#Always fun to learn little details like this about countries

[twrambling]

do you take requests? (if not feel free to ignore!🙈) how about poland and haiti? they apparently have history together! feel free to see it as romantic❤️ or platonic✨ (if I am not wrong, I think a few haitians today actually have polish ancestry🧐)

Thank you for the request this was super fun to draw!!! :DD and it also taught me something new so thank you for sharing ❤️ ^^

Historical context (copy and pasted from Wikipedia):

"[...] descendants of surviving members of Napoleon's Polish Legionnaires which were forced into combat by Napoleon but later joined the Haitian slaves during the Haitian Revolution. Some 400 to 500 of these Poles are believed to have settled in Haiti after the war. They were given special status as Noir (legally considered to be black, not white despite actual race) and full citizenship under the Haitian constitution by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the first ruler of an independent Haiti [...]"

The link to the wiki article:

Slightly less anti french version

[kingconia]

hiiiiii! ugh, i am not sure if you take requests? but if you do, can i ask you leona one, where reader is the descendant of scar, and afterglow savanna always treats her like shit, thinking she will try to kill farena or leona?? idk tbh the dynamic between her and others, but maybe with a prompt "why are you keep protecting me?" "because if anyone kills you it will be me?" BUT NOT ANGSTY MORE LIKE CHEESY ONE like she is joking she has no plans to do so!!

(also maybe she is friend with azul bc both of them manipulative masterminds idk)

A/N: that's actually sounds so fun. i am genuinely invested, though, i had never thought that someone will ask me to write something. but, oh, darling, thank you. i would love do that more, so if anyone wants, i am open to your ideas.

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR × READER, WHO IS SCAR'S DESCENDANT

warnings: not detailed mention of blood and some threats with mentions of gore? it is lighter than it sounds.

Hatred followed you from a very young age. And it wasn't necessarily yours.

You were six, when you learned to understand that kindness will not help you survive. But cruelty will.

Abandoned, throwed away, you were nothing in the world of kings and queens. Your whole existence were cursed from the day you made your first breath, and no one was going to tell you why. Why you were so hated by the whole country, by every single person in your motherland? Why your mother turned away from you? Why you were considered to be dangerous?

But the more you grew, the more you understood that it is for the better. Their hatred, their suspicion, their rage. It made you the independent person. The predator.

And you were fine with that.

At some point, you stopped caring about what all of them thought. Instead, it filled you with even more power to move forward.

And so you survived. Proudly, with chin up to the sky, ignoring the way others treated you.

Savannaclaw wasn't necessarily bad, though. You thought it will be; Farena Kingscholar never being kind to you, and his kingdom therefore, too. But Savannaclaw was different. There, your only king was Leona. And Leona didn't care whose descendant you were.

If anything, he never even took it seriously.

”Why the fuck I would care about that cursed king?” He spitted it out once, as Ruggie asked him in what he thought was a whisper, as you passed by. ”Stupid lion is dead for a long time. Why would she care about him, even?”

And that was it. Savannaclaw never acted like you were enemy, no one glared at you with participation, no one was suspicious about your every single world.

You were free.

And the freedom you had gained, finally, made your loyalty to Leona stronger.

So, you didn't really like, when someone offended him.

It was your job to annoy him, to try break his trust towards you by cynical remarks—”oh, my King, you shouldn't trust me with your nephew. What if I tear him apart?” or ”Tsh, tsh, little lion... Haven't your brother told you? You shouldn't really turn your back to the hungry animal,”—even if he never cared.

And if someone tried to steal your job... Well, that would be really-really bad.

”Remind me once again,” you yawned, throwing a grape in your mouth, ”why I am not allowed to fight that Pomfiore boy for you?”

Azul chuckled.

”You got almost expelled twice, tigerfish. I am flatted that you are willing to try it for me, too, but I have more interesting ways to get my revenge.”

Azul was probably the strangest friend you ever had—and you had the only one, who was Jack—but it wasn't necessarily bad. He always got you involved in his plans, and as both of you were thinking about this or that in complete solitude, scheming and laughing, you thought it actually was nice.

”I caught him applying foundation on his face a week ago,” you share with him quietly. ”On the whole face. And let me say, he is not that perfect without it, Zul.”

He gasped dramatically.

”And that after interview, where he says he hates unnatural beauty?!”

”Mhm.”

”Tigerfish, you are so cruel,” he smiled. ”I love it.”

”Sure you are,” your ears moved by itself and you turned your head on the right. ”Do you hear that?”

Voices. Very loud, very angry voices. Usually, you would ignore that, but it was a familiar scent that made you move forward, ignoring Azul's question.

”Are you fucking insane, Hunt?”

”Oi, oi, I only cared to see if you would react immediately!”

You groaned.

Fucking Pomfiore kids.

As you stepped closer, your annoyed expression shifted to a worried one. There was a crossbow in Rook's arms, and Leona was holding an arrow is his hand, face angry.

So, it was it: little hunter tried to hunt Leona down.

Before he acknowledged your presence, you moved forward, raising Rook by his collar, right from behind.

”Don't get frightened, little one,” you said, voice, despite a smirk, vicious. ”I only cared to see if you would react immediately.”

Leona scoffed.

”Aha, how nice! Jolie Lionne! Had you came to save your pretty prince from the trouble?”

You frowned.

”He is the king, hunter.” Your turned him to face you properly, still leaving him hanging in the air. ”Listen to me, sweet human, the next time I see you trying to shoot him, I will scratch your eyes with my claws, and eat them in front of your fake housewarden. And then, I am going to make a feast. Do you hear me?”

His face scrunched for a second, but he put his usual smile on the face rather quickly.

”My, my... We were merely playing! But, fine, fine. As you wish, jolie lionne!”

You freed him, and this time he was rather quick with leaving.

Other students shun you actively, so it wasn't surprising. Beyond Savannaclaw, Azul, and, well, Lillia Van Rouge, other either ignored your existence or avoided you in fear. You had one the hell of the reputation, and your own attitude never helped to fix the damage that rumours left on you.

”I didn't ask you to do that,” Leona clicked his tongue, moving to your right side.

”You never do,” you shrugged. ”I don't really care.”

Maybe it was the fact that you never denied his power, never looked down at him, that helped him to make a peace with the fact that you were so eager to protect him. Because, well, in the beginning, he thought it was offensive.

”You are so fucking strange that, do you know that?” You repeated your previous action, and he continued. ”If I were you, I would love to kill me. And my brother. Especially him. But you keep doing that. Keep guarding me like a lapdog. Why?”

Why?

You wondered about it too, once. But the answer came easily to you.

It was a boy with unusual scar on his young face that stared at you without hatred the first. Simply stared, without any particular emotion, and handed you a little red flower, before leaving.

And though, he probably didn't remember it...

It was still him, who looked at you without despise in his eyes, when both of you grew up, meeting here and there, as your presence should have been always controlled and seen by the royal family.

And it was him, who made Savannaclaw respect you, as he joined this school, a year later than you did.

It was always him.

”Having trouble with creating another lie?” He smirked, moving to stop in front of you, clearly disliking the fact that you ignore his presence.

”You want to know why, Leona?” You tilted your head, meeting his curious eyes. "Because I consider you to be the King, more than your brother ever will, and therefore, I should protect you.”

Before he opened his mouth, you caught him by the chin, moving him closer. He stared at you, not annoyed, but quite lost by this action. Your eyes shimmered with a familiar hunger that always lived inside you.

A hunger for fame. Acceptance. Peace. Blood. Cruelty.

Love.

”And because,” your lips brushed the corner of his, as you breathed out on his cheek, ”if anyone ever tries to rip out your golden heart, my King, it is going to be me.”

His lips curled in a same wicked smile that played on your face.

And as his arms fall on your hips, he accepted the game.

”What a coincidence,” his whisper came out like a purr. ”Because if ever try to rip our my heart, my dear Consort, I will allow it to you.”

A laugh that escaped your chest sounded so taunted that others would find it scary.

But you know Leona didn't. In fact, he enjoyed it very much.

And both of you had a very long journey to find out what else you enjoy about each other. Gladly, you had plenty of time for that.

[clonefrce99]

Life on its form

Any driver x fem!ooc (only mentioned as she)

WARNINGS: driver dies, there are references to depression (mentions of giving up). HEAVILY ANGST - if you find something else, let me know.

Also there's probably some grammar mistakes here and there.

A/N: it's the saddest thing i've written in a year but I couldn't waste the idea. Hope you enjoy :)

From books to movies, love seems to be this enormous thing that works like missing pieces from a puzzle.

Love is supposed to fulfill the empty spaces.

And is very common to hear people say: “It takes effort, and sometimes it’s tiring. But it’s worth it.”

So, during every single relationship, she tried. She tried her best to make it work – because that’s what it takes, right? To some she was loud, to others she was more of an introverted. Fun but not funny, you know? At one point, to one of her partners, she was just enough. She never got too angry or too sad or too happy.

Her partner loved when their friends talked about her. About how good she was, how they wished their own partners were like that. She never complained when he went out with his buddies, wasn't jealous when he got too close to another woman. She was a good girl. His good girl.

It was tiring. But… love requires that. You need to give to receive. And they were good. They were also enough to her. Even when they got mad, like mad-mad, everything was just fine.

For four whole months, they had planned this trip to enjoy the always so beautiful and fun European summer. When the day arrived, they simply said she should go alone, that they weren't on the mood and would be a terrible company. And, on top of all that, they said:

"You should go alone, make friends. It's gonna be good for you. For us, you know? To be apart."

Great. She thought. That clearly meant the relationship wasn't on its best moment. Ups and downs (even though it was more downs than ups). That’s what relationships are made of. No need to think any deeper.

So was right there, on that small country on the northen coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that she learned that love is actually simple and effortless. It comes, stays and requires nothing.

He taught her that. All he wanted from her was sweet nothing.

What was supposed to be a four week trip, became two months. And then three. Between somewhere here and there, she texted her now ex to let them know she wasn't coming back.

All her friends and family thought she had lost it. Who ends a three years relationship because of some random person they just met? They truly thought she had gone mad (to which she responded: yes! Madly in love!).

Was after a great night where they lived, laughed and loved, that he told her he was a Formula 1 driver. She imediatly wanted to cry. Not because of fear of everything being too much, or because he started to ramble about his plans with his ever so excited smile.

She cried because, for the first time in a long time, she felt safe. It didn't matter what would happen, if he was famous, if she would need to deal with all types of people.

He had her. She had him. Nothing else mattered.

When they had to leave the little world they had created during those months and go back to reality, all they felt was deep and raw love.

And then the months became a year. Then a year and a half. And then two years. And then they were living together. What started with a small space on his drawer, became a full section on his closet.

When routine started to catch up, during times where her work demanded more and so did his, with more and more races being add to the calendar, they decided to create a sort of system. Something silly. Something them.

They downloaded some apps for couples, so when they couldn't be together, they could still do things together. Their favourite was one where they could draw. Also, at the end of each day, they would write down to each other those detailed text messages talking about all things.

He also started to leave notes on the pockets of her clothing before leaving. Sometimes he would write poetry, something to make her laugh, or some sort of reminder of how much he loved her. He also loved to leave things with the notes: small gifts, from jewelry to chocolate.

No matter what happened, she knew it would always have something.

But it’s been three months since his accident. Three months she hadn’t found a note, the drawing app widget is nothing more than a white empty board and there is no more detailed messages.

She hadn’t attended the race that weekend, having too much work to do. They did made plans for going to this fancy restaurant he always wanted to try, though. Such a shame they never made it.

Would be a lie to say she remembers much from the days after the news. Actually, she barely remember the day itself. She knows she was the first to get to the hospital, that she was the one to call the family (both hers and his), and then talk with the team.

Some said they were sorry, some tried to find something to blame trying hard to sooth the situation.

But that was life on its form.

Even if it had someone or something to blame, what difference would make? He wasn’t coming back. She wouldn’t hear his laugh anymore, or his tantrums, or his rambling. She would never see again the way he used to lean against every surface he could, or how bad he was at hiding his emotions.

She would never touch him again.

And grief it’s different to every person. There’s no right or wrong way to feel it – as her therapist said. People feel what they feel when they feel and there's nothing you can do to change that.

She accepted easily, better than she thought she would, at least. She did got depressed on the first days, of course, but she kept on going. Always foward.

For first week of her work vacation, she went to her family house. No one dared to say anything. She was laughing, going out with old friends - what was surprising, considering they were sure she would give up.

But that's something she could never do.

She does have something to live for. The memories of every single moment they had together, good or bad, are worth living for.

Now it's been two days since she came back. The apartment is so quiet she allows herself to wonder why she didn't cried yet. From the balcony, she sees the sun making its way towards the line where the sky mets the sea. In a few minutes, it'll also be gone.

She smiles. Once, her therapist asked her "in one word, and just one, describe your love and why"

She answered that their love was just like the ocean. Not because it's unstable or deep, as some people say. She chose the ocean because it's endless and most likely, it won't ever go away. Now thinking better, she should've had chosen waves instead of ocean: always moving, always coming and going but never dissipating completely.

And that’s what their love is: something that will never just go. Now, some days she feels more, some days she feels less. But it’s there.

With this thought, she decides to change her clothes and do something she's been doing her best to avoid: to wear the last cardigan he bought. It was during that week, it came inside of a beautiful box and he had smiled saying, "i have great plans for this one".

Making her way to the small beach in front of their building, she takes a deep breath and fels that stupid feeling again. The one that puts her on the edge of something that never comes no matter how hard she tries. As if there's something waiting right around the corner.

The sky is now a mix of purple, pink and orange. It's beautiful. The wind becomes cold while she just stands there, feeling the sand wrap her feet. The waves crash, coming and going and then coming again.

It's when a bird flies too close to her that she puts her hands on both pockets. A reflex. Something so normal but that means a lot, specially when she feels one of her hands brush against something.

And there it is. She finally went over the edge, finally saw what is around the corner. Her eyes gets watery, she can feel tears falling down her cheeks and sees the wet dots being created on the sand. She laughs. Suddenly life is less heavy.

Her body almost gives in, but she manages to sit properly. With another deep breath, she sees what he left for her.

Two years ago, during a race week on the US, they managed to scape go to Santa Monica. He insisted on going to the photo booth and she hated every single one of the pictures. He told her to chose one to keep, the others could go.

And he carried that one with him everywhere. Either on his wallet or inside of his helmet.

And now the picture is on her hand, wrapped in a small paper. She's sure it was already there when he gave it to her, and when he kissed her goodbye for the last time.

On his crap handwriting, was written: a memory for you to keep until I come back.

Seing the sun finally disappear and the moon rise on the other side, she reliases she created another memory for her to keep on living for.

[rhey-007]

𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 | P2

Daniel Ricciardo x Kubica!reader

Summary: After an unexpected event you finally 'announce' your relationship with Daniel.

Warnings/Tags: fluff, family fluff, car accident, driver reader, female reader

A/N: It's a short one just so you know. I changed Oscar for reader. And ofc the situation in completely made up. There's nothing more I can say, enjoy! 💞

Wordcount: 2312

Part 1

*＊✿❀🍊❀✿＊*

A few months passed since you started dating Daniel. You really couldn’t have imagined a better boyfriend. He was so sweet and charming, always ready to help you even when you didn’t need it, buying you various gifts even though you categorically forbade him – you didn’t like when he spent money on you without occasion or if it wasn’t food – but the man was too stubborn to give up, always wanting to see you happy and comfortable.

Everyone on the grid knew there was something between you from the moment you’ve met, instantly befriending one another, and they weren’t much surprised when they found out about your relationship.

The only ones that had no idea, but were pretty suspicious, were your fans. You always thought Daniel was a kind of guy to share his happiness with the whole world, but you were wrong. He kept your relationship secret much to your satisfaction, you wouldn’t like journalists and paparazzi running after you asking stupid questions about you and the AlphaTauri driver.

You’ve brought Daniel back home a few times, introducing him to your family. Your grandma took a particular liking in him, always asking when he would visit her. You couldn’t blame her though.

The first time they met she immediately put him to work and Daniel was more than keen on helping her, even though he couldn’t understand a word she said.

After that he became her favourite grandkid, making your brother Robert fiercely compete with him for that spot. But Daniel didn’t even have to try. He just flashed her one of his charming and genuine smiles and she was instantly pushing a few banknotes – which he never accepted, usually giving them to you or secretly putting them back into her savings jar – or food into his hands.

Robert and Daniel also formed a kind of bond. He always wanted a brother, eventually landing with you whom he wouldn’t trade for anything, but still felt the lack of brotherly rivalry. So when you told him about you and Daniel he was head over heals with the information.

Robert accepted him as a brother he never had, taking him out for a drink every time he could or taking him to boys night with his friends when he visited Poland.

Daniel fell in love not only with you but also your family, country and culture – secretly trying to learn polish and how to make polish food, to impress you and your close ones.

His favourite memory with them, was their first meeting on Christmas. You’ve managed to drag him all the way from Perth, where you spent the time after the racing season finally able to relax and have some fun, to Poland.

He chuckled when you warned him the winter might be really cold, not believing you, but the moment he stepped out of the airport, cold air and snowflakes hitting his face, he regretted not listening to you and not packing warmer clothes. Good thing you knew better and repacked his suitcase the day before your flight when he was asleep.

“I told you”

You and Robert snickered walking out after him and watching as he trembled.

"There you go buddy. Can’t let you freeze or our little gremlin will kill me”

You stuck your tongue out at your brother for the nickname but really appreciated him covering Daniel with his own coat.

“Jesteśmy!” (We’re here!)

Your shout vibrated through the old house as you walked inside, shrugging off your coat and hanging it up before running to greet your parents. Robert instructed Daniel further inside while he took your suitcases upstairs to your room.

The man looked around the rooms, surveying every smallest detail he could. Your childhood house wasn’t too big but was sure really cozy. Family photos hanged on the plain white walls along with pictures of Jesus and some saints, antlers were there too – were they real? Did your father or grandad hunt them? He had no idea but had to find out.

Soon, instead of following your voice to the living room he found himself in the kitchen. It was quite big, able to accommodate a long family. He has managed to let out a quiet ‘hello’ before your grandam started giving him orders not even bothering to check who it was.

Thanks to her hand movement Daniel was able to help her, taking some things from the highest shelves, opening a few jars and preparing the table for dinner. Apparently leaving him alone for a few seconds wasn’t the best idea.

A huge smile appeared on your face when you noticed him standing by the stove with your grandma, tasting the soup she made and giving her a thumbs up.

“See you already met grandma”

Your hand run up and down his back after you walked up to them, the man nodding happily, his arm wrapping around your wiast and squeezing it softly. Only then did your grandma realise the man was your boyfriend.

“Babciu, this is my boyfriend Daniel” (Granny)

“O kochanieńki! And I thought you were one of Robert’s friends! You could have said! I wouldn’t have put you to work!” (Oh honey!)

She grabbed his arm, pulling to the table and making him sit down, not lettiing him do anything for the rest of the evening.

Daniel sat the closest to her, constantly praising her cooking skills throughout the whole dinner, as he really enjoyed it.

You were surprised how good your family has received him and how well he found himself around them despite the language barrier.

The man couldn’t stop rambling about the dinner after you showered, laying on the bed and admiring him as he talked, you could literally see stars in his eyes.

“Daniel...”

A tired mumble got him out of trance and he looked down at you, sweetly snuggled in the warm covers barely able to keep your eyes opened.

“I’m sorry, I’m just so excited and mesmerized”

He said, finally laying down beside you and bringing you closer.

“Don’t be I get it...”

After placing a soft kiss to the tip of his nose, you hid your face in his chest and fell asleep almost immediately.

*＊✿❀🍊❀✿＊*

The next day was Christmas Eve. You expected Daniel to still be asleep when you wake up, as he usually would, but you were surprised not to find him beside you.

Quickly getting ready, you run down the stairs and heard the familiar laugh. You entered the kitchen to see your boyfriend once again helping your grandma along with Robert.

"Hi honey!”

He placed a chaste kiss to your cheek before instructing you to close your eyes and open your mouth. You hesitantly obeyed, softly parting your lips then felt Daniel place some food inside of them. Chewing it slowly you could hear your grandma and brother giggle, making you open your eyes.

“Did you like it?”

Daniel asked with a playful smile and you nodded.

“It was a herring with bread and pickles”

He answered the question you didn’t manage to ask, making you instantly want to puke. Looking confused between him and your family, you understood their giggles.

Apparently Robert bet Daniel that he won’t be able to make you eat, nor admit that the food you hate is actually really good. And he won, much to your dissatisfaction as all of them kept teasing you about this the whole day.

Daniel found himself pretty well in the chaos happening in the house, but preffered to stay in the kitchen where he felt most comfortable.

Eventually the dinner came and the man could meet the rest of your family. Your older aunts were amazed by the fact you pulled such a hot and polite australian, while your cousins’ kids enjoyed the way he played with them, not capable to say no to either of them even when he started to get tired.

Watching them play made your stomach flutter, cheeks cover in a soft blush and lips spreading into a smile. It was by far the best Chistams you both have ever experienced.

When the time for presents came, Daniel was the first one to receive his. Silence fell in the room while he opened the bag, everyone’s eyes watching waiting for his reaction, and revealed a beautiful sweater your grandma knitted for him. He pulled it over his head, tears filling his eyes until they fell down like waterfalls when he read the note left inside the bag.

“Welcome to the family Daniel”

It read. You hugged him tightly, the kids running up to do the same then the rest of your family joined in. From then on he was like a precious gem to all of them...

*＊✿❀🍊❀✿＊*

Few months later you were relaxing in your hotel room, after the arrival for the Belgium GP, sitting in Daniel’s lap and reading the comments and blogs about the two of you. Snuggling into his chest you sighed heavily, earning a confused look from the man. You looked up at Daniel at pretty much the same time he did at you.

"Should we tell them already? "

You asked quietly. He took a sip of his Heineken and changed the TV channel before responding.

"They already know"

Rolling your eyes you couldn't help a smile.

"Oh you know what I mean! "

You softly hit his chest which made him look down at you with a mischievous smile.

"Naaah... Let them suffer a little more~"

His words made you chuckle and shake your head. Well then your fans had to wait a little more...

Fortunately, or unfortunately, that ‘little more’ was really short. Your training and qualifications went really well, just as your teammate’s Lando’s, and you both were likely to be on a podium.

It was Sunday and everything went smoothly, for both McLaren and AlphaTauri so neither you nor Daniel needed to see each other until the end.

But the man came in anyway, just to make sure you were ready and alright, and also to steal a kiss as he believed that you were his lucky charm. He sneaked into your room unnoticed by the paparazzi or cameras and wrapped his arms around you from behind.

“How is my princess feeling?”

“Great, as always”

You responded with a warm smile then pressed your lips against his. He didn’t want to let go, even when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket – it must have been either Yuki or Franz trying to reach him.

“You gotta go...”

You mumbled sadly into the kiss and only then did he pull away, a soft pout on his lips. You stroked his cheek then kissed it quickly and pushed him out of your room.

“Good luck! I’ll see you later!”

First few laps felt like heaven, you were 2nd right after Max, but by the 10th lap there was something wrong with your brakes. You decided to brush it off, which was really stupid, as when you finally decided to inform your team it was too late.

You were too far to pit, driving too fast and not able to break. When you reached the first turn – La Source – once again, your car flew straight into the barriers almost crushing you inside.

You were lucky enough that nothing really happened, except your arm breaking. You haven’t really noticed it though, quickly hopping out of the car and waiting for someone to pick you up. Only when you were escorted to the hospital wing did you felt the huge pain when you tried moving it.

Daniel was in the middle of the track when he noticed the safety car join them.

“What happened?”

He asked Jodi who didn’t respond at first, making the man feel uneasy.

“Y/N crashed her car”

He soon heard Jodi say, his throat feeling dry.

“Is she okay!? I’m pulling over.”

“NO! You gotta stay on the track. She’s alright. Everything’s alright”

Jodi sighed rubbing his forehead then came up with and idea. The man knew Ricciardo was able to pull over and fuck the race just to be sure you were alive, and no one could stop him. Except of you. He called you, feeling relieved when Robert passed you your phone.

“He wants to pull over, you gotta tell him you’re okay”

He explained quickly before placing his phone to the microphone and turning it on, hoping he'd hear you.

“Ricciardo!”

Your voice sounded in his ear, a shiver running down his spine. He knew he was in big trouble when you called him by his surname.

“Don’t you even dare pulling over! You gotta win this!... For me...”

“Yes ma’am! I promise!”

And just as he promised he did. You couldn’t belive your eyes when you saw him overtaking Carlos and Max on the final stretch and win the fucking race.

While standing on the podium he moved his body weight from foot to foot, unable to focus, impatiently waiting for the ceremony to finish.

When the celebration came, Daniel has managed to sneak out and run with his champagne to the hospital wing, a few cameras joinging him as he run through the paddock reporting the whole situation.

He burst inside the room, cameramen after him, panting heavily. You couldn’t help a smile, seeing him all happy and sweaty from the race he’d just won.

The man couldn’t care less and captured your lips into a searing kiss in front of all the camera’s. Now the whole world knew your little secret. Robert shooed them away by the time you pulled away, then left leaving the two of you alone.

“I won... You saw?...”

Daniel asked quietly, sitting beside you and opening the bottle, then handing it to you.

“Of course I did”

Taking a sip of the alcohol, you quickly gulped it and gave it away before kissing Daniel’s cheek and smiling brightly.

“I love you... I’m so fucking proud of you honey...”

"I love you too"

[bruhstation]

I'm interested in what the trains in your humanization prefer to eat (What if Henry loves apple charlottes?)

yes!!! eating is one of life’s biggest joys! always love talking and learning about food and watching people cook and eat and express their happiness, so this was a fun one to answer.

thomas a. billington: thomas needs something to chew or suckle on in the break room. think of any candy that your grandma would store on her detailed glass bowl. tootsie rolls, werther’s hard caramel candy, jolly ranchers… you get it. he doesn’t have any particulars when it comes to filling dishes and most of his diet consist of snacks and candies hence his thinner and shorter build.

edward pettigrew: he loves a good hot black tea with a side of rich tea biscuits or scones. he’s the guy who knows too much about tea. stomach ache? ginger tea. sleep aid? chamomile’s the way. for the more filling dishes, edward prefers light savory dishes with feta cheese involved. he’s really fond of fërgesë from his home country, but there’s no place on sodor that could make a mean one, so he settles with making it at his own home.

henry stanier: sliced apples! when he’s in a good mood, he’d shape them into little bunnies. he likes anything savory with a strong taste too, like his mother’s curry. henry loves a full course, hearty meal that tastes and feels good, and growing up, he’s always had a large appetite (fast metabolism). henry doesn’t like anything greasy or deep fried because it’ll make his stomach acid flare up. I had to look up what apple charlottes is, and yeah, I can tell you that henry would love it.

gordon j. gresley: gordon has a sweet tooth but he’s self conscious about it and has an image to uphold so he’ll tell anyone who’s making him coffee to make it black (he adds a packet of cream and sugar when nobody’s seeing) without anything added (his friends see right through him). his favorite dessert is orange float with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. gordon also likes food that is usually eaten together with friends or family (something something lazy susan) like pork roast or kway teow or thick beef stew with mashed potatoes. big portions are necessary!

james a. hughes: sweet margarita is james’ favorite drink to have during outings with his friends. he also loves a good french onion soup, especially paired with croutons (do not make them too hard or he’ll riot!!). speaking of croutons, james loves fondue and he always fights over it with thomas. really, any food that looks good and makes him look well-off would be on his favorites list (please, james, why does most of these dishes involve alcohol in one way or another). he also likes sweet danish pastries.

percival “percy” avonside: he’s a simple man when it comes to food he likes. sandwiches are the way to go! carbohydrates, proteins, the tasty stuff — it’s all there! eggs benedict (he puts another english muffin on top so the sauce won't spill everywhere) is his most favorite since it makes him feel special and fancy. percy also loves good coffee, usually mixed with condensed milk or mocha, since he delivers the night mail train.

tobias “toby” holden: tiramisu is his favorite dessert and he prefers it made with more coffee content. he has helped out henrietta many times with making it to the point he’s has the process memorized. for savory dishes, he loves some good lasagna with extra beef content in the sauce. it’s gotta drench. really, toby loves his layered food huh

montague “duck” collett: he’s not picky when it comes to food given to him, so he just eats what any average joe would eat (eggs on toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, sausage with potatoes and peas for dinner). normal person food. duck makes sure he has his meal three times a day and follows the motto; “eat before you’re hungry, stop before you’re full.” also diesel made mango panna cotta once for him as a desperate token of apology and duck fell in love with it.

donald and douglas dunalastair: like thomas, they don’t really have much preference for filling meals. dessert, though? now that’s the stuff. donald loves cranachan so SO much he wishes he could eat it every day. douglas likes candies more instead of softer, silkier desserts, like black licorice or peppermint candy. they also eat only twice a day since they get full super quickly. amazing how so much strength for shoveling snow is stored behind their lanky bodies. they also drink irn bru

oliver t. swindon: oliver loves shepherd's pie because it’s practical. everything he needs is right there, fitting for someone who doesn’t like complicated things. as for the sweet stuff… even after forgetting some of his memories after his rescue, oliver remembers the feeling and taste of halo-halo on his tongue clearly, something he missed dearly.

giovanni vin diesel: diesel loves bruschetta. he puts some pepper flakes on top for that spice kick. he also loves sfincione, specifically the way his family would make it, but, like edward, nobody on sodor knows how to cook a decent one (too much sauce, too thick of a bread, or too soggy) which makes him a bit sad. diesel’s kind of picky when it comes to the meals he can consider “favorite” because he believes he’s the most qualified in the culinary field on sodor due to his upbringing.

mavis hawthorne: a slice of blackforest cake always makes her heart sing. not too heavy on the whipped cream, though, because she doesn’t like her desserts too sweet. she also likes baumkuchen. whenever toby cooks lasagna, he’d make another portion to give to mavis, which quickly became her favorite and something she looks forward to during lunch breaks.

rebecca nassif: rebecca likes snacking a lot. she finds joy in eating! she grew up surrounded by meals. like diesel, because of her upbringing, she’s always been an enthusiast of not only food, but culinary arts as a whole. she loves cold desserts that usually remind her of her old neighborhood like this pistachio kulfi that she would made when she was younger. rebecca also missed having knafeh and mafruka since moving to sodor (it’s been like... a week.)

nia e. wanjala: whenever nia feels like treating herself to something good, she’d make her own version of the gatsby sandwich at her house. she’s especially keen on the french fries and enjoys extra hot sauce with it. it’d take two meal times for her to finish it all. lately, nia’s also been enjoying pastries like chocolate muffins and bombolone (chocolate fillings are her favorite).

lady: as part of her mission to understand humanity and their intrapersonal relationships, lady developed an affinity to eating. she’d eat anything as long as it’s acceptable by human standards even though she doesn’t have to. lady wants to understand that people eat not only to survive but as a way to show their love and culture. isn’t the greatest blessing to be bestowed upon living things the ability to consume to their heart’s content? does her lack of mortal needs indicate her lack of personal desire? anyways her favorite foods are fish and chips with sweet mayonnaise on the side and soft serve vanilla ice cream.

diesel 10: his go-to is black coffee mixed with red bull (added with some other weird concoction if he feels like it). some scrambled eggs with a dash of hot sauce for breakfast. some fried bacon if he has some self respect for the day. some dried sardines if he wants to feel miserable. some baklava with extra syrup and pistachio if he wants to treat himself because the sound of the crunch eases his stress

[skywalkin-in-the-papes]

Newsies And What Instruments They Play - Headcanon

Hey there! Here's some Newsies headcanons that me and my pals @nycnewsgirl and @newsies-but-theacadianway came with about what instruments the boys would play. I added the details just to make it a little more fun. Anyhoo, I'm curious about what you think so feel free to agree or disagree or come up with your own ideas in the comments.

-Jack sings and plays the guitar. And Katherine equally loves it and makes fun of it being the most cliche way ever to romance a girl (which he definitely does take her up to the rooftop of the lodge and strums away on his guitar while singing to her. He loves the vibe and romance of it. She...doesn't always roast him.) He just enjoys the simplicity of his own voice accompanied by a guitar. And also, he can sing whenever he wants up on the rooftop and most of the time no one sends out a noise complaint. Jack likes to sing and play a lot of pop and country songs but he'll branch out and try new things if someone introduces him to it. Mostly, he just likes to play things that the boys (mostly Crutchie) want to hear or play along with him. He just loves getting to sing and play because to him, it helps him feel free and like he can do anything. Jack also will occasionally play harmonica because Santa Fe. Need I say any more?

-Davey plays piano and he can play most of your typical classical pieces by memory. He has the perfect piano posture and is fairly graceful and delicate. He likes to lead a group from the piano but doesn't like to play piano duets with anyone else really (ask Sarah.). He's actually really good at jazz though and likes being creative with classical pieces by putting a jazz spin on them.

-Crutchie plays mandolin and banjo. He loves to strum little folksy tunes and sit outside on the rooftop. Sometimes he'll convince Jack to learn the words to the song and sing along with him (oh who are we kidding? Jack 100% learns the words to the songs and how to play it on the guitar.). Crutchie is very chilled out by his music and sometimes he'll come down into the bunkroom and play songs so the little boys will go to sleep. He's a beast at the mandolin too (which is a feat considering it has twelve strings) because he plays at least once a day for awhile and Jack can't say no so he'll join in and then it'll wind up being more like 2 hours of play time.

-Race can play the triangle (yes, he wakes the boys who won't get out of bed up with it every morning and yes, they HATE it.). He uses it every time any kind of a meal rolls around when everyone is home (the boys kinda hate this too but not as much as the other aforementioned triangle use). At Christmas time, Race will play the slap stick in Sleigh Ride and will leap across the stage like a reindeer (claiming that it helps him feel more like one) as he slaps the two wooden 2 x 4s together. In a regular setting, he usually has both of these percussion instruments nearby. Race can also play guitar and he likes to play...any kind of music really. He likes anything that he can strum fast and/or hard to. He's not a very gentle player (which when he plays with Finch who also plays guitar, they play things that have an equal amount of picking and strumming). He also likes to collect picks and NO ONE can touch his precious picks without his permission. (Thanks, Nutcracker for helping come up with the last couple things for Race). None of the boys question it anymore because they've put up with Race's antics long enough that they know better.

-Albert plays barry sax and/or drums. He likes that with the barry sax he gets to be a solid presence but still stable and not have to do anything too fancy most of the time. He appreciates the occasional solo that'll get thrown his way but he just likes to stick to the fun low rhythms. When he plays drums (and he's not too busy hardcore judging Race for his triangle or slapstick playing), he likes to be a little bit fancier with the rhythms and he likes to be a little bit louder. He likes to remind people that he is there and he IS the stable rhythm. He likes to play any kind of rock or metal songs on the drums. Something that has drive but a stable rhythm. On his barry sax, he likes to play anything that's got a fun but stable groove to it.

-Les plays baby bongos(the Davey approved instrument) and trumpet(obviously the non-Davey approved instrument). He would never tell Davey this but(he actually enjoys the baby bongoes because they sound fun). He really likes to play the trumpet because it's loud, he can play fast on it, and it annoys Davey. The baby bongos are almost a little too small and a little too boring for him because Davey just teaches him really simple rhythms while Les wants to learn something more...intense. Hence why he had Finch teach him trumpet (Finch plays a lot of things.).

Speaking of the bird boy...

-Finch plays a lot of different instruments....like a lot. He plays guitar, flute, trumpet, and really any kind of brass instrument to name a few. He appreciates them all for the different styles of music he can experiment with. He spends a lot of time playing guitar and learning all kinds of different pieces on it but he really plays a variety of instruments for a variety of occasions. He likes being able to play the different instruments just whenever he feels like it (Jack had to tell him he could only play flute and guitar late at night because they're quieter). Oftentimes during a performance, he'll be running around the stage, filling in on different parts or playing a song here only to run across the stage to play a song on a completely different instrument. Somehow he manages to keep all of his different clefs and keys straight (just don't ask him what happened during a performance of The Little Mermaid for his high school. He was playing trumpet and picked up his flute and had the trumpet music in front of him and it got confusing real fast. Thankfully, Finch got his flute music and it was all good.). Finch likes playing with the other boys who play instruments as well as teaching some of the other boys instruments. He loves random little jam sessions and watching one of his friends achieve a new skill on an instrument (they all joke that he's the one going to Carnegie though). Finch just enjoys sitting in a tree with an instrument after a long day and playing while forgetting his problems, sometimes by himself or with a couple of his close friends.

-Romeo plays the accordion and some hand percussion (give that boy a tambourine and....well you'll feel whatever you feel when he starts playing it). Why? So he can croon romantic songs while playing the accordion. Does it work? Ummm..... Nah, he really loves it because he likes to learn love songs on it and he feels that the accordion is a very romantic instrument. He also likes that you get to play keys and push a lot of buttons. It's very hands on which is a good thing for him. When Race annoys (he doesn't think it's annoying but ask Romeo) the boys in the morning with the triangle, Romeo gets out the accordion and then things escalate into a noise war (Jack eventually kicks them both out onto the fire escape or something). Most of the time though, Romeo likes to play the accordion out on the fire escape to see if a neighboring apartment has a fair young woman who would be interested in hearing his playing. He appreciates how the accordion allows him to be flamboyant and expressive all at the same time while being his (in his book) most mastered attribute....romantic. As far as the hand percussion goes, he can be as loud and enthusiastic as he wants with it and nobody judges. He loves the tambourine (it's his favorite one) because it's loud and requires a lot of movement. If he wants to impress someone though, he goes for the accordion.

-Spot plays the violin. He..surprisingly plays some very pretty classical music on it (which Race totally makes fun of him for from the percussion section), folksy songs (boy does have some Irish heritage) and he likes playing as the violinist for groups who perform rock operas. His classical training enables him to do...so much with his violin. He started by taking violin lessons as one normally would and just playing a lot of different kinds of music which in turn made him a very versatile musician. The other violinists he knows all think he's amazing (and his reputation is something Spot doesn't let others think they can trifle with). Spot basks in this but purposely appears hard to please so he can maintain his tough reputation. He really enjoys the classical music as much as the other music but he can't let anyone know because that would reveal that he has a soft spot and Spot Conlon does NOT have a soft spot.

-Jojo plays ukulele and playing it takes him right to his happy place. He'll sit on the beach in Brooklyn (Spot won't kick him out because he actually likes the peaceful vibes of Jojo's playing) and just strum a song. Sometimes it's some kind of island song that he learned from the Internet, a pop song, or some kind of Spanish guitar song but Jojo thinks it sounds better on ukulele so that's where it gets played the most. When some of the younger boys are struggling to go to sleep, he'll strum some peaceful music to go to sleep. The other boys don't care because it actually helps them go to sleep better too. That and it's Jojo and the music is very peaceful. Sometimes he hums along but he's kind of shy about his singing voice so he mostly just strums. Once he picked up ukulele, he realized that this is the one habit which soothe any nerves that he has. He'll sit somewhere and play by himself and just enjoy the peaceful rhythm of his strumming or he'll play for others so they can feel the same kind of calm and peace that he does.

-Kid Blink plays alto sax. He likes that it's kind of loud but can do some really cool things and can be as smooth as butter. It's kind of an aggressive instrument but it can do some amazing things. Part of the reason why Blink likes it so much. He can play some of the punchiest melodies on the planet that are loud and biting while also being able to play some of the smoothest jazz pieces. Blink typically likes to play band music or jazz. He loves band arrangements of pop songs (even though he finds the actual pop songs annoying, the band version to him is a ton of fun). He likes to play music with Albert, Mush, and really any of the guys. He also likes to compete with Race's triangle and plays louder than Race so that way people can hear something more fun than just Race banging jingle bells on the triangle for the umpteenth time. He and Romeo then get into a "who can play louder" competition and...yeah, you can imagine how that goes. There's a lot of loud accordion and saxophone music going on. Blink likes playing smooth jazz pieces that sound beautiful and he likes some of the more fun and fast jazz solos. He's someone who really really likes to see how fast he can play so he'll pick something ambitious to play and just goes to town on it. He and Albert get into little who can play faster competitions and the boys cheer them on. Crutchie, Mush, Jojo, or Buttons will tell them that they really play equally fast but the boys don't listen. They want to WIN. (Except any of those boys most definitely can shred more than Blink and Al but they don't need to know that). Blink just likes playing saxophone because it's freeing. He can be as loud as he wants and it still sounds cool. Much like how he has a somewhat loud and outgoing personality, but he can do a lot of cool things with it.

(Okay, this next one might get really long because I love Mush and his instrument. I'm sorry but I also love Mush so I'm not that sorry)

-Mush plays clarinet and he's really good at it. He loves getting to play pretty jazz things, pretty classical things...etc. He also likes playing things that are a bit more loud and flamboyant but he likes playing quieter too and some of the more elegant styles. That being said, Mush likes to play just about anything as long as he doesn't just sit there and hold notes. He thinks that that is really boring even if the melody on top is really pretty. Davey loves to play music with him because they can play some really pretty duets and Mush typically follows the music or Davey's directions. They play some really pretty things that surprisingly will captivate some of the younger boys on any given night. Mush LOVES to play in the pit for musicals. He loves it when he gets to play fun little solos or the melody that the cast is singing. He likes the jazzy musicals the best because then he gets to bust out his jazz skills as well. And maaaaannnn, does this boy have jazz skills? He can do slides and vibrato and growls pretty well. Sometimes they go sideways and it makes him and whoever is playing with him laugh. Mush plays music with a lot of the different boys. He likes to learn new songs and styles and try out different tricks that he learns on his clarinet with these new songs. He'll play just about anywhere and at anytime really. If there's a girl he likes in the room, he'll just casually start playing from somewhere else in the room and see if she notices. Jack will periodically kick him out to the fire escape at night if there is some peace and quiet needed in the lodging house. He'll just sit on his bunk(which is a top one for the sake of this headcanon) and casually swing his legs back and forth while he's playing. But seriously, he'll play just about anywhere. He can play really high notes on his clarinet and sometimes that's more effective in getting the boys to be quiet than shouting or whistling at them because high notes on a clarinet are super loud (Skittery hates it when this happens and it's not in a piece of music). Mush likes to play in a little jazz combo with Finch, Albert, Skittery, Davey, and sometimes Crutchie or Jack. They have a ton of fun playing little jazz songs from the 30s but they usually do that when the littles are out for the night so that they can just enjoy their music. Blink and Mush also play a lot of music together because they both play woodwinds (yes, I'm aware that sax is also technically a brass instrument) and they play jazz songs and all kinds of things. Sometimes Blink joins in on the little jazz combo when he has free time to do so and he and Mush will trade solos back and forth just for fun. Mush and Finch play together a lot too and they also would trade solos back and forth (Finch plays a variety of instruments that go well with Mush's clarinet so it would depend on the day and his mood what he's playing). Mush plays in a lot of different groups when he has time and similar to Finch, has a pretty well rounded musical skill set.

Also, I did actually write something on Wattpad where Mush plays clarinet: https://www.wattpad.com/1116924147-life-with-the-newsies-one-shots-open-to-ocs-all

It's a 20s AU oneshot and I had a blast writing it. I am hoping to write some more for him in the future.

-Skittery plays drums and double bass/bass guitar. He likes the drums because he can hold down the rhythm but it also helps him get out any...frustrations. He really likes rock and metal music for this reason because he can hit the drums as hard and fast as he wants and no one's complaining as long as it sounds cool. He sometimes will play bass guitar but only in a more chill setting. He enjoys getting to play some cool bass solo every once in awhile in some kind of fancy rock song. Bass can get really gritty and Skittery can really let some of his more negative emotions just get lost in the bass solos. He also will play double bass in orchestral or jazz music. Orchestral music is something that Skittery....tolerates. He just...for some reason doesn't find it very interesting. He LOVES jazz though because he can play some fun and fast jazz solos. He also likes that they don't sound as gritty but that his jazz solos can just be so...pleasant to play. Again, it really helps him get out of his crappy mood (even though he'll deny it) to just go to town on some kind of jazz song where he gets to go all over the bass' register. Skittery likes things (and he would never admit this) that are just...fun to play on an emotional level because they really do make him happy. He doesn't like to stick out but he likes to have his moments of fun and he likes to hold down a reliable rhythm that people can count on.

-Buttons plays the banjo. He honestly love the more...rustic sound of it. He enjoys playing fast folk songs but he'll also play a soothing ballad and get into it just the same. Buttons can finger pick across the fret board of a banjo quite well and aspires to be like some of the great bluegrass players someday (seriously, just look at this man's Spotify Wrapped. It's all FOLK). He and Crutchie, Jack, or Finch will sometimes play together. Buttons also really enjoys Southern Gospel music so he'll play that too sometimes. He just enjoys all of the things that a banjo can do and yet, it feels so simple because it's all on one instrument. It can add a lot but it's still simple and can stand up on it's own, much like himself.

(Can you tell that I like things to have deeper meanings? These all end with these instruments relating to the boys in some way).

-Elmer is Buttons' (and sometimes Crutchie's) folksy partner in crime with his fiddle/violin. These two will play together for HOURS. Elmer and Buttons have learned all of the folk songs together and they both know all of the little solos that make those songs sound the way that they should. Elmer also will play classical music and periodically a pop song or two, but folk is really where his heart's at. He has played jazz occasionally and enjoys it too. Elmer loves violin because it sticks out in the group. It's also something pretty unique in and of itself (even though Skittery literally tells him it's the most POPULAR string instrument. Yes, Elmer gets very passionate about that topic.) and Elmer just really likes its versatility. He primarily uses it for folk music but he enjoys having an instrument that meshes well with a lot of different styles. He likes being able to blend in and stick out all the same. He wants his moments of solo time to shine and to be heard but, he wants others to be heard too.

-Specs plays tenor sax. He loves how low and mellow it is. He can play some pretty things that stick out but, he prefers to keep things smooth and chill. He and Finch will play together a lot to just sort of jam. Specs like just getting to vibe and play smooth jazz music or pop songs. Most of the time, he prefers really chill and slow jazz. He finds it soothing and it gives him a chance to stand out without overdoing things too much. He particularly likes French sounding jazz because it has a lot of smooth and pretty tenor saxophone in it. He loves getting to sustain notes down in that lower register just because they sound absolutely reassuring. He finds it easy to lose himself in music like that. This boys absolutely LOVES to play gentle soft jazz when it's raining outside. Like he just loves the rainy jazz vibes that tenor sax allows him to experience. He's not the most vibey person but this gives him all the feels for sure. He also has a lot of fun playing more energetic music though and will play some fun solos in more exciting swing music songs (and he will sometimes prove to the boys that yes he CAN in fact solo and keep up with the rest of them and he doesn't prefer to stick in the background all the time...). The smoother jazz is more relaxing to him and it allows him to play things that he wants to play without it always being chaotic and loud (even though he plays a notoriously loud instrument) because he enjoys getting to have his moments but he prefers them to be more chill and relaxing, just like he is most of the time. Being slow and more relaxed calms the anxiety that he has about always having to...perform well and allows him to just be himself.

(Yeah, sorry if that was a crappy ending on that one. I feel like some of these background Newsies are all starting to seem the same even if they're very different people.)

And last but not least....

-Henry plays the cello and takes it VERY SERIOUSLY. He's the kind of guy that people play to have Pachelbel's Canon in D at their wedding. Yeah, that's Henry. For some reason, holding half notes to him isn't super boring. He's very particular about his music and will really only play classical music (no seriously, he low-key scoffs at any of the boys who play jazz). He also practices for HOURS a day because he wants to be the best at what he does. Like the absolute best. He plays in nearly every orchestra that he can try out for and he tries to learn ambitious solos. He gets really cranky if he can't find a quiet place to practice in the Lodge where he KNOWS he won't be interrupted. The only people he will sometimes play music with is Davey or Elmer. They're and I quote "the only ones who appreciate classical music enough" (even though Mush, Finch, and Skittery also play classical music. He's tried playing with each of them before...and well. And yeah, don't even ask about Race.). He will sometimes even give both of them the stink eye just because they've been and I quote again "tainted by jazz". He chills out though once he starts playing his music. He just gets lost in it. He's the kind of guy who will talk about one gorgeous chord for a literal ten minutes (and I mean...he's not wrong because it is a beautiful chord.) and the other boys are just nodding their heads. Henry likes the cello because he can be precise and expressive. It allows him to be very present but still allows him to play in a way that is very precise and makes his style well voiced, much like he carries himself.

Alright that's the end.

PSYCH

I'm throwing in a bonus. Merry Christmas!

No actually, Merry Christmas! I'm writing this on Christmas.

Well parts of it, this has been a work in progress for months now but I think I'm finally finishing it. Hectic semester and all that.

-Mike and Ike play marimba and xylophone respectively (and yes, those are different instruments and no, don't tell them they're the same because they may actually fight you. If you really wanna know, ask Race.). They love to play songs together and bounce different rhythms and melodies off each other. They'll play just about anything and they absolutely love songs where they can just go crazy. They work together (periodically even their music wars against each other's but who does that surprise?) and despite their...occasional disagreements, have a ton of fun. The faster they play and the more energetic they can be, the more they feel like themselves. They love sometimes even switching instruments mid-song or playing one song on the same instruments. Their feats are unmatched by the other percussionists within the Lodge because they are 100% the legendary dynamic duo. They enjoy the energy that they get from playing their instruments and the joy that they get by playing together.

Alright, I'm done for real. Merry Christmas, you guys! Hope you have a wonderful day!

[midnightmah07]

ALRIGHT NOW UR TURN. DETAILED LEOBELLE ROUTE!!!! /nf

HELP DETAILED LEOBELLE.... UHHHHHHHH OK LEMME THINK THIS MIGHT BE A BIT REPETITIVE BECAUSE I TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THESE STUFF ALREADY

Isabelle had always been the odd one out from her family, her father being the only one who truly understood her because he also was ahead of his time while her two sisters made fun of Isa for having her head in the clouds and thinking too much about her books and the betterment of her country. So, because her and her father had this strong bond Isabelle was willing to do what it takes to make him proud and make their countries prosper, which was exactly why she didn't say no to the marriage proposal that was made for her.

Leona honestly didn't like the idea of an arranged marriage just as much as Isa didn't, but different from her who decided to use this situation for the greater good Leona kinda just... Went with it. He didn't like it but like- his brother had already decided anyway so what use was arguing? Plus, look at the bright side, maybe he could move out of his home after he got married. — I have to say I am still searching for a stronger reason as to why Leona just let this happen to him, right now I am using the excuse of his brother thinking this could be so good for Leona and for their country and Leona knew there was no use fighting because his fate had already been decided the moment the letter accepting the offer arrived

Leona and Isa definitely didn't hit it off when they met. They were 17 and 15 respectfully and because of Leona's rudeness and unwillingness to get to know Isa and give her a chance Isabelle didn't like him at all. I wanna say though they do have a sort of enemies to lovers thing going on, a lot of the time it's really one sided, with Leona just being slightly annoyed at Isabelle if anything; as years went on Leona learns of how Isabelle is seen, she's an outcast, different from everyone else and treated like a monster for her Unique Magic, just like he was. He felt a sense of empathy for her but in his own way, never really letting it show a lot.

It was around this time Isabelle's crush on Neige was cut short, and through their conversation both of them learned something: Isabelle was extremely loyal to Leona and their engagement regardless of how she felt, and Leona was able to be kind in his own weird way, offering support when she least expected it.

On Isabelle's end she figured out just how much Leona hated his family life, she figured out that his unwillingness to try and do anything wasn't because he was simply lazy but because of a bigger issue and she started seeing him in a new light. She noticed how incredible he was on his Spelldrive matches, how he seemed like a completely new person, and I assume this was when something started growing inside her hehe

They started being more cooperative with each other, Leona often teasing her just to get a reaction out of her because he thought she was cute as a mouse (heh), and their chess matches started here as well. Still, Leona was a bit closed off, and it all went downhill with his overblot that just caused Isabelle to be worried sick and dump all of her emotions on him, telling him she was so angry at him because he never seemed to want to try anything with her, never seemed slightly interested in her and never made an effort to change. She was scared he could've died and she was never able to sort all of this with him.

I assume after that Leona opens up to her more little by little, and he tries to get his pride down and his walls down. It doesn't happen from night to day but slowly Leona starts showing more and more that he cares about her and make small gestures to tell her he's trying, and that makes her really happy.

A while passes and one day they get caught up with their emotions and kiss, but they pretend it never happened bc Leona? Talking about his feelings? Pfft-- and Isabelle didn't know what to do. They were both unsure. But after a few days both are forced with the reality of their own feelings, and while I'm unsure how they start dating I'm assuming it's probably Leona who tells Isa he loves her, and it happens a while before book 6, just so I can make Isa suffer hehe

Bonus: when Isa reaches 21, the age they're supposed to get married, they travel around the world bc that has always been Isa's dream + Leona wants to stay away from home🤸🏻‍♀️

[ash5monster01]

Lessons of You Final Part

Pairing: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x FemReader

Warnings: fluff, mentions of depression, mentions of smut, broken reader, 18+

Summary: Blake Parker was used to running. When life got hard, she’d run. The idea of sticking around to end up broken was scarier then she’d like to admit. So she hid away, cut all ties, and lived contently on her own. She was done running because no one could find her there. That is until a Navy Pilot runs into her life, and she learns allowing yourself to love can be scary, but hiding from it can be even worse.

word count: 2,822

Intro, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Final

Masterlist

Leaving Bradley behind was harder than Blake had thought. He stayed with her to the very moment she drove off, prepared to drive across the country, a few boxes of her entire life inside, and the biggest piece of her heart left back in San Diego with him. Yet the breath of fresh air she released when she pulled up in front of her parents house for the first time in years relieved so much weight off her shoulders. Tears came to her eyes insatantly as she sat in front of her childhood home and she realized she had put that stress on herself by leaving. This unbearable weight she had been carrying with her everywhere coud've gone away the minute she allowed herself to risk loving someone again. Loving the people she always had.

Getting adjusted to being back home was simple after that realization. She loved her new little apartment and got to see her cousins every day. Pictures covered her apartment now including one of her and Bradley, the guy who got her to fix her life. Yet all of that didn’t change the fact he was all the way across the country. They tried to stay in touch, they really really did. Yet Blake became busy with family and Bradley could go radio silent for days or weeks at a time due to his job. Neither meant for it to happen but soon the messages and calls stopped all together. Just memories of the person that fixed them remained.

At first it hurt, but when three years pass by it's not normally the first thing on your mind. So Blake went on to date other people, get to know her family again, move up higher in her job, and publish her first book called Lessons of You. A fast paced romance novel about a Navy Pilot who steals a girls heart while she's on the run. An instant hit, her experience and very detailed descriptions made it a number one best seller almost instantly. She only had years of reading and reviews to thank for her to be able to write an instant hit. Now she got to travel the world, do book signings, and be comforted by the fact she could go back home to a family that loves her.

After today her book tour would be over, and she could fly back home tomorrow. She had been home sick the entire time and her book tour only lasted two weeks. In her defense that was the longest she had been away from home since she had been back. Yet her tour was ending in Sand Diego which felt right considering that was where her book took place. She hadn't been back here in three years, and it surprised her how comfortable it was to be back here. Even if it was only a short few years of her life she did live here, fall in love with the area, and understand it more than the normal tourists.

So she smiled widely each time she handed a book back after signing it, heart lurching every time they complimented it and told her how much they loved it. It became second nature, smile at customer, sign book, listen to them as they spoke, hand book back, thank them, onto the next. After a while faces began to blur, voices sounded the same, and her smile started to crease her face. The longer the line got, the faster she went, still trying to maintain her kindness but moving them along as quickly as she could all the same. After all she was in the home stretch, literally. Tomorrow she'd get to go home and relax, tell her cousins all about the fun she had, she couldn't wait.

"This book, wow. I couldn't seem to put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed the part where he comes to her apartment before the big mission and they, well you know" Blake froze as she heard that voice, one she hadn't heard in almost three years, yet she'd know it all the same. Slowly she lifted her eyes, the pen trembling just slightly as Bradley Bradshaw stood above her, the book about him seemingly so small in his hands. "Look at you little B"

Bradley was completely the same and different all at once. He was still just as buff and tan as he was when she knew him, yet his hair had lightened a bit more, a few grays starting to make their appearance. The mustache he sported still proudly sat a top his lip and Blake shuddered as she remebered the feeling of it on her skin. You could tell he was a bit older, wiser. Yet his eyes still twinkled with mischief just like it did the first day she met him. He was all boy, happy go lucky, Rooster. Seeing him strained her heart in a way she could've never imagined.

"I thought Bradley Bradshaw hasn't read a book since high school?" Blake found herself asking, smirking as his arms crossed across her chest.

"Well that was true, at least until my favorite book critic decided to write one of her own. Was a lot more fun to read when I learned it was about me too" his ego was so large she could feeling weighing on her, she quickly let out a breathy laugh.

"Who said it was about you Bradshaw? Did I forgot to tell you about my short lived romance with Hangman?" at this the boys eyes darkened, he set down the book, now leaning on his hands on the table to look at the girl closer.

"That's not funny" he told her but Blake snickered anyway, amused to know that Hangman still got under his skin as much as he did three years ago.

"I thought it was pretty funny" Blake said, grabbing his copy of her book and opening the front cover. She quickly clicked her pen and began to write in the front cover.

"How long are you here for?" Bradley asked, watching how her curly brown hair cascaded across her back with each movement.

"I leave tomorrow" Blake told him, signing her name quickly and shutting her book. Bradley’s stomach jumped as those beautiful hazel eyes looked back up at him.

"You free tonight?" Bradley asked and Blake smirked, handing the book back to him, and he leaisurly tucked it under his arm.

"I normally am for Bradley Bradshaw" Blake told him and he smirked. "But if you keep holding up this line the less time you'll have with me"

"Aye aye Captain" he told her and quickly turned to walk off, her already smiling and talking to the next customer in line as if the guy she didn't write the entire book about was standing right there. Once he got to the front door he opened the front page of the book to see what she had wrote.

I always figured it would be you who would fly across the country for just one night

- Blake Parker

Bradley smiled widely, his heart yearning for the gilr he wished he never lost touch with. He figured someone would've snagged her up by now. Yet when he saw that book he realized she still thought about him like he did her, and after today he saw no ring. That was fair game to Baradley considering this girl was his soulmate. He never found someone he felt like that for after her. He figured he never would again. The time they had known each other was so short but it clearly impacted them both. It was his duty now to try and make it work.

Pretty soon the line shortened, the room quieted down, and Blake could finally give her hand a rest. She planned on not picking up a pen for at least a month. The tour was now officially over and the only thing standing between her and home was Bradley Bradshaw. How familiar. So once her publisher gave her the go ahead to turn in for the night she collected her things and made her way outside so she could get in her uber, shower, and text Bradley for the first time in three years.

"Man that took forever" Blake jumped lightly as the voice beside her startled her.

"Bradley, you waited?" she asked once her heart had slowed, turning to face him with a kind smile.

"It's not often my favorite person is in town, plus I was worried you had a new number" Blake laughed lightly but it didn't last long because he was stepping beside her, close enough to smell his cologne, and send her senses into overdrive. "Now I'd like to give my old friend a hug"

"Is that what I was? A friend?" Blake teased but Bradley ignored her as his arms snaked under her own, her instinctively moving hers to wrap around his neck. Once they were curled around each other, his face in her neck, and inhaling her scent, did he feel a new sense of calm wash over him for the first time in years.

"You were never just a friend Blake" he whispered into her ear and she shuddered lightly, closing her eyes as she finally realized she had Bradley in her arms again for the first time in so long. She had dreamed of this moment, of him, and she wished every day there was a way she could have both him and her family at the same time. If this was just for one night she'd be content though, because all those years ago one month with Bradley meant everything, one night was bound to be enough to hold her over.

"I was gonna go to my hotel, get a quick shower" Blake told him as she pulled back and he kept his hands around her waist so she wouldn’t pull back too far. If he only had her till tomorrow he was going to be as close to her as he could for most of it.

"Need some help?" he teased, half expecting the playful slap to follow but Blake just grinned, lust in her eyes.

"I wouldn't mind an extra set of hands, especially if they’re yours" and at that Bradley was gripping her hand, leading her to his Bronco on the other side of the building. Blake struggled to cancel her uber as he helped her in and peeled down the road after learning which hotel she was staying at. It didn’t take long until they both standing under the same steaming water, holding each other, in awe of the fact they were together even if it was just for now. It was crazy to think moving fast with Bradley never really felt like she was moving fast.

"So, you published a book. Did they let you review it too?" Blake giggled, swaying under the water with the boy as her phone played music from the bathroom counter.

"No, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't try" she told him, her hands playing with the hair at the base of his neck, wet from the water. Bradley laughed softly, glad that the comfortability between them hadn't changed since he last saw her.

"Figures, I'm sure it was scary. Writing something of your own after years of critiquing others" no one ever throught like that, they all thought Blake was absoltuley crazy for even thinking it, but here Bradley was saying it like it was his very first thought.

"Terrifying actually, if no one had liked my book my reputation would've been completley debunked. I'd have nothing to go back to" Blake's life had been a whirlwind, the only stable thing she ever had was her job, and putting herself in such a compromising position was a leap of faith she never expected to take. "Yet I always wanted to write a book, something good enough to be reviewed by someone like me. The only reason I never did was I never had a story special enough to tell. Well that was until I met you"

Bradley had wanted to kiss the girl since he first walked up to her table. Kiss her when she walked out, when he hugged her, when she suggested showering together, when she got in his car, and when they got back to the hotel. Yet he didn’t because when he kissed her for the first time in three years he wanted it to be good. He wanted their kiss to be as good as the first one. Now with her standing here, talking about him being her something special, he realized he needed to kiss her and soon. When they first kissed it was after a conversation where they began to understand each other. They were always good at talking about the tough stuff. Now Blake was standing in front of him, admitting to writing a book about him, and he needed nothing more than to kiss her right then and now.

"You looking for a sequel?" then suddenly Bradley’s mouth was over hers, lips slotting together perfectly, mouths hotter than the shower against each other. For a moment it was the calm in the storm, lips slowly moving together, buttery soft, and recalling exactly how the other used to taste. Then Blake was pulling on his hair and his tongue was slipping into her mouth fastly, tasting ever inch he could, and humming in satisfaction as he realized she still tasted like cherries. Pure bliss was having her bare body, wet and pressed against his, as he rediscovered exactly what she was like. After a few moments they pulled apart for air, foreheads pressed together as their chests heaved into one another. He wished they could be one like this forever.

"What about you big boy? What have you been up too?" Blake knew getting close would make it hard to leave again, but maybe Bradley wasn't in the Navy anymore, maybe he could come home with her, and she could keep him forever.

"Not much actually. I'm still in the Navy but they're looking into relocation for me. Moving me to help train some people on the east coast" Blakes eyes widened as she moved to look him in the eye.

"That's my coast" she breathed and he chuckled, a wide smile on his face.

"Yeah I know. The minute they suggested it my first thought was you. Which led to googling your name, finding your book, and hearing you were doing a book signing here" Blake smiled softly, her heart lurching over the fact he had wanted her still too. That their souls truly were meant for each other and not just for passing.

"You trying to move in with me?" she teased and he smiled, shaking his head lightly.

"Not exactly, I figured we could start with a date, a real one. Then maybe after a year or so I can move in. This time it's gonna be real" he told her and Blake felt tears burn behind her eyes, happy tears. When she came to San Diego she had no plan on finding him. She didn’t want to be heart broken if she learned he had gotten married, had kids, moved to his home town to take care of his new family. Now he was standing here in her hotel shower talking about taking baby steps because he still wanted to be with her after all this time.

"It was always real Bradley" she told him and he smiled, head dipping down to her neck in a hug and pressing a soft kiss to her throat. Blake was content for a moment before a thought popped into her head. "What about Maverick?"

"He'll be here, but me and him both know how to fly a plane. He also can't stay away from me for long. He'll more than likely visit every week" Maverick now fully back in Bradleys life was always in super proud Uncle mode. On base he was pretty sure he took pictures of everything he did. Bradley could've brushed his teeth and he figured Maverick would give him a gold star. Blake laughed softly, amazed she was getting Bradley back after all this time.

“I’m glad you two got close” she told him, happy it all worked out for the best.

“I’m glad you reconnected with your family” he told her in return, never allowing him to be upset that she chose to leave because if his Mom was still around he’d of done the same thing all those years ago.

"I'm glad you noticed me at that coffee shop" Blake told him after a few moments, continuing their thanks to each other. Now holding him for the first time in a long time knowing it didn't have to be the last time that she did.

"I'm glad you noticed me running"

Taglist: @emma8895eb @literatureluster

a/n: that’s it folks, thanks so much for going on this very short journey with me. I came up with the idea for this series when I was struggling with feeling unwanted. I wanted to write something that would remind me some people are worth fighting for and if you have to opportunity to hold them close, please do. You may never know the last time you get to hold a loved one.

[leorawright]

Request 4:

Mercs with s/o who's on every government watchlist

Scout

You are his new role model oh my gosh

Scout has heard of fugitives but every watchlist!? He wants details

He'll definitely ask for tips before committing any crimes

He looks up to you the most now simply because he's so impressed with the feat he learned you accomplished

Soldier

He has mixed emotions which are awe, fear, and confusion

He's impressed but should definitely be afraid of you but also how????

He has a lot of question like how long did that take?

He'll definitely ask if you have any tips for using rocket launchers he's always looking to improve

Every time in a battle Soldier will watch you in awe as you fight and show why you're on every watchlist

Demoman

He thinks it's the funniest thing ever

He'll try to sneak you into random countries just for the fun of it

He had several inside jokes with you about this and they make him bust out laughing everytime

Demo is also a lot more cautious with his words around you because if you're on every watchlist he probably should be careful

But he's delighted that he has such a cool person as his friend

Pyro

Dear lordy they fell more in love with you

Their best friend is wanted in every country!? Swooning

They're very impressed with your feat and will constantly ask why you're on the watchlist in different countries

They'd love to get some tips if you don't mind🙂

Why do they want tips?... don't worry about it it's all fine😇👍

Heavy

Who... how... why???

So many questions and a lot of concern

He'll need explanation please and thank you

He is a little bit impressed that you managed to be on every government watchlist

At least now he probably doesn't have to worry about in battle since you can obviously take care of yourself

Medic

He's on the watchlist for several countries obviously

But you're wanted in all of them!? He's in awe

Medic and you will constantly share stories of why you're wanted it's the funniest thing to him

He feels a lot closer because it's another thing you two have in common which means he most likely doesn't need to tone down the psycho around you

Sniper

He's gonna need to take a few deep breaths after learning this information

"...what did you do exactly?" "Yes"

After hearing that answer he'll humble about how he's dating a psycho but he hasn't broken up with you yet!

Sniper is mainly gonna try to ignore this info and go on as normal but it stills shows through when he watches you fight and he may or may not be watching in awe from his perch

Spy

Yeah he kinda expected that

He's not too terribly surprised because you just seemed like that kind of person but he's still in shock that it's ALL of them

He'll open and close his mouth preparing to ask questions before deciding 'eh it's probably fine'

He does sometimes discuss what you did to get on watchlists during free time mainly because Spy is bored by you're interesting

[nordleuchten]

Hamilton vs. History

As most people are certainly aware of, Hamilton: An American Musical is not an exact representation of history and never wanted to be one. But when a pop-culture medium is so widespread and in certain places almost as omnipresent as Hamilton is, there will always be a blend between fact and fiction. Certain aspects of fiction or pop-culture simply make such a strong impression on us, that they shape our view on reality/history. Some aspects appear so much more fun, so much brighter in fiction, that we often do not want to know weather said aspect really happened this way. Some other details are so minor, that they are hard to catch if you are not deeply interested in the topic at hand.

Since I do know a thing or two about La Fayette, I thought I take a little deep dive into his depiction in Hamilton.

As a little disclaimer, while I have read the book Hamilton by Ron Chernow and listened to the official cast recording, I have never seen an actual production and can therefore not take into account what the actors do on stage.

Appearance:

I would have hoped that I do not have to say it, but I have made the experience in the past that I indeed do have so say it; La Fayette was not dark skinned. He was as white as the rest of influential America and Europa at that time.

As to his costume, well, he wears two uniforms throughout the play (plus the white suit at the beginning and in the end and his civilian clothes at the beginning of Act I)

His first uniform is identical with Mulligan’s, Laurens’ and Hamilton’s uniform – not quite right since he was a Major-General and the others were not. A more suitable uniform would have looked something like this:

The second, and probably more prominent uniform, is this one:

La Fayette wore this uniform as a lieutenant general in 1791 towards the end of his military service during the French Revolution, so roughly a decade later, in a different country during a different revolution.

Aaron Burr, Sir

With this song we are introduced to La Fayette for the first time. As a disclaimer, La Fayette never met Hercules Mulligan, had very little contact with Aaron Burr and he also met Hamilton and Laurens at the same time.

[LAFAYETTE]

Oui oui, mon ami, je m'appelle Lafayette!

The Lancelot of the revolutionary set!

I came from afar just to say “Bonsoir!”

Tell the King “Casse toi!” Who's the best?

C'est moi!

I like that La Fayette is speaking French in his opening lyrics because by the time of his arrival in America he only had a very limited knowledge of the English language and he needed a few extra months to feel entirely comfortable. Hamilton and Laurens both spoke French and this circumstance really helped in building their friendship.

La Fayette also makes a remark regarding the legendary (often described as French) knight Lancelot du Lac. Quite fitting, given that La Fayette hailed from a line of literally knights and these were stories and (self-)characterisations that he was quite attached to.

Other than that, the song is a bit too bubbly for my taste. Yes, La Fayette could be extremely energetic and optimistic, but he could also be incredibly self-conscious. He knew that he had no practical knowledge, that he barely understood the language, that his age was working against him, he even told Washington that he came to learn and not to teach – he would have never said “Who’s the best? C’est moi!” And while we are at it, he also did not like swearing.

My Shot

[LAFAYETTE]

I dream of life without a monarchy

The unrest in France will lead to 'onarchy?

'Onarchy? How you say, how you s-oh, 'anarchy!'

When I fight, I make the other side panicky

With my—

I suspect that the first line is directed towards the French monarchy, since France was where the vast majority of his life took place. If so – no, La Fayette did not dream of life without a monarchy. Later, during the French Revolution he was critical of the monarchy but never wanted to abolish it. He was not called a Counter-Revolutionary and Royalist by his enemies for no reason.

While yes, there had been unrests long before the French Revolution, as we know it, started, these problems were at this time of his life not on La Fayette’s mind.

As to making the other side “panicky”, well, La Fayette had no practically military experience at this point so there were very few people whom he made “panicky” (and I think half of them were members of the Continental Congress and Continental Army.)

But once again, I like La Fayette’s struggle with the English language.

The Story of Tonight

[LAFAYETTE/MULLIGANS/LAURENS]

I may not live to see our glory!

This line is rather interesting because while, yes, many of La Fayette’s ancestors have died young, his own father among them, and while La Fayette himself had been wounded early on in the Battle of Brandywine and also had been severely ill several times, he wrote these lines to his Adrienne on January 6, 1777 in regards to the birth of their second daughter Anastasie:

For the rest, if one must worry about the family name, I declare that I have decided to live long enough to bear it myself for many years, before I am obliged to bequeath it to another being.

Idzerda Stanley J. et al., editors, Lafayette in the Age of the American Revolution: Selected Letters and Papers, 1776–1790, Volume 1, December 7, 1776–March 30, 1778, Cornell University Press, 1977, p. 222-226.

He certainly was full of optimism to see their glory.

[LAFAYETTE]

Let's have another round tonight!

La Fayette was definitely not averse to a drink or two or fife with his friends. This line is very much in character.

The Story of Tonight (Reprise)

I would like to preface this song by saying that neither La Fayette, nor Laurens, nor Mulligan nor Burr were present at Hamilton’s wedding. The only guest on Hamilton’s side of the wedding party was Doctor James McHenry, former aide-de-camp to Washington and now an aide-de-camp to La Fayette

[LAFAYETTE]

Let's have another round tonight!

As I said previously, this is definitely something that La Fayette would have said. :-)

[LAFAYETTE]

You are the worst, Burr!

There is no reason to believe that La Fayette, even when a bit tipsy, had any ill feelings towards Burr. In fact, La Fayette had very few feelings towards Burr because he mentions the good Sir almost never. There are six letters in total, both to and from La Fayette, that mention Burr and the earliest is from 1807.

Stay Alive

[LAFAYETTE]

I ask for French aid, I pray that France has sent a ship

La Fayette lobbied extensively for the American cause, even before his first voyage home again to France.

[WASHINGTON]

Have Lafayette take the lead!

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

As we snatch a stalemate from the jaws of defeat

The Battle of Monmouth was a wild. Washington offered the command to Lee, who was not interested so Washington went to La Fayette, who gladly accepted the command. Suddenly, Lee’s interest was renewed, and he took command after all. The battle itself was disaster but La Fayette never officially took command but instead worked with Lee to try and safe the day and he was also in command of his own little sub-division.

Guns and Ships

La Fayette's most prominent number in the musical.

[LAFAYETTE]

I’m takin this horse by the reins makin’

Redcoats redder with bloodstains

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

And I’m never gonna stop until I make ‘em

Drop and burn ‘em up and scatter their remains, I’m

[COMPANY]

Lafayette!

[LAFAYETTE]

Watch me engagin’ em! Escapin’ em!

Enragin’ em! I’m—

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

I go to France for more funds

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

I come back with more

[LAFAYETTE AND ENSEMBLE]

Guns

And ships

And so the balance shifts

La Fayette went to France in 1779 and returned to America in 1780. He brought with him the promise of “guns and ships” but the French aide needed some time to arrive.

[LAFAYETTE]

We can end this war at Yorktown, cut them off at sea, but

For this to succeed, there is someone else we need:

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

Sir, he knows what to do in a trench

Ingenuitive and fluent in French, I mean—

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

Sir, you’re gonna have to use him eventually

What’s he gonna do on the bench? I mean—

(…)

[LAFAYETTE]

No one has more resilience

Or matches my practical tactical brilliance—

By the time of La Fayette’s return to America, Yorktown was not yet chosen, or better destined, to be the decisive battle in the Revolutionary War, especially since Washington and the French commanders had different ideas about how to proceed.

La Fayette did try to mend Washington’s and Hamilton’s relationship, not only by talking with Washington but also with Hamilton. And no, he would have never said, that he was tactically brilliant – because he was not, simple as that.

Yorktown (the World Turned Upside Down)

[LAFAYETTE]

Monsieur Hamilton

[HAMILTON]

Monsieur Lafayette

[LAFAYETTE]

In command where you belong

[HAMILTON]

How you say, no sweat

We're finally on the field. We’ve had quite a run

[LAFAYETTE]

Immigrants:

[HAMILTON/LAFAYETTE]

We get the job done

This is such a lovely scene, isn’t it? But it never happened like that, quite the opposite actually. La Fayette chose one of his former aide-de-camps, Jean-Joseph Soubadère de Gimat, to take command of the storming of redoubt number 10. Hamilton was eager to be given the command but when La Fayette refused he went straight to Washington who decided in Hamilton’s favour and overruled La Fayette’s decision. While in the end this incident did not harm La Fayette’s and Hamilton’s friendship, La Fayette was anything but happy with the situation.

[HAMILTON]

So what happens if we win?

[LAFAYETTE]

I go back to France

I bring freedom to my people if I’m given the chance

As I have now already mentioned a couple of times, at this time there was not really any freedom that La Fayette wanted to bring to France. There were certainly political and social matters that he was interested in and some laws that he would have liked to see reformed – but I feel like these lines imply a fixed agenda that simply was not there yet.

[HAMILTON]

When we finally drive the British away

Lafayette is there waiting—

[HAMILTON/LAFAYETTE]

In Chesapeake Bay!

La Fayette and his troops played a vital role in cornering and keeping the British troops in Yorktown by making a retreat by land impossible.

[LAFAYETTE]

Freedom for America, freedom for France!

Again, freedom for France was not yet on the forefront of La Fayette’s mind.

Cabinet Battle #2

[Jefferson]

Did you forget Lafayette?

[Hamilton]

What?

[Jefferson]

Have you an ounce of regret?

You accumulate debt, you accumulate power

Yet in their hour of need, you forget

[Hamilton]

Lafayette’s a smart man, he’ll be fine

And before he was your friend, he was mine

If we try to fight in every revolution in the world, we never stop

Where do we draw the line?

La Fayette’s imprisonment was a headache inducing topic for many people at the time. Neither Hamilton, nor Jefferson, nor Washington for that matter, had forgotten La Fayette, but there was very little that could be done from their positions. What could be done however, was done and Hamilton and Jefferson both helped. Interesting is here the change of roles – Jefferson accuses Hamilton of not caring while Hamilton himself is rather optimistic. In reality it was Hamilton who did way more for La Fayette, even taking his son in, while Jefferson, although concerned and helpful, sometimes had a mindset of “Well, it is a revolution, shit happens.”

This post is not intended as a critique of the musical or the people who like it and listen to it, this is simply a little note for the curious. :-)

[yuyan]

Phase 2 - Categories/sections

The school is split into seven stems, one for each nation. Students pick which stem they'd like to attend. If they'd like to change stems, they may do so but many choose to keep their main stem and choose subjects from other stems instead. Typically, students choose the stem of their home country but that's not always the case. Students who wish to take a sumeru subject or get into the sumeru stem must have exceeding marks in their chosen subject/all subjects head and shoulders above the rest and their entrance exam scores typically outshine the rest. 

Listed below are the categories + details of what each section specialises in.

Sumeru - The academic all rounder, you must score at least 90+ in all tests, a student from here is most likely to get into any degree in any University. Honour classes like a C in sumeru is a B+/A- (depends what section you compare it to) in other sections. It's not uncommon to get 100%, the best getting 110% and above. In a school that performs other schools, sumeru students truly are head and shoulders above the rest in terms of academics.

Liyue - The business students. Contracts, setting up businesses, marketing, it's all there. Many who go here are more likely to be accepted for business/number related degrees in any University. (Performs quite highly academically as well, second to Sumeru)

Inazuma - Social studies, culture and history. They learn about not only theirs but other nations' uniqueness. Often ties in with Liyue students, in terms of products, what would sell and what wouldn't in certain countries.

Fontaine - Law students. Legal studies. Whatever there is about law, all apiring lawers of any kind study in this section. However, it also has students interested in the arts. Those interested in the arts have classes that tie in with the mondstadt section while law students interact with liyue students during certain classes, regarding consumer rights or business rights, etc.

Mondstat - Art. Music, painting, drawing, dancing, acting, whatever under the art industry is in the mondstat section. Their classes get excurisons to art museums and theatres sometimes with the fontaine students. Very fun.

Natlan - Sporty students. From swimming, to football, gymnastics or even matial arts, its all in Natlan. Many students in this section specialise in multiple sports and are generally quite athletic. Some will take up dance classes that mix in with the monstadt and fontaine students. Others may choose figure skating or netball. They like playling little fun invasion games like capture the flag at break or red rover and invite other students from different sections. It's all very sweet. Many who are aspiring physiotherapists, idols or athletes take up classes in this stem.

Snezhnaya - Mysterious literature kids.That says it all.Every word they say is a line of poetry, every story they write fuels the reader with extreme emotions. Many of them have books published with endless connections in teyvat high. They often interact with mondstat and inazuma students for inspiration but other than that, they mostly keep to themselves or in their social groups.  There's an old rumour that a club named the fatui ruled this stem and no one dared to touch them. An elite social club that had existed since the school was built, led by the tsaritsa and her ancestors who attended this school before her. Most of the snezhnaya students follow the fatui. No one really knows the students personally. At times, they just feel off. 

All students attending teyvat high do the basic subjects such as english, maths, science, (native language), and history but this is what they specialise/focus in.

Teyvat high! || Main masterlist

[tending-the-hearth]

ok so i promise that after this post i'm done talking about the Edmund and peter dynamics but i just have to be annoying once more time about their dynamic in "Prince Caspian" because it's SO well done without shoving all of their character progression out the window!!!

prev. posts on the matter:

the sibling dynamic differences btw the lion the witch and the wardrobe + prince caspian

ed and peter's relationship progression through tltwtw

ed giving peter reassurance + support

the Sibling Huddle + ed going from the outskirts of his siblings affection/protection to being right in the middle of it

OK ONWARDS (and again this is going to be a long post so buckle up)

the first time we see Edmund again, he's once again racing into the middle of a fight to protect his big brother. So we know that their dynamic of protecting one another has stayed the same, and Edmund's now not afraid to stand at his brother's side to keep him safe.

and when the fight is over, we get the assumption that Peter is annoyed with Edmund for stepping into the fight.

but that's not it at all.

Peter was a king for fifteen years, and he was suddenly thrown back into being a child without any warning. It's been a year, and he's obviously struggling to cope with the sudden change (which, that's definitely understandable. peter's having to grow up twice, once as a king, and once as a normal child, and it's difficult). In Peter's mind, Edmund shouldn't have to defend him, because the fight was stupid. He knows that.

and when they return to Narnia, they're back to that fun, goofy brotherly dynamic we see in the second half of "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe", where they're just being brothers! they're back home, they're back in the place they're most comfortable!

this picture is here because i can't get over the fact that the four of them just subconsciously always fall into walking in their throne order, like they probably spent their fifteen years sitting and standing in that order that it's ended up just being second nature to them!!!

and then when Lucy and Susan run off towards the beach, we get one of my favorite lil moments between Peter and Edmund

they're back to acting like kids, but it's on THEIR terms! you get the feeling that this is 100% how they acted in their early years of ruling Narnia, like the kids they were, having fun with each other while learning how to actually rule.

when Edmund asks "Where do you suppose we are?" and Peter responds with "Well, where do you think?", Edmund doesn't get snarky and sarcastic like he would have at the beginning of TLtWtW, and Peter, after hearing Edmund's response about the ruins, doesn't get huffy or annoyed.

we LOVE healthy sibling communication 😭😭😭😭

also i really really love that Edmund's the one who realizes that Cair was attacked, because his role as the Just King was negotiations and working with other countries, and Peter looking to him for the answer is SO wonderfully in character as they settle back into their roles as kinds and queens!!!

i won't go TOO into detail abt this scene, because i already have a post about it, but i love it so so much!!! the way Edmund sounds like he's teasing Peter, and Peter obviously trying to sound angry while trying to hold back his own laughter!!!!

when they save Trumpkin, look at how they react:

The girls stay back (obviously bc Susan's got a good shot with her bow) and Peter starts running. Edmund looks to Peter to see his reaction, and immediately follows after him

and when Lucy sees Aslan, Peter doesn't believe her. It's only when Edmund brings up their first time visiting Narnia, when he says "the last time I didn't believe Lucy, I ended up looking pretty stupid". THAT'S when Peter goes back to Lucy and asks why he didn't see Aslan, and I absolutely love that moment. Because yeah, Peter's a little pissed at Aslan, so having the sibling who doubted Narnia + it's existence the most coming to Lucy's defense would definitely help Peter believe a bit more.

then, when they do arrive at Aslan's How:

this is honestly the MOST relaxed we've seen the siblings. They're back to doing what they've known for the past fifteen years, they're settling into familiar dynamics! It's easy for them to go back to their roles as kings and queens, fighting for their country.

when Jadis appears, and Peter's caught in her spell, that's probably the biggest moment for Edmund in the movie. Just like how the "why can't you learn to do as you're told?" line is echoed at the beginning and end of the first movie, the "i had it sorted" line is echoed at that moment. But Peter's face isn't annoyed, and Edmund's isn't necessarily angry.

Peter looks terrified, and Edmund looks more worried than we've ever seen him.

He's seeing Peter fall into that pattern of resentment and anger that led Edmund himself to fall into Jadis' clutches their first adventure into Narnia. He knows that if Peter isn't careful, he's going to play right into her hands, and he can't let his older brother go through what he went through. Peter faltering when he faces Jadis in both "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" and "Prince Caspian", whereas Edmund being the one to face down the witch in all three movies (his scene with her in "Dawn Treader" is still one of my favorites) is so important to Edmund's character, because he's facing his trauma in different ways.

it's also Peter's wakeup call, seeing Edmund's reaction, as well as seeing Susan's reaction. He realizes that he needs to change his behavior, or else bad things will happen.

also Edmund being the only one really to call Peter "Pete" is so important to me, i love hearing the siblings' nicknames for each other 😭

and this moment basically being identical to the moment after Peter finds out Aslan's died, only this time, instead of seeking out Edmund's support, he's sought out Lucy, and we get a glimpse into what Peter and Lucy's dynamic absolutely looked like when they were older in Narnia

also Edmund always standing on Peter's right side makes me EMOTIONAL bc again it's probably just a subconscious move due to the fact that that's how their thrones were positioned, and they're probably just so used to standing that way!!!

and then there's my fucking FAVORITE Edmund scene in this entire movie

LOOK at this smug fucker

Peter thrives off of leading his people, but Edmund thrives off of negotiations and being a little shit to rulers three times his age 😌

and you can't see it, but when Caspian brings up the idea of the duel, Peter turns around to look at Edmund (who's sort of behind the pillar but he's there!!)

because Peter knows this isn't his area of expertise, it's Edmund's, so it should be up to his brother to decide if it's a good idea. Because yeah, Peter's the High King, but like Edmund says to Miraz, he's a king as well. He's on the same level as Peter, and Peter knows this, and treats him like his equal.

AND ONCE AGAIN DURING THE DUEL WE SEE A MIRROR OF THE BATTLE IN THE FIRST MOVIE

Susan and Lucy have gone off on their own, to find Aslan. they're away from danger and relatively safe (at least, that's what Peter believes). Edmund is at Peter's side, his second in the fight, and is there as support and to help him in whatever way he can.

and Edmund telling Peter to keep smiling, because they've done this before, Peter's had duels that probably didn't start off as well as he planned, and both Peter and Edmund know they have to keep the Narnians' spirits up, and even though their smiles are absolutely awful, they still put on a show for their people

(contrasted against Caspian, who obviously isn't used to this, and doesn't smile, letting his worry show clear through)

this is probably my favorite moment of theirs in the movie. When Peter asks "what happens back home, if you die here?". It's something that obviously neither of them have ever thought of before, and Edmund obviously really, REALLY doesn't want to think about his big brother dying. And Peter trying to be emotional, trying to thank Edmund for being at his side, but Edmund stopping him, being the rational one, telling him to save it for later because he really can't bear the thought of those being Peter's last words to him.

this moment isn't really anything major, but their positioning again!!!! before Susan comes in, Caspian is right at Peter's left. She puts herself between them, not to be rude or anything, but because this is the lineup they're used to. Peter with Susan on his left and Edmund on his right. Whatever battles they found during their rule, this was most likely how they did fight when Susan was on the ground with them. Again, they fall back into this order whenever they're together, and it just makes my heart explode

also this is a v bad screenshot because it's far away, but

the three of them sticking together during the battle, with Peter and Edmund going off for the more close combat fighting, leaving Susan open to be able to fire her bow and use her arrows without being blocked or interrupted!!! It's so obvious that this is something they've practiced, this is a usual fighting dynamic for them, and i just love seeing how they interact during this fight (also ty to the costumers for putting only the pevensies in the red tunics + dress, it makes it so much easier to see them)

ok i did lie about this post being the last one bc i'm absolutely making one on their costumes in this scene!! but i do love that the last time we see them in Narnia, they're still in their throne order, just reversed!!!

and finally, they're back in their throne order!!!

okay, i'm done with this post, it was longer than i expected it to be rip

@queen-with-the-quill @hilli98215 @storyweaverofgondor

[zutaralesbian]

I was technically not tagged (which is fair. I haven’t been super active in the Gallavich fandom for a while). But this game is super up my alley so I’m doing it anyway 😊

rules (more or less): use this au generator to assign you an au, this fan fiction trope generator to give you a trope/situation/sometimes another au, feel free to keep clicking until you get something that inspires you.

then try to come up with the title, plot, vibe, and details of a fic including whatever the generators gave you. you don’t actually have to write it, just put the concept into the world! this is basically just a thought experiment.

I got:

AU: Shipwrecked AU

Trope: Write a modern royalty AU

The Gallaghers are a royal family from some European country. (Possibly somewhere in the UK or a made up one idk). They’re notorious because of the antics and scandals of their father, King Francis, and the whole world is basically waiting for him to finally get himself killed and for the eldest, Princess Fiona, to become queen.

Prince Ian, frankly, is glad that he is two people behind from ever becoming king. Being a prince in the public is bad enough with having to keep his sexuality on the down-low. Not to mention he always has the fear of his true parentage one day being leaked to the press. (In this AU, he is secretly Clayton’s biological son just like in canon).

The Gallagher siblings decide to take a break from the scandalous life the castle brings them by going on a long cruise on their private yacht.

Mickey is hired to work on the ship as a deckhand during the cruise. At first he didn’t want to take the job because working under a bunch of prissy rich royals was the last thing he wanted to do. But he eventually talked himself into it because hey, the pay is decent and it would mean a good month of being away from Terry. (And if he played his cards right, maybe he could find a few jewels or other expensive shit to snag).

Ian meets Mickey on the ship and is smitten immediately. There’s something about Mickey’s grumpy exterior that just charms him. Being a prince, he’s always had to be careful about his hookups not getting exposed. But they were on a ship and away from the general public. Perfect timing to have a fun fling, right? Only, Mickey doesn’t seem super receptive to his flirtation. Maybe his assumptions that Mickey wasn’t straight were off?

Mickey can’t tell if Ian is flirting with him out of genuine interest or just to be a cocky asshole. Either way, he’s not falling for it. Fuck him for thinking just because he’s a prince that Mickey will fall into bed with him. Sure Ian doesn’t seem all bad and is definitely less irritating than the other Gallaghers. And sure Mickey gets this annoying, fluttery feeling in his chest whenever the fucker smiles at him. But whatever, it doesn’t mean anything.

The ship ends up sinking of course, due to some sort of accident. Everyone makes it onto a lifeboat except Mickey. The worst part? He never learned to properly swim. Ian, having ended up in his own lone lifeboat, spots Mickey struggling in the water and quickly rows over to his aid, grabbing him and pulling him onto the lifeboat.

The tides separate Ian and Mickey from the others. They eventually find themselves on a small tropical island. And there are no other people.

Ian is panicked. Having grown up as a royal, he never learned proper skills to survive in a situation like this. Mickey, however, has grown up teaching himself survival skills and sets out to work on getting them shelter and food. He includes Ian in on all his plans because, as annoying as the guy may be, he did save Mickey from drowning and Mickey supposes he owes him for that. And right now, all they had was each other.

They eventually get themselves a pretty decent setup. They create a fort for them to sleep and take shelter from the sun in. There’s a stream a little further into the forest where they can get fresh water. And their diet consists of fish from the ocean, fruit, and small animals they hunt on the island. Mickey teaches Ian as they go.

Once the threat of death is for the most part evaded they begin to bond. After all, what else do they really have to do besides talk? Ian opens up to Mickey about the pressure he feels being a closeted gay man in the royal family. And eventually, tells Mickey his biggest secret-he isn’t really King Francis’ son.

Mickey in turn tells Ian about his life growing up under Terry’s thumb and his own dark secret. About how Terry once caught him with a boy when he was a teenager and was nearly beat to death.

Horrified by Mickey’s story, Ian makes a silent vow that, if they ever got off the island, he would come out to the public and use his fame and image to become an activist for gay kids who could be suffering the way Mickey did.

Mickey for his part makes a promise to himself that if he got off the island, he would finally leave Terry behind once and for all and make a new life for himself. Even if it means leaving the south side.

Months go by and they of course begin to fall in love. And both of them start to wonder…maybe being on the island isn’t all that terrible. It somehow becomes a solace and escape from the drama of their normal lives. And here, it’s just the two of them. They can finally be themselves.

They do eventually get discovered and rescued. The news of Prince Ian Gallagher being found alive on an island months after the family’s yacht sank becomes huge news. And Mickey somehow gets painted as a hero-the ordinary citizen who helped their beloved prince survive months on an uninhabited island. The Gallaghers are so grateful to Mickey for keeping Ian alive that they give him a large sum of money. Mickey doesn’t want to accept it at first but Ian convinces him to use the money to begin building his new life away from Terry.

Ian and Mickey reluctantly go their separate ways. No matter how they feel about each other, Ian is a prince and has an image to uphold. Mickey knows that Ian already has enough shit to deal with being closeted and having to keep his true parentage under wraps. The last thing he needs is to be tied to a south side thug. It’s better for them to say goodbye, or so he tells himself.

Some time goes by and Ian eventually reaches his breaking point. He misses Mickey and, as much as he loves his family, he’s never fully fit in the royal life anyway. He finally does what he promised himself while on the island and writes and publishes an article where he comes out as gay. And at the end of the article, he officially announces his intent to abdicate his title of prince.

Though Ian never name drops Mickey in the article, a lot of the public had already romanticized their relationship from the island story and assume Ian is abdicating so he can be with him.

Mickey is sitting in his new apartment and watching the news. His jaw drops when he see’s a story about the famed Prince Ian Gallagher coming out as gay and leaving the royal life behind. But before he has a chance to fully react, there’s a knock on his front door.

Ian is at the door. And he smiles at Mickey before asking if his apartment has enough room for two.

[ummick]

Mick’s Diary: Life as an F1 Reserve Driver

It’s been a hectic three months for our new Reserve Driver, Mick Schumacher. From plenty of simulator work to marketing appearances… and a little surfing in between! In this new series, Mick will be sharing his thoughts, feelings, and experiences throughout the year. First up, Mick discusses his first days at Brackley, what it’s like working with Lewis and George, plus a message for the fans.

Hi everyone and welcome to my diary! Over the season, I’ll be keeping you up to date with how we’re progressing trackside and at the factory, and some insight into what I get up to away from racing. So, here’s my first entry. Since I joined Mercedes, I’ve been settling in great. Everybody is just so open-minded towards me, and that made me feel welcome from the first moment I stepped into the factory in Brackley. I’ve spent a lot of time there in these first months. It’s a very impressive facility. I visited it back in 2014 as a young driver and was even sneaking in the simulator then, but everything is a lot bigger now than it was then! It is a state-of-the-art facility, very impressive in how things are structured and how every detail is thoughtfully taken care of. I’m still getting used to the level of preparation that you see here, and I am trying to soak up as much information as I can. Also, there’s still a lot of people I haven’t met but it’s been fun getting to know as many colleagues as I can. My main focus up to now has been working in the simulator. Because I have raced a car under this new set of regulations, I have a good understanding of how to drive them. That has helped me in my role so far and hopefully added value for the Team. I will look to be an extra pair of eyes and resource to help with the development programme across the year. The simulator team have been super kind to me and great to work with. It’s impressive to drive the sim because it’s just so advanced, and I have been pushing to do more. It’s not enough for me to just sit on the side-lines, I want to be helpful wherever I can. Of course, it’s not the real thing and I would love to be driving the W14! It's also been fascinating working with Lewis and George. It’s an interesting period for me as I get to look over and work with two fantastic drivers, which you don’t always get to do. I’ve learned a lot about what’s important in terms of approaching race weekends; I feel like I’ve already gained so much knowledge to add to my skillset. I didn’t think I would have learned and gained so much so early into my role. As a driver, you usually do not get to hear what is going on between all the engineers while you are out on the track, so listening in during the sessions has been extremely interesting. I was quite shocked at the season opener in Bahrain, I did not expect the sheer amount of exchange that happens. You don’t know what you’re missing until you are actually part of it. What I really appreciate in working with those engineers is that they are genuinely listening to you and your opinion matters, and what is special from an emotional side is that many people who are working for the Team now were working here when my dad was driving. Whilst we’ve all been working hard, it’s important to keep a balance and get some downtime. I went out early to Australia and went surfing. I wouldn’t say that I’m a great surfer, but I have to say that I have come to love it and I feel it is not just for fun but also very helpful for training. Even at home in Switzerland I do a lot of surfing. Yes, this may sound strange when speaking of a country that’s not famous for its beaches, but we have a surf spot close to where I live. It can’t beat the adrenaline rush of motorsport though and I’m excited to get back to Brackley and continue our work. We’re working through quite a lot of simulator sessions before the next race in Baku so we will do some virtual mileage and be pushing hard to bring performance to the car. To finish my first diary entry, I wanted to speak directly to you, the fans. Thank you to everyone for the warm welcome to the Team, and for the support you’ve shown me. It’s no secret that I would, like any driver, love to be out there racing. My current role though is helping me grow and develop, which is great.

[nordic-language-love]

Hii~ idk if you talked about it but could you tell us your journey in Japan? How is it + how did you manage to go there (if you want to share ofc!)

It's because I'd like to move to Japan and I'm trying to collect information on how to successfully go there.. so if you have any advice pls lemme know, I'd really appreciate it! Have a great day!

Hi there! I sure can :)

How I Got There

Pretty much everyone I know who came to Japan is an ESL teacher (not surprising given I am an ESL teacher and so are all my colleagues, and when I was doing research I mostly searched Youtube for people's ESL experiences in Japan). The most common route of application is via the JET Program. There are also a number of Eikaiwa companies that hire from abroad and will sponsor your visa (this is what I did - I'm happy to give you the details of my recruiter over a DM if you want). However, pretty much all of these options require you to have a bachelor's degree (doesn't matter what in). The main problem with these kinds of companies is you don't have much control over where in Japan they put you, and typically you won't be in a big city (although you might be in a surrounding area - one guy from my training group is based in Saitama). The pay's also not great (but as long as you live within your means, you'll be very comfortable and you can definitely save up).

Even if teaching English isn't something you fancy, it's probably the easiest way to get into Japan if you have a bachelor's. You don't have to be a native English speaker (although you should be at least a comfortable C1, ideally C2 level), and once you're in Japan you can find a job you actually want much more easily.

You can also try GaijinPot for more jobs - there's a section for people applying from overseas. But please check on places like Reddit or FB groups whether a job seems reasonable before applying; anything that advertises pay "per hour" is unlikely to be a liveable wage, and I've been told 240K/mo in Tokyo is not really sufficient (no problem for me out in the sticks, but Tokyo living costs are crazy).

How It Is

I love the nature here! I live in the Tohoku region so I'm surrounded by mountains and forests and I feel so lucky!

The summer sucks if you aren't a fan of the heat. We had 33-37ºC every day from mid-July to the start of September. I have a colleague who grew up in the UAE and he's been laughing at us all saying how beautiful the weather is, but for me, who is native to a cold and soggy little mound of grass in the Atlantic, it is horrendous. Not to mention the cicadas. Idk if there are cicadas where you live but I was NOT prepared.

You can get by without Japanese, but making the effort will go a LONG way. If you've only ever travelled in Europe or English-speaking countries, you'll probably have the impression that "everyone speaks English to some degree" and that you can always find someone with good enough English to help you. This is not the case in Japan! Your interactions will be very awkward if you don't make the effort. You'll probably be fine in bigger cities but more remote regions will be very difficult to navigate.

I understand Japanese a LOT better than when I first came here. I can still barely speak it, but I'm always surprised by how much I can pick up from the kids from the words I know and context (this is a huge advantage to teaching if learning Japanese is your goal: young kids will babble at you in Japanese CONSTANTLY). I'd probably speak it better if I made the effort to go out and talk to people but I'm shy lol.

I love the job! My colleagues are great and the kids are so much fun. My company does provides really good support and my work-life balance is perfect for me. I also get to use my creative side making classroom materials. But I don't get sick days and I only have 10 paid vacation days, 5 of which are at the end of the year and cannot be moved. I'm also pretty sure most other eikaiwas and Japanese companies will work you a lot harder, and you'll have much longer hours and higher expectations from your company.

Hope that helps! Best of luck with everything. Feel free to shoot me another ask if you have more specific questions!

[heartofspells]

Hello, it's AMA with heartofspells! Tell me about a universe where Sirius survives OOTP. How do the rest of the books unfold with Sirius alive? (And beyond, if you want!)

Hmm, is that what this is? Yeah, okay. AMA with Holli, everyone! Come one, come all! Except I'm not that interesting.

BUT then here's Imp, starting things off with a bang and making me use my brain. That's a bit evil and I love it.

Let's just pick up after the DoM battle, shall we? Sirius survives (duh, no other universe exists), he's cleared of all charges after a bit of struggle, but he was there fighting against those he was suspected of aiding, so there's not much denial at play. No Order of Merlin, though, because the Ministry are salty bastards and he's still alive. They don't care.

Skip ahead to right before the summer. Free and clear, Sirius leaves Grimmauld Place (good riddance, too many bad memories now, as though there weren't before) and he returns to Remus' little cottage surrounded by woods, fresh air, loads of room to roam and run. They set up a room for Harry, and then Sirius begins his battle with Dumbledore, the one he never got to truly have all those years ago. Harry is his, belongs with Sirius, a right bestowed onto him by his best friends. Legally, there's nothing Dumbledore can do. The only power he has at play is the blood protection, but Sirius only scoffs at that. Harry's coming home.

He spends one day, only one, with the Dursleys, Padfoot present the entire time. And of course Sirius doesn't have to be the dog, but it's more fun that way, though he does take his chance when Vernon becomes particularly enraged over something to shift back to himself, very intimidating, causing the man to choke on his own tongue.

Now, clever as Sirius is, as well as Remus, they connect a few dots based on what they've learned about Harry being linked with Voldemort. Dumbledore is keeping secrets, he always has, so as the summer progresses, Sirius and Remus work around him, do their own research about what could link a two people together, wand reactions, really looking into that night in Godric's Hallow and what happened to destroy Voldemort as he once was. And Sirius, with access to centuries of Black family tomes filled with the darkest of things, figures it out, consults a few others, somewhat experts, before setting to work.

While Harry is at school, constantly in contact with his two loving and attentive parents, attending to studies and finally, hopefully, feeling like the teenager he's meant to be, Sirius and Remus begin hunting down the Horcruxes themselves. They use their own contacts for the research they need, track down those that had interacted with Riddle and survived, learn whatever secrets he hadn't managed to bury. They find them all, every last one, gaining the ring before Dumbledore can, no curse there to set Draco's path into motion, squashing it before it starts. No reason for Dumbledore to act out of panic and begin showing Harry the memories relating to the Horcruxes. They take them back to their home, ward a clearing in the woods until it's safe, destroy them with Fiendfyre, Sirius understanding just how volatile it can be, how carefully it must be cast, how clear a person's head should be before doing so. And he does it all for Harry. For Harry and for Lily and for James.

It takes a long time, just the two of them working at it, fear clawing at them if the wrong person finds out, relays it back to Dumbledore. But they're not finished yet, the worst still to come. It's nearly the end of Harry's seventh year, NEWTs fast approaching, Harry exactly where he belongs, not traipsing all over the country, living rough, but warm in his bed every night. They've still been looking into that night when everything finally fell apart beneath their feet, sorting out the pieces, puzzling them together until they finally form the answer.

Harry is a Horcrux.

Now look, I could go into a lot of detail here and try to fix all the issues that are RIFE in canon, but I will not. Harry's a Horcrux, but they can't kill him, Sirius would never, wouldn't even risk it. So they corner Voldemort, blast him with the Killing Curse, trap his maimed soul, bury him in a cement block at the bottom of the North Sea (near where Sirius had spent SO MANY wasted years) and live happily ever after.

Harry lives his life, does as he pleases, roams a bit without a master, free to do as he wishes with his best godfather in full support of his choices. Remus gets to live a comfortable life with Sirius, working as he pleases, surrounding himself with books and whatever else he likes, and Sirius goes into training to be a Healer. He and Remus have an entire litter of babies with their big brother Harry always around to spoil them senseless until he's got his own kids to be rightfully spoiled by their grandfathers Moony and Padfoot (Moony always has chocolate in his pocket, but shhhh don't tell Harry)(he knows). They all grow old and lazy and Sirius finds that he really enjoys comfortable slippers with rabbit ears very much.

THE END