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i've been thinking about Ferrari, as a team. it's older than everyone else on the grid, sure, but it's older than F1 itself.

it's so weird knowing the only reason Ferrari wasn't at the first F1 GP is because Enzo decided they'd debut in Monaco.

the next oldest team on the grid is mclaren, and it joined in 1966 - that's sixteen years. sixteen years separate the oldest team on the grid from the next one. the only bigger gap on the current grid is between the team that has become red bull and haas (19 years).

there's no other team in f1 that has competed in as many gps, won as much. there's exactly 17 seasons where ferrari has placed not in the top three in the wdc. 7 of those are outside the top four.

any way you slice it, ferrari is the most successful team on grid.

if ferrari had been british it wouldn't have been ferrari. the british press can't manage to accept the fact that ferrari is italian, and proud of it.

most of the other teams have a base of operations in england, with sauber being the only other one who doesn't, as far as i know.

Ferrari is constantly under heightened scrutiny by the british press, and given that english is the default international language, by consequence by the international press too.

no other team has been as heavily criticized this season - do not mistake this as saying that Ferrari has been perfect, it most certainly hasn't - but other teams have been blundering about too, and there's been next to nothing talked about it in the press.

it's always just Ferrari, and i'm sick of it.

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omg, the @charles-leclerc-official of superb race analysis fame reblogged my post?

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seeing all this doomposting about ferrari, about how charles should leave ferrari makes me want to tear someone's throat out with my fucking teeth.

is this team perfect? FUCK NO

is this miles ahead than binotto's ferrari? FUCK YES

like. holy fucking shit. this race was a fucking mess, yes, i know. what we need to remember, though, is that shit's developing. things need time to grow.

i want to draw some parallels between this ferrari and the jean todt era - ferrari didn't win a single wdc or wcc between 1983 and 1999. jean todt became the principal in 1993.

it took him six years to build a wdc/wcc worthy team. six.

fred's been a tp for one and a half years. turning around a ship such as ferrari can't be easy - it's a giant thing, and he's not the only one who's making the decision.

we can't forget that he answers to someone, and that someone is ferrari itself.

do i find the interviews weird as fuck? sure i do! but i can't forget he needs to play the pr game if he wants to keep his fucking job.

the doomposting is sincerely getting on my nerves, and i can't wait for the team to prove the naysayers fucking wrong.

in short, trust in charles. he knows what he's doing, and stuff is going to shake out fine, if not this year, the next.

and, as always, forza ferrari sempre <3

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Rereading one of my old fics and ngl. this is wayyyyy better than I remembered????

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a tonic for the heart

A sequel to my fic whiskey, neat. Expect a part 3 coming soon-ish to a cinema near you!

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Ferrari stat of the day: as of Monaco 2024, Ferrari has the same number of podiums in 2024 as they did in the 2023 season.

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You’ve heard of one shots, now get ready for none shots! It’s when you think of an idea for a fic and then don’t write it

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whiskey, neat

The moment the blonde man enters the bar, Charles knows there’s something going on. The man, a tall, blonde, very well dressed, very fit man, sticks out like a sore thumb in the dive bar that is Rouge.

The way he looks around shows that he’s never been in here before, and that’s telling. Only locals come to the bar, hidden in the twisting streets of Montecarlo, while the wealthy residents prefer the chicer bars near the harbor.

“Hi! Can I help you?” Charles asks, expecting to help a lost tourist with directions towards the Casino square.

“Do you have whiskey?” the man asks, as if he weren’t in a bar.

Charles nods and says “You’re in a bar, of course we have whiskey.” Admittedly it’s not good whiskey, but that wasn’t the question.

“Then pour me a glass and keep it coming,” the man says, slumping on one of the barstools.

“Rough day?” Charles asks, while he pours the asked for drink.

“You’ve got no idea.” The man answers, while Charles slides the drink down the counter.

“So you found the nearest bar and you’re drowning your sorrows?”

“Do I look like I belong here to you?” the man says, and empties the glass.

“That’s why I’m asking, man,” Charles sighs, and resigns himself to have a taciturn client at the counter for the next while. Oh well, at least there’s someone that can keep him company for the next while until Arthur or Ollie come for the shift change.

And then the man mumbles something. “What?” Charles asks, because for as much as he has good hearing, he still can’t decipher what the client just said.

“Don’t call me man.” Ah. And then, as if he’s reading Charles’ mind, he also says, “don’t call me dude either.”

“Well, then, what should I call you?” Charles asks.

“Call me Max.” the man, Max, says, ruffling his own hair with a hand.

And oh. That’s Max, Max Verstappen. Charles has a Formula One driver getting drunk in his own bar. This will be interesting.

AO3 link

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Me writing the next chapter of my anon fic be like

Meanwhile, George, when Lance taunts back

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i’ve been inspired by the person who said if they got 666k notes they would practice self care. so ya know what? i’ve been in a spiral of depression for months so if this post gets 1 MILLION notes by the end of 2023, i will start taking care of myself and actually try to battle my depression and live my life. (this is never going to get 1m notes yall HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA)

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Write a piece about a mirror that shows a different world

prompt by @dropkickwritersblock

AKA, magic exists in canon!Bridgerton and Colin stumbles on a magical mirror during his travels around Europe (maybe in Greece or on Cyprus?) and he sees a world/future in which he’s still the unmarried Bridgerton gallivanting around Europe, while everyone else is settled down including (surprisingly) Eloise’s friend Penelope.

Which, weird. Why would the mirror show him that Penelope’s married to an unidentified man and looks happy? That makes no sense, but whatever.

He returns home and canon events start taking place, and Colin starts realizing why he got that specific vision. He never stumbled into a courtship (or well, whatever he had going on) with Penelope and she ended up married to someone who wasn’t him.

And that alternate universe will haunt Colin for a long, long time, because it could’ve been him so very easily. If just a few small events hadn’t happened, he would have left England again and simply went back to his travels, having no idea what he was leaving behind

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Canon divergent fic idea number 2345678i9876543456!

Basically, 1823 is the year during which TSPWL and WHWW take place. RMB does not take place bc Colin is out of the country. (Also, anticipating Felicity’s season and marriage by one year bc I need it for plot purposes)

Basically. Penelope remains alone with Portia Featherington and goes ‘fuck all this shit’ and comes up with a scheme to get the Whistledown money into a fake inheritance that consists of a small home in like, Devon or Cornwall. (Basically, somewhere she has absolutely 0 chances of stumbling on Bridgertons or other people she knows).

So she kills off Lady W w/ the excuse shit’s gotten boring to write and says toodles to the ton. Lady Danbury is the only one who goes ‘IF YOU NEED ANYTHING PLS DON’T HESITATE TO REACH OUT’ bc my pet theory is that Lady D knew (or at least strongly suspected) that Pen is Lady W.

Basically, Colin returns for the 1824 season and shit’s unsettled, bc the only sibling in town other than Anthony is Hyacinth which is weird bc Number Five seems so empty without Eloise and well. Penelope.

And it’s Penelope’s absence that makes him go hmm and actually ask about her - which leads to the news that she retired to the country. (And now who he’ll dance with if he needs a break from the debutantes his mother shoves in his direction? No one, that’s who)

Basically, 1824 is the season in which Colin starts to realize what Eloise had to deal with and he has no Penelope equivalent to boot.

Meanwhile Pen is living her best life possible chilling in the countryside.

And then a letter! Eloise is expecting and she wants Penelope there for a little while before the baby comes bc she’s going to be the godmother and Eloise misses Penelope, ok? She wants to catch up with her best friend.

Colin also comes to visit and seeing Penelope again makes him realize that hey, he could actually marry Penelope bc he knows her and she’s nice and funny.

He actually proposes to Penelope but is shut down almost immediately.

(Penelope has had dreams of marrying Colin Bridgerton, but deep down in her bones she knows, she knows that he’s destined to have a grand love like all the other married Bridgertons and it won’t be with her.)

Colin doesn’t understand why Penelope would refuse him.

(Weeks of avoiding each other, scorned lover vibes)

And then the baby is born, and Colin sees Penelope with his newborn niece and he sees the love shining in her eyes, he realizes that maybe he went about the proposal business the wrong way.

Basically, in December 1824 Colin Bridgerton realizes he is in love with someone who refused a marriage proposal from him and shit. what can he do now?

And then it’s time for Penelope to leave, and Colin simply has to confess his love before she leaves. And so he does, and Penelope is shocked.

What do you mean that Colin’s in love with her? WHAT IS GOING ON?

Cue convo about how it’s not possible that he’s in love with her, accidental revelation of her feelings for him and an all around mess that takes way too long to untangle.

By the end of the day they’re engaged and since all the Bridgertons are present, they invite the Featheringtons over and have a small wedding as soon as they arrive.

AND THEN THEY LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER (Lady D is v glad to see Penelope back in town, and married to the Bridgerton boy to boot! Their first daughter is still named after her bc Penelope has Suspicions on how she was never a suspect for Lady W and it involves Lady Danbury’s meddling)

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In another life: (a Violet Bridgerton time travel drabble)

In another life Violet Bridgerton wakes up a day before her husband's death and decides to ban bees from her home.

She gets to keep Edmund for longer this time. Even when she knows she can't make him avoid gardens and all pollinating flora forever. She tries.

And so, Anthony gets to be a son and a brother for a while longer, Gregory and Hyacinth make memories with Edmund, Violet gets to tell him she loves him one million more times. And Edmund teaches his children to accept fate and love when it comes knocking.

In another life Violet suggests that Anthony introduce his friend Simon to Edmund for advice on how to be a better duke than his father. And Simon becomes a frequent addition to her children' games and rabble rousing. Edmund mentors Simon like he would another young friend and the boy who was once a rake focused on revenge learns he is not doomed to be like his father.

In another life Violet secretly sends a servant of hers to help a young girl named Sophie in another nobleman's household as soon as she hears about the Earl of Gunningworth's death. When Tilly returns a year later with a bruised sixteen year old Sophie in tow. Violet opens her home and does the best she can to have the girl trained as a ladies maid while hiding her from the stepmother who would rather squander the poor child's dowry.

In another life it's the Bridgerton servants who embrace the abused orphaned Sophie Beckett with all the love of a family and finish raising her into adulthood.

Edmund at Violet's side fully supportive.

In that life Violet is given a chance to live with her love. And when a bee inevitably stings him years later on a hunting trip with some noblemen. She's able to grieve more healthily... And softly let go.

In another life her Anthony becomes a Viscount a year before Daphne's presentation to court. He grieves as he should, he doesn't hide himself from his responsibilities in raking and gaming. He leans on his mother and siblings for support. And in the wake of Edmund's death, they grow stronger and more United as a family.

In that life, Simon is there to support Anthony Benedict and Colin, but more importantly, he's also there for Daphne.

And in the process of consoling her in her loss. Simon finds that out of all the young ladies he knows, there's nobody who's side he'd rather be during a tragedy, than his best friend's sister.

Simon asks for her hand the day Daphne is presented at court and out of respect for the passing of her father agrees to a long engagement.

In this life Daphne becomes Lady Basset long before holding the title of duchess. And Violet prefers it so. It gives Daphne and Simon time to mature.

And despite his father being alive. Simon doesn't invite him to his wedding. Or visits any place the Duke could meet him with Daphne and his children until the Duke is truly dead.

In another life Violet Bridgerton is more attentive to her relatives. More insistent on supporting Marina's marriage to her original betrothed before he follows his dream and goes to war for king and country.

In another life young Eloise Bridgerton meets eccentric Oxford student Phillip Crane during Marina's wedding to his brother George. And finds him the height of funny.

In another life George Crane gets to meet his children and see them to their second summer. And when he still decides to do his duty to the country and go to war to escape his father's judgmental eyes. He does so having already secured the Crane line of succession with his son Oliver.

In another life Eloise first letter to Phillip is sent to Oxford. Expressing her condolences over his brother's passing and her well wishes for her Marina and the twins good health. Now that Phillip has to look after the Crane family estate until his nephew comes of age. The letters continue from there and though Violet knows, she never says anything.

In this life, by an entirely coincidental visit to Marina's estate with Eloise and Penelope that causes her to miss a fortnight of balls during her first season. Destiny sees Francesca married to Michael Stirling at the tail end of the season.

Violet herself was surprised to find that in an effort to see her 'interesting' Oxford scholar, Eloise had enlisted Francesca and Penelope on a scheme to visit their widowed cousin behind Violet's back and with Anthony and Benedict's blessing for a fortnight. Ironically also taking their maids with them including Sophie.

As a result of that trip, Francesca had missed the majority of balls where John Stirling had attended and made it back to London with Eloise in time to be introduced to Michael Stirling. His cousin. A merry rake who just needed one conversation with Francesca to be convinced she's the woman of his dreams.

In another life Violet is privy to the birth of young Lady Whistledown in the hands of little Penelope. And even encourages the darling wallflower to be more present in balls. In this life she doesn't nudge her son's to dance with Penelope as much, but she does encourage Penelope to expand her circle of friendships and be more outspoken about her interests. As well as covertly taking any occasion of Featherington celebration to gift the child a new dress.

Here it only takes a small nudge from his mother for Colin to realizes his attraction to Eloise best friend and gravitate towards Penelope in a natural way. What was once eight years of ignoring his feelings for Penelope rapidly reduced to three as soon as he understood that traveling the world would not lead him anywhere unless Penelope Featherington was also with him.

In another life Penelope Featherington has the opportunity to reject two very respectable marriage proposals behind her mother's back before accepting Colin's suit. Attributing this to Violet and lady Danbury encouraging her to show her natural wit more often in the ballroom rather than the library.

And in another life, where he's not scared of bees or afraid of living past his father's age. While shepherding Eloise around her first season, Anthony Bridgerton meets a woman who also has a younger sibling to marry off and lost her father years before too. A bright intelligent woman who dislikes his arrogance and constantly challenges his opinion.

In this life Anthony's leftover grief over Edmund's passing, is healed by his stubborn decision to have a long courtship of Kate Sharma just to see her fume. The smile slowly comes back to Anthony's face with every exasperated gesture from a disbelieving Kate anytime he gives her flowers. While she insists he's a lunatic for courting her when he doesn't even like her and he remains adamant that he really wants her to be his wife.

In another life Violet rejoices in Anthony following his heart instead of his head. Because in this life it's the sister of the diamond who makes the Viscount stop in his tracks abruptly enough to lead him on a merry chase. And it's never Edwina who catches Anthony's eye.

And then there's Benedict.

In another life Benedict grows up with a little more attention and a little more support from the father who was there for him trough most of his life. Benedict finds the love of his life at home cleaning the library. In this life, Benedict paints to his heart content and fills his sketchbooks with the same face.

His sister' lady's maid. Sophie. The one maid his father made him promise not to joke about with when he and his mother brought her in. Sophie who is kind and good and always treats him like a normal person. Who volunteers to clean his art room often and was there to hold him when he broke down after his father died. He'd once snuck her out of her duties during a masquerade ball when they were younger just to dance with her. Because he... Didn't know anyone better than Sophie in the world.

In this life Benedict pouts when Violet laughs at how tragic he believes his unrequited love to be. And understands her position when Violet confides that Sophie probably hasn't returned his advances because she's lived her life hiding from her stepmother.

In another life Benedict Bridgerton listens to Sophie's fears. Not as a master and a maid but rather as a friend. Understanding that the bastard daughter of an Earl wouldn't be accepted in society any more than a maid was. And in another life a more mature Benedict proposes to Sophie regardless of any sacrifices he must make to be the man she deserves.

In another life Phillip Crane decides to earn more recognitions at Oxford before broaching the subject of marriage with Eloise Bridgerton, despite loving her very much. She agrees to wait and they blissfully extend their unofficial courtship for years without a care for society's opinion. In this life Eloise becomes Mrs Crane, wife to Dr Phillip Crane the Bothanist. Aunt to the heirs of Romney Hall instead of their stepmother. And Violet is happy to note that Marina (now dowager lady Crane) looks as pleased with their marriage as the rest of the Bridgerton family.

In this life Marina lives to see her children grow up, she lives to eventually remarry someone like George. She lives to find her happiness. And Eloise is there with Phillip to support her. As are Benedict and Sophie in My Cottage.

In another life Hyacinth meets Lady Danbury's grandson during a childhood tea party and announces quickly to her father how she intends to marry the mischief making Gareth StClair and the boy enthusiastically agrees. In this life there are no diamonds or a convoluted treasure hunt to bring them together. Just a note in Edmund Bridgerton's will that states that if Gareth still wants to marry Hyacinth when she comes of age, there's a place for him with the Bridgerton table and a property he's welcome to work on, should his father disinherit him for something or other.

Hyacinth's future marriage is decided among laughter and celebration. From a man who went away to travel and returned to find that he still wanted to marry the little girl he loved in his childhood, now turned into a wonderful young lady.

As for Gregory. The gallant knight in shining armor. Violet merely requested his help in protecting a young miss who's uncle was a traitor to the crown and was willing to put her in danger to achieve his nefarious deeds.

In another life Lucy Abernathy did not even know she'd been in danger before her uncle was arrested on charges of treason and her brother almost implicated on it. Had it not been for the Bridgerton family who vouched for the siblings so strongly Lucy might have lost all hope.

In another life Gregory Bridgerton takes one look at Lucy Abernathy and promises to protect her from all the dangers of the world. Including her beautiful but stupid best friend Hermione Watson.

This is the life where Gregory's grand declaration of love from a balcony is heard by all the ton and Lucy's acceptance of his suit is received with cheers and congratulations.

In another life Violet Bridgerton lives to correct mistakes and make her children's life easier. She sees everything she missed the first time around and endeavors to fix it.

In another life the Bridgertons manage to be happy without quite so many scandals or painful stories . And Violet Bridgerton lives long enough to see the beauty of it.

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This is for prompt 9 - the one where Pen & Michael want the Bridgertons to be jealous

I feel like Pen is a writer on the show, and since she based so much of the setting on irl Aubrey Hall, the Bridgertons agree to let the show film there. Michael is cast as the main character (loosely inspired by both a Bridgerton ancestor (ie, bookcanon!Colin) and modern!AU Colin) and that’s how they meet.

What is not apparent at first glance is that Michael is in love with Francesca, his cousin’s ex girlfriend who works as some kind of technician on set (lights? audio? idk) and they’re in a strictly fwb arraignment but like. without the friends part.

Pen meanwhile has been in love with Colin for years, even if she never made a  move.

On their first day on set they meet and hit it off immediately. They’ve got a v similar sense of humour, and despite the fact that Michael flirts like crazy with her, Penelope doesn’t get the sense he really means it. Which means that she’s free to flirt back like a fiend, bc it’s nice to flex those muscles sometimes, esp if it’s on someone who is obviously smitten with Francesca Bridgerton.

Thing is, Colin returns unexpectedly from his latest trip (he’s a travel blogger and his latest assignment got a little too dangerous) and he’s shocked to find Penelope flirting with a handsome, single, hot actor in his childhood home.

Even more shocking, Michael Stirling is flirting back.

That’s when it hits him - he’s actually jealous. He first tries to rationalize it telling himself he’s only jealous because Pen has almost no time for him now, but after he catches them in what looks a very compromising position he simply accepts he’s just plain jealous.

Francesca breaks off the fwb arraignment the second she sees Michael and Penelope getting closer - she is still insisting she’s not ready to jump into a relationship again, and she wishes Michael the best.

That sends Michael straight to Penelope with the proposition of a fake relationship with the hope that the dumbass Bridgerton will catch a clue and finally make their intentions known.

Everything is staged because, hello, they’re both in the industry and can make it look like anything they want.

After a few days of faking it, Colin confesses and Pen tells him about how her and Michael’s relationship is fake.

Meanwhile Francesca is on the verge of quitting, because she can’t stand to look at Michael in a happy relationship, when that’s what she could’ve had.

Thankfully it’s then that Colin makes his move and she realizes she hasn’t lost her chance (yet) so she basically asks Michael out in a v public setting and he accepts.

Both couples live happily ever after and the series is a success.

10 more Polin prompts part 2

Well I didn't think I'd be posting so soon...again. I'll probably create asthethics for these prompts after I finish my reading/re-reading of Polin stories.

After Marina’s death - Penelope visits Phillip and the children secretly with Eloise. It starts a set of events where Penelope becomes the go in between Phillip and Eloise and Colin thinking that Penelope has fallen in love with another man.  

It was such an innocuous day. One of those days that everything that happens is what usually happens. That is until Colin Bridgerton got into his accident. The last thing he remembers was going to sleep and knowing that when he wakes up that he will be running away with his fiancé Marina Thompson to Gretna Green and now he finds himself married to Penelope Featherington of all people and they have a daughter. 

Coming back from one of his travels, Colin finds an anonymous love letter in his room The lady in question professes loving him for more than 10 years and her words touch his heart most certainly. Could it be that what he was looking for all along has been here waiting for him? The problem was - he hasn’t been home in 8 months. There is no telling when the letter was placed in his room. He asks for Eloise’s and Penelope’s help with this mystery. 

On the way to Eloise (TSPWL) a supernatural phenomenon occurs that transports all 4 Bridgerton Men to the future. Now they’re trying to get back in the past. (Colin finds out that once again he has left Penelope who died as a widow)

Colin gets his wife Penelope a puppy - who doesn’t like to share her. 

Marina comes to visit her cousin Penelope for the summer right after a breakup with her boyfriend of 3 years. Penelope can do nothing but watch as her cousin decides to rebound with the man she’s been in love with. 

Colin finds out his sisters best friend is a plus size underwear model. He was not ready to see Penelope like that - despite his body telling him otherwise.

HP AU - “I’m not dating anyone and certainly not Penelope Featherington! Not in your wildest dreams” When Griffindor Quiddith Chase Colin Bridgerton announced this in the Grand Staircase it echoed up and down the walls causing the moving paintings and other students to giggle and laugh.  Said Ravenclaw wallflower was unfortunately only 10 steps behind him. 

Modern AU - A TV show is using Aubrey Hall as a filming location and Colin sees actor Michael Stirling flirting with his Pen. Penelope is quite immune to his flirtations especially since she knows he’s trying to make secret paramour Francesca jealous. 

The Bridgertons are a family of treasure/relic hunters for the British Museum. Tired of being left behind because she was a lady, Eloise convinces Penelope to come with her on an adventure. Colin Bridgerton hoped to catch up to them before his older brothers realize they are missing but a sinking ship and a life and death situation strands the trio. Frustrated at their predicament, frustrated at his careless and irresponsible sister, and most of all frustrated that his Pen was in danger - Colin uses everything he knows to bring them home safely.  

Tell me what you think? Should I keep posting more prompts? Should I just wait until someone writes at least 1 before bombarding you guys with more ideas?

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what keeps us standing

Basically, all I want is a fic in which Anthony notices how Colin and Marina’s engagement is tearing Penelope apart and he sympathizes with her. Their situations are mirrors to each other - the ones that feel responsible for their families, the ones that try to keep everything together.

Everything proceeds mostly as in canon up until the s1 finale. But- Anthony and Pen have started developing a friendship because Penelope recognizes a fellow heartbroken soul and she can be the support system his family can’t be.

Eloise at first is jealous, but she comes around to the friendship once she realizes it could mean that Penelope would marry into the family.

In the meantime, Anthony and Penelope aren’t even thinking about marriage, because they both still need some time to get over Sienna and Colin respectively.

And then we come into s2 territory, and the Sharmas remain in India (sorry Kate, Edwina, Newton and Mary, no way you wouldn’t have derailed the hell out of this, we’ll miss you) and Colin is still not back from his travels.

And this is where things start changing - Anthony is not in search of a viscountess (or so he thinks lol). Eloise makes her debut in society, which means that she and Pen can spend much more time together at social events.

Which means that Anthony and Penelope start spending much more time together in front of the ton. Their interactions are always super proper and respectable on the surface, but they can read each other pretty well by that point, because they’ve written to each other for the whole off-season (PORTIA FEATHERINGTON AGGRESSIVELY DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE CORRESPONDENCE IF IT MEANS A MARRIAGE TO A VISCOUNT), which means that they don’t need words to communicate.

(Cressida Cowper is dying of jealousy, because what the fuck did Penelope Featherington do to make Anthony Bridgerton pay attention to her?)

The ton at large mostly assumes that Anthony dances with Penelope because of either 1) Eloise or 2) Violet but nope. He just wants to dance with her because she told him she loves to, and it’s not like it’s an imposition to dance with her.

Violet has decided to keep her mouth shut, because she fears Anthony will shut everything down if he gets even a hint of the fact that he’s basically low-key courting Penelope, and she’d like her as a daugher in law, thank you very much.

Anyways. Weeks go by, Penelope’s dance card is steadily full (she’s dancing with a viscount, it makes eligible bachelors notice her), she is invited promenading with Eloise (even if she spends an awful lot of that time talking with Anthony) and really, this is just so much better than last year.

And then she makes a mistake - she writes one of the comments she made about someone into a Lady Whistledown column. Anthony isn’t dumb and he connects the dots: Penelope is Lady Whistledown.

Which means... which means that she almost ruined her own family for Colin. Colin, his idiot brother who had never noticed the yearning glances Penelope sent his way, who needed to grow up a lot more before he could be worthy of someone as amazing as Penelope.

That evening he gets drunk, seriously drunk, for the first time since after Sienna refused his marriage proposal.

He has no idea what to do- someone else will connect the clues, sooner or later, and Pen will be exposed to the ridicule of the whole ton. She’s more clever and witty than most people he knows, but she’s a woman, and one that does not fit the standards of beauty at that. They will tear her apart and enjoy the process.

And it’s three sheets to the wind that Anthony gets the best idea ever. If she marries into the Bridgertons she’d be protected from a lot of the backlash. The idea of marrying Penelope is almost... nice.

The next day he’s hungover and irritable. It’s not even anyone’s fault - he just took a look at his and Penelope’s friendship and realized he’d already been low-key courting her.

Meanwhile Penelope’s getting over Colin because well. she’s falling for his older brother and damn if he isn’t even more unobtainable than Colin. He’s a viscount, he’s charming, he’s beautiful and there is no way he’d ever look in her direction when he’ll decide to settle down.

Sure, they’re friends (or as much friends as they can be when they’re both unmarried and there is no understandings between their families) but she’s well. She’s the third daughter of a baron, she does not fit into the ton’s beauty standards and she’s keeping a big secret from everyone.

No way she’ll end up married to any Bridgerton, let alone Anthony Bridgerton.

[insert weeks of Anthony trying to make clear to Penelope he wants to court her and her being super oblivious, until she finally gets it]

And basically. Penelope and Anthony get married, Colin gets a weird pang in his chest for the first six months he’s around them bc well. sure. Penelope is an amazing sister in law, but he thought their friendship would never change.

Eloise is ecstatic bc now she and Pen are really sisters! Violet had wanted to adopt her basically five minutes after meeting her and now she’s her daughter-in-law!

Lady Whistledown stops publishing a season after Pen and Anthony marry (she reveals her secret after they return from the honeymoon and he goes ‘Oh, I already know’ and she is gobsmacked bc she expected a big argument) and they live happily ever after.

[a-lone-heart-in-the-wild]

I’M BACK AT IT WITH ANOTHER CANON DIVERGENCE FEATURING MICHAEL & PENELOPE FRIENDSHIP (am I going to shove down everyone’s throats my ‘MICHAEL AND PENELOPE WOULD MAKE GREAT FRIENDS’ agenda? yes, yes I am)

Anyways! Fudging up the timeline a bit bc I think Michael should be in the army at this point in the timeline? (Been a while since I read the books and my memory for dates and such sucks so bad lol) Basically, I make the ‘i’d never dream of courting Penelope’ convo happen a few years later.

P.S. THIS GOT AWAY FROM ME, SORRY

What I imagine is like. Michael is not involved in the conversation with Fife and the other guys, but he’s nearby. He’s kind of friends with Colin, but he also know that Fife and the others are not exactly pleasant drunks and they like to gossip discuss stuff that could be considered inappropriate for polite company.

(Except when it comes to noticing that Eloise Bridgerton’s friend, the one who doesn’t speak is head over heels in love with him)

Because he’s both nearby and not involved in the metaphorical carriage accident that is said discussion of Penelope Featherington’s marriage prospects (right, that’s her name thinks Michael) he notices something the idiots over there did not.

That is, Penelope Featherington is there, behind a statue, but still close enough to overhear everything, given that the group comprised of Colin’s friends is drunk and thus louder than necessary.

Bridgerton, Michael thinks, really fucked up. For God’s sake, he’s at her family’s ball and he’s disparaging her in the middle of a crowd. No way it’s going to end well. And really, he’s not even going to think about the evident crush the girl has on him.

Poor Miss Featherington leaves her post behind the statue and even from afar it’s obvious that she’s either in tears or close to it.

And it’s then and there that Michael Stirling decides that Penelope Featherington deserves someone in her corner when it comes to eligible bachelors, and that that someone might as well be him.

For all that he’s absolutely not in search of a wife, maybe seeing someone court her would spur some genuine interest from better marriage prospects.

The next day Lady Whistledown prints all about the discussion at the Featherington ball, and it’s v badly received at Bridgerton House (just a shit-ton of ′HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT THERE, COLIN!’ from Violet, a ‘you better fix it’ from Anthony and Eloise (despite all the shit that went down the previous evening) is ready to throw hands because that’s still Penelope (and oh, she had to write that shit about herself, when Eloise is not so blind that she hasn’t noticed Pen’s crush on Colin) and even if they had that friendship-ending fight yesterday she had been a friend of the family since she was little.)

At the next event of the season Michael asks Pen for a dance and the whole ton is giving him sideways looks, because well- Penelope Featherington? For all that it’s just her second season everyone can read the writing on the wall and it’s saying that she’ll end up a spinster on the shelf.

The first dance is awkward as fuck, Michael can freely admit that. Their second dance together, at the next ball, just a bit less.

Suddenly it’s six weeks later and he and Penelope have established a tentative friendship. It really helps that he’s made no moves that could even hint at courting beyond asking her to dance.

Meanwhile, Colin has been living in hell. His family is very unhappy with him, Penelope has refused to see him when he went over, she avoids all events where he could be present and all the letters he sent to her get returned unopened. And as if that weren’t enough, Michael Stirling has been consistently dancing with Penelope.

And okay. It’s not that he dislikes the fellow, he’s actually a pretty okay guy, But- well. Penelope’s only regular dance partner was Colin and sure, she’s been avoiding him like the plague, but... he didn’t expect anyone to notice her.

Which, thinking about it, sounds rather bad. But she’s been out for two seasons now, and there hadn’t been even the shadow of a gentleman that could be interested. And well. He’d always thought she’d be always there, for a dance and a friendly quip.

He’d never even thought what would happen if someone expressed their interest in one Miss Penelope Featherington. She’d marry, for sure, and that meant she could potentially leave. If she married Stirling, she’d live in Scotland, for God’s sake.

The idea that Penelope could leave makes him feel weird. He doesn’t like the idea, obviously- Penelope is his friend. But he also doesn’t like that she wouldn’t have as much time as she does now for him (okay, as she had, because currently she gives him absolutely no chances to talk, to explain)

Basically, I want Pen to have a grand old time in Michael’s company, Michael to have a great time in Pen’s company and for Colin to silently fume in the corner, trying to apologize to Pen.

And obviously, at some point, Colin realizes that he wants Pen all for himself, and really. If that means marrying her would it be that bad? They’re already friends, he absolutely despises that she has to live with her family (THEY IGNORE HER AND HOW AWESOME SHE IS), he has to settle down sooner or later, he knows that if he wanted to travel Penelope wouldn’t try and make him stay in England and bonus points because his mother absolutely adores Penelope. It’’s a perfect plan, no way it could go wrong!

And sure, by this point they’re back to friendly-ish acquaintances because he apologized.

There’s only one small problem in the grand scheme of things - Michael is still around, glaring daggers at Colin every time he comes near to Penelope (because in the meantime Michael has come to see Penelope as a younger sister, for all that he doesn’t have one) and all the ton thinks here’s a romantic triangle between the youngest Miss Featherington and two (2!) eligible bachelors.

Portia Featherington is floating on cloud nine, and has given no signs that she’s going descend anytime soon.

Just for the dramah I want Michael to notice how much of gossip that he and Penelope overhear makes into Lady Whisteldown and he deduces that she  could very well be the mysterious author.

He actually confronts her about it one day when they’re out promenading and she thinks he’d be angry because that would very well be the normal reaction, but he’s just mostly impressed she’s managed to keep it secret for so long.

The revelation that someone has found out her identity independently makes Pen realize she’s playing a dangerous game and so she decides that Lady Whistledown has to die. She releases the last Whistledown column soon after Dowager Countess [something or other]’s death - a woman that was known for having quite the sharp tongue.

Everyone assumes said Dowager Countess (who had no direct close relations) was LW, and Penelope is finally free of her alter-ego (that had started becoming boring, because it’s always marriages, births and deaths, with the occasional scandal thrown in, but even the scandals are always all the same).

Colin manages to propose to Penelope, but she refuses, because she wants him to marry for love and she knows he’ll never love her the way she wants.

Michael has gotten to know the Bridgertons through Penelope (Peneloise make-up some time before this?), John comes to town, meets Francesca and they fall in love. Michael is devastated, because he’s already kind-of in love with Francesca, but the business with Penelope and Colin took precedence and now he’s lost his opportunity. Shit.

Colin thinks Penelope refused him because she’s in love with Michael, so he leaves for a trip on the Continent. (He stays away for a year and half)

Michael tells all about Francesca to Penelope, and they decide to get married if by when she’s thirty Penelope is still unmarried. (After all, they both want a family someday, and having children with your best friend is well. not the worst way to go about it)

And then John dies (let’s make the John/Francesca marriage a bit shorter) and Michael is suddenly the Earl. Which, as in canon, makes him flee to India.

So now Pen is down two suitors and Portia starts hinting at hPen’s future as her motther’s slave of sorts.

And that’s when Colin returns. By now he expects Pen to be married, but he finds out she’s not and that makes him feel so much relief and he doesn’t get why. Penelope is just a friend! Except... except that he thinks of her way more often than even his family. There are times he thinks ‘I wish Pen were here so she could see this too’ or ‘Oh, this would be a perfect gift for Pen!’ and that’s- that’s not friendship. That’s love.

Colin Bridgerton is heads over heels with Penelope Featherington and she rejected him because she wanted him to marry for love.

And it’s as if the clouds have parted, and he sees. He sees all the glances Pen used to send his way, all the smiles, all the times her smile fell because he was leaving, and all the times she smiled at him when he returned from his travels.

There was only one thing he could do: court the fuck out of one Miss Penelope Featherington, and hope that she’d forgive him for being an idiot for so long.

She does.

(Michael: ABOUT FUCKING TIME HE REALIZED HE WAS HOPELESSLY IN LOVE WITH YOU)

Story Idea: Polin #20 - Jealousy thy name is Colin Bridgerton

"I would never DREAM of courting Penelope Featherington"

Michael Stirling turns just as a young lady dashes away in tears. He knew the Featherington's enough to know that it was the youngest one Penelope. He was after all attending their party.

Let's see about that Mr. Bridgerton - Michael thought.

aka The one where Michael Stirling makes it his mission to have Colin Bridgerton eat his words.

[a-lone-heart-in-the-wild]

Premise: I haven’t read the books in years, so things may be a little all over the place lol

Michael dances with Penelope during the 1818 season (shortly after Francesca’s marriage) and he immediately notices that she’s stealing glances towards Colin Bridgerton and the idiot does’t even notice.

After the dance he escorts her back to the edge of the dancefloor and he makes a quip about someone and Penelope actually mutters something even more hilarious under her breath, but Micheal hears her and now he’s laughing and heads are turning bc Michael Stirling is laughing and Penelope Featherington is the cause.

And that is how Michael and Penelope’s friendship starts. From the get-go he knows that she’s in love with Colin. Six months into said friendship she lets slip something about how she knows that he’s also in love. She never mentions who he’s in love with, which makes him very glad.

They start exchanging letters (very improper, but it’s not like Portia cares about propriety if there’s a chance Penelope will catch such an eligible bachelor as Michael Stirling, heir presumptive to the count of Kilmartin) and slowly everyone assumes that Michael will ask Penelope to marry him bc well. it’s not like it isn’t obvious to the ton.

Meanwhile, Pen and Michael's correspondence is basically. ‘ARGH. Saw Colin today, he’s leaving again′ and ‘Help, Francesca thinks I’m in love with you and that you’ll break my heart sooner or later.’

Basically, Penelope and Michael bond over their unattainable Bridgertons and have some casual plans to marry if Pen hasn’t received a decent proposal by the time she’s thirty bc Pen has confessed her desire for a family to Michael and he thinks there are worse things to base a marriage on than friendship, a deep mutual respect and the knowledge that the people they’re both in love with are not available.

RMB and WHWW mostly ensue as canon except that Colin knows that Michael could very well be competition for Pen’s hand and that Francesca thinks Michael is in love with Penelope.

The first letters post both Penelope’s and Michael’s marriages are ‘NO MORE MOOBS LOL’

Story Idea: Polin #19 - MOOBS - the Move On from Oblivious Bridgertons Society

Michael Stirling was tired.

He was just tired of seeing one of his favorite people pining for such an oblivious idiot.

Well he couldn't very well be all that judgmental about it when he himself fell in love with another oblivious idiot.

Damn those painfully beautiful Bridgertons and their charming smiles and beautiful faces, and many, many more wonderful attributes both physical and personality wise.

Michael scoffs as Penelopes starry-eyed countenance falls for a brief second as Colin Bridgerton walks off to ask another debutant for a dance.

There and then an idea forms in his head. He would form an exclusive club - The Move On from Oblivious Bridgertons Society - MOOBS for short. Eh it was a work in progress.