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tonyspank · 8 months

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SHE 2

Jenna Ortega x G!P Reader

In a brand-new city, you're experiencing a new lifestyle. Jenna Ortega, your soon-to-be wife, must navigate your mixed emotions towards each other while raising your daughter. What happens when you start imagining a new life with someone else's wife?

This one shot includes mature themes such as foul language, sexual activity, acts of violence and etc.

Jenna and any other celebrities in this book are not famous unless said otherwise.

I hate this ending and possibly the entire thing but I hope you guys enjoy. Based off You S3!

You believed in love at first sight, and when you saw Jenna for the first time, everything clicked into place. The way she smiled, the way she carried herself—it was as if she were made for you.

Yes, you might've met others on the way, but no one made your heart race like Jenna. Bonding over cheesecake, strawberry jam, and most importantly, your mother. Jenna seemed to understand you on a deeper level than no one else had before.

But you wished things were different. None of that felt real anymore. You were wrong about Jenna, she wasn't the person you thought she was. The truth had shattered the image you had of her—that one beautiful woman you met on a late grocery-night run had turned out to be a stalking and murdering psychopath.

And when you realized who she truly was, it was too late. This murdering psychopath was the mother of your child.

You couldn't allow your daughter to be raised alone by such an evil person. You'd pretend to love Jenna, pretend to enjoy the suburbs, and move yourself away from the city you were beginning to love.

The young adult you once were, attempting to grasp the handles of adult life, has now become a master of disguise, faking happiness in your relationship. Every day, you put on a mask and play the role of a loving partner, protecting your child from the dark truth that lies within her mother.

Regardless...there's still a part of you that believes in love at first sight.

Marde Linda is the type of neighborhood you'd see in a television show, with picket white fences, beautifully manicured lawns, and slightly friendly neighbors who wave as they pass by. You don't have to get started on the schools, which are top-rated in the state, by the way.

Being a mother? Hard. Extremely hard. You don't know how your own did it, but you're happy she was there. Which is exactly why you're happy to be with your own daughter, despite the crying at 3 AM, the endless diaper changes...or the fact that she hates her vegetables.

"You are going to love this, trust me." You smile at your daughter, who dazly stares back at you in her highchair. "I mean, even I would eat this...I think?" You chuckle as you spoon-feed her the mashed carrots, hoping she'll give it a chance.

For a second, you start to believe she enjoys the taste, her little mouth opening wide for each spoonful. But then she scrunches up her face and spits out the carrots, turning her head every time you try to feed her again.

Just in time, Jenna walks into the kitchen with messy hair and a tired expression on her face. "What's going on here?" she asks, glancing at the mashed carrots smeared all over the highchair. You sigh and explain, "I was trying to get her to eat some carrots, but it seems like she's not a fan."

Jenna hums, slightly nodding her head. "Well, uh...do you want me to try feeding her?" You hesitate for a moment, unsure if Jenna will have any better luck. But you appreciate her offer and hand her the spoon. "Sure, why not?" you say with a hopeful smile.

Jenna smiles at you before taking a seat next to the highchair and starting to coax your daughter into taking another bite of the mashed carrots.

This sight reminds you of the old Jenna, the Jenna you fell for. The way she interacts with your daughter brings back memories of when you first started seeing each other, when everything was easy and carefree.

You're knocked out of your nostalgic reverie when the bell rings. Hm, you weren't expecting anyone.

You look at Jenna in confusion before heading to the front door, only to be met with a beautiful brunette, with a smile on her face, and a pie in her hand. "Hi, I'm Love. I live next door, and I wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood. I thought I'd bring over a homemade pie...it's gluten-free."

You raise your eyebrows, surprised by the unexpected gesture. "Wow, that's really kind of you," you say, genuinely touched. "Thank you so much, Love. I'm Y/N, and my fiance, Jenna, is a bit busy trying to feed our daughter. We just moved in a few days ago."

Love's smile widens as she listens to your introduction. "Of course, I know it's always nice to have a warm welcome when you move into a new place. And I know how that is. My husband, Joe, and I have a son, Henry, so I understand how hectic things can get. If you ever need any help with anything, just let us know."

"Likewise, Love." The woman gives you one last smile before returning her attention to her own home, she was really pretty.

"Who was it?" Jenna calls out from the kitchen. "It was our neighbor, Love. She came by to welcome us and offered her help if we ever needed anything. She seems like a friendly person." You answer back, closing the door and making your way back to the kitchen.

Jenna looks up from Luna and says, "That's nice." You hum in response, placing down the pie. "Did she eat the carrots?"

Your fiance thins out her lips, "Nope." You chuckle and shake your head.

It's wrong, but your neighbor is already stuck in your head, leaving you curious about her.

"How's mothering going?" Ross asks you over the phone, his face apparent on your phone screen. You sigh out, laying your head against the armrest of the couch. "As best as it can go." You pause for a moment, contemplating whether or not to mention your neighbor. Deciding against it, you simply add, "Luna is a handful, but we're managing."

"When are you gonna let me see my goddaughter?" You laugh softly at Ross's question, "Uhhh, I don't know. I guess come by whenever you're free." You can hear the excitement in Ross's voice as he responds, "Great! I'll make sure to schedule a visit soon."

You smile, a small silence falling over. Ross narrows out his eyebrows, trying to read you. "You look like you want to say something. What is it?" He mumbles.

"My neighbor Love... she seems really nice. And she's really pretty, she even has the most beautiful smile," you say, moving your face out of the screen so your best friend doesn't see your wide smile.

Ross raises an eyebrow and chuckles. "Sounds like you've got a crush on her already. Make sure Jenna doesn't find out, you'd be in the doghouse forever."

Ross knows about your problems with Jenna. He doesn't know why they formed, but he knows you're not exactly your happiest when it comes to your relationship with Jenna.

"I know, I know...but am I wrong for wanting to get to know her? I just...I don't know, I wanna see her again." You ponder, unsure of how to navigate your feelings for this new person while still being in a "relationship" with Jenna.

Ross leans back, contemplating your words before responding, "I think it's natural to be curious about others, especially when things are rocky with Jenna. Just be careful not to rush into anything without figuring out what or who you truly want."

You nod, and Ross continues, "Is this Love girl a single mother or something? What's got you so hooked?" You pause for a moment, considering Ross's question. "No, she's not a single mother," you reply. "She's married, but she's gorgeous, and she just has that aura, you know? She gave me a pie, Ross! What more could I ask for?"

Ross raises an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "I get that she's attractive and all, but you're both married and you both have children, so getting involved with her could definitely complicate things for both of you. Have you thought about the consequences like....at all?"

"No, I didn't. I haven't gotten that far, we just met two weeks ago. But there's just something about her that draws me in. I can't explain it, but I feel it."

Ross sighs and leans back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Look, I understand that you're drawn to her—" You hear the front door opening, interrupting your conversation.

You quickly sit up, realizing that Jenna has arrived home. Ross gives you a knowing look before hanging up.

Jenna smiles at you, unaware of the conversation you were having. "Hey. Where were you?" You ask, putting on a smile. Jenna crawls on the couch, snuggling up next to you.

"I ran into Love and her group of friends. You know she owns a bakery, she told me to stop by sometime and try her pastries. I think it would be fun if we went together," Jenna suggests, her eyes beaming up with excitement.

You feel a pang of guilt as you remember the conversation you were just having with Ross about Love. But you push it aside, not wanting to ruin the moment with Jenna. "That sounds like a great idea," you reply, attempting to sound enthusiastic.

You didn't hate your fiancé; you couldn't bring yourself to. She was the mother of your child, and for a while, she was the love of your life, she was captivating, caring, and always there for you. But every time you try to remember the goods, the bads come out—memories of her locking you inside a cage, revealing that she killed your ex-flings, and that look she gave when you asked about Zoe.

"Is Luna asleep?" Jenna asks, breaking the silence. You nod, a tiny smile peeking its way onto your lips. "Out like a light. Might even start snoring," you reply in a joking tone.

Jenna smiles, leaning in closer to you. "I'm glad you're here with me," she says softly. "I love you."

You can't. You can't say those words, not after everything you've discovered about her. The memories and fears weigh heavily on your heart, making it nearly impossible to reciprocate Jenna's love. You give her a reassuring smile, hoping she doesn't notice the hesitation in your eyes.

Thankfully, she doesn't, placing her lips on yours for a short and sweet kiss. Her hand snakes its way to lay against your cheek, bringing you into a more heated kiss, leaving you momentarily breathless.

You're trying. For Luna, for yourself, and for Jenna. You want to be a happy and perfect partner and mother, but you've been through a lot.

Jenna notices the subtle changes in your demeanor and gently asks if everything is alright. You take a deep breath, quickly nodding.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." Jenna stares into your eyes, searching for any signs of deception. She knows you too well to believe your quick reassurance. Pulling away from you as if you're a burning hot stove, she insists, "No, you're not. Why don't you talk to me anymore?"

Her voice trembles with concern, and you can sense the ache behind her words. You run a hand through your hair. "We do talk."

"But it's not the same," Jenna interrupts, annoyance in her tone. "It feels like you're holding back, like there's something you're not telling me."

"You're always distracted. Something's going on," Jenna adds, her eyes searching yours for answers.

Saved by the cry, Luna's whines are heard from the baby monitor that rests on your coffee table. You quickly excuse yourself to tend to Luna, grateful for the interruption.

A bell jingles as you make your way through the door, alerting the owner of the shop to your presence. "You're not closed, are you?" you ask, hoping to still be able to browse the selection of treats.

Love smiles, waving you off. "For you? We're open 24/7," she chuckles. "Feel free to take your time and explore." You thank Love and begin glancing over the array of delectable pastries and desserts on display.

"Which one catches your eye?" Love asks, her eyes twinkling with anticipation. Other than you? I don't know, you think. You take a moment to survey the mouthwatering options, each one more tempting than the last. Finally, your gaze settles on a beautifully decorated muffin that seems to be calling your name.

You point at the muffin and say, "I think I'll go with that one. It looks absolutely divine." Love nods approvingly and retrieves the muffin for you, placing it in a small box with a smile. "Excellent choice," she says. "I'm sure you'll enjoy every bite."

Your upper lip curves upward into a satisfied smile as you eagerly anticipate the first bite of the delectable muffin. "Mmm," you groan out, missing the way Love bites her lip in response to your reaction. She watches you with a twinkle in her eye, clearly pleased with your enjoyment of the muffin.

The muffin is soft and moist, with just the right amount of sweetness. It melts in your mouth, leaving behind a burst of flavors that dance on your taste buds.

"This is fantastic." You exclaim, savoring every bite as the flavors continue to unfold. Love's smile widens, and she leans in closer, whispering, "I'm glad you like it."

Placing down the half-eaten muffin, you smile at the brunette. "You know, I actually cook and bake myself, but never have I made something as delicious as this. Your muffin is truly a masterpiece."

Love blushes, clearly flattered by your compliment. "Well, I'd love to try your cooking sometime," she says, smiling even wider at you.

"I'd be honored to cook for you. It'll be our own little culinary adventure, you know what I'm talking about?" Love chuckles, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, we can be the dynamic duo in the kitchen."

You and your next-door neighbor continue to talk, sharing recipes and exchanging cooking tips—and maybe even glances. You begin to open up about your feelings about parenting, even sharing some stories about your own mother, whom you love and miss dearly.

"I don't know; I just...my mom was the best in my eyes. I just want my daughter to look at me the same." Love listens attentively, nodding her head. "Don't we all?"

She pauses for a moment, reflecting on her own new experiences as a mother. "It's a universal desire—wanting to be the best parent we can be for our children. My mother isn't really the best, so I'm trying to learn from her mistakes and do things differently with Henry."

You smile at the mention of Henry. "He's lucky to have a mom like you who is willing to learn and grow. I'm sure you and Joe will do an amazing job."

You see Love's smile flicker at the sound of her husband's name, but she quickly regains her composure. "Thank you... I'm also glad I got to you before Sherry and her mean girls squad did." Love quickly changes the topic, smiling widely again.

"Yeah, I saw her blog...don't know how to feel about it yet." You say, tilting your head and raising your eyebrows. Love chuckles, shaking her head. "I know what you mean. I remember our second time meeting each other. She asked me about Joe and I's sex lives, saying, "Oh, having orgasms helps you produce better breast milk for your baby!"

Your mouth opens in disbelief. "Wow, that's quite a personal question to ask someone you barely know," you comment, slightly taken aback. Love nods in agreement, her smile fading slightly. "Yeah, it was definitely uncomfortable."

"So, how did you respond to that?" you ask, curious about Love's reaction. Love lets out a small sigh before answering, "I lied. The best thing you can do to Sherry."

You let out a small laugh. "I'll take note of that." You open your mouth to speak, but hesitate, unsure if you should even ask the question on your mind.

But curiosity gets the better of you, and you finally ask, "Have things ever felt weird with you and Joe during the first few months of bringing in Henry? It's just... I don't feel like I'm engaged with Jenna, it's almost as if we're just two strangers taking care of a baby together."

It's like a black cloud has appeared above Love's head, casting a shadow over her face. And for the first time, she's not putting on the usual happy facade to fool her neighbors into thinking she fits into Marde Linda; instead, she looks vulnerable and honest.

Love pauses for a moment, collecting her thoughts, before responding, "I totally get where you're coming from. It actually feels like that a bit now, you know? It's good to know I'm not the only one who feels this way."

"Joe and I have been together for so long, and it's been great for the most part. But lately, I've been feeling like something is missing. We used to have such a strong connection, but now it feels like we're drifting apart. I've tried talking to him about it, but he just brushes it off and says everything is fine. It's frustrating because I want us to be happy together, but I can't get through with him."

Love lets out a fake chuckle, trying her best to keep the tears from building in her eyes.

She takes a deep breath and continues, "I know relationships have their ups and downs, but this seems different. It's like we're living in two separate worlds, with little overlap or understanding of each other's lives. I miss feeling connected to someone... I miss smiling so much that my cheeks hurt. I miss...the feeling of feeling wanted and cherished."

You feel the same way, completed. You long for the days when you both were inseparable, when every moment spent together felt like a precious gift. The distance between you and Jenna now feels unbearable, and you yearn for that deep connection and intimacy that seems to have faded away.

"Yeah... I know what you mean. I remember the first night I met Jenna, my heart was racing, like badly, almost as if it was going to burst out of my chest. I wanted to impress her so damn badly that I started showing her photos of me with the president. I just couldn't take my eyes off her, and the way she laughed at how I had continued to completely make a fool out of myself. We had this instant chemistry that I'd never felt with anyone else before. It's like we were made to be for each other, but after a while, it seemed...fake, I guess. The more I got to know her, the more I realized that our connection wasn't as genuine as I initially thought."

You run a hand down your face, your face flushing with embarrassment. "Shit, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to just pour my heart out like that." Love waves you off, "No, no! It's only fair; I kind of did the same thing earlier. It feels good to be able to open up and share my feelings with someone who won't go gossip about it."

You take a deep breath, feeling relieved that Love understands and appreciates your honesty. "Thank you for being so understanding. It's just been weighing on me, and it feels good to finally talk about it."

When the silence falls, you feel it. You both want the same thing—to start fresh—but neither of you has the guts to say so. You'd both look like bad spouses, wanting a new life while your old one was just getting started.

Your mind begins to wonder: What if Love was your new start? The shared laughter, looks, feelings, and smiles were a creation of a bond that goes beyond being neighbors.

You were so in your mind that you didn't even realize that Love had moved right beside you, placing a soft hand on your arm. Startled, you turn to see Love sitting there with a gentle smile on her face.

Her intentions were to comfort you, but her heart betrayed her. You looked even better up close.

You and Love meet in a slow kiss, both of you unsure what you're exactly doing in the moment, but sure, it's what you want in that moment. You were drawn to her, her gentle nature, and the way she effortlessly made you feel at ease.

Wait. No, wait.

You're engaged, you can't. You're not supposed to be doing this, but you want—no. You can't.

You quickly pull away, "I'm...so sorry, fuck." You rush out, your mouth slightly agape. Love stares at you, she understands the conflict raging within you and the responsibilities that bind you. So she doesn't fight against your decision, allowing you to walk away, leaving her in an empty bakery with a half-eaten muffin.

You make it home, but your mind is still consumed by Love's presence. You don't know how long you've been standing in silence, lost in thought. Jenna could never find out you shared a kiss with your neighbor, not only would you be in trouble, but Love would find herself like your old flings.

But Jenna's home, meaning Luna successfully made it to Ross's apartment.

You snap out of your reverie and greet Jenna. You have to try harder. Jenna's trying her hardest to make things work between you two, and it's important for you to reciprocate that effort. You smile as she rants about the traffic on the way back home from Ross's place, taking her hair out of her messy bun.

You walk up to your fiance, wrapping your arms around her and kissing her intensely but softly. Jenna gasps in surprise but immediately melts into the kiss, her hands finding their way to your back. This was probably the first time you've insinuated such a passionate display of affection, and it fills Jenna with a sense of reassurance and love.

As you pull away from the kiss, Jenna looks into your eyes, her own filled with a mixture of adoration and curiosity. She whispers, "What brought this on?" You smile and reply, "I was just thinking about when you approached me in the grocery store...and you asked if I was going to stay in the same aisle until you left."

Jenna's eyes widen with surprise as she recalls that moment. She blushes and playfully nudges you, saying, "I can't believe you remembered that!"

"Of course I do," you mumble against her lips, feeling a surge of affection. "I missed you, Jenna." She smiles, her cheeks turning even redder, and pulls you in for another kiss, which grows wilder by the second.

"Bedroom, please...Y/N." Jenna whimpers out, jumping into your arms as you walk toward your bedroom. Jenna's heart is pounding in her chest, but at the same time, her mind is racing. She can't help but wonder what has gotten you this way?

Was it really your first time meeting, or is there something else on your mind? Someone else—maybe she doesn't know.

You undress yourself completely, revealing your naked body to Jenna's eager eyes. Jenna's thoughts continue to swirl. She tries to push aside her doubts and insecurities and focus on you. But deep down, a nagging feeling lingers, leaving her curious about your hidden secrets or unspoken desires.

You stand at the edge of the bed while Jenna removes her own clothes in bed, her lip trapped between her teeth as she meets your gaze. You smile, pulling your fiance by her legs to the edge of the bed and lowering yourself to your knees.

As you trail kisses along Jenna's inner thighs, her hunger grows, her breath hitching with each gentle touch. She arches her back, yearning for more, as you tease her with your lips and tongue.

"I missed this...I missed you." You mutter against her core, going back to your effective but gentle techniques. Jenna loses herself in your words and the intoxicating sensations coursing through her body. Her fingers slip into your hair, and her hips move wildly against your mouth.

You place your hands on her hips, holding her down against the bed. Your fiance whines in response, throwing her head back in frustration.

With a smirk, you continue to maintain your firm grip, knowing that it drives her wild. "I'm so close, baby...please." Jenna pleads, her voice barely audible as she gasps for breath.

You keep up the relentless stimulation, teasing her just enough to push her further to the edge. Her body tenses, and with a loud cry, she finally reaches her climax, her hips bucking against your touch.

Whilst her body slowly relaxes, you release your grip, allowing her to catch her breath. Jenna looks up at you with a small smile, her eyes sparkling with post-orgasmic bliss.

You crawl onto the bed, hovering over your fiance with a mischievous smile.

"You're so beautiful, Jen." You whisper, aligning yourself with her core, watching her gasp and arch her back as you enter her. Jenna pulls you down into a kiss, her mind clearing as you reassure her in the best way possible.

"Y/N..." Jenna breathes out, clinging onto your back as you begin to move with gentle, rhythmic thrusts. Her nails dig into your skin, leaving behind small red trails as she desperately holds onto you, almost as if she's scared you'll slip away.

You drop your head on Jenna's shoulder, inhaling her sweet scent as you continue to move inside her. Gosh, she was something else. Her smell—the vanilla smell mingled with a hint of lavender—filled your senses, intoxicating you further. And the way she softly bit your ear before attacking your neck, sent shivers down your spine, making it impossible to resist her.

"Yes...yes! Fuck, right there, Y/N." Jenna mutters in your ear, wrapping her legs around your waist, and pulling you in deeper.

"I thought Ross was supposed to have Luna for longer?" You ask Jenna, referring to the doorbell. Jenna shrugs, placing a kiss on your lips before sitting up from the couch and reaching for her robe.

"It's probably my package, baby. Just go answer it for me, will you?" Jenna says, giving you one last peck.

With a sigh, you walk toward the front door. Jenna stops you. "Don't you think you should put some clothes on first?" she teases, her eyes lingering on your attire—just your boxers and sports bra.

You open up the coat closet nearby, putting on a zip-up hoodie to cover yourself up. Jenna chuckles and playfully swats your arm, reminding you to grab a pair of pants as well. "By the time I do that, they'll be gone!" you mutter. Jenna gives you a look, which you ignore, hurrying up to answer the door.

"Love—hey!" You rush out. You weren't expecting to see love so soon, especially after your kiss. You quickly compose yourself, trying to hide any lingering awkwardness from the kiss.

Love smiles, "Hi, I'm sorry for just...showing up, I just wanted to see if we were okay." You open your mouth before you even know what you're going to say, "Uhh...yeah! I uh, I'm sorry, it's just..." you motion your hands around, feeling flustered and searching for the right words.

"I..." You glance behind you to make sure Jenna isn't eavesdropping on the conversation. "I really enjoyed our....talk. It got a lot of stuff off of my chest and about our k—"

Love's eyes leave yours, moving to something behind you. Love's eyes leave yours, moving to something behind you. Their expression changes, and you turn around to see Jenna standing there, an unreadable expression on her face.

Jenna's unexpected presence interrupts your train of thought, leaving you momentarily speechless. Your fiance glances between the two of you, clearly caught off guard by Love's sudden appearance.

Love quickly recovers, breaking the silence with a forced smile. "Hi! I was just inviting you both to dinner tonight. I thought it would be a great opportunity for us to all get to know each other better." Love says, attempting to regain composure.

Jenna's eyes briefly meet yours before turning back to Love. That sounds like a lovely idea," she says, her voice calm but with a hint of curiosity.

You can't help but wonder what Jenna's true feelings are about Love's unexpected invitation. Fuck. Could she tell something happened between the two of you?

You try to shake off the thought, reminding yourself that it's just your own paranoia. Love gives you a smile before walking off. Perhaps she is genuinely interested in Love's invitation, and there is nothing to worry about.

"We could've just said no," you mutter, closing the door. Jenna hears you, raising an eyebrow. "Why would we do that?" You pause for a moment, walking to Jenna and wrapping your arms around her. "I mean, it's just...unexpected. And we don't really know Love that well. It might be better to play it safe, you know?"

Jenna stares into your eyes, her expression softening. "You're so cute," she says, planting a gentle kiss on your nose. You furrow your eyebrows, confused by the compliment and how she completely dodged your concern.

"It's so great to finally meet you." Joe smiles, extending his hand for a handshake. You shake his hand, "Likewise, Joe. It's nice to have some...normal neighbors." You chuckle nervously, hoping that your comment about normalcy didn't come off as rude.

Joe chuckles. "Well, thank you. I'm glad I didn't get grouped in with Sherry and Cary." You let out a small laugh, relieved that Joe understood your attempt at humor. "Oh, I've heard some interesting stories about them. They definitely bring some excitement to the neighborhood."

Love pulls away from her hug with Jenna, leading you both to the dining room, a bright and inviting space with a large wooden table. As you take a seat, Love gestures towards the beautifully set table and says, "I hope you're hungry! I've prepared a special homemade meal just for the occasion."

"Thank you so much, Love. Everything looks and smells amazing," you say sincerely, feeling grateful for her hospitality.

Love smiles warmly at you, and Jenna takes notice of this, her eyes boring into Love's skull. Jenna's gaze lingers on Love for a moment before she blinks, putting on a fake smile as she starts a conversation with Joe.

"Shit, I forgot the drinks, I'll be right back." You get up from your seat and say, "I can help." Love quickly interjects, "No need to worry, I'll take care of it." You wave her off, "It's okay! I don't mind helping out."

You follow Love to the kitchen, fixing your dress shirt and straightening your tie as you go. Love glances at you with a grateful smile, appreciating your willingness to assist.

"I'm sorry, Love." You apologize sincerely, referring to your shared kiss that shouldn't have happened between two married individuals. Love's smile fades slightly as she looks down at the ground, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. "No need to apologize," she says softly, avoiding eye contact.

"No, really. I shouldn't have done that." You continue, walking closer to the blue-eyed woman. Love's gaze remains fixed on the ground, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was a moment of weakness for both of us," she admits, her words tinged with regret.

"At least...I know that it was for you." Love adds, her voice trailing off as she finally meets your gaze. "Because...one second you're complaining about not being happy, but you seemed pretty happy this morning after."

"What?"

"The fucking hickeys, Y/N. You opening the door in your boxers? Could you be any more fucking obvious?" You look away, your cheeks turning a shade of pink.

"Love..." you stammer, struggling to find the right words. "You're married...I'm married...we couldn't...I couldn't..." Love shakes her head, a sad smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"I guess I'm blind for thinking that kiss meant anything. It's just finally talking about it that I started imagining what if...you know? Like, with him... the first time I saw him, I wanted to get to know everything about him. And I felt that again, but with you. I wanted to explore a connection that I hadn't felt in a long time. It's stupid..."

Love's eyes glisten with unshed tears as she takes a step back, creating a distance between you two. "I don't even know why I'm acting like this. We should get back." She quickly wipes her eyes, handing you two glasses and picking up the rest before walking back toward the dining room.

"Hey, you're back! I missed you," Jenna exclaims as she sees Love and you return to the dining room. She gives you both a warm smile, unaware of the emotional moment that just took place.

You send Jenna a smile, sitting back down beside her. Love joins the table, her eyes still slightly red but her smile genuine. "Jenna was just telling me about how she cooks too," Joe tells his wife, his eyes glancing between her and Jenna.

But Jenna doesn't pay any mind to the man; her eyes are staring into yours. She leans in closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "What took you so long?" Anyone else would've missed her accusatory tone.

"We were just talking about our favorite recipes," you reply, trying to deflect the question. Jenna's eyes narrow slightly, but she doesn't press further. Instead, she smiles at Joe, nodding. "Yes! I love trying out new recipes. I'm more of a cook than a baker, though; I'm really good at using knives and stuff."

That surely meant something else, you think.

Love chuckles nervously, clearly uncomfortable with the mention of knives. "Oh, uh, I'm more of a baker...as you know already." Jenna's smile widens. "Well, I also bake too! Don't mind getting my hands dirty." Joe's eyes widen slightly, sensing a hidden meaning behind Jenna's words.

Joe clears his throat. "Let's get eating, shall we?"

You're now home in your bedroom; the rest of dinner went well for the most part. You begin taking off your button shirt while Jenna removes her makeup in your shared bathroom.

"I think you should stop talking to Love." Jenna blurts out, catching you off guard. You pause, unsure of how to respond. "What do you mean?" you ask, continuing to unbutton your shirt.

Jenna turns around to face you, her expression serious. "Is there a problem with that?" Jenna's words hang in the air, causing a knot of unease to form in your stomach.

"I don't see why there would be a problem," you say cautiously, "but can you explain why you feel that way?"

Jenna takes a deep breath before speaking. "Why can't you just do this one thing for me without asking so many questions?" Her tone is tinged with frustration, and you take this as a sign to drop it. With a hum and nod, you agree, throwing your shirt somewhere in the room and sitting down on your bed.

Jenna leaves the bathroom, walking towards you with a small smile. "Thank you, baby." You smile back at Jenna, and she begins undoing her robe.

She lets the silky fabric slip off her shoulders; you can't help but admire the way it accentuates her curves. Jenna parts your legs, standing in between them, and without a second thought, your hands move to explore, caressing her soft skin.

Jenna leans in, her lips brushing against your earlobe as she whispers, "You know, sometimes I just need a little space to breathe." You close your eyes, feeling the warmth of her breath against your skin. Taking a deep breath and gently pulling her closer, you respond, "I think you just wanna show off."

She smiles, leaning back to look into your eyes. Her gaze is filled with a mix of playfulness and affection as she replies, "Maybe I do enjoy being the center of attention sometimes."

You open your eyes again, only to look out of your window and see your neighbor looking in your direction. You quickly let go of Jenna and rush toward your window, shutting the curtains.

"I can't believe he was spying on us," you mutter. Jenna chuckles softly and pulls you into a reassuring embrace, reminding you that it's just a harmless moment and not worth worrying about.

"Yeah, but that's weird. He's married with a son, and we literally just met him for dinner." Jenna places a kiss on your lips, "I'm all yours; no need to get worked up, my love."

You take a deep breath, trying to calm your racing thoughts. Despite Jenna's reassurance, you can't help but feel a twinge of unease about your neighbor's behavior. Maybe it's best to keep a closer eye on him in the future, just to be safe.

It's late, really late. Luna is back home, but thankfully she's asleep. You've been up waiting for Jenna since she left in the afternoon, but it's already well past midnight.

You open up your phone to try to ring Jenna's phone again, but these past few hours have been filled with unanswered calls and messages. Your mind starts to wander, imagining all sorts of worst-case scenarios. Maybe she got into an accident or lost her phone. You don't fucking know, but you're scared.

On cue, your fiance makes it through the door with messy hair and a tired expression on her face. She apologizes for being late, explaining that she lost track of time while catching up with Joe, your creepy, stalky neighbor.

You get up from the couch with an angry expression on your face. "Why's your hair all messy?" You demand, frustration evident in your voice. She begins to explain, "I put my head out the window after I finished my burger—a very good vegan burger, by the way. Why are burgers so tasty?" she asks, trying to lighten the mood.

You can't help but feel a pang of jealousy towards Joe, wondering why she would spend so much time with him, especially after she knows how you feel about him. Going on late-night burger runs and sharing inside jokes with him. It's hard not to feel like you're being replaced, and her nonchalant attitude only adds to your frustration.

"I have to stop hanging out with my friends, but you get to go on all-day dates with Joe?" You sarcastically question, furrowing your eyebrows.

Jenna shakes her head, "Please. Not tonight." You feel yourself getting angrier by the second, your voice rising as you continue, "Do you see the way he looks at you? We literally caught him staring at you through his window?"

Jenna clenches her jaw, her eyes narrowing with annoyance and anger. "Why do you even care? It's not like you love me anymore." You pause, taken aback by Jenna's words. "What? Jenna, that's not true. I do love you."

Jenna lets out a fake laugh, rolling her eyes. "You know...you might think you're protecting my feelings, but it hurts ten times harder when you lie."

"I'm not an idiot, Y/N. I know you fucking kissed her that night." You feel a lump form in your throat as Jenna's accusation hangs in the air. Your mind races, searching for the right words to defend yourself. "Jenna..."

Jenna laughs, a bitter sound that cuts through the tension. "So sorry if I like spending time with someone who actually might be interested in me!" Her voice cracks, betraying herself.

"You're not being fair, Jenna! You can't blame me for being confused! You don't get to be conflicted! I'm...fucking lost! I don't know if I love you, there! I said it! I don't know if what we have is genuine because my soon-to-be wife fucking stalked me for years and killed anyone I tried to get close to. I've been living in fear, constantly looking over my shoulder." You yell, the veins in your neck coming out as you release your pent-up anger.

"I'm so fucking scared of you, Jenna. I don't know if you're going to hurt me...for not being 100% into you all the time, hurt someone for attempting to get close to me, or...hurt our daughter. So excuse me for even trying to find a safe haven."

Your words hang heavy in the air as you struggle to catch your breath. Jenna is at a loss for words, unsure what to say or how to respond to your raw and honest outburst. You watch her lips tremble slightly as she tries to form a response, but no words escape.

"...Fuck you, Y/N." She finally replies, pushing past you to leave the room.

"Y/N, hey!" You turn around to see Joe. You put on a fake smile; you're pissed off at this guy, and not only that, but he's interrupting your walk to clear your mind.

"Hey Joe, what's up?" you respond, trying to maintain your composure despite your frustration.

"I just wanted to see if you were doing okay." Joe's concern catches you off guard, and you can't help but soften your expression slightly. "Thanks; I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Joe hesitates for a moment before answering, "Well, Jenna told me earlier that you two were planning on calling off the engagement."

Your heart skips a beat at Joe's words. Why the hell would she want to call off the engagement and not you? "Jenna must have misunderstood," you say, trying to hide your unease.

"We're not calling off the engagement. Everything is fine between us." Joe looks relieved but still seems skeptical. "Are you sure? Jenna seemed pretty convinced. Maybe you should talk to her and clear things up."

Yes, of course. You'll talk to your fiancé. You nod, turning back around to continue walking. "Oh, and Y/N," Joe calls out as you start to walk away, causing you to turn back around.

You feel something heavy hit your head, and your world turns black as you collapse to the ground.

When you regain consciousness, you find yourself in the same situation you were in years ago. Except this time, Jenna isn't present, but Joe, your neighbor, is.

"Fuck...not this shit again." You mutter, using the class cage to help lift yourself from the ground.

Joe tilts his head, confused. "Again. You're telling me you've been put in this situation before?" You touch your head, looking for any signs of injury. "Yeah," you reply, wincing at the pain. "I already know not to freak out and bang against the glass this time."

"Jenna must really like you," Joe says, raising an eyebrow. "She's the one who put you in something like this, right?" You nod, frustration evident on your face.

"I guess she learned from my old tricks." You chuckle bitterly, asking. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Joe smirks, standing up from his chair. "Well, let's just say Jenna isn't the first person to trap someone inside of a glass box; neither was I, but I think...I might've been the one to inspire her."

You raise an eyebrow, intrigued by Joe's cryptic statement. "What do you mean?" you inquire, wanting to know more about the origins of this bizarre, fucked-up situation.

Joe's smirk widens as he walks towards the glass box. "I guess you can say I was Jenna's first love, her muse, the one who possibly ignited her twisted creativity."

"I knew Jenna before everything." Joe continues, "I'd become a bit obsessed with her; she was the first person I loved after my ex-girlfriend broke my heart. Jenna had this magnetic energy that drew me in, and I couldn't help but be captivated by her. One day, she told me she was leaving New York to move to California, and I...snapped. I became possessive, desperate to keep her close to me. I put her inside the glass box my...mentor built so she wouldn't leave before I got the chance to talk to her about it."

You chuckle bitterly, not even surprised by the situation. After Jenna, you've become used to the fucked-up shit people can do. But Joe, he just seemed 10x worse. He practically made Jenna look like an angel."You guys are some truly fucked up people, man, I swear."

"Can you not? I'm pouring my heart out here." Joe sarcastically jokes, rolling his eyes. "But yeah, I guess you could say I went a little crazy. I just couldn't bear the thought of her leaving without giving me a chance to explain how much she meant to me. And seeing her again after all those years only intensified those feelings. I knew I had to do something, even if it meant risking everything."

You fake yawn, "So...you did all of this because, supposedly, my fiance is "the one who got away" for you?" Joe smiles, "Ding, ding, ding!"

"And what about Love? Your wife?" Joe's smile fades slightly as he looks down at his hands. "Love... Love and I—we've been drifting apart for a while now. We've tried to make it work, but sometimes people just grow in different directions. And I'm sure Jenna's dealing with her right now...for you."

Your ears perk up. "Dealing with her? What do you mean dealing with her for me?"

Joe looks up. "Killing her."

Your eyes widen in shock as you process Joe's words. "Wait, you can't be serious. Killing her? What about Henry?!"

Joe's expression turns grave as he responds, "I know it sounds extreme, but Love and I have exhausted all other options. We've tried therapy, communication, everything. Henry will be fine; I've already planned that out."

Joe's words send a chill down your spine. "Are you serious, this is fucking insane? You have to stop, Jenna! Joe, Love was your wife, and I know at one point you loved her. You can't let Jenna go through with this. There has to be another way to go about whatever the fuck you're doing, for Henry's sake and for your own sanity."

Joe walks away, not even bothering to acknowledge your plea. "Joe!" You shout, banging on the glass, desperate to get through to him. But he continues to walk away, his footsteps fading into the distance.

The door opens again, and you rise from the ground, rushing to the glass. But it's not Joe who appears; it's Jenna. "Jenna? Jenna, what happened?"

Jenna looks at you with tears in her eyes, her palm resting against the glass. "I love you, Y/N. I love our daughter, and I love our life together. But I just want to know if you love it too, and please, just be honest with me."

You feel a knot forming in your stomach as Jenna's words sink in. Her vulnerability and plea for honesty leave you speechless for a moment.

You realize that your answer will shape the future of your relationship and maybe even your life.

"I love you too, Jen. I swear. I—I won't let anything come between us again. Our life together means everything to me, and I can't imagine a future without you and our daughter. I promise to always be honest with you, no matter what."

Jenna's tears begin to subside as a sense of relief washes over her face. She takes a deep breath and reaches into her pocket, pulling out a silver key. With trembling hands, she opens the glass cage, and you fall into her arm, your own eyes filling with tears.

Jenna holds you tightly, whispering words of love and forgiveness. In that moment, you realize that your relationship has been given a second chance, and you vow to never take it for granted again.

"I couldn't do it. I thought about it. Fuck, Y/N. I was about to hurt Love and take Henry's mother away from him forever. But I thought about how I could never forgive myself, not even a little." Jenna's voice trembles with emotion as she continues, "I want to break free from that fucked-up pattern and create a better future for all of us."

You nod, pressing a kiss to Jenna's forehead. "I believe in us, Jenna," you say softly.

"Let's go, Y/N." You nod again, rushing out of the room together, determined to leave the past behind and start fresh. You make it to your car, Luna in her carseat carrier, ready for the journey ahead. Jenna starts the engine, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Your fiance speeds out of Marde Linda, and you turn to see smoke billowing from the town behind you, along with the sounds of sirens blaring in the distance.

"Where are we going?" You mutter to Jenna. She glances at you, placing a hand on your lap.

"We're going anywhere but here," she replies, her voice steady. "...I was thinking London. I've always wanted to live in England." The thought of starting a new life in London fills you with excitement and hope, causing you to smile regardless of the circumstance you had just escaped from.

Together, you embark on a new chapter, ready to rewrite your story and create a better life for yourselves and Luna in England.

#tonyspank #jenna ortega x reader #reader insert #jenna ortega #wattpad #jenna marie ortega #jenna ortega x y/n #jenna ortega x you #you netflix #joe goldberg #love quinn #love quinn x reader #jenna ortega smut #jenna ortega imagine #jenna ortega angst #jenna ortega fluff #she

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non-stop-imagines · 10 months

Text

Valentine

Pairing: Lando Norris x Hamilton!Reader

Summary: In which Lando falls hard and you don't know what to do.

Word Count: ~7.2k words and a lot of smau

Warning: Twitter environment, mentions of an unnamed horrible ex-boyfriend, a little angsty if you squint, crying, proposal, Lewis being the cool older brother

A/N: I did not expect this to be so long. It didn't feel like it was when I was writing it but I guess it got carried away. This was a lot of work to write but I think I caught the vibe of the song. Sorry about any terrible editing I fell asleep multiple times while reading through it because work has been kicking my butt a little, but we Gucci 😎. Anyway, hope you all enjoy! Also I have been LOVING the interaction I keep getting from you all keep it coming! I love talking to people that share my indulgent interests. Love you all!!💖💛💖💛💖

A/N 2: All of the pictures used for the smau portions are all from pinterest and are not my own product.

Masterlist

________

ynhamilton

Liked by georgerussell and 200,289 others

ynhamilton It's Home Race weekend for this bundle of joy 😘 (Not very happy I'm being FORCED to attend)

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dahamiltons Yn's first post in half a year and it's basically saying that her brother is holding her hostage at Silverstone...we love sibling relationships

lewishamilton Shut up, you still get to look at the cars

>ynhamilton That is the ONLY reason I'm going

Silverstone, British GP, Media Day

"I don't know why you insisted that I come today. Media days are so boring." You grumble, scrolling on your phone. You look up briefly to look out the window, watching the green roll by and getting a glimpse of the clouds rolling in.

"Can't the fact that I love my sister and want to spend time with her while we're in the same country be enough of an explanation?" Lewis side hugs you from the adjacent seat and presses a long kiss to your hairline.

"I wish it was. I gotta prepare for the next term." You whine as you try and duck from your brother's hands messing with your hair.

"You just started your Summer holiday. Give Oxford sometime to miss you." He starts to reach over to pluck your phone from your hands but you slap them away, giving him a threatening look once he pulls back.

"I will not hesitate to push you out of this car." You were an expert at making your threats to your sibling sound real, but Lewis was used to it, so all he did was chuckle and settle back into his seat.

"Always so damn mean." You smile a bit when he reaches over again to poke at your cheek, the response Lewis desired in order to truly stop messing with you. In all actuality, he has been worried about you for nearly the past year, after a bad break up you had with your boyfriend of 2, almost 3, years. It was a teenage romance ruined by the dangers of long-distance and 20-year-old-guy-in-university stupidity. You seemed lost for quite awhile and with being away most of the time, Lewis felt helpless when it came to making you feel better. Lucky for him school has kept you busy, but now that seems to be biting him in the butt.

The rest of the ride to track was mostly quiet in terms of conversation, sans the occasional random thought, but quiet music streamed through the car speakers to fill the sound void.

It's been quite a while, years actually, since you've last been to a race with your brother, so you had to get over the initial shock of cameras, voices shouting, and pens being shoved in your general vicinity, all while keeping up with the quick pace of Lewis' stride. The crowd thinned out somewhat the closer you got to the Mercedes motorhome, and you were able to handle the level of attention you and your brother were receiving. Enough to be able to smile at and briefly greet fans that come near you guys. What you weren't aware of in doing so was that these actions would catch someone's eye from across the paddock.

_________

He didn't hear the question. Every word spoken to him was muted when he saw you smile from across the crowded paddock. He'll never know what told him to look up and into the crowd of people surrounding you and Lewis. How did you know Lewis? Were you his girlfriend? No, that can't be it, that wasn't the vibe between you two as you walked into the Mercedes motorhome, this action clicking him back to reality, having to ask the fan on the Awabot to repeat their question.

You were on his mind all day, and he's only seen you once. Your wild hair, fluffy and surrounding your head like a cloud. Your mysterious eyes smiling at the people around you. Your lips. Beautiful, full, glossed lips that he was completely unable to pull his gaze from, turned up in an inviting grin and showing unadulterated joy greeting those around you. He was prepared for this to be his only sighting of you for the rest of his life, but then he saw you leaving. Again, in tow of Lewis. Who were you?

Silverstone, British GP, Practice Day 1

"Okay, so what do you expect me to do while you're out driving? Dad's not coming out until tomorrow, so I'll just be alone." There was that scowl back on your face as you complained to your brother while you guys waited for someone to signal that you could open the door.

"You won't be alone. You'll be in the garage. You'll probably be too interested in the mechanical stuff to notice I'm gone. And if you do, just harass Mick." It's finally signaled the you guys can exit the car, and you do to more flashes, more memorabilia, and this time more "oooh's" and "ahh's" to Lewis' outfit. You guys make it over to the Mercedes motorhome at a brisk pace, you smiling and waving while Lewis starts trying to get in his zone. This time, though was different than yesterday, because before entering the motorhome, you met eyes with someone from across the paddock, eyes that smiled at you, to which you responded with your own smiling eyes before going inside.

__________

"Hey, Lando!" Lando looked up from his phone to Lewis' voice coming from no distinct direction, so it took him a moment to locate him. Once he did, though, he didn't know if his heart stopped or sped up as he felt his chest tighten and his body run cold. There you were, following awkwardly behind the driver, the goddess from across the paddock, the one who smiled at him today, nearly scrambling his brain. You were finally here, in front of him.

"Hey, what's up?" He tried to play it cool, grinning at you as if he just noticed your presence. He urged his eyes to stay focused on Lewis, but couldn't stop himself from taking small glances at you, focusing on something different every time. Of course your eyes, which he now sees are a dark chocolatey brown. Your lips, which he knew were glossed but now he can see that the gloss was tinted pink and shimmered in the late day sunlight. Your hair, which was pulled back in a low puff today instead of out and reaching toward the sky. Something less obvious that caught his eye was your clothing, more specifically the plainess, the baggy Ayrton Senna shirt and equally baggy khaki pants. It was your shoes that turned it around though, custom Nike Air Forces the color of the Brazilian flag, matching the design on your white shirt.

"That McLaren looked fast today, man" They share a basic universal handshake as Lando turns his attention back to Lewis, smiling at him.

"Thanks, but you know, I'm only driving it." They both politely chuckle, then one last cut of Lando's eyes prompts Lewis to finally introduce you to him.

"This is my sister, mate." Lewis says with a laughing smile and a thumb pointed toward you.

"Sister?" Lando was genuinely shocked. He has been watching Lewis since he was a kid, how did he not know Lewis had a sister?

"It's okay. It's not like I go around expecting people to know who I am." You wave off his question and hold out your hand. "Yn"

"Pretty name." Once the words were out his mouth he wished that talking was like texting or emailing where you're able to read what you're going to say over and over before sending it. It must have been hearing your voice for the first time, the smooth tone music to his ears, mushing his brain and letting anything come out his mouth. Luckily this was mild, he could have said the other thing he was thinking which was "Let's get married and have kids and live happily ever after on a farm somewhere."

"Thank you. And Lewis was right, you really did do well today, compared to the start of the season." You flash a pitying smile, holding prolonged silent eye contact with him until you all heard Lewis' phone chime.

"I have to head back to the motorhome real quick. Just stay right here. I'll be right back." Lewis motions his hand toward you in a "Stop" manner.

"I'm not Roscoe. You can go." You tip your head in the direction Lewis needed to go, your scowl-like neutral face on again. Lewis just jokingly winces under your gaze, looks at both of you once more before jogging off.

"I'll be right back." You both watched as he moved off in the needed direction, then turned back to each other once he was out of sight.

_______

"So…" You weren't going to lie, you were simultaneously glad that Lewis had to go and urging your brother to stay put as you watched him jog off. So this singular word from Lando's mouth made you jump a bit as you came back to the present, in front of this boy that gives off a vibe you've never truly felt before. "Uhm…are you gonna be here tomorrow? For qualifying?" You guys were standing in front of the railing at the corner of the F1 Paddock building, so Lando guides you, as he speaks, further into the alley between the building and a the adjacent motorhome of which you did not pay attention to the team, positioning you guys so you were able to lean on the buildings.

"Yeah. I'll actually want to be there tomorrow. These past couple of days have been a bit boring for me as a guest." You reach down and lift up the pass around your neck. "This was redemption for today. This garage pass."

"Yeah?" It was hard not to smile with Lando, especially with the way his eyes focused so intently on you as you spoke, like he was trying to communicate something telepathically that you can't seem to pick up on.

"Yeah. What happens in the garage is the interesting stuff in my opinion." Your the only one that lets out a laugh, but you could see the amusement in Lando's face as he watches you, eyes not leaving you. "But you know, the driving is cool too."

"Funny." His voice held the laughter that was hidden before. He shifts on his feet and ran a hand through his hair, the action sort of like bird grooming themself, frantic but still majestic in your eye. "So you didn't enjoy the past two days?"

"Not exactly that I didn't enjoy it. I just had nothing to do, no one to talk to. Which gives my brain too much time to dwell on some of the things that have happened recently." You were picking stray debris from under your nail and moving your foot to feel the crunch of small rocks under your foot. There was something nagging in your brain, willing you to explain what was bothering you, and at some point that will got the best of you. "Do you mind if I vent a little?"

"Not at all." Lando's face turned into one of concern, you could see that clearly. But what made this seem different, or rather all too familiar, was that the concern he showed was similar to that of Lewis’ concern towards you when you get too quiet, how his eyes squint, eyebrows scrunch and lips purposefully pull back in a neutral frown.

“I had a pretty bad break up, just about a year ago,” You look down at your shoes, examining them for nothing. “I was not in a good place mentally. He cheated on me and admitted to me that he used me to go to races. He told me that to my face after I found him with another girl.” You pause for a moment, smiling at the ridiculousness of your next statement. "I study mechanical engineering at Oxford, and when I told him I wanted to do that and go into, like, car development for Formula 1, he said I should 'leave the car thing to my brother.'" You now lean your head back onto the building behind you. “But to some extent it was my fault too. He was so mean to me throughout that entire relationship. He was always somehow hesitant and gung-ho about letting people know I was his girlfriend. He wouldn’t really be affectionate, to the point where I convinced myself that I didn’t want it anyway. And this was early in us dating as well, so I should have saw the signs before it got to the point it did.”

“Don’t blame yourself for that guy’s stupidity. How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?” He had a hand placed on his hip as he waited for your response. You did not expect such emotion from a practical stranger as you talked about this. Even from people you considered your friend, they would criticize you. Why you stayed so long. Why you let him treat you like that.

"21." You look up into his intense questioning stare.

"And how long were you with this guy?" Lando's eyebrow raises a bit and you dip your head again, ready for ridicule.

"Nearly 3 years. It was about to be 3 years." You were back to messing with your fingers.

"I am so sorry that you had to deal with an immature fucking teenager, for that long." That response was… different. Definitely no what you were expecting.

"Yeah, but I was young and thought that this boy liked me. Like, actually liked me. I was very wrong." You look back up at Lando, now comfortable to make eye contact again after receiving some bit of empathy for your situation. His facial expression was different now, more care, with a hint of what you felt was longing, but you didn't want to assume.

"Well, his loss." The look shared between the two of you was soft, understanding and interrupted by your brother's voice.

"Alright right, crisis averted. Let's go." When he reaches the two of you he puts his arm around your shoulders, picking at curly pieces of hair that seemed to have escaped your puff.

"Was there really a crisis or are you being dramatic again?" You look toward Lewis, swatting his hand away from your hair.

"Quiet, you." He bumps you with his elbow and then tips his head toward the Paddock entrance where there was a car waiting for you two.

"Well, I hope I get to see you tomorrow." Lando flashes a smile at you, finally giving you a visual of the small gap in his teeth.

"Why don't I just give you my number? So we can make sure we see each other." You say this so nonchalantly that it caused Lando's eyes to noticeably widen.

"Uh, o-okay." So numbers were exchanged, goodbyes were said and in a moment's time you and Lewis were in the back of the car leaving the paddock.

"So what did you think of Lando?" Lewis asks you this without looking at you, instead focusing on something on his phone, which clued you in on an alternative motive to his question that you couldn't really place.

"He was cool. I mean, I guess his vibe was okay enough for me to vent about…'He who will not be named'." You volley his nonchalant loaded question with an even better nonchalant loaded answer as you go to type something on your phone.

"Really?" You hum and nod in reply, inadvertently ending the conversation between you two.

__________

You grab your large tote bag filled with essentials for a day on a boat and prepare to board, but receive a tap on the shoulder before you do.

"Lando's here." Lewis drapes his arm over your shoulders and tilts his head in the direction of the beginning of the dock where, as he said, Lando was greeting people.

"Yeah, I know." You give a brief smile to your brother then continue to check that you had everything in your tote.

"Why is he…?" You don't look at him, you just finish checking and shimmy your way out of Lewis' grip.

"I asked him." You finally look up at your brother, face oblivious to anything Lewis tried to imply with his face. "If you get to bring friends I get to bring a friend." You give him a wide smile before heading towards Lando, greeting him enthusiastically then being pulled in a tight hug. Your back was to Lewis, so he was able to see the subtle way Lando brought his face close to your hair and took a cleansing breath, as if your presence was the oxygen he needed to breathe.

"Sure, friends." The words were quiet to himself, and stayed still for a second longer to watch the hug and you two began to talk about something that held both of your attentions and made you both laugh.

_________

It was getting to sunset as you and Lando rested on a portion of the boat with a perfect view of the sky. Lando was sitting up, leaning his back against the hull of the boat that protruded upwards, trying to regulate his breathing as you laid across his lap, you trying desperately not to stare at him. The day had been full of laughing, playing in the water, eating, deep talks, all the ingredients to make a good summer vacation and now you two were here, an assumption of unrequited love between you two, as the sun fell.

"Thanks for coming. I know I said it before but, you are the first 'friend' I've had in a while. At least the first friend I'm willing to hang out with outside of an academic setting. So, yeah, I really appreciate it." You were laying on your side with your head resting on Lando's thighs, but after your heartfelt expression of gratitude, you turned yourself so you were looking up into his face. A beautiful face that was looking back at you, illuminated by the dusk light, bright blue eyes smiling with his lips that were turned in an admiring grin.

"Thank you for inviting me." Lando had to take a moment. If he thought you were beautiful in broad daylight, seeing the light of the setting sun highlight the undertones of your brown skin, making your brown eyes shine along with your freshly glossed lips that he had the pleasure of watching you do, was the greatest gift ever given to him. "I really needed a day on a boat." He had to come back with a witty quip as to not give away how intensely he was observing you.

"The truth comes out. You used me for a bougie boat day." You dramatically lift the back of your left hand to your forehead, eyes closed so you don't see Lando's smile get infinitely brighter.

"Yeah, sorry. It just had to happen, you know? What is a Formula 1 summer break without being on a boat at some point?" Lando shrugs and looks out into the vastness of the water among you guys.

"You've got a point there." You cross your arms again, and look out toward the water as well, giving Lando a window to look back down at you.

Silence settles among you two, the sound of moving water and laughter from the group behind you two surrounding you both in a comfortable cocoon. On the outside at least. You both were trying hard to focus on the calming noises of the summer evening around you, trying to relax in the scent of the water and each other, but it was precisely each other's scent that was making you both panic.

For you, it was the closeness. You wished Lando was laying next to you, hugging you close. You promptly stuffed those feelings deep down because the last time you longed for that, the asshole cheated, and that's the last thing you wanted from Lando.

For Lando, it was the great desire to tell you how undeniably beautiful you looked. How beautiful you look all the time. How special he felt whenever looked at him. How he wanted to have you to himself for the rest of his life. He wanted say all this and so much more, but instead he interrupts the silence with this:

"Have you thought about dating again?" He doesn't look at you. He can't. His body froze the moment the words dropped from his mouth and he knew that he wouldn't be able to move until you answered.

"Surprisingly, I have recently. I actually had someone ask me out on a date last week. He's in one of my lectures." Your voice was spritely and nonchalant, truthfully answering the question posed to you.

"Don't go." Lando's answer was frantic and abrupt, causing you to tear your eyes from the water and look up at him.

"What?" You don't lift your head initially, thinking you might have heard him wrong.

"Don't go on that date. I doubt they're even good enough for you." He can't seem to bring himself to look at you, because he wanted to go through with this and looking at you will only make him chicken out. You left your head from Lando's lap and prop yourself up so you had your back to the water and was trying to get a glimpse of Lando's eyes.

"And who, might I ask, is?" There was a hint of frustration in your voice and the way you scrunched your eyebrows.

"Me! I am, okay!? I don't want you to go anywhere or do anything with another guy because I want you with me." You don't answer, but you allow your look to soften as you wait for Lando to finish. "Yn, I think about you nearly every minute of every day, and talk about nearly as much. I don't know how else to say it but, you are probably the most amazing person I have ever met. And I know this is probably a lot on you emotionally, which is the last thing I wanted, but I had to let you know how I felt in hopes that you felt the same way." He pauses and hesitantly looks to his side to gauge the look on your face, which was not a positive look in his opinion. You had brought your eyebrows together, in a much more subtle way than when you were mad or frustrated, but enough for Lando to notice. A braid had fallen from the bun you created midway through the day, hanging in front of your left eye as your gaze examined Lando's face. And your lips, those lips he's long wished he could kiss, pursed in a cautious pucker that was cocked to the side. He continues. "I'll be alright if you do not feel the same way. I just want to at least stay friends, because I care about you. A lot. And all I truly want is to be there whenever you need me…" You unknit your eyebrows and decrease the pucker of your lips, softening the look on your face which allows his heart rate to slow. "I feel like I strayed a bit from where I was trying to go with th-"

"Okay." Your answer was quick. You held intense eye contact with Lando, as if looking away would dampen the magnitude of the major step you just took.

"What?" It was almost comical the face Lando made. Eyes wide with shock and confusion, hair fluffed up from him nervously running his hands through his hair, his whole demeanor childish in contrast to the facial hair sprinkled on his chin.

"Okay, I'll be with you, or go on a date… whatever it is you're asking." When you didn't receive an answer you just continued, similar to how Lando had. "You're right, this is a lot for me emotionally, feeling so strongly for you. I have tried to pass it off as a friendly affection I had towards you, but over the past, what, like month, I realized that I was attracted to you. And not just superficially, I was attracted to the care you showed me, your ability to make me laugh and help me fall in love with me again. But from my side of it, I thought you were only being nice as a friend, so knowing this is a load off of my mind… to an extent." You shift and scoot yourself around so you are sitting shoulder to shoulder with Lando.

"An extent?" Lando looks over to you and you look back out into the water.

"My ex was pretty good at love bombing me in the beginning." You were nonchalant in your answer, as it was something you've had to work to get yourself to realize. The loss of affection you experienced in your last relationship was abnormal but inevitable.

"Oh. Well, I promise this is not that, really." You look over at him again, seeing a certain sincerity you don't think you've ever seen in any other guy not directly related to you.

"Okay." That silence settles between you two again, this time while you were looking at one another, eyes flickering to each others lips.

"Can I kiss you?" Lando's eyes were on your lips while he spoke, ready to pounce once he received confirmation.

"I thought you'd never ask." You smile then lean in, lips finally connecting. Lando's hand settled on your hip, trying to pull you in closer, getting a strong urge to wrap you in his arms and never let you go, but instead he keeps the hand on your hip. You hand were on the sides of Lando's face, loving the feel of his stubble under your thumbs, smiling into the soft kiss you two were sharing. For the first time in a very long time, you felt comfortable in a kiss. Felt the love and care that was supposed to come with a kiss, not the feeling of what seemed like contractual obligation that you've experienced in the past. It was…nice.

lando.jpg

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lando.jpg School Daze 🏫

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ynhamilton Why did you take a picture of me studying?

>lando.jpg Because I thought you looked pretty 🤷😘

>ynhamilton Oh...well you look pretty in the last pic 😚

>girls4yn These two are so cute it hurts

lewishamilton How much studying actually happened?

>ynhamilton Mind your business ✋🏿

ynhamilton

Liked by landonorris and 173,890 others

ynhamilton Another day, another podium 🏆 (That champagne pop was freaking hot 🥵)

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landonorris It's all for you baby 😘

>lewishamilton Stop that, both of you

mclaren09 Love that Yn is here to say what we all have been thinking

landoluvsyn LONG LIVE THE CHAMPAGNE POP 🍾🍾🍾

norrisdachamp Look at how happy he is to see Yn, Lando is the standard and we should not settle for less

"Ria, can I have my girlfriend back, please?" You and Ria were practically skipping toward the long folding table with 4 pumpkins and 4 packs of carving tools that were situated in front of the studio cameras.

"Lando, I told you before, she's our girlfriend. You get her all the time, now it's my turn." Ria brings her hand to your head and gently brings it into her shoulder, carefully running her hand down your new braids.

"Don't worry mate, you've got me to keep you company." Max walks over to Lando and drapes his arm over his shoulders.

"No offense, but I have no desire to kiss you, so this could never work." Lando pats his friend's hand in mock consolation, a small smile growing on his face as he watches you interact with Ria. Seeing your energy, knowing that you used to actively avoid making friends. Ever since you two officially started dating, about a month ago, he has been helping you step out your shell, encouraging you to interact with people you've expressed a desire to get know, watching you build healthy friendships in spheres where you were able to be yourself, and he has loved being the subject of you learning how to be in love comfortably. During this small moment of observation and retrospection, Lando didn't realize that, not only had Max released his hold on Lando's shoulders, but everyone was nearly ready to start filming the video, for which he was supposed to do the intro.

"Lando love, you okay?" You were on the other side of the table behind a pumpkin, your question, more accurately the words in your question causing everyone to turn towards you two.

"Yeah, baby. I'm fine." He smiles at you, a contagious smile that crinkles the side of his face and shows the gap in his teeth.

"Then let's get started!" Niran groans from behind his pumpkin that he's sharing with Ethan, followed by collective agreement from everyone else.

"Oh, shut up. All of you." Lando waves off the groans and heads behind the table to start the video. He didn't know if Max knew him that well or if it was by coincidence, but Lando couldn't have been happier that he was going to be able to do the video next to you. As all the people behind the camera finish final checks, Lando turns his head to look at you giving you a soft grin and you reciprocate, taking a deep breath relishing in the moment. You two share a quick peck that causes the rest of Quadrant to groan and jokingly gag. Soon, it was time for Lando to start the video.

"Hello, everyone. Today is your lucky day because we are bringing you a cheeky, little Halloween video." Lando snakes his hand to yours, loosely intertwining his fingers and rubbing your hand with his thumb.

"Quadrant: Halloween Edition" Aarav pipes up followed by various other voices adding to the discord before the intro is put back on track.

"So, with Halloween coming up, we all realized that none of us have carved a pumpkin yet, so that is what we will be doing today but with a slight twist. As you can see we are all paired up. Me and Max, Yn and Ria, Ethan and Niran, and Aarav and Steve. So, for the pumpkin carving, the carver with be blindfolded and the other person will have to direct the carver on where to cut. Each team will be assigned something that they have to carve and the person not blindfolded will be given one minute to draw a quick outline. From there, the teams have 20 minutes to carve. Once time is up, the blindfolded carver will have 1 minute to guess the prompt from what they carved. Teams unable to do so will be subjected to a special punishment that won't be revealed until the end of the video. So, with all that being said," Lando looks towards you one more time and smiles. "Let's get started."

"You're going down, sweetheart." You reciprocate the competitive tone of his words and squeezing his hand before releasing it to get the challenge started.

______________

ynhamilton

Liked by riabish and 182,974 others

ynhamilton Motorsport girlies are the best 🤩😘

lilymhe, riabish, carmenmmundt, and francisca.cgomes tagged

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lilymhe I will get you to come golfing one day

> ynhamilton Not if you don't want to be a witness to property damage

pierregasly @landonorris, tell your girlfriend to stop stealing our girlfriends

> landonorris It's not her fault she's the most awesome amazing person in the who world 🤷

mcmerc I feel like Yn has a special ability as a wag/F1 sibling to have cool relationships not just centered around her boyfriend and I'm glad for her

_________

"Hey, man! Long time no see." Lewis enthusiastically greets Lando, them sharing a handshake that allows them to pull each other into a hug.

"I know. I can't believe the last time I saw you was last night." Lando rests his hands on his hips while the two chuckle at their terrible joke.

"But really, I just wanted to pull you aside to thank you. It's been a while since I've seen Yn so happy." Lewis crosses his arms but holds eye contact, a soft gracious grin on his face.

"It's all Yn. She's…unreal. It's been amazing watching her grow. And not just in our relationship, but making friends and stuff… Look at me getting all sappy." Lando brings his hand to his hair and smiles to himself. Even he gets surprised with how hard and fast he fell for you, but he has been loving every second of it.

"Ten points for that answer." Lewis lets out a loud laugh and brings Lando into a quick side hug. "But nah, man, give yourself some credit. I love my sister but she is tough. Your persistence in this relationship truly shows how much you care about her.”

“I really do. I-I love her. I really love her.” Even Lando is surprised to hear these words leave lips. He never thought that the the first time he ever fully declared his love for you would be to your brother, but it was out and he was happy that it was, and he could see in Lewis’ response that he was just as happy. He made a mental note to tell you tonight.

“Oh, that’s awesome. You just made me the happiest brother ever.” Lewis exaggerates his response, lightening the mood.

“Yeah, yeah.” Lando waves off Lewis with a smile that quickly turns to urgency when he remembers something that he wanted to ask Lewis. “When in Yn’s birthday?” It was a quick blunt question that he knew he would have to supplement with an explanation.

“You’re in love with my sister but you don’t know when her birthday is?” Lewis’ bright smile dims and takes on a hint of confusion.

“Well, I know we talked about it at some point because she knows my birthday, but it must have been one of our earlier dates because back then I was always so nervous, I was probably conscious for like half the date and then the rest of the time trying to actively control my breathing.” Lando’s rambling was amusing to your brother, generating a small breathy chuckle from him. But right as Lewis was preparing to mess with him, them and the two other drivers that were there for the press meeting were called up onto the stage, only leaving enough time for Lewis to truthfully answer the nervous boy.

“February 14th.” Lewis walks up onto the stage leaving Lando to fall for you even more, just because of the day of your birthday.

“Of course it’s Valentine’s Day.” Lando says to himself, shaking his head before heading on stage.

_____________

landonorris

Liked by ynhamilton and 283,156 others

landonorris Happy Birthday to my favorite Valentine (sorry mum) 🎈💘

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ynhamilton Thank you my love 🩷, but I hate to break it to you, Mama Norris is my Valentine 💋🤷🏿‍♀️

adam_norris_pure_electric Just asked your mum, said for Yn, she's okay with being second favorite Valentine ♥️

pieceopiastri I don't know how to explain it, but this like an absolute perfect version of love that they both needed. It feels otherworldly. ✨

__________

You pace around the bedroom of your off-campus apartment, tears threatening to interrupt your attempt to steady your breathing as you go through the motions to facetime your brother, only having to wait two rings for him to answer.

“What’s up?” This made it obvious that Lewis answered your call without looking at his phone, but one sniff from you clued him in to look and see you with teary bloodshot eyes and a runny nose. “Hey, Bug, what’s wrong?”

"I'm panicking." You keep pacing and breathing.

"About what?" Whatever it was that Lewis was doing at the time could wait. You could tell from the shifting behind him that he was moving to a place where he would be able to focus only on you.

"I'm in love with Lando." When you say it, it sounds ridiculous. That's supposed to be a good thing, right?

"I know. You both say it to each other at least 10 times before breakfast." Lewis tried to joke, make you crack a smile, but a staunch frown stays on your face.

"Lew…" You were tired. You didn't need jokes, you needed advice.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Continue." Lewis couldn't help but smile at your frustration. All he saw was his baby sister, little girl, uninhibited hair everywhere, crying because she wasn't allowed to help tune up his kart.

"What I feel for Lando makes what I felt for…he who won't be named…feel like a preschool crush." You giggle at the fact that, even in the midst of a breakdown, you still would not allow your ex's name to leave your mouth. "But that's what's scary, though. I can't even fathom how much more it would hurt if Lando left me." You let out another laugh, this one hollow and hysteric.

"Yn…" Lewis was about to start to console you, but you continue to rant.

"The things I think when I'm with him…they're so sappy. Like we're old married people." You pause and dramatically smack your forehead with an open palm. "MARRIAGE! I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT MARRYING HIM! ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS! Were too young to get married, right!?" Your phone was in your hand, so though Lewis could hear you, all he saw were various moving shots of your bedroom and occasionally your face.

"I see." This small statement from your brother was purely for him to let you know that he was still there and still listening, something you get quite sensitive about when you're mad.

"Lewis, I feel like this love, this feeling, is being wasted on me. Do I really deserve to be loved like this, by someone like Lando, when I don't know what I'm doing half the time?" You finally docked on your bed, lying on your side and situating the phone so Lewis could see your face.

"Okay, first of all, you always deserve love. Never ever question that again." You nod at Lewis' command, letting a small sentimental grin flash on your face briefly. "Now, I do understand your worry. After what you had to go through with your previous relationship, your concerns are valid. But Lando is not him. Lando is so madly in love with you, it's crazy, actually. Especially at, what, just barely a year in, I am being completely serious when I say you do not have to worry about him." This time you couldn't help but smile at your brother's praise and affirmation that what was between you and Lando was nothing to fear. "I also know you, and you tend to be closed off…for good reason sometimes, but this is not a good reason. I'll allow you to keep your barrier, but make it a screen door instead of an iron door that you swallowed the key to, so you can retreat when you feel overwhelmed but you can still talk through it, okay?" Right as Lewis finished talking, Lando's name flashes at the top of the screen.

"Okay. Um, Lando's calling so…" Your voice was meek, exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster you just went through.

"Alright I'll let you go. Remember, screen door" Lewis first points at the camera with a straight face that quickly morphs to his day-brightening, gapped smile. "Love you, Bug."

"Love you too. And...thank you." You kiss at the screen then pick up Lando's call as Lewis hangs up. "Hey, hun bun."

"Hey, baby." Lando's voice was filled with enthusiasm, but he hesitated before he continued. "You okay? You look like you've been crying. Your eyes are red."

"I was stressing out earlier about something, but I was able to talk to Lew about it so I'm feeling much better." You sniff and dab away residual tears that stayed near your eyes with your fingers.

"Okay. As long as you feel better…" Your boyfriend's face was still full of concern, but he kept on to the first thing he wanted to ask you about. "Um, are you still coming out this weekend?"

"Oh, yeah. I am." Lando could sense your tiredness. He smiled though, because he loved he loved how soft you got, opposite from your usual hard self, giving Lando a chance to really take care of you. "I wish I was there now, so I could just cuddle you, smell you, hear your voice in person and not through a freaking phone." Your eyelids begin to droop, but you force them back open.

"Two days left. And then Saturday I won't do anything all day except be your personal talking body pillow." The smile Lando gave you after these simple, silly words made you realize exactly how "worth it" it was to be in love with Lando and to let Lando love you, because you have never received a smile like that until you met him

"That sounds lovely." You pause and check the time. "Okay, I'm gonna go shower, but I'll call you back once I'm done." You stretch and stand from your bed, trying to keep the camera on your face.

"No, go to sleep right after your shower. You were dozing off. I'll call you in the morning, alright?" You nod then admire the face on your phone screen one more time.

"Okay. Love you." Your words were a shock for Lando, only because you did not usually say "Love you" first, but he played it off.

"Love you too. Talk to you tomorrow." He went with a simple grin that you mirrored back to him.

"Okay." You finally give a wave, a small finger wiggling wave and Lando does the same, not exactly the same wave, but a wave that signaled the end of the call, after which you get ready to shower.

ynhamilton

Liked by danielricciardo and 231,277 others

ynhamilton Happy Birthday to my soulmate. Fate really popped of with this one. 💓 (This man's face makes my heartbeat irregular)

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landonorris The universe is valid for bringing you to me♥️ (The woman posting this gives me shortness of breath)

>ynhamilton Hehe, see you tonight love 😘

danorris It is quite literally amazing how Lando looks at Yn-I want everyone to examine each photo and take ample notes

alex_albon Happy Birthday mate 🥳

>landonorris Why are you telling me this on Yn's post

>alex_albon Lily told me to 👉🏻

>lilymhe Rat

lewishamilton

Liked by landonorris and 791,838 others

lewishamilton Thank you for making my sister so happy. Happy birthday. 🎈

landonorris tagged

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landonorris Thank you trusting me with your sister 😊

sennasiempre I'm gonna cry 🥲

bestboylew And my brother left me at a sketchy petrol station for 15 minutes

ynhamilton Thank you, Lewis 💋

> lewishamilton You chose a good one, Bug ♥️

> ynhamilton I know 💞

_________

"This is lovely, Lando." You and Lando were sitting at a beautifully decorated table in the middle of the garden at your father's house, which was where you two were staying for the start of the season's summer break, a much needed break since you have been swamped with your new job in the development division at McLaren. This gesture from your dad was a bit suspicious because, even under the best of normal circumstances, your dad would still be hesitant to let Lando in the door. This time, though, he was more than ecstatic.

"It's nothing, really." Lando's demeanor was an adorable mixture of adoration and anxiousness that you couldn't help but smile at.

"No, really, this is beautiful." You smile even wider at how bright Lando's eyes got.

"Well, I, uh, tried to make it as beautiful as you, but I barely scratched the surface." There was a short beat before you and Lando bursted out laughing.

"That was so cheesy!" You were just barely able to get these words out in the midst of your laughter.

"I know! I know!" Lando's face had run red and his voice an octave higher as he tried to calm his laugh. "I'm running on autopilot. I guess I get sappy when I'm nervous." He messes with his utensils on the table, sniffing and using the back of his hand to wipe the tears that fell while he was laughing.

"Nervous? Why would you be nervous?" You take a well needed sip of water and scrunch your eyebrows slightly as you wait for an answer.

"Oh, well, um… I guess there's no time like the present." Lando clears his throat and takes your hand, a gesture that causes your face to contort with confusion and eyes to frantically look between your guys' hands and Lando’s nervously smiling face. “Yn, meeting you was the closest I felt to physically turning a page in my life. The moment I saw you, I had to talk to you and the moment I talked to you, I was in love, and everything that we have gone through since then has only made me love you more. And I’ve been so proud of you, watching you come out of your shell, working through the hurt from the past, allowing yourself to fall in love again, and it’s been an honor to be the person to receive that love.” Your face doesn’t change but Lando can see tears well up in your eyes. “I love you, and for these past few months, being able to have you around more during the season, has made me realize that…you’re endgame for me. I can’t imagine myself being with anyone but you.”

“Lando…” Your voice squeaks. You knew what was coming, and you were conflicted. A part of you wanted to run, no real destination, just wanting to remove yourself from the situation as quick as possible. Another part of you, a much larger part that completely nullified the desire to run, continues to wait patiently for the question you knew was coming so you could give the answer you both wanted to hear.

“Yn, please marry me. I know we’re young, and the engagement might be a long one, but knowing that, when the time does come, it’s you I’m saying ‘I do’ to, would make me the happiest man in the world.” Tears were now in Lando’s eyes as he finished his speech and awaited your answer. You also feel eyes from behind you and you prepare your words.

“Yes…okay.” Your voice was a mere whisper when you answered, and that whisper was music to his ears.

“Great.” You both start to giggle at nothing in particular, more than likely in shock from the moment prior, but still Lando takes the ring from the blue velvet box that you hadn’t noticed on the table until now and slides it on the proper finger then guides your face with his other hand to his so you guys could share a smiley kiss, abruptly yet joyously interrupted by you’re families, Lewis wrapping his arms around your shoulders and Lando’s dad ruffling his hair, various other family members, everyone except for Lewis and your dad making surprise appearances, had surrounded the small table you two sat at.

What a lovely way to start summer break.

landonorris

Liked by lewishamilton and 791,758 others

landonorris I promise to be yours forever, Valentine 💍

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lewishamilton Welcome to the family (even though your always around now so it literally won't feel any different)

ynhamilton ♥️♥️♥️

> ynhamilton I still expect my Valentine's Day sweets

> landonorris Yes dear 😘

carmenmmundt So happy for you two! You both have so much love for each other and its always so beautiful to see 💕

> ynhamilton Thank you, Carmen ♥️ Keep an eye out for that bridal party invite 👀

riabish Keep making our girl happy Lando 💓

> landonorris I'll make sure she gets her dose of Ria, I promise 😊

#Spotify #black reader #formula 1 #request #f1 imagines #formula 1 x black!reader #f1 x black!reader #lando norris #lando norris imagine #lando norris x black!reader #lando norris x reader #hamilton!reader #lewis hamilton

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soralymystaken · 1 month

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I think a lot about Lloyd and Harumi, solely because they have one of the most unique yet complex relationship dynamics in all of Ninjago, and it’s something I don’t feel like we talk about enough.

So often I see online that their dynamic is overly simplified. I so often see people arguing between them being “true-love” or “friends to lovers to enemies,” but stating it’s just one of those is overlooking all of the complexities. Even stating it as a one-sided thing from Lloyd isn’t looking at the whole picture. Of course, there can be many interpretations of how they interact. Again, that’s the reason I adore this dynamic so much. This, however, is my personal interpretation:

Also, warning, spoilers plus some swearing.

At the beginning, we see Lloyd have the whole “love-at-first-sight” trope, and we learn that Harumi invited him into the castle. While, of course this immediately is seemed as a positive interaction, later events reveal otherwise. It continues like this: Lloyd falls deeper in love with Harumi whilst she continues manipulating him to keep him on strings. She eventually realizes his feelings, and wants plays on that, making the process work exponentially better. Finally, we learn Harumi’s motives and her reasoning, and, in the episode, Lloyd is devastated. However, I have some additions on this, but I’m gonna finish up my review of canon before getting to that. We do also know that Lloyd still has feelings, though. We primarily see thing from Lloyd still trying to save her from Garmadon’s grasp along with his sadness from her death.

The next time we see her and Lloyd’s dynamic (at least as far as I want to mention,) is Crystalized. When Lloyd is captured, he apologizes. He still clearly has feelings for Harumi, and, in a turn of events, it seems that Harumi does as well, as she convinces the Overlord to spare him and to try to get him on their side.

Okay, enough about prior knowledge, lets discuss headcanons. So, firstly, I’m 100% sure that Lloyd was tormented by Harumi’s origin story. We know how high of a standard he holds himself to, and we also know how morally-driven he is. Him learning about the real stories of the real people who he had really hurt couldn’t have been taken easily. I’ve actually written a whole fic that revolves on that fact, and how Lloyd’s lingering feelings would have amplified that feeling to oblivion. Also, for people who assume he would immediately drop his feelings when he learned Harumi’s true motives, literally just look at how he talks about Garmadon and you’ll see he can’t exactly move on that easily. Things like this take time, and, again, he has guilt because of this whole thing. Moving on from a relationship when you believe you were the reason the person tried to destroy the entire world and subsequently died isn’t the same as a high school breakup. That’s fucking devastating, and especially for someone who hasn’t had the best relationships up to that point.

However, this dynamic really starts to become cloudy when you look at Harumi. Now, look: I’m like 90% sure she only had feelings for Lloyd in S15 as fan-service, but, fan-service or not, it’s canon, and therefore I’m still gonna cover it.

So, first off, when and how did Harumi develop feelings? Personally, I think there could be three main reasons. For one, gaslighting. The whole time, she was gaslighting Lloyd into loving her. Sometimes, when you keep up a lie like that for so long and with that level of commitment, you can convince even yourself of these feelings. Do I think this is the case for Harumi? Well, it depends. If you truly do believe there is a spark between them, then no. However, if you really don’t like the fact that they were given a romantic storyline in S15, then this is a totally valid reasoning.

The second reason that comes to mind is Lloyd’s persistence. Now, just to cover all our basis, reminder that “being persistent” and “never giving up on a love that could be” are not cutesy tropes and relationship goals, and no means no. I see too much stuff online saying shit like “I never gave up on her and, even though she said no 20 times, she gave in in the end.” This is not something to romanticize. If someone rejects you, fucking respect that and move tf on. That being said, though, I think that could actually be the case in this dynamic, albeit in a much less creepy way than some fuckers online do it. Lloyd clearly, even after all of the shit Harumi pulled, still has lingering feelings: a mix of platonic and romantic. I truly believe Lloyd is someone who believes that anyone can change for the better, and applies this to Harumi. The fact that, even after all the pain Harumi caused, he still searched for her in the rubble could be the reason she developed feelings. In my opinion, this is the most likely option.

The final one is a bit colder, and is for y’all who believe Harumi is evil through-and-through. Lloyd is fucking overpowered. Harumi’s reasoning to the Overlord could be just that: the reason. I personally don’t love this one as much, but if this is something you resonate with, I would totally understand why.

All of these factors strung together make Lloyd and Harumi one of my favorite dynamics. There is so much more that I didn’t even discuss here. Is it romantic or platonic or just romantic for one of them? Did Harumi develop feelings even sooner yet denied them solely because of her hatred? Is Lloyd’s relationship with Harumi less to do with Harumi herself and more-so to do with trying to rebuild a relationship with his father through her to prove he can hold onto someone he loves? All of these are questions I’d love to dive into but simply do not have time.

Hopefully you enjoyed my little rant. I love overthinking stuff like this and also love chatting about over-the-top headcanons. If you have any thoughts on this (or other headcanons you want to share), please do!

#ninjago #lego ninjago #ninjago headcanons #ninjago lloyd #lloyd garmadon #lloyd ninjago #ninjago harumi #princess harumi #harumi jade #harumi ninjago #llorumi

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littlemissmanga · 1 month

Text

The Bad Batch Finale - Thoughts and Thanks

Before I get into spoiler territory, I want to say the most sincere "thank you" I've ever mustered to this fandom.

I've been in fan spaces before, going back almost 15 years - most of that on Tumblr, to boot. I've been in inactive fandoms, small fandoms, big fandoms and "we're watching new episodes together in real time" fandoms ...

And none of them have ever given this sense of community and support. Ever.

There really is something special about The Clone Wars/Bad Batch fans, even within the Prequel lovers or Star Wars fans in general that breeds this kind of sentiment. It's truly unique and I found it at a time in my life when I was the most isolated physically from my support network and struggling to make new friends and connections IRL.

I cannot express in words just how much you all saved me with your validation and support.

The Shades of Blue series was the first fanfic I actually felt comfortable leaving a comment for on Tumblr, and the amazing @the-rain-on-kamino's kind and loving reaction gave me the courage to start writing fanfiction again. Not only that, but actually sharing it for the first time in years.

And after that, everyone else came in one at a time. From @deejadabbles and @sev-on-kamino's delightful, rabid and enabling reactions to my unhinged thots, to @wings-and-beskar supporting my unhealthy Wrecker obsession, to @l-lend being an absolute example of how to engage and interact in fan spaces to make room for everyone, to @wild-karrde, our bastion of supportive engagement and creative celebration (and a kickass writer in her own right) ... you all helped me come out of my shell in ways I can't express in words besides thank you.

@dystopicjumpsuit, @freesia-writes. @anxiouspineapple99, @dickarchivist, @wizardofrozz @523rdrebel

@starrylothcat @starqueensthings @the-bad-batch-baroness @multi-fan-dom-madnessand @moonlightwarriorqueen

You all have listened to my rambles, thoughts, and vent sessions - whether about fandom stuff or not - and I hope I've been able to return a fraction of that support.

@daimyosprincess, girl you get a whole special shoutout for the levels of depravity you encourage my thots to get to :D

And there are so many more!! People I may not talk to frequently (cause sending DMs gives me anxiety), but I see you commenting, liking, reblogging when I post and posting your own amazing writing or art for me to moon over.

@cyarbika, @madameminor, @spacemagicandlaserswords @merkitty49 @vodika-vibes

@kimiheartblade @nika6q @arcsimper5

@soaringthroughthegalaxy @sunshinesdaydream @sinfulsalutations and so so many more.

THANK YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART

I'll still be around simping after our favorite clones. I hope you'll keep joining me.

Now, on to the spoilers!

I have to say overall, I like this conclusion. It's the happy ending we wanted, but if feels earned. I love that the boys got to grow old in peace with Omega. I love that their dedication to one another is reaffirmed and upheld as the strength it is, rather than - as Hemlock saw it - a weakness to exploit. And I loved that last little scene. It felt like a fanfic and I say that lovingly. It felt like the writers and animators put together the fic we all know would have happened if they left the ending on that fadeout of the Batch next to the tree on Pabu. And that felt like a kiss on the forehead as a fan.

Now here's what I didn't like.

I didn't like that they clearly rushed the end. Pacing wise, there were so many moments that were slowed down so you can feel the emotional impact ... but the editing of the scenes around them made this slower pace a mistake to me.

Like when Echo and Omega are sending Emerie and the kids away ... they all hug and take time to talk about their plan. BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TIME. We know Hemlock has the others. We know Tarkin is on his way. YOU DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS SCENE TO HAPPEN HERE and Echo of all people would be on that, moving everyone along as he is trained to do. It feels artificial because we go from high intensity and fast paced to slow and dragging when nothing from the fast paced scene had been resolved. I think this could have been different if the scene with the kids in the hanger came before the Batch gets in to the hanger and knocked out. It would be a break from the fast pace of the Zillo escape, but without the immediate urgency of a rescue weighing over them (and us! I was having heart palpitations!). It also would then match the tone and sentiment of the scene between Hunter, Wrecker and Crosshair in the woods ("Omega needs all of us.").

These pacing issues are editing issues, and I think we're really seeing how post-production was truncated to get this out on time (or possible pre-production and storyboarding was truncated). I hate that production studios are making this practice more common to cut costs. We will wait longer for better quality storytelling.

My final example of this is Crosshair's story resolution. It doesn't happen. He still thinks he deserves to die on Tantiss (the sentiment from S3 Ep1) and even though Hunter and Wrecker tell him otherwise, we don't know if he internalizes that. And his climax is about trusting Omega to know what to do to take the shot. But Crosshair has (in this season) shown he always trusts Omega. It would have been better if his hand was still shaking and Hunter said "Omega trusts you. You'll make this shot." so that the external conflict for Crosshair is resolved by resolving his internal conflict and trusting himself as his family does. And it would leave Hunter's climax the same - trusting Omega as an competent member of the team.

It just feels rushed. Or like an abstract painting that almost looks like a real object, but just a little blurry. They almost stuck a perfect landing, but just missed the mark a bit.

I also hate how this means Wrecker gets fuck all resolution. The entire last episode was a really intriguing challenge for him. He knows Cross is off his game and Hunter is getting desperate and reckless again ... just as he is almost entirely knocked out of the fight from an injury. Him, the strong one. That should have been a great moment of growth for him. That he doesn't keep going because he always can -- which is very much how he comes across in TCW S7 and TBB S1 -- but that he actively makes himself the strong one, the supportive one, because that's what his family needs.

But no, we didn't get that. We didn't get any insight into Wrecker at all, despite him being the one to free his brothers enough for them to save Omega (and he saved Echo, too!). And then he doesn't speak again, though we see how banged up he is. I get it was less of a focus throughout the series, but man they didn't need to sideline my husband like that.

And finally, Tech.

Look, I may be delulu, but contextually, there was plenty of evidence that CX-2 was Tech. From speech and mannerisms to his blatant disregard for orders, to the seemingly personal level he took his missions.

But it's more than that - why show us this big tense moment of him breaking onto Phee's ship, which the focus being on Phee sensing him near? Why not just have that in the dialog with Hemlock the way Cid's confession was? That would have saved so much time that could have been put elsewhere. Why have such a focus on him in the marketing?

I'm not mad that Tech is dead. Let me make that clear. The showrunners said from the start they killed Tech to prove there are real, lasting consequences to characters' decisions. And I can respect that. And I can understand and appreciate the interpretation that CX-2 wasn't meant to rep Tech, but rather what the Empire can turn clones into, a threat to them all not just in the danger CX-2 poses, but the danger if they get caught.

And that's fair ... but then it could (and should have) been any and every CX trooper to fit that bill. There was no need to waste time and attention on one in particular.

And to be, that also ignores the clear wall of contextual and subtextual evidence that a reveal was planned. The posters are a great example.

Here is the Batch in the final poster:

And here is CX-2

He's standing at Crosshair's right, just out of frame. The lighting matches and he's even looking up to the right just like the rest of his brothers. The line of light cutting his left side even matches the one cutting above Crosshair's right side.

All the other posters showing Bad Batch adversaries has them lit more darkly or in shadow and has unique posing and positioning that do not reflect our heroes.

Why are we styling a brainwashed clone like one of the Batchers artistically? That's a weird choice.

I think the some big wigs wanted him back and others didn't want to water down the impact of his death and we're seeing that confusion and conflict on screen, when we really shouldn't. IDK if Disney was pushing it or the showrunners but either way, going halfsies and changing your mind (and impacting the resolutions we got because of it) is not a good look, especially from a studio like Disney/Lucasfilm. I'm not blaming Dave or Jen wholly, but we the audience should never be able to see the writer's room when we watch, and that's all I was able to see with this.

(My own husband was like "we are supposed to think that's Tech, right?" and he's not really a Bad Batch fan, he just indulges me.)

Alright, that's all I got. I'm happy with how my comfort show ended, I'll write fanfic to cover the pieces I don't agree with personally, and I'll remain ever grateful and supportive of the community who gave me this most precious gift.

I love you all.

And may the force be with you.

#the bad batch #tbb spoilers #tbb season 3 spoilers #tbb s3 spoilers #tbb wrecker #tbb hunter #tbb crosshair #tbb omega #tbb tech #emerie karr

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ateez-himari · 1 month

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HEATED COACHELLA STAGE

After many attendees holding their breath for the next bold move MinAri might enact, it seems as though their shyness finally dissipated.

April 20, 2024 (6:48PM)

While weekend two unfortunately marked the last performance held by ATEEZ on a Coachella stage as of this year, the group left an ever lasting impression with powerful choreography paired with breath taking visuals and raw vocals. Through the numerous clips circulating online there is a specific instance that has been sending social media platforms into a reposting frenzy, one involving a rather passionate display by main rapper, Mingi, and lead vocalist, Himari.

While viewers were expecting something such as this to happen due to the intimate moment shared between the two during their first performance, it seems as though none were truly ready to witness it with their own eyes on stage. The interlude to their song 'Arriba' left gasps echoing in the crowd as Mingi pulled the maknae in for a true lover's kiss, an arm tightly draped across her waist whilst the other motioned for attendees to make some noise. In contrast to the beginning of the group's career where the two saw their reputation nearly torn to pieces following dating rumors, which were later disproved as nothing more than a scheme to have the vocalist removed, the crowd showed their support through loud cheers and vibrant excitement.

Their own bandmates could be seen encouraging them as some used water bottles to simulate rain, every artist on that stage including backup dancers visibly enjoying the relaxed atmosphere that had been created. Following the performance several members had gone live for a few minutes, one of them being Seonghwa who briefly mentioned a comment refering to the heated kiss as the vocalist could be seen giggling in the background prior to him playfully scolding her.

'That...we definitely expected it since he had talked about it during rehearsal, but I thought it was going to be like the first day. It flustered me too but seeing everyone having fun made me happy.'

Despite these heated stage interactions no official label has been placed on their relationship due to no statements coming out regarding the situation, leading some to believe that it was no more than a rehearsed act to rile up fans or that whatever is happening between them is simply a more intimate level of friendship. There is a possibility that this moment stemmed from the artists' immersion in the performance as well as the heat of the moment, as the youngest is after all a member of the 'Demon Line' and both are known to have rather intense stage personas.

'Seeing people say that they're still 'just friends' is so funny to me 😭Like do you guys not see everything they've been doing for a year now ? I get the people saying they could be 'friend with benefits' but come on...' - X user

It seems as though neither artist not the company intends to lift the mystery surrounding their relation to one another as of yet, leaving netizens to create countless speculations without the certainty of a confirmation. One thing that everyone can be sure of however is that this group knows how to set a stage on fire no matter who the people watching might be, living up to their newly earned nickname of 'Pirate Kings of Sahara'.

Share This Post

#ateez au #ateez imagines #ateez 9th member #ateez extra member #ateez female member #kpop oc #himarinews♡

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sherl-grey · 7 months

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dangerous words I fear but I’m craving some OFMD critical but civil discourse… s2 finale spoilers included below the cut. this is incredibly long FYI bc I’m truly desperate to get all my thoughts out

I want to preface by saying I loved S2. I think I loved it more than s1, I think there were some absolute GENIUS moments this season (the entire Calypso episode was *chef’s kiss* my favorite), and I think the cast, crew, and DJ deserve a lot of love and, of course, a renewal for another season.

I know there’s been a lot of anti-finale-critiquing posts out there (and yeah, I also don’t want to see baseless hate or, god forbid, people trying to interact with the cast/crew with anything less than love and respect) but personally, I think the biggest sign that I love a show is me wanting to pick it apart. I think digging into the writing and decision-making and characters of a show means you really appreciate the choices that were made even if you don’t agree with them, because you’re working to understand the story on a level most people only dive to if they’re forced to in an English class. No story is going to be perfect. No story is going to be written specifically for me unless it’s literally by me. But sometimes I still want to study it like a bug under a microscope, you know?

So here we go: I didn’t like the finale, and I didn’t think it fit very well with the rest of the season/show. Weirdly enough I didn’t feel a need to discuss online until I started reading the interviews DJ has been giving about the finale (specifically the choice to kill Izzy and Ed/Stede’s ending) and I’m so curious as to whether others interpreted things the same way. (Yes, they’re DJ’s characters. No, I don’t think all viewers are obligated to interpret things the same way as writers did—that’s half the beauty of storytelling and media consumption.)

Izzy’s Death

Let’s unpack the big one first. I think a lot of what DJ/finale defenders (if I may respectfully call fans who enjoyed s2e8 that) have mentioned is that Izzy’s arc was over and he’d served his narrative purpose. I’ve got a few different issues with this:

1. Part of what I love(d?) about this show is that I did not think this was a show that kills characters once they’ve served their narrative purpose, or a show that kills characters as punishment/retribution for mistakes/earlier actions. To me, OFMD symbolizes the idea that everyone is deserving of love, forgiveness, and second chances. I truly trusted that no one on the Revenge crew would die in this show, and to be proven wrong was a bit disheartening, to say the least. Will talk more on the suicide notion in the next bit because I think it was symbolic, but Izzy also now represents a suicidal character who finds the will to live again. I’d argue that a “full arc” for a character like that should be ending in happiness, not death (and especially not with a line like “I want to go” or whatever the specific words were).

2. DJ seems to describe Izzy’s role as being a mentor to Blackbeard, which I personally struggle to see at all. Despite the Captain/First Mate status difference, I think most signs have pointed towards them being roughly equals—the unrequited love Izzy feels for Ed, the way the two of them stand right up to each other when everyone else would be afraid to, the clear shared history and longevity of their friendship/companionship. (If anything, I’d argue Izzy takes on the mentor mantle for Stede in s2, though it’s a bit glossed over because of how crunched for time everything was.) I certainly have trouble seeing the “father figure” relationship that DJ mentions in interviews, because I think Izzy is the one crew member that puts himself on even ground with his captains.

But even humoring that, Ed’s story has been about shedding Blackbeard. And DJ has a great quote in the Entertainment Weekly interview where he says that Izzy and Ed are both Blackbeard, that the two of them together are what makes Blackbeard “happen.” So in theory, if we’re killing Izzy off to further Ed’s storyline, it’s to ultimately kill Blackbeard, right? Especially since his line at the end is to “just be Ed.”

Except we already have metaphorically killed Blackbeard, several times. I think S2E3 is a really interesting episode because in season 1, it can be argued (and is, by Chauncey Badminton) that Stede kills Blackbeard in his own pirate-y way—with kindness. The crew is also somewhat a part of this, as they all accept and love Ed for who he is and not only because he’s Blackbeard; the crew follows the example of their captain and it changes who Ed is as a person. S2E3 is a crew under Blackbeard, and they also kill Blackbeard following the method of their current captain—violence. And this “death” is, in my mind, the death of Blackbeard while Stede symbolically saves the part of him that is just Ed. (Bonus: we also get Ed trying to sink his leathers, and while it might just be because he’s on a damn boat, it’s interesting that Blackbeard’s clothes are drowned/sunk while Ed’s metaphorical comeback was being saved from drowning by Mer!Stede.)

So Ed’s half of Blackbeard is dead. If we stand by DJ’s idea that Blackbeard is half Izzy, we’ve still got half of Blackbeard left, right? Well, that would’ve been right immediately post-S1, but then they gave Izzy a beautiful arc that seems to be a shadow of Ed’s S1 track. Ed and Izzy are very similar characters, but in S1 Ed is on the receiving end of love, acceptance, and admiration—namely from Stede, but also from the crew. Meanwhile, Izzy is subject to contempt and hostility… once again, namely from Stede, and also from the crew. Ed blossoms under the love during S1 until that’s taken away; Izzy simply moves in the reverse direction. He continues to be an antagonist while being treated like one, but once others start treating him with kindness (Fang hugging him, Jim and Archie amputating his leg while Frenchie lies for him, the whole crew making him the unicorn leg), he too becomes a part of the family. And wouldn’t you know it—Izzy has a near death scene as well, a suicide no less. Izzy is the one who is responsible in S1 for “bringing back Blackbeard,” so the symbolism of him pulling the trigger on himself is huge. This is Izzy killing his half of Blackbeard! Because Izzy Hands continues to live, even if it takes him some time to remember how to live without Blackbeard at first, and his relationship with Ed effectively dies here.

(As a side note, this growth arc and the way Izzy fully transforms into a member of the Revenge crew afterwards—whittling Lucius a shark and talking to him about forgiveness, dressing up in drag and singing to the crew, cracking silly jokes about Ed and Stede’s relationship—are also why I find the “Izzy Hands is the symbol of traditional piracy and his death is symbolic of traditional piracy dying” argument to be weak. In season 1, he was that definition, but we’ve literally watched him grow out of it. He’s no longer symbolic of something stagnant that will remain the same or be destroyed—he’s symbolic of something that grows and adapts to the new situations, that survives when all of the rules change on him.)

And then we have the return of Blackbeard: Pop-Pop pushing Ed to go back to doing “what he’s good at,” Ed fishing his leathers out of the ocean, Ed killing a ton of people because he thinks Stede is likely dead or at minimum in captivity/grave danger. This bit seems to go against everything the season was building towards; Blackbeard was almost entirely gone, but Ed is now the one who brings him back because he thinks Blackbeard is the one who can save Stede. And that’s fair, but what does that have to do with Izzy at this point? Why does he need to die for Ed to put that part of him away again? While we’re not owed a main character having a death that serves a narrative purpose, I’d hope for that to be the case, and I struggle to interpret what happens to Izzy as beneficial to either plot or character.

3. I think the actual core arcs of the show are character arcs and not plots. I get that they might’ve been trying to wrap plots with Zheng and the British in case they aren’t renewed, but I don’t think it was necessary—the pirating has always been secondary to the rom com and the found family, IMO. In S1, we had two main characters, but I’d argue Izzy got enough focus and attention to be a third this season. Which left us with a great character-driven story: we’re watching all 3 of them come into their own and discover who they are individually, while also discovering that the changes in themselves are causing friction between them now that they’re growing into new people. Which is an amazing story to tell, if you ask me, but the fulfillment of that story requires all three characters to be there. The conflict to be resolved is how these characters can become the people they want to be and still coexist together, because on some level they’re family now. Notably each pair combination of these characters grows together or apart (or in Stede/Ed’s case, both) during this season. Ed and Izzy are growing apart because they hold each other back from becoming the person they want/need to be; to complete this narratively, I would’ve expected the next challenge to be finding a way to become friends again as their new selves while letting go of the fact that they used to have a toxic relationship when they used to be different people.

Ed and Stede’s S2 Ending

So Izzy’s death is the big talking point, but I also think DJ’s take on Ed and Stede was interesting. He said that they deserved a happy ending for the work they put in this season. I agree with him in theory, but I’m curious as to whether others agree that they put in a lot of work. I think Stede followed through with his goal to come back and tell Ed how he feels, and to stay instead of running away from his problems. I think Ed followed through with trying to understand who he is and what his needs are while also trying to find the courage to open himself up to love again. But critically, they never talk. E7 makes a point to highlight the miscommunication/lack of communication between them, and then in E8 they still aren’t shown talking.

(I realize part of the issue is the limited amount of time and the amount of plot shoved into episode 8. I get it; personally, I think the plot should’ve been sacrificed for the characters. At this point, we were 7 episodes into a very character/relationship-heavy season. Plot could’ve waited for a potential S3.)

What’s more—there’s a huge, glaring gap between where they left off and where they end up. Ed left in S2E7 after he begins panicking and realizing Stede is becoming deeper entrenched in pirate life just as he’s finally finding his way out of it. Not once do they talk about this, but suddenly they’re retiring together? And right after Ed says Izzy was his only family and Izzy calls the crew his family (which… is also an unearned line, as Ed and the crew have almost no bonding or forgiveness this season, since we focused mainly on Izzy with the crew and Ed with Stede), they leave the crew to do their own thing? They’re all relatively minor things that could be fairly easily addressed by dialogue, but they fact that they’re not only serves to underscore the way that Ed and Stede really aren’t on the same page.

I want them to get their happy ending. They deserve it. I’m just not sure that I agree that they earned it to the degree that it was received, with retirement alone together without their crew, if that makes sense.

Positivity Tax: Calypso Love 😊

I’ve probably got more to say but those were the big ones on my mind after reading the Vanity Fair and Entertainment Weekly interviews. Just to counterbalance some of the more critical things I’ve said, I wanted to share some loving analysis of the Calypso episode:

1. It’s a minor thing, but the way this episode shows that Ed’s actions as Blackbeard had consequences is amazing. Despite him arguably committing the more grievous wrongs in S1, he’s the one we get the least redemption for in this season (his apology to the crew wasn’t great, and most of his screen time is spent repairing his relationship with Stede), so for him to have to face something that happened because of his past actions is cool, especially because it was done in a way that doesn’t further damage his standing with the crew.

2. The way Stede saves the day is incredible. Competent Stede this season has been an absolute joy to watch, and his success in this episode is twofold: first he wins his way, with signature Gentleman Pirate flair. He listens to Ned’s crew, helps facilitate communication between them, and encourages them to stand up for themselves and demand better treatment. That’s a very classic Stede win. But then he wins in the traditional pirate way, and it’s absolutely glorious; he’s been working towards becoming a better pirate, both in terms of stomaching violence and building up the necessary skills. Ned’s crew can be taken down with kindness, but Ned himself is a pirate and will only be matched by another. I genuinely cannot think of a more perfect way to show that Stede is still himself while also showcasing the newer side of him that he’s been working towards this whole time.

3. Speaking of that newer side of him, the way this episode starts to open up Ed’s insecurities? The combination of seeing his least favorite parts of himself reflected in Stede as well as watching Stede grow into the career that he’s trying to leave? Amazing conflict development.

4. I’ve already talked so much about Izzy but the way this truly caps off the crew’s acceptance of him as part of the family is gorgeous. He’s an entirely new man at this point and there’s no jokes made, no friendly ribbing… just love and acceptance. It highlights both his newfound comfort and familiarity with the others as well as the extent to which they care about him.

5. Less analytical, but it’s also just a really pretty episode.

Considering the fact that I have zero OFMD mutuals and this was a whole essay (I’m on mobile and can’t see how long this is but I’m honestly scared), I would be shocked if someone made it down this far, but if somehow people are here and open to civil discussion… I’d love to know how you felt about this, if you thought DJ was right, if you were a little more on my wavelength and thinking things weren’t adding up, etc. Realistically I’m not sure if anything could change my mind as I’ve done a lot of stewing, particularly about Izzy arc, but new perspectives are always refreshing. Much love to the fandom and of course the creators, who hopefully never see this and get their s3 renewal 🤞🏼

#ofmd spoilers #our flag means death spoilers #our flag means death #sherlgrey.txtea #i am SO going to regret posting this aren’t i #i guess worst case scenario i delete #but I suspect most likely scenario is no one reads this lol

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just-an-anon-reader · 2 years

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When nerds come together…

Summary: April finally introduces her “normal” friend. Although, she’ll have to redefine her definition of “normal”.

When Donnie first met you, he had his doubts. Apil introduced you as her "normal" friend. But this was April. "Normal" for her was in the 0.0001 percentile. Not impossible, but you might as well have thought it was. You, being introduced as such, was within reason of suspicion. In his initial observations, you were shy and borderline introverted. It was evident with you hiding behind April as you greeted them all. You spoke with so much uncertainty that you even stammered. To put it simply, Othello Von Ryan was not impressed.

"You're going to get along great," she said. "You both have so much in common," she also said. You told April prior that this wasn't going to work out. Not because of this whole...situation. Okay, so maybe a little. Luckily, she briefed you a week before heading down to the lair. But it was mainly because of who you were as a person. You weren't exactly a people person. You often find them loud and messy, and even illogical. For example, pineapple on pizza. An abomination of the truest kind. It's for reasons like this that you preferred being cooped up in your laboratory. It's quiet, spotless, and promotes a higher level of thinking. Hence, the creation of your darlings. Beautiful works of art made from metal, programming, and a boatload of caffeine.

Of course, being a genius, people aren't fans of you as much as you are of them. The teasing, you could handle. After all, you had an armada of anti-bullying technology made by yours truly. It was the social interactions that got to you, i.e., April. Who somehow barged into your life. She found you working on your tech in the library once, and ever since, she has been your self-proclaimed best friend. She mentioned her turtle buddies only recently. When she walked into the same place, and saw you tinkering with your oozequito tracking goggles. She knew she had to introduce you. Particularly to a certain purple-clad turtle genius. Of course, you wouldn't say yes immediately. But after saying the words “mystic” and “mutant” in the same sentence, she had your attention. So that's how you found yourself here, in the NY sewers. Being scrutinized by four color-coded mutant turtles with epic ninja skills.

Mikey, being the overly-friendly orange turtle, hugged you in greeting before asking you for your pizza preference. A large Cheesy Supreme. Leo was next, laying on the charm thick. The cringe was real. Raph went third. The eldest, the leader, and whose mission plans always start and end with punching like a boss. And lastly, and somewhat reluctantly, was Donnie. Eyeing you over with his goggles, rather than offering his hand to shake like a normal person, a robotic one popped out of his battle shell instead. Carefully, you shook it, admiring the intricacy and sophistication of the details of the automaton.

...

"Is this t-titanium grade 4 alloy?"

The words came out of your mouth before you could stop them. April, quite desperately too, wanted you to be friends with her...teenage mutant ninja turtle gang. And, from experience, nobody like a smartypants. You were definitely not making a great first impression. But at least you tried. It's the effort that matters, right? You could feel the beads of sweat rolling down your back and, most likely, drenching your shirt. When he replied, it definitely wasn't what you expected him to say.

"Well, of course! Only a miscreant would use anything but the best quality!"

He isn't going to laugh at me? Or look at me weirdly? Could this turtle, in all of his purple glory...be a nerd? Description-wise, April had only revealed that “you two would get along” and refused to clarify any further. There is only one way to put a theory to the test.

"You know, i-if you used uranium as an e-energy source, you could level up these darlings b-big time."

...

You saying nerdy stuff? Donnie definitely didn't expect that. You didn't look the type. And, not to be judgmental, but you didn't seem the type. But you were. And you understood his sentiments exactly. He couldn't help the excitement that bubbled up inside him.

"I know, right?! Think of all the upgrades I could do with even just an iota of uranium! I would be unstoppable! But sadly, papa rat won't let me have some.”

Donnie got a good tail slap to the back of the head for that. Feeling a bit more comfortable now, especially with the science talk, you bravely continued. A smile slowly starting to spread on your face.

"What if you had more than an iota of uranium?"

At this, April’s head did a 160 from something Leo had said to you.

"Wait a minute, didn't you say that your nuclear stable thingy was in beta? Which, you so thoroughly said, meant that it was 'Off Limits'."

Pulling up air quotations as she quotes you saying the same thing to her no more than a week ago when she bugged you about your oozequito goggles. Smugly, you smiled at your best friend as you reached into your bag and pulled out the glowing device.

"You mean my beautiful portable nuclear stabilizer? Yes, yes it was. 'Til now. "

"You brought uranium to the lair?!"

"No, I brought uranium to the school, April. Which ended with you dragging me here before I could stow it away in a safer location. A.K.A., my lab."

You hear the gasp of horror behind you as you turn to face Donnie once more. The device in your hand had an ominous green glow that eerily illuminated his face. It was quite beautiful. The turtle in question had stars in his eyes with how excited he was. He made gimme-gimme hands before coming to some sort of realization at the last minute. Taking a deep breath, he recomposed himself.

"You're just going to hand me the uranium? That sounds suspect. What's the catch?”

The small shy smile that had adorned your face before spread wide. Almost menacingly.

"As I said, uranium is a wonderful energy source. If I am to give you some of mine, it must be for a worthwhile cause. So, I want to be co-creator. From frame, to wiring, to programming, alpha, beta, and testing. Think of it as means of securing my investment."

“And if I decline your conditions?”

“Then prepare to say your sweet farewell.”

"I see. Begrudgingly, I accept. However, I will have to demand that you keep my lab as prestine as possible."

With a gleaming and potentially dangerous device in hand, you marched alongside the turtle as he led you toward his beloved laboratory. The other five, completely forgotten and left out of the conversation, looked at you two in confusion.

"What just happened?"

"I think Donnie just made a new friend!"

"Ugh, April! You said that this one was normal!"

￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣P.S. School has been so hectic lately (°▽°) I haven’t written anything almost 2 weeks. Here is some platonic? Rise!Donnie x reader. Might make a more romantic part 2 if y’all like this. And again, thank you so much for all the love my stories have been getting! Please enjoy!

P.P.S. The gif isn’t mine

#rise!april #rottmnt donnie #rise!donnie #rise!donnie x reader #rottmnt donnie x reader #platonic #Uranium babyyyy!#in the name of SCIENCE #nerds being nerds

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firepower-if · 1 year

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An artillery battery is a unit of cannons, missiles, and other weapons grouped to ensure command and control of the battlefield. In the 1860s, baseball statistician Henry Chadwick first described the teamwork of a pitcher and a catcher as a battery: the firepower of the staff.

DEMO TBA.

Before reaching the stardom of grand slams in Yankee Stadium or World Series shutouts, every professional baseball player was once where you are now: the Minor Leagues. Divided into levels from Rookie ball to Triple A, everyone working their way through the Minors has the same goal: to get promoted up to the Big Leagues. The Major Leagues. The Show. And you?

You are no exception.

You are the newest addition to the Double-A Okmulgee Pecans, a Minor League affiliate of the successful and storied Oklahoma City 66s. Surrounded by young, talented, hungry ballplayers, it’s your job to not only succeed in this competitive league, but stand out. As a catcher, you play one of the toughest positions in baseball— and the most important. Your chemistry with your pitchers and your team can make or break a play, an inning, or a whole game. With the constant eye of coaches, team management, and baseball fans on your back, will you find your swing? Can you help lead your team to victory? And can you keep yourself from getting distracted by the potential affections of those around you— or lean into them?

FIREPOWER is an upcoming interactive fiction novel about the love that lives in the infield dirt, the outfield grass, the diamond, and the dugout. In short: it’s about baseball, it’s about falling in love, and it’s about falling in love with baseball.

It is cautiously rated 18+ for themes and/or mentions of substance abuse, past traumas, and structural inequities in professional sports. Warnings will be toggle-able for potentially triggering scenes, which may be skipped.

FEATURES.

Customize your character’s appearance, handedness, and strengths in the game. Play as a man, woman, or nonbinary with options to be gay, straight, or bisexual.

Play through competitive at-bats, bat in your teammates and hit powerful home runs. Make skillful defensive plays; throw out runners trying to steal bases and tag runners out at home with quick reflexes.

Catch bullpens one-on-one with your pitchers to build your chemistry— on the field and off of it. Become a better catcher, and make them better too.

Lead a locker room and become part of a tight-knit team aiming for victory— and maybe a promotion.

Flirt with and romance any combination of your pitchers, other teammates, or the competent Front Office intern. Choose the gender of 2 out of the 4 ROs.

ROMANCE OPTIONS.

JJ Kim (gender selectable). 23. A rising star pitcher who is almost, but not quite, the team’s ace. Has a temper that has gotten them ejected from a couple games, but uses that intensity towards being the best on the mound. Friendly, but soon it becomes clear they’re difficult to truly get to know.

Olivia Lawson (f). 25. The cheeky second baseman who, despite her unflappably positive attitude, is aching to prove herself. A locker room leader and part of the Pecans for two years, she’s seeking a standout season and wants nothing but the best from her teammates. A cheerful, loyal presence underscored by fiery determination and grit.

Hirohito Kinoshita (m). 24. The best pitcher on the team by a long shot. A rising star who previously played professionally in Japan before signing as a free agent in the offseason. It’s widely assumed that he’ll be in the Major Leagues in the next year or two. Sarcastic, cocky, and kind of an asshole, with a genuine curiosity for his new home.

Dakota “Junie” McIntosh (gender selectable). 22. A college senior and D1 athlete trying their hand at baseball administration on the off chance they don’t get drafted. Though they pitched in high school, they now exclusively play shortstop, but at the moment all they’re playing with is paperwork and Excel formatting.

This will be my first IF project. More information, including RO descriptions and Artbreeder portraits, will be coming soon. Any interaction including reblogs, likes, and asks, are greatly appreciated!

#interactive fiction #interact if #interactive novel #choice script #cog #choice script game #interactive games #interactive story #interactive romance #interactive fiction wip #choice of games #choice of games wip

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blackgirlsrxck · 19 days

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Serendipity in Seoul pt.1

D.O x Singer! reader

Summary: Y/n gets to meet her favorite Kpop group and makes an unexpected bond.

Note: After 11 years, I'm finally publishing my own k-pop fanfic! Not that it's important, but I've been a EXO-L since I was 9 and I'm about to turn 20. Kinda proud of this so enjoy!

Word Count: 604 (a lil short)

I stepped out of the sleek black SUV, my heart pounding with excitement, as I took in the vibrant energy of Seoul. The city was alive with the buzz of people, lights, and the faint echo of music in the distance. South Korea had always held a special place in my heart, not just because of my fans here, but also because my love for K-pop, especially EXO. Little did anyone know, behind the curtain of my fame, I was a die hard EXO-L.

My new album, “Ethereal Dreams,” had just been released, and I was here on a press tour. The success of the album had been overwhelming, and being so popular still surreal. As I walked into the towering SM entertainment building, my nerves tingled with anticipation. Today, I had the honor of meeting some of my idols.

“Annyeonghaseyo!” I greeted the staff warmly, my Korean fluent and effortless. Being a polyglot had its perks; it allowed me to connect with my fans on a deeper level, and today, it was my ticket to feel more at home in this foreign yet familiar place.

The staff led me through a series of hallways adorned with poster of legendary K-pop groups. My heart skipped a beat as I spotted EXO’s familiar faces. We finally stopped in front of a door, and with a gentle knock, I swung open to reveal a room filled with laughter and chatter.

“Y/n, welcome!” Chanyeol’s deep voice boomed as he approached me with a wide grin. “We’ve been looking forward to meeting you!”

I couldn’t help but smile back, feeling a warmth spread through me. “It’s an honor to be here. I’m a huge fan of EXO.”

Baekhyun’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he joined us. “No way! We’re huge fans of yours too! Your new album is amazing.”

My cheeks flushed at their compliments. “Thank you so much. That means a lot coming from you guys.”

As we chatted, I felt a pair of eyes on me. Turning slightly, I saw D.O, standing quietly at the back, his intense gaze making my heart race. He had always been my bias, his soulful voice and charismatic presence captivating me ever since I discovered EXO.

Gathering my courage, I walked over to him. “Kyungsoo-hyung, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He smiled softly, his eyes crinkling at the corners “The pleasure is mine, Y/n. Your music is incredible.”

Flustered, I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Thank you. I’ve actually been to a few of your concerts. I’m a big fan.”

His eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Really? That’s amazing. I had no idea.”

The rest of the afternoon was a whirlwind of conversations, laughter, and music. Chanyeol and Baekhyun were as charming and energetic as I had imagined, and the rest of the members were equally warm and welcoming. But it was my interactions with D.O that left me feeling both exhilarated and shy.

As the day came to an end we gathered for a group photo. Standing next to Kyungsoo, I felt his arm brush against mine, sending a jolt of energy through me. “You should come to our next concert,” he said quietly, his voice just above a whisper.

I looked up at him, my heart soaring. “I’d love that.”

Leaving SM, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Meeting EXO had been a dream come true , and the connection I felt with Kyungsoo wa something I hadn’t expected. Seoul had always been a city of dreams for me, and today, it had truly lived up to its name.

#kpop x reader #exo x reader #Kyungsoo x reader #exo #Kpop #kpop x black reader #byun baekhyun #do kyungsoo #D.O x reader #exo x black reader #park chanyeol

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andmaybegayer · 5 months

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Look, I'll be honest, I got very little for you here.

Typically around this time of year I'm either still out wandering some wild place in South Africa or I have just got back home from said wandering and either one of those means I've got like, three or four books that I've just finished and a bunch of albums and probably some kind of photographic shenanigans.

These are not happening right now.

I am currently in an apartment in Prague with some visiting family I've been touring around so it is. Different. In light of this fact we're going to do our:

Last First Monday of the Year 2024-01-01

which is going to be a wrap-up of notable entries from 2023. It's true, I got some notes!

Listening (Music):

There is a clear winner for Most Important Album for me this year and that has to be Titus Andronicus putting out The WIll to Live. I picked up Titus Andronicus a few years ago on a rec from a guy on IRC and after putting The Monitor on loop for days I was so down with it. Unfortunately while the rest of their repertoire is honestly really solid punk, The Monitor is truly next level shit. The Will to Live finally closes that gap. It's so good.

There's a lot of good pull songs from this one but I do adore Baby Crazy which is just a breathless rundown of the core philosophy of the album. Part of what links The Monitor and The Will to Live is a very heavy handed metaphorical through line, The Monitor through American Civil War references and The Will to Live through the convoluted nuclear family analogue.

youtube

Truly no one is doing it like Titus Andronicus.

Listening (Podcasts):

Noted originator of the new weeklypost tradition @girlfriendsofthegalaxy was always talking about Friends at the Table and so I was like "Hey her taste is pretty good that's probably better than the median TTRPG podcast" and hey. It was. SO much more than I was expecting.

I started with Partizan which was at the time the current season, and hoo boy. F@TT does many things that handily sidestep a lot of my issues with RPG podcasts. By running tight little game systems with strong narrative focus and leaning more into the storytelling side than actual play (while still allowing rolls and player decisions to completely upend the plot) they get into the action quickly, have strong character driven scenes, and manage to hold my attention.

I will be open and say that the politics of Austin Walker's storytelling are very mixed. A lot of people act like these games are incisive political commentary but they only really hit that occasionally, which I think is good. Leaning into the weirdness of these settings is important, and trying to make them cleave too close to modern problems at all times would weaken them, compared to what they actually do well.

What If Han Solo Was Beyoncé. Remember: You Have Beaten Your Worst Days. Destroy Something Instead Of Understanding It.

Within four episodes of the start of Partizan, one half of the game has seen the death of a minor god and started a false flag operation with consequences that would persist to the end of the season. The game systems in play often outright prevent character death in all but the direst situations, but they replace that with dramatic character change. Clem becomes Obsessed, Valence becomes Righteous, Sovereign Immunity becomes Paranoid.

They are definitely playing "for the camera", if you aren't a fan of heavy allusions to other media as part of storytelling you will not like this, but they work it out well. There's a commitment to interesting storytelling that follows well into the next point, which is:

They are very good at getting into characters motivations. Clementine Kesh is despicable, she is terrible, and she's the central focal point of a huge run of Partizan. Hella Varal of the Hieron series is also a spectacularly character-driven entity, frequently a major driving force of the plot, doing things none of the players would really want to have happen. This also applies to Lem King, to an extent.

After catching up with Partizan I went back and I've been running through the backlog. I am almost caught up to Twilight Mirage, I might step out to listen to the current season since it follows directly from Partizan. I'll see.

Reading:

Without a doubt the big one this year was Terra Ignota. Absolutely lodged in my brain forever.

Terra Ignota is like the flipside of the Culture. The Culture assumes that its members are so far gone from their humanity that their utopian issues are almost incomparable to ours. The Hives are instead a utopian society built on a hard break from modernity that has left them very, very vulnerable to our modern problems. The approach Terra Ignota takes to gender, nationality, and family is set up to argue a very interesting case, not that those things cannot be changed, but that you can't just go cold turkey on them.

(The Gender is particularly forceful. Mycroft's haphazard attempts to reverse-engineer gender for his imagined Reader are so good, they perfectly replicate the internal experience of going to a very very queer environment with a brain that was still ultimately wired by the recent past.)

The actual plot of Terra Ignota is kind of secondary to the spectacle of all these Types Of Guys interacting and exposing their internal processes in a way that is so satisfying. The Hives are unusual in part because there's so few that probably appeal to the readers. I don't think pretty much any of Terra Ignota's expected audience have much interest in the Europeans, Masons, or the Mitsubishi, and while some of them might agree with the Brillists they are given so little screen time that it's hard to say. Really it ends up being the Humanist/Utopian debate at its core, with the Cousins there to balance it. As a result it's impressive that by the end I think most people I've talked to are less sure whether they agree more with the Humanists or the Utopians.

Watching:

Arcane, a one that I don't think I talk about too much, in part because it's so tidy. A perfectly wrapped gift of tragedy! Any story where at almost any point a few characters could just talk it out and resolve all their problems but they don't is *chef's kiss* to me. If you like Othello you will love Arcane is what I'm getting at here.

Arcane is such a gorgeous show, dripping with character, every single scene is so carefully considered. There's an extremely long (in time) close shot of Jayce throwing up over a bridge that I think of all the time.

Arcane is so clear and uncompromising in its presentation of its characters. I've said before that there's actually very little character development among any of the main cast, instead the show builds on bringing very strongly defined characters into conflict and exploring what they do next. This works wonderfully.

And the music! I have probably listened to the Arcane soundtrack a little too much. Basically the only time I went on spotify this year was to look at the Radio channels for songs from the soundtrack.

Playing:

Given that I spent so long playing Breath of the WIld this year you'd think it would be that and you'd be dead wrong. Not that great! It's fine! I like an immersive sim open world game but do you know what I actually do when I feel like I want to play a game just for the pure thrill of it. I go open TItanfall 2.

Titanfall 2 is the ideal first person shooter campaign. It is short and sweet and interesting and manages to keep you sufficiently overpowered without making you feel like it's easy. I played the campaign on Hard at the start of the year and it is the shooter I remember shooters I don't actually like as being.

The reason I play first person shooters is for the fast reaction twitch play. I do not care for long kill times, I do not care for gradually plinking enemies down, I do not want to think about a target for more than 5 seconds. Titanfall is absurdly fast if you play it right, you never stop, you optimize for shooting on the run, and you bounce around the field like a pinball. Delightful.

Titan Combat in the campaign is meh, it's so often just a slog against artificially toughened bosses, or figuring out how to deal with those little AI bots. It's fine. I like being a big robot. Titans are probably better in multiplayer. At some point I will install Northstar so I can try multiplayer lobbies.

Tools and Equipment:

The 3D printer! I have been in the orbit of 3D printing types for ages but now that I have one I can see why its an essential tool for so many electronics types. The ability to just Make The Thing You Need is so powerful. Printed items have their limitations but they all pale in relation to "I hit a button and the exact thing I need appears in 2-12 hours".

So many projects stall out because you need a bracket or an adapter or a flange or a box that you know all the specifications for but that will take two weeks to arrive or has to be ordered in batches of 200 or costs 10× as much as you're willing to pay.

My printer is cheap as shit, the Anycubic Neo cuts as many costs as possible without being actively bad, and it's still a great printer. It can do anything I need well enough that I can carry on with the rest of my life. It has the precision to do slip fit parts and even basic materials have the strength for fairly crucial components.

Like, sure, you can make a lot of these things quickly by hand if you have the parts available, but like, even if somehow all your problems can be solved by cutting a PVC pipe to the right size and shape, do you keep all possible dimensions of PVC pipe in a drawer somewhere? No, you run into a problem that needs 60mm pipe and you only have 50mm pipe and now you gotta go to the hardware store and buy 2m of pipe for a project that needs 0.2m of pipe. It is such a problem-solver to be able to fabricate arbitrary complex shapes from plastic stock.

Making:

The big one. The Penrose Quilt.

This took months for me and my mother to put together, and it came out exactly like we hoped. It's so good, it looks incredible, we put it together by hand with needles and thread and time, I sleep under it every night, it is the ideal item. Few things to build your handsewing confidence like backstitching probably over a hundred meters of seams.

This was a really ambitious project and yet we pulled it off. Absolutely ridiculous.

#Bandcamp #Youtube #last Monday of the week #last first monday of the year

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stupidrant · 9 months

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RANT INCOMING!

I have to talk abt this as this has been in my mind for months and this i think is the only safe space to talk abt the fandom and their weird antics towards the characters/actors and overall games.Im not against criticism but theres a line between criticizing and going overboard with hating.

One thing i dont understand abt the god of war fandom is that they complain about alot of things not being “accurate” and thats doesnt make sense to me bc when has gow ever been accurate? I thought it was obvious from the beginning that SMS wasnt going for that and never truly will. Its always their own interpretation. They also have this weird hatred / ignorance towards atreus that i also dont understand? Yea he was a little annoying in the first game but thats understandable as hes… a kid. Ragnarok expanded his character pretty well imo and i feel like alot of these people for some reason cannot get past him in general? Maybe because they are afraid of him taking over the series and “forgetting” kratos (idk why thats in their minds LOL) or they just hate him just because. I feel like the fandom wants kratos to forever be this god who destroys things and whatnot and its all so weird. like they never gave him a chance. thankfully he has fans but majority hates him. Dont even get me started on how they treat angrboda. Its really so ridiculous to me that they can be so hateful for no true reason. they call her a bitch for yelling at atreus when all the women in the game get annoyed or disappointed in him atleast once. And they dont understand that she has only known this prophecy shit for her whole life and she couldnt do anything outside bc of the threat. ofc shes angry bro LOLL its also in her name like i dont understand 😭. Atreus helps her get out of that mindset and assures her she can do whatever she wants now. Laya is so strong idk how she does it :( I also noticed they treat thrud as this “replacement” of angrboda bc they dont like her either cuz shes black or bc they hate her and everything related to atreus but as long as he has a character they can like thats not angrboda its fine. Its all so weird bc theres no competition between the two. There never was. I dont think they actually like thrud for her character they just want to be weirdos and i feel kinda bad for her and mina bc they really dont give a fuck. Im so shocked chris sunny and others even INTERACT with this bullshit of a fandom they are all really strong bc id say fuck all of you and go 😭 im not against criticism at all and i try not to take this shit seriously but its hard when you see a insane group of people take alot of this shit to the next level. this fandom is a bunch of whiny babies who hold onto their precious destroyer too much. The hate everyone has gotten recently is just so stupid and they often times try to make it their goal to hate. I see that SMS is trying to diverge their fandom to a broader audience and they are taking a bit more risks esp with atreus and i love that despite the backlash against him, they continued with his character regardless. I hope they do the same thing with the other characters as well and expand them no matter how much these people want to hate and act all high and mighty. I can understand certain critiques like the ending being too fast or maybe they couldve done blah blah better and whatnot but i think alot of people are overreacting and being ridiculously nitpicky with alot of things when it comes to ragnarok.

Last thing and also kinda random thing SMS is very wrong for what they did to TC Carson and i acknowledge that completely and i hope they never do smth like that to any of the current cast either bc i would be fucking pissed if so LOL

#God of war #god of war fandom #Gow #kratos #Atreus #angrboda #freya #thrud #thor #sif #yall are some fucking assholes #fandom #bullshit #gowr #god of war ragnarok #my stuff #shitdom #(this my future self in 2024 commenting btw) you can tell i was pent up LOLLLL but i had to say this somewhere

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louisisalarrie · 2 months

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what was it really like being in the fandom when 1d was still together? was there stuff happening like every day?

oh my god yes. it was incredible. almost every day we had new content, and it wasn’t all just promo or anything, like, the boys would post on their instagrams, tweet us and each other, there’d be interviews, twitcams, snapchats, photoshoots, new music, new content every day from the tour they were on etc., we were thriiiiiiiving. it felt like so much more of a special relationship, because they’d share more from a personal level and not just tweet to promote new stuff. It was very fun and wholesome and the fandom as a whole were just sooooo active.

due to having all this new content all the time, we also obviously got a lot of Larry stuff. and a lot of Larry stuff means active larries, proofs, a million gif versions of the same interaction, just… excitement. You never knew what they’d do the next day. Tumblr and Twitter was just full of 1d and Larry.

And I think this is a major factor as to why so many larries have slipped away, as well as antis, general 1d fans, etc., because we’re not really… getting much from them anymore. If you go have a look through the 1d Instagram, as well as the boys’ person instagrams, they were active sooooo often. It was a post almost every couple of days. And our fandom was very fun, but fandoms were so much more of a thing. It was like “Directioners vs. Beliebers” and while we argued about who was better, it felt not as purposely hostile as it does now. Fandoms just aren’t the same now, they exist in a different light. If you were around kinda the 12-16 yr old age during 2011-2016, being in a fandom, no matter the topic, was just a thing. It was a sense of belonging, and friendship.

Apart from being such a different fandom these days with the solos and baby fans on Twitter being involved, we also just aren’t getting anything except promo stuff/stunt content (in Harry’s case particularly) now. A selfie from one of them (Louis mainly lol) and we’re all happy and excited for like 24 hours before we’re parched again. The relationship we had back then was so fun and exciting. We grew up with them, and laughed and smiled and felt like we knew them. It just felt so different to the basic promo that every other artist was doing. But twitter and Instagram were used for that reason. But now, they’re very different platforms and we are in a very different social media and PR climate than ever before.

And I think with the lack of Larry content now, people reach to try and confirm that they are still communicating with us like before. Some of the theories I see on twitter about how Louis and harry are signalling to us are… for lack of a better term: wild. It makes us seem so stupid and like we look into things too deep and reach like crazy, and scramble for Larry to still be real. And that comes naturally when you still believe in something/still wanna prove it. You truly are gonna try everything you can to validate that belief to yourself, and to others. But it’s not doing us any favours.

The Larry thing came around from very clear proof, evidence, and interactions that we saw all of the time throughout 1d, but if I came into it now, I’d probably be on the “they once were together but aren’t anymore” side because I wasn’t there during 1d and the very early days, ya know? So I truly applaud baby larries for researching and upholding their belief in the boys because they deserve justice.

I miss it dearly, to be honest. The chaos, the love, the fights, the support, voting 100 times on some fan award so the Beliebers wouldn’t beat us, RBB and SBB, the belonging, the boys. Even the bad times were fun in their own way.

Anyway, living through that time, the stunts were very transparent to us because the 1d team floundered and stumbled and fucked up an incredible amount, because they hadn’t dealt with something so massive with such an intense fandom before. we watched PR try so many different ways to figure out the right equation, to techniques they still use now. I know very lovely folks who aren’t larries anymore, but still will never believe that louis has a kid. It’s really incredible and I don’t think there will be a time like that again, and the only way it would happen similarly would be if 1d got back together and a part of the fandom came back to tumblr. But now a lot of us are grown up and can’t be online 24/7, and we have bigger priorities/different interests. But I think we’ll always be here in some capacity, and the internet would fully explode if there was a reunion. God, could you imagine?

Anyway, yeah, it was a beautiful time and I miss it. Sometimes it’s lovely to go through old screenshots and their instagrams and tweets and remind myself of that time that was truly formative for us and being part of a journey that was so exciting and shocking with twists and turns and love and hate and chaotically posting about whatever happened that day and people finding lifelong friends out of a shared interest. Even the hate we used to get is nothing compared to today. It’s just so different. I wish everyone could’ve experienced that time because the ones who did and are still here… well… those boys hold a very special part of our hearts and i truly hope they come back. Even though it’ll be different, it’ll still be a bit the same.

Thanks for the reminiscing, anon!

#anon #answered #bbg

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nomacam · 2 months

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Bang Chan: The Heartbeat of Stray Kids and K-pop's Humble Hero

Bang Chan, the leader of Stray Kids, is not just an ordinary K-pop idol; he's a multifaceted artist with a heart of gold. From his captivating stage presence to his exceptional talent and leadership skills, Bang Chan has captured the hearts of fans worldwide.

One of the most striking things about Bang Chan is his dedication to his craft. He's not only a talented singer and dancer but also a skilled producer and songwriter. His passion for music shines through in every performance, and his ability to connect with fans on a personal level is truly remarkable.

But what truly sets Bang Chan apart is his kindness and humility. Despite his immense talent and success, he remains down-to-earth and approachable, always taking the time to interact with fans and express his gratitude for their support. His positive attitude and genuine personality have made him a role model for many.

Bang Chan is also known for his strong leadership skills within Stray Kids. As the group's leader, he leads by example, always putting the needs of the group above his own and ensuring that everyone feels valued and included. His dedication to his fellow members and his willingness to take on challenges head-on have earned him the respect and admiration of his peers.

Outside of his work with Stray Kids, Bang Chan is also known for his philanthropy. He has participated in various charitable activities and has used his platform to raise awareness for important causes. His generosity and compassion for others have made him a beloved figure not just within the K-pop community but also in the wider world.

In conclusion, Bang Chan is more than just a K-pop idol; he's a true artist and humanitarian. His talent, humility, and kindness make him a shining example for others to follow. As fans, we are incredibly lucky to have someone like Bang Chan in the industry, and we can't wait to see what he has in store for us next.

#kpop #stray kids #skz #skz stay #skz bang chan #bang chan #appreciation post

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timeagainreviews · 8 months

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The Monster Makeovers of Modern Who

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought I would get back into the swing of things and talk about some monsters! No, not Rishi Sunak. Of course, I mean the monsters we actually enjoy! Daleks! Cybermen! And other horrors from the beyond that don’t try and turn trans people into scapegoats for their lack of policy. They say what you really mean- EXTERMINATE! Honesty, transparency, efficiency. Words so alien these days they belong only in Doctor Who! Mr Sunak, you’re so vain. You probably think this blog is about you. But it’s really about fashion. Specifically- makeovers!

I’ve been interested in filmmaking ever since Levar Burton took us to the set of Star Trek on Reading Rainbow. Like Doctor Who, “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” had its own makeover to attempt. They needed to establish a new look from the original series, while still implying continuity. Whole teams came together to reimagine the look of the ship’s interior, the look of the aliens, both classic and new, and even how the characters should dress. It’s truly inspiring to see these crews at work. These passionate people did their best with the available budget and resources. That said, I plan to deconstruct some of the makeovers of modern Doctor Who villains on an aesthetic and (at times) narrative level. It’s just a bit of levity for the horrors of Halloween, so let’s have some fun.

While the topic of updating classic baddies remains subjective, I’d like to think I’ve highlighted ways in which it can be objective. There are no hard rules to the process, but perhaps there are guidelines. I’ve noted a list of classic Doctor Who monsters that have since returned in the new series to discuss which designs I feel were successful and which ones missed the mark. Some of the criticisms I express will already be known to you. The Paradigm Daleks were notoriously reviled amongst fans. But hopefully. some of my opinions may surprise you. I’ve decided to exclude certain redesigns like the Movellans due to their lack of screen time. And while the Ood and Minotaur are cousins of the Sensorites and Nimon respectively, they’re technically not a proper redesign. I will however be covering the cousins of the Silurians- Homo-Reptilia, as they are very much meant to serve the same purpose. I’m presenting this list in alphabetical order, but some creatures will be listed together as a subspecies of another. Buckle up because this is going to be a long one!

Autons

As a child growing up in 90s Kansas, one of my favourite places to visit was the mall. The mall my grandpa used to take me to was known for its extravagant features. One of my favourite things, however, was a clothing store that used mannequins that interacted with the space around them. I don’t mean they moved, but rather that they were dynamically posed. My favourite leaned against the shop window with the palm of its hand. I had never seen that sort of display before. It made them feel as though they were merging into the real world. They were hip if not a touch creepy. I couldn’t tell you the name of the store, but I remember those mannequins. And aside from a granite finish, they looked like the Autons from 2005’s debut episode “Rose.”

Had the Autons returned looking like 70’s mannequins, they would still look creepy. But it would evoke more of a kitschy retro shop than something from a London high street. The creepiness of the Autons isn’t anachronistic, but rather in being timely. The less we notice them, the better. They wear their mundanity like a tiger wears stripes. You only noticed it move when it’s ready. This is a roundabout way for me to say they are brilliantly redesigned. They look modern, and you wouldn’t even notice them if you weren’t predisposed to Doctor Who. They’re exactly the featureless dummy you expect to see in a shop window. The moment their hand gun opens, you would be taken by complete surprise.

A benefit of the Autons coming first alphabetically is that it allows me an opportunity early on to address performance. Because like they say- looks aren’t everything. A Doctor Who baddie is so much more than a costume. And a minor sticking point for me is that the Autons can seem as though they hired a bunch of pop-lockers to stand around in sweaty suits. I’m reminded of the movie theatre scene from “Human Traffic,” where the employees mechanically go about their work. It’s a small grievance, but I wish they would have created a less familiar form of movement than the robot. They’re a hivemind and yet each dancer is doing their own form of popping. I know it costs time and money to do, but it would have been cool to see those dancers come up with a more alien system of movement. It’s not as though the ballet dancers chosen to portray the Weeping Angels were performing pirouettes.

This problem persisted into the Moffat era with Roman Autons. While they were under the impression that they were human, they moved about and spoke like humans. But the moment the Nestine consciousness takes root, their bodies move into a sort of robotic marching. Suddenly whirring can be heard from alien actuators and servos that make no sense for living plastic. Once again, it feels as though they would rather speak in a familiar voice of filmmaking than create one. We all know that little android sounds and robotic movements mean they’re mindless automatons, hell it’s the root of Auton. But the idea of living plastic is so much weirder than a robot. I would love to see them lean more into that.

Cybermen/Cybermats/10th Planet Cybermen

Having started my foray into Doctor Who with Paul McGann and then moving on to the 2005 series, most of the baddies on this list were brand new to me. When I did finally work my way to classic Doctor Who, I was a bit surprised to find the early Cybermen leaned more into the “men,” aspect of their name. Not only were they more articulate than repeating “Delete,” ad nauseum, but their bodies were less robotic. They moved like men. The Cybermen may be the first time I looked at a Doctor Who villain and thought “Oh the old versions were much better.”

This isn’t to say that I disliked the RTD Cybermen, but rather, I find classic Cybermen more effective. While the Cybus Cybermen felt dangerous and militaristic, they lack the humanity present in the Tenth Planet Cybermen. They remind me of the zombies from Return of the Living Dead- they’re smarter, faster, and they feel like the reanimated body of a dead person. You do get glimpses of this in these Cybermen, like in “The Pandorica Opens,” where you see a Cyberhead open to reveal a rotting human skull. The glimpses of the conversion process also imply a deeper dread of body horror.

I would argue that the Moffat era understood the walking dead aspect of the Cybermen better than the Davies era. In “Dark Water/Death in Heaven,” Moffat even pays homage to Return of the Living Dead by reanimating a graveyard of corpses with tainted rain. By this time, the look of the Cybermen had been streamlined from their Cybus look to their svelt “Nightmare in Silver,” look. I liked this redesign as it reminded me of the 80’s Cybermen with their silver space boots. They look more like men than robots. This slimmed-down look was realised even further in the Chibnall era, while also going for a more classic head style. As much as that era of the show disappointed me, its Cybermen were fantastic.

Not every Cyberman update aimed to reinvent their look, however. The updated look for the Tenth Planet Cybermen in “World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls,” merely added detail to their original appearance. Much like the Type 40 TARDIS the 12th Doctor steals from Gallifrey, the idea was to modernise the look for the high-definition cameras of the modern age. Because of this, these Cybermen may be my favourite of the modern era. It was a risky choice to change their bare hands to flesh-tone gloves, but I understand the decision. I had always liked that the Tenth Planet Cybermen’s hands were bare skin. Historically, hands are one of the hardest things to reproduce in robotics. It also felt that the Cybermen’s hands were the last remaining vestige of their humanity. None of this is lost with the inclusion of gloves. These Cybermen are a nightmare to behold. They languish in physical pain, calling out for solace. The conversion process is still traumatic and bloody. They are horrific.

Another element of the Cybermen that was updated for the new series were the Cybermats. The look of the Cybermats, much like the Cybermen, has always changed, so it’s hard to feel too precious about a redesign. And their appearance in “Closing Time,” is no different. I’ve always liked the look of the modern Cybermat. Their eye shape is a pleasing nod to the Cybermen’s eyes while also calling back to their original appearance. Their segmented tails give an armoured appearance which evokes small creatures like armadillos and insects. My only real complaint about these little munchers would be their very organic teeth. I always figured the “mat” part of their name was meant to be a play on “rat,” so if you were to give them teeth at all, why not rat teeth? What tiny creature was converted to make these little abominations? In the classic series, I never really thought of Cybermats having anything organic about them. You could argue that the Cybermats from “Revenge of the Cybermen,” were snakelike, but I never really thought of them as organic. Regardless, I’m now trolling eBay for one of the 1:1 replicas they sold.

Daleks/Davros

Before their return in 2005, the Daleks made the briefest of cameos in the 1996 Doctor Who TV Movie, sort of. Since we only ever hear their voices, we have no idea what the Daleks would have looked like. Judging by those voices, it’s safe to say they probably would have been a bit of a departure from their general appearance throughout classic Doctor Who. Especially when you consider that adaptations in the ‘90s were known to go for new extremes in design. That’s not to say they would have been bad. The Eighth Doctor’s cathedral-like TARDIS interior was a far cry from the brightly lit round things of the ‘80s TARDISes, and it’s probably my favourite interior. But there is no denying it would be challenging to redesign the universe’s most iconic monsters.

By this measure, I consider the black and bronze Daleks of the RTD era to be a stonking success. Their redesign is mostly effective because it doesn’t aim to reinvent the wheel. It maintains the overall silhouette of the Dalek in a way that makes it immediately recognisable. The changes we do see feel utilitarian, lending these Daleks a tanky quality. You can imagine these Daleks as a product of war. They’re reinforced for battle and feel powerful. Honestly, zero notes. I can’t find a single area for improvement. They even look good in other colours and attachments. Even the mutant inside the casing was given some much-needed continuity in appearance. Where the mutant of the classic series often changed in appearance, it’s now established that Daleks are one-eyed brain squids under all that metal. Simple as can be. No need to change anything.

Enter the Paradigm Daleks. As I said above, the Paradigm Daleks aren’t exactly well-received by the fandom, and not without good reason. I’ve seen at least four different Mighty Morphin’ Power Daleks mash-ups of their big reveal in “Victory of the Daleks.” But is being a big colourful hate machine that bad? I will admit, their silhouette is a bit chonky, giving them bumble-bee bums. But their eye stalks look lethal and their voice modulation fills me with dread down to my stomach. The creepy goat eye nestled in the end of an eyestalk that looks like it would cut to the touch is a great change. I also really like the idea of them having different roles indicated by colour rank. What the hell is an Eternal Dalek? I still want to know.

The biggest issue with the Paradigm Dalek redesign is that unlike it’s predecessor, it seems to miss what is actually scary about Daleks. For starters, Daleks have no concept of elegance, so why the clean lines on the casing? Those neck louvres (that’s what I’m calling them), are far too stylised. Gone is their tank-like appearance, save for their brutal eyestalks. They made them taller as to appear more formidable, which further bolsters why they miss the mark. If you can’t make an hate-filled monster covered in armour scary, the problem isn’t height, it’s writing. Also, we stan a short king in this house.

It’s hard to take the Chibnall-era Dalek redesigns too seriously, because neither of them ever felt like they were meant to be permanent. One was meant to look like a Dalek made of scrap metal, because it was, while the other was the bi-product of two evil forces- the Daleks and the Tories. The “Revolution” Daleks do look a bit like a bootleg toy of a Dalek you could win at a fun fair. Or the result of an AI prompt for the word Dalek. Regardless, they’re fit for purpose and don’t affect my opinion one way or the other. If they had stuck around, I may feel a bit different.

Not to be excluded from the redesign process is the Daleks’ crazed creator- Davros. By the end of the classic era, Davros had a bit of a Rickety Cricket thing going where every time we see him, he’s progressively more mutilated. In the end, he was just a Futurama-style head in a jar. The Davros of the new series is back to a more classic silhouette. His one arm has returned as a cybernetic limb, while the other remains suspiciously under his keyboard. Typing one-handed eh Dave? He’s been given some gimp leather to wear, and his chair has taken on the same armoured look of the Davies Daleks. Much like the mutant inside the casing, Davros has been given a baseline appearance and it's an effective one. Couple that with Julian Bleach’s perfect performance, and you’ve got another success.

Ice Warriors

Who doesn’t love a good Ice Warrior? They’re forever cool (no pun intended). While not always villainous, they are fierce and formidable. They’re also a bit weird. The original Ice Warriors stood taller than your average Doctor Who alien. And there is something about their deep green carapace that feels believable. These battle-hardened reptiles wore their outer shells like armour. At the joints of these plated segments sprang tufts of fur. From a costuming perspective, these patches would have been used to hide seams and add points of visual interest for the average black-and-white television. From a narrative perspective, the hair only added to their weirdness. In short, I like the classic Ice Warriors very much.

The Ice Warriors are also the first classic baddie redesign I had to wait to see. By the time I had started watching Doctor Who, Matt Smith was filming series six. The Ice Warriors don’t make their return until series seven, which gave me ample opportunity to imagine what they would look like. What we got was bang on what I had hoped for. They leaned into the weird and won in a big way. When “Cold War,” aired, there was a bit of contention about the reveal of an Ice Warrior outside of its armour. Perhaps it’s because their helmets possess a sort of Judge Dredd quality that in turn causes people to think you can’t show Ice Warriors without their helmets. But they’re going full Stallone and it’s fine. Dare I say it’s even a bit cool?

A sticking point for me on the redesign was the lack of their stupid Lego Minifigure hands, which I love. But when you see their long skinny fingers reaching with their claws out, you might need to give the suit some fingers as well. Their reptilian aspects are also celebrated in their redesign. The Empress is a ferocious take on the look of the commander rank Ice Warriors. I said in my review of “Empress of Mars,” that the guns that turn people into cubes were a bit silly, and I still feel that way. And sure, I would have appreciated the odd "Ssss," at the beginning of an S word. But in the end, they allowed the Ice Warriors to shine for what they are, and that’s all that matters.

The Macra

One of my least favourite Pokémon designs is Raichu. You have Pikachu, an almost perfect marriage of form and cuteness. How do you improve on such a design? You can’t. This is why Raichu’s little curly-Q ear tufts and embellished lines look less like an evolution, and more like someone who didn’t know how to stop drawing Pikachu. Or when to stop spelling bananana. You just can’t improve on perfection. Now you’re probably wondering two things right now-

Why the drive-by on Raichu?

What does this have to do with the Macra?

To answer the second question- “absolutely nothing.” And that’s the point. There was no perfection to mess up in the case of the Macra. The originals looked like a pile of playground equipment. The only place to go was up. First order on the list- does it look like a giant crab? Yes. List over.

Changing the Macra by devolving them into dumb beasts only adds to this winning revamp. Why were they at the bottom of the motorway of New New York? Had their nefarious plot backfired reducing them to mere monsters? It’s a great little incorporation of characters lesser showrunners would have called "embarrassing." I love the Macra. I love that they didn’t overdo the Macra. I love that they don’t tell us everything. Whatever crab rave they had going on down there will be lost to time. Or until Big Finish takes a crack at it.

The Mara

I will admit, this one is a bit of a cheat. It’s one of two on this list that you may think of as a cheat. But hey, they brought the Mara back in the web short “The Passenger,” for the season 20 Blu-ray release. I’m counting it! I’m also counting it because the Mara have been updated not once, but twice to a modern CGI standard. Plus it gives me a chance to talk about “Snakedance,” which I will always relish.

The practice of replacing old footage with newer CGI is not without its detractors. George Lucas released the special edition of the original Star Wars trilogy in 1997 and people are still arguing about it. I’m in two minds about it myself. I like some of the changes they’ve made to Star Wars, ‘60s Star Trek, and even Doctor Who. I dream of the day when they take a crack at Babylon 5. But it also has its limitations. I would be upset if they updated the model shots of Scaroth’s ship in “City of Death.” But in the case of a goofy pink snake puppet? Fine by me.

That is not to say I don’t find the snake puppets of both “Kinda,” and “Snakedance,” charming. They certainly are. But they’re also so very distracting. There’s the suspension of disbelief and then there’s the stifling of laughter. If you can get past the snake, you will see both “Kinda,” and “Snakedance,” for what they are- some of the best of Classic Doctor Who. The CGI snake does exactly that and nothing more. It’s not even a fancy CGI model. Someone probably downloaded a rattlesnake asset and coloured it pink, and that’s absolutely fine. It’s another Macra situation. Does it look more “snake,” than “snek?” Yes. List over.

The Nestine Consciousness

In the words of Vito Corleone- “Look how they massacred my boy!” Ok, maybe massacred is a bit harsh. But even by series one standards, that CGI pool of molten plastic is pretty damn awful. I say this with a handful of caveats. Yes, this was essentially a pilot for the relaunch of the series. Yes, the production crew was brand new. No, the budget wasn’t huge. You could probably list more reasons, but my point is made. They did their best.

I don’t need to ask why an amorphous blob was easier to depict than a giant space squid. Hell, it was too expensive in the '70s. We only ever saw it’s tentacles back then! I had to use Andrew Skilleter’s illustration from the Target novelisation of “Terror of the Autons.” Mostly because the show never shows the entire squid and also because Skilleter owns! But the kid who grew up on ‘90s Nickelodeon and Beetlejuice in me will never think of a pool of goo as an upgrade from a space squid. It’s just not gonna happen.

As returning readers may have noticed, in the “rad vs. trad,” debate, I have always sided with rad. I like Doctor Who a bit weird. So weird that I am arguing that something is weirder than a glowing vat of sentient plastic. But here I am. The beauty is that RTD explained the change as a devolved form of the Nestine Consciousness. Maybe it was temporary. The squid may return yet! Furthermore, Doctor Who audiences have been watching Talking Tree and Raccoon movies in the intervening years. People are more open to weird these days. Add a bigger budget and we may see the comeback of the cosmic cephalopod!

Rutans

This is the other entry on this list that you may feel is a bit of a cheat. The above illustration on the right comes from an official Doctor Who video game titled “The Gunpowder Plot.” It is a redesign of the Rutan Host for the Matt Smith era. Seeing as their new design is meant to represent the style of the modern series, I’m counting it.

As redesigns go, this one had a lot of wiggle room. Usually only mentioned by name, the only time we ever got to see a Rutan onscreen was “The Horror of Fang Rock.” Throughout most of the story, the Rutan looks like a quenelle of green jelly sloughing slowly up the stairs of a lighthouse. When I was five, my trip to Cocoa Beach was cut short due to an outbreak of jellyfish. The one I almost stepped on with my bare foot looked a lot like that. It’s not hard for me to imagine a little green blob as dangerous.

It feels almost too perfect then that the Rutan redesign would land somewhere in the vicinity of a jellyfish. While they are capable of shapeshifting, tentacles do add to their base physical prowess. You can imagine one of them holding their own against a Sontaran. You can imagine one wrapped around one of their potato noggins and it being lights out. Whoever worked on that game has done the show a favour if they ever bring the Rutans back. Green electric jellyfish will do just fine.

Sea Devils

Back when I reviewed “Legend of the Sea Devils,” I mused that it followed the tradition of Sea Devils stories being “not very interesting.” So it came as a bit of a shock to me back in June when Doctor Who Magazine readers ranked it the eighth-best story of the Pertwee era. What were they seeing that I wasn’t? Because by my standards, it’s about two episodes too long. My thought is that people love it mainly for two reasons- cool vehicles and the Sea Devils themselves. Much like the St Paul’s Cathedral shot from “The Invasion,” the shot of the Sea Devils emerging from the sea is doing most of the heavy lifting. Such is the legacy of effective imagery.

The element of the Sea Devils’ look that has aged the poorest has to be their netted tunics. They look dingy and cheap. I imagine on some level, they helped, as Adam Savage would say, “hide the crimes,” of the costume department. The costumes weren’t playing on camera so maybe they added the netting. I’m just speculating here. After all, their cousins, the SIlurians, walked around in the buff. The next time we see the Sea Devils in “Warriors of the Deep,” they’re decked out in a sort of Samauri attire. Just because they lived underwater doesn’t mean the Sea Devils were unaffected by Feudal Japan. Nobody seems to have cared about this change in costuming. Or perhaps they were busy recoiling from the Myrka. The Silurians remained true to their nudist lifestyle.

Other than the Daleks and the Weeping Angels with Paul Dano’s face of the Chibnall era, I rather liked most of its character redesigns. I particularly liked the Sea Devils. I like that they kept their big fishy eyes and turtle beaks. And did you catch that adorable Baby Sea Devil from “Defenders of Earth?” That thing looks like a cross between Grogu and my own pet tortoise and I would kill for it. Like the Dalek update of the Davies era, they kept the silhouette intact and simply gave it a more believable appearance. Are the eyes a bit more cartoony? Yes. Is that fantastic? Also yes.

The major change to the look of the Sea Devils are their costumes. They’re a sort of mash-up of Asian influences with little references to the netting of their first appearance. If you’re a big fan of the Sea Devils, I think it would be hard to complain about their appearance here. Their bismuth-encrusted swords are a nice addition (just don’t let them touch your skin). You can imagine them as swashbuckling monsters who once ruled the sea. Now if only someone could come along and give them a proper adventure to star in!

Silurians

Much like the Royal Family, Doctor Who writers get a lot of leeway out of the word “cousin.” It covers a multitude of sins. Such is the case when dealing with the Silurians and their cousins- Homoreptila. It’s a blink-and-you-miss-it line of dialogue that I unfortunately missed the first time around. I was too busy blinking in disbelief at how depressing Broadchurch with lizards could be. It wasn’t until revisiting the two-part story “The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood,” that I finally heard the line explaining the discrepancy.

Why that matters is that it’s the reason I had a two-year chip on my shoulder about the Silurian redesign. This isn’t to say I thought they looked bad. The makeup job on the modern Silurians is very good. They just don’t look like Silurians. It bothered me because one of the things I liked about Doctor Who is that it often set itself apart from Star Trek. Star Trek aliens are more often than not- rather humanoid. This has always felt like a storytelling device more than anything. Less makeup equals more of the actor’s performance shining through. Doctor Who, on the other hand, asks its viewers to see something relatable in something inhuman. You can still make this complaint against “The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood,” because it does feel like they wanted you to see the human inside the Silurian costume. They couldn’t resist the Spielbergian desire to give the lizards soulful human eyes.

Any design change seems to stem directly from this need, so it feels difficult to judge them otherwise. Even their dehumanising masks were more of a measure to save money on facial prosthetics, though they do add an air of mystery. Those black-eyed masks were downright exciting until they took them off to reveal a very human face. Had they gone with those masks as their faces, I might have been able to overlook the exclusion of their third eye. It would have been very easy to modernise as well. Many reptiles and amphibians have what is known as a parietal eye on top of their heads. They can even sense fluctuations in light. Incorporating one into the design would have been very easy. That said, the ridges on their heads are in keeping with their original design and very striking. Especially on Madame Vastra.

Along with their masks, these Silurians are different in that they are no longer nudists. They now wear clothes. It makes sense that they did this. Their new humanoid appearance makes clothing essential. No need to adapt “The Lusty Argonian Maid,” for television. The costumes aren’t bad either. The netting feels like yet another call-back to their other cousins- the Sea Devils. Even their new guns do a good job echoing the disc-shaped guns the Sea Devils carried but with the aesthetics of the modern era. All in all, this redesign is fine, but I still yearn to see a proper Silurian in the modern style.

Sontarans

Tumblr user “zagreus-eats-your-bread,” once said of the Chibnall era Sontarans- “Big fan of the redesign. They finally look like absolute shit again. He looks like a knee.” While to some, that sounds like faint praise, I couldn’t agree with their sentiment more. The Sontarans looked awful in classic Doctor Who and I love them for that. There was something unsettling about the way Linx’s tongue would pulsate in “The Time Warrior.” The whiskers poking from his brow and mottled face only added to his vile appearance. His helmet towered over others as he sized them up. A striking foe if there ever was one.

It’s odd then, that the Davies era decided to make the Sontarans squat in stature. They even explain that it is due to the high gravity of Sontar that they’re so short. Their bodies developed for load-bearing. It made sense narratively and wasn’t really a problem. Like I said above- we stan a short king. The problems arose sometime in the Moffat era. The Sontarans had gone from dynamite in a small package to comic relief. I hesitate to blame Strax, but he is when this started to happen.

Cynicism is likely the cause. Writers looked at the Sontarans and said “Ha, potato head and a short body!” One of the fiercest races in Doctor Who history was reduced to an army too stupid to realise that an invisible tank left them completely visible inside. It’s like when people think of the Daleks as embarrassing because they look like pepper pots and completely ignore the fact that they’re also genocidal maniacs. This is why I appreciated Chris Chibnall’s desire to add some ferocity back into the Sontarans. Their stature had returned to that of the classic look, which is fine. Unlike the Daleks, there was a precedent for a tall Sontaran. And yes, they looked like shit again. We could see the Sontarans as a threat once more. Oh, they’re stuck in an off-license eating chocolate like Augustus Gloop? Oh. Right.

Time Lords

I hemmed and hawed about whether I should include these guys or not. Do I add the Master while I’m at it? But in the end, many Time Lords are monsters and they too received a makeover. Though it isn’t much of one. In fact, I once read that aspects of their costumes were reused from the classic series. You could argue that their biggest redesign happened somewhere between their first appearance in “The War Games,” and “The Deadly Assassin.” They started out looking like a cult that formed in the basement of an Apple Store. But somewhere along the line, they got seriously into collars. It was the ‘70s after all. People’s shirts were 30% collar back then.

Sadly, while the overall look of the ‘70s Time Lords carried on into the modern era, they abandoned their love for colour. Rassilon being the Regina George of Time Lord society decided that we only wear red on Wednesdays. And seeing as they’re time travellers, it’s always Wednesday somewhere! So the Time Lords left their saffron and purple robes at the cleaners. Even the citizens of Gallifrey are shown in “The Day of the Doctor,” wearing variations of red and white. Everyone fell in line and fashion suffered.

When we see the Time Lords in “The Timeless Children,” they’re now wearing very stylish Cyberman headgear. Their red hoods have now been replaced with gold numbers laser-cut with Gallifreyan writing. I would call it a fashion breakthrough if not for the fact that everyone was still decked out in drab silver. I don’t want to see the Time Lords again until they take a page from the Fifteenth Doctor’s book and learn to diversify their wardrobe. Yas hunty! Werk!

Zygons

If you’ve not been to Neil Cole’s Museum of Classic Sci-fi in Hexham, you should do yourself a favour and change that. It’s a great day out, and if you’re lucky, Neil might even be available to chat. Something I learned when talking to Neil is that he has some rather strong opinions about the redesign of the Zygons. Primarily, their head shape. Throughout this article, I’ve praised some of the redesigns for their adherence to the basic silhouette of the baddies. If you were to show me either version of a Zygon in a silhouette I would identify them both as Zygons, but dammit Neil, you’re right. The head just isn’t right.

Initially, I thought it was the mouth shape, which is definitely different. When they redesigned the Zygons for “The Day of the Doctor,” my thought was “What happened to their kitty cat faces?” You may not see it, but I have always looked at classic Zygons and thought “Aw, there’s a Mister Kitty!” And they replaced their little button nose and philtrum with a set of far more human features. Seriously Moffat, what is it with you? They’re aliens! Let orange squid men covered in suckers have cat faces!

The top-heavy ridge of their heads gave them a sort of lumbering look, which may have been the impetus to change them. The Zygons of the 50th anniversary needed to do a fair bit of running. But it also detracts from the iconic lines that made them so striking back in 1975. Below the neck, the design choices make a lot of sense. Like the Ice Warriors, the goal seemed to be to add more texture and detail. The ribs seem more defined as do the suckers. Even their bio-tech devices are appropriately slimy and detailed. When they find Kate Stewart in that purple bubbly skin poncho, none of us are offering to trade places with her. Unless that’s your thing. Don’t let me yuck your yum.

My main qualm with the modern Zygon is less with their design and more with their physiology. The Zygons have always been squidgy shapeshifters. But since when do they turn people into smouldering balls of staticky hair? They tried to explain that this was a new development of technology, so why is one of the refugee Zygons able to use it on himself? It’s not as though the Zygon’s body is not already teeming with venomous stingers. If you’ve ever read Mark Morris’ “The Bodysnatchers,” you’ll know exactly what I mean. Mark does such a good job delving into the physiology of the Zygons that he set the standard by which I judge all future Zygon depictions. It’s seriously great stuff.

Aaaaand we're done! Phew! This one took a long time for me to write. I wanted to return with a bit of a long one because I haven't written anything in a while. My sister came to visit from July to August, so I had been very busy. Then I got ill, yadda yadda yadda. Expect to see more of me soon as I plan to cover the 60th Anniversary Specials and beyond. I may even review some classic Doctor Who in the meantime! Stay safe and take care!

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