#also… fernando liked this post almost immediately

[pookietsunoda]

Saw this post abt Alonso getting accidentally electrocuted and thinking he was 14 (as well as this tag on a reblog)

what if... the whole grid accidentally got struck by some deus ex machina non fatal zap that gave them temporary amnesia and they all became convinced they were 14 for a day? Here is what I think would happen:

First off, they're all so hyped about being F1 drivers and get excited about the dumbest shit (phone games, wheel guns, tire blankets)

Max and Charles fight each other over the Inchident

George is starstruck by the fact that Alex is an F1 racer (bc Alex was his karting hero growing up) but Alex didn't become friends with George until he was 15, so he has no idea who George is, which is Humiliating to fragile teenage George.

Half of them can't speak English fluently yet. Only the younger ones (Oscar, Franco, etc) know that google translate exists and they help massively in the linguistic problems.

Unclear whether or not Pierre and Esteban are besties or enemies, or both. They are one of those things, and they're insane about it because they're teenagers. Lance and Esteban are probably like Normal friends though.

Lewis is like "where tf is Nico" and finds adult Nico. Lewis is super pumped to hear that they both made it to F1, were teammates and won WDCs, Lewis is an F1 GOAT, and that Nico married his childhood crush. (Their life trajectories literally sound like what a kid imagines their future to be like.) And Nico is like "hey we actually had a falling out" and Lewis is like "that's crazy man, how would we stop being friends? You want some frosties?"

Immediate Spanish speaker clique between Fernando, Carlos, Checo, and Franco. They are shook that THE Fernando Alonso wants to be besties with them (especially Carlos since Fernando is his hero).

KMag and Hulk are probably friends since this is pre Suck My Balls and they're friends now so, their energies align I guess.

Being 14 year olds who find out they're rich and famous, they all want to escape into the real world and take joyrides in the expensive cars they own/ drink alcohol/ see strippers/ buy crazy stuff and their team staff is like OH NO WE CAN'T LET THEM ESCAPE (Thus ensues comedy gold of the team staff chasing kids who have the bodies of professional athletes around the track and trying to contain them)

If in Singapore, Yuki and Zhou manage to escape because they are 2 East Asians wearing designer and F1 merch and they blend in with the fans. (As a disguise, they swap team shirts and put on surgical masks and people are like "Is that Zhou Guanyu?" "Nah why would Zhou be wearing a Yuki shirt?") Word gets out in the drivers whatsapp that they escaped and they immediately get bombarded with requests for what to buy for the rest of the paddock. They cannot rly understand each other but Zhou can get around Sgp pretty easily bc a lot of people there speak Mandarin. He has to stop Yuki from breaking at least five Singaporean laws. They stuff themselves at hawker stands and have a great field trip but then get recognized and have to make an emergency getaway on a stolen electric scooter. They do get Lewis his Frosties.

Lewis doesn't know he's a vegan and almost ruins his reputation by being spotted by paparazzi eating Frosties with non vegan milk. Also gives himself a nasty stomachache.

Despite being told not to tell other people about the mass amnesia, Max and Lance both call their dads. Lawrence is like "My poor son! I will get the experts to look into this right away!" Jos is like "idc if you don't remember how to drive the car, you're gonna do it or I'll disown you." Daniel and Lando grab the phone and tell Jos he's a meanie and also was a shit F1 driver, then hang up.

George finds chewing gum at the bottom of someone's bag and starts spiraling, convinced that the Singaporean police are going to arrest and execute them all for possessing illegal items.

Lord of the Flies scenario where George and Oscar are trying to organize everyone to make sure they don't accidentally hurt themselves, whereas Lando, Fernando, KMag, Daniel, and a few others are just trying to have a good time and cause chaos. Bottas and Alex and a third group are just like quietly messing around in the back.

They come to a truce in order to organize a GPDA strike because they have been banned from leaving the track until they regain their memories. They barricade themselves in someone's garage and have a sleepover on the floor with lots of candy and games. Lewis finds a guitar and plays Wonderwall.

They wake up the next day extremely confused (but remembering everything) and race as normal LOL

[itsblasttothepast]

I love how Checo saw Franco and immediately went "my baby, my boy, my precious child" and is almost constantly near him and interacts with him and does everything to connect and make him feel good. It's heartbreaking that he does that mostly because he was alone in this sport for so long and wasn't really welcome in it.

I can't really believe how people can keep on saying that he is a bad person (I know it's mostly Daniel fans wanting their fave in Checo's seat but still) when most of the drivers like him (I stand by my opinion that if Sebastian Vettel liked you, you can't be a terrible person) and he just wants the younger drivers to never go through he had to in this sport. It's the same with Yuki, the drivers from F2, F3 and the Academy and now with Franco, even with Max earlier on. He's just adorable and wholesome and I can't wrap my head around all the hate when the loudest people claim 'not to be racist' but there is really no reason for them to hate him so much. Dislike? Sure that's your right but blatant hate?

Oh, I know anon. I don't get how people can hate him, and also waste their time and effort in making blogs, posts, edits and so much more just to show how much they hate him... I mean... what? this is borderline insane.

You are allowed to dislike someone; I don't like Lando Norris, for example (I have my petty reasons), but I don't spend my time making blogs to hate him or making posts about him, why would I do that? When I can be delusional with Chestappen and Chewis? Being happy with my fellow KitKat gang, or just finding Squirtle gifs? (new obsession).

The only person who welcomed Checo when he joined F1 was Fernando, which is why he's his bestie; Kamui also was kind, but the rest of the grid... oh well. I just love how much Checo puts the effort in welcoming the rookies, and with Franco has been extra nice, maybe because both are latin americans; he is a warm and kind person (also a little shit sometimes), so I don't get why people keep hating him so much.

Thank you for your message, it's so nice knowing that there are people out there who likes Checo and supports him.

Hugs to you anon, your message lifted my spirit 💖

[viennakarma]

Drunk calls

Fernando Alonso x Reader

Summary: You're drunk on your night out and accidentally call your boss, Fernando.

Word count: 1.5k

Tags: Female reader, drunk reader, fluff, Nando comforting reader, boss x employee relationship, not beta read

Relationships: Fernando Alonso x Reader

Notes: Anon requested drunk reader and sober nano, so i just ran with it and wrote a little something while on hangover from the new year party. (Also that ONE pic George Russell posted of him and Nando!!!!)

Hope you enjoy it, Anon!

Find me on Twitter!

As you left the toilet, you felt your legs wobbly as you supported yourself on the wall. You had been clubbing with your friends for a couple of hours now, but a few minutes ago you couldn’t find them, and you looked all around.

Pulling your phone from your purse, you called your bestie to try and find out where she was. As soon as she picked up, you started talking.

“Hi, Hanna! Where are-” You hiccuped, “where are you? I think I’m too drunk now, I can’t find you or the girls, and my head is pounding already, and I can’t walk straight.”

“Y/N?” A male voice asked.

“Who the fuck are you?” You frowned.

“It’s Fernando, you just called me,” he said and you turned your phone seeing that you had actually called him instead of your friend.

“Oh, shit! I’m so sorry, boss!” You said and immediately hung up.

Fuck, you drunk called your boss on your day off. That was most certainly grounds for a reprimand. You had been working as his assistant for almost a year now, and had only been super professional and dedicated to doing your work. You and Fernando had been friendly and settled into a great work dynamic. So accidentally calling him like this would probably cause problems for you.

You didn’t even have time or energy to blame yourself too long as your phone buzzed with an incoming call from Fernando. You immediately hit decline. But barely a second later he called you again. Shit, he probably would tear you a new one. You hit decline again. You started sweating, god, you needed to go home, you needed to eat and you needed to plan a big apology for the next time you see your boss again.

Then two texts appeared coming from Fernando.

“Where are you?” “Pick up the call”

And then he called you again, and you picked it up this time preparing for him to go off on you.

“Where are you?” He breathed loudly.

“I’m at a club with my friends,” you stuttered a little bit, both because of the alcohol and because you were worried he might fire you on the spot.

“You said you lost them. Have you found your friends?”

“No, not really. But it’s okay, I’m gonna go home already!” You hoped you were sounding a little bit more confident.

“How?”

“What?”

“How are you going to go home?” He asked, voice serious.

“I’m gonna call a cab or something. Don’t worry!” Please, sound sober, please sound sober.

“Send me the address, I’m gonna pick you up.”

“No, no! It’s your day off too, you don’t have to worry I’ll be fine! Really, I promise I’m going straight home right-”

“I wasn’t asking. Send the address.” He cut you off and hung up.

Cursing and sweating, you sent him your location, walking slowly to the exit, still trying to locate your friends. As you made it outside, you leaned against the wall, feeling a little better with the fresh gust of wind outside the packed club. You flexed your knees because your heels were feeling like a fucking thousand needles punching the sole of your feet. You should listen to your younger sister and start wearing sneakers to the club.

After a few minutes, you saw a scandalous rich man’s car pulling up and you knew it’s Fernando. He stopped by the sidewalk and came walking to you. He was wearing slacks and a white button up, simple but classy. You had seen in his schedule before that he was going to go out with friends for dinner. So that’s probably where he came from.

He didn’t look too pissed at you but he didn’t look happy either, his face was rather neutral.

“How are you feeling?” He asked as he stopped in front of you. He was holding a water bottle, which he promptly opened and gave to you.

“I have been better, not gonna lie,” you said, and proceeded to drink almost the whole bottle of water.

“Why are you flexing your knees?” He asked.

“Because the heels are killing me.”

Silently, Fernando knelt in front of you and unbuckled the straps of your heels around your ankles.

“Off, now” he said, patting your calves, then offering you a hand so you could step out of the shoes.

“Jesus, thank you,” you mumbled, relieved to be barefoot finally, “I’m sorry, you didn’t have to pick me up.”

“I’m here already, quit whining,” he dismissed you, holding your forearm, “can you walk to the car?”

“Just give me a hand,” you asked, still a little unbalanced. You jolted a little when you felt Fernando’s hands on your thighs but he didn't touch you, he just pulled the hem of your dress down, since it was dangerously close to showing too much and maybe accidentally flashing everyone.

Fernando circled an arm around your waist, pulling you flush to his side, keeping you standing all the way to his car, holding your heels with the other hand. You looked to the side of his face, and you were suddenly hit with the realization that Fernando is really, really attractive. 

“Damn, you’re handsome!”

It honestly slipped past your lips and you felt your cheeks warm up, embarrassed for saying that out loud, but Fernando only laughed a little, and kept walking you to his car, only stopping to open the door and put you in the passenger seat.

As you took the seat, he stared at your face, trying to catch any signs of something in your face. You blinked, staring into his beautiful greeny brown eyes, and he just huffed, pulling the seat belt and locking it around you.

When he finally started driving, the silence deafening, you looked at his side profile.

“Are you upset? I’m sorry! I promise I’ll behave.”

“I’m not upset. Though I will be a little annoyed if you throw up in my Aston Martin,” he said with a small smile.

“No throwing up happening anytime soon!” You raised your hand, held it in a cross and kissed it, “I’m actually really hungry”

Fernando clicked his tongue and reached for the backseat with one hand, pulling a Burger King brown bag. You smelled the food and you smiled.

“Oh my god! You’re a savior!” You opened the bag, which had your favorite burger and big sized fries, “this is my favorite!”

You ate quietly for a couple of minutes then a thought hit you.

“How do you know I like eating Burger King after getting drunk?” You said, and Fernando looked at you, opened the glove box and handed you a tissue.

“I know you well,” was all he said. He ended up driving you to his place, and you decided to question it.

“Why did you drive me here?” You walked in, sitting on the couch.

“What do you mean?” He looked confused.

“Ugh, never mind!” You stood up but the quick movement made you stumble and Fernando quickly held you in place.

“Careful!” He put both hands on your waist, in a way that felt very intimate.

You turned to face him, and he smiled softly, his hand now on your lower back. Then, you touched his eyebrow with the tip of your finger.

“I like your eyebrows.”

“Gracias.”

“And your beard too,” you cupped his face, feeling the roughness of his beard against your palm.

“Vamos, you need a shower,” he carefully walked you up the stairs and then inside the bedroom, straight to the bathroom.

Fernando turned you around and pulled down the zipper on your back. You gasped, holding the dress in place and turning to face him.

“You can’t undress me!”

He turned around, laughing.

“Ok, get in the shower and I’ll get you some clothes, eh?”

You showered, and when you left, a towel around your body, Fernando had left a small pile of clothes inside. There was a big t-shirt and sports shorts that you dressed. He also left you a toothbrush, which seemed very thoughtful of him.

When you walked back to the room, Fernando had changed into comfy clothes, and he was waiting for you sitting on the bed.

“Are you sobering up?” He asked.

And you just nodded, sleepy, crawling into his lap and snuggling into his chest, pressing your nose to his neck.

“Yup.”

“Then you remember who I am?” 

“You’re Fernando!” He laughed a little, kissing the top of your head.

“No, amor,” he leaned back, cradling your face with one hand, and pulling your right hand with the other, “I’m your fiancé.”

Wide eyed, you stared at the big diamond ring in your finger. Then, you finally remembered, your fiancé, your beloved Nano. Who had been your boss sometime two years ago, and you resigned when you realized you had feelings for him. In the end, he had gone after you because he harbored the same feelings for you.

You ended up laughing out loud, so hard that there were tears in your eyes.

“God, I’m never drinking again!”

“It’s cute that you forgot like this,” he laughed too.

You held his face, kissing him softly. His hand ran up your back, under your shirt. You wanted more, trying to deepen the kiss, but he just held you back.

“Sleep now, eh? Tomorrow I will wake you up with besos.”

[shitapril]

very often see posts about how the one direction fans grew up to be formula one fans, and the more I think of it, the more it makes sense. putting aside the fact that almost all my f1 friends were 1d fans (were ? are lol), it makes sense that a fandom who's fuel was hyperfixating on boys living out their dreams shifted from one form of it to another.

tha being said, it got me thinking - how do the girlies translate to f1 ? and by girlies i mean what your kpop fan would call a "bias". for example, if i was a niall girl - who's my favourite now ?

so here's a silly little non-sensical analysis and comparison that should not be taken seriously at all :

firstly, the zayn malik girlies are definitely lewis hamilton girlies. both zayn and lewis come from humble backgrounds, were subject to vile, inhumane racial discrimination and hate - all while being arguably the most talented in their respective fields (I mean, you've heard zayn's high note in you & I, and seen lewis' 7 world championships). they're hardworking, pet-loving, very fashionable men who stay out of unnecessary spotlight for the most part, and step out once in a while to remind the world they're drop-dead gorgeous. the zayn girls are safe with lewis.

next comes liam payne - and here on you'll have to hear me out with my comparison of every racer and bandmate. liam and george russell are both aggressively british, unapologetically goofy and true to themselves (and i'm talking about liam in 1d not the one on logan paul's podcast). they're both very talented, highly regarded in their boss' eyes (toto wolff and simon cowell - this post is going to be interesting wow) and still somehow not an immediate fan favourite. this comparison also goes wonderfully well with the whole ziam and britcedes parallels.

thirdly, louis tomlinson. easy peasy. max verstappen. both incredibly blunt, dry humour, pr nightmares, do not give two single hecks. people either love them, or hate them - no in between. both incredibly talented individuals (louis wrote majority of 1d's discography, max has 3 world championships under his belt) and yet are discredited ("louis is only famous cuz of his bandmates and the band itself" and "max just had a good car"). the zayn and louis fued also parallels abu dhabi 2021 quite well aye ? (i'm going insane)

harry styles, no debate. charles leclerc - regarded as the pretty boys (the prettiest, their fans would insist i'm sure) and the most popular, the well-liked. both extremely talented without a doubt, but a little bit overrated, and victimised to glorify and support fan narratives. i know i sound like a hater - forgive me, not my intention. i like them both as individuals - their fans on the other hand (and no, not all, i know) are so blind-sided, so insane and cause so much unpleasantness on the internet. almost ironic, how the most amicable ones have the least liked fans lol. that aside though, if you were a harry girl, chances are you went from one fan-favourite to the other. i also just realised - this supports the larry and lestappen narratives - am i genuinely, honestly onto something here ? (i absolutely am not)

lastly, niall horan. now this one i'm sure will divide you all, but here you go anyway. lando norris. both babied immensely by their fans and bandmates/teammates alike - churchboy persona. the moment they shed the insecurity, suddenly bam everyone hates them (niall's mofo t-shirts, lando's frat boy tendencies, and saying things that the internet will not find funny), promising at a young age, yet somehow grew up to be called overrated. their fans are stubbornly loyal to them, defending them through all their rights, and wrongs. it makes sense to me. one smiley boy to another.

this probably makes no sense - but feel free to add your own comparisons, theories, and notes ! there's 5 of them and 20 on the grid, obviosuly disparity for me to go on and on and on about (for example, I see a little zayn girls to carlos girls pipeline, louis to fernando - oldest boy syndrome and all that) so let me know ! let's yap :)

[drvscarlett]

About You Pt6

Sebastian Vettel x Webber!Reader

Summary: Everyone knows about the history of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. But there's a well kept story within the paddock about Sebastian Vettel and another Webber. This is that story.

About You Series 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

A/N: okay so the draft did not save itself that's why i made a quick edit and just post this one. I hope you enjoy this

Taglist: @spideybv28@randomcuboidshape @mehrmonga @casperlikej @cliosunshine @honethatty12 @randomgirlnumber-13 @sugyomama @ririyulife @skywalker1dream @vicurious28 @khaylin27 @0710khj @its-elias-world @vizzzashley @allisonwoods

2010, Interlagos

"Honey we have to stop meeting like this" Jenson grins as he opens his hotel room.

Y/N immediately wrapped her arms around the British driver. Media be damned but she was extremely worried about Jenson when she heard what happened. She couldn't stop messaging people to ask him if he was okay or what. Even Mark has been worried when she told him what happened.

"Are you okay? You aren't hurt or anything?" Y/N asked worriedly.

"I'm alive and well"Jenson said, closing the door "maybe a little bruised ego from not being able to compete for the championship"

"Oh championship be damned Jense, you almost got kidnapped"Y/N exclaimed

Jenson could only chuckle. He admits he was a bit spooked by what happened but it is what it is. However, he was extremely grateful that Y/N has been worried enough to check up on him and assures that he is okay.

"Just join me for a little drink and lets talk about our day"Jenson suggested "Wine, beer, whiskey?"

"Beer would be fine" Y/N answered.

For all the times that Jenson have gone drinking with Y/N, he knows that her preference was more on wine. He could never forget it because who else than Y/N orders a wine on a bar or a nightclub.

"Tough day?" Jenson wondered

"Not as bad as being kidnapped" Y/N drinks up.

"Touché"

The two friends conversed for the night. Jenson opened up how it felt for him that he isn't able to extend his championship streak. He was not at all disappointed because he performed well and he just missed it out with this race. Y/N is a good listener and became a good support for Jenson.

"What about you? You are in for the big race on Abu Dhabi"Jenson diverted the attention to the female Webber "The big question is who are you supporting"

"I'm neutral"

Jenson looked at her as if she grew two heads. He shook his head as he took a sip of his beer.

"Oh c'mon your brother might win and you are still neutral about it?" Jenson questioned

"Well if you must know my bestfriend is also competing, Lewis is also competing and Fernando is also there" Y/N stated

Jenson raises his eyebrows in a teasing manner. He is not blind and he does not fall for the lies that Y/N is not choosing a side because she is friends with everyone competing. Y/N refuses to take a side because of the 'bestfriend.'

"You know its going to be historic, four drivers vying for a championship" Jenson informs "I think this is the first time that this happened"

"A lot of pressure for those wanting to win" Y/N agrees.

"You are feeling it all Y/N?" Jenson asked.

Y/N could just give out a sigh as a response. She knows that she won't be sleeping well with the whole thing happening. Its bound to happen that someone will not be fast enough and lose. Then there is also the possibility that someone will win the race and be crowned as champion.

With everything down the wire, no one could predict what will happen.

"You have to make a choice you know" Jenson reminded "What if Mark wins, what if Sebastian wins?"

"We can't have them both as world champions?" Y/N joked

"Maybe for different seasons"Jenson offered.

It was impossible for either of the driver to secure that. Given how the things are in Red Bull. They will favor whoever brings them the first championship and then place the other as their second driver.

"Y/N its just going to be much more difficult after this"Jenson straightforwardness sobered Y/N up a little "You have to stay strong and pick a side"

"I don't want to pick a side Jense, they both deserve a championship"Y/N stays firm "They are both incredible and fantastic drivers. If one of them wins, I'll be happy but I know my heart also aches for the one who misses out that championship"

This was the thing that Jenson admired about Y/N. She is supportive and loyal like that, its quite rare in the field. He gave her a comforting hug as they continue drinking their woes away.

2010, Yas Marina

It was early morning of the qualifying day when Y/N received the email. She was very much surprised upon receiving the email because she had to blink a couple of times to make sure that she is reading it correctly.

From: McLaren Racing

Subject: Job vacancy.

"Oh I am so gonna kill you for this Jense"Y/N muttered.

One of the discussions during their drunk night in Brazil was that the possible solution to Y/N's problem is moving teams. Jenson suggested that there might be some vacant jobs in McLaren before the winter season begins.

And now this conveniently timed email that Y/N has been highly recommended by several employees for the position of Press Officer makes one think that Jenson took that advice seriously.

"Are you decent?" couple of knocks interrupted her "Can I come in?"

"Come on in Mark"

Mark has two cups of coffee in hand. He was already dressed and ready for his paddock appearance. Y/N could just chuckle at the role reversal because usually she was the one who is already dressed while Mark is the one begging for five more minutes to prepare.

"One brown sugar shaken espresso with 3 pumps of toffee nuts"Mark recited proudly.

"You remembered?"

Y/N was in glee as she takes in the cup of coffee. It was a kind of morning that really needs a coffee to help her throughout the day.

"No one drinks coffee as sugary like that, only you" Mark snickers.

"I just like my coffee sweet"Y/N defends.

Mark ends up sitting at one of the chairs. Y/N could read how his expression is a mix of confidence but deep down there is some kind of worry that he is trying to hide. It must be the championship nerves getting the best of him.

"You nervous?"Y/N asked her older brother.

"Its my only chance for a championship. It feels different" Mark answered.

Y/N wanted to say that its not true and there will be plenty of more chances in the start of a new season. However,she knew that this is the closest shot that Mark has to the championship ever since he entered Formula 1.

"I spoke to Sebastian last night" Mark brought it up.

The younger Webber immediately looked up with wide eyes. She knew that the two haven't been in speaking terms except when they have to or forced to talk with each other.

"We talked about you" Mark expanded.

"Me? Why am I even brought up into the conversation?"she was confused.

"Same question but it was Sebastian that first approached me" Mark explained "He talked about how win or lose, we should not put you into a bad spot because you are both important to us"

There Sebastian goes again making her heart skip a beat. Its these little things that mainly causes her to feel deeper and deeper for the German driver. Y/N felt really touched that despite the intense rivalry, he still cares.

"And I know I thought about it all night how I'm really making things difficult for you. So thanks for sticking up with me and I'll try to be much more easier to handle" Mark concludes.

"Oh brother" was all Y/N could say before hugging him.

It felt nice for the both of them that they have each other in the sports. Its the same reason why Y/N cannot answer the offer of Jenson to move into McLaren. If she leaves then how could she be there for her brother?

"Seb really cares a lot about you"Mark informs.

"He is just being a good....bestfriend" Y/N rebutted but she seems unconvinced with her own answer.

Mark knew that Sebastian has a big sense of pride. But whenever, Y/N comes to the picture then he will immediately melt. Mark could only chuckle because Y/N has no clue of the chokehold he has over Sebastian.

"Oh I think you are thinking too little about yourself"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Y/N wondered

It was not Mark's business to play cupid. If Sebastian had the balls then he would have asked her without his help. He just gave a grin as he exited the room.

"Don't be late"Mark teased

"MARK WHAT DOES IT MEAN?"

Meanwhile, Sebastian is early to arrive at the paddock to avoid the media asking plenty of questions. He wanted to be stress-free today since he needs to put all his focus to this race because this is his chance to win the championship. He will be damned if he lets this slip by.

At the moment, he is sitting at the cafeteria which seems to be deserted by the crowd. He was enjoying his peaceful breakfast when a man in orange sat next to him.

"How are you feeling buddy?" Jenson asked too energetically for Sebastian's opinion.

"For a man no longer fighting for the championship, you seem more excited than me" Sebastian joked.

"Oh don't tell me you are nervous" Jenson teased "The Sebastian Vettel is nervous?"

Sebastian rarely gets nervous but this is one of those instances that he really feels the nerves getting the best of him. He finds it really out of his character. There is this heavy feeling in his chest that he may emerge victorious or a complete failure after this race.

"Don't tell anyone but you have my vote of confidence" Jenson whispered.

It was a bit of a boost to hear it from the 2009 World Champion, Sebastian gave him a quick hug which Jenson accepts. It was due to this closeness that Jenson noticed the silver necklace hanging on his neck.

A mischievous grin replaced Jenson's face as he knows there was only one person in this paddock that has that necklace.

"That's Y/N, isn't it?" Jenson snickers.

Just like that, the feeling of embarrassment spread in Sebastian's face. He was not embarrassed by the gift but rather he feels a little shy about anyone seeing his little lucky charm. He tucks it inside safely inside of his shirt.

"It is" Sebastian answered,playing it cool "How did you know?"

Knowing the dating history of Y/N and Jenson, he can feel a little green monster forming at his shoulders. Jenson must have been well-acquainted with Y/N that he paid close attention to notice details such as her necklace.

"Mate, when are you going to ask her out? It's been ages" Jenson asked.

"Excuse me?"

Sebastian was not expecting that. He immediately downed a water to hide his surprise.

"Don't tell me you still haven't made a move even after everything?"Jenson asked.

Jenson knew that Sebastian was someone very dear to Y/N. He had spent enough time with Y/N o figure out that its always the Webber family, Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, then everyone else. That was how the list of priority of Y/N goes.

"She doesn't like me like that" Sebastian lies even though everything from that drunk confession still replays in Sebastian's head.

"You know what, if you win the championship then go and ask her out" Jenson challenged.

"Now you are putting even more pressure on me"

"C'mon now!" Jenson was exasperated "I'm not even accepting any cash prizes, just name your first child after me for being a good wingman"

"I'm gonna ignore you now Button" Sebastian's nonchalantly ended the conversation.

"Sebastian you can win the championship and the girl!" Jenson convincingly shouts.

Sebastian just gives him a shrug as he continues to eat. He smiles at the thought that maybe he will try Jenson's advice.

Victorious Vettel and a missing team mate.

Congratulations to the amazing drive of Sebastian Vettel which made him victorious from the four-way championship. He also boast two records with one being the youngest WDC champion and the other being Red Bull's first driver champion.

While celebrations are happening, it was evident that there was the absence of the Webber siblings. Mark Webber was seen congratulating Vettel the minute that they stepped out of the car. However, Mark wasn't seen after that and even in the parties. Also absent was Y/N Webber, dubbed as Sebastian's bestfriend. She was spotted in the Red Bull garage but she was absent as well during the celebrations.

Is there trouble brewing with the Webbers against the new world champion?

Seb: Hey, where are you? I have been looking for you everywhere Seb: Y/N are you there? sent by 8pm Seb: I'm going to the club with the team. I hope to see you there sent by 9:34 pm Y/N: Hi Seb! Congratulations with your WDC!! You know that I always believed that you will be a champion one day! I'm really really so happy and so proud of you. Y/N: I'm really sorry if I couldn't be there. I fainted around lap 45 but not to worry, its just my sugar levels. My phone went dead last night and I wasn't able to reply and congratulate right away. I'm really sorry. sent by 11:22 am Seb: Hey, I'm glad to hear you are okay. I just woke up from a massive hangover. I wish you have seen the party Seb: BTW, I have something to tell. Are you still at the hotel? sent by 2:06 pm Y/N: Oh, me and Mark took an early flight back to Melbourne. Parents were a bit worried. sent by 5:44 pm Seb: Okay see you. Y/N: What do you mean see you???? Seb: :)))))))))))))))))

It might be the high from winning the championship or maybe its the alcohol in his system but Sebastian was sure of his decisions.

Clothes are haphazardly thrown into the luggage while he conducts a quick sweep of the essentials he might need. He sent a quick text to everyone that might be needing him. As far as he knows, he has some time off before resuming with his media duties and such.

He is going to Australia.

[b0r3dtod3ath]

Hey!! Could you do Fernando Alonso with list C number 5? Thank you! Love your posts 💚💚

Christmas Event Masterlist (requests closed!)

warnings: feeling stressed

an: first time writing for Fernando, also I wrote it really fast so yea :((

Time leading to Christmas was always a very stressful time for you. All of the things from work and things to do at home always urged to be done before the holidays leading you to feel overwhelmed.

It was your's and Fernando's first Christmas living together so it was the first time he got to witness it. You became more quiet and he felt like you were avoiding him. He knew it wasn't on purpose but he wanted to do something to stop it. After observing your routine for a few days he started seeing a pattern. You would always stand in the same spot in the corridor while taking of you shoes and coat. A brilliant idea came into his mind to put a mistletoe up there. He hoped it would force you to kiss him and lighten your mood.

You woke up thanks to your alarm ringing. You quickly turned it off hoping it didn't wake up your boyfriend but it always did anyway. "Good morning" he mumbled into your skin when the ringing stopped. "Morning" you responded before almost immediately getting up and dressing up for work. He signed as you left him in the bed alone. After of few hours of wandering around the house he decided to put up the mistletoe. It took him a while to do it but when he got it right a wide smile appeared on his face.

He spent the rest of the day watching some movies, cooking for you and checking out the window if you had arrived already. He was sitting on the couch when he heard you insert your keys and open the door. He slowly made his way to you finding you in the same spot but now under the mistletoe, completely unaware. "Hello" he said as he wrapped his hands around you. "Hi" you responded burying your head in his chest, too tired to say anything. He could sense the tension in your muscles as he slowly stroked your back. "Look up" he whispered. Your eyes jumped from his brown eyes to the mistletoe. You lips connected in a long awaited kiss that immediately made all your worries escape from your mind.

Time leading to Christmas was always a very stressful time for you. All of the things from work and thing to do at home always urged to be done before the holidays leading you to feel overwhelmed. It was your's and Fernando's first Christmas living together so it was the first time he got to witness it. You became more quiet and he felt like you were avoiding him. He knew it wasn't on purpose but he wanted to do something to stop it. After observing your routine for a few days he started seeing a pattern. You would always stand in the same spot in the corridor while taking of you shoes and coat. A brilliant idea came into his mind to put a mistletoe up there. He hoped it would force you to kiss him and lighten your mood. You woke up thanks to your alarm ringing. You quickly turned it off hoping it didn't wake up your boyfriend but it always did anyway. "Good morning" he mumbled into your skin when the ringing stopped. "Morning" you responded almost immediately getting up and dressing up for work. He signed as you left him in the bed alone. After of few hours of wandering around the house he decided to put up the mistletoe. It took him a while to do it but when he got it right a wide smile appeared on his face. He spent the rest of the day watching some movies, cooking for you and checking out the window if you had arrived already. He was sitting on the couch when he heard you insert your keys and open the door. He slowly made his way to you finding you in the same spot but now under the mistletoe completely unaware. "Hello" he said as he wrapped his hands around you. "Hi" you responded burying your head in his chest, too tired to say anything. He could sense the tension in you muscles as he slowly stroked your back. "Look up" he whispered. Your eyes jumped from his brown eyes to the mistletoe. You lips connected in a long awaited kiss that immediately made all your worries escape from your mind.

December 24 2023

[freeuselandonorris]

thoughts on the recent sportbible landoscar challenge?

hello anon!! saved this until i could rewatch properly and analyse in depth (i.e. the 4pm slump when i’m meant to be working)

under a cut because it turns out that i have many MANY thoughts

- oscar very carefully and diplomatically clarifying that he thinks it’s polite to pay on a first date unless the other person wants to go halves while lando is not listening in the slightest and then, when prompted, being like NO FUCK OFF I AM RICH AND CHIVALROUS feels like THE most perfect example of their respective personalities. specifically oscar's tendency to carefully think through his answers and caveat them appropriately whereas lando just opens his mouth and says some words, clearly with good intent but with absolutely no thought as to how it's coming across 🥲

- oscar immediately backtracking when he realises lando’s genuinely miffed about the paying for a date thing!!

- the way they just stare at each other like two cats about to have a fight when oscar says “i can just see you as that kind of bloke”, lando's eyebrows about to climb off the top of his forehead and join his hair

- oscar blithely agreeing when lando says “doesn’t mean they’re not gonna have a great time” and not quite catching what lando’s insinuating 😭 i can't tell if it suddenly dawns on him a few seconds later or if he's laughing at the host guy saying "but they'll be out of pocket"

- lando sitting in increasingly unhinged formations until their toes and knees are almost touching !!

- oscar quietly sniggering away to himself about the celebrity DMs question which clearly panics lando hence the bratty little DON’TTT-UH which is my favourite kind of lando (i.e. when he forgets he's meant to be a cool racing driver and the inner five year having a temper tantrum makes an appearance - usually seen more with max, a rare treat to see him doing it to oscar!) and then oscar seems to choose a more benign anecdote to tell instead. WHAT WERE YOU GONNA SAY OSCAR

- lando’s tiny little smile to himself when oscar says “one of the first times i met you”????

- “osco?” “that’s my new nickname” 💀💀💀 the way he goes along patiently with lando’s silly little fanservice whims. hate it, awful, help

- obviously Much has been said about “why does dating have to be a woman??” so i shall not add to it too much… i do think he was largely only saying it to be contrary, but what is it about these sportbible interviews that makes him extra fruity? the other one is red flag green flag which literally had me googling is lando norris bisexual afterwards.

- “george? probably about himself” 😭 such a little cunt. also, oscar conspicuously not giggling at the makeup jibe even though he laughs at the rest of it, see point (1) above

- oscar pulling lando up on whether fernando would cry at movies but fully accepting his own presence on the list

- lando doubling down and correcting “osc-O 😔” girl stop it

- “he just cries at dogs or summink” lando PLEASE

- oscar pantomiming “nooo” in the background at the driver of the day vote while lando does his best Winning Smile to Camera even though he’s clearly bored of this whole interview.

in summary: not THE most unhinged landoscar interview but certainly somewhere in the top 10 if not top 5. also why did sportbible feel the need to post it in a fucking carousel of clips on their instagram.

[l-norris]

Spanish GP 2024 Recap

Part 3 of this strangely therapeutic thing I call content!

Forgot to write out stuff that happened pre-race cuz I was busy stressing over final exams tomorrow and realised it only as the formation lap was complete lmao.

('Tis the reason I'm posting it today already as well, brother I am SUFFERING I HATE FINAL EXAMS)

Anyways, enjoy.

And, as always, numbers in brackets are lap numbers.

(Disclaimer: Remember that this is just for shits and giggles, I'm not trying to actually hate on anyone here cuz all the drivers are very dear to me)

- IT'S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO!

- Lando looses P1 almost immediately

- and drops down to P3 in the first corner

- That was horrible my man

- But DAMN where did George come from tho??

- No crashes so far

- Oop Ferraris touched actually, nevermind

- Max in the lead (3)

- Is it even worth it to keep watching

- Like we all know how this is gonna end

- Fuck it, never say never

- Lando is back in George's DRS window (7)

- Somehow Fernando dropped down to P14

- Lando is slowly creeping up on George

- First pitstops happening already (Guanyu and Yuki) (10)

- Oscar is literally up Pierre's rear

- Haas fucking up yet another pitstop

- Oh brother I can see the negative points in my F1 Fantasy already

- Kevin apparently did a false start (this seems familiar)

- Max binned it in turn 7 (13)

- Which we never got to see btw

- Alpine fucked up Pierre's pitstop

- Kevin gets a 5-Second-Penalty (now hold on...)

- George in Pit (16)

- Mercedes also fucked up George's pitstop

- What's in Barcelona's air today lmao

- Lando is 8 tenths faster than Max

- Max comes in (17)

- 1,9 second pitstop😵

- Rejoins in fourth

- Carlos is complaining a lot today

- Stop yapping bro, DRIVE

- I'm scared of McLaren's strategy

- I need to go to the restroom but if I've learnt anything it is that something crucial happens if I do.

- Oscar in pit (22)

- Oscar flying past Nico (23)

- Lando pitstop (23)

- Rejoins in sixth

- Lando fastest lap (26)

- Lando closing in on Carlos

- Aaaand he's gone!

- Oscar overtakes Checo easily (28)

- "Tires are very inconsistent" - Max (30)

- OH?

- Lando is getting ready to overtake Lewis

- Gets by easily (32)

- Oscar flies through the field

- Lando is up in P2!

- But George ain't giving up without a fight

- Fight! (36)

- They're side by side for like half the lap

- Lando wins the squabble (37)

-George fastest lap (39)

- Checo is in P10 btw (38)

- I give up, I need to use the restroom

- Nothing happened, nice.

- Lapping starts (42)

- Max pitstop (44)

- Lando is speeding away

- Mom I'm scared

- Lando boxes (47)

- Rejoins P2!!!

- Nico gets a penalty for speeding in the pitlane

- 7 second gap to Max

- Is it too soon to say I can hear the Dutch anthem playing already?

- Wait hold on Lando is actually gaining

- Yuki also gets a penalty for speeding in the pitlane

- 15 laps to go!

- Lewis in P3!

- Max is pulling away again😮‍💨

- Alex bins it (60)

- My hopes are dead

- Max won

- silently fuming

- Not only because Lando didn't win but because somehow Oscar was kinda forgotten again? Correct me if I'm wrong here tho

- At least Lando got DotD

- AND LEWIS PODIUM!

- Everyone actually finished🤯

- This race was... meh.

- Not a single yellow flag, no safety car, no carnage.

- Only plenty of overtakes and battles

- Some of them were GODLIKE but still...

- Turned off the broadcast as soon as the podium celebrations started

- I do NOT want to hear the Dutch anthem rn

- I cannot physically handle hearing it I will cry

- Lando didn't do his signature champagne celebration apparently - very understandable.

- But at least he's second in the WDC now🥹

- inhaling the copium

- ... feel free to add on!

... Yeah. A rollercoaster of emotions, this one.

But hey! My homerace is next! YIPPEE! See ya in Spielberg!

[joeynewgarden]

what kpop song do you associate with each of your favorite f1 driver(s)?

this is such a good question, thank you! here they are in the order in which i could remember their names. this is me outing myself as a ch*co and l*ndo supporter, sorry to whom my actions impact. i also linked all the songs!

lewis: imperfect love - seventeen. my fav song from my fav group. everything about this song makes me feel so warm and loved, yet like i could run through a wall? and i think that’s how lewis makes me feel honestly. like coming home after a rough day and your bestie saying “ok, now let’s run this 4 mile,” and bc it’s them, you find the strength to go. sometimes watching his ig story will piss me off bc it’s so motivating i will actually get up and go do the shit i need to get done and i hate it.

fav lyric: 까맣던 이 세상을, 행복하게 비춘 햇살, 밤 되면 별이 되어. the sunlight that happily illuminates this dark world, becomes a star when night comes

george: far - nct 127. george’s shonen anime arc fr. i feel like as he’s come into himself as both a person and a driver, he’s become more confident, and when he fully settles into being behind the wheel of a competent car (no shade to williams, my loves), he’ll be unstoppable. the hard percussion and the vocal line going the fuck off puts me in my “move out my way or be moved” zone and i feel like we’ll see more of that from george in the next few seasons. also i always think haechan and taeil’s part in the pre-chorus is “go off, go off, til we girlboss, girboss” even though that is very much not the lyrics but i think it fits george v well.

fav lyric: 나를 이끈 너머, oh-oh, 떠나 자유롭게 가자 far away. going beyond what led me, oh-oh, departing freely, let's go far away

sebastian: habit - seventeen. my standing under the shower fully clothed, tears streaming down my face, 90s music video in the rain, punching the wall song. i’m gonna miss him and i play this song whenever i miss someone a lot or i made a particularly difficult goodbye. and i know i’m not the only one feeling this as we say “see ya later” to seb, and this is the one that immediately jumped into my mind when thinking about this question. i almost said campfire by isaac hong, but i decided that was too sad.

fav lyric: 그때처럼 널 감싸 안으며, 웃고 싶다고 네게 말하고 싶어. i want to embrace you like I did then, and tell you that I want to smile

lance: step back - GOT the beat. i might get hate for this, but again so does lance so maybe it works. just the most bad bitch, serving cunt, slightly problematic song i can think of, and it absolutely goes. matches his “dicks up when i walk in the party” energy. lance and me are besties for life and so if you have beef with him, you got beef with me. also he’s cooler than you and funnier. and his gf is hotter than your’s. also he’s an f1 driver. here’s to him making fernando’s life so miserable next year the man goes into retirement. permanently. fun fact: i was so obsessed with the choreo after watching smtown, i learned it in two hours the first time someone posted a clear shot of the dance.

fav lyric: Uh, 남자들 다 똑같아, 내가 뜨면 시선집중, 여기저기 flash 터져. boys are the same, all eyes on me when I appear, everywhere there's a flash

yuki: wishlist - txt. my one woman dance party song that makes me unreasonably happy. yuki’s honesty and lack of censorship is something i deeply admire about him, and this song is about someone getting so fed up with the person they love hiding their feelings that they’re just like “ok i’m done, tell me you like me now.” i feel like that fits yuki very well. i also associate yuki with txt. i think their youthful feel makes me think of him and my obsession with space/stars matches their star/multi-dimensional concept, and i feel the same about yuki. my little star that is way more than meets the eye.

fav lyric: 너란 별이 담긴 보석함이, 내 맘에 또 넘쳐서. a jewel box with a star called you inside, is overflowing in my heart

alex: i got a boy - snsd. i feel like i don’t have to explain myself. i really do got a boy and his name is alex albon.

fav lyric: i got a boy 멋진 i got a boy 착한, i got a boy handsome boy 내 맘 다 가져간. i got a boy a cool one, i got a boy a kind one, i got a boy handsome boy who took all my heart

mick: ooh ahh - twice: idk how to describe this but he really makes me feel like ooh ahh! i also like how this song is about not settling and knowing your worth, which i think is what mick did over this last season. the upbeat tone and the synth-pop moments make me feel like the teen i was when the song came out, and i always say mick has boyish charm to me, so i guess i just associate this song with him on vibes. the first race i ever watched was silverstone and watching him get his first points wooed me spectacularly.

fav lyric: 가짜 가짜 진심 없는 가짜, 잘 가 잘 가. fake, fake, empty-hearted fake. goodbye, good riddance

lando: blame me - monsta x. i did not want to like lando, i did not need to get attached to another mclaren driver, pato is enough, and a ton of people seemed to hate him. but that bugger weaseled his way into my heart and now he’s my little leopard gecko who i carry around the house with me. i’m the parent who said no dogs but then treats the dog better than their own child. the lyrics of this song match exactly.

fav lyric: if i’m falling, baby, don’t blame me

checo: lullaby (spanish version) - got7. everyone knows this is the superior version, just like checo is the superior red bull driver. one of the first things about him that made my heart soften a little was listening to him talk! i grew listening to mexican spanish primarily and was taught mexican spanish in hs, so his voice is very familiar and soothing to me. i think the song is really fun in general and the lyrics i think are pretty accurate to my experience of kinda giving up on not liking him, i was reeled in and i can’t really get away, but i don’t want to either. is this stockholm syndrome?

fav lyric: háblame dulce, es mágico, no me puedo escapar de ti. talk to me sweet, it’s magical, i can’t escape you.

charles: so bad - stayc. bc i do! i want him so bad, it’s sick! everything about him has bewitched me, body and soul! i call him my little mong mong (i saw someone call seungmin this on twt and i was like “oh my god, charles.”), bc he really is my little shining star, love of my life, sugar cookie. baby boy i will follow you to the ends of the earth, i adore you. he is such a fighter and i’m glad to see him stick up for himself more that the end of the season (should of been earlier), and i hope we can see him fight for the title next year. i will be rooting for him always. another alaysia fact: this mv came out on my birthday and i was hooked immediately, learned the dance the second the dance practice came out and i credit this song to being my bridge into kpop.

fav lyric: 정말야 I want you SO BAD, 난 니가 필요해 yeah. for real, i want you so bad, i need you, yeah

[mickstart]

in your f1 radio messages post you said in the tags "this is also where the modern perception of the psychological importance of the driver-engineer bond comes from". would you mind talking a bit more about that please? i find it super fascinating but i haven't seen it talked about much - hefeet-toobig

Dhdhdh ok so I can't speak for how the teams the drivers and engineers are interpreting this individually and whether it's as much a phenomenon for them as the media makes it out to be! The concept of race engineer and driver as a team almost definitely even predates Rob and Felipe but they popularized it to the point of the media talking about it and race engineers being regularly named and credited by Comms.

But basically the modern emphasis on the importance of the race engineer gelling with the driver kind of begins with Rob and Felipe, specifically because of Felipe's results

He wasn't clicking with his race engineer and was delivering kind of middling, slightly disappointing results. Ferrari decided to Try Something and promote Rob to be his race engineer because they knew each other and got along. Almost immediately Felipe's results improve. Rob talks him through the races, knows how to encourage and push him without breaking him. Felipe gets his first win that season after the switch.

They work together so well that when Felipe "won" the championship for a few seconds in 2008 the Ferrari pit wall actually missed Lewis' overtake because they were swarming ROB and congratulating him like it was his championship too, and it was actually Rob watching the screens still who had to be like "... Guys. Guys stop, look."

I also think this was kind of created by the Ferrari team culture at the time and the atmosphere of teamwork they had going on. But it set a wild precedent for the impact a better bond between race engineer and driver could have on results. People / the media started paying more attention to it, and then Rob giving the game away on "fernando is faster than you" cemented both the importance of the radio and the driver-engineer bond to the entertainment and drama.

Race engineers have always been important but it's really only been since F1 acknowledged the entertainment value of Rob and Felipe's radios and the two of them delivered proof that a strong bond could improve results that their importance has been elevated in the public to the level it's at now. (Sky interviewing bono about the importance of his bond with Lewis, everyone knowing Daniels race engineer helped coax him around Monaco)

[toosicktoocare]

I’ve been dying to dive into fanfiction for The Doctors are Out on Webtoon! For those who haven’t seen my previous posts screaming about it, it’s a web comic about a Doctor, Matias “Mat,” and a Veterinarian, Fernando “Nando,” who have clinics right beside each other, compete, bicker, and will most likely develop feelings for each other! 

It’s so fucking good, and the author, Blau, is endlessly talented! You can read the web comic here! There are 40 chapters out so far! 

Now, I high key headcanon that when Nando gets severly stressed, he winds up sick. 

Here’s a little drabble set between chapters 39 and 40!

By all accounts, Nando should be exhausted, having tumbled down a cliff and walked on an injured foot in the rain for hours, but, despite the bone deep fatigue pushing down on him, he can’t sleep. It could be the foreign bed, he thinks; though, he finds Mat’s bed to be rather comfortable. It could also be the absurd, embarrassing pajamas, or rather, pajamas that he’s stupidly well aware Mat has worn at some point. It could be Mat...

He shakes his head, pushing a warm cheek into the pillow below him. As much as he wants to believe his restlessness is the sheer result of his current sleeping situation, down to the clothing, he knows, familiarly deep down, that the stress from today’s weighing down hot over him. He was careless, yet despite all odds against them, he and Ren were served the best possible outcome: Ren wasn’t injured, and they were found. 

Nando rolls onto his back with a sigh. He stares at the ceiling, but behind his eyes, all he can see are rain, dark, towering trees, and Ren’s tear-stricken face etched painfully into his head. He pushes himself up and swings his legs over the bed. Carefully, he slips down until he’s testing pressure on his injured foot. While the wrapping helps, it aches, and he winces as he stands, immediately favoring his other leg as he hobbles out of the room and to the bathroom. 

He’s quiet, catiously bracing himself against the wall, and he when he slips inside, he cracks the door, not wishing for the sound of it closing fully to wake anyone, and cuts on the light. He limps to the mirror, frowning at his reflection. His cheeks are hot and flushed, and he bends down to splash cold water over his face, to alleviate some of the heat clinging to his skin. It’s both too cold yet refreshing, and Nando knows he should find that alarming; however, his head’s beginning to swim, and he just manages to drop down against the edge of bathtub. 

He hunches forward, resting his elbows on his knees and dropping his face into his cupped palms. It’s too hot, yet he’s shivering. As much as he tries through muted breathing and counting exercies, he can’t shake the budding panic that’s swelling deep within his stomach, panic and stress tangling around one another. He should have been more careful; he knows this. He and Ren got lucky, and luck’s a tricky thing, he thinks. In the present, it’s a blessing, but in the future, when you have time to ponder all that could have gone wrong had it not been for sheer luck, it’s almost maddening. 

“Nando?”

Nando jerks his head up, frowning, eyes stinging. He swallows thickly. “S-sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” He studies Mat’s frown, the deep downward curve that pairs with the furrow of his brow. 

“Are you okay? You look flushed.” 

Sighing, Nando opts for a nervous laugh that doesn’t quite hit its mark. He opens his mouth to assure Mat he’s fine, but Mat’s moved to a crouch before him, and he’s dropped one, warm hand to his knee. 

“You’re shaking.” 

Right, Nando thinks. You’d be shaking, too, if you almost got Ren killed. Again, he makes to speak, to brush of Mat’s concern because Mat has enough to worry about, but then Mat presses the back of his hand to Nando’s forehead, and Nando’s brain briefly short-circuits. 

“You have a fever,” Mat starts. He stands and moves toward the mirror, opening it to rifle through medicine, and Nando can only watch blankly, his fuzzy mind still wrapping around Mat’s words. 

He wordlessly obliges when Mat waves a thermometer in front of his face, opening his mouth on auto-pilot and trusting Mat to handle the rest, and it’s not until the small device beeps that his mind swirls to the conclusion that he’s been here before: with his mom, Ava, Mary. Since he can remember, he’s been gripped with brief fevers after experiencing something that peaked his stress levels, and this, he thinks, is no different. 

“Not too high, but still concerning,” Mat mutters, abandoning the thermometer on the sink to reclaim his spot crouched in front of Nando. He prods at Nando’s wrapped foot. “Is this bothering you a lot?” 

“What?” Nando blinks slowly, shaking his head. “No. No, it’s... I’m fine, Mat. This just happens sometimes.” 

“Not to pull out the doctor card, Nando, but I am one. And unexplained, sporadic fevers aren’t normal-”

“-they usually come when I’m really stressed,” Nando mutters, and he drops his gaze to the floor, not wishing to linger on the way Mat’s face shifts to unfiltered, genuine sympathy through soft, warm eyes. 

“Nando...”

“It’s fine,” Nando starts again, far too focused on Mat’s steady hand once more gently placed atop his knee. “I just came in here for some water. Once I go to sleep, I’ll be fine.” To his surprise, Mat doesn’t respond, only offering a few pills and a glass of water after an endless moment of his eyes burning against Nando’s bowed face. 

It’s not until Mat helps Nando back into bed and drapes a damp cloth over his forehead that he speaks, and though not much in words, it hits Nando like a ton of bricks. 

“Today wasn’t your fault.” 

Nando doesn’t say anything; he just watches, wide eyed, as Mat busies his hands by tucking the blankets tighter around Nando’s frame. 

“I know you think it was and that you will continue to think it was, but, the way I see it, Ren is fine, and though you’re hurt, it could have been way worse.” Mat pauses, leaving his hand resting atop Nando’s covered thigh. “I could have lost two really important people today, but I didn’t. I take that as a win.” 

It’s as if the gears in Nando’s brain rust over until they chip and crumble into a pile of non-functional scraps in his mind. The only one still churning is stuttering on one word: imporant. 

-ndo? Nando!”

Nando blinks slowly. Mat’s face is crowding his vision, and his fingers are brushing against his cheek. He can feel his face growing hotter; though, he knows this isn’t the fever. 

“Sorry, what were you saying?” 

Mat leans back with a loud sigh, raking his fingers through his hair. “I was saying how it looked like you completely checked out on me, and as it turns out, you did.” He offers a tired smile. “Geez, Forehead, don’t scare me like that.” 

Huffing, Nando pokes at the cloth draped over his forehead. “You can’t even see my forehead right now.” 

“Right, but it still haunts my dreams, so I know it’s there.” 

“I want to page a new doctor,” Nando mutters flatly, and Mat laughs again, real this time, quiet but warm, and Nando can’t help but smile along with it. 

“You gonna be okay?” Mat asks after a comfortable minute Nando doesn’t want to end. 

“Of course,” Nando assures, and he narrows his eyes until Mat gives in with a sigh as he slips off the bed. 

“How about, if you need something, text me? I’ve gotten used to waking up at the first vibration. It won’t wake Ren; he’s sleeping like a rock now.” 

Nando nods, eyes following Mat’s movements to the door, lingering on Mat’s gaze when Mat looks over his shoulder. 

“Feel better. And, try not to stress anymore about today, okay? You’re both safe, and that’s all that matters.” 

Nando manages a meek nod, and it’s not until he’s sure Mat’s back in bed with Ren that he drags the blankets up and over his face to hide the angry flush, that’s sorely not equated to his fever, coloring his cheeks and creeping up to the tips of his ears. 

[disgruntledspacedad]

Better Love Notes

If you’re confused about location, timing, or characters in my Narcos AU series Better Love, this is the post for you.

Better Love is an AU reader insert series that begins midway through Narcos season two. Because it is AU, and because Narcos is complicated af anyway, I wanted to take some time to clarify what things in Better Love will be different than what you're used to seeing in the show.

Hannah “Ears” Aarons

First, I think it’s important to clarify that Ears is more of an OC written in second person than she is a generic reader insert. I might refer to her as “you,” but Ears has a name, a face claim, a backstory, and a huge personality. If that bothers you loads, I totally understand and you’re free to duck out at any point, but don’t come at me. If you have specific questions regarding Ears’ background, personality, physical appearance, family history, or whatever else, get with me privately. I would love to introduce you to my chaotic sunshine child.

Official Job Title: Ears is officially an employee of the CIA, but she is not an agent (read: spy). She was brought to Colombia to be a liaison between Centra Spike, the DEA, and the CIA. She introduces herself to Search Bloc by saying, "I'll be your ears," but in reality, she was put in place to be Bill Strechner’s ears. More on that later. She has a background with the US Army that's basically useless (desk job), a ton of training and zero practical experience with flyover recon and radiofrequency tracking, and she's itching to do something real with her life.

Timing

Ears arrives in Bogotá around August of 1992 and falls in bed with Peña pretty much immediately. Horacio Carillo did die recently, but Javi did not start working with Los Pepes and Don Berna until November of 1992. Assume all of the drama with Martinez Jr. and Los Pepes took place around the time that he and Ears were on the outs - that's just another factor that led Javi to make the emotional, rash decision to work with the cartels that he winds up regretting.

There is actually a one year span of time between season two, episode six and the end of the show. Pretty much the entirety of Better Love (for now) takes place during this year, so if it seems like I’m really stretching things out, that’s actually because the show mushed it all together. I promise, guys, I have done my research here.

Locations

The majority of scenes in Better Love will take place in Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. It’s important to keep Bogotá separate from Medellín, which is where the nit and grit of the hunt for Escobar takes place. 

Getting to Medellín from Bogotá requires a one hour flight or an eight hour drive (Colombia is roughly twice the size of Texas, fyi). For a gringo, driving around the cities was dangerous, but driving outside the cities was suicide. Javi and Steve might take planes, or they might take an armored chopper, depends on my mood when I'm writing. Assume there's a landing strip nearby the embassy, because I'm lazy like that.

The U.S. Embass(ies): Centra Spike, Search Bloc, and the DEA office are all housed in the old embassy building that's basically right across from the new one (the super upscale nice one that actually functions as an embassy). 

There's a lot of confusion and shuffling around in the show, so I wanted to clarify what goes where (also, the real Murphy and Peña had offices in the old, unused embassy, so this is sort of legit). For simplicity's sake, I am assuming that CNP (Colombian National Police) headquarters are also in or nearby this building. Ears might refer to "headquarters," "the office," or "the embassy," and it's all the same place. Basically, everything is centrally located in Bogotá, and when I refer to “the DEA office,” or “Javi’s office,” picture it from season one - two desks that are not shoved on top of each other, with glass windows and real filing cabinets. The CIA is also located here, as is Strechner's office and the fabled White Room.

These buildings are in Bogotá, nearby Peña’s and Murphy's apartments. I will differentiate between the New, Swanky, Functional U.S. Embassy by capitalizing it and giving it its full title. If I say “embassy,” assume I’m talking about the older one where Javi and Ears are based.

The Carlos Holguin School: This is the base of Search Bloc operations in Medellín, and the primary location that we see in season two of the show. Think of it almost as a military base - training grounds, barracks, bare-bones, no a/c, shitty food. Javi and Steve often stay at "the school" overnight while conducting operations in Medellín. They might also refer to this as “camping” or “the camp,” or “base.” It sucks balls. This is where Javi and Steve have their messy, shoved on top of each other desks that we tend to associate with the show. Javi and Steve still work from here just as often as we see in canon, there just won’t be as many scenes in this location because Ears is never there. 

Javi’s apartment: Javi and Steve primarily live in Bogotá. This is the same apartment building that you see in season one, with the big steps in front of the building and then an even larger set of stairs inside. There is also a big set of stairs on the back end of the building that leads to an underground parking garage (we see this in the season one finale, where Steve gets snatched by Navegante). This building is a five minute walk to the U.S. Embassy, but Javi and Steve mostly chose to drive for safety and convenience. It’s in a pretty decent part of Bogotá. There is one small canon deviation in regards to the apartments: in Better Love, Javi lives upstairs, across from Steve’s front door instead of below him like we see in the show. They share a large front landing. I just really liked the idea of Javi having a view of the city from his bedroom window.

Ears’ apartment: Ears lives in a tiny little flat on top of a drug store, a place that she found on her own through the friend of a work friend. It’s also in a decent part of Bogotá, but not quite as safe or upscale as Javi’s. It’s about a ten minute hike from the embassy and fifteen minutes from Javi’s place.

Miscellaneous 

CIA/DEA Collaboration: The relationship between the CIA and the DEA in Colombia was not pretty. The show makes it look like a personal conflict between Strechner and Peña, but in reality, it was so much deeper than that. These two organizations have opposing goals, and communication and sharing of information was a real problem. Basically, they squabble more than they collaborate, and there was a lot of backstabbing, underhanded fuckery, and generally getting in each other's way. Naturally, this is going to create tension between Ears and Javi.

Bill Stechner: The show makes it clear that Bill doesn’t give a shit about Escobar or the cartels except in regards to the power dynamics they create, but let me reiterate here - his primary goal in Colombia is to keep it from becoming a communist state. That’s all he wants.

OC Sicarios: Don't get Velasco (canon sicario) mixed up with Verdugo (my OC sicario). They are different characters. Verdugo is the guy who features in The Rules of Engagement. 

Feo is another sicario who is an OC. More updates on him later.

Canon Deviations in Better Love

Series spoilers from this point on. I’m going to take it fic by fic, so if you haven’t read something and don’t want to be spoiled, stop at the bold print. Again, Better Love is super fucking plotty, so I thought it was only fair to give you guys a reference sheet. Lord knows I need one, too.

The Rules of Engagement: Introduces Ears. Horacio Carillo did die recently, but Javi’s role in his death is undetermined/not mentioned. Javi does start working with Los Pepes during Rules, but only after he and Ears have their fallout. All of the bullshit with Martinez Jr. and the Castaño brothers takes place during the time that Javi and Ears aren’t speaking.

Aftershocks: Establishes with certainty that Javi is working with the cartels. His primary contact with Los Pepes is Don Berna. This is going to be critical later. Also establishes that Don Berna has more connection to the Cali cartel than he does in canon. 

Yours: Establishes that Connie Murphy is a badass biker bitch with a heart of gold, because I think the show did her dirty. She loves Steve and Steve loves her. Ears and Stechner get to know each other a little better, and Javi doesn’t like this one bit. Ears starts thinking about a leak in Search Bloc, and how dangerous that might be for Javi.

Bang: Javier Peña gives Ears a shady ass, probably trafficked gun for her protection. We don’t know details of where he got it. Solidifies the bro/sis relationship between Steve and Ears. Implies heavily that Javi is doing some shady things with some shady folks. A light introduction to the theme of weapons trafficking in Colombia, which was a massive problem that is barely even mentioned in the show. It will feature heavily in Better Love.

The Shoebox: Introduces the character of Arturo, Ana Delgado’s shady older brother. Ears starts wondering if Ana knows more than she should. Confirms that the Fernando Duque arc does take place in Better Love, and that Javi is genuinely torn up by it like he is in canon. This leads Ears to start thinking more deeply about that leak in Search Bloc, and she begins to actively collect evidence with the intention of sniffing out the rat and keeping Javi safe. Mentions sex trafficking, a major problem in Colombia at the time, and also a minor theme later on in Better Love.

Shit Hits the Fan: Establishes that Arturo Delgado is actually a hitman working with Los Pepes, and that he and Javi have gone on some raids together. Javi is desperate to keep this a secret from Ears, who is friends with Ana, both for her protection and because he’s kind of ashamed of how deep he’s in with Los Pepes. Establishes that in the wake of the Ferando Duque debacle, the Castaño brothers did not reach out to Stechner for help, but instead decided to put a hit out on Javi to either kill or scare him off. Javi is no longer working with Los Pepes, but he never did find out that Stechner was the one who set him up in the first place.

The White Room: Bill Stechner reveals to Ears that her purpose in Colombia is to be his own personal spy on the DEA. He is investigating a mysterious sicario named Feo in relation to a massive russian weapons ring. Bill wants Ears to report everything that the DEA learns about Feo because he suspects that Feo might have connections with FARC, a communist guerrilla group that is Stechner’s public enemy number one. Ears realizes that she’s in deep shit, and also realizes the depth of the resentment between the DEA and the CIA, and how much their goals in Colombia actually oppose. Stechner is revealed to be a real bag of dicks here.

Closing notes

Whew, okay. I will update this post periodically if more information becomes necessary or if you guys have questions, and I’ll reblog it if I do. I’m going to go ahead and tag my taglist folks in this, just because it’s a huge information dump. Of course, you probably don't need to know these things to get the gist of what’s going on in Better Love, but if you’re a chronic overanalyzer like me, it might be helpful. 

Also, let me know if you guys want a list of the characters who are major players in the series. I know I had to make one for myself but I wasn’t sure if posting it would be overkill (this is probably already overkill, tbh).

Tags: @jedi-mando, @aerolanya, @pikemoreno, @bitchin-beskar, @mostly-megan, @huliabitch, @starsandmando, @starlight-starwrites​, @thirstworldproblemss, @knittingqueen13, @yespolkadotkitty

Javier Peña tags: @magpie-to-the-morning, @tiffdawg, @danniburgh, @1800-fight-me

Mad love to you guys if you’ve stuck around for this long.

[penguintransporter]

When in Porto (Iker Casillas one-shot)

Hello everyone! It has been a while, and I feel like I owe an apology to everyone who waited for my anxious, antsy and awful ass to post something, whether requested or not. I was thinking on posting maybe something lengthy, regarding to why I disappeared and all that, but who really cares, no? Anyway, this is an Iker Casillas one-shot, inspired by watching a documentary on his career recently. I used to have a massive crush on him, back when I was younger, until Fernando Torres came along. Anyway, hope you enjoy it, tell me if you like it because support is what motivates me. P.S this is set in 2016 :)

****

A soft murmur of the language that was unknown yet similar to his own gently mixed with  muted jazz music and the sound of cutlery meeting plates. The sound vibrated throughout the fairly small, but with the sun bathed restaurant. It was close, yet hidden away from the Ribeira, and if he leaned slightly, he could see the gentle blue of Douro River through the chipped and scratched windows. The indoors were painted in various shades of petroleum blue, matching with the recognisable blue tiles on the floor, and chairs similar to Carl Hansen’s.

Not that Iker knew a lot about Carl Hansen’s chairs in the first place, but his ex used to buy Elle decor, and he had a habit of leafing through the magazine while he ate his breakfast before his morning training.

“Isso é tão bom,” his teammate Sérgio muttered - mouth full with bacalhau, and head shaking in delight. Sergio took another bite before he even finished the previous one. 

Iker couldn’t blame him - his own plate was almost empty despite the fact that the food had arrived barely fifteen minutes ago.

“Spanish please,” Hernâni grinned, leaning back in his Carl Hansen’s chair look alike as he took a sip of his water from a tall glass, “goalie cannot understand you.”

Iker stifled a laugh. “I can,” he responded - his chuckle turning into a soft smile, “but I’ll stick to speaking in Castilian. You’ve heard my Portuguese and it is not something to be proud of.” 

His teammates laughed, remembering the night from a few weeks ago when Iker decided to hold a speech in Portuguese at a charity event at his new club but ended up making a fool out of himself.

They settled in a comfortable silence and he looked down at his plate and the last piece of fish, resting in a small pool of creamy sauce. 

Hernâni straightened his back - his movement breaking train of Iker’s thoughts. 

“Shall we give our thanks to the chef?” he asked, nodding to himself and almost immediately raising his arm in the air in order to call over someone - not waiting for Iker nor Sergio to respond. “This used to be something else, no?” he added absentmindedly, trying to catch the attention of a tall and lanky kid who was clearing the tables. 

“A wine bar,” Sérgio replied quickly. “I went there once or twice with my girl.”

“Was that before or after the season?” Hernâni mocked, finally making eye contact with the kid who, upon realising at whom he was looking, widened his eyes and nervously twisted the kitchen towel in his hands before hurriedly walking towards their table in the corner of the room. 

Ten minutes later - their empty plates piled on top of another, they fell into comfortable silence. Almost everyone who was there for lunch had left and the soft chatter and cutlery sound got replaced by the murmur of young waitresses behind the bar, until the swinging doors of the kitchen opened and a figure stepped out. 

Iker was the first to meet her eye, and in the same moment as he felt Hernâni nudge his leg under the table, he also felt his heart skip a tiniest beat.

As a professional footballer, Iker had travelled a lot and had seen many beautiful women around the world. He had dated some of them, shared his life with only a few and once he left Spain he swore that he needed some time for himself, still feeling a certain vulnerability surrounding him. Yet, when she walked out and made her way towards them, Iker felt a shiver run down his spine like a trickle of sweat at the nape of his neck just before the penalty. 

She wasn’t a type that would most likely be a cover of the magazine, but he was far from someone who judged someone’s attractiveness based on that fact. Maybe it was her composed face and a slight worry hidden in her eyebrows or maybe it was her hair that was cut short - both for practicality and proof of courage, he assumed. Or maybe it was the fact that despite her lack of height, she still carried an aura of authority. 

As she stepped in front of them, she brushed her hands against her black apron. “Antonio told me you wanted to speak to me?” she spoke, seemingly confident, and Iker, as if jabbed with the finger in his side, twitched. He could recognise the accent and the melody of her Portuguese. “I hope everything is…” she stopped, glancing at their empty plates, “...or was fine with your food?”

Her Portuguese was better than his own, that was for sure.

“No, no, no,” Hernâni reassured hurriedly as Sérgio nodded in agreement. “We wanted to meet the person who is responsible for the best fish I had in awhile.” 

“Bread was lovely too,” Sergio quickly added. “Obviously not like mother’s food, but nevertheless amazing.”

“Thank you,” she responded - the Spanish melody coming out of her yet again. “And I agree, nothing beats mom’s food.”

Iker was quiet, observing; the curve of her nose, a small birthmark under her left cheek and the way corners of her mouth were slowly moving upwards as nodded at whatever Sergio told her. With each second, she seemed to be more relaxed - the autocratic demeanor she carried out of the warm and chaos-packed kitchen disappearing almost completely. 

And he liked it.

As if she noticed him looking at her, she looked back - a pleasant smile on her face. “And you? You didn’t like your food?” she asked in a Castilian Spanish and Iker smiled at her. She knew who they were; who he was.

“Of course,” he nodded, “cannot compare with Elkano, but close enough.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she responded, “even if I think I am miles away from being as good as Elkano.” Her eyes fell to her shoes before looking up again at his teammates.

“We are definitely going to recommend your place to everyone,” Sergio offered and Iker could notice a slight redness appear in her cheeks.

“Actually,” she blushed even more as she spoke, “I have a bunch of boys and girls doing their culinary training program in the kitchen right now. It would be enough if you could join me there and maybe talked to them for a bit,” she paused, looking back at the kitchen. “I know they are fans, and I’ll make sure you get some desert for free afterwards.”

**

Once all the pictures were taken and clatter of pots and pans, and calling for orders was replaced with laughter and excitement of talking to known athletes, Enea retreated to her working station to finish what she had started when Antonio came into the kitchen - flustered and stuttering, talking something about famous “footballers and the best goalie to grace this world” wanting to talk to her. 

And not any footballers, and definitely not any goalkeeper.

Before he even approached her, Enea anticipated it. Subconsciously or not, she couldn’t say it.

Who wouldn’t?

It was one thing to see him on the screen, dressed in his kit, but having him just a few steps away - it blew her away. She couldn’t pinpoint what it was? Yes, he was handsome, even more so than on the pitch, but Enea was more drawn to his quietness, the way he observed and listened to her every word and the simplicity of his voice. 

“So, how come a Spaniard ended up in Portugal?” he asked as soon as he approached. 

Enea, surprised by the smoothness of his question, refused to look up at him. Instead, she picked up some fruit from the woven basket in front of her. 

“I could ask you the same,” she smiled a little. Although she wasn’t shy by any means, having Iker towering in front of her working stations, made her throat tighten. “I am Enea,” she added quickly.

“Basque?” 

“My father was,” Enea paused, knowing what she was about to say, “my mother is from Móstoles, so is my grandfather. It is very close to Madrid.” She glanced up at him, watching him process her answer. After all, they were from the same pueblo.

Iker’s eyes went wide and his lips formed with surprise. “Have you ever lived there? Have we met before? I am from Móstoles as well.”

Enea found his rambling attractive, more so than his calm demeanor, but she quickly shook her head. “No. We moved to Estella when I was only one year old. Went back as a teenager, but I believe you were already in Madrid.”

“I see,” he replied, taking a step closer, leaning lightly on his elbows and getting comfortable and eye-level with her. Enea had a hard time not to stare at him, but yet again - who could blame her? “Football fan?”

Enea tried to hide her blush as Iker raised one of his eyebrows.

“Well, it is not like you played in the third division,” she quickly responded, meeting his eyes for a brief second before focusing again on the fruit. She grabbed a few oranges and picked up a cantaloupe, aware that her hands were getting sweaty and that Iker was still looking at her with an amused smile on his face. Suddenly, the back door opened, scaring Enea and making her drop the large fruit. She squinted, waiting for cantaloupe to hit the floor but Iker’s reflexes were faster, and before she could blink, he already had it in his large hand. 

“Here,” he murmured, unphased as Enea blinked. 

“Yep, definitely didn’t play in the third division,” she breathed out as she took the fruit, and as cliche as it was, felt something as their fingertips touched. 

Their eyes met yet again and she would probably have stared at him for a long time if it wasn’t for one of his teammates calling out for him. 

“Enea,” he started, straightening his back, “I am rarely this straightforward… call me traditional for all I care, but I would like to see you again. Outside your work.” Enea was quiet, clutching at the cantaloupe, afraid that she would drop it again. “We are playing Benfica this weekend, and I could put you on the list, if you’d like?”

“No,” Enea replied, slapping herself mentally when she realised how it came out. Iker’s whole face changed and she widened her eyes. “I mean, no for the list, but yes for a drink afterwards. Kids,” she pointed at her eyes towards her trainees, “bought me a seasonal ticket for the club.”

Iker laughed, rubbing at his chin in embarrassment. “Then, a drink after the match?”

“Yes, I’d like to,” Enea replied softly - finally putting the cantaloupe on the working station. “I anyway owe you a desert, no?”

Iker grinned, running a hand through his hair before replying. “I will be looking forward to that.”

Enea blushed, but he already turned around, walking away, not catching the red color spreading across her cheeks.

[cinemavariety]

The Director’s Series: Paul Thomas Anderson

The director series will consist of me concentrating on the filmography of all my favorite directors. I will rank each of their films according to my personal taste. I hope this project will provide everyone with quality recommendations and insight into films that they might not have known about. Today’s director in spotlight is Paul Thomas Anderson

#8 - Hard Eight (1998) Runtime: 1 hr 42 min     Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1             Film Format: 35mm

John has lost all his money. He sits outside a diner in the desert when Sydney happens along, buys him coffee, then takes him to Reno and shows him how to get a free room without losing much money. Under Sydney's fatherly tutelage, John becomes a successful small-time professional gambler, and all is well, until he falls for Clementine, a cocktail waitress and sometimes hooker. 

Verdict: One of the most impressive feature film debuts ever blessed to American cinema. Paul Thomas Anderson was only 25 years old when he broke into the scene and directed this (almost three years younger than me now, how depressing). While it is consistently thrilling and entertaining, Hard Eight oftentimes wears its influences on its sleeve too much. You can see how much inspiration Paul got from Tarantino with this film and it’s one of the 90s best independent movies. The star studded cast doesn’t hurt either.

#7 - Phantom Thread (2017) Runtime: 2 hr 10 min Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1 Film Format: 35mm

Renowned British dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock comes across Alma, a young, strong-willed woman, who soon becomes a fixture in his life as his muse and lover. Verdict: It’s safe to say that Phantom Thread is PTA’s most lavish and decadent film. It feels like a piece of ancient Hollywood golden-era cinema brought back to life. Johnny Greenwood’s orchestral score is the best sound work he’s ever done, it sweeps you off your feet when it goes along with Anderson’s signature arresting imagery. I’m in the minority who places this near the bottom of Anderson’s filmography, simply because Daniel Day Lewis’s character is so insufferable that it was hard for me to empathize in many ways. It still manages to be one of the most beautiful pieces of modern cinema.

#6 - Inherent Vice (2014) Runtime: 2 hr 28 min Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1 Film Format: 35mm

In Los Angeles at the turn of the 1970s, drug-fueled detective Larry “Doc” Sportello investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend. 

Verdict: Inherent Vice is Paul Thomas Anderson’s most underrated gem. I’ll admit, when I first saw this film, I didn’t really dig it that much and immediately cast it aside as his weakest effort. However, after some maturity, a few more viewings, and also not 100% adoring Phantom Thread, I have developed an immense appreciation for this nonsensical Thomas Pynchon adaptation. Pynchon as a writer is known as being basically unadaptable, but PTA revels in the absurdity of the film’s labyrinth of a plot. It also brings PTA back to his former glory days of ensemble casts and stoner drug fueled mayhem.

#5 - Punch-Drunk Love (2002) Runtime: 1 hr 35 min Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1 Film Format: 35mm

A psychologically troubled novelty supplier is nudged towards a romance with an English woman, all the while being extorted by a phone-sex line run by a crooked mattress salesman, and purchasing stunning amounts of pudding.  

Verdict: Punch-Drunk Love plays out like a symphony of color, texture, and absolutely off-putting social interactions. I understand that Adam Sandler had his comeback last year with Uncut Gems, but this film is actually without a doubt the best performance he’s ever pulled off. And I credit that largely in part to the brilliance of Paul who was working behind him. It’s what I would say one of the most unconventional romantic comedies of all time. It’s nerve wracking, a little sad, super awkward - but also somehow manages to be endearing as well. The percussion heavy score brings manic energy to the whole film. Punch-Drunk Love is also a powerful statement on loneliness, unchecked mental illness, and the power of human connection.

#4 - Boogie Nights (1997) Runtime: 2 hr 35 min Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1 & 1.66 : 1 Film Format: 35mm

Adult film director Jack Horner is always on the lookout for new talent and it's only by chance that he meets Eddie Adams who is working as a busboy in a restaurant. Eddie is young, good looking and plenty of libido to spare. Using the screen name Dirk Diggler, he quickly rises to the top of his industry winning awards year after year. Drugs and ego however come between Dirk and those around him and he soon finds that fame is fleeting. 

Verdict: How this film possibly came from a director who is my age now is almost hard to believe. Boogie Nights is one of the quintessential 90s films. It has one of PTA’s best ensemble casts. Anderson’s sophomore effort was a result of the auteur finding his footing and his directorial voice that went on to enthrall audiences over several decades. PTA’s early visual motifs were lengthy and expertly choreographed tracking shots. Please refer to the scenes in the disco as well as the pool party scene pictured above for some of the best camera operation every committed to celluloid. Boogie Nights could possibly be hailed as PTA’s most consistently entertaining and audience friendly works. It’s a great story of the rise and fall of stardom.

#3 - There Will Be Blood (2007) Runtime: 2 hr 38 min Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1 Film Format: 35mm

A story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business. 

Verdict: Most critics and audiences would agree that There Will Be Blood is the director’s most impressive masterpiece (but who’s counting?). On a storytelling and technical level, I do have to agree that this is probably Paul Thomas Anderson’s best achievement, even if it isn’t exactly my personal favorite. This is the film where PTA really matured with his directorial vision. He abandoned a lot of his earlier flashy work with large casts and a constantly moving camera for something more grounded and more of a character study. There Will be Blood is the story of America in many ways. It’s the story of Capitalism. And how this system leads to so much bloodshed, greed, and hatred as man and man compete to have the most and be the best. This movie will surely stand the test of time and is a shining example of how groundbreaking modern American cinema can be.

#2 - Magnolia (1999) Runtime: 3 hr 8 min Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1 Film Format: 35mm

An epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.

Verdict: Paul Thomas Anderson’s third film found the director taking everything he had learned on his previous two, and expanding on that knowledge and developing more layers to his characters who have never felt so fully realized. Magnolia is the director’s magnum opus. It is epic in its length - clocking in at a little over three hours, making it his longest film by far. It is ambitious in its storytelling approach. Many films utilize the style of a variety of seemingly unrelated characters who connect to each other, oftentimes in a synchronistic fashion as they go about the trials and tribulations of their lives. However Magnolia is one of the few that did it first, did it the best, and set the bar for all of the subpar imitations that would soon follow. It’s also profoundly beautiful in the statements that PTA was trying to make. Paul, just barely 30 years old at the time when this was released, most definitely had an emotional and intellectual maturity that is rarely seen within a director of that age range. Magnolia is about redemption, loss, forgiveness, love, and trying to keep your head above water as frogs rain down on your head.

#1 - The Master (2012) Runtime: 2 hr 18 min Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1 Film Format: 35mm & 70mm

Freddie, a volatile, heavy-drinking veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, finds some semblance of a family when he stumbles onto the ship of Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic leader of a new “religion” he forms after World War II. 

Verdict: I’ve always been drawn to films about cults. Something about social behavior and social roles within a cult organization is a really interesting study on a sociological, psychological and anthropological level. The Master takes the cult formula and turns it on its head in many ways, never once foraying into the territory of exploitation or tropes. It instead takes a wholly original approach to the story. I mean, it is Paul Thomas Anderson that we’re talking about here. Joaquin Phoenix delivers his most unhinged, and certainly his most impressive, performance of his career as a mentally damaged alcoholic war veteran with pretty severe PTSD. The Master is also in many ways the story of the founding father of Scientology - L. Ron Hubbard. However, let’s just say it is a Scientology movie “in disguise” as no real historical names are ever spoke, the word “Scientology” is never uttered once, and even the director himself refuses to admit that’s what it is about (I mean who can blame him? He once had to work with Tom Cruise). It is one of the most fascinating character studies I’ve ever seen. Not to mention, it is PTA’s most beautifully shot film in my opinion and Johnny Greenwood’s musical contributions to the score elevate this film to ultimate masterpiece status. By the end, I felt like I had just undergone a transcendent experience of sorts. I hope one day PTA can make a film that “wows” me ever more than this one does.

[norgestan]

seeing the big picture, do you like skam españa as a whole? I've been really mad at this season and the fact that it's amira's and last season, looking back I still think skames is the best remake to me. also Fernando is really another level of beauty, it's unbelievable!!!

oh anon, this is such a hard question to tackle. i still 200% think eskam did such an stellar job with nora’s storyline, for example, but i guess it all comes to the fact that this season puts things in perspective. before s4, we could argue that eskam’s only fault was their lack of racial and body diversity in the cast and stories, although most people would agree that what they did with amira prior to her season showed that they cared about the character, and because it was a similar care put into all the other mains, people assumed this season had the potential to become the s4 fans and muslim audiences have been asking since og. and all that was put into test in amira’s season. after that, i doubt that the people who stood by that (me included) could really justify eskam now. in most remakes, s4 is their only chance to put poc front and center, which also means that we get to see if the quality of the writing decreases when these stories are being told. in eskam’s case, that’s exactly what happened.

like, what is nora’s story worth if you compare her ending to amira’s? nora was allowed to be selfish, to fuck up and experience all those consequences, to touch rock bottom and end her season without a relationship, with a hopeful take on her friendship with the girl squad being what helped her to dump her abusive partner and slowly heal from those experiences - and in return, become kinder to the people around her. in comparison, amira’s suffering didn’t lead anywhere, and wherever she fucked up, she was absolved almost immediately with no lesson to be learn nor long-lasting consequences that impacted on her. not only that, but side characters who could’ve worked as interesting foils to amira (dounia, kasim) or at least give us a different perspective of being muslim on an european country (las labass, amira’s parents) were very immediately dropped in favor of pointless drama that had very little to do with the things eskam set up not only in the beginning of s4 but throughout the entire show.

maybe i could have ignored eskam’s racism on their writing team when the spotlight was put in the white mains and supporting characters, but i can’t give eskam the benefit of the doubt now. when a remake does what eskam did to redeem one of the worst pairings of og (noorhelm) and manages to create a really compelling arc for the evak relationship post s3, but takes amira’s season and transforms it into a incoherent mess that doesn’t even assure us that things will be better for amira in the future, it’s clear that this isn’t an instance of abnormal fuck ups: it’s the writers’ racism on display, clear as day.

i still think eskam ranks as one of the better remakes for reasons that go beyond storytelling, for example. but all the good things they adapted from og pale in comparison to the mess they did in s4, where one realizes that they didn’t really care to tell the story of a hijabi in the same nuanced way they did with their white mains.

(edit: i think these posts x x further elaborate on this question and are worth reading)

and yes, fernando has been looking like a SNACK lately.

bisexual excellence some would say!

[maximumphilosopheranchor]

Hello!Can you give information about philip ii’s court and people that surrendered him in general?

Hello!

Sorry for the delay. I was pondering a lot drafting my answer how to respond to your question the best because firstly it’s too broad a matter to deal with it here, and, secondly, Philip’s biographies I have read don’t provide as much detailed information on the court under Philip as I would like. Also, I have to say - I haven’t done with reading about Philip and this is something I look forward to learn more about in future.

Anyway, here’s what I gathered. It covers the order after Philip’s return to Spain in 1559.

“The ‘court’ in Madrid had several functions. At the centre was the king, served by his household. There were satellite households, of the queen, the Infantas, and other immediate members of the royal family. Their combined personnel, adding on the staff in the stables and the guards, amounted to a small army. The theatre of their activities was the enlarged and reformed Alcázar [the royal palace, formerly fortress]. The king as chief actor brought three other spheres of activity into this scenario: the functioning of government, the management of diplomacy and ritual, and the direction of public entertainment. Fixing the king’s residence in Madrid gave for the first time in Spain’s history a permanent location for all these functions. (..)

Since the adoption of Burgundian ceremonial in 1548 the size of the royal household had grown enormously. The main component was the king’s household, divided into five main  units: household, kitchen, chapel, stables and cellar. Each unit was headed by a nobleman in charge of its administration. The household guard formed an additional unit. Other immediate members of the royal family had smaller households, all financed by the king. The most drastic innovation of these years was the large and expensive retinue which Elizabeth Valois brought and insisted on maintaining, although many of the servants were sent home a few weeks later. The Venetian ambassador felt that it was because ‘the Frenchmen were very ill-dressed, dirty, careless and disrespectful’. Elizabeth’s demands inflated the queen’s household into an entity almost as large as that of the king. (..)

The king’s court in his last dozen years suffered from a lack of social gaiety, due in part to the king’s poor health, in part to his absences and travels. But for the first twenty-five years of the reign there was no lack of vitality. (..) Three factors explain the vigorous life of the royal circle. Most nobles took the court seriously; the queens contributed enormously to social life; and the king himself had an active interest in music and entertainment. (..)

No European court could exist without a client nobility. The Spanish nobles continued to have immense military and economical resources, but these were threatened by rising costs and a high death-rate among heirs. The court offered hope, because it presented the chance of employment and influence, as well as contacts which could lead to marriage. For those who liked such things, there was also the life-style, a welcome relief after the monotony of the provinces. As Madrid grew, more and more nobles gravitated there. ‘It is terrible,’ the king commented, ‘that they all want to leave their estates and become residents of the court.’ A courtly society came into existence, with its own special rules and, later, its own literature. The court of the king, like the courts of the great nobility, was a theatre not only of ritual but also of entertainment, leisure and diversion. (..)

The contribution of the queens to court life was fundamental. Elizabeth of Valois from the beginning tried to reproduce the gaiety of the Renaissance court she had left behind. She enjoyed parties, masked balls, buffoonery, spectacles, outings to her palaces, and picnics. (..) In jousts, she played the part of liege lady to the three young court princes: Don Carlos, Don Juan of Austria, and the prince of Parma. It gave them a romantic scenario which in turn influenced their chivalric ideals. Elizabeth also contributed to the cultural life of court by her love of music, plays and art: she extended her personal patronage to Sanchez Coello and to the Italian Sofonisba. Anna’s [Philip’s fourth wife] role was more subdued and coincided more closely with that of Philip. In the absences of the king’s court, the queens had their own social life in Madrid. Anna loved comedies. In February 1571, she ‘enjoyed herself in the apartments of the princess [Philip’s sister Juana] at a comedy that she ordered to be performed there. At four in the afternoon the Infantas [Philip’s daughters] went to join the queen and enjoyed the play as though they were much older.’

The king’s sisters also played a crucial role. When the empress Maria came to reside in Madrid, she contributed powerfully to the prestige of a city which, during Philip’s absence in Lisbon, had no king. She set herself up in apartments in convent of the Descalzas, where she periodically put on musical entertainments. All visiting dignitaries to Madrid were obliged by protocol to make a formal visit to the empress before calling on any other official.

(..) In his youth as well as during his years abroad, he [Philip] had delighted in jousts and tourneys. The Amadis of Gaul was one of his favourite books (he later approved it as a set text for his son Philip when the latter began to learn French). Whenever possible he presided over tournaments at court. (..) The essential feature of the ‘court’ in Madrid was the royal household. If the king was away, he took most of his household with him. This turned the Alcázar into an empty shell, populated only by its staff, some government officials, and the household of any remaining member of the royal family (..) Practical factors, such as the sheer cost of moving around the kingdom, were beginning to distance European rulers from their subjects. Complex ceremonial further helped to isolate the king. Philip was deeply concerned for his people, but had little effective contact with them. He felt that his accessibility on feast-days, which he tried to maintain all his life, was adequate. (..) As often as feasible, he had his lunch ‘in public’. But this involved no more than lunching (alone) in one of the large reception rooms of the Alcázar, where members of the court and public might see him. (..) He made a rule of being accessible to private petitions while going to or from Sunday mass and deliberately walked slowly, so that people would have a chance to catch up with him.”

Henry Kamen, Philip of Spain

As you can see although Philip had made Madrid the capital city in 1561 he didn’t reside there permanently. He traveled considerably within his Iberian realms and moved among his country palaces which he improved, rebuilt or built - the Pardo, Aranjuez, Valsaín, also known as El Bosque de Segovia, and later, of course, El Escorial where he spent much time after 1571 - and which were located not far from Madrid. In his far distance journeys through the Iberian peninsula the large part of the court went with him but to his country palaces he usually took with himself a small entourage.

“Although Philip made Madrid his permanent administrative capital in 1561 he spent less than half his life there. He resided in his Aragonese lands for several months in 1563-4 and 1585-6, with a shorter visit in 1592; he toured Andalusia in 1570; and in 1580 he left for Portugal and spent three years away from Madrid. Teofilo Ruiz has stressed in A king travels that these long, slow royal progresses involved immense preparation and lavish urban spectacles that often left the king exhausted, and that each of them was ‘inextricably linked to the exercise and experience of power’. At other times the king travelled informally, moving rapidly between his country houses with a small entourage and sometimes alone as he tried to escape the bustle of his court, because ‘tranquility’, according to a Venetian ambassador in 1565, ‘is His Majesty’s greatest entertainment and relaxation’.”

Geoffrey Parker, Imprudent King: A New Life of Philip II

Beside Philip’s wives, sisters, and children at his court in various time periods lived also other his family members: Philip’s illegitimate half-brother Don Juan of Austria, Philip’s nephews Alessandro Farnese, the Duke of Parma, and Arch-Dukes Rudolf, Ernest, Albert and Wenceslas.

On the men who surrounded Philip at the beginning of his reign.

Philip’s closest friend and one of the most important advisers was Ruy Gómez de Silva (1516-1573). He was a Portuguese nobleman and had served Philip’s mother as a page. He and the Castilian nobleman Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, the Duke of Alba, were Philip’s most influential household officers. According to Patrick Williams:

“Technically, his power-base derived from his office of sumiller de corps [court officer in charge of supervising the dressing and undressing of a king and everything to do with the royal bedchamber], in which capacity he controlled the working of Philip’s household, but in reality he owed his political power to his personal relationship with the monarch. Philip had come to trust Ruy Gómez’s judgement and recognised that he needed his moral and practical support as he entered into his kingship. It may indeed have been to prevent Ruy Gomez from exercising too great an influence over Philip that Charles had placed Alba and Gómez in equally strong positions at the head of Philip’s household – Alba as his mayordomo mayor [chief officer of a household] and Ruy Gómez as his sumiller de corps. In England the two men began a struggle for influence that continued until Ruy Gómez ’s death.”

Patrick Williams, Philip II

Apart from this and other posts Philip also created Ruy Gómez the Prince of Éboli and Duke of Pastrana.

Philip’s the second perhaps closest friend after Ruy was Luis de Requesens (1528-1576), the son of Philip’s governor Juan de Zúñiga and his wife Estefanía de Requesens both of whom Philip held in high regard. Unlike Ruy Gómez  who was 11 years older than Philip Luis born in 1528 was almost of the same age as Philip and they grew up together, he was Philip’s chief page. He never acquired such power as Ruy Gómez  but Philip relied on him greatly and entrusted him important missions which often included controlling the behaviour of someone whose judgement Philip doubted. Philip created him the Grand Commander of Castile and he served Philip as a diplomat and soldier, as lieutenant general to Philip’s half-brother Don Juan suppressing the Morisco revolt, as viceroy of Milan and the Governor of the Netherlands (1573-76).

Among Philip’s personal confidants were also Gómez Suárez de Figueroa, Count and later Duke of Feria (his first representative to Elizabeth I), and don Antonio de Toledo.

Beside Ruy Gómez and the Duke of Alba important statesmen at the beginning of Philip’s reign (not counting those he left in the Netherlands) were: Philip’s secretary Gonzalo Pérez, Francisco de Eraso, secretary of the Council of Finance, Bartolomé de Carranza, Archbishop of Toledo, Fernando de Valdés, Archbishop of Seville and Inquisitor-General, Philip’s confessor Bernardo de Fresneda. During the 1560s a very influential figure was Cardinal Diego de Espinosa whom Philip appointed a member of the council of State, president of the council of Castile and Inquisitor-General. As very important government figures during the second half of the 1560s emerged Philip’s secretaries Antonio Pérez and Mateo Vázquez who was also Philip’s chaplain.

If you have means or access I recommend you to check Maria José Rodriguez-Salgado’s article 'The Court of Philip II of Spain' in R. Asch and A.M. Birke (Eds), Princes, Patronage and the Nobility: The Court at the Beginning of the Modern Age, c.1450-1650 and The Courtier and the King: Ruy Gómez de Silva, Philip II, and the Court of Spain by James M. Boyden.