#This last part of the show. Specially the last episode. Just doesn't fit with the rest of the narrative. writing. Structure. And overall.

[h-c-u]

No Longer a Secret pt 6

Summary: The one with A LOT of planning and phone-calls.

Pairing: Toto Wolff x fem!reader

W/C: 7.1k

Rating: PG, age gap

TWs: none

A/N: So... I honestly wasn't planning on writing it today, but welp - it kinda spilled, so here we go... There is not a lot of action in this one, but a few Original Characters were very briefly introduced. Most of them will become a part of this story, so if you have any questions about them - please feel free to ask. One day, when there will be more of them included, I will most likely make a separate post dedicated to them, but for now - there are comments, asks, and messages :)

Taglist: @crimeshowjunkie, @omgsuperstarg

Series Masterlist | Masterlist | List of tags | Playlist for the series

Of course, there was a party after the race. Your first one with the team... And you seriously considered it being the last one, because currently you could hear the grass growing with your whole body and it hurt like a motherfucker. How the rest of the people on the jet weren't hungover? You had no idea. It must have been witchcraft. Because you couldn't explain it any other way, since you were the youngest of them all.

There was some light teasing, but after they realized how genuinely miserable you were, they stopped, and someone even brought you another alka-seltzer, a bottle of cold water, and chewing gum, for which you were extremely grateful because without it you would have definitely thrown up when the plane was climbing to the higher altitudes.

When it was safe to unbuckle the belts, everyone started moving and making conversation. Still, you were definitely not in the right state of mind for any of that, so when Toto motioned you closer to him, you gladly did just that and sat across his lap, with your legs over the soft armrest. He reclined the chair, so you would be more laying on your left side than sitting, which helped relieve the heartburn almost instantly. He was so gentle with you, that you almost melted into his soft shirt that smelled faintly of the detergent he used at home. With his one arm supporting your back and the other resting on your thighs, you felt much better.

You could see the other people trying to hide the surprised looks on their faces at the sight of you two cozying up because even though your relationship was no longer a secret, it must have been a little bit weird to witness the casual physical affection for the first time. But if you were completely honest, you didn't mind. You were all still getting used to the new dynamic between you and them, so it was only natural that it might take some time. And they weren't exactly weird or uncomfortable either, so you knew that sooner rather than later all the wrinkles will iron themselves out.

- Schatzi, we were supposed to decide on who should do the interview... - Toto said quietly, gently rubbing his thumb over your thigh. You honestly forgot about it, so you were glad that he brought it up. - But if you're not up for it now...

- No, I'm good, I'm good. - you said with a weak smile. - But after running it over and over in my head, I honestly think that Laura would be the best choice. - you stated, and when normally you would look up at him, this time you kept your head on his shoulder and kept your eyes closed.

- The talk show host? - he knew who Laura was from your stories, but he still made sure.

- Yes. In the past she had a few special episodes dedicated to interviewing one person when the topic was hot, so we could fit into that category. - you started explaining, and your warm breath tickled Toto's neck, which made him scrunch his nose and smile. - She's known for not taking any bullshit, so she definitely wouldn't go easy on us, but her reputation and the fact that it would air on BBC would give it more weight. - you explained the reasons behind this choice, and Toto only hummed in agreement.

- Don't you think we're a bit too low on a food chain to appear on her show? Doesn't she host celebrities? - those questions were genuine, and under normal circumstances, you would have agreed. But you two unintentionally became a sensation overnight and even people outside of the racing community were interested in you as a couple.

- She does, but right now... Let me show you, it will be quicker. - you mumbled and reached for your phone, but it was in your bag, so instead you took his from the table, unlocked it, typed his name into the browser, and showed him the screen with numerous headlines. "Toto Wolff is a spoken man and ladies are howling", "19 things surprisingly younger than the age gap between Toto Wolff and Y/n Y/ln.", "What do we know about Toto Wolff and Y/n Y/ln?", "Y/n Y/ln - from a respected reporter to a WAG of Toto Wolff" and many, many more.

- I see... - you could tell he wasn't exactly enjoying this type of attention, but you couldn't do anything about it right now.

- I'm sorry, I could have planned it better... - you mumbled quietly and put your head back on his shoulder.

- It's not your fault, Schatzi. - he squeezed your body a little bit tighter and placed a soft kiss on your temple. - I just wasn't expecting it to blow up to this degree. But we'll get through it together. - you could hear a smile in his voice. - So. Laura? - he circled back.

- Yes, Laura. She'll be tough, but if we ask her to avoid specific topics, she will. And that reminds me... Our families. - you sighed. Because you were so caught up in the heat of the moment, and then the race, that you didn't fully grasp the number of things you haven't thought about. - My mother is one thing and I will deal with her, but your kids... At the party, you told them you were going to call them back. - you reminded him, because you weren't exactly sure how much of last night he remembered, and his son called him rather late.

- Thank you, I'll do that when we land. I would also like you to officially meet them sooner rather than later if that's ok with you. - you weighed his words for a short moment in your head, considering if Toto having some time alone with them first wouldn't be better, just to let all the possible emotions out, and answer all the questions without an outsider present, but on the other hand they could read it as him trying to hide you from them.

- Of course. Let me know when, and I'll make the time. - from what Toto told you about them, it shouldn't be that hard, and you hoped that seeing with their own eyes exactly how much you loved their father would help, although you felt like you were starting from a weak position. Fortunately, Toto already told them that he was seeing someone around half a year ago, but he hasn't told them specifically who. So, finding out from social media or worse - their friends might have been hard.

Even though his face was donning a gentle smile, it wasn't hard for you to notice that he was in a sour mood, but you also knew it was temporary. He liked to have everything covered, and the whiplash of your announcement wasn't something he predicted. And you were no better because even though you knew people would be interested, you would have never thought that it would be such a giant sensation.

- We have a lot of fires to put out. - you chuckled quietly and closed your eyes again. - I'll call Laura when we'll land and hash out the details, but if we don't want to wait till next week, we should be ready to do this on Wednesday. - you put your hand over his heart just to feel it beat under your fingers.

- What about the guests she's supposed to have? - you could feel the vibrations of his voice under your hand even through the material of his shirt.

- Let me worry about that, Dashuria Ime, you already have enough on your plate. - you replied, rubbing your cheek on his shoulder and it was his time to laugh, unintentionally grabbing the attention of the rest of the plane, but seeing you two cozied up and clearly talking about something, they didn't interrupt. Although you suspected that they would start listening closer to what you were saying, and they were in for a treat. - I was also thinking about our conversation from Friday... - you started quietly, and you could feel him perk up under you.

- And...? - he asked after your intentional pause.

- And considering the race schedule and the fact that most drivers will stay in the UK, I'd like to start the company and recordings as soon as possible... - his shoulders slumped just a tiny bit, but the smile on your face didn't go away. You knew he was expecting to hear something else, so you stalled on purpose just to tease him. - And to start the recordings, I'm gonna need a studio. And to have a studio...? - you left the end of the sentence hanging in the air and Toto laughed out loud again.

- You will need to move out...? - he finished for you, even though he didn't have to, and you could almost hear the others getting quieter, sensing something interesting, almost like piranhas. Although they were significantly less bloodthirsty.

- I will need to move out. - you confirmed, and the others were no longer pretending to talk, now openly listening to your conversation, and you didn't even have to open your eyes to know that.

- So I'm guessing that... How did you say it...? "I'm not just gonna move all my stuff in one day"... - he imitated your accent surprisingly well, and you couldn't hold the laughter. - ...was a lie? -

- Wait, are you guys moving in together? - Lewis was the first one to jump on the topic and the excitement in his voice was very clear.

- It looks like it... - you finally opened your eyes again and rested them on Lewis’s bright smile.

- Congratulations! - he immediately wanted to get up to get closer to the both of you, and ask more questions, but this was the moment when turbulences hit, and just as he was standing up, he fell back into his chair, and the whole plane's attention was on him. Partially to make sure that he was ok, but mostly because he made a funny sound when he fell over, and now everyone was either openly laughing or trying to hide the giggle. - Hey! Not my fault! Anyways, what do you guys want as a housewarming gift?

- Some damn peace and quiet would be nice... - Toto mumbled loud enough that everyone could hear him, still a little bit hung up on the whole media hurricane.

- We'll worry about that on the ground. Let's just have a few more moments without that, hmmm? - your voice was soft, and he couldn't help but agree; there was nothing either of you could do right now, and your hand gently placed over his heart made him take a deep breath and then let it out, which you instantly recognized as him banishing the thought from his head. - And, Lewis, we don't need anything, but the thought is appreciated, thank you. - you smiled at the driver, and he just nodded in response, but you had a sneaky suspicion that one day there will be a package waiting for you on the doorstep.

- By the way, we were talking with Valtteri about something... - he started, and you looked at the Fin, not even trying to hide the curiosity. - ...how we, as drivers, could help you guys with the media. And I had a rather radical idea, so I wanted to run it by you before implementing it. - you nodded your head, urging him to continue. - Because as you said, there is no way you'll be left alone for a while, and there is a high chance that we will be asked about the two of you as well. So, I thought that we could just... Thank them for the interview, end it, and walk away without saying anything more. - he explained, and you couldn't help but wonder when exactly they found the time to discuss it between the party, sleep, and all the hecticness of the morning.

- This way it'll send a clear message that we're sticking together as a family. - Valtteri added and you took a moment to contemplate their words. You looked up at Toto, trying to gauge what he thought about it, and he didn't have to say a word for you to know how he felt.

- As much as I love the idea, I think it should be run first by your PR team. There might be a clause somewhere that you're obligated to do a certain amount of media time, during race week. - you started carefully. Now, that you realized what a clusterfuck this whole situation was, you thought about everything in a much more professional and calculated way. - Plus, I wouldn't want you to face additional heat because of us.

- Neither of us would. - Toto echoed, and you could hear a smile in his voice.

- I don't think we... care about that...? - Lewis looked at Valtteri with a question in his eyes as if he wasn't sure.

- No. - Fin added with a smile - And we want to take the stand. - it wasn't rare to see them agreeing on something, but it still felt nice - knowing that they had your back even though they found out just a couple of days ago.

- Yeah, because the longer it goes, the longer all of us will have to deal with it. And it's just not right... - you couldn't help but sigh at his words, because he was 100% right. - But of course, as you said, we will run it by PR first.

- Thank you, guys... And I really appreciate it. It means a lot. - you gave them both a gentle smile. - And we will do an official interview, so hopefully, it will satisfy the public at least a little.

- Oh, you're doing one? When? - Lewis was much more interested in that than Valtteri, who went back to reading his book.

- We're still a little bit fuzzy on the details, but if it goes our way - Wednesday. - you answered, but before Lewis managed to ask more questions about it, the pilot said over the intercom that you'll be landing soon, and everyone should take their seats and fasten their belts. Before you got up, you wanted to place a quick kiss on Toto's cheek, but he turned his head and intercepted your lips with a cheeky grin.

Eventually, you were back in your chair, and it wasn't long before you were steady on the ground. It was the first time you flew on the private jet, so you weren't exactly sure what was the customs procedure, however, you definitely weren't expecting an officer to board the plane and process you right then and there, but you were grateful for not having to deal with the crowds of the airport.

Before Toto even started the car, you gently touched his shoulder and mouthed silently "Your Kids" while you waited for Laura to answer. He smiled as a thank you and left the car to call his children and explain everything in more detail, while you went off at the speed of light as soon as your best friend picked up the phone, explaining your plan and overall situation, at the same time confirming that she will have exclusivity on the interview. You knew that appearing on Laura's show was coming with risks and exposing you and Toto to an even wider audience was one of them, but it was a risk you were willing to take. You quickly bounced the ideas for the placement, set, wardrobe, and everything else, and because you knew each other so well, something that usually took at least a few days and a bunch of emails, took you around 15 minutes.

Toto was still outside, talking with his children, so you also shot a message to the other potential interviewers, thanking them for being willing to take that opportunity and rescinding your offer. You also quickly realized there was not a chance in hell you would be able to handle everything by yourself during the next week, so you took two deep breaths and started compartmentalizing and finding possible opportunities to delegate.

First - you shot a message to Mellie, asking if she could talk, and almost instantly after you click "send", she was calling you back, which didn't even surprise you.

- Hey Mells, are you free this week? - you asked, without even exchanging pleasantries, because in the type of friendship you had, they were simply not needed.

- Do you really have to ask, hun? - her laugh sounded like delicate chimes. You could almost imagine her lounging next to her pool while a professional chef was somewhere in the background preparing breakfast.

- I know, I know, but I wouldn’t be myself if I didn't ask. - you chuckled. - So, I'm gonna need someone to oversee the renovation of my apartment into a recording studio, and since you are elbows deep in real estate and you know my taste pretty well... - you didn't even have to finish.

- Say no more! I was bored anyway. What's the timeline? - she asked with pure excitement in her voice. You knew she liked to help her friends and had both the means and the time to do so, but you still felt a little bit bad asking her for such a huge endeavor.

- If we'll pack and move everything tonight, you could start tomorrow. Do you think you'll be able to finish by the end of the week? - you asked.

- Honey, with the right equipment I can finish in less than two minutes. - she laughed and you couldn't help but chuckle. - But in all seriousness, if I'll be able to get the crew there tomorrow, everything should be ready on Friday. - it was much sooner than you expected, but you also knew she had her tricks.

- Even if I wanted to build a wall separating my current office upstairs from the downstairs? Because I would like to put the recording studio there. - you made sure.

- That won't be a problem. It will be enough time for the wall to dry, so you're good. I'm gonna prepare a few sketches before we'll meet in the afternoon, ok? - you could almost hear gears shifting in her head.

- Ok, but just to be quick. Guest bedroom into a quiet place to recharge, my bedroom into an office that can be quickly turned into a conference room. The kitchen and bathrooms stay as they are, but you can of course make changes, I'm leaving it up to you. And the salon should be an office space with 8 working stations. Oh, and that closet next to the terrace into an equipment closet. Just please don't treat the budget as a light suggestion... - you quickly explained. Fortunately, Mellie was at your place enough times to know the layout pretty well.

- The wardrobe on the left to the entry stays as a wardrobe, I assume. And you want to leave two full bathrooms with no one living there? - she asked, already making mental notes.

- Yeah, it stays, and the bathrooms... I mean, I'm not sure about the smaller one, but overall, I plan on having 11 or 12 people hired, so at least two toilets would be nice. I mean, some of them could definitely work remotely on a daily basis, but one bathroom definitely won't be enough. - you said after taking a few seconds to think.

- I can renovate the bigger one, get rid of the bathtub, add a wall or two, and fit two stalls there. And leave the one with the shower as it is. - she offered.

- That actually... sounds amazing. Thank you, Mellie. - you were grateful for the suggestion because you haven't even considered doing something like that.

- You got it. Anything else you have in mind? - she inquired, and you went through your mental list.

- No, not really. I trust you. - you eventually replied.

- Ok, then I'm hanging up and scheduling the crew for tomorrow at noon. Love you, Boo. - she made a kissing sound over the phone, and you laughed.

- Thanks again, Mells. - she was the one who hung up, and you took another deep breath, deciding what to prioritize next, but just as you were about to make another call, you saw a message from Laura, sent from her business email, which meant it was an official BBC business. The message included a very lenient but still long contract, and you didn't have the time to go through every point, but just as you were about to ask Toto if you could steal Mark again, you got a private message from Laura.

"I've fought for it, it's good, but you can still run it by your lawyer. Both of you can sign it before the photo shoot."

And a few seconds later you got another email from her, this time containing the exact schedule for Wednesday, and extensive details about the photoshoot that - if you agreed - would take place in about two hours. Laura also compiled a file with the names of the photographer, stylist, make-up artist, and hair stylist, their previous works, and a few proposals of what they had in mind for you and Toto. Sometimes you forgot how quickly your best friend could work, and how detail-oriented she was, for which right now, you were extremely grateful. You could see that she definitely included herself in every part of the process, judging by what options were prepared for you.

Just as you were about to look closer at the proposed wardrobe, Toto came back to the car and gave you a quick kiss on the cheek.

- Everything went ok...? - you asked, still scrolling through the file. Usually, he had your full attention, but right now, there was no time.

- Yes. As it turns out, you are Rosie's favorite reporter on the grid, so you helped me score some points back, because she - indeed - found out from one of her friends. But they both can't wait to meet you in person. - he gave you a warm smile when you quickly glanced up from your phone. - And how are things on the battlefront? - he asked as he started the car.

- Hectic. The interview will be live on Wednesday at 21:00, but we will have to be there at 19:00. I already have the contracts, and Laura assured me that they're good, and I trust her, but we can still run them by a lawyer. - you looked at Toto with a question in your eyes.

- Forward them to Mark and add P1 before the title. That way he will look at them immediately. - he smiled, and you quickly did what he asked, while you were slowly rolling out of the parking lot.

- BBC also wants to do a quick photoshoot for promotional materials, because right now they have nothing to run an announcement with. - you added, sparing him all the specific details. - In the main studio at 11 if we agree of course.

- Wow, you are really quick, Schatzi. - he chuckled. - And the sooner we get it over with, the better.

- That was actually Laura. But we have about an hour to freshen up in my apartment before we go. - You quickly replied to the second email that the photo shoot is a go.

- A lot can be done in one hour... - he said in a teasing voice, but he immediately realized, that you had other plans, so he dropped the topic. What was happening right now, was your domain, and he intended to put his full trust in you. - Is there any way I could help? - he asked sincerely.

- Actually... Could I borrow Mark for a few days? I will need help with registering a new company, trademarks, and the first few contracts. Just until I find my own lawyer who I could trust. - you asked, with your eyes still glued to your phone. - And do you want to choose your clothes and hairstyle for the interview?

- Of course, you can. I have him on retainer, and I never used his full hours. And – just an idea - you can stay with his company, I'm sure he will find someone who will suit your future needs. But for now, I will let him know that he should expect a bigger workload from you. - you were extremely grateful for that because everything was happening so fast. You landed in England not even an hour ago, and you already had your next few days fully packed. - You have a much better sense of fashion than me, Schatzi, so I’m leaving it up to you... - he answered the second question, and gently placed his hand on your thigh, seeking the physical touch that brought both of you comfort. You quickly chose the hair, make-up, and clothes for the photo shoot, sent it in the reply to Laura's email, and took another deep breath, holding it for a few seconds in your lungs. So many things were happening at the same time, and you had to keep yourself in check because if you didn't, you would be crushed under the weight of all the decisions. And after analyzing everything, you came to the obvious conclusion - you needed more help if you wanted everything to be done on time, but that had to wait a moment because you just arrived at your apartment.

Toto took both his travel bag and your suitcase from the car and carried them into the building, while you wrapped your hand around his waist and hid under the pleasant weight of his arm, where - at least for a moment - the outside world couldn't reach you.

You didn't have to tell him where anything was, because by now he was here enough times to get familiar with not only the layout, but also with where you kept the extra bag of flour in the kitchen, or in which drawer you kept your fresh linen.

- I'm going to take a shower and make breakfast... You do you. - he stated, anticipating that you will be much busier during that hour than he will be. He was right, of course, and you were extremely grateful that he was willing to help.

- Thank you... - you gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before he brought your bags to the bedroom. While he was under the shower, you started scrolling through your contact list, searching for potential future employees. You needed trusted people, people who you worked with in the past and you knew from experience that you worked well together. So, when you spotted a familiar name almost on the top of your list, you immediately dialed her.

- Hey Lynn. It's Y/n Y/ln. - you introduced yourself because you weren't sure if she still had your number. - You were interning under me around a year ago when I was interviewing David Coulthard and you helped me with some research.

- Yes, of course, I remember. It's good to hear from you. - a soft, soothing voice replied, and you could almost hear the smile in it.

- I'm calling to offer you a job... - you started bluntly because you didn't have time to dance around the topic. - For one month as my assistant, and after that - as a full-time researcher, mostly into things related to F1. - you took a quick breath - I'm not gonna lie, the first month would be brutal, but I promise not to bother you outside of working hours. Starting pay is 3k, but it will be changed as your title will change, to reflect your new position. Insurance, private medical care with dental, and all that legal shabang will, of course, be covered. For the first month, I would need you with me in London, but after that - the job can be performed remotely, and the equipment will be provided. - you quickly hashed out the details. You didn't have everything mentioned lined up yet, but you thought about it a lot yesterday, and you knew you wanted to be a good employer, and from experience, you also knew what most people needed from a job to stay happy and loyal, and that's what you were aiming for.

- What's the catch? - she asked in that smooth tone.

- You would have to start tomorrow. And like I've said - the first month will be brutal. - you replied, slowly suspecting which way she was leaning, but you still gave her a few more moments to analyze the pros and cons.

- Since your departure from the Network was rather public, I assume it would be for some other project? - she quickly deduced.

- Yes. I'm starting my own company, and I'm piecing together a crew for it. It will focus on long and extensive interviews. First with current drivers, and if it will catch some winder under its wings - hopefully we will expand. - you replied.

- Independently or for a streaming service? - she dug a little bit deeper, and you couldn't help but admire just how quickly she was able to connect the dots.

- Fully independent.

- I'm in. - she replied as soon as you finished saying the last word.

- That's awesome! Thank you. I will send you the contract either today evening or tomorrow morning. And if I'll know that I won't be able to send it to you today, I will let you know so you won't be pointlessly waiting for it. But for now - do you have any more questions? - your heart honestly felt lighter than just an hour ago.

- What time do I start tomorrow? And where do we meet? - you couldn't help but laugh with relief.

- 9 AM. But you can start from your own apartment. I'm gonna need you to compile a list of external HR companies that also handle accounting, with the best independent reviews, not that bullshit point system from the most popular websites. I want someone legit who won't take bullshit. And since I already know you're good at what you do, the top 3 would be enough. And if you will have enough time after that - I will also need a company that offers both web and graphic design services, with a focus on quality and time; budget right now doesn't matter. - you explained and just as you finished, you felt your phone vibrating with yet another notification.

- HR. Web and Graphic Design. - she repeated.

- I know you're already confirmed, but I'm gonna ask once more. Are you sure you want this job? - you asked because yet again - you got this feeling that everything was happening with the speed of light.

- I'm sure. To be honest, I've somehow landed in a stereotypical corpo-job, so I'm taking your offer as a sign to stop slaving away. - she laughed, and you joined her. - Plus, I know you keep your promises, and you wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t serious.

- And you won't have any problems with resigning on the spot? - you made sure.

- Not with the contract I have with them. - she soothed your worries.

- Ok then. I'll speak to you tomorrow. Oh, and send me your personal details, including the current address for the contract and the courier. I'll try to get a new phone and computer to you by tomorrow, and if you have any preferences for your set-up, please include that in your message. I honestly want you to be as satisfied with everything as possible.

- Do I have a set budget? - she asked quickly before you managed to hang up, and you had to think about it for a moment.

- Don't make me regret it, but... no. Just be sensible and don't order something with i9. - you both laughed again. - Thank you, Lynn.

- You got it, boss. - she laughed and ended the call. You quickly checked the notification that came during your conversation. It was an email from Mark giving you a green light to sign the contract with BBC and asking how you managed to negotiate such terms. You quickly replied and asked if it would be possible to talk over the phone. And yet again today - he was calling you almost as soon as you send the message.

- Hi Mark, I hope I'm not interrupting you too much.

- Hey Y/n. Not at all, I cleared my whole week for you, per Toto's request. - you made a mental note to thank your wonderful partner for helping you so much. - From what I understood, you will need help with registering your company and you would also like to find our own lawyer, is that correct? - he was godsent. And someone definitely was watching over you, because considering how hectic everything was, it was impressive that - at least for now - everything went so smoothly.

- That's right. I will also need help with drafting t first few employee contracts. - you added, as you got up from the couch and started walking around the apartment to focus better on the conversation.

- That's understandable. I assume Ltd? - he inquired.

- Yes. How long does it usually take?

- I will send you a form to fill out and a list of documents you will need to provide. If you'll be able to send it back to me before noon, the company will be registered by the end of today. - his voice was confident.

- You're joking... - you couldn't believe it.

- I assure you, I am not. It usually takes 3 to 5 hours to fully register and process a new Ltd. - he replied, and you were stunned because suddenly everything started to feel a little bit too real. You took one deep breath to ground yourself and closed your eyes.

- Ok then. - you finally replied after a moment of silence.

- Would you mind if I asked you something?

- Ask away. - you chuckled and resumed your walk around the apartment, just as Toto was leaving the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his hips, and you couldn't help but smile.

- Do you already have someone in mind for your permanent HR position? - you stopped again because you weren't expecting that question.

- I have someone looking into external companies to hire from. Why...?

- If you wouldn't mind some good old nepotism, I would like to send you a CV of my daughter. She specializes in employment law and just got her undergrad degree in business management. She has 2 years of experience in a similar position in a tech startup. I can also include her references. - he stopped for a moment, and you honestly needed a minute to process what you heard. - Just a CV. And if you'll like what you see, you could set up a proper interview. I'm not trying to force anything here. - you took a moment to think as you resumed your walk around the apartment at a little bit faster pace.

- Can you send me her CV now? - you requested, because honestly - you wanted to ride that wave of green lights and squeeze as much good luck from today as you could.

- I'm asking her to send it to your email right now. You should have it in a few minutes. - you could hear him smiling on the other side of the line.

- Ok, I will get back to her before 10:30. - everything was going so smoothly, that you were honestly starting to get suspicious, because life was never that easy, and some part of your mind was waiting for the other shoe to drop. After that, you quickly went through the possible private medical packages, sports cards, and the terms of employment you would like to offer your employees, which included a small budget every month for self-improvement, which could be spent either on learning new skills or improving your mental health by relaxing. You also went through the terms of NDAs, and something that popped into your head when Lynn asked you about the equipment - a payment plan to buy it out from the company by deducting it in installments from the pension. By the time you ended the call, it was almost 10, and Toto finished making simple 3 ingredient crepes, which were his specialty, but you weren't done just yet.

You opened an email from Mark's daughter that included a letter of recommendation as well as her CV, and you recognized one of the companies she was working in around 3 years ago because one of Sammy's sisters worked there. So, you quickly called your friend.

- Hey Brocksby... Can you send me Lizzie's number? I have a quick question.

- I mean... I could... but I'm at home and we're eating breakfast, so... you know... I can just pass the phone to her. - you laughed.

- Thanks, Love... You have my gratitude. – you waited a moment until you heard a familiar voice. - Hi Lizzie, sorry to bother you with such a random question so early, but by any chance, do you know Charlotte Zane?

- Hey Y/n! Not a problem at all... And of course, I know One-Fear-Charlie. - she laughed.

- One-Fear-Charlie? - you inquired with a slight smile.

- Well, yeah. Do you know that meme in a form of a comic panel? The one with a guy in a t-shirt that says, "No Fear" and then it changes to "One Fear"? - she asked, and this time you laughed.

- Yeah, I know it.

- So, she was that one fear. - Lizzie explained further

- Was she that bad? - you already started working on a gentle way to reject her CV, but your friend’s sister continued.

- Not bad, just... Strict, I guess? I mean - she knew how to have fun, but when it came to work - everything had to be absolutely perfect and every scenario had to be included in writing, so when you got an email from her - you knew that something was missing from your work, and you basically fucked up. She wasn't a bitch about it though, and she was really patient with new people, but you know...

- She was really good at finding imperfections? - you offered before she found the right words.

- Yeah.

- Did you like working with her? And her as a person overall? - you asked, slowly erasing that speech to gently turn Charlotte down.

- I mean - like I've said - she wasn't a bitch, and always gave you the opportunity to correct your mistakes before someone higher got a chance to see them. She was strict but definitely fair... And personally...? We weren't super close, but she seemed ok. She mostly hung out with paralegals, not us in the bottom of the barrel, but she was always kind to us on breaks and stuff. She had a really dry sense of humor though... You know, cheesy dad jokes and wordplay. - she offered.

- Thank you so much, Lizzie. And sorry again for bothering you. Say goodbye to your brother from me.

- No problem. And take care, Y/n! - you quickly hung up and sighed.

- Eat. You have 20 minutes to take a shower and eat something before we have to leave. - Toto quickly intercepted your phone before you got the chance to do anything else with it and pushed a plate with crepes with plum jam under your nose.

- I need to reply to an email... - you groaned, but despite your words, you started eating.

- Dictate then. Just don't choke... - he smiled, and you chuckled as he placed a small kiss on the top of your head.

- In reply to Charlotte Zane - Could we meet today at 2 PM in Saint Luke's Garden? - you swallowed a bite as Toto typed on your phone. - My signature... - another bite. - …and in PS "Not an official interview, just a walk, so dress in whatever you feel comfortable in. Preferably no business attire. - you continued with a piece of a crepe in your mouth. - Add a smiley face and hit send. - he did as you asked.

- You have a message from Mellie asking if she should include computers in the budget. - you nodded in reply, and Toto passed that in a message form. - And another one from Laura, telling you not to wash your hair or wear any make-up because everything will be done on set. - you were almost inhaling your breakfast, so instead of speaking you just showed him a thumb up, and she sent said emoji in reply. You looked at the clock, took the rest of the crepe in your hand, and almost ran to the bathroom because you had less than 15 minutes.

After the shower, you quickly chose fresh clothes, but before you got dressed, you quickly started applying lotion to your body.

- Hey, could you open the last email from Mark, and download the attachment? - you yelled loud enough for Toto to hear you in the kitchen, or wherever he was. Instead of yelling back, he came into the bedroom and leaned on the doorframe. He was watching you as you finished moisturizing your skin, and you gave him a small smile when you caught him. - The attachment. What information is needed? - you asked, while you put on your underwear, but he didn't reply immediately, instead letting his gaze linger. Only when you looked at him for the second time, he unlocked your phone and started reading the form. Fortunately, most of the information you could provide from memory, or you could find it on your phone, so at least you didn't have to dig through your apartment in search of any documents, and you could fill out that form in the car.

You were ready exactly four minutes before 10:30, but before you left the apartment in a hurry, Toto gently grabbed you by the arms and stopped you from moving anywhere for a moment, and your gaze almost instinctively found his eyes.

- Breathe. Relax your shoulders. Unclench your jaw. Close your eyes... And for one minute just... breathe. - he said. You wanted to protest, because you had to leave, but his grip on your arms told you that it would be futile, so you did as he asked. With every slow breath, your racing mind started to slowly calm down. All the things that you had to do today were still there, but they were slowly stopping to fight for the place in front of the line.

After the full minute, Toto released your arms, but instead of running out of the apartment, you wrapped your arms around him, rested your face against his chest, and stayed like that for one moment longer.

It was easy to get lost when the pace of the day was so rapid, but you were fortunate to have someone who understood that and was able to help you find yourself again.

- Thank you... - you mumbled against his shirt, and he just pressed a soft kiss to your temple in reply. It was his time to be your rock, just as you were his yesterday. 

A/N 2: Please don’t feel obligated/pressured to reblog, because I write mostly for myself. A comment would be appreciated though :) Love, G.

#my writing #Toto Wolff fanfiction #Toto Wolff x reader #🖤 #📏 #No Longer a Secret by G.

[littlejazzy]

🎃👻 Boo Basket Ideas for Littles 👻🎃

If you haven't heard about them before, a Boo Basket (or Boo Bucket or Boo Bag) is a basket filled with Halloween and fall-themed goodies - so, basically, a Halloween-themed Easter basket 😅

They're intended to be given to people of all ages - from parents to kids, neighbor to neighbor, spouse to spouse - basically, they're for everyone!

The reason I think these Boo Baskets are LITERALLY PERFECT for littles is because, for a lot of them, they either aren't comfortable or can't go out to go trick or treating. If that's not an option, then many are happy to simply pass out candy to trick-or-treaters... except when they can't even get the satisfaction from that because of a lack of trick or treating in their neighborhood.

There are always other available events, from local fairs, fall festivals, trunk-or-treats in random parking lots, theme parks, amusement parks, and other pay-a-fee-to-walk-around-and-get-candy events - but some littles may not be able to attend one of these either.

With no big event or activity to do, then some littles may feel left out or are otherwise let down by the time Halloween Day arrives.

But! Getting a Boo Basket can give them something to look forward to!

The Boo Basket itself can be anything - a trick-or-treat bucket, a woven basket, a cauldron, a paper bag - what matters is that it fits whatever you put inside it! It doesn't have to be big, nor do you have to put lots of items in it, it's the thought that counts!

Some things you can put in a Boo Basket:

Comfy Things! This is a big category that stretches from cozy socks to big, soft blankets! There's also sweaters, hoodies, and/or special Halloween pajamas!

Candles! Scents play a large part in setting a mood - from scents like Pumpkin Pie to a Ghostly Graveyard, there are plenty of aromas for any type of little!

A Mask! Depending on the little, one can tuck in a spooky, rubber monster mask, a fun, shiny plastic mask, or a plain wooden or paper cut-out mask that the little can decorate themselves!

Toys! There are so many possible toys one can throw in, but some ideas are a Halloween stuffie, a themed doll, a horror action figure, a wind-up toy, or a container of slime!

Books! There are plenty of picture books that are appropriately themed, as well as coloring books, but for older littles, some spooky horror books can also be a fun treat!

A Movie! Physical media isn't dead, so putting in a DVD or BluRay can be fun! There are compilations of Halloween episodes for kids shows, family-friendly flicks, and scary horror movies!

Treats! Any treat you think the little in question would like can go right in! From sweets like chocolates, gummies, lollipops, cookies, and marshmallows to more savory things like popcorn, pumpkin seeds, chips, and pastries, there are plenty of food one can throw in! Don't feel limited to food items though, as hot chocolate or coffee can be just as special!

Other Bits and Bobs! Stickers, bookmarks, lotions, bathbombs, glow sticks, puzzles, fidgets, decor, if you think the little in question would like it, toss it in!

If all these items and the variety of items are a bit overwhelming, one can also make a themed Boo Basket!

Some specific themes for a Boo Basket:

A Recipe and its Ingredients! Collecting all the items necessary for a specific recipe can make for a fun activity! You can also throw in new cutlery, flatware, or cups!

Movie Night! A blanket, movie, and popcorn - along with any other treats - can make for a perfect movie night!

Slime! Instead of simply buying some slime, making a slime recipe of choice is another fun activity - especially if themed mix-ins are there!

Glow Party! Halloween night is when festivities tend to start, so why not have a bunch of glow-in-the-dark items to play with when the sun goes down! Light-up items are just as fun, and last longer, so feel free to mix the two!

Sugar Rush! Just fill the basket with as much sugar-filled items as possible :) Your little can handle it responsibly :) It's fine :)

Jack-o'-Lantern! Place a medium to large pumpkin in the basket, along side either a carving kit or painting kit! Placing the ingredients preferred for roasted pumpkin seeds can make the whole affair an event! Toss in some mini pumpkins and markers to make a whole family!

Most of the items listed can be bought at a dollar store or other bargain stores, so they can be made with any budget! Don't stress about the amount of items you're getting, as, again, it's the thought that counts!

I hope if anyone makes or gets a Boo Basket, themed or not, that it brings them some needed Halloween spirit!

👻🎃Happy Halloween! 🎃👻

#decided to make this post colorful for no reason other than sometimes playing w/ formatting on tumblr is fun lol #age regression #agere #babyre #totre #spookyre #mine #toddler babbles #little gear

[the-words-we-sung]

The songs of Young Royals - S1E5

Let's go for this 4th installation of the song analysis serie ^^ We're tackling episode 5 this time!! For people who missed them, here are part 1, part 2 and part 3 Sunday, Gina Dirawi

Got what I need I just want peace Catch you on a Sunday When you got the weekend off If I wait til Monday I will never get it

A song that works well for both Wilhelm and Sara: they are spending an evening with people they care deeply about and want to be with. Sara is having her sleepover with Felice and Madison while Wilhelm is spending the evening with Simon. It sounds like a perfect evening for the both of them, they "get what they need": for Sara it's some time with friends and for Wilhelm a moment far from the preying eyes of his peers to just be with the boy he loves. And he does want "peace", he wants a normal life, a normal relationship with Simon. And it's a special moment, a Saturday evening, a break from school and the usual complications that go with it. It makes me sad because it's gonna be the last moment of true peace for Wilhelm and Simon for quite some time after that. The lyrics "if I wait til Monday I will never get it" ring very true: the whole mess with Alexander's suspension and their fight about the drugs is gonna fall on them as soon as they leave Simon's home to get back to school. So it's good that they didn't wait for this little date. So they could at least have this nice evening.

Impatient, Duchvi

'Cause I never felt I needed somebody The way I feel impatient-impatient-impatient for you, oh 'Cause I'm feeling like I'm needing your body Making me impatient-impatient-impatient for you, oh I wanna, wanna know Wanna know your body, body I won't give you up, give you up, give you up

I never really paid attention to these lyrics before doing this serie but they do fit so well with the scene! Wilhelm is so scared of losing Simon over the whole Alexander thing. He's in love, he's scared, he's all over the place truly. But he does need Simon, he's not ready to "give him up" and he's so worried that he messed up things too badly. (And we can't avoid the lyrics "needing your body" because let's be clear, these boys are hot for each other ^^)

Samurai Swords, Highasakite

I am leaving I'm a lesion I unravel to the leeches I'm unpleasant I'm not loving, I'm not loving, I'm not loving

Such a good echo to what Wilhelm is feeling at that moment. He's a mess, he knows he screwed up and he hurt Simon. He's not hiding his flaws. Not hiding the messiness, the unloving parts of himself. And we can appreciate that, to see him unraveling here and being his messy self in front of Simon but still asking for him to stay there with him. He knows he's "unpleasant" in this whole situation, but he doesn't hide. It takes courage to show yourself so vulnerable. And Simon being the absolute gem that he is can see through all of that, can see the boy behind the mess. Can love the boy behind the mess.

I'm not flawless I'm not cautious I am blazing out the houses I am poison

Second part of the song goes to August (and Sara watching him). What better description of August? Not flawless (no need to comment on this one), not cautious (he gets caught so easily for the leaking of the sex tape) and yes, he is "poison". And he's gonna be poison to Sara. He's gonna bring the worst in her... Later on the lyrics go "there's no patience, no salvation": foreshadowing? Will there be any salvation for August next season?

The songs of Young Royals - part 1

The songs of Young Royals - part 2

The songs of Young Royals - part 3

#Young Royals #Young Royals analysis #Young Royals songs #Young Royals S1E5 #Prince Wilhelm #Simon Eriksson #Wilmon #my analysis #song analysis #I like this episode #even if it feels like the beginning of the end #because August is a dick 😠 #I like the Samourai Swords song #(I completely misunderstood the lyrics the first time I heard it in the episode though ^^') #(Sometimes my brain does not want to understand English properly :p)

[louislovesdilfs]

Homesick (part 3)

I'm sorry if this is shorter than the others or at least I think it's shorter I really have no idea. it's worth it tho, I think. From the next I will go episode by episode maybe skip a few to add something like this but I will mostly follow the show. I loved the 60th special, Donna will always be my favourite;)

source: r/gallifrey (on reddit) it's a debate started by @/AnticitizenPrime, It's a great theory but I suggest you to check it out if you want after reading this.

◇ I don't necessarily believe the theories I use to write this fic are canon, they just inspired me to work on this. Do NOT take them as canon. treat theories ans headcanons as such.

♤ sorry for the mistakes, english is not my first language.

♧◇♡♤♧◇♡♤♧◇♡♤♧◇♡♤♧◇♡♤♧◇♡♤♧◇♡♤♧

"Y/n didn't want to leave, he was watching a Christmas romcom with my mother" Rose jokes getting in the TARDIS, Y/n is behinds her and enters closing the door,

"I was waiting for them to kiss!" he says but realise it only makes his situation worse,

Rose chuckles pinching Y/n's cheek "ohh an hopeless romantic!" she teases him, Y/n can't respond to that, it is true, so he just moves on getting near the console, he feels like he understands the commands and how to guide the TARDIS, he does want to try but is almost afraid of doing so,

"can we stop by my house?" he asks looking at the hoodie he's been wearing for...well from the begging, not gonna lie it is a nice 'NASA' hoodie but it won't be as nice when it starts to stink.

"sure do, just not for too long" The Doctor answers turning to him with tiny grin, Rose tho realises something, she turns to Y/n clearly wanting to ask him something,

"when did The Doctor take you?" she asks, Y/n was there before her, she figured not too long before since the two men didn't knew eachother that well, she sees Y/n is not from her time, he doesn't fit in at all.

"uh 2023, november 21st, I believe" he says not totally sure about the date,

"2023? is that a good year?" she asks slightly curious

"uh, well..." he mumbles hesitating, it's not bad like 2020 still there are wars... but that's a detail he decided to keep for himself.

The TARDIS lands in the same alley it first appears, Y/n gets out feeling sick. Ugh this place, he just wants to pack some clothes and go off again but the other two have other plans that he doesn't know about yet.

He walks not really waiting for The Doctor and Rose who try to keep up with him, he frantically searches for the keys to his house, as soon as they turn the corner a fancy mansion is waiting for them, The Doctor and Rose look at Y/n surprised as he opens the big black gates which reveal the wide path with a green garden on the sides, it looks so expensive but well tooken care of.

"well you didn't mention you were rich" Rose walks fast reaching Y/n who shakes his head

"I'm not, my parents were. This is a family mansion, my great-great grandfather bought it, then my great grandfather passed it to my grandad and he passed it to my dad, when my dad died I inherited all; My sister life assurance, my mother life assurance, and last my dad's. This money come from loss and grief. How could I ever define myself rich?" it is a rhetorical question, he doesn't want an answer and Rose will surely not give him one, she looks at The Doctor who has not look away from the young man for one second, he is clearly thinking about what Y/n just said and maybe he's wondering something else too, too many coincidence happened after the regeneration, The Doctor doesn't want to address them yet and neither does Y/n but sooner or later they will have to, willingly or not, Rose will make sure of that.

They enter the mansion greeted by giant stairs not too far from the big front door, the inside aren't as old as the house looks from the outside, they actually look both aged and modern, it's a style that suits the place but not really Y/n's appearance.

"not bad, not bad at all" The Doctor speaks his mind looking at the place.

"not at all" Rose agrees scanning every angle of the entrance with her eyes.

"my house is your house...I guess.." Y/n shrugs telling them to do whatever they want. He sighs going upstairs with his hands in his pockets, for how much he hates this place is good to be at home.

Y/n sits on his bed, looking at his room, it's been the same since he was 14, same posters, stickers on the windows...Even the 'I want to believe' poster on the wall near his bed, he always loved space, all the drawings and pictures in his rooms make it clear, it's funny how now he is travelling in time and space like it's a short day trip, it almost makes him chuckle.

A knock on the door makes him quickly turn his head to see The Doctor leaning against the door frame, his eyes lightened as he looked at The Doctor.

"can I come in?" he asks putting his hands in his brown suit pockets, he took off his coat and left it somewhere in the house probably, The Doctor enters as Y/n nods him to come in, he looks around the space themed room amused by it.

"X-files, great show." The Doctor comments looking at the poster on the wall, and Y/n chuckles

"shame you're not a little green man," Y/n chuckles tilting his head and The Doctor almost smirks at the young man's little gesture, The Doctor always seems to appreciate the little tilt Y/n does but still scoffs at his comment

"last time I checked you were monkeys" he shors back and Y/n squints his eyes at him

"oh shut it you face changer" he says and The Doctor smirk sitting on Y/n's bed next to him.

"big place you have here" he says changing the subject, Y/n's face darkens a little

"empty tho" he points out looking up at the ceiling, there are little stars that glow in the dark attached to it, The Doctor notices them too before Y/n speaks breaking the silence

"you have a big place too" he points out, he then falls with his back on the bed, his hands resting on his chest for a split of a second before he quickly rests them on the sides of his body.

"not that empty anymore" The Doctor follows him with a smirk slowly reaching for the young man's hand, a little touch before fully holding it. Y/n chuckles turning his face to the man next to him, he gently rubs his knuckles, is a cute little moment between them, Y/n feels something in his stomach he never really felt before, or maybe he's just hungry.

"you know what happened to me before you regenerate" Y/n suddenly says, he didn't want to but he knew it was something to be said sooner or later.

"yep" The Doctor says popping the p, his mood dropped slightly but his hand is still holding Y/n's a little tighter,

"I lead 10 people to death, I didn't save them, I saved myself" he admits, his voice slightly broken

"that's what you were supposed to do, I couldn't bare the thought of loosing you Y/n." The Doctor reveals looking directly in the young man's eyes, he knows that comment is selfish, but it's the truth, he wants to know more about Y/n, about who he is or what he become.

"I fell in a time vortex" he realises ignoring The Doctor's comment, "I felt my body wither and die or age back to when I was born, my body shredded with the time winds I-" he stops biting his tongue before continuing "I touched every point in history, I'm there as I'm speaking, my head, it is filled with information I shouldn't have, it hurts." he lets out not noticing the tears running down his cheeks

"I can take it away" The Doctor says reaching the man's cheek with his free hand, he brushes his cheek wiping away a tear.

"don't you dare" Y/n says firmly, he can stand the pain, he wants that knowledge.

"what am I? am I like you now? will I regenerate? can I die at all? It's like a tango in my chest!" Y/n asks many questions as his mind runs in the thousands of possibilities.

"there was a legend in my planet, about the Timelords origin, someone says we are nothing but evolved humans, it's not proved, but you Y/n, you might have evolved in something closer." The Doctor brushes Y/n's hair away from his face, the room go darker and the stars on the ceiling started to glow, Y/n smiles and a light shaped as a star appeared on his face, this sight made The Doctor's hearts almost melt as well as Y/n's. They look at eachother and right there The Doctor thinks he found someone who will stay. They share a kiss, not stolen, not meaningless, not rushed; it's sweet, waited, slow, they both take their time, they then part they're silent for a second before Y/n breaks it.

"I want to drive the TARDIS with you" Y/n says not really asking more like demanding it. The Doctor laughs

"that's a lovely idea" he says trying to hide his excitement but failing miserably.

They both go down stairs after Y/n showered and packed most of his clothes. Rose is stealing Y/n's cereals wondering around the house eating loudly before stopping in the study.

"Is that your dad's study?" She asks taking a bite

"umh yea, he actually died in there, couldn't bare the loss of mom shortly after my sister. Couldn't keep the family going, what a pathetic little man." Y/n says not really interested in what's he's saying, he doesn't like his father, he was never at home, and when he was he was locked in his study till night time.

Rose closes the door feeling chills as she looks at the chair where he died. They then go in the living room and Y/n lights up a cigarette opening one of the windows.

"you know, all the men in my family died here, my great-great grandfather passed away in his sleep, my great grandfather died after a bee attacked him in the garden, my grandad was found dead in the library and my father in his study, both died of heart attack." he admits breathing the smoke in and out, it's been a while since the last cigarette, he needs it.

"let's hope you won't carry on that tradition." Rose mumbles a bit unsettled by this information

"let's go shall we?" The Doctor says looking at both of his companions.

They leave the masion getting in the TARDIS leaving the bags with his clothes in his room, it's smaller than the one in the mansion but still pretty, he got the stars on the ceiling of his own room to attach them in this one, and the 'I Want To Believe' poster of course.

As he goes back in the main room The Doctor is patiently waiting for him near the console with a wide grin on his face. Y/n smiles at the man rushing to the console while Rose is on the phone with her mother, Y/n doesn't know what they're talking about but it's clearly something Rose doesn't care about.

The Doctor carefully explains how the comands work and what they are for, Y/n already knows something, watching The Doctor driving helped him even if he never really watched the control as much as he watched The Doctor.

The man looks at Y/n starting to drive the TARDIS "watch closely if you want to learn" Y/n smirks tilting his head slightly which makes The Doctor quickly look away.

"I'm watching" he says in a casually flirty tone to which The Doctor responds with a glance

#10th doctor #doctor who #doctor who fanfiction #doctor who x male reader #doctor who x y/n #tenth doctor x male reader #x reader #tenth doctor x reader #tenth doctor x you #tenth doctor #10th doctor x reader #10th doctor x you

[bycaprinae]

Okay so it's been a while and I saw a lot of people trying to sell the idea that Aaravos is lying to Viren about him dying on that night, because of that one Tweet were Aaron said this

And when I first saw that tweet I thought it was really odd because they literally went out of their way to say that Aaravos never lies, not only in that one line in the show, but also in interviews, and Justin even said that if you know where his coming from, he's not lying. So why would they contradict themselves?? Just for one weak plot twist? No, they wouldn't.

Aaravos said with all the words, Viren will die when the sun rises, he said it MULTIPLE times in that episode, so what I'm trying to say here is that the catch is probably not about the fact that HE'LL DIE, but probably about what he have to do to NOT DIE.

What does that mean? Well, it could mean anything, really, just by myself I thought about that one theory that Viren will unlock the Star arcanum and achieve imortality (unlikely), there's the fact that we know the current spell is temporary, but they never said Claudia couldn't just... re do the spell???? (very unlikely), but if the answer lies in Aaravos' lines in the last episode, to me, there's just one thing that makes sense:

Infantis sanguine is not a spell that requires the death of a child, it's a spell that requires the BLOOD of a child.

There's not a moment where Aaravos say with ALL THE WORDS that DEATH is required for the spell. He LITERALLY says the spell is named for the ONE necessary ingredient, the BLOOD of a child.

When questioned by Viren he says

Yes, I'm aware, sacrifices are often associeted with the killing of something, but sacrifices can come in many forms. And if the twist really is embendded into the double meaning of what Aaravos is telling Viren, "Sacrifice" would suffice as a "generalist" enough term to fulfill the role. But I'm not done talking.

Soon after, Viren says he's not a monster, and he would sacrifice his own children. Aaravos proceeds to calm him down and says:

Curious how he chooses his words really careful, "harm", instead of "kill". Not convinced yet? Sure

"I will show you how to use every DROP of his living essence, to restore you OWN LIFE and you FUTURE." "every drop" "EVERY DROP" and more than one final gain. Doesn't it seems to imply that the main ingredient isn't the soul nor the life of something? but rather the actual blood, something that can be counted in drops?? If the main ingredient was the LIFE, then it would be gone the moment Viren kills it, then what the hell is that talk about the future???? Yo I'm not CRAZY.

The last thing Aaravos says about the topic is just this. Make the sacrifice. Not "Kill the creature", he never says anything clearly about death.

He never taunts Viren about killing the being, never tells him not to worry about killing something that doesn't actually has a soul, that would fit him perfect, he went out of his way to tell Viren that the being is their ACTUAL child, and for what reason you might be asking yourself? I don't know either, but I saw one theory that this was a test on Aaravos part. Maybe the reason why he stood there, quietly, while Viren stormed off and cut ties with him wasn't just because he doesn't need him anymore (?? He doesn't need Viren for a long time now, come on, why's he clinging to him is a mistery to me, but I won't let the viravos in me talk louder haha), but maybe, just MAYBE he was testing his morals (?), what he truly stands for, if he already knows that Viren wouldn't sacrifice his children, but to what extent does this goes? can it include anything that falls under the label of "his children"? Can he really sit back and wait for the inevitable death and do nothing?

I have no idea why exactly would Aaravos play these mind games with him, it's not just a wild guess tho, I'm coming from the perspective that it might be related to his own motifs, the things we don't know about him yet and the special person from that past once mentioned in an interview. But here's some food for thought:

Once in season 2, Viren asked Aaravos why should he trust him, and Aaravos said he shouldn't... yet. Aaravos told Viren that he would like to gain his trust, there's even one of my favorite lines in the show (if not, MY FAVORITE)

To me, that scene is just too personal, he could have just listened to Viren's wishes and shared with him how to solve the problem, but he pours his own perspective in the matter, and I do in fact think that this is his actual principles. I think Aaravos does care about loyalty and kindness. Pherhaps it has come to the point where Aaravos will test if he can trust Viren, maybe he'll wait until the final moment to reveal the truth. And to be honest, Viren doesn't even need to harm anyone, because Claudia is already bleeding (she lost her foot!!!).

Personally, I can see that being the case, I might be wrong about how and why it will be revealed in canon, but that does seem to be the only thing off in the story.

What ya'll think?

#mental illness at its finest #tdp #tdp theory #caprinaetext #Viren Tdp #Aaravos TDP #Claudia TDP #sir sparklepuff #Blood of child #s6 #prediction #long post

[silviakundera]

DRAMA REC: So I feel like any real review of Thai drama Moonlight Chicken is hard without heavy spoilers because honestly I don't know how to talk about what makes me passionate about it without discussing all the character relevations that occur over the course of its 8 episodes. I'll try to be generic as much as I can.

The thing about why it's hard to discuss without spoilers is that the characters and their full baggage are revealed slowly episode by episode, because like in real life you often learn about new friends & love interests slowly as intimacy deepens...

But from what I can see online, it's very subjective for viewers - depends on the person if they find these themes and personal challenges compelling or not. This doesn't fit with the typical "BL asian drama" format.

My personal viewing stake: There's an otp that has TAKEN OVER MY BRAIN. I have been searching for this energy ever since finishing Lighter & Princess. Gotta confess that I couldn't care less about the second couple who are teenagers. Apparently MDL and a lot of tumblr only liked the teen couple (valid!), but I just skipped over them mostly because when my brain locks in on Real Adults with Adult Problems I often cease to connect to high school student storylines. But the age gap couple with a 39 year old character who is FEELING his age... Jim & Wen. I've watched all 8 episodes now and they are like cocaine to me.

Ep 1 setup: We're not in Bangkok! (gasp) Jim is almost-40 and runs a late night diner in the less upscale part of town. Wen, about 10 years younger, is drunk at his diner as he's trying to close for the night. They pick up on the unspoken signals, instant electric connection, and end up wandering back to Jim's place and having what looks like fantastic sex together (without exchanging names).

But then after that first night, in the remaining 7 ep of the show you get a slowburn build up from zero as Jim doesn't want a relationship - with anyone. This is truly, sincerely a 'it's not you, it's me" situation. He is mired in baggage and the angst is SO DELICIOUS to me. Angst and soft hand touches and late night conversation. There's YEARNING. SO MUCH YEARNING.

And then my darling Wen! Who brings almost the same energy as the Lighter and Princess FL. @dangermousie I never thought I'd see this irrepressible determination and tender, good humored patience again! He is deeply sure that there is something special here with Jim and is unrelenting about trying to scale Jim's walls. I know that sounds like psychotic SML material lmao but it's all about the tone and context. It's very clear that Jim is allowing Wen in his life and doesn't, deep down, want Wen to give up on him. He's damaged and scared but I always felt he wants Wen to be right - that they are falling in love and can build something real together. He just can't make himself take that step. I mean, in their 2nd meeting he is EQUALLY INSANE to agree that it's v normal and hinged behavior to let his 1 night stand start randomly showing up to work shifts at his diner as 'temp staff' he can't afford to pay because... um. Basically to stalk him? idk I don't think it's stalking when u have a mutual agreement?? 🤔

Wen falling deeper into Jim and KNOWING the feeling is mutual no matter how many times he's (so gently!) pushed back... can be sooooo personal. 😭😭😭 The vibes of this "we're Not Together™" but it's inevitable, I'm just waiting for the timing to be right... reminiscent of the last 10 episodes of Lighter & Princess. This building intimacy and tenderness that stretches on until as a viewer you feel like... They ARE in love, they're together but just without the sex. They just have to stabilize their lives first before committing whole-heartedly. THE BITTERSWEET PINGING. (screams)

One thing I've observed is many people seem to struggle to connect with Jim's character. The closest thing we have to a protagonist (?) Maybe. Anyway, I suspect it might be a generational thing. I found the drama incredibly compelling, but I grew up queer in the 80s and 90s. I'm well into my 40s, a bit older than Jim, but I think the generational queer experience overlaps pretty well considering the sociopolitical differences btw us/thailand.

The screenwriter is an older out gay man, so I presume that's also a factor in how he did a pitch-perfect depiction of Jim's struggles to find home.

Wen has his own baggage that feels very real and raw. I loved his storyline because I could personally relate to it also from my queer relationship experience.

I've blabbered on here before about how I feel like there's something different about queer stories being told to other queers, not targeted to straight viewers primarily - I'm not saying it's better than the big brands and popular international media including lgbt rep. It's just different imo and I do think it's valuable. I want to see stories about the complexities of the experience & about the gay community that can't just be mapped to straight people. Where the story would not feel the same if you flipped the sexualities. That's what Midnight Chicken was to me: the characters of Jim and Wen and their personal development & slow love story together felt very queer and the age gap was a relevant part of this. And that called to me. I could recognize parts of myself in them and my personal experiences as a gay woman.

I was impressed by the writing. Strong acting. The directing of individual scenes is excellent BUT the 1 big flaw is the editing. Very amateur, super abrupt scene changes! Just jarring. But whatever, I've seen some terrible editing in cdramas too. Also note the storytelling tactic is to show a series of meaningful moments & interactions over like 6-8 months of time. Events progress in ways we don't always see and it's not always spelled out to the audience, everything that happened since we last saw them. That may or may not work for the viewer.

[Plus there's a very sweet & wholesome teen love story that also gets a happy ending, if you're into that. One of the teens is deaf and there's no "cure the disability" nonsense, don't worry. I was adult-focused but I did appreciate the complicated family relationship subplot with Jim trying to caretake his nephew and their relationship to the mostly-absent sister.]

ok so now into spoiler territory. Letting the relevations come out organically would be a much better viewing experience BUT...

SPOILERS ON JIM & WEN BACKSTORY

Jim's whole deal is he had a big love in his late 20s-early 30s that fucked him up good. He grew up being told gay love isn't real, leaves his rural farming town with his sister in their teens, disconnected from his family... But even his sister, who loves him, had the perspective that it's Just A Phase. Jim expects to Prove Them Wrong. Then his boyfriend cheats on him.... With a woman. Activate that generation's internalized homophobia and self-doubt. And then before he gets to truly confront his partner, his partner dies in an accident. So he never gets resolution.

And he's stuck under a mountain of debt, on the edge of poverty because he didn't get any of the guy's assets when he died of course. No rights under Thai law. Partner's family takes it all but the old car & the cat. All he has is the small chicken rice shop they had bought and ran together and it's killing him, he both hates and loves it. He's this amazing member of the local community but doesn't see himself and his own worth clearly.

Wen is working through the guilt of falling out of love from his 1st gay relationship that lasted 5 years of his 20s. Broken up but still living together. Trying to stay in each other's lives (I've seen this a lot, because in small gay communities you don't just cut ties with good people you care about). But living together is toxic for both of them, despite the real care that's there.

He also feels disconnected from a community at the start. He has work collegues, all straight friends, and his now-ex boyfriend. But you get the subtle sense that his local ties are all with the boyfriend Alan's family and mutual friends with Alan who don't all know about the breakup yet and he doesn't know how to interface with them anymore now that he and Alan aren't the same. He's the one who fell out of love, so he's "the bad guy" here and the straight friend he tries to talk to about trying to co-habititate with his ex and stay close friends doesn't really get it, because that's just way more typical behavior for older generation queers - it's notable that when the situation is fully explained to Jim, he doesn't seem to find it bizarre at all (as said, I've gone through that myself, and known friends in that situation; found that subplot to be very well done.) (I read that many viewers were disappointed this wasn't a standard infidelity situation where Wen is just regular cheating on Alan, but I have to say that I feel the opposite. The subplot and how it played out felt very relatable to me. I didn't need a cheating angst plotline in this drama that could be transplanted into a straight drama. I wanted more stories that represented my lived experience as an adult lesbian, and Wen's narrative gave me that.)

Wen keeps searching for a home even while living with Alan and having loved him in the past. Which to me was a sign that he'd moved to this smaller city, living in Alan's condo and in Alan's life with Alan's extended family... He started eating beef because Alan did and following along. He doesn't know where HE feels at home, what Wen needs to be comfortable and happy. When he more & more starts to believe he can make this home with Jim, he's determined to make it happen.

#really long post #agonizingly long meta #sorry to my mutuals #ily 😘😘😘 #drama review #drama recommendation #midnight series: moonlight chicken #jimwen #moonlight chicken

[ooops-i-arted]

I am so tired of Ahsoka!

She wasn't needed and now she is literally everywhere. I go on on any social media and serach for Prequel Trilogy stuff and I can't go 1 minute without seeing something about her, when she wasn't even in the films. I honestly am so mad that I wasn't part of the fandom before Ahsoka was created because she kinda becomes "the most important person for Anakin (fuck you Obi-Wan and Padme)".

It's a bit sad since she could have been a cool character. Just make her master someone else and don't make her the most special and powerful Jedi. And if they wanted to make her a padawan of a "special" master than maybe introduce a new Jedi who idk maybe left the Jedi Order long ago and now they return because of the Clone Wars. This would mean that: a) Ahsoka still has a "special" master b) because she is trained by a master who only recently returned to the order she has training different than any other padawan c)due to her master she has controversial opinions on some Jedi customs. This could be a good point of conflict for her character (do I listen to my master or the Order) and also doesn't make unnecessary changes in the story of film characters (Anakin, Padme, Obi-Wan and others).

Honestly, I think that when you do a serial for a beloved film you should ensure that the characters you fit with what the films tell us. The Jedi Council didn't want to make Anakin a master, so why would they give him a padawan. As ignorant as they could sometimes be, I think that connecting "Anakin is not mature enough to be master" with "Anakin is not mature enough to have a padawan". It's really something I think they would notice.

I 👏 HAVE 👏 BEEN 👏 SAYING 👏 THIS 👏 FOR 👏 YEARS 👏

She is COMPLETELY unnecessary to Anakin's story and always was. Every story beat she supposedly fulfills is already fulfilled by another character. I kinda wonder if it was an attempt at whitewashing Anakin's character (Lucas was involved in TCW and apparently wanting Anakin to be more appealing from what I heard, and this was back when the prequels and Hayden were NOT as loved as they were now because my generation wasn't as huge a fandom voice as the old OT-loving guard) and making him more appealing but no. Anakin is a human garbage can and that's what makes him such a compelling and interesting character!!!

I honestly would probably be a huge Ahsoka stan if TCW was envisioned as its own thing and focused on her as a character on her own instead of making her Anakin's Most Specialest Beloved Padawan Who Is Best At Everything (She Can Even Fight Grievous omg!!!). Back then we were so starved for female characters, we had Leia and some Padme mainstream but that was it (you only knew about Mara Jade in Legends and she wasn't in the mainstream merch or anything from what I recall), and much as I love a good dies-of-sadness joke, Padme is often simplified to that and shoved aside even though she's a really cool and complicated character in her own right. I will give Ahsoka credit for blazing the way for female characters to be more included in Star Wars, but it falls flat when she's just propped up as Coolest Wisest Bestest Jedi-but-not-a-Jedi-actually-she's-better-than-the-Order Girlboss. Now we're back to Only One Female Character Above All Others. (Rey and Rose were ruined with bad writing, Hera and Sabine are wonderful but definitely not mainstream (and probably being butchered in the show), Gina Carano ruined our chances of any more Cara content, Peli was just a cameo last season, and Bo-Karen also got the Always Right Beloved TCW Girlboss Treatment.)

Imo the Council was pretty much always on the money with Anakin (at least with what they knew of him - they didn't know of the Tusken murder spree for example) and there's no way Anakin was ever ready for a Padawan or that anyone in their right mind would give him one. In MY episode III fanfiction when Favored Main Character Got A Padawan, Obi-Wan got the Padawan because he had more experience teaching, even at 12 I knew Anakin had no business teaching anyone. Also, it was NEVER previously canon that Padawans were assigned. Masters chose them as in the Jedi Apprentice series. I will NEVER let that go. Ahsoka being assigned to Anakin was so contrived.

#anti ahsoka tano #anti ahsoka show #i will never shut up about how filoni writes as well as i did at 12 #my Lia Skye was basically Ahsoka except she wore Jedi robes bc 12yr old me hated female sexualization #anon #asks #if you don't have anything nice to say about ahsoka come sit next to me lmao

[bearmemesreviews]

FotW: SDMI - In Fear of the Phantom

Welcome back to Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated, and now we're getting into a problem many reboots and adaptions face - what happens when you try something different. Today's episode isn't really that special, serving as a bridging point between the next stint of episodes focused on the gang's love lives.

Except for featuring the Hex Girls of course.

Not to overshadow the main villain, which would be extra funny considering their backstory, but come on that's what y'all are here for.

Yeah, they got a bit of a redesign since their last few appearances in the two billion direct to DVD films. Fans DID NOT like this, and in a later episode they had to actually address the backlash while also scrapping these outfits for the original ones. They also steal Luna and Dusk's hair dye and gave Thorn's highlights a diminished role.

My personal opinion? Eh, I would've preferred a middle ground between the two, but for reboots I encourage designers to go all out since it's their own thing. So for Mystery Incorporated I would've either kept the redesigns or gave them completely brand new looks a second time. The OGs have a more cohesive aesthetic, but I like how MI experiments by giving each girl their own Alt style. It's probably Dusk who could probably use a new outfit though, since her Tank Girl getup doesn't mesh as well as Thorn's "Pagan School Girl" and Luna's "Lesbian Thespian" outfits do. Actually, maybe one of those Scene Kid reconstructions of School Uniforms would've worked better?

Oh yeah, this nerd.

Backstory: Like most lesbians Velma is a massive fan of The Hex Girls, snagging front row tickets for the Scooby Gang just in time for them to witness a "Phantom" try to murder Thorn on stage. As with every mystery the gang decide to take it upon themselves to do the cop's job to keep the concert going while protecting the band.

This leads to an exploration of the show's two main ships, Fredphe and Shoob - again, yes really.

This show is really good trust me on this.

Scooby outright calls Shaggy a cheater for going to prom with Velma instead of hanging out with him like they always do, and replaces Mathew Lillard with a wooden dummy much to Shaggy's chagrin.

Fred meanwhile comes out as nonbinary a teenage boy with emotions as he finally grasps Daphne's romantic interest in him. All thanks to an entire song written by Daphne where she uses Fred's special interest to get through to him.

Behold, one of the best songs made for a television show in history.

Before this spectacular moment of audio interposed with occasional Zelda CDI-level animation (to be fair are you even looking at the animation in the first place) we got some Phantom shenanigans. Mostly him responding to Scoob and Shag's ability to warp time and space by just setting them on fire, probably the most effective thing one these guys have attempted so far.

Design: Obviously a homage to The Phantom of the Opera, and as we go through the series, you'll start to notice a lot more homages that Wikipedia will kindly point out for you. Though you can also see a bit of Comic Supervillain in his design, so much so that he doesn't seem to fit with the show's own aesthetic. He wears a black full body suit with a gigantic, taller than his own head, Dracula collar and grim reaper-esque hood. He has a fabricated piece of his outfit that goes over his shoulders like Football Pads, but with a sleeker design as it attaches his cape to the main costume. His cape is black but its interior is lined with a sparkling holographic material.

His mask, belt, boots, and glovers are all made of golden mechanical pieces, as they actually allow him to charge up bolts of electricity to fire at the teens in our show. This tech is never explained, and he really only uses it a few times before forgetting he has these weapons at his disposal.

His mask is the best part of the outfit, legitimately cool while evoking a gas mask. It's almost like it was made out of several pieces asymmetrically stuck to each other with large bolts, like if C3PO was mangled in an accident and put back together with recolored bits of R2-D2. There are several short, cylindrical ports on his gauntlets, boots, belt, and mask that occasionally glow green.

Reveal: Shaggy, with an extensive knowledge of obscure musical groups as we'll be shown time and time again, recognized the shiny material of The Phantom's cape as belonging to a One-Hit Wonder named Fantzee Pantz. And once that's discovered it's pretty obvious that the other suspect, The Hex Girl's manager, is not the culprit as he was just as responsible for Fantzee's obscurity as THG.

No, the true culprit is the girl's songwriter, who first attempted to sabotage them through badly written songs but was thwarted by the girl's talent and popularity - So he then turned to just trying to kill them, and Daphne. He ends up taking Scoob's dummy to jail with him, but the original duo patch things up by then - letting us look back at Velma who got sidelined so badly this episode.

2/5 Goofy as hell design for a goofy character, probably the most "Villain of The Week" we've encountered so far. In fact, he'd probably fit in better in Miraculous Ladybug than this show. Not that bad otherwise, just not as impressive.

#bmoreviews #scooby doo mystery incorporated #scooby doo #mystery incorporated #bmoreviewsmysteryinc #the phantom #phantom of the opera #the hex girls #Youtube

[yukipri]

The Bad Batch Ep S2 Ep 11 - Thoughts & Spoilers

Spoilers,

Spoilers,

Spoilers,

So everything's beneath the cut!

I know with the Mando S3 premiere, this episode may have gotten even less attention than the rest of the show. BUT this episode had some incredible things, so here are *some* of my thoughts.

FIRST:

HIM!!!!! and he was NAMED and had LINES!!!!

This is super exciting, because while we glimpsed Scorch in Season 1 while they were rescuing Gregor, I don't think he was mentioned anywhere by name, meaning it could have just been a random other RC with similar paint.

Delta Squad (from Legends) was technically canonized when they cameo'd in the Clone Wars, but it's so nice to see them again! It makes me pray that the other 3 members have escaped and are with Rex, because Scorch is *definitely* still super chipped....

Next, the MAIN thing I was super excited about:

So many things in this episode made me absolutely SCREAM, but the main one was probably FINALLY some movement on the connection between Nala Se and Omega. That's something I've been dying for more elaboration on since S1.

Omega is clearly a kid created for a specific reason, raised under specific circumstances, who has a unique bond with Nala Se, the primary creator of all clones. I was sure this would be part of the central storyline of TBB so I'm SO GLAD we're finally getting to it.

The thing is, Omega clearly has very complex feelings towards Nala Se, and Nala Se also considers Omega "special." SUPER curious to see where they go with this, especially since Nala Se seems to be reluctant to help the Empire. Understandable, given the destruction of Tipoca City, but she also never struck me as the sentimental type. I'm personally very wary of the "care" Nala Se seems to be showing Omega, and based on what we currently know, doubt that she means it sincerely—Omega (or her DNA) is likely valuable in some way.

Not sure how I'll react if they paint Nala Se as a sympathetic character, because I doubt I'll ever forgive her for what she did to Fives. Her treatment of Fives, which is also indicative of her treatment of all other clones. Her being kind(?) to Omega doesn't erase that.

I am absolutely confident that this lab and Nala Se/Omega is part of a plot that will connect to the experiments done to Grogu, which in turn will connect to Snoke + the return of Sidious in the ST. That's the running thread, to provide explanation/justification for that "twist."

While I think TBB is fun, THIS is what I personally was waiting for—Omega's true identity and why she's of value to Nala Se, how she therefore fits into the greater plan Nala Se had, and how that in turn affects not just Fett clones, but all the cloning that runs throughout SW.

I also LOVED that Omega showed her skills here—yes, she DOES know her way around Kaminoan tech!! The only time we've really seen it before is when Cad Bane kidnapped her + the S1 finale. She was Nala Se's personal MEDICAL ASSISTANT. She is older than the Batch! She KNOWS things!!

I was genuinely expecting (hoping) to learn more about Omega throughout the entire show, and we do see her being skilled + confident around various tools, but that's around it. I hope her past that she doesn't want to talk about is dragged out into the open in these last few eps.

I have a LOT of theories about Omega's past and her connection to the Batch and their origins (pst it's all in my fic), some of which will likely no longer be canon compliant, but ah well!

Other things that really made me happy:

-The Batch showing some growth due to the last episode, and growing a spine to stand up against Cid. Both pointing out that she didn't help them like they've helped her, and demanding a higher cut, though she did get the final say in the end. It was still a massive improvement!

-The ZILLO BEAST. First of all, it was definitely one of the coolest creatures in TCW, so it was super exciting to see it brought back! Its physiology is fascinating, and I loved how we got to see it visibly grow due to it feeding on electricity. This is actually the second creature we've encountered in TBB that seems to like electricity as an energy source, the first being in S1. It's neat to see this pattern, perhaps they're distantly related species?

I also LOVED that it tied into more experiments. I need to rewatch the eps, but i think it was implied in TCW that Palps was interested in the Zillo beast's armor, so I loved seeing that actually followed up on!

In general, I'm just a huge fan when world building plot points connect or are followed up on to build continuity and a greater view of the SW universe, and this episode definitely connected a bunch of points, so that was awesome!

Anyway, only 5 eps left of S2, excited to see where it goes!

#the bad batch #TBB #the Bad Batch Season 2 #TBB S2 #YukiPri rambles #Spoilers #TBB spoilers #the bad batch spoilers

[slowestlap]

Valtteri Bottas was part of a Finnish tv show called "Yökylässä" (sleepover) where the host goes to visit Finnish celebrities and spends two days and one night in their home. This episode aired on February 2nd, 2023 and was filmed at some point in 2022.

Below I give context to the screenshots and have also translated some interesting bits:

1st row: Just some cute random VB photos to start with

2nd row: He really loves gin, first two photos are from his main apartment and right photo is from his weekend house. It simply was too many bottles to fit into one shot (no pun)

3rd row: And here we have him making gin tonic using his own gin brand. The obligatory helmet wall (there was another one as well). He's had this Ferrari for a few months, says blue is his favorite color. He'd have wanted to drive the host around with it but the battery had run out so they went with his red Alfa Romeo SUV

4th row: That's his weekend house near the main apartment but outside the city center. An artist in Monaco offered to make art work (something funny) for him and this is what they received. The framed a$$ photo is in the guest bathroom of the weekend house. They sold 5400 pcs of prints of it in 24h and got 50k€ for charity

5th row: They face timed Mika. He (grinningly) says the only advise he can give to Valtteri is "to break later". Just some absolute mint slippers he was wearing when they brushed teeth. That's his boat which is called "Rehab" but "it's almost the opposite (when you go there)". They rent it for others too, a full day is ~5k€

Other stuff i decided to highlight:

There's 3 or 4 feral cats around the weekend house that they'll give food to

The most important trophies are in Finland, the one from his first win is the most special

"It's hard to find apartments that you like to stay in (in Monaco), the prices are crazy expensive and quality is quite bad and they're old"

He pays 9500 € rent per month for his apartment

He wouldn't say how much the weekend house cost

The main reason for moving to Monaco was the taxes. He's calculated that in Finland his net income would be ~20 % of all of his gross income. In Monaco it's 60-70% after his expenses (like managers etc.) At the beginning of his career when things were unsure he thought it's important to try to make as much money as possible, after all the hard work he had put into becoming an F1 driver

He doesn't enojy fame and would rather be unknown but he understands it's part of being in F1 and he'd do anything to be able to live his childhood dream

He drove a kart for the first time as 5yo, jumped out of it and told everyone he'll become an F1 driver

Mika Häkkinen was his idol as a kid. It was a wow moment when he got a call from an unkonwn number in 2007 and it was Mika who wanted to help him in his career

He handles his finances/contracts by himself because it's hard to give someone else control over those things. Also mentions he doesn't like to be a passenger in a car because he's not in control of it

He only goes to social media to post things he wants to share, he doesn't read any comments or dm's

Tiffany does read some comments and said there's now less hateful comments towards Valtteri compared to how much there was when he drove for Merc

He hasn't really been single, after his break ups he's fallen in love quickly again. "It's nice to have a life partner"

Weight mentions ahaed! He talks a bit about the same stuff he mentioned in his podcast last year; he trained himself sick (around 2014). He was having really unhealthy training and eating habits and hid things from his trainer. He thought at the time that was what he should do. "If your team tells you to weight a certain amount, you'll do it". He then talked to a psychologist who said at first he was behaving like a robot without emotions but after that he started to work on getting healthier habits back

Host: "Do you talk about mental health related issues with your colleagues?" - "Not really, it still isn't a common subject to talk about. Even though maybe we should, I'm not the only guy who sometimes struggles".

Host: "How was it when you were the second driver for years?" - "Quite tough. It was so hard to accept but now I've made peace with it that Lewis was a better driver than me. After last year (2021) I admitted to myself that that's just how it goes sometimes." "Did you use to be bitter and jealous?" - "Yes, especially the first couple of years. I didn't hate him, we had a good partnership but I always thought how can I beat him and be better than him and win the championship. But it was tough 5 years. I shouldn't have been as harsh to myself."

He pays the private jet company he uses extra amount of money, enough to compensate the environmental impact. They went to his boat and he said he will compensate the costs too

He mentions that sometimes in the places they travel to it's better to keep quiet and lay low than to speak up about the issues within the country. He does say that in Saudi (2022, after the missile) the drivers decided to not drive but they were guaranteed it's safe to do so and that there's heavy security around the track. "Show must go on" and they weren't really given an option other than to drive. Formula 1 goes to places that pay the most.

Host: "The only thing missing from your life is F1 championship, is that so?" - "Yes."

#valtteri bottas #alfa romeo #ok first of all deal with the black borders #i was too lazy to crop them after watching this thing twice (it was 1h long) #and translating #anyways!! he really does seem like such a genuine down to earth dude #there were more shots of his apartments but idk i feel uncomfy posting them even tho the cameras were literally there #hopefully this is enough to show the vibes #as i felt it's my finnish duty to post about since i didn't see anyone else talking about this 🙈 #hope the vb fans will see this #f1 #alcohol tw

[bainofjustice]

Kitty's Notes On Episode 4 Of The Payday Web Series

Okay we have a time skip, two days after First World Bank, that also means that everything happening in the previous episodes was definitely happening within those days, likely the same day as the heist, which means a few things

1. Hector's location is close to the parking garage that Lukas and Isabella had their discussion, if my Sofie = Sophia theory rings true that would mean that all of this happened within DC

2. That black eye Dallas got lasts multiple days, good job Houston

Here is where we learn it's a thing with Jordan as she corrects Mr Steele aka Dallas when he calls her Agent Griffin instead of *Special* Agent Griffin, to quote her “I [Jordan] am pretty picky about that part.”

Also now is a good time to discuss something, while I know fanon mostly agrees and hell even my writing partner agrees with (meaning this bit of fanon shows up in my works) the idea that Natehen Steele is Dallas's true name, I earnestly suspect it isn't, Dallas as a former member of a mob who put a bounty on his head and also has connections to someone with loan sharks after them in their civilian identity (Houston) would likely not be able to hold a legal identity as a bank employee & even if he could that could have quickly got him undesired attention from non-Crime.net criminals and we have to assume he took time to get the job he had & amount of trust he is given as Natehen Steele so the mobs and loan sharks would have also had time to track him down.

Also may I say the costumer really didn't know how to dress Jordan as a character, in episode one there is this one button that isn't properly done which leaves a hole making it clear the shirt is too tight for her breast size and in episode two we can see her bra strap which doesn't even seem to be like a sports bra which would fit the athletic looking tanktop & pants.

Also unproper gun safety as Jordan has a hand gun sticking out of her pants weist line instead of a proper holster.

Also Jordan is repeatly put in like high high heels, not like full on club heels but way higher than professional dress code high heels

Also Dallas drinks tea with no sugar, he asks for this instead of the coffee that Jordan offers him.

Jordan's first question is about if First World Bank suffered any cybersurcity attacks prior to the heist, Dallas tells her that the bank is cyberattacked about 1000 times a day but almost none get past the firewall

Her second question is if Natehen has heard of something called CRIMENET, Dallas just tells a flat no to this but seems more emotive to the question, sighing and shaking his head.

I think at this point, if not from the start Jordan is very suspicious of Natehen, as her next question is something he's already probably had to answer in a police report “can you tell me [Jordan] exactly what happened that day? [The heist]”

Also a side note Jordan's voice is more like how I remember it, I think my memory of her voice is mainly from this scene and the one with Vlad in episode 6

Note from future Kitty who is done the episodes, yeah throughout the rest of the series it is more in line with this than her first appearance.

We get to see Dallas's pov or well shortly before & the very start of the heist

it also shows him doing things like directing co-workers away from where the heist will take place, Dallas isn't the most moral person in the world but he cares about innocent lives

Ultimately though it seems like Natehen just directs Jordan to read the police report, which doesn't work the best as Jordan tries to press

But just in time Jordan is called to go do something involving “9-2”, something like “director key”, I think I am mishearing what is being said, in general I wish I had access to the script as it would help with things like this & names.

And Dallas takes this as a chance to get out of there which admittedly I am surprised doesn't bite him in the ass since Jordan wasn't dealt with immediately after this encounter.

But also, I think Bain definitely had a foothold in the FBI already, outside of Agent Riker which is why the call happened when it did and probably why Jordan had no recourse when Natehen bailed.

During the time of the web series Sentor Simmons aka The Elephant had a setent race ahead of him and was surcuring funding both legally and also via Crime.net/The Payday Gang given what Bain says at the end of episode 3 about someone needing funding while Elephant is shown on one of Bain's screens

One of Elephant's legal supporters is Whitmore Development which is likely a construction company given the name and golden hammer the ceo gives Elephant as a gift. Also the ceo's wife is cheating on him with Elephant.

Also the company name is the same as the ceo last name, Whitmore.

Elephant seems to have a bit of a bantering relationship with his driver (named Duffy) as the driver asks how the event went and Elephant outright tells him that he's been sleeping with ms Whitmore.

It also seems the driver is the one to have came up with Elephant's political slogan at the time of “I/We get the job done.” and seems like Elephant workshopped it a bit for the full speech. In general both seem actually pretty happy & light-hearted talking to each other, and given that the driver likely sees Elephant drop someone off later to be assassinated I think it is safe to assume that the driver is a bit of a confidante to Elephant.

Also random note about Bain's set up as we get a good shoot of it, he has 5 computer screens total, three on a desk which tends to show contacts, security footage, relevant information on important items and map information, then two smaller wall mounted screens which look like in this scene have map info, so I can assume are in general used for things Bain considers secondary information during his schemes.

The man Gage assassinates with Elephant's help, Charlie, was involved with Crime.Net and had a title “The Lobbyist” I feel confident in assuming he was a way Bain could try to lobby for things.

Apparently Charlie got on Bain's bad side by siding with Don Elis, who Bain just calls “My [Bain's] enemy”, So Bain sees Charlie as a potential source of conflict that needs to be gotten rid of.

Also it seems like Elephant banging that lady is a open secret as Charile asks him about it.

Also for the assassinion Elephant pretended to Charile that he needed him to get into Crime.net which is very funny given the likelyhood that Bain has known or known of Elephant since his days before even being a hister

Spefically Elephant requests “full access” which to me suggests there is a tier system to membership/use of the services

Charile apparently didn't have full access

Full Access may be able to be given if you yourself have it, perhaps it is something physical like a usb with a different version of the program, either way Bain monitors this and would kill anyone giving it out without his permission

Elephant asks Charlie “who else knows about him [Elephant]” which I am assuming means Elephant's criminal ties and connection to Crime.net. Charile repiles with “Overkill” (which is later retconed to be a bikergang, outside of being a reference we don't know the intention of what Overkill was in universe at the time) and Bain.

We see the pair drive by a scene with police and a ambulance, I think this is intended to be the assassinion we see Greta preform as the parking lot & building look like it.

Okay future Kitty again, it is unlikely given Charlie is dropped off by a shady club meanwhile the assassinion takes place at a decently fancy hotel. Interestingly though before the assassinion scene itself in the drive with the victim we also briefly see a police scene like here. It seems like a symbiotic choice to have both victims of assassinations drive by police shortly before death.

Gage is honestly probably the best actor in universe, easily being able to pretend to be a homeless burned out war vet, which does take influence from his own life but all good actors include a nugget of truth in their acts, either way it does make Charile lower his guard and get close enough for the kill.

Also Gage smokes

Admittedly the murder itself is pretty sloppy, it takes four shoots total at point blank for Gage to feel confident he killed Charlie, we see Gage touch parts of Charlie's clothes as he kills him, he steals a lighter out of Charlie's hands leaving more chances for fingerprints oh and the gun isn't silenced and while it seems like they are in a bad neighborhood that still is gonna give Gage less time to get away from the scene and he had to stick to paved areas due to use of a wheelchair so he can't really take unexpected routes.

Oh and Charlie isn't even fully dead after the four shoots, we still hear him moaning while Gage takes the lighter

We also see that Gage uses cocaine, lazily leaves a bag with the body as some sort of false lead? Either way he handled the bag with his barehands

THEN HE CALLS ELEPHANT WHILE STILL RIGHT NEXT TO THE BODY! HOW THE HELL DID NO ONE SEE HIM?? NOT EVEN JUST A NOSY HOMELESS PERSON????

Anyways it is very clear Elephant was already in touch with Bain before this all as he already had the name Elephant and Bain's phone number and was in chage of the assassinion. This also means very very clearly that people in Crime.net do not inherently know each other's ranks within it, which I mean is befitting of everything else but good to soildly know.

Bain says that Crime.net is ready to launch at the end of the episode and while that is probably a reference to the game, I also think in universe this was a era where Bain made Crime.net, the program and organization a lot more avilable to other criminals, I suspect even it being a time where Bain made a major update to the program itself.

Wolf is for once not credited as himself but a actual actor!

#talk tag #payday 2 #payday #meta #my meta #payday web series #the Elephant #John Henry Simmons #Stephen Simmons #payday gage #bain #payday bain #dallas #payday Dallas #Charlie The Lobbyist #drugs #smoking mention

[tuiyla]

Congrats on finishing season 6! I’d like to ask, what are your thoughts on Spuffy this season? I know Seeing Red can make it difficult, so totally chill if you don’t wanna, but I find their dynamic fascinating and I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I'm actually so sad that I finished season 6 haha but oh well.

The good part of Seeing Red is that it's at the very end and Spuffy's last interaction for the season so I can talk about everything else and then touch on it.

We were off to a good start with episode 3 and Buffy only finding it in herself to confide in Spike. I think it's so layered that she did so, including but not limited to Spike's lyrics in Once More, With Feeling: a whisper in a dead man's ear. In that sense, Buffy starts "using" Spike at the very start. She can't bring herself to confess to her friends but Spike, Spike is... there. And willing to listen and actually understands far more than Buffy thinks others would. (Side note and not a Spuffy one, but damn I thought Buffy and Willow would have more of a confrontation about the whole ripped-from-heaven thing post 6x07. Oh well.) By confiding in Spike, Buffy, perhaps inadvertently, forms a bond with him straight after returning to the land of the living.

I see 6x07 and after that as the next step of this. The songs do a wonderful job of conveying Buffy's depression and her need to just, feel. Doesn't matter what. And it's pretty clear that kissing Spike is more to do with her own feelings of depression than it is with him, at first anyway. Fascinating that Buffy knows, not so deep down, that she's using Spike but him being a special situation of a vampire without a soul she sort of lets herself get away with it. Buffy is usually the person being used, even when it's as innocuous as being everyone's hero. It's still a form of being an instrument to others.

The next stage, one I have the most icky feelings about up until Seeing Red happens is when Spike realizes Buffy "came back wrong". Which she didn't, as Tara reveals to us and Buffy, but Spike delights at the thought. Not only does it make them equal once again in terms of throwing punches but, in his eyes, it brings Buffy down to his level. His insistence that she's some sort of demon now, too, is wrong of course but it also betrays just how desperately Spike wants them to be equals. He resented being called beneath her and now he gets to, in a way, bring Buffy down to his level. Which I find extra insidious when you consider that it wasn't just Buffy trying to alienate Spike by degrading him, it was Spike putting Buffy on a pedestal and blaming her for it. So it's a messy dynamic for sure, but like you said in the notes of that other post it's meant to be. Spuffy is dysfunctional (in season 6), yes, but I appreciate the intentionality behind it. I think it's quite repulsive that Spike is so desperate to make Buffy believe she's lesser than she was and that she needs to come live in the shadows with him, but it makes sense for the character and provides interesting drama for Buffy.

After all these years of UST I figured they would go for it but I was surprised to see just how explicitly sexual season 6 was. Not just through the Spuffy kinky sexcapades, though mostly that, but also with Willow and Tara being allowed much, much more than before. Which was lovely to see and wild to think that this was back in 2001/2002. And with Spuffy, it wasn't just what the camera showed and suggested but the graphic language used. Again, it fits, and if they just danced around the topic it would have made no sense and lessened the impact of the storyline. I suppose it's just strange to compare it to the, no pun intended, innocence of Bangel. Even curse aside, it was such a wildly different dynamic. I bring the sexuality of it all up because, as I mentioned when you asked about 5x07 violence and sex really do have such a thin line between them with Spike. And I do think it got a bit too much during their first sex scene, because there's only so much you can do in conflating the two before it becomes, sigh, hate the word but problematic. I'll circle back to this when I get around to talking about, sigh, Seeing Red.

Anyway, I think that thought process would lead me down quite the side tangent. So what I will say about the on and off sexcapades of Spuffy during midseason is that I've already seen arguments on just how bad it was for Buffy to be using him but to me it just reads as a mutually destructive thing. Yes, Buffy was using Spike despite knowing, if not wanting to believe that he had genuine feelings. Yes, even after she realized she too had feelings she denied and deflected and degraded. But like I say, I don't see that as any worse than Spike whispering in her ear about being demon-like, about being something that can't be around her friends anymore. More than the thin line between sex and violence and the using of each other physically, this is what's truly messed up about them in season 6. Buffy keeps hitting him the heart with all but an actual stake and Spike keeps fuelling her worst fears.

On a storytelling level, I think it's really interesting and overall executed well. I don't think the presentation of the text ever shies away from how messed up it is. The one thing I've seen backlash for in terms of how it was/was not acknowledged in the text is Buffy's invisibility stunt and the whole pinning Spike to a wall and unbuttoning his shirt before he realizes it's her. I don't know if it's even worth discussing, honestly, but I will say that I find one on one comparisons of that scene with Seeing Red to be wholly disingenuous. I do think it was a bit of a double standard portrayal and the rest of the season is quite good at acknowledging Buffy's treatment of Spike as iffy, but this scene isn't nearly the same.

Alright, let me think if there's anything else in the leadup to 6x19. Oh yes, the whole "tell your friends!! fine I'll tell your friends!!!" thing and Spike sleeping with Anya. Eh. Compared to their earlier drama I didn't find this stage nearly as compelling. Spike is pissed and petty. Rip to me I might just be different but I don't find him sleeping with Anya that big an offense. Sure, it was a dick against Buffy but it's not like Buffy's hurt really has a leg to stand on after she's made it clear that she wants them to be over. And Spike didn't do it out of malice, so I don't blame him much for this. As for telling Xander about them and the cat being out of the bag, it was again not something I can really hold against Spike. I'm not saying my conclusion of this portion of their arc is "wow Buffy was a bitch, poor Spike!" but, if not for Seeing Red, I'd think most of Spike's pov is justified. Keeping in mind that him wanting to gaslight Buffy into thinking she was a demon was still appalling.

And then, okay, Seeing Red. I accidentally spoiled this for myself when browsing on TVTropes, or at least a Spuffy assault scene happening and I'm glad I was mentally prepared cause god, that was a lot. I think I'll be able to say more conclusive thoughts once I see season 7 and see how they handle the aftermath. For now, I'll say that I don't think it's impossible for Spike to come back from this but he'll need to work harder than "just" going through the Demon Trials and getting that soul. I like that it broke the pedestal Dawn had him on. In terms of Spuffy, god.

It does make things marginally better that he seemed like he genuinely was just not thinking and got carried away. I already hate anyone who justifies it by saying Buffy had "trained" him not to take no for an answer and to be rough, though. Because assault is assault. And there were other Spuffy sexy times where Buffy did say no and nevertheless, they ended up having sex, and not saying that's not sus. But Buffy screaming and crying and begging is surely different. Damn, SMG acted her heart out with that.

The fact of the matter is, Seeing Red was a natural conclusion to their destructive dynamic this season. I'm not saying it was inevitable and if I'm correct many (including James Marsters?) hate that it happened. But I don't think it was out of character, as such. Really, a lot depends on how it will be handled. Spike now with a soul better feel damn guilty about the thing and I would hope that this makes him reconsider the whole sex+violence=love thing. But I also hope Buffy takes longer than a second to forgive. This was a traumatic experience no matter how we spin it and I want justice for Buffy as a character in that sense. I don't think this marked a point of no return for them at all, but since BtVS hasn't had the greatest track record with sexual violence I think this is their chance to get it right. Ah well, we'll see.

I'm sure their whole season 6 deal and particularly Seeing Red is quite polarizing. I'd actually be super interested if there were discussion threads or old forum posts, whatever, floating around about Seeing Red specifically. Even if they're not spoiler-free in terms of season 7 I'd love to save them and go back when I can.

Alright, I'm not sure I could offer much or anything novel but the bottom line is that yeah, I find them fascinating too. The relationship works very well with the season's themes and characters' arcs and while I can't comfortably say I support what they have this season, it is interesting drama.

#buffy asks #btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #spuffy #rachelberryy #spike #buffy summers #seeing red really was brutal tho. they had a vision and they went there geez

[mollys-meadow]

Sherlock season 4 was something, not something good, but it was definitely something.

It was very disappointing when it first came out and it hasn't gotten better with time. I feel like there were so many missed chances with that season. You had Moriarty back, and even if you'd rather leave him dead, you had all that Charles Augustus Magnussen plot that sure, it already had it's climax but there was still a lot you could get out of it. And it bothers me a lot that they were trying to overcomplicate things when the easiest route works perfectly fine.

You could, I don't know, focus on the impact the death of C.A.M. had on society, not only on England but worldwide. You could have hints here and there that there's something lurking, something observing in the shadows; and it makes sense, you have Moriarty on all the tv of England and it's normal that Sherlock is paranoid and John is woried af, all while dealing with Mary's pregnancy. There's a case (that should be the first episode of S4) directly linked to both Moriarty's net and his work before the Reichienback Fall and C.A.M. because these two are the biggest threats Sherlock has ever faced, and to build up such tension for a character such as Magnussen in the last season and completely forget about him on the next one it's not good writing. I would have loved the end of S3 and the begining of S4 to work in a similar way that the end of S1 and the start of S2 works. One leads to the other, they are not independant, together they are part of a bigger thing. And the chance was right there!! You had Moriarty back!! What more do you need!!

The fact that the first episode of S4 would focus more deeply in Moriarty's net would also give us the chance to learn more about what Sherlock did during those two years. I could talk more about the specifics of the plot of this first episode but this is already going to be a long post so, nah.

Also, Mary doesn't die !! Because why would you kill her?? Nah, give Mary a gun, make her the boss, show her strength. John has his knowledge as a doctor and his empathy, Sherlock had his brain and his deductions, GIVE. MARY. A. GUN. And allow her to show all her knowledge as an assasin (i think that's what the first episode of S4 was trying todo but it doesn't feel right the way it was executed) and not just for badass criminal underground networking or just general abilities, make her badass as a pregnant woman. And please give me a scene with Sherlock purchasing dipers.

And, for the life of God, something that I would really have loved to see (it doesn't have to be part of the main series, it could have been an special like the Abominable Bride, but it would actuall still fit as part of the main series) is a dive into the life of some background characters, especially Molly and Lestrade. They are great characters, amazing characters, and throughout the series they have only been allowed to be a supporting role. For the second episode of S4, give Lestrade a case, one of those apparently simple ones that Sherlock would not hesitate to overlook (especially now that he's the designated babysitter) but which is, truth be told, deeply connected to the main plot of this season, which is Moriarty's net and C.A.M.'s legacy. Sherlock is still the main detective of the episode and John and Mary are there too, but give most of the screentime to Molly and Lestrade. Make them run around. Investigate. Make wrong assumptions. Get into trouble. And sure, let Sherlock save the day as often but do give them some screentime, make them significant.

All the cases throughout the season must be linked to Moriarty in some way, and at this point Sherlock is full obsessive mode. Baker Street is full of newspaper cut outs and he is really using those nicotine patches (no smoking since the baby arrived). John is worried and Mary is too so they go out like they did before the wedding but more chill. They drink and have fun and Sherlock manages to relax, to let go of the haunting image of Moriarty if only for a second. And then, when he gets home at night (Mrs. Hudson has been asleep for hours and the whole street is quiet), he lazily undoes the first button of his shirt and lets himself fall into the bed, only to notice (as the camera slowly focuses on it) a small glass bottles placed on his nightstand. It's very familiar. It contains a pill he has seen before (#throwback to a study in pink).

Sherlock goes NUTS. Obviously. Everything looks like Moriarty but he's dead, it cannot be. He's RESTLES. There's a murder, or an attempted murder, whatever you prefer. I haven't really thought about the details of this. But Sherlock and John investigate and Mycroft almost gets killed in his own house and it feels like they are walking on eggshells, like any given second everything is going to collapse. They find information about the culpid and the two of them go after him to investigate. They go to a building that used to be Moriarty's and start connecting the dots and the clues found in the previous cases.

Meanwhile, Mary is worried af because her HUSBAND isn't PICKING UP his bloody phone and the baby is crying and ahe only stops crying when Sherlock does some silly faces so where are them??? She sees a clue of where they have gone and curses because oh shit this is serious. She leaves the baby with Molly and that's when you realise Mary knows exactly who is behind all this chaos and madness, oh, and it's someone she knows, someone dangerous.

Sherlock and John are trapped in that house and the culpid let themselves be shown. Sebastian Moran. Who else would it be? S4 could have been the perfect chance to introduce him. Who else would be able to continue Moriarty's legacy after he died? Who else would be capable of fooling people into believing he was still alive? Who could have known C.A.M.? Worked with him? Planting in his mind the seed of starting all that manipulation thingy with herbivores and what else Magnussen had on? Who else would be familiar with Mary given her former line of work? Who else?

Anyway, this is merely my suggestion of how S4 could have been something remotely interesting and coherent with the other seasons without having to bring Moriarty back.

#it's been years since S4 aired but any day is a good day to complain about it #bbc sherlock #season 4 #season 4 fix-it #you can have your happy ever after if you want to #or you can make more seasons #but none of that post-death message Mary left #i hate that #and none of that Mary dying #you can also make them look like a married couple if you want to #and Mary going along with it #but none of that john cheating #and no secret evil sister that's just... no #sherlock bbc #sherlock holmes #jim moriarty #sebastian moran #molly hooper #greg lestrade #mycroft holmes

[strangertheories]

Hiii!!! if you haven't already answered this, how do you think season 5 will play out?

Especially including Will's whole connection with the UD and it being stuck on November 6th, 1983.

Another long post, folks! I'll be sharing some theories based on what we know so far and stuff in Volume 2 and talk about some characters, ships, plot points and how I think the show will end. This is what we know so far:

It'll be full circle to season 1

It will center Will Byers

It will have a bigger focus on why the Upside Down is frozen on the day Will went missing

We'll see a lot of the groups and pairings from S1, such as Nancy, Johnathan and Steve

It'll take place entirely in Hawkins

It will have a time skip, probably to 1988, after the first few episodes

It will have a conclusive ending and no direct spin offs (ie with the same characters and lore)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but apart from actors saying what they wish for their characters, this is all we know so far. So it's kinda difficult to paint a picture of what I think will happen. I will however share some of my ideas below, although these will be less evidence based.

First of all, Nancy's speech in Volume 2. Nancy says that Vecna shows her the mega gate opening and the sky full of billowing smoke or something along those lines. This all came true. She also says that there is an army of monsters, one of which has a 'big gaping mouth', dead soldiers and the dead bodies of Mike, Holly and Karen. This has not came true yet.

I believe the monsters and soldiers part will happen, but not the last part. In terms of monsters, when Chrissy saw the clock there were four cracks that led to a big crack in the center (like Hawkins) and then we saw a bunch of spiders crawl out. Demo spiders? But that doesn't fit with the big gaping mouth' description given by Nancy, which could indicate a thessalhydra, as referenced previously. In terms of the soldiers, I assume that once monsters start crawling out of the cracks, they'll be the first to go. However, I don't know if they'd give away Mike's death so early nor if Eleven would let that happen in the first place.

But how does that fit into the time skip? Maybe the season starts with them "sealing in" the monsters and closing the mega gate, however they still don't know where Vecna is so they decide to wait in Hawkins for him to gather back his resources and strike harder. On the other hand, maybe they fully believe he was defeated only for that to be deadly wrong. Another possibility is that the mega gate doesn't close at all and they stay in Hawkins waiting for something to happen, although I don't know what the first two episodes would consist of then.

Next up, our favourite bowl cut, William Jacob Byers. I've spoken a lot about Will's links with Vecna. The way he was taken in S1 combined with the parallels as well as the fact the Upside Down was frozen on the day he got there and his true sight makes me believe there's something more going on with him. As seen by the end of Volume 2, Will can still sense Vecna so that's going to play a major role. The question is whether Vecna is going to want Will to join him. Vecna loves projecting on kids who are bullied for not conforming to social norms based on his past with Eleven.

I believe that Vecna was testing Will in S1 to see if he was a good enough vessel to bring the Upside Down to Hawkins, so at the end he gave him true sight and planted the demo slug in him. I don't think Vecna wants to kill or hurt Will (don't get me wrong, he would, but he wouldn't want to). In S2 he says he can feel that he wants everyone dead except for Will. I think this is linked to the Upside Down freezing but I can't explain why or how, it just feels too significant not to think about.

In terms of his sexuality, Will is almost certainly going to come out in S5 based on comments from Noah Schnapp saying how we have to wait for his coming out scene and it'll be super special when it happens. Whilst it's annoying we were told it would be clarified in Volume 2, I do think it makes sense for his character to take his time to come out based on the homophobia Will has experienced. I think with family we'll get a quieter and more emotional scene. However, with Mike, I feel like it could be more explosive with him yelling 'because I love you!' in an arguement or something. Bonus points if Will starts apologizing or crying but Mike reciprocates it and we get a super angsty kiss. I don't know if that would actually happen but I feel like it would be cool and would make sense.

In terms of Max, I think she's going to wake up out of her coma and have no memories or anything like that. The group will read her letters but nothing happens. I think maybe at some point she could become a vessel for Vecna as foreshadowed in the lyrics of Master of Puppets (Master of puppets I'm pulling your strings... Blinded by me you can't see a thing). That or she will be used as a weapon as Dustin in S2 stated zombies are immune from the mind flayer because they have no mind to flay. Either way, I think her memories will return to her once Vecna is defeated. I really hope they don't cure her of her blindness or from being paralyzed because so much disabled rep ends up with the disabled person being cured.

In terms of romantic relationships, I'm fairly certain that Lumax and Jopper are going to be canon. With Lumax, once Max gets her memories back, I think it would be nice to see her finally going to that movie with Lucas with Lucas doing live audio description because she's blind or something like that. And maybe even have Jopper go on that Enzo date. For other relationships, I'm less certain, especially ones involving Mike and Nancy. I hope Mike ends up with Will and Nancy ends up with Robin (or single if not), but I'm not sure how much faith I have in the writers. I also don't really care what's canon and I will keep on shipping Byler and Ronance no matter what happens. No one, not even the show itself, can convince me that they aren't in love with each other. I'm not saying that they're both going to be canon or that they're equally as likely to be canon, I'm just saying that if it's not I'd view it as a missed opportunity if that makes sense.

Now onto the ending. I have a theory that S5 will be a bit like the last season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For those of you who don't know, in S7 of Buffy, the hell mouth is opened leading to lots of weird supernatural goings on that are impossible to ignore. This leads to people moving away from Sunnydale in order to get away from the supernatural goings on. In the end, in order to destroy the hell mouth, the whole town is destroyed. The whole hell mouth thing is very reminiscent of the mega gate from the end of S4 and I also think the town will probably find out about the Upside Down, leading to them leaving, which would parallel this even more.

This is similar to the ending of the book It where Pennywise is so intrinsically linked to Derry that Derry starts getting destroyed by itself. I think that because the Upside Down and Vecna are so truly Hawkins-ian (I'm making it a word), in order to destroy it/him, they have to sacrifice their town. I don't have proof for it, it just seems very poetic. Also a loveable character sacrifices themselves which would fit if the show is going full circle to S1. Since Eleven is so linked with Vecna, could this mean she has to die to save her friends?

I just realized I forgot to include Eddie! I think pre time skip, Eddie is going to be major focus in terms of grieving, especially with Dustin and the Hellfire Club. He'll still be referenced in Volume 2, but it'll be a smaller focus. I think clearing his name is going to be a big motivation for the characters this season. Speaking about the Eddie is Kas theory, I think zombie Eddie or vampire Eddie might work, but I hope they don't bring him back to life. The show needs to commit to character deaths or it's hard to invest yourself in the stakes of the series. If Vecna uses his body as a puppet to manipulate our characters or in a trance like Billy or Barb, I think that could work and be a good way to get Joseph Quinn back on the show. But I don't think they're going to bring him back to life.

None of this is concrete and it's just my theories for now. I have way more thoughts but this is getting a bit long. But I hope this helped!

#please don't let this flop tumblr #i spent so long on this lmao #stranger things #stranger things theory #st theory #st5 #st5 theory #st5 speculation #will byers #eleven hopper #vecna #001 #henry creel #max mayfield #mike wheeler #nancy wheeler #lumax #jopper #byler #ronance #eddie munson

[jakemorph]

sorry i got so distracted in that last post i steered myself away from talking about the actual problems i had with the wild blue yonder + the giggle re: tightness of writing lol.

wild blue yonder was a textbook bottle episode save for two major problems: you don't set a bottle episode (a concept basically defined by the low budgets with which they can be produced) on a huge CGI spaceship, and you don't make a bottle episode out of a 45 minute extra length special. thanks to these obvious transgressions, WBY suffers from being both visually and narratively sparse. the set at best doesn't serve the story and at worst actively misleads the viewer into thinking the episode is telling a different sort of story to what it actually is. david and catherine get plenty of space to show off their acting chops and get their characters across, which is great and it's what this kind of pulled back episode is made for; but then all the scifi and spectacle in between these character moments just seems made to fill the extra 20 minutes and nothing else. both aspects of the episode suffer as a result. this episode was good, but the parts where it could have been better were plain to see.

the giggle, by contrast, tries to be too much for one episode. the stookie bill conceit is classic doctor who; some important moment in history has been marred by malevolent alien influence! an entire episode of doctor who could be, and in the past would have been, made out of this, and the cold open's dedication to the idea seems to point in that direction. but the resulting mind control plotline basically becomes irrelevant outside of the few scenes where RTD needs it to make political commentary, because the episode is also trying to fit in this story about the toymaker's metacommentary on the doctor's life. which i also found really compelling! the "well that's alright then!" puppet show moment truly impressed me with how far it showed RTD was willing to go playing in the world other writers had created in his absence. but because it has to share screentime not only with this other tangentially related concept but also with an epilogue that needs to address both tennant and gatwa's futures on the show, which itself takes up almost the whole back half of the episode, much of the potential this conceit holds is squandered. in order to fit these competing ideas into less than an hour, they're boiled mostly down into their most spectacular parts, and most of the nuance falls between the cracks.

[nalyra-dreaming]

what's your theory on modern-day loumand, the state/dynamic of their relationship? obvs we can't take the 'love of my life' thing at face value, something's off. it looks to me like armand's altering louis' mood at times, kinda mentally 'sedating' him when he gets agitated, and i buy the idea that he's altered key areas of louis' memory too, though not with bad intentions per se. I don't think louis is a prisoner or that he's being forced into the interview, but the vibe's still very off.

Hey nonny! Ok, so... for that I need to expand on my thoughts a bit I think. Because imho it depends heavily on where we are in Modern Dubai.

So. Neither the Mayfair Witches, nor the Vampire Chronicles can do without the Talamasca (for a lot of reasons), and MF has already introduced Ciprien Grieve. For that reason alone, and the fact that Rolin Jones has mentioned TtotBT, I think David has to be... somewhere. (In fact one of the servants was given an explicit shot and that actor would fit well with the description. Just... an idea though.) We see Armand on the phone in the last episode, telling someone "not long now". I believe he refers to the interview, because most of what Louis may have wanted to tell is told (what Daniel now drags out of him may be a different story). Louis called the reason for the interview "truth and reconciliation" in episode 1... however that's probably only a part of it, and might not even refer to the interview itself. Season 2 will most certainly include some kind of... version (memory/reference/revival/resurrection) of the Devil's Minion (imho). And of course Paris, but there was this comment that season 2 would be a lot of "sitting and talking".

Back to David. David is a Candomble Priest in the books, and yes, he can conjure spirits, and use spells after turning. I don't think they actually need Merrick as a character for the story. In the book Merrick Louis wants to see Claudia's ghost. I talked about it why I think it fits so well, but this setting also pays a lot into a mixed Trinity Gate / St. Elisabeths / post Rue Royale setup.

Because after Merrick, the Talamasca make Lestat, David, Louis (and Merrick) leave Rue Royale.

Now, if you only twinge that setting just a bit, and mix it with the hideaways Armand creates with Louis while they live together for a long time... voilà. Imho.

And that, in return, says a lot about their relationship.

Louis and Armand have... settled. Lestat is somewhere in a coma. David and Louis are nice to each other, but David could never be anything Louis really needs. (I think it's David Armand is on the phone with). Louis is suffering, still, always, tortured by everything that happened. Armand is very aware that Louis is suicidal (and he addresses that, in the show), and that is why he says to David that he thinks Louis will try soon.

The time with Armand has dampened the pain somewhat, but with everything that's happened in the meantime... it just doesn't go away. Armand tries to alleviate the burden in his own... errr special way. Better to have Louis angry at Lestat than yearning, right. Better to feel the attempt to kill him was justified than not. Better to feel that he was right to escape. Better to feel that escaping feel good, than... not. Better to make Claudia seem cruel at times, than to make it hurt even worse than it already does. Better to make Louis calm down than let the pain break out.

I think there is a lot of love between Armand and Louis in Modern Dubai. I do think that Louis has forgiven Armand most of it (though he probably harbors some dark thoughts/feelings still)... there's one of Marius' paintings on the wall, there has been some kind of reconciliation, and so Louis got to know quite a lot as well, if only through the blood. The comment re the love of his life... that was for Daniel. Because Louis is trying to reconcile Armand and Daniel, imho. And no, I don't think Louis is a prisoner either. He is hiding away, away from the world. He is withdrawing. Dictating his will, his testament.

:)

All this to say... I think Louis and Armand really care for each other a lot. Louis tries to reconcile Armand and Daniel, because he does intend to commit suicide, as Armand has hinted at. And Armand... actually tries to protect him. And doesn't quite know how.

#asks #thank you nonny #sorry for going off the rails a bit but I think it's all connected #iwtv #interview with the vampire #louis de pointe du lac #armand #daniel molloy #david talbot #talamasca #future season speculation #ask nalyra