.

Daniel laughs – really laughs – and peeks his head out to give a wave.

The crowd go insane, Max laughs, and Daniel feels – for a moment – like he’s okay.

#always taking requests #but i make no promises to fulfill them lmao #anyway i dont liek this much but i tried #depressed omega daniel

[hollywoods-angel]

margot <3

margot robbie is an australian actress who's been in a number of large movies such as the wolf of wall street, suicide squad, birds of prey and once upon a time in hollywood. in addition to acting she's a producer who's produced birds of prey, terminal, dreamland, i tonya, promising young woman and the upcoming barbie movie!

margot is the second youngest of four siblings and was raised by a single mother for most of her childhood. she was enrolled in circus school and as a teen she worked three jobs- cleaning houses, working at subway, and tending a bar. after graduating she moved to melbourne to be a professional actor. she was in numerous films and tv shows, but i think her breakout role was the wolf of wall street.

margot is not only stunning, but in interviews she's down to earth and charming. her drive and determination shines through in the seriousness she brings to her roles, as well as the success of her production company. i can't wait to see barbie, and see all the wonderful projects margot will make in the future! <3

#margot robbie #coquette

[historia-vitae-magistras]

Hey, sorry to bother, but you mentioned on an ask about writing jack with a ww1 soldier and an immigrant and i have a vague memory of reading the first? I was wondering if you could add a link to where it is since i cant seem to find it. Thanks :)

I don't currently have the WW1 up because it got flagged on my old blog for some reason but the second one is below or here on ao3.

Australia, 1920s.

At the end of the street where Jack had lived in Melbourne after the war, there was a Greek cafe and bakery. Among all the red-brown brick, he could always pick it out as soon as he turned down off the Paris end of Collins Street and left the gardened residential buildings of the well-to-do behind. The whitewashed brick always looked fresh under the billowing green and white striped awning. Above the door, art nouveau stained glass grapevines climbed an invisible trellis, always fat and purple and ready for harvest no matter what time of the season.

The menu above the counter said they served only English food and baked only English tea treats. Generous servings of fish and chips, meat pies, sausage rolls, and pasties heaped onto plates. Or the neat presentations of biscuits, scones, and rock cakes under glass domes and slabs of Victoria sponge. There were also his own things, the piles of stone fruit and ripe mangos. Whatever was in season.

But if it was rainy and his hands were bloodless with cold even at fifteen degrees, he could clear his throat and try the bit of Greek he had picked up in the Agean when the Turks actually had flung him back into the sea. The jolly baker would wince a bit at him, as everyone always did at his attempts at a second language. But Greek food appeared nonetheless. The tiropitakia and spanakopita came out. Layers of spinach and feta tucked under thin crispy sheets of phyllo. He usually finished up a portion of each with baklava served with thick yoghurt and figs drizzled with honey and sprinkled chopped halva because plentiful food still had the haze of a daydream after so long at war and he couldn't help himself.

When the baker's well-built son, who was perpetually tucking a dark spiral of curl behind his ear, served him up another slice of warm baklava on the house just because and teased him for being so cold on such a mild day, Jack's cheeks would burn. Even his ears might go red if the handsome Greek lad served him up a mug that was the best bloody cup of coffee he'd ever had and sat down to chat too. It was the best coffee in Melbourne, and Jack said so every time he wrapped his cold hands around it and took a sip.

The baker's son himself was almost always behind the counter. He was usually whistling. Some songs Jack didn't know, some he did. But sometimes the lad, elbow-deep in the dough as flour and water came together or he kneaded and portioned out loaves of what would be golden, crusty country loaves, he whistled Song of Australia and no matter the rain, Jack would warm to his core. He tried to blame it on a sense of patriotism second-generation immigrants felt for him, maybe a sense of comradery between two men who knew the other had been a khaki digger himself. The man could whistle anything, though, and Jack would feel the sun on the baked clay of his outback.

It was two years of coffee before the handsome lad invited him upstairs and then two years of a cubbyhole of a bed for the nearly two meters of Jack and the broad-shouldered Greek before they parted ways as friends. Only another year after, his pretty Greek lad married a prettier Greek lass and, in a blink, had a whole circus of even prettier Australian kids running around that same bakery. It was another twenty years and another world war before Zee lit a cigarette in a funk hole in Egypt and told him that his Greek boy hadn't even dreamed about ratting them out to the police over the buggery even when threatened. She was impressed and he was loved. He'd always been loved.

#hws australia #the ask box || probis pateo #Ideas || i should write this someday #jack || a land of summer skies #my writing || cacoethes scribendi

[scapegrace74-blog]

Don’t Let Me Fall, Chapter 9

A/N  Here is the next chapter of my crazy circus story.  Sorry for leaving readers hanging off that cliff for longer than intended.  Hopefully this installment makes up for it.  The end of this fic is now in sight, and I can confirm it will have eleven chapters.  Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments and support!

All previous chapters can be found here.

He’d been injured enough times in his rambunctious youth to recognize the smell of a hospital before he even opened his eyes.  Sticky eyelashes clinging together, his first sight was of a light blue bed curtain and the uniform squares of ceiling tiles. His memory was a bit slower to focus as he tried to recall what country he was in and what he’d done to deserve urgent medical care this time.

“The king of the jungle awakes.”

The voice held an American drawl and came from a middle-aged black man wearing a white coat and a stethoscope around his neck.

“Where am I?” Jamie rasped, his throat dry and tight.  He had no recollection of being in the United States.

The doctor’s vaguely amused expression turned concerned.

“You don’t remember what city you’re in, son?”

Jamie thought hard.  He’d gone home to Scotland to attend his niece’s baptism.  Jenny had harangued him about giving up his ‘jet setting lifestyle’ and settling down with a worthy lass.  He’d missed Claire something fierce but returned to Australia conflicted whether it was a good idea to pursue a relationship with her while they were still performing together.  The internal debate, together with a wicked case of jetlag, had kept him up at all hours. After another near-sleepless night, he’d come to the realization that life was too short to waste time worrying about unforeseeable consequences.  He’d resolved to make his intentions towards his Tourist clear at the first opportunity.  And then he’d fallen from the straps.

“Melbourne?” he replied to the doctor with some uncertainty, his brain still foggy with what he now recognized as pain medication.

“That’s right.  I’m Doctor Abernathy, your orthopedic surgeon.  Besides being a bit groggy, which is understandable, how are you feeling?”

Jamie did a mental inventory of his body.  Even partially numb, his left shoulder felt a bit tender.

“My shoulder aches a wee bit,” he confessed.

“Yes, we had to reset the joint, but once the swelling goes down, it should be good as new.”

Relieved, Jamie closed his eyes.  He didn’t cherish the notion of missing any shows, but that was what they had understudies for.

“How long a’fore I’m able to perform again?”

The silence stretched on long enough for him to re-open his eyes. The doctor’s lips were tightened in a grim line.  Now that his mind was beginning to clear, the fact that he was being monitored by a surgeon didn’t bode particularly well either.

“James, I’m not going to lie to you, the damage that I’m seeing on the x-rays and MRI of your wrist…  I’ll do my best to repair the bone so that you regain full use of your hand, but given the nature of your work…”

Jamie glanced down at his right wrist, only now realizing that it was immobilized with a neoprene splint.  It had been bothering him something fierce for the past few weeks.  Roland had diagnosed it as a mild strain and applied a numbing cream before each show.  Jamie hadn’t mentioned it to Claire because he didn’t want to worry her and because most of the time he spent in her company he was fighting the urge to kiss her until the seas ran dry.  Now he was being told that he’d never soar through the air with her in his arms again due to a hereto unheard-of ailment that had apparently pulverized the bone in his wrist to dust.

“Listen, I know it’s a lot to take in,” Doctor Abernathy continued after going over the medical details of his condition and treatment plan.   “I’m going to schedule your surgery for the day after next.  In the meantime, there’s a young lady in a skimpy outfit haunting my hallways and making a general nuisance of herself.  Can you take pity on the nursing staff and let me show her in?”

Despite the circumstances Jamie smiled.

“Aye.  I’d like that verra much.”

***

I didn’t like hospitals.  All my life, they had been the scenes of painful events: the grainy memory of my parents’ deaths, my Uncle Lamb wasting away from cancer, and more recently a career-ending injury.

As soon as I was able, I had rushed from the big top and grabbed an Uber to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.  The Cirque medic assured me that Jamie’s life was not in danger, but I couldn’t erase the nauseating wallop of his body hitting the stage from my mind. I needed to be submerged in the oceans of his gaze, watch a grin transform his mobile mouth like a rogue sunbeam.  When he held my hand in his own, I would know everything was alright.

Upon arriving at the hospital, I was told Jamie was undergoing x-rays and afterward would be admitted for observation. He’d been sedated while his shoulder was reset, but the admitting nurse assured me I could visit with him once he woke.  That was four hours ago.  Unlike the kindly woman in admissions, the ward staff were disinclined to provide me with any information about a patient to whom I was not related, only repeating that he was ‘resting comfortably’.

The sound of a chair scraping the floor startled me from my stupor. John Grey, dressed in his street clothes and carrying a steaming extra-large coffee, sat down beside me.

“How is he doing?” he asked as he handed me the drink.

I didn’t know how I felt about John anymore, but the fact remained that of all our colleagues, he was the only one to join me in my midnight vigil. Jamie had explained that they’d been friends since circus school, and I trusted Jamie’s judgement above all things, no matter how damning the evidence.

“I haven’t been able to see him yet, but the medical staff assure me he’s not in danger.”

John nodded, leaning back and stretching his legs with a groan.

“Tomorrow’s performance has been canceled,” he informed me. “Probably the following night’s as well. I know it’s the last thing on your mind, but we’ll need to find time to rehearse the routine.”

I stared at him, trying to make sense of what he was saying. It hadn’t even occurred to me that I’d be expected to keep performing without Jamie as my partner.

“I’m Jamie’s understudy, remember?” John clarified when I didn’t respond.

“I suppose congratulations are in order, then.”  I hadn’t meant to sound churlish, but I found it untenable that anyone should benefit from Jamie’s fall.

“Claire,” John entreated, laying a hand on the chilled skin of my arm.  “Jamie being injured is the last thing I want.  If I could trade places with him, I would in a heartbeat.  There is no ulterior motive here beyond making Tropico a success. You know that’s what Jamie would want as well.”

“I saw you,” I accused, too tired and wrung out to beat around the bush.  “Going into Marylebone’s hotel room in Singapore.”  

I mentally dared John to deny it.  Instead, he shook his head ruefully but met my eyes, his own deep brown and earnest.

“That wasn’t what it looked like.  I was… well, let’s just say I was making amends.  You have to believe me, Claire.”

Before I could grill John on what exactly ‘making amends’ meant, Jamie’s doctor stepped into the corridor.  I was on my feet in an instant, the conversation with John forgotten.

“He’s awake, but still a bit groggy from the sedative we gave him,” he said without preamble.  “I’ll be back in the morning to check on him.  Until then, I don’t suppose either of you answers to the name of Tourist?”

I threw my arms around the man, who inexplicably sounded like he hailed from Texas.

“Woah there,” he laughed.  “Now I’m going to have to explain to my wife how I managed to get covered in glitter while working a double shift.”

“Thank you very much, doctor.”  John’s relief was utterly uncontrived.  Feeling uncharitable after my earlier accusation, I paused in my rush towards Jamie’s room.

“John?  I’m sure Jamie would appreciate seeing an old friend.  After I’ve had a chance to visit with him, that is.”

John sank back down into the uncomfortable chair he’d just vacated.

“Take your time.”

***

Jamie was reeling in the aftermath of Doctor Abernathy’s prognosis when Claire arrived in his hospital room like a sunbeam on a cloudy day. Even in pain, even knowing that his circus career was over, even anticipating their upcoming separation by both geography and circumstance, he couldn’t fail to warm in the bright rays of her smile.

“Hello there,” she murmured, sounding shy and a bit hoarse from fatigue.

“Claire,” he exhaled on a sigh, likewise a bit tongue-tied.

His left side was in a sling to protect his shoulder, so she reached for his right hand before freezing mid-motion, having just noticed the splint immobilizing his wrist.

“I didn’t realize you’d injured both arms when you fell,” she commented, hands hovering as though she wanted to make contact, testify to his wholeness via touch, but couldn’t bear to cause him any further pain.

Jamie grimaced, not eager to relay the significance of his injury when he’d only just begun to re-catalog his partner’s infinite wonders: her skin, luminous even beneath the pallid lights; her curls, a burn in spate cascading over her shoulders now that she’d loosened her bun; her expression, as forthright and eloquent as a masthead.  Once he told her, the ties between them would be severed before they had the chance to build a fresh bond, one that didn’t rely on their status as colleagues.  For the thousandth time, Jamie cursed his previous hesitation.

“Pull up a chair, Tourist.  I’ve some news tae share wi’ ye.”

Jamie related what Doctor Abernathy had just told him, trying to split the difference between optimism and realism.  Tears streaked unheeded down Claire’s cheeks, each one of them a tiny lance aimed straight at his heart.

“Dinna weep, Claire,” he begged as he finished his tale.  “It wasna as though I believed I’d be an aerialist forever, and John will serve ye well as a partner.”

Amber sparks flew from her eyes as she ground out, “You think I’m crying because of a goddamned circus act?  Christ, Jamie, you…” her hands scrabbled in the air, seemingly searching for words. “You held on to that bloody strap while your wrist fell apart.  In what I can only imagine was excruciating pain.  For me.  You did that for me.”

“Aye, I did.  And I’d do it over again in a heartbeat, if it meant saving ye from harm.”  As surely as a compass pointed north, this he knew as truth to the marrow of his bones.

“Because you love me,” Claire said.   It sounded like an accusation, and perhaps it was.  In his life, romantic love was a weakness, a chink in his armour to be exploited to another’s benefit.  Not Claire, though, whose heart was purer than fire, who cared ferociously and without artifice.

“Aye, I do,” he conceded.  “But Tourist, with everything changin’ between us…”

She lay a finger gently across his lips, finally finding a place where she could touch him safely.

“It’s like someone very wise told me recently, Jamie,” she interrupted, face drawing close enough that he could make out the golden sunbursts around the well of her pupils.  The cadence of his pulse accelerated, making his wrist throb in agony that he entirely ignored in favour of watching Claire’s mouth caress each syllable.

“You have to be willing to fall to fly,” followed by Trojan horse words that stole beneath his weary defences and unlocked the gates of his heartache from within.  “I love you too, Jamie.”

Not waiting for his response, she kissed him.  As tender as a prayer and audacious as hope, the moments after their mouths pressed together flipped Jamie’s life on its head.  Up was down.  Pain brought pleasure.  Distancing himself from her love was like trying to hide the daylight from the sun. In her thrall was exactly where he belonged.

Regretfully, the kiss was over before Jamie could organize his wrecked limbs to reach behind Claire and pull her closer.  He worried she would confuse his lack of response for lack of interest, but when her love-drunk eyes fluttered opened his fears vanished.

“Do we have the worst timing, or what?” she chuckled as she settled back in her chair, both hands now caressing his upper arm and chest.

“Quite possibly, aye.  I want nothin’ more than tae take ye in my arms and ne’er let go, and I canna even touch ye,” he lamented.

“We’ve got all the time in the word for that, once you’re well.”

Floating on a wave of endorphins and euphoria, Jamie still had enough sense to realize it wouldn’t be quite so simple.  Claire was a brilliant performer and Cirque des Etoiles would certainly want to keep her busy after Tropico’s tour was done.  Three months, possibly six, and then she’d be on the road again with a new show.  And that was saying nothing of his own upended employment and work visa situation.  

Still, lying in a hospital bed with her warm palms caressing his skin, he was more optimistic than he had any right to be.   As fate had demonstrated time and again since they first met, there was little they couldn’t overcome when they faced it together.

“I should let you get some rest,” she said regretfully after he suppressed his third yawn.

“Will ye come by tomorrow?”  He was desperate to spend as much time as he could in Claire’s company. Both because it soothed him, but also because he knew he’d be travelling back to Montreal soon after his surgery, and Tropico would be moving on to Perth in another week.  It would be weeks before they’d see each other again.

“Of course.  I have to organize some rehearsal time with John, but….  Oh, that reminds me!  John wants to see you.”

“What, now?” he asked, glancing out the window at the pitch-black sky. It must be close to two in the morning.

“Yes, he’s waiting in the hall.  I can tell him you’re sleeping…”

“Nah, s’alright, Tourist.  Send him in.”

Claire made a fuss looking for her jacket and purse, neither of which she’d thought to bring with her during the mad dash to the hospital. Perhaps he was flattering himself, but she seemed loathe to leave, despite her obvious exhaustion.

“Alright, I suppose I’ll be off.  Don’t visit with John for too long.  You need to rest.”

“Nagging already, is it?” he teased, delighting in her blush.

“Well, somebody’s got to watch over you, Fraser,” she huffed in faux exasperation.

The teasing mood left him in an instant, leaving him unaccountably moved.

“I couldna ask fer a better, nor more lovely, minder.  I’m honoured ye’ve chosen me, Claire.”

The goodbye kiss she graced him with then was passionate and warm, tongues darting past panting lips to explore virgin territory.  By the time she pulled away, his body was humming with longing that he could do nothing to assuage.

“Uh, Tourist?  A’fore ye leave, could ye…um… hand me yon wee blanket?”

Equally flushed, Claire raised an expressive brow but made to tuck the woolen throw around his shoulders, assuming he was cold.

“No’ there.  Across my lap, if ye please.  I dinna want John getting any false impressions of how excited I am tae see him, y’ken?”

Claire’s chortling laugh could be heard echoing down the hallway long after John entered the room.

#my writing #outlander #fanfiction

[oscar-piastri]

Ugggggh please tell me there is F1 today somewhere around Paris and that a certain someone cannot attend the match so I am not obliged to see a post match kiss 💔🙃😭

F1's circus is currently set in Melbourne (timezone being an awful bitch to me this weekend) for the Australian GP (Oscar's home race <333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333)

#mysolar #cassy's answers

[celestialtangle]

I can rattle off every thought that goes through someone’s head when they see me for the first time.

Their first thought, depending on how good they are at recognising big cats, is always something along the lines of “jesus christ, is that a lion?” Most people aren’t very good at that.

Their second thought starts with the question “what’s the king of the jungle doing in the middle of suburban Melbourne?”

There’s a lot of answers they might come up with for this question.

At least one person apparently thought I escaped from the zoo, despite the nearest zoo being miles away and not even having cheetahs. I've also had people think I'm an off-duty circus performer. That's certainly one answer to that ethical question, but I'd make a terrible acrobat. Others have dismissed me as just being native wildlife, like a wild fox or kangaroo. I’ve managed to convince the kangaroos I’m not stupid enough to attack them, but even if there were any big cats native to the area, I wouldn't be.

If I’m with someone else, people think for a moment that he’s taking me for a walk, before thinking “why the hell would someone take a jaguar out for a walk?” Of all the thoughts I’ve mentioned, that’s the most accurate.

At some point, they notice the things that cheetahs normally don’t have, like hair or hands or clothes. It's usually sometime around here that they relax a little, realising that I'm not trying to kill them. They never fully let their guard down, of course, and I don't blame them.

If they’ve heard the stories of doors left open, kettles knocked over and printouts of Claire Harner’s Immortality, they’ll make a note to check their local news for any maulings or people gone missing. Shortly after, when they realise just how well my clothes fit, they usually erase that note.

Most people don’t bother to ask all their burning questions. They think it’s impolite, or don’t know how to ask them, or just assume I don’t speak English. I’m tempted to just write “yes, idiot, I can understand you” on my coat - but then I'd miss out on all the things they think I can't hear.

I blame the media. Most people, if they even know Ferals exist, don’t know anything about them aside from “near-complete loss of humanity” and all the baseless scaremongering. The “loss of humanity” thing is true, but it's not as nice as it sounds.

But then again, I’m not a Feral.

There isn’t a word for what I am yet, or more accurately, there’s too many words and none of them are right for me.

But one thing’s for sure, the sight of someone bold enough to risk their life, their identity, everything they know for the reward of seeing it through new eyes… It always inspires awe, wonder, fear. Every time. And I never get tired of seeing it.

Do I regret it? No. Just because I’m not a human doesn’t mean I’m not human.

So will you please stop petting me without asking first?

…I would have let you, you know.

#my art #my fictions #speculative fiction #therian #otherkin #writers on tumblr

[missfishersmurderpolls]

Round 2: Murder in the Dark vs Murder in Montparnasse

[ID 1: Screencap from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries episode 'Murder in the Dark' showing Dot and Hugh in the public part of the police station. Human ashes are spread on the counter in front of them. Hugh is wrinkling his nose as he sorts through them while Dot is covering her face with her handkerchief. /End ID]

[ID 2: Screencap from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries episode 'Murder in Montparnasse'. Jack and Phryne are in Phryne's parlour, kneeling/crouching on opposite sides of a low table where a nude painting of Phryne has been unwrapped for inspection. Phryne smiles at Jack, who's face isn't fully visible due to the camera angle. /End ID]

Murder sure is happening in places in our final match up of our most ridiculous episode contest with Murder in the Dark facing Murder in Montparnasse!

Supporting statements

1x11 - Murder in the Dark

Nominators say: "In the dark is a good description for how I felt watching this."

Why did Foyle kill Marygold?

Last episode there was no sign of Arthur at the circus in Phryne's flashbacks but now he was there and toffee apples were important somehow???

Mr B indulging in Guy's "special" fudge.

It had a ridiculous costume party. Pirates! Anthony and Cleopatra! Lady Godiva!

Anything involving Isabella is ridiculous on principle (I love it).

1x7 - Murder in Montparnasse

Nominators say: "Not a single person who's ever been to France was consulted in the making of the episode."

What are the odds that Bert just HAPPENED to witness Phryne’s friend get murdered halfway around the world, ten years before they met? And then Rene is recognized by Bert ten years later!?

Phryne’s French friend from her Paris days a) moved to Melbourne, b) made a copy of his French cafe, and c) called it Cafe Replique. Why on earth? Any one of these things would be ridiculous on its own. We get all three.

The confusing order in which paintings were stolen/auctioned/sold/restolen.

They only use "French" words English speakers will understand. All the accents are terrible.

The painting style is super classic for a "modern" artist.

The wigs. THE BERETS.

The gauzy lens filter in the flashbacks.

"Beep beep"

#mfmm ridiculous episode tournament #mfmm polls #mfmm #miss fisher's murder mysteries

[likesrandomstuff]

Rating AFLW Season 7 Pride Guernseys (Part 2)

Continuation of giving my unqualified thoughts on AFLW Season 7 Pride Jumpers

Hawthorn Hawks

As we can't go back to 1925 and get them to choose pretty much any colour combination other than brown and gold, this is what they have to work with. I get the idea of having the stripes be unfinished, with a paintbrush edge, to represent the story not being completed, but that kind of detail is not clear unless you have a very close look. Change in logo is a nice touch. Would have liked some more creativity. Stripes on the lower half of the back too. Rating 3/10.

Melbourne Demons

Their jumper last season was my second favourite, so this is disappointing. One of my podcasts had a host who likes it, and I’m happy for her. It’s giving me circus big top or that parachute game we’d use to play at school. Not sure if that’s a universal experience. Back has the trans flag colours which is good. The front looks like a shield. Rating 4.5/10.

North Melbourne Kangaroos

Had an extra week to think about this one, and I believe my issue is that it looks like the rainbow is behind bars. I know prison bar jumpers is a Port thing, but still. Would have liked if the blue was broken up like a PowerPoint slide-change graphic, with the rainbow breaking the stripes up. An improvement on Season 6's. Rating 5.5/10.

Port Adelaide Power

After having the best Indigenous jumper they pull this out too? Not fair. It's a finger print with important years for the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia breaking up the stripes. I saw 2017 (parliament voted yes to gay marriage) in there. I also think it's so important that they said in their reveal video that this includes the lesbian flag, cause it's not a bad word and even in this space it's rarely said. Feel like it's just missing one thing to be perfect. Rating 9/10.

Richmond Tigers

Richmond's jumper last season is still my favourite, 9.5 for that. My only issue with that was having Geelong referenced on the shoulder. This isn't a Western Bulldog and Footscray situation where it's a previous incarnation of the club, this is pointing out to another team that you beat them. Just have your first winning score and would have been the 10. Feel like Geelong responded to the dig in how that Round 1 game played out. Not as eye-popping as the home jumper with the black base, but still very good. 8.5/10.

St. Kilda Saints

To quote my bi St Kilda supporter friend, "it looks weird". And it does. I just hope someone out there raised the idea that a rainbow cross may upset some people in the wider community. These people probably get mad a lot, but feels like an unnecessary risk. I know the jumper they based this off, but the not black (what is it even? grey?) surrounding the cross, not a fan of. Has some dates in there too. Watching the game it looked decent, and all the background appeared black. Sightly improves their score. Rating 4/10.

Sydney Swans

Really liked the men wearing their version of this in the one AFL Pride Game, but I'm not feeling this. Red and White is Sydney, but doesn't feel like a Sydney jumper. Fremantle's jumper last season was basically the same, but still felt Freo. Maybe because having a colourful V is already part of their uniform. Swans had a lot to do, and a design already there, so fair enough to them for using it. Hope they are a bit more creative next time. Couldn't pick out the rainbow in the stands. Rating 4.5/10.

West Coast Eagles

My favourite part of this is the rainbow stripes on the shorts. Don't think anyone else did that. And the rainbow line between the yellow and blue is a nice touch. They didn't have a jumper last season in part because they didn't want to rush a design into their club's history. With that in mind, a rainbow shadow is your centerpiece? You could have made the eagle rainbow! I'll give them credit for the shadow idea, as that's new, but Brisbane is the only other club with an animal who could have. Could not tell this wasn't their normal home jumper in the stands. Rating 2.5/10.

Western Bulldogs

Sometimes keeping it simple is the best way to go. Bulldogs have the most Pride jumpers, with Carlton, as they played a Pride Game before it was extended to a whole round. This is a big departure from all of them. Highlighting the trans flag colours is so important, and very convenient considering the Bulldog's normal ones. Don't have light blue very often in AFL/W, but we should; it's a great jumper colour. Solid concept. Rating 8/10.

#afl #aflw #aflw pride round