#hi yes hello i'm FINALLY CAUGHT UP TO MY ARCHIVE

[batsplat]

hello!! i hope you're having an amazing day 🥹💗 do you have any vale's races masterpost?? thank you so much in advance!!

*takes deep breath* *cracks knuckles* *cracks knuckles again for good measure* *rolls up sleeves* *cracks knuckles one more time* yes of course anon. no problem. let's do this

going to forgo any extended intro as this post will be long enough as it is - though it wasn't always easy to both represent the scope of valentino's career and make picks based on actual race quality. there will be a skew towards the early years of his time in the premier class and there are a few obvious fallow spells, but I hope I've adequately done justice to most of his very, very long career... and used the asterisk system to do my quality control for me

speaking of - another rec post, another escalation of the asterisk system (luckily, we have reached the final boss of motogp and it is impossible to escalate beyond this - here are the casey and marc/dovi lists). * means check it out, ** personal fave, *** classic, **** if you watch nothing else please watch these

I also need to mention mat oxley's 'valentino rossi: all his races', which is an excellent reference book that I consulted a fair bit when compiling this list. it's especially invaluable in making sense of the early years - where the archives unfortunately are sorely lacking and I'm grateful for every bit of additional context I can get. about those early years, a little bit of housekeeping with the codes I'll use to indicate in which form these races are available:

ITA: only italian commentary, which means I've found them on youtube. this is relevant only for the very early races. there's upsettingly few of his 125cc and especially 250cc races available even when you include these (though I haven't included all the ones that are available)

HL: only highlights, which is specifically about some of the 2000-01 races. there's only three full races of valentino's first premier class title available in their entirety on the motogp website, which is unfortunate (technically four including valencia, but who would want to watch that). now, the highlights they provide for all the other races aren't actually bad - they're around twenty minutes long for the race themselves so you will see most of the exciting action and the overtakes and all that (though it does raise the question of 'why don't you just upload the full races')

NC: no commentary, and is mainly an issue for the 2002 races that are all uploaded in their entirety but... well, only a few with commentary. obviously not ideal especially with older races. my recommendation would be watching the very short highlights (aka 2-3 minutes of actual race footage with commentary) available on the website for each of the 2002 races - either after or even before watching the race - to just give yourself a better sense of what you're watching

as ever, the descriptions will frequently provide spoilers for the result. my spoiler-free top ten recommendations are: donington park 2000 suzuka 2001 phillip island 2001 brno 2003 phillip island 2003 welkom 2004 donington park 2005 laguna seca 2008 catalunya 2009 assen 2015

and here, ten more spoiler-free recs because it really is a bloody long career: sachsenring 2003 mugello 2004 phillip island 2004 jerez 2005 sachsenring 2006 sepang 2006 catalunya 2007 motegi 2010 argentina 2015 assen 2017

**brno 1996: I find it very charming when riders have early career races that tell you everything you need to know about them. this is valentino's first grand prix win, achieved from his first pole position. he has an awful start, ends up way down the order, fights his way through, is eventually caught by this 34 year old former world champion who he does not like, fights him for a bit, stalks him and lets him draw them away from the pack in what the commentators consider remarkable confidence and poise from a seventeen year old, loses touch enough with the race leader that it looks like he's surely lost the race before pulling out a crazy last lap with some hard racing™ to overtake that other bloke. after he crosses the finish line he's so excited he almost rides into the wall. deeply excessive celebratory fist pumping that just goes on and on and on. angelic smile on the podium as the bloke he's beaten looks rather peeved - and apparently complained about valentino's riding afterwards. what more is there to say, really

^driving his elders to drink. here's a video where valentino is talking about the race: "and from there a fight to the death came out because we didn't get along very well. we weren't very nice to each other because we were bothering each other throughout the championship". like I said, tells you everything you need to know about him. just watch this one and call it a day

nurbuergring 1997 (ITA): an early strong wet weather performance, at a time when he was still a bit of a wimp about the whole riding in the rain thing. granted, he was a little lucky when the runaway race leader had a mechanical dnf, but he got into a nice little scrap with a few other riders to claim his fourth consecutive victory

rio 1997 (ITA): the thing about 125cc/moto3 races is you kinda know what you're getting, and more often than not what you're getting is a fun time watching them go at it. valentino's first, he's third, he's first again, they're having it out... and then on the final lap, he's taking advantage of the backmarkers to secure the victory. which is so sneaky and so valentino that it obviously deserves to be mentioned here. incidentally, his last ever win at assen 2017 had a controversial involvement of a backmarker on the last lap, which is a nice little full circle moment twenty years later

brno 1997: in many ways, this was a more impressive ride from his title rival ueda, who came back from thirteenth on the grid to take the win. which meant that valentino had to finish on the podium to claim his 125cc title at the same venue where he won his first race... and he just about managed it, with the entire leading group of riders headed into the final corner together

there are race highlights in the 5-10 minute range from his 250cc race years which... well. since they're not anywhere close to full races and this is a race recs list, I can't exactly give them their own bullet points, but I'll just rattle through a few highlight videos here I enjoyed from 1998: jerez (features a nifty overtake with four blokes entering one corner together, also harada fucked with valentino despite being a lap down to help capirossi win?? anyway vale's first 250cc podium, to which harada showed up to clap for capirossi specifically???); mugello (featuring his controversial beachwear celebration); paul ricard (see below); catalunya (he spent a lot of that year crashing but towards the end of the season finally figured it out - works his way back from thirteenth place to win), argentina (controversial title decider claxon; valentino found the whole thing so "hilarious" he was giggling when the drama was going off in the garage. he also referenced the jerez incident in his post-race interview, because of course he did)

^the three protagonists of the 1998 250cc season: valentino, harada and capirossi, all part of the same nightmarish aprilia 'super team'. everything I've read about that season makes me want to break into dorna hq and get my hands on the full race footage. both images are from the paul ricard race, in which valentino was trying to figure out how to stop harada from continuously outsmarting him. they kept slowing down the pace further and further, with harada running his bike comically wide to let valentino through and valentino doing a massive wheelie down the straight (image on the right) to force harada to go back past - but harada still eventually managed to best him on the final lap. valentino was heavily criticised in the press for wanting to 'humiliate' capirossi by letting capirossi catch up to the pair, but really he was just getting creative in his tactics. I may not have been able to 'watch' this season but I love it dearly

donington park 1999 (ITA): the ONE 250cc race I've been able to watch in its entirety. it was stopped and restarted due to the weather and the final outcome was decided on aggregate time across the two races (yeah, this does feel weird but they used to do that). a close fight especially in the first part. not too wet, presumably, given his 250cc performances in the soaking wet were often. hm. not great

1999 highlights I enjoyed: catalunya (was riding with a suspension glitch but kept his main title rival ukawa behind him anyway); sachsenring (won an intense battle with capirossi, admittedly you do not see much of him in the highlights); brno (another intense fight, this time mainly with an older rider in waldmann after they both worked their way through the field); phillip island (worked his way to the win from seventh on the grid and one of those phillip island races)

jerez 2000 (HL): valentino's initiation to the premier class wasn't... the most dignified thing you'll ever see... two dnf's in the first two races by which point he was so bloody terrified of the bike he was just very slow in the third. in his defence, those 500cc bikes were pretty scary, but also it was time to get his act together. which he did in jerez! this was another one of those weird ones where the rain interrupted the race and then the whole thing was decided on aggregate time, but a good ride to bag his first premier class podium

**donington park 2000: maybe it was the bikes, maybe it was experience, maybe it was a mindset thing, but eventually he would get over his moral objections to 'getting wet' and develop into an excellent wet weather racer in the premier class. this was his first premier class win - and a pretty neat way to seal it too. had an awful start, took a while to figure out the grip conditions, and then he was off. the second half of the race involved a fun fight between valentino and both roberts jr and mcwilliams for the victory

^almost gave the commentators a heart attack by running a defensive line through the final corner that took him completely off the dry racing line

rio 2000 (NC/HL - as in, both are available): valentino's second win of the year and his first in the dry, the race after his late charge to a rookie title was scuppered by a crash in valencia. he made some adjustments to his riding style after the valencia fiasco and really started to get to grips with the 500cc, which would stand him in good stead the following year. as is traditional, he makes a truly horrendous start, dropping back from the front row to find himself briefly outside of the top ten. from there, he gets to work. it's confident stuff, getting himself to the lead by about half distance and pulling away from there

**suzuka 2001: the first race of 2001 and a clear statement of intent. as ever, valentino had to work his way through the field... which took him right into the path of max biaggi, a man who had already been his enemy before they started actually racing each other. now, it has to be said, biaggi is a dick here! quite literally elbows valentino while running him off-track and could easily have caused vale to crash (as valentino said afterwards, "I had to learn how to ride motocross-style at 140 mph"), he continues using various body parts rather creatively in defending his position. when valentino finally gets past, he sticks out his middle finger. set the tone for that season rather nicely

jerez 2001: this is the cool-headed, calculating valentino who would prove such a formidable foe over the years. having already won the first two races of the season, he's high on confidence as he engages in a duel with the man who had so captured his imagination as a teenager: norifumi abe. valentino takes his time - but when he finally makes the decisive pass, he pulls clear so easily it feels like valentino may have just been toying with his hero all along

^valentino and norick, the inspiration for 'rossifumi'. in 2008, valentino paid tribute to the other man a year after his passing: "norick for me was a hero. I grew up watching the suzuka 500 race in 1994 with the great battle he had together with schwantz and doohan. last year was a shit year for me when I heard of the death of norick and colin mcrae, for me it was not a great year. I think it is possible to dedicate this championship to norick”

catalunya 2001 (HL): I don't care if there's only highlights - I am not leaving out a race that sparked a fist fight. honestly if I were biaggi I'd be pissed about this race too. valentino was twelfth at the end of the first lap and ended up winning... painful, truly. a really good scrap, plenty of fun to watch as valentino always is at catalunya, and obviously you've also got to watch the presser clips with the knowledge they were throwing hands a few minutes earlier

assen 2001 (HL): this one was low-key kinda stolen from valentino. it's good fun - y'know, one of those assen battles, valentino's doing the stalking and lurking thing and it starts raining and valentino takes the lead and... whoops! time to call off the race due to the rain so let's take the results from the previous lap! biaggi win! imagine getting into a fist fight with someone and losing the very next race to them on a technicality. oof

^post-fist fight handshake to show how it's all fine. they're totally fine. completely fine. no problems here

*donington park 2001 (HL): I'm gonna be so real, if I'm on pole and my title rival starts eleventh and he ends up beating me to the win by 1.8s, I think I just call it a day after that one. valentino had a bad crash during practise where he was lucky to not really hurt himself and then obviously had a pretty terrible qualifying, so a great opportunity for biaggi to claw back some points. worst bit is, vale didn't even make a good start - he was still in eleventh place halfway through the first lap. good fun to watch him pick his way through the field, and in his autobiography he ranks this race near the very top in terms of ones that gave him the most "satisfaction"

****phillip island 2001: look, if you've seen one of those classic multi-rider dogfights at phillip island, then, here, I've got a version of that for you from 2001. it's just so much fun to watch, with so many different riders and rider constellations and run orders at various parts of the race, riders looking like they'll break away and getting caught again etc etc etc. and it is also a match point race for valentino - a relatively comfortable one given his formidable championship lead. he didn't need to win the race to take the title, but would you want to see your greatest enemy take the spoils on your big day? in the most dramatic fashion possible, valentino ends up right behind biaggi on the very last lap and makes a daring overtake for the victory. hard to beat that as a way of sealing your first premier class title

*suzuka 2002: you know how I said in the marc rec post that I found it tricky to pick out a few for 2014 because a lot of the races were good without being all timers? this is valentino's equivalent season - he's winning, life is great-ish, tricky to differentiate, and if you enjoy any of these races you'll probably enjoy them all. mostly I'm just going to include the ones with commentary available, even though I'm too stubborn to let dorna completely make my choices for me here. anyway, this one is available with commentary and it's a good watch... valentino hadn't had the easiest weekend to start off his title defence, crashed badly twice, bloodied his hands, all that. he had a sluggish start in the wet conditions and worked his way up the field, before sitting on the rear tyre of the japanese wildcard akira ryo for a while - who knew the track well and knew where all the puddles were. a smart and composed win and feels very typical of his wet weather performances over the years

jerez 2002 (NC): in my head, this is the sister race to le mans 2014. valentino is pushed down quite a few spots to ninth early on (kenny roberts jr just. shoves him aside and does the thing where he gestures back to apologise, but that doesn't really help valentino when half a dozen bikes have passed him) and then he gets down to business. that whole season really does have that 2014 vibe of 'right this is fun but also feels a little too easy' - but hey, the way valentino picks his way through the field is satisfying to watch. and valentino did always like to play with his food, so he sits behind barros for a fair bit before doing the inevitable

*assen 2002: so, the thing about 2002 is that it was the first year of the rebrand to motogp and the introduction of the four-stroke bikes... but you still had two-stroke bikes on the grid, which tended to be tragically outgunned. the circuits where they were competitive tended to be the ones where they could take advantage of how 'nimble' the old bikes were, with more corners and fewer straights - and honestly, if you go on a race-by-race level you could make the case that on-track barros on his two-stroke machine (for most of the year) was valentino's most important rival that season. this is a head-to-head duel with barros that nicely showcases the respective strengths and weaknesses of two such different bikes and riders riding them, and barros manages to mount a stern challenge to valentino for most of the race

*sachsenring 2002: I do find it a little funny that this is one of the ones with commentary they've provided, because there's a bit of an anti-climax close to the end and I'm not sure valentino should have won that race. anyway, similarly to assen, this is another week where the two-strokes can put up a proper fight, and it's an engaging scrap that involves a lot of riders and quite a few nice little shifts in momentum. like above, another interesting study in how the different bikes compare in direct combat

phillip island 2002 (NC): always fun when someone builds up a bit of a gap on valentino. as was so often the case that year, it was barros (now on a four-stroke) who served as valentino's closest challenger, and valentino took his time hunting him down. from there, it's familiar material from the rossi playbook, stalking and studying before making his move - but barros sticks very very close to valentino until he makes an error on the last lap

^is it a bird is it a plane etc etc... don't think this was supposed to mean anything, just being silly

okay we're now headed into the 2003-05 stretch and I should mention that most of the races in that era will also have been featured in this post, which might also be useful to put them into context

*le mans 2003: valentino tries to make a break for it, but the rain denies him. he raises his hand to get the race called off (you could do this as the race leader back in the day, or I suppose also not do that if you wanted to be an asshole)... and immediately almost falls off his bike so. uh. probably a good idea to get it called off. when the race resumes, it's a three-way tussle between valentino, barros, and new challenger sete gibernau, even if at times it's less tussling and more wobbling. in the last couple of laps, it's down to sete and valentino to have it out in the treacherous conditions - and the last lap is proper dramatic. sete had already gotten one over valentino in welkom... but this defeat, coming after valentino had led the race, must surely have stung even more

*catalunya 2003: I feel a little mean making my first three 2003 picks races valentino all lost in quite painful fashion, but, hey, it's character building and really set up his whole arc for the next season-and-a-half. this one is... well. it's both embarrassing and kinda neat from vale. most of this race consists of a duel with capirossi - and when valentino hits the front, you do think that's going to be it. capirossi keeps close, however, and valentino eventually makes an error, running wide to let him through. shortly afterwards, he makes even a worse mistake and runs off into the gravel. once he's fucked up it's a pretty fun performance, where he starts posting pleasingly insane lap times to recover from sixth back to second

***sachsenring 2003: this race will always be remembered for valentino's penultimate corner overtake followed by his last corner mistake that resulted in sete's unlikely victory, but the race before that is good fun too! valentino looks like he'll make a break for it, and obviously miserably fails in his attempt - this time he's the one to be slowly, slowly, slowly caught by a persistent rival who eventually manages to get the better of him again. after this race, valentino vowed he wouldn't be taking any more prisoners. he didn't

****brno 2003: after a horrifying four race losing streak and the humiliation of sachsenring, valentino came back from the summer break with new determination and hunger and a mission to not let anyone get in his way any more. he does not have an easy time of it at brno, with a classic multi-rider dogfight that features regular and dramatic shake-ups of the riders' fortunes. the finish is incredibly close, and vale could have easily been denied the opportunity to pull out his elaborate victory celebrations: dressing up as a convict to symbolise how he felt imprisoned by his own success. here is a more in-depth post about the race

****phillip island 2003: this starts off in classic phillip island fashion, with a bunch of riders having it out in the early laps. then, valentino takes the lead and makes a break for it, and it looks like the excitement of the rest of the race will be all about the fierce fight for the remaining podium positions... except there's a twist. valentino overtook another rider under yellow flag conditions - and unlike donington that year where he was retroactively slapped with a ten second penalty that denied him the win, this time he is informed of the penalty during the race. this race is about as exhilarating as it is possible for a race to get when you're watching someone riding alone in the front - and you'll be provided with some added spice with the scrap for the last podium place. in the end, valentino crosses the finishing line with an obscene margin of over fifteen seconds

^think I already posted these notes somewhere but I can't NOT mention the commentary for this race. bottom of this post I included the autobiography excerpt about how valentino channelled his fury to win this race - very revealing!

****welkom 2004: still perhaps valentino's favourite victory of them all, and with good reason. his first race with yamaha and one that the entire paddock thought he didn't have a hope of winning... until they hit the track that weekend. valentino led every single session and qualified on pole: he said the pole position felt as good as ten with honda. better yet was still to come, with valentino claiming a victory following a thrilling duel against his old foe biaggi that raged on until the very last lap. such was the pace that third-placed sete was seven seconds down on the top pair at the chequered flag

^valentino stopped at the side of the track after his win, kissing his bike and sitting down for a moment to soak in the moment. he says he was laughing into his helmet: "'and so in the end I was right!' I thought to myself. 'I can't believe it, I screwed them all... what a show!'"

****mugello 2004: this race has so much going on, and all of it is highly enjoyable. valentino might have won the last two races at mugello - but off the back of two fourth places and with mugello's famously terrifying long straight, it felt like surely the more powerful hondas would have the decisive edge. and this one is a hard fight for valentino. it's a hard fight with several riders, it's a hard fight with sete and, following an interruption due to the rain, it's a hard fight in mixed conditions where valentino initially drops back to seventh to figure out the grip levels - before speeding off to the win. all the best types of races rolled into one

***catalunya 2004: right after mugello, it's time to visit sete's home - and here valentino kicks off a bit of a tradition of memorable one-on-one catalunya duels... as well as a habit of beating spaniards at the track. it's hard fought, it's challenging, but again valentino emerges on top

***assen 2004: the third consecutive race that featured an extended duel with sete. initially involving barros too - but he crashes, and it's down to the familiar protagonists. this really works as the last episode of that mini-trilogy because you can tell how badly sete felt he needed to reassert himself in that title fight, and conversely how little interest valentino had in letting him do so. involves a hard last lap overtake that resulted in contact. sete was not best pleased, but valentino had secured the win and the championship lead

^left: catalunya, where valentino dons the doctor's garb to perform a series of 'medical checks' on his yamaha, feat. stethoscope and thermometer, before declaring it fit for duty. right: assen, where yamaha staff dress up as doctors to pay tribute to him

qatar 2004: a good old-fashioned hubris ride. valentino was slapped with a back-of-the-grid penalty for some midnight grid cleaning shenanigans and is furious about this. he gets quite possibly the best start of his career and is eighth after a few corners, continues charging and barging his way through the field... before crashing and mashing up his finger and reopening that year's championship fight. the race does get a little dull after valentino does his thing - here are the ten most relevant minutes of footage as well as some more details about the penalty and the race. the weekend that irrevocably damaged his relationship with sete

***phillip island 2004: an underrated spite ride. if you're in the penultimate race of the season and you know a second place is enough to clinch the title and you're over a second behind your title rival and you historically suck at the circuit where title deciders are held, the sensible thing to do is just ride home in second place when it becomes clear the third-placed guy is not catching up. obviously, valentino does not do this, not least because he is determined to stop sete from ever winning a race again. this goes down to the very last lap and it is either a very cool or a very dumb way to seal a title, depending on how you look at it

****jerez 2005: both protagonists make very little secret from the start of the race of just how much they want to beat each other: this is war. and it's a war in which sete has the upper hand for most of the way through (as much as you can really feel you have the 'upper hand' with valentino sitting on your rear tyre) - until valentino makes his move with three laps to go. it takes an error from valentino on the last lap to set up the dramatic and controversial finale, with the infamous valentino block pass that sent his bike careening into sete's. the actions of a man who had decided neither of them finishing the race was a more acceptable outcome than his enemy taking the win, and the relationship between the two riders manages to improbably deteriorate still further

^satisfied with a good day's work as the furious spaniards jeer. if anyone had any lingering doubts about valentino's trademark ruthlessness, they were dispelled that day

**mugello 2005: another year, another thrilling mugello battle. it's looking increasingly clear that this will be a one-rider title fight, but luckily that isn't impacting the race quality (think marc's 2019, where he was incidentally the same age as valentino is here). similarly to the year before, there's cause for concern whenever you're fighting more powerful bikes at mugello, but after a dramatic multi-rider fight valentino is not to be denied

**catalunya 2005: back on sete soil and oh god how much he would have loved to win this race. it's the tension and hatred and desperation that makes these races so exciting to watch - though sete is hardly helped out in his mission of revenge by teammate marco melandri who keeps sabotaging sete's attempts to defy valentino's curse. but melandri has whatever the opposite of main character energy is and the race ends up being another valentino/sete duel. some excellent riding by the pair of them, valentino is particularly fearsome on the brakes that day, and sete has truly taken his gloves off when fighting valentino. but of course, valentino denies sete once again and makes a break for it shortly before the end

****donington park 2005: the defining wet weather ride of valentino's career - even though it got off to a shaky start (literally) and continued to be pretty shaky most of the way. this race was held in truly appalling conditions that they probably would not race in these days, and it's reflected in the number of dnf's - one of which was courtesy of poor sete gibernau once again crashing out of the lead. for most of the way, valentino is wobbling his way into the lead and wobbling his way out of it again... but after some big scares and some time spent nicely sheltering behind other riders, he finally figures out the grip conditions - and he's off. it's one of those rides that is just demoralising for everyone else in how good it is, with valentino pulling insultingly far clear from the other riders with insulting ease

^valentino plays a violin after crossing the finish line. teammate edwards: "I looked at his data and it was scary. he was locking the front in the rain on a shitty track that was slicker than snot, at every corner. this guy's crazy!" not pictured - valentino hugging himself and shivering while parking the bike... and being provided with an anorak and gloves that he only very, very, very reluctantly relinquishes when stepping onto the podium

*le mans 2005: you realise fairly quickly that this one's building to something juicy. colin edwards, valentino's teammate, takes the lead and heads out on his own, as valentino sets off after him - eventually slotting into his favourite position sitting right on the leader's rear tyre. except, he can't afford to hang around - because sete is going faster than both of them and is rapidly catching up. this one really gets going when the inevitable happens and the three of them collide on track, and of course we end up with another sete/valentino duel. cruelly, it's another one where the winner is still not entirely decided when they enter the very final lap... but the curse will not be denied. valentino breaks the circuit record on the last lap

*sachsenring 2005: the problem with watching these races is that even if you would prefer not to know the result going in... well, every single time the race comes down to a duel between sete and valentino post-qatar 2004, however strong sete looks, however confident, however near he is to the victory... you know he's obviously not going to make it. my advice is to really lean into it - the joy/horror of it all is in discovering how it's going to go wrong this time. this race features another lovely duel between valentino and sete, at a track that suits the honda far better than it does the yamaha. valentino leads early on before sete manages to catch up and overtake him. two laps to go and sete is still in the lead as valentino stalks him around... you know how this story goes

*brno 2005: ah, the misery. listen, if you enjoyed the previous sete/valentino duels I listed, then you're going to enjoy this one too. it's the race immediately following sachsenring and it feels like basically they just continued the last one, and boy are they going at it from the very start. sete determinedly sticks with valentino and surely one of these has to go his way... includes a particularly cruel twist on the final lap

qatar 2005: one year on from the race in which valentino put his curse on sete, and it feels like this might be sete's best chance for the remainder of the season to free himself. he gets perilously close to making a break for it ahead of the battling melandri and valentino... but of course, he can never run far enough. another painful defeat (if one caused by melandri more than valentino) and eventually valentino claims victory at the circuit that had caused him such trouble the year before

qatar 2006: valentino's 2006 season got off to a tricky start when toni elias rode into him in the very first corner of the opening race, and his luck didn't get much better from there. still, the year featured plenty of excellent valentino rides - including the second race of the season, where he fought his way through from sixth on the grid. features his first tussle with the rookie pole sitter, one casey stoner, who defends sternly against his future rival. eventually, valentino faces off against nicky hayden in a decent extended scrap that went on for much of the race

***mugello 2006: boy, did valentino get himself involved in some banger races at this circuit during his time. sete tries to escape at the front, and even in a tough year like 2006 valentino will not allow that man a moment's rest. a duel between sete and valentino ensues (featuring melandri and casey), then valentino suddenly drops down to fifth, then the race turns into a three-way encounter between capirossi, hayden, and... still valentino. he emerges from the feisty fray with a much-needed win

***sachsenring 2006: you could copy paste 'much-needed win' any time valentino won this year, and sachsenring is no exception. not traditionally his strongest track, valentino's urgency produced one hell of a race ripe with tension throughout. the yamaha's struggles made for a difficult qualifying and he fought his way through from eleventh on the grid. even when he caught the leaders and passed them, he couldn't just clear off like in times past, dragging three dogged riders along with him - but he just about managed to hold them off for the win

****sepang 2006: one of the best valentino duels, this time featuring one of his oldest rivals in the form of loris capirossi. part of his remarkable late season charge that brought him within kissing distance of the title. the entire race is enjoyable but the final lap is one for the ages, with valentino vicious in both attack and defence

^no hard feelings: capirossi hugs valentino while vale is still on the bike. 2006 is a rare title fight in which valentino genuinely liked most of his major rivals. vale was exhausted after the battle in the gruelling sepang conditions and had a little sit down after hugging his team

phillip island 2006: the first bike swap race and quite frankly the whole thing is a mess. a lot happens and it's classic late season chaos where the championship standings and implications are chopping and changing by the lap. when the dust settles, valentino has snagged third place on the last lap off poor sete gibernau and chips away a little more at hayden's championship lead

***estoril 2006: sure, valentino lost the 2006 title when he crashed at valencia, but he also lost it by .002s in estoril. this race featured a dramatic twist in the title fight when rookie dani pedrosa wiped out his teammate hayden, and suddenly valentino had to consider just how much risk he was willing to take. he had mostly decided to play it safe - but then couldn't help himself and ended up attacking toni elias on the very last lap. if he had managed to bag the extra five points, then even with the valencia crash he would have won the title on countback

valencia 2006: everyone thought valentino would be winning the title again headed into the weekend, and they became even more certain of it when valentino qualified on pole. but in the end, it was not to be. valentino got a poor start and felt something was wrong with the bike (or maybe it was the tyres, if one casey stoner is to be believed), but admits the mistake that left him on the ground was his own. a bitter pill to swallow after a season plagued by misfortunes, though valentino had always gotten on well with title winner nicky hayden and was sincere in his congratulations

****catalunya 2007: from the start of 2007, it was clear that new ducati hire casey stoner would be a problem. with yamaha's struggles continuing into the new 800cc era, ducati had gotten it spot on at the first try... even if it was only casey who could completely tame their troublesome bike. for a while, it seemed easy to dismiss casey's victories as built primarily on the back of the infamous ducati horsepower, but at catalunya casey proved he was far more than just a powerful engine. one of the true classic catalunya duels, with both riders displaying dazzling race craft, and one of casey's finest career victories

***assen 2007: valentino's season wasn't getting any easier - the yamaha was one thing but his continued struggles with the michelin tyres if anything frustrated him even more. he qualified in eleventh place and doesn't get a particularly good start while casey streaks off in the front. casey is over five seconds clear at one stage, but valentino manages to hunt down his title rival anyway. it's studying and stalking and lurking and all the rest of it, and as ever casey doesn't make it easy for him - but eventually valentino manages to pass him and pull clear

*estoril 2007: casey's championship was more or less wrapped up by this point, though valentino was able to deny him just a little longer at the first match point race. this features a nice scrap between casey and valentino, and then an extended duel with dani that is perhaps the best fight the two of them ever had. it was a much-needed win in a rough patch for valentino on- and off-track - and he dedicated it to one of his idols, the rally legend colin mcrae who had just passed away

**catalunya 2008: yes, okay, I know he won the three races before that one - but this one's a more fun race! after an initial adaptation period to his shiny new bridgestone tyres, his season had finally properly kicked off with the aforementioned three race win streak. at catalunya, valentino only qualified in ninth, and pedrosa streaked off in front - but valentino and casey engaged in a highly enjoyable rematch of the previous year's duel. in the end, it was valentino who prevailed, but casey and ducati had clearly gotten their own house in order...

^the version of valentino that marc first met, before vale's race in his special football-themed livery and leathers

****laguna seca 2008: after catalunya, casey stormed on to win the next three races on the trot, typically by ominous margins. heading into laguna seca, a race casey had dominated with ease the year before and valentino had never gone particularly well at, valentino knew casey might be in danger of running away with this championship... and he was determined to do something to finally conduct this rivalry on his terms. nobody expected there would be a contest for the victory, let alone one valentino won - but he did, in a brutal encounter that served as a masterclass in psychological intimidation. the relationship between the two rivals did not emerge unscathed

*indianapolis 2008: another race, another mediocre start, if this time from pole. it sets up a fun (to watch) race in worsening conditions, as valentino takes his time to get comfortable with the grip levels before slowly and surely working his way through the field and stalking first casey then nicky hayden around the track. he makes it to the front before eventually the race has to be called off - and, in a rare moment of unity, valentino and casey are seen briefly talking to ezpeleta together, presumably to tell him they have less than zero interest in going out again in that weather. they get their way and the race is called off, with valentino bagging his fourth consecutive victory - a streak he of course started at laguna. his second and last win on US soil

motegi 2008: the title-sealing race and fifth consecutive win - not the most exciting entry on this list, but earns its place by featuring a bit of a duel between title rivals casey and valentino for the lead (after they both get past dani, casey in a rather rude way that he apologises for with a hand gesture) (not that he gives the position back and valentino immediately swoops through too). motegi had always been one of vale's weakest tracks, and it must have felt extra sweet to clinch the title at the home race of his perennial enemies at honda (as he miserably failed to do in 2005 in a deeply embarrassing performance)

^'scusate il ritardo', or 'sorry for the delay': this title was special given the heartache of the two previous years. all smiles with casey and jorge (who comes to parc fermé to congratulate his teammate)

*sepang 2008: as was sometimes rare in that era, this race involves several good fights going on simultaneously down the order. the fight for the victory ends up coming down to valentino and dani, and it's a nice little duel they put on - plus there's also dovi's dramatic fight for the final podium position to enjoy

jerez 2009: dani and valentino's young teammate jorge lorenzo are the clear pre-race favourites and there's a slight fear one of them will run away with it... but jorge never quite finds his groove and ends up crashing, while dani very much does not run away with it. valentino finds something extra after being absolutely nowhere all weekend, as he had a habit of doing. features valentino shadowing first casey and dani - and a particularly nifty contact-free block pass at the infamous final corner on casey. valentino's first win of a tough season

****catalunya 2009: one of valentino's finest career victories - and another example of his ability to wrest control of a season when he needed to. off the back of two tricky/embarrassing races at le mans/mugello, it felt like the time had come to demonstrate he was a serious contender in that year's championship... as well as assert himself within yamaha over his increasingly troublesome young teammate. the stakes are clear: jorge sorely wanted to win in front of his home crowd and valentino sorely wanted to beat him there. after a strong start, the physically ailing casey falls back, letting jorge and valentino soar off and fight it out as they take turns to tail each other around the track. a duel for the ages and the victory that transforms his fortunes in that season (some more details in this post)

**sachsenring 2009: a few races after catalunya, it was once again jorge and valentino to fight it out for the win - unusual for two yamahas at that track. it's a duel that has been overshadowed by catalunya, but this is another gem: a close and dramatic battle at a time when it felt like jorge was the one who had something to prove. but valentino demonstrates how hard it still is to best him in head-to-head combat, and he ends up beating the number 99 bike by the pleasing margin of .099s (listen I have no evidence for this but in my heart of hearts I 100% believe he noticed and appreciated this fact)

misano 2009: this race followed valentino's massive error in indianapolis, crashing and reopening the championship fight at a time when it looked like he had things perfectly under control. his traditional special home race helmet is dedicated to taking the piss out of himself - featuring a donkey because of how "stupid" he had been. but in misano he was the "flying donkey"... look, it's not the best race you'll ever watch, but after a poor start (surely not), he does do quite a nice job to overtake dani for the lead. in parc fermé, his team dons donkey ears, and he gets his own pair to wear to the podium as he greets his ecstatic fans

**sachsenring 2010: valentino's early season was troubled by a motocross shoulder injury he'd picked up after qatar, and he had to push harder and harder to keep up with an ever-improving jorge. eventually, he pushed too hard and broke his leg in mugello. this was his first race back, returning sooner than anyone had expected (except casey, who thought people were making too big a deal out of the whole thing) - and he immediately was on the pace, to everyone's surprise (not casey's, who thought valentino's main problem was just losing a bit of muscle mass). this race features an excellent duel between casey and valentino in the closing stages for the final podium position, with casey stealing it from valentino at the very last gasp. it was an impressive performance by the pair of them, a heartwarming demonstration of how mediocre bikes and broken legs can be overcome by the power of mutual contempt

***motegi 2010: do you ever feel overcome by the sudden urge to watch someone be an absolute asshole for no good reason? if so, then I have the perfect race for you. jorge is very close to clinching that year's title, and in truth it's a pretty sure-fire thing given dani is out with injury. still, it's generally not considered good form to ride into your teammate at the best of times. valentino continues to struggle with his fucked up shoulder late into the season, but spite will do all kinds of magical things for you. it's a race-long battle for third place between the yamaha teammates, and the last few laps in particular are uh. intense. features valentino dangling out his leg to increasingly comical extents - whether to try and mitigate the shoulder issues or whether to physically block jorge is anyone's guess. jorge basically rides right into the leg more than once. there are at least three separate extremely dubious moves valentino pulls on jorge. you can tell jorge is losing his mind. you can feel the sheer concentrated malice radiating off valentino. when valentino gets off the bike, the mic picks up how he tells the yamaha team that it "was fun". not everyone would agree

^you'd think a season in which valentino had broken his leg might be one where everyone lays off the dramatics a little, but somehow this year was the one in which valentino's relationships with both of his main rivals soured considerably and made the final step from 'rivalry' to 'feud'. there'll always be a slight air of unfinished business to the casey rivalry in particular, but 2010 did end up unwittingly providing us with a few gems. in the motegi qualifying press conference (pictured above), vale talks about how he knows he needs shoulder surgery - but is determined to delay the surgery until the end of the season. it wasn't a good decision for his shoulder

**sepang 2010: the race that immediately follows motegi. valentino doesn't qualify particularly well and starts worse, dropping back to 12th during the first lap as jorge and dovi set out in front. but valentino determinedly sets after them - and when he catches up, they engage in a lovely three-way scrap in the race in which jorge can seal the championship... as long as valentino doesn't knock him off. this doesn't reach the viciousness of motegi, but it still involves three riders who clearly really want to win and also really want to beat each other. his first victory after the broken leg - and his last one for a long time

jerez 2011: thing is, right, if you just ignore the bit where he wipes both himself and casey out and then has to pick the bike up and start again, it's actually a really good ride! can't fault it! did his thing in the wet again! just one little. uh. blot on the copybook. I wouldn't even say the ambition outweighed the talent as much as it was his patience, given he knew it might be the only chance he'd get for a big result for a while on the struggling ducati. it's the kind of misjudgement he makes relatively rarely in his career, and speaks to his frustrations with the continuing shoulder problems as well as the underperforming desmosedici. casey was less than sympathetic

le mans 2011: it's le mans, it's raining, you know how it goes... these conditions were pretty much the only times valentino could manage a decent pace in his ducati years. this one should've gone on the dovi list too actually, not least because jorge executes an extremely rude move on dovi I feel confident in saying dovi did not appreciate (he gets jorge back with a far more polite and civilised move). casey runs off with the win by a fairly obscene margin but behind him there's plenty of talking points - not least the hugely controversial clash between dani and sic that leaves jorge, dovi and valentino fighting for the two remaining podium spots

*le mans 2012: valentino might have expressed mixed feelings over the course of his career about riding in the wet, but it sure did its job during the ducati years as the great big equaliser. now, point of order: in my casey rec list, I described this as 'not a great casey race', which I don't stand by at all. the last casey/vale duel (that also heavily features a vale/dovi/cal crutchlow tussle), with valentino stalking and harassing casey both at the start and the end of the race - though he did exercise some advisable caution... initially. involves a last lap overtake and is valentino's best ducati performance

^the last podium valentino and casey shared, in the race after casey announced his retirement. usually it's a bit easier to tell when a valentino feud is at its worst, and the two of them joked in the press conference about how they were thinking back during the race to their 2011 jerez clash. ducati were in such a miserable place in those two years that in truth, nobody could have done much with that bike - casey certainly could have done more, but by 2010 the bike so awful that valentino outscored casey that season even after fucking up his shoulder and breaking his leg. vale's sole dry podium in the ducati seasons came at an emotional home race in misano the year after sic's passing, though unfortunately it's not a particularly watchable race. there are some other rides in those two years that are strong in isolation, but valentino isn't the star of the show - and really, it'd be a waste of our precious time to talk any more about two years that were a waste of valentino's precious time

qatar 2013: the first race back with yamaha and the first race of a 'qatar trilogy' of sorts, i.e. 2013-15, where valentino just keeps executing extremely watchable races by qualifying poorly/dropping back at the start and then fighting his way through. by the time he catches up with the pack, race winner lorenzo is long gone - but valentino can still have his first fight with the next big thing in motogp, the rookie marc marquez. there's an optimism to this race, the hope of new beginnings in a series that perhaps needed some life breathed back into it... and so did valentino. all three men on the podium have good reason to be delighted, and show it. valentino truly had not known if he could be competitive again after the dark ducati days, and he looks happier here than he has in ages

*assen 2013: his first victory in the post-ducati days and a track at which he had always been strong. partly helped out by jorge's collarbone injury (though assen had always been a bit of a bogey track for jorge), valentino overtook stefan bradl, marc and dani for the win. it's not the most thrilling of races, but is still perfectly enjoyable - and you can tell by valentino's reaction how much it meant to him

qatar 2014: bar a few high points, valentino's 2013 season had been troubled and frustrating as he found himself unable to match the top three in the championship. he decides to make one more big move - this time not by switching teams, but instead by firing his long-time crew chief jb. the start of 2014 is all about seeing if he can become competitive once again... and if he cannot then he will retire. qatar is a promising start, coming back from a poor qualifying to engage in a tightly fought duel with marc that lasts until the penultimate lap

misano 2014: valentino clearly stepped up his game this season, making him decide to continue on racing in motogp in a year in which marc was dominating the competition. race wins, however, remained elusive - but there is nowhere valentino would have rather emerged victorious than his own backyard. the opening stages are a proper fun three-way tussle between valentino, marc and jorge. valentino gets to the front and marc pursues him, so doggedly determined to get the better of valentino that he ends up crashing. the rest of the race isn't all that exciting, but it's notable as the first race in which valentino directly outperformed both marc and jorge when they were fully fit. the ranch visit happens after this race

phillip island 2014: never the most gifted of qualifiers, valentino would continually struggle to get to grips with the new qualifying format introduced in 2013 - and his grid position of eighth was typical of the time. but you can't fault him for his ability to pick his way through the field as he does here, which culminates in his enjoyable duel with jorge for what was then p2. he got lucky with marc's crash out of a sizeable lead, but it was still a good ride to ensure he would be the one to take advantage

***qatar 2015: it takes one corner for the 2015 championship to be blown wide open, when two time defending champion marc marquez goes off and drops to the back of the field. for much of the race, it looks like jorge will be the primary benefactor, battling it out with two revitalised ducatis. valentino starts badly and drops to tenth, but he works his way through the field - and eventually it is he who fights the ducatis for the win. this is actually a really nice marc comeback ride too, even if he never comes into victory contention. it is also a statement victory from valentino. game on

^valentino started the season on a high, daring to hope that the elusive tenth title might finally be his. the optimism would last roughly until they got to europe and jorge hit his stride, after which it was a gruelling defensive campaign to try and cling onto his points lead

**argentina 2015: the thing is, right, qualifying poorly isn't great. starting poorly also isn't great. but if you want to be fighting for titles, you should maybe pick a struggle and stop doing both. valentino's championship bid that year has all these charming races where he's still at the fuck end of nowhere after the first lap before heroically picking his way through the field, which feels needlessly exhausting but there we are. it is, however, exciting to watch how he creeps closer and closer to marc - and he eventually catches up on the penultimate lap. the resulting duel is short but memorable

****assen 2015: a duel that will always be remembered for the controversy surrounding the final chicane, but the whole race is a fantastic watch. valentino needed a result after jorge had won four races on the trot and had led 103 consecutive laps - and he played the weekend perfectly to achieve it. his only pole of the season and, excitingly, actually a good start too... but marc quickly slots in to sit on his rear tyre and it's a fight that continues the entire race. did valentino know what marc had been intending to do at the final chicane, given marc had admitted to repeatedly executing the move during that weekend's practise sessions? or was it just quick thinking that allowed him to read marc's move and realise he only had one counter available? we'll never know for certain - though marc was suspicious of valentino's motives and eagerly made his thoughts on the matter known in the post-race press conference. the beginning of the end

**silverstone 2015: after brno, valentino had surrendered the championship lead for the first time that season on countback and it was obvious he was in serious trouble. silverstone had proven a fairly happy hunting ground for jorge over the years and it looked like he would continue doing his thing that weekend... but then the rain came to the rescue. valentino spends most of the race with fellow wet weather expert marc stalking his every move, until marc goes down and valentino is left managing the gap to a late-charging petrucci. one of the finest wet weather performances of his career - and in several ways jorge got lucky to limit the points damage

^valentino's shadow, until marc pushed it too far and crashed. was marc more determined to beat valentino here than he would have been anyone else? valentino sure seems to think so - he later references both this race and misano as ones where marc aroused his suspicions. who knows, he might be right, but there's still a sizeable difference between competitive fervour and conspiracy

****phillip island 2015: one of the classic multi-rider fights. what valentino lacked in outright pace, he made up for in wheel-to-wheel skill and fighting spirit... except in the end, he couldn't completely make up for the deficit. all year, valentino had been fighting against the odds to keep his championship dreams alive - but at last, they were truly slipping, slipping, slipping away

**sepang 2015: one last roll of the dice, classic rossi-style... but this time it all goes horribly wrong. when the duel between marc and valentino arrives, it has an air of inevitability about it - as, perhaps, does the final outcome. but the fight itself is captivating to watch, in a raw brutality that befits the tragedy we are watching unfold. the penalty that valentino receives after the race is what truly dooms any remaining title hopes

valencia 2015: another doomed title decider, though valentino's race itself cannot really be faulted. he picks his way through the field from the very back and makes it to fourth, but he could never have hoped to catch up to the top three. quite a boring race afterwards bar some late marc/dani scrapping

jerez 2016: it is admittedly hard to vouch for the quality of this race precisely because it is such an extremely non-valentino way to win. clear and complete domination of the race - in a way he had otherwise been incapable of doing post-2009. while the title fight ended up being a bit of a dud for various reasons, early 2016 held promise that this year valentino would be able to match his two enemies on raw pace

***catalunya 2016: after the dramatic closing stages of the 2015 season, everyone was of course waiting for the first proper on-track duel between valentino and marc. it took a while to get going at catalunya, with valentino getting a typically poor start and having to ruthlessly work his way through to even get to the marc fight. but it's worth it once he gets there - like all their on-track encounters, it's a fierce battle of wills nicely complemented by the contrast in styles, and you can tell how ferociously determined they are to get the better of each other. the race that prompts the slight rapprochement between the pair of them

silverstone 2016: maverick vinales ran off in the front to claim his first premier class win, though the fight behind him is well worth watching - and warranted a mention on the marc list too. the first part is good, but the final laps are what it's all about, as the multi-rider scrap distills into another vicious little encounter between valentino and marc. as ever, with these two it's personal, and they're hardly shy in their ferocity fighting each other. but valentino makes clear afterwards he has no complaints... even if marc always reserves a "special treatment" for him

cota 2017: a lovely whiff of controversy to one of the better races cota has produced. valentino is involved in a feisty clash with the rookie johann zarco, who was well on his way to acquiring a certain kind of reputation within the premier class. it's fair to say valentino was not a fan, and he's certainly not a fan of zarco's attempted overtake that valentino argued forced him off-track to avoid taking them both down. he's slapped with a three tenths penalty his team decided against informing him of - which he's still unaware of when closing up on dani with a few laps to go

^not quite the hand-holding of yesteryear, but it was something. the pair of them disagreed in the post-race presser about zarco's aggressive riding - and, perhaps, valentino's off-track excursion that supposedly granted him an unfair advantage reminded marc of a certain other previous incident. riding standards remained a major talking point for all of that season, most notably in assen and phillip island (though valentino himself ended up coming under some criticism, in particular by pedrosa after aragon). the two rivals agreed more often than not, even if valentino still had his reservations. after phillip island: "all riders are very aggressive, so you have to be more stupid than them"

**assen 2017: his last grand prix victory and it's as true to him as brno 1996. a rough, bruising tussle between riders who aren't afraid to exchange paint, with plenty of high quality racing on offer. some rain adds to the excitement - and valentino still faced a sturdy challenge on the very last lap. he remains the only rider in history to have recorded a grand prix win over twenty years after his first. he said afterwards that "sincerely I race with motorcycle for what you feel the five, six hours after the victory". in many ways, it feels like a scarcely believable amount of commitment for so fleeting a reward

****phillip island 2017: multi! rider! scrap! in! australia! valentino's strongest result after a broken leg in a motocross accident took him definitively out of the title hunt (the second serious motocross-related injury that year for him). anyhow, they're at it again and it's a brutal battle between several protagonists who are happy to get their elbows well, well out. valentino's leathers were marked by rather a lot of rubber by the end of the race - but the most important thing is that everyone had fun!

sachsenring 2018: valentino's 2018 performances were generally stronger than the results would suggest, with yamaha increasingly out at sea in a new era hurried along by the return of the michelin tyres. still, he put together a strong first half of the season and was marc's main challenger points-wise. even this late in his career, he demonstrated his willingness to continue to learn and improve by studying satellite yamaha rider jonas folger's performance fighting marc the year before at the circuit, joking after the race that nobody had ever told folger the yamaha wasn't supposed to be good around there. while in the end valentino couldn't really pose a significant challenge to marc, he gives it a good go and gets involved in a fun fight with jorge along the way

****assen 2018: one of the classic multi-rider dogfights, and valentino contributes very nicely to the drama of the race - not least as a result of his deep love for the final chicane. while the winner always had something extra in his back pocket, a rather unfortunate late coming together ends up (probably) depriving valentino of what would have been a deserved podium place

argentina 2019: marc disappears the moment the lights go out, but the battle behind him provides plenty of excitement. there's a bunch of riders fighting for the remaining podium places, elbows nicely out, but eventually valentino and dovi have it out in an entertaining contest that goes down right to the very last lap

^winning a last lap duel against andrea dovizioso... what, like it's hard? a year on from an eventful argentina grand prix, marc memorably likens his handshake with valentino to kissing a girl. the last podium the two of them share

andalusia 2020: some silly good defending against his teammate throughout the race that mainly had the effect of allowing fabio to escape. valentino's result was quite the heroic feat given the gruelling physical conditions: 36 degrees celsius with horrendous track temperatures, with only 13 of 21 riders making it to the end. the blistering heat also hardly helped with the tyre preservation that plagued this portion of valentino's career; managing these tyres was one development too far for his ever-evolving riding style to adjust to. two academy riders could have denied valentino's final career podium, but both their bikes had the decency to break down

^three yamaha's stood on the podium that day for the first time since 2014 phillip island, and presumably for the last time until around 2064. valentino celebrated enthusiastically to the empty jerez grandstands, 21 years after his infamous visit to the portaloo at the same circuit. valentino's decision to retire was complicated by the pandemic, his past ability to bounce back from rough patches and - most of all - his inexhaustible passion for racing, but eventually he called it a day after the 2021 season

[we-are-not-your-kind]

Hello Rise fandom - I present my version of Venus!! For the past few weeks I've been absolutely obsessed with the lost sisters, so I finally decided to make my own versions of them. Decided to start with Big Mama's Assistant and I'll get around to the other lost sister in a few weeks 🐢 👀

I based Venus largely off her NM and IDW looks with a bit of Jennika thrown in for fun. Tried to stick as close to her canon look as Big Mama's Assistant as possible while giving my own spin to her. This is how imagine her to look once reunited with her family! Feel free to click see more if you'd like just a lil more info on her, or check out my fic where I'm writing my own missing sisters arc we were robbed of where Venus and the other sister will appear 🐢💕💕

So here's a lil more info on Venus...

Venus is ofc the sister raised by Big Mama who became her Assistant. The night of the mutation, Venus got caught up in an explosion in Draxum's lab which led to her getting injured. When Big Mama finds her, she gets the little turtle help but Venus nonetheless becomes a double amputee. And Big Mama is still a little sentimental about Lou - she thinks about how much he loved art because of his mother, and sees the turtle as her own little treasure and so names her after the Venus de Milo. There's much more to her backstory than that but - spoilers! You'll have to check out my fic for more (and I've already spoiled more here than I've revealed on AO3 oops lol). But here's a few more facts about her!

I've decided that the Disaster Twins are actually a trio - surprise! Leo, Donnie, and Venus are the Disaster Triplets because I just find it adorable and she just gives me such middle child energy tbh.

Venus' ninpo is very much tied to her amputation and weapons. She can manifest constructs of her arms, similar to Raph being able to copy himself. But she can also teleport those constructs around and use copies of her kaiken as well, kinda like Leo and his swords. As you can see on her character sheet, her ninpo manifests as flower petals! This is because I really wanted her to take after her grandmother aka Splinter's mom, Atsuko - thus the petals, and also where I got the shape of her eyes.

Also her favorite parent is absolutely Draxum and yes it drives Splinter up a wall, in particular because of how much Venus reminds him of his mother.

I've got so many more notes than just this but I really wanted to share my girl - give her some love if you want and feel free to check out my fic as well! I'll be updating more regularly in June when I have time to actively write. Might get to the other sister's character sheet first, but who knows! 💕💕

[siriannatan]

The two things goblins respect

Dragon Scott lives rent free in mye head and I'm totally fine with it:)

fWhip had no clue what was wrong with him. Why was he so inclined to visit Chromia and give Scott gifts? Even the sheriff didn't have that kind of pull on him and he represented one of the two things goblins respected above everything. The Law. Other being Dragons.

But Scott had nothing to do with either. He was the furthest thing from lawful fWhip could let pass. And there was no way he was a dragon. He was a colourful peacock of a man, yes. With a big personality. But he had no dragon traits. No horns, no wings, no tail, no scales. Nothing. What respectful dragon would hide all that? In fWhip's imagination it would be damn uncomfortable.

So he huffed and puffed over the newest gift he made for Scott. Shiny bracelet. Gold and precious gems expertly crafted into the delicate piece. He was pretty proud of himself with this one. Now he had to decide an excuse for why he was giving it to Scott. Mostly for himself. Scott needed no excuses to accept gifts.

But fWhip had to rationalise this need. Why was his brain so insistent on giving gifts to Scott who was neither Law or a Dragon? It couldn't be just that he was pretty. Pix and Sausage were plenty pretty but he didn't have such an urge with either of them. So there had to be a reason why Scott in particular had his mind so enamoured.

So he set off to Chromia with a poor excuse of needing dye for a project for his council and anyone who would visit for rocks. He didn't even take Snort with him. Just walked all the way from the Gobland main gate to Chromia. Why? He had no clue.

“Hello fWhip, what brings you here?” Scott grinned jumping off a roof before fWhip could even properly start looking for him.

“I.. I needed some dyes,” fWhip managed to mumble as his brain purred, happy to be in Scott's company.

Scott instantly jumped to business and led fWhip to his storage. Asking a myriad of questions about his fake project. He was going to want to see it wasn't he? fWhip realised amidst making up lies. He wouldn't even remember half of what he was telling Scott by the time he was home.

“Why did you really come here? You answered the same question in five, totally different ways,” Scott sighed, hands on hips as he looked down at fWhip. Not a hard thing considering that even if he was tall for a goblin, fWhip was considerably shorter than Scott.

“No idea. My brain has this… fixation about giving you gifts, I have no clue why since you're neither connected to the Law or a dragon…” fWhip just gave up and said what was bothering him for a few weeks now.

Scot hummed. Eyes narrowing. “Well… hmmm, no, here's not the best, follow me,” he finally said and dragged fWhip to his house.

fWhip was too confused and distracted to argue so he followed. Or more like let himself be dragged along.

In his house Scott locked the door and covered all the windows before saying anything. “Not a word of what happens here leaves here, got it?” He said unusually sternly. fWhip could only nod. “Promise,” Scott insisted.

“Anything you do stays between the two of us,” fWhip said with another nod.

With a deep breath Scott took a step back and suddenly, as he exhaled everything started making sense.

Scott was a dragon. At least partially. With short golden horns. Wings and a tail. And pretty rainbow scales that lily reflected light in a million fascinating ways.

To say fWhip was speechless would be an understatement. A single thought kept repeating in his brain. A dragon. Scott was a dragon all along. And fWhip's instincts caught it instantly and had him act the proper way.

“Say something,” Scott grumbled, clearly irritated by the lack of reaction.

“Wow,” was all fWhip was capable of.

Scott chuckled nervously. “I can't say I ever had a man this speechless before,” he mumbled, sitting down, wrapping his tail and wings around him. “But really, don't tell anyone. I don't want to be chased around again…” he sighed and fWhip felt sudden anger. How dare anyone hunt Scott?

“If anyone ever finds out and gives you trouble for it, come right to me, I'll book some sense into them. Or lock them in a cage above Deep Dark,” fWhip said before he even finished thinking about it. He didn't even realise when he had knelt next to Scott.

Scott giggled and pulled him into a hug. “Even if it's Jimmy?” He asked as fWhip did his best to not audibly purr.

“Well, it is against goblin law to hunt dragons so yes,” fWhip nodded. Scott hummed contently at that. “You're always welcome in Gobland no matter what you know?” He added, more and more tempted to purr before he remembered something.

Scott gilded his head as fWhip pulled back to dig through his pockets. He looked like he was about to say something when fWhip triumphantly pulled the gift out.

“I have a gift, actually,” he said as he sheepishly offered Scott the small red box.

Scott gently, staying mindful of his currently sharper nails, opened the box. “It's so pretty,” he smiled, the tip of his tail moving ever so slightly. “Did you make it yourself?”

“Yup,” fWhip nodded and this time could not help purring. A dragon liked his gift. How could he not be happy about it? “I hope you don't mind me occasionally coming over with more gifts…” he stared but Scott shook his head.

“Not at all, but quite honestly just your company is nice,” Scott chuckled and presented the box to fWhip. “Could you put it in for me?” He asked, presenting his other wrist.

fWhip didn't mind helping Scott get the gift on in the slightest and with minimal issues the bracelet was on his wrist. Making fWhip's instincts even happier. He did end up spending most of the day in Chromia, following Scott along even if all his draconic features were once again hidden.

If there was an annoyed with waiting Sausage present in Gobland when he returned then so be it. fWhip had priorities and Scott was kind of on top of the list of them.

[noviceaoiryusei]

FAN REPORT 「 Stunned 」

Hello! It has been a while.

Yesterday, Originally posted on my livejournal on February 25th was the last day of the musical Koihana Bakumeiroku starring Kihara Rui, Ueda Kandai among others AND I WATCHED IT via livestreaming of course. Lol. Honestly, I was hesitant of buying a ticket because of common problems like "is the live streaming available worldwide?" or "can I pay via cc?" and things like that. I'm glad that it was available for overseas livestreaming so this makes my FIRST LIVE MUSICAL. Don't get me wrong, okay? I watched two others last year (my firsts) but they are already archived ones SO TECHNICALLY THIS SHOW IS MY FIRST TO WATCH LIVE. ASDFGHJKL :(((((

Oh well anyway, sorry for the extra story so without a further ado, here's my fan report about Koihana Bakumeiroku musical.

「 Stunned 」

So fast forward to yesterday, I was nervous and at the same time with overflowing excitement watching my first live musical.

Opening act, Rui opened the scene with his monologue as he walked down the aisle going to the stage. As for the game connection, I think the script writer made a befitting act for the monologue. In the game, it wasn't really stated how Saito is thinking of his former master (Katamori-sama) so having it acted out at the opening was really a nice touch, I'd say. ✨✨

"Saito, you are bad at lying" -- Katsu said.

Enomoto is out of the prison with Mori sensei... for some reason a.k.a well-being. lol I loooooooove that Mori's actor is so playful and FAR MORE PLAYFUL THAN THE GAME ONES (for now, okay). Just fair judgment since I'm not playing Mori's route (blehhh).

As he was reminiscing his former days, Mori gave him sheets of paper to write about his memories.

AND THEN!!!! THE OPENING SONG!!!! IT SERIOUSLY GAVE ME CHILLS If I were at the venue, I would be sobbing hard for real. That's the power of Kihara Rui to me.

Now we travel to the past... Although it's not really time travelling but more of story telling. (I reconfirmed it with another fan) It's how Saito wrote the story and now it's executed at the stage.

Not to mention that I love the rivalry between Enomoto and Kido.

For the ensemble men, one of them appeared to Enomoto and he proceeded with his monologue. TO MY SURPRISE, as we go deep in the story, some of the ensemble men have lines!! They speak!! Oh my God!! It was actually something I wasn't expecting actually since the previous stages that I've watched, they usually speaks in chorus like AHHHHH IKUZOOOO WOOOOO something like that.

Speaking of ensemble men, I've got an eye candy amongst them. His name is JUN SATO. There's this one particular scene that I'd like to commend his acting with. It's the part with he and Kondo. His facial expression at that very moment was marked in my memory. The horror in his face mixed with sadness like damn! He really caught my attention at that very moment. I do wish he improves more in the upcoming productions and I hope I can watch him again.

Continuing, a new character was introduced and his name was JOHN. Fret not, I did my assignment on researching about Edward Snell which is also hard if you aren't searching the name in katakana. 🙄 Before that, when I saw the photos from official twitter I thought maybe this guy beside Edward is his older brother. Back then I still don't know who is the actor (it's not on official HP, okay). Two days before the final show, Fujita Rei posted a photo of him and John and I kept on zooming it because he looked familiar. 😅 And yes, to my surprise, HE'S THE SAME FREAKING PERSON AS THAT GUY PORTRAYING MORI WTF!? It like "oh, let's just cost reduct by hiring the same actor" production-wise. Lol.

And this is the fiction part of the story. History-wise, Mori and John are not the same person. As much as I would love to tell more about it, I'll end up spoiling it. orz

Oh well anyway, another thing that I love was Kondo and Hijikata relationship. uwu Kondo is the only person who can tame Hijikata like a puppy. :((( He becomes incredibly cute when Kondo is around. :((( Saito became like some sort of chaperone between the two (yeah, not a third party lol).

Moreover, they had depicted why Kirino was smitten to Saigo... in a most adorable way. :((( I just can't help but comment with Kirino's actor BECAUSE HE WAS GOOD LOOKING. Don't get me wrong, the Kirino is game is good looking too but I don't find him appealing... unfortunately. Following Kirino's profession of admiration, Kido also shared his. Kirino was amazed and even asked Kido about the man's whereabouts but unfortunately... he's already dead. 🥲 I think I forgot to run over spi. It's my first time watching him and I was... yes, smitten. His voice, his modulation, it was so amazing when he sang!

And also, I said that I like Enomoto and Kido's rivalry. Enomoto has more deep relationship with Katsu, I guess? I still have to do an assignment on their relationship.

Script-wise, I also happened to read the tweets of the script writer and how he commented on the casts too. Edward's twisted personality just originated with him yearning for a family. John really worn as grief looking face althrough out, it's as if he didn't really wish for this to happen.

*slams fist* I ENDED UP FOLLOWING KYOTEN WAKU FOR THIS!! FUUUUUCK *sighs in disbelief*

The last part is really full of action. The casts and the ensemble men really gave them all. Yes, there are camera angles that I can see all of them catching their breath lying down. Good job everyone. 👏👏👏👏

The last time that Saito and Hijikata meet, he was trying to recruit Saito to come along with him. Saito sticked to his belief and refused him. And!!!! The pop-ish song. I really like it. But heck, I cried hard over that song. I had a breakdown when he patted Saito's head.

"EVEN IF WE CROSS PATHS SOMEDAY, YOU GONNA SEARCH FOR YOUR OWN PATH"

HOW THE HECK I WOULD NOT BREAKDOWN, TELL ME!!!! :((((( --- And that wraps up my thoughts. There's still a lot to learn historical-wise. I was stunned with the production. The actors and the ensemble men we're all amazing. If I was at the venue, I would literally breakdown and cry. :(((( I'm glad to have bought the ticket. I'll treasure this forever.

[writerartistdreamer]

@whumptober @whumptober-archive

Title: Hold on

Disclaimer- English is not my first language! Hello guys! Today, I was finally able to rest, I slept for like 11 hours and mostly stayed at home. I had a bit of trouble getting the story out of me tlday, but it is finally done and ready to be posted. I hope you enjoy! Story can also be found on AO3!

Posting Day: 14

Prompt Day 14: "Just hold on"

Fandom: Once Upon a Time

Characters: Belle, Rumplestiltskin

Summary: One morning, Belle's clumsiness gets the best of her and she takes a tumble down the stairs. Rumplestiltskin comes to her aid

*****

Another morning began in the Dark Castle, the rays of the sun waking Belle up from her slumber. As much as she tried to fend off the light by burying her face in the pillow or placing a pillow on top of her head, there was not much she could do to return to her peaceful slumber. Groaning, she sleepily left her bed, quickly dressed for yet another day in her new home, washed her face, brushed her hair and left the bedchamber. She returned for a second, shoving her feet in a comfortable pair of shoes, then once again left her room, heading to the Great Hall to greet Rumplestiltskin and go to prepare the morning tea.

The girl hurried as fast as she could and ran down the stairs, skipping a few steps. In her hurry, her clumsiness decided to get the best of her and she tripped against a step, falling halfway down the staircase and letting out a yelp. She landed at the bottom, sprawled against the floor, moaning in pain, moment in which Rumplestiltskin showed up right next to her, poofing himself to her side and crouching down to see what had happened. There was no time to school his expression and repress his reaction as his hands frantically moved around and his eyes checked to see how hurt she was from her tumble.

"Belle? Belle, dearie, are you alright?", Rumplestiltskin asked worriedly, his voice low, human, bereft of its usual impishness and flair. He carefully helped the girl sit up and noticed she was still awake and aware of her surroundings, thankfully not having hit her head. He brushed her hair away, down her back and watched her intently, making sure everything was alright. "Do you remember where you are? Do you know who I am?"

"Rumplestiltskin, I'm fine. I fell down the stairs, I didn't go into war. I'm alright, my head is fine, I know where I am. I didn't hit my head, thank the gods, my body's just a little sore", Belle replied stubbornly, one of her hands landing on his instinctively. Her body felt a little battered and bruised due to her fall, her back felt a little sore and her knees would surely be either scraped or bruised, but nothing more serious had affected her.

"Yes, well...last I remember, dearie, you were supposed to walk down the stairs instead of tumble down them. If you wanted more adrenaline, you could have just opened one of your silly little adventure books instead", the Dark One snarkily, trying to push his worries away and once again school his behaviour into neutrality. Still, he had begun to care deeply for his little maid, to the point of feeling the need to help whenever her clumsiness got the better of her (which, unfortunately, turned out to be quite often).

"Is that all, Rumplestiltskin?", Belle retorted with a chuckle and tried to get up from the floor, wanting to continue on with her chores for the day. She fell back down with a yell, her right foot throbbing in pain, yet Rumplestiltskin caught her just in time and held her up. She hissed and tried to move her foot around, up and down and round and found she had sprained her ankle in her unfortunate incident. She held on to the sorcerer next to her and her blue eyes apologetically met his amber gaze. "I umm...maybe I did hurt myself after all. My ankle is sprained" she spoke through gritted teeth.

Rumplestiltskin instantly caught her when she couldn't stand up by herself, holding her as well as he could, seeing that her foot was sprained. His fingertips started sparking up, ready to heal her, then a warm glow emanated from his hand as he moved his hand towards her leg. Belle instantly gripped his hand and stopped him, pushing it away. "What are you doing, dearie?", Rumplestiltskin admonished her lightly, his voice still gentle in her presence.

"Rumple, magic comes with a price and I don't want you or me to pay the price for such an accident" Belle pointed out, remembering what he always said whenever he offered anyone a deal, a magical way out of their problems: magic always come with a price. She was not willing to risk a price she could not pay or a price that would affect the man next to her. She could manage walking around with a sprained ankle, perhaps sbe'd have to hobble, to walk with a limp, but it was not the worst fate, as long as she took care of it and wrapped it up well enough.

"Just...hold on, dearie", Rumplestiltskin said and, without a word, hoisted her up in his arms, carrying her bridal style. Belle squealed in surprise and held on to him as well as she could while he carried her into the Great Hall. Gently, he placed her down on the armchair and brought a pillowed stool for her to rest her foot on, lifting her right foot on it. His hands once again began to glow as he lifted them to her ankle, moving his hands around it. Before she could protest, he looked up at her and interrupted her as he intently worked on the spell. "Don't worry, dearie, this will simply speed up the healing process. It's not a full healing spell, there won't be any price for you to pay", the sorcerer assured her with a kind smile as he focused on her wound.

Belle held on as well as she could to the sorcerer and thanked him when he put her down, feeling a little colder when his arms left her. She hissed a little when he lifted her foot, but soon relaxed into the large armchair and chose to ignore the pain, pushing it to the back of her mind. She began to protest when he once again tried to heal her, but was relieved to hear it wouldn't be an actual healing spell. "It wasn't me I was worried about, you know? I don't want you paying any price, Rumplestiltskin", she tried to explain, as if her heart was reaching out for his. She tried to show she cared for him, tried to show she truly considered him to be her companion and trusted him. She wanted him to be safe from harm, which was why she worried over him paying any price for the magic he may be wielding.

"I...umm...well...dearie", Rumplestiltskin tried to speak, being at a loss for words. How could she possibly care about him? How could she be worried over him, when she was the one that got hurt? He couldn't understand how Belle was not afraid of him and actually quipped around with him and made sure he was safe and cared for each and every day, but he would be damned if he didn't try to do the same for his little maid and if he didn't try to be the best man he could be in her presence. "The most it can take is an hour of slumber, but I don't exactly sleep, now do I?", he offered with a giggle and was gifted with her smile, so full of light it may have left him blind. Truthfully, he would thank the universe if her smile was the last thing he could see before remaining blind for the rest of his immortal existence.

Belle rested in the armchair for the rest of the day, conversing with Rumplestiltskin over a cup of tea in front of the fireplace, inparting knowledge and sharing stories with one another. The sorcerer took care of his little maid throughout the whole day and the woman had a chance to relax and enjoy the simplicity of a restful day, as well as the companionship of the man who so gallantly looked after her, both of them trying to hold on to each second spent in each other's presence.

[atenementfunster]

all the more reason, chapter 6

ao3 link here!

Roger Taylor, dead as a doorknob, and his best friend John Deacon (also dead) meet some blokes who are decidedly NOT. Dead, that is.

(aka that ghost au that no one asked for, featuring Gay Panic™, John’s sass, and Brian being too endearing for this world. the overall vibe of the fic is not sad, if that’s a concern for you, but it does get rather melancholic. they are dead, after all.)

“Holy shit.”

John’s grip on the back of the sofa slips, and he elbows Roger in the back of the head. Roger can say nothing, only nod in agreement, his skull throbbing dully.

Freddie smiles, lips curled over his teeth, and turns back to Brian. “Well, they’re delightful. Where did you find them, the playground out back?”

Brian cants his head, and a new flood of panic rushes through Roger so fast he's near dizzy from it. He can’t help but turn to John, who looks something like a mouse pinned beneath the gaze of a hungry cat.

“This is Roger,” Brian says, slowly, like he’s worried about Freddie’s mental stability. Which is fair. “Met him at school, actually. He’s a Biology student.”

Freddie’s gaze, sharper than it has any right to be, flicks from John, to Roger, to Brian, then back to Roger. He’s got the look of a man who’s processing at an alarming rate, and Roger recognizes it instantly because it’s a look he often sees on John’s face. He opens his mouth, then closes is, completely unable to think of anything to say. John shifts again behind him, and Roger turns to see him with a hand up in a fragile little wave.

In a flash, Roger forgets about Brian and about Freddie, and turns fully to look at John, who’s gone quite white. Ignoring any semblance of consequence, Roger shifts and puts his hand over John’s, who’s got a death grip on the back of the sofa. He watches as John let out a breath, and says, “hello,” to the first living man that can see him.

Roger turns back to Freddie, whose lips are pursed and eyes assessing. There’s comprehension there, and acknowledgement, and space for a whole conversation. But in a blink the look is gone, and Freddie’s turned back to his friend. “A biology student? Brian, I never knew you’d stoop so low.”

Brian’s still looking at him a bit oddly, so Roger leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees and says, “attitude like that, you must be an arts student.”

Freddie’s smile takes a turn for the wicked. “I didn’t take you for romancing bitches, Brian.”

Brian makes a sound like he’s choking, but it’s drowned out by Roger’s surprised laugh. “Something tells me I’m not the bitchiest person in the room, mate,” he counters, standing and holding a hand out for Freddie to shake, unthinking.

Roger realizes his mistake almost immediately, but he can’t back down now, but apparently his worries are unfounded. The man ignores it and loops his arm around Roger’s shoulders instead, pulling him so close their heads knock, other hand coming up to pat at his chest. His warmth is the same as Brian’s, thrumming with energy in ways it shouldn’t be, and behind him John makes a noise like he’s being strangled.

“Well, you’re right about at least one thing, Rog,” Freddie says, like they’ve been friends for years.

The floor feels like the deck of a ship, and Roger laughs shakily, managing to say, “at least one person acknowledges I can be right sometimes,” before backing out of Freddie’s grip. “Gotta hit the head,” he adds, turning to Brian with a question in his eyes.

“Down that way,” he supplies, looking a bit overwhelmed, which Roger thinks is entirely unfair, considering the very fabric of his existence is undergoing a rather dramatic remodel. And then there’s John.

Roger catches his gaze and John slinks around the sofa, looking at Freddie like he’s a predator about to give chase before following Roger to Brian’s loo.

“Oh my god,” he says the second the door’s shut, turning to Roger with wide eyes. A hand comes up to his mouth, and he gasps, “oh my god,” again into his palm.

“Hey, Deaky, hey,” Roger whispers, rubbing his hands up and down his arms in a feeble attempt at comfort. “This is a good thing, yeah?”

John stares at him as he shakes in his grip, holding his gaze unblinking for too long before nodding once, a jerk of his head. It sends his hair from behind his shoulders to the front, and Roger brings a hand up to fiddle with the strands.

“This is good,” he repeats for John, hoping his expression is a better reflection than how confident he feels. Because for all their unsurety, it is. Roger might not know the why’s and the how’s about what’s happening to him, but he’s not alone in it anymore. He was never alone, he knows - John’s too good a person to leave him alone in this, even though he’d probably deserve it - but now John gets to know what it feels like to be seen, to be touched again.

“Maybe you should talk to him?” Roger says when John says nothing, just keeps staring at him.

The reaction is an immediate shake of his head. Roger feels a teasing retort rise to his lips, reminding John just how he was when Roger reacted in much the same way, but resists the urge and smiles instead.

“Doesn’t have to be now, but you’re talking to him. We both are,” he decides, and his tone brooks no room for argument. John’s shoulders, which were creeping somewhere along the level of his ears, drop as the tension seems to melt out of him. For a moment, Roger thinks he might need to catch him, for fear of him falling, but he just leans heavily onto the closed door, hand coming back up to cover his mouth.

“Yeah,” he mumbles eventually. “Yeah.”

“C’mon,” Roger says, giving his arms one final rub for comfort, “we’d better get back out there before Brian thinks I’m taking a shit in his toilet.”

It surprises a chuckle out of John, who swats him but looks a bit less shaken, and Roger knocks him gently on the side of the head before opening the door and going back out to their waiting hosts.

“So, you’re the singer, yeah?” Roger says, walking over to Freddie with his hands on his hips, posture as relaxed as he can make it. John’s at his shoulder, arm touching his elbow, and Roger doesn’t have to look to know he’s trying very hard not to stare at the man.

The man who’s looking at John with a smile, eyes narrowed and thoughtful. “Ooh, the singer, I like that,” he replies, but his gaze is still all for John.

Brian doesn’t seem to notice, because he’s shaking his head and taking a swig of his beer before saying, “right to his head, I tell you.”

Roger feels suddenly cornered, and rubbing his palms on his jeans doesn’t seem to assuage the feeling. He doesn’t know how to handle Brian, what to do about Freddie, and John, who’s normally a comfort, is now shaking against his arm.

Freddie’s said something to Brian, taking the attention off of them for a moment, and Roger interrupts tactlessly with, “sorry, guys, but I think I’m gonna head home. Feeling a bit peaked.”

Brian looks like a cross between disappointed and confused, and it damn near makes Roger double back, but John’s leaving his side while mumbling, “you don’t have to, Rog,” before phasing completely through the front door. Freddie tactfully doesn’t watch him go, but does stare Roger down, head cocked and eyes appraising.

Decision made, he says, “thanks for the beer, I’ll see you soon, yeah?” to Brian, taking the few steps to reach him before touching his elbow lightly. He doesn’t have to put much effort into looking sorry. “Nice to meet you,” he adds, glancing over at Freddie, whose stare is unnerving.

“Pleasure was all mine, dear. Do come and visit.”

Roger gives a feeble one-handed wave, and nearly walks straight through the door. Remembering at the last second, he grabs the door handle and twists it open with an unpracticed hand, before pulling it open and shutting it softly behind him.

The doorway that greets him is empty, which throws Roger off, as his mouth had already been open to try and give John the reassurements that would likely fall on stubborn ears.

Pot, kettle. Roger huffs and takes the stairs two at a time, ready to start hollering his name, but it seems he needn’t have worried - John’s sitting on the curb at the base of the steps, knees folded to his chest and chin propped up on them.

Roger eases his way down and leans too much weight against him, causing John to nearly overbalance. He blinks rapidly but looks over at Roger with a steady enough look, one brow even raised. Roger’ll take it.

“Alright?” He asks, then chuckles and adds, “stupid question, I know.”

John exhales on a dry laugh, eyes sliding shut and hands clenching around his shins. “Now I feel like an ass for taking the piss out on you,” he mumbles into his knees.

Roger shrugs even though he knows John can’t see it. “I probably deserved it.”

Tilting his head, John looks over at Roger with a half-lidded gaze, expression open and contemplative. It lasts for a moment too long, and soon Roger’s wilting a bit under the attention, because he already feels taken apart tonight, he doesn’t exactly like it coming from John, too. He looks like he’s going to say something, though, and Roger when opens his mouth to tell him to get on with it, John turns away so suddenly Roger’s mouth closes with a clack of his teeth.

“Thank you for leaving, even though you shouldn’t have,” John says to the thatch of weeds beside his left shoe. “Means a lot.”

Roger shoves him again, this time a hair too hard, and John has to stretch out a hand to catch himself before he goes ass over tits on the pavement. It earns Roger a glare, and he maturely sticks his tongue out in rebuttal. “I wasn’t gonna stay, not with you shaking like a lamb.”

John frowns - no, Roger would go so hard as to call it a pout. “Wasn’t.”

“A foal, then.”

“You’ve made your point, I think, Roger.”

They’re at a standoff, Roger leaning into John’s space with eyebrows raised and John holding steady beneath his prying eyes, until he finally deflates, shoulders dropping as he lets out a breath beneath the weight of Roger’s gaze. “I panicked,” he finally admits. “Happy?”

“I’m always happy,” Roger says, and it surprises a laugh out of John.

“Yeah, alright.”

“Enough of this,” Roger declares, bringing his hands down onto his thighs with a loud slap. Standing, he holds out a hand for John to take, which he does with no hesitation. “You know,” he adds, one John’s standing, Roger looping an arm over his shoulders, “this Freddie might be your Brian May.”

“Stuff it,” John says, smiling sideways at him through a veil of hair.

“And they know each other. What are the odds, right? Destined to meet, we were.”

For once, John seems content under Roger’s touch, leaning in as they walk slowly down the lot. It’s both proof that John was well and truly shaken, as well as evidence that he’s slowly learning to like Roger’s touch. Maybe it’s his way of readying himself for Freddie’s.

“Guess so,” John murmurs, and he looks down at his feet, lips still curled in a soft smile.

[frownyalfred]

Hi, I'm sorry to bother but do you know about this?

https://mobile.twitter.com/hitthebookspost/status/1557621677508513792

If you don't, I hope you can read this, and maybe you can repost about this...

Again I'm sorry to bother but this woman is like Umbridge in Harry Potter. Really. It's terrified.

Yes, I've seen that. I've been pondering how to talk about this, as I've seen other authors/blogs bring it up.

It's no secret that I love and use ao3. I've been on fanfiction.net, LiveJournal, Dreamwidth, etc etc in my time. I've seen fanfiction purges and policing, and it's almost always to users' detriment.

There are many topics and stories I don't personally agree with. I know the adage "don't like don't read" is a bit overused, but I stand by it. Personally, I hate reading stories about underage sex/abuse. It grosses me out. I stay away from stories about graphic sexual assault and rape; it triggers me.

But that doesn't mean I want those stories wiped off the internet. And who am I to really draw that moral line, anyway? If, say, I purge ao3 of pedophilia and any underage sex, will non-con and dub-con be on the chopping block next? Who decides that?

Proponents of "curation" on fanfiction sites make a similar, parallel "slippery slope" argument. They claim that easy and visible access to topics like child abuse or incest will lead to inappropriate behavior or beliefs in real life. It will legitimize these topics, and encourage such actions.

I don't think I need to tell most people that reading about something doesn't mean you like it, endorse it, or want to perform it in real life. Nobody ever asks men who read American Psycho if they maybe shouldn't have, in case they start killing women left and right. Just because I read a story where siblings sleep together (hello, Game of Thrones?) doesn't mean I want that to happen in real life!

The candidate referred to in the tweet seems to be not so subtly endorsing fandom censorship. You can read her interview at the link above, and it's chilling. She seems indifferent to the nuances of these discussions, ones we've been having for years on tumblr and in reaction to fandom purges.

Fanfiction is censored, corralled and contained when it looks bad for owners, companies, and sites. When advertising interests hesitate to put their ads next to graphic smut, capitalism reacts accordingly. IOS hides things on tumblr mobile because it's about money.

And that's exactly what ao3 was created to avoid. It is user-owned and operated. It is literally -- literally -- an archive of our own.

I support the hell out of ao3, and I always reblog posts encouraging others to do so if possible. We finally have a goddamned "safe space" for any kind of fiction under the sun -- any -- and we're risking it over a candidate who appeals to misinformed, underinformed moralism.

I can't blame new fandom members for getting caught up in it. Especially teenagers. They're still figuring out where they personally draw the line. Of course they're clumsy, and apply that filter to everyone around them. It's human nature.

I encourage every reader and non-reader alike to consider where their opposition to certain topics and stories stems from. Is it personal? Moral? If this story was a book at a library, would you ask the librarian to toss it in the shredder? Or would you simply put it down and walk away?

In the United States, even atheists and non-Christians are still unconsciously performing Christian, moralistic values. We do things for the sake of the "children" that make very little, logical impact on perceived ills. We are all (even me, and I'm Jewish) subject to this line of thinking, even if we reject it.

My opinion at the end of the day is that well-tagged, well-described, age-gated content should be allowed to exist on ao3 with very few, if any, limitations. If you don't like the tags -- great! The system worked! Read something else.

"Don't like, don't read" needs an update. In my mind, I've been calling it "bag it, tag it, don't wag it" which I know is silly, but it covers all the bases. Put your content in the correct category (explicit, etc) tag it correctly (sexual assault, etc) and don't shame others for what they choose to consume.

Anyway. If you're a member of ao3 (donated 10$ or more in the last year) you're eligible to vote in the board elections. I highly encourage you to do so. You can learn more about the discourse at the link above, or at ao3's elections page.

[dreaming-in-alicante]

Chapter 3 is finally done! Sorry it took longer - finals week happened and it was a harder chapter to write for some reason. I'm excited to finish this story though - we're half-way through :)

Chapter 3: Lighting the flame

Christopher met his friends outside, where they piled into a carriage and set off for the Devil Tavern. The atmosphere between them was still tense; James and Matthew, sitting across from him, were quiet. Christopher wished, as he so often did, that he understood people better. He hated it when they all fought, and now it was partly his fault and he didn’t know how to fix it. Thankfully, James took the initiative.

“Kit,” he began, “we’re sorry for being so confrontational. It’s only you have to understand how it looks from our perspective. Grace’s actions, even if she regrets them, caused a great deal of pain.” James looked troubled.

“Thomas shared some of what you all learned yesterday talking to Jesse,” Matthew said softly. “About how bad things were for her with Tatiana. And it…well I still don’t trust her but it sounds like she’s trying to be – to be better. And I out of everyone should be sympathetic to that.” His hand moved unconsciously to his jacket. He had stopped carrying a flask everywhere but after so many years of drinking, it was still a reflex to reach for the alcohol.

James seemed to notice this motion, and clasped his parabatai’s shoulder briefly in support, then returned his attention to Christopher. “I suppose what I’ll say is that I cannot soon forget what Grace has done, and I prefer to avoid her,” James said carefully, “but I – none of us – should be trying to control who you spend time with Kit. I am sorry. If you trust her, then we shall trust you.”

“Oh, jolly good,” Christopher said, immensely relieved. He hated conflict, especially with his friends. “I am sorry that I didn’t think to mention her helping. She’s the first friend I’ve ever made.”

His friends all looked suddenly gut-punched for some reason. “Kit, do you not think we’re friends?” Matthew asked, appearing quite distressed.

“Of course we are! Aren’t we?” Christopher was, for a second time that evening, horribly confused.

“But you just said –” James began, looking stricken.

“Do you mean she’s the first friend that you personally have made, on your own, Kit?” Thomas asked, understanding Christopher best as usual.

“Precisely!” Christopher said, then realized, “Ah, I understand now how that sounded. I meant that – well, I’m related to two of you and we all just sort of fell in together didn’t we? I have never made a friend on my own.” The rest of the Merry Thieves relaxed visibly.

“Fair enough,” Matthew said, looking relieved. “Honestly Kit, Grace Bla – sorry , Cartwright – out of everyone you could choose for a friend.” He shook his head but there was a teasing glint in his eye.

“She’s really a wonderful lab partner!” Christopher assured them cheerfully. “She’s been organizing everything and making an inventory. And she had a wonderful insight the other day about this reaction with sulfuric acid.”

Thomas shifted on the seat next to Christopher as he said “I never would have expected scientific curiosity from Grace of all people, but she was right at home in that laboratory today.”

“Honestly, it took me a second to recognize her – wearing a dark dress, and those ridiculous goggles that you also wear in the lab,” Matthew said, gesturing at Christopher.

“They may not be fashionable, but they are very important as protective gear,” Christopher told him.

Matthew shuddered slightly but smiled good-naturedly as he said, “And that is why I will never pursue science. Terrible field for the fashion-minded.” This started him on a wild story about finding a new waistcoat earlier that week. Christopher was quite satisfied that peace had been restored, and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the night with his friends.

_________________________________________________________

The following Wednesday, Christopher was even more eager than usual to get to Grosvenor Square – Henry was due to arrive back in London that morning. He was keen to get Henry’s thoughts on several projects, especially the runed guns and the fire messages.

Christopher started the morning by testing another rune combination on a message. This attempt ended, as many did, in a small explosion. He was still putting out a fire on the lab table when Grace arrived for the day. She greeted him briefly before starting to set up a reaction flask. During her organization of the lab she had come across a vial with some mysterious white powder. Christopher had no idea what it was, so they decided it would be an intriguing exercise for her to determine the contents.

Soon after Grace’s arrival, a humming noise sounded, then a whistling, signaling that the elevator down to the lab was in use. Christopher hurried over as the doors opened. “Welcome back, Henry!” he said, grinning.

Henry looked just the same as always, with perhaps a bit more gray in his hair after the stress of the past few months. “Kit, my boy!” he greeted as he maneuvered his Bath chair out of the elevator and towards the lab table. “How are things going? Any progress on those guns with the pithos? And you must help me examine this sample of water I brought back from Alicante, I wonder if we could try using it in another version of demon repelling ointment. Being around so many wards, it may be imbued with some demon-repelling properties.” He reached the work table and paused as he finally noticed Grace standing there. Henry looked bewildered and Christopher struggled to remember whether he had mentioned Grace in his letter to Henry. He was fairlysure that he had.

“Hello!” Henry said to her pleasantly, “You’re the one with the demon powers that was briefly engaged to my son. Gladys, yes?” Well, letter or otherwise, at least Henry remembered her.

“Grace, actually,” she replied, looking tense, her posture stiff. “I do want to apologize again for…everything.”

Henry waved off her concern and said, “It all ended alright didn’t it? Charles Buford will find someone else. And Kit mentioned you’ve been a great help in the lab recently!”

Good, Christopher thought, I did remember to include that in the letter.

“I would actually be quite interested to hear about your power and how it worked. Especially through a bracelet, fascinating!” Henry continued as he maneuvered towards the rack of chemicals.

Grace appeared exceedingly uncomfortable, but quickly warmed up to Henry throughout the day as he described various project ideas to her and took a look at her reactions. By that evening, when all three were involved in a lengthy discussion about runes and the application of runes to invention, it was as if Grace had always been part of the team. Christopher was delighted anew that Grace understood both he and Henry in a way that very few others did.

They finally finished for the night after Charlotte had called down the stairs three times with increasing insistence about coming up for dinner. Grace left to catch a carriage home with a smile on her face. Christopher wished briefly that she could stay longer, but he was comforted by the fact that she would return in the morning.

_________________________________________________________

“Hullo Grace!” Christopher said happily as she entered the lab early the next day. He then bent back down to examine a glass slide under the microscope. Henry was occupied entertaining some visitors with Charlotte, but Christopher was already hard at work. “You must come take a look at this sample of water from Lake Lyn that Henry brought,” he told her. It was fascinating watching the microorganisms move about in the droplet under the lens. When Grace did not immediately respond, he looked up and actually got a good look at her face. “I say, is something wrong, Grace? You’re a bit –” He was about to say ‘splotchy’, for her normally pale face was quite red in parts. He caught himself at the last second however, remembering his mother saying that a gentleman should never remark on a lady’s less-than-favorable appearance. “You look upset,” he said instead. She was not her normal cool and collected self.

He thought that Grace would brush off his concern, and she indeed stiffened and started to turn away. Then she met his gaze and her shoulder slumped in resignation. “I encountered Charles on my way in,” she explained.

“Ah. I forgot that he would be returning with Henry,” Christopher said, wincing. “Things are still awkward after ending the engagement then?”

“More than awkward,” she answered, expression still pinched. “He is still extremely upset that I manipulated his mind. Said I’d made a fool of him and he doesn’t want me in his house.” She set her coat and hat down on the stool with more force than strictly necessary.

Christopher frowned and said, “Technically it’s Henry and Charlotte’s house.”

A faint smile rose on Grace’s lips. “That’s precisely what I told him, and I mentioned that I worked with Henry just yesterday. He then called you both ‘trusting fools’ and made some…unflattering statements about my personage.”

“Well perhaps if we give him some more time, he’ll come round!” Christopher said optimistically. “I suppose it’s easier for me to say since you only used your power on me once or twice compared to the many more times you used it on him.”

Grace looked at him, pale brows drawn together in puzzlement. “I never used my power on you, Christopher,” she said slowly.

Christopher was wholly astonished by her statement. “You – never? Really?” he asked, mentally reeling. “What ho! But the night you came to the laboratory and helped me figure out the pithos I – are you sure?”

Grace shook her head. “Never. I’m completely sure,” she said firmly. “I would have apologized if I had, I –” she stared at him, looking almost indignant. “You really invited me here, have been working with me, and all this time you though I had manipulated you that night? And never gave you a formal apology?” she asked incredulously.

“When you asked about joining me in the lab that first day, you apologized for everything again. I assumed that included any time you used your power on me!” Christopher said, thoughts racing. He had been so eager to help her that night. Although now that he thought about it, they had discussed a lot of science, which he now knew Grace was genuinely interested in. “Why didn’t you?” he asked her, very curious.

Grace hesitated before saying, “I didn’t need to. You weren’t bothered by my being there and you were happy to show me around.” Something flickered in her pale eyes. “I never liked using my power when I could avoid it. I suppose because I knew that it was wrong,” she added. She looked as if she might say something else, but at that moment a whistling noise from the elevator indicated that Henry was on his way down to the lab.

They were soon absorbed in experimenting and discussing theories but at points Christopher found his focus drifting back to their conversation, and even farther back to that first night in the lab. It seemed like Grace had used her power on nearly everyone at some point, yet incredibly, she had never used it on him despite numerous opportunities. Christopher didn’t know what to make of that.

_________________________________________________________

It was just Christopher and Henry in the lab the following day. Grace was training with Jesse, and then planned to take a tour around the city with her brother, Lucie, and Ariadne (who was apparently going by Kamala these days). Christopher could never be bored working with Henry but after having Grace’s constant companionship for nearly a month it was…strange, to be working with only Henry and not her.

The day’s work proved incredibly successful, however. Upon Henry’s suggestion, Christopher added a bridge rune to the fire communication rune he had been tinkering with for months. He was thrilled to observe the message burn up and reform a few feet away. Henry, delighted, helped him replicate the results numerous times to prove that it was a repeatable phenomenon. Henry demonstrated it for a startled Charlotte (she had been interrupted in the middle of writing a letter in her office). She beamed, proud of them both, giving Henry a congratulatory kiss.

Christopher could not wait to share the good news with Grace. He wished she had been there to see it the first time, but no matter – there would be plenty of time to demonstrate it tomorrow.

He and Henry spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get the messages to travel farther than a few feet. Although foiled in these attempts, the breakthrough left them both very pleased as they finished for the day.

_________________________________________________________

Christopher was waiting at the entrance for Grace the next morning, eager to share the news. She looked startled to find him right behind the door as it opened, which he supposed was unusual given that they always met down in the lab. She had barely finished saying good morning before he could not contain his excitement and exclaimed, “You must come see the breakthrough Henry and I made yesterday, Grace! We’re so close to having a working fire-message!” He caught her arm and hurried her to the stairs down to the lab. She seemed a bit disoriented by his sudden enthusiasm but listened intently with a bemused smile as he explained the thought process behind the rune combination they had tried.

They reached the work table and Christopher quickly traced out the new rune. The paper burned up and reformed a few feet in front of them. When it reappeared, Grace grinned widely. “Incredible!” she declared, and she snatched the paper to study the rune. It occurred to Christopher that Grace had a very nice smile. She normally had a serious face, but smiles had become more frequent as the weeks had passed.

“What have you tried adding to this so far?” she asked. Christopher grabbed his notebook and they reviewed what he had recorded the previous day.

“Do you mind if I try some things?” Grace asked. “I’ve been studying that book on runes that Henry gave me – I think I may have a few ideas.”

“By all means!” Christopher told her, delighted. “I could use a break from runes after all the work yesterday. I think I’ll experiment with the Lake Lyn water today and try a demon-repelling ointment again.”

“All right, then,” she said, and set to work with a determined expression.

Later that afternoon, Henry already finished for the day and off to some important dinner, Christopher was checking the now-complete inventory list. “Blast!” he said softly, then called over to Grace, “Do you remember seeing nightshade anywhere when you were organizing?”

She pursed her lips in thought, then shook her head. “No, none,” she answered.

“I suppose I’ll be taking a trip to the Shadow Market tonight then,” Christopher said. He was determined to try combining some nightshade extract with the new demon-repelling ointment he was developing.

“The Shadow Market?” Grace queried, eyebrows raised in interest. “Do you go there often? I wanted to go before when I was looking for something to help Jesse, but I was never confident that I could find my way around.”

“It’s a wonderful place! I have to go fairly often for ingredients that are, er, not strictly approved by the Clave,” he explained. “Oh!” he said, struck by an obvious thought, “would you like to accompany me tonight?”

“I would love to,” Grace said, looking excited. She sent a letter to Jesse to inform him of the change in plans, and eagerly questioned Christopher about various aspects of the Market.

They each wrapped up their work as the sun began to set, the changing sky visible from a high window in the basement. Christopher was locating his coat and hat when he realized he should ask Grace about weapons. It was unlikely they’d face any demons in the carriage or Shadow Market, but it was good to be prepared. She had daggers on her already, but he offered her a seraph blade in addition. Ready, with ingredient list in hand, the set out to the carriage.

Christopher offered Grace an arm up, then followed her in. Their knees brushed together as he settled on the seat opposite Grace and the carriage began moving. Christopher noticed that she looked somewhat flushed. “Would you like the window open?” he asked. “You look a bit warm.”

“No, I’m perfectly comfortable, thank you,” she said, appearing discomposed. “What are you hoping to accomplish with the nightshade that you’ll be getting?” she asked.

Christopher happily launched into a lengthy explanation of his thought process and the previous attempts at demon-repelling ointment, and the discussion lasted them all the way to the Shadow Market.

[eyeliasbratchard]

Quiet Beginnings

I saw this tiktok and got super inspired. Apologies if its too out of character

https://vm.tiktok.com/7W6RP9/

Their relationship was a quiet one. Not quiet as in they did not communicate, but quiet as in no one else knew about it. It was no one's business but their own and Jon liked It that way. 

 

Yes, Martin can be overbearing at times, but he means well. He brings Jon his coffee as usual, but now with a small note reminding Jon to relax his shoulders and unclench his jaw. Included with the notes was always some sort of small doodle. Outwardly, Jon rolls his eyes but if anyone were to look into his desk, they would see he kept every single one. 

 

Jon taps the desk as he thinks back to what would be considered their first date. It still surprised him that he had made the first move. 

 

Jon had finally finished recording and for some reason decided to wander the Institute. He didn't know why he was still here, but it didn't feel right to leave. Not yet. 

 

He finds Martin in the Archives filing room. The room was void of people except for the two but Martin doesn't seem to have noticed Jon in the doorway. The ginger is murmuring to himself as he works on the filing. 

 

"Martin!" Jon finds himself yelling, startling himself and the other man. Martin jumps and flinches so hard that he drops the box he was holding. Luckily the box was closed and no papers escaped. Why did I do that?

 

"O-oh. Jon. Hi. Hello. Um...how can I help you?"  Martin puts the box on the shelf and clasps his hands behind his back. 

 

"I apologize for startling you. I was wondering…." Wondering what? 

 

Martin tilts his head and blinks. "Are you alright?"

 

"Would you like to come to my place tonight?" Jon blurts. "For dinner? And maybe a movie?"

 

Martin studies Jon for a long several moments. "Are you asking me on a date?"

 

"Yes. I suppose I am." Jon pauses and narrows his eyes a little. "But I will not have sex with you."

 

Martin puts his hands up and his face flushes. "N-no. I don't expect you too."

 

"You haven't answered my question."

 

"O-oh. Sure. I think that would be nice."

 

"Good. Are you finished?"

 

"Oh! Yes. Yes I am."

 

"Good. Come with me then." Jon turns and leaves the room, hearing Martin scramble to follow. He felt a tad bit in over his head but extended the invitation and must commit. "I live nearby and tend to walk to work. I hope you don't mind."

 

"No. No I don't mind." Martin gives a nervous smile. 

 

"That's good. I wouldn't have cared either way." Jon says rather bluntly. Be nice Jon. You want him to like you. 

 

"Yeah that's…..thats fair." Martin nods as he follows Jon down the sidewalk. It was nearly dark and the setting sun casts a warm glow on Jon's face. 

 

The walk continues in a comfortable silence. It's not long before they get to the flat and Martin shuffles his feet as Jon unlocks the door. He follows Jon inside, following suit as the shorter man slips his shoes off at the door. The flat is simplistic but homey. So very…..Jon. 

 

Jon stands to the side and watches Martin look around. He's never been self conscious about his home before but he is now. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, feeling Martin look at him. 

 

"Jon? Are you alright?"

 

"Hm?" Jon opens his eyes. "Yes. Yes I'm fine. Would you like to help with dinner?" He asks as he hangs his jacket up in the closet. He doesn't wait for an answer and makes his way to the kitchen. 

 

Jon sets a pot of water on the stove, salts it and sets it to boil. Then he turns and collides heavily with Martin's back. He makes a noise of surprise and starts to fall. Martin had caught Jon's wrist to catch him but he falls as well. 

 

Jon's back hits the floor and sends pain through his entire body and a second later his head cracks off the tile. Martin's hand slams down next to his head. Jon flinches and groans. He slowly opens his eyes to see Martin over him, head down and face flushed. "Martin?"

 

Martin doesn't respond. 

 

"Martin, kindly get your knee off of my dick. Please."

 

Martin's face turns a deeper shade of red and he scrambles off of Jon, kneeing him in the process. Jon groans again but takes the hand offered and sits up. 

 

"Are you okay?" Martin asks. 

 

Jon nods. "I'm sure my head is harder than the tile. Are you alright?"

 

"I think you took the harder fall." Martin slowly stands and offers a hand to help Jon to his feet. "How about we make a sauce?"

 

Jon nods and they finish dinner, working side by side, shoulders nearly touching. It was a calm quiet. Jon can feel himself relaxing as time went on. They made small talk as they ate. 

 

Normally Jon despises small talk. It's always forced and awkward. But with Martin….it was easy. Martin was going on about some spider he had found recently. Jon didn't particularly care about spiders but…..he found himself listening intently. 

 

Dinner is finished and dishes are washed before Jon finds himself on the couch. He's curled up, leaning against Martin, watching reruns of The Golden Girls. For the first time in a long while, Jon felt content. 

 

These meetings happened off and on for three weeks before….

 

"Jon?" Martin stops running his fingers idly though Jon's hair. 

 

Jon makes a disappointed noise at the loss of the touch. He was nearly asleep, wrapped in Martin's sweater. "Hm?"

 

"Do...would…..a-are we…."

 

"Would you spit it out? I'm tired and you're warm."

 

"Would you be my boyfriend?" Martin asks in a rushed voice. 

 

Jon sighs and sits up, his hair a mess and the sweater hanging around his small frame. "Martin you idiot. We've been dating for three weeks."

 

"We- what?"

 

"Duh." Jon presses a kiss to Martin's cheek before settling back down. "Stop over thinking and cuddle with me before I fall asleep alone and am an arse tomorrow."

 

Jon is pulled from his thoughts by a soft tapping on the office's door frame. He looks up and sees Martin with his coffee and his signature orange sticky note. Jon gives a small smile. "Come on in."

 

Martin makes his way over and sits the coffee down, pressing a kiss to Jon's temple. "Happy anniversary Love. I've got some errands to run but I'll be done by the time it's time to go home."

 

"It's your turn to cook dinner." Jon responds, peeling the sticky note off of the cup but he looks up with a smile. 

 

"Of course. I'll see you tonight." Martin inclines his head before leaving.

 

Jon looks down at the note with a warm feeling in his chest. 

 

Relax your shoulders. Unclench your jaw. Remember to eat lunch. 

 

-Martin <3

 

In the bottom corner is a doodle of a honey bee. Jon puts it in the drawers with the others. 

[stellaseveridee]

Fate (Varchie One Shot)

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: Riverdale (TV 2017)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge

Characters: Archie Andrews, Veronica Lodge

Additional Tags: Fluff, Love at First Sight

Summary:

Archie and Veronica's luggage gets mixed up which leads to an awkward and cute meeting.

or

@theeternalblue requested "Hello! So you’re looking for prompts? How about mixed up baggage for varchie. Archie picks up the wrong bag and later realizes the contents aren’t his. Cue to cute and awkward meet to exchange bags."

Fate

Veronica Lodge  was having the worst day ever. After three weeks in Paris she was finally returning home to New York. The trip to Paris was a last minute decision after a messy break up with her long time partner, Nicholas - Nick - St. Clair. She had caught him with her bestfriend in their bed which had lead to Veronica kicking him out and cutting all ties to Nick and Betty.

Archie Andrews  wasn't having a good day, either. His manager had sent him on a last minute trip to New York from LA to record his first album. Archie wasn't complaining that he was getting this opportunity but he had just wished that Josie had given him a heads up so he didn't have to cancel his plans with his girlfriend which meant he was also going to miss her birthday. That hadn't gone down too well with Valerie, so what did she do? She ended things.

It made everything worse that it was practically midnight. 

Veronica was exhausted. She just wanted to get her bags and leave. Her bed was calling her - metaphorically, obviously - and she couldn't wait to get home.

The raven-haired princess was waitinh patiently for her luggage when a redhead man ran into her by accident. 

"Excuse you." Veronica mumbled to herself. Said redheaded man turned around with a nervous smile on his face.

"Sorry, I'm in a rush." He apologised before grabbing his bag and rushing off.

Archie truly hadn't meant to run into anyone but he needed to get to his hotel to sleep as he had to be at the studio by seven in the morning. After he apologized, he grabbed his bag that seemed a little heavier than he remembered, and ran out of the airport.

Veronica waited for what felt like hours before she came to the conclusion that one of her bags was not there. The area had pretty much cleared out and there was only one piece of luggage left on the belt.

She walked over to the bag to make sure it definitely wasn't hers before she opened it up to find a passport. As soon as Veronica saw the picture in the little book, she recognized him as the redhead from earlier.

Archie Andrews.

Veronica grabbed the bag and finally left the building to head home. She would contact Archie Andrews when she arrived at her penthouse, only if nothing else decided to fuck with her.

When she arrived to her home, the soft smell of her favourite lilac candle filled her senses, she would have to remember to thank Smithers for putting it out for her. After Veronica placed all her things down by the front door, she grabbed her laptop and planted herself down on the leather couch so she could try and find a phone number to get her bag back from the hot redhead, she meant Archie Andrews.

It didn't take long to find a phone number for Archie Andrews as he seemed to be making a star out of himself. Veronica didn't wait to dial his number and he didn't wait to answer.

"This is Archie."  She heard through the phone.

"Hi. This is Veronica Lodge, I think you have my bag." She casually said, she then heard Archie sigh into the device before speaking.

"I think I do."  He chuckled anxiously. Hopefully he wasn't extremely far away so they could just exchange bags and get on with their lives. "Do you have mine?"

Veronica was itching to get her bag back and go to sleep. "I do. Can you come and pick it up so I can get my beauty sleep?"

Archie laughed again. She liked his laugh, he seemed sweet and though she was slightly pissed off, she felt giddy when talking to him.

Archie replied to her question and she gave him her address.

It wasn't long before Veronica heard the familiar sound of a male knock at her door. The two were both nervous to see each other again as it had felt like a bond had been formed just from a ten minute phone call.

"Hi." Veronica smiled nervously as she opened the door with his bag in her hand. "Would you like to come in?"

The redhead - who Veronica decided was extremely attractive, sexy - grinned at her question. "I think I should learn your name first."

"Veronica Lodge."

"Nice to meet you, Ronnie. Archie Andrews."

"I know your name."

"You do?" He questioned before he realised what he was saying. "Oh yeah, of course you do." Archie sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. Veronica giggled, yes giggled, at his adorableness.

The two exchanged luggage with eachother before there was an awkward silence in the room, neither knowing what to say.

"So, it was night to meet you, Archie."

"You too, Veronica."

Silence invaded the air again.

"So-"

"How about-"

They both laughed when they cut eachother off. Veronica sensed that something good could come out of this day and that something good was Archie Andrews.

After the extremely awkward encounter, the two stayed in contact which lead to the best friendship Veronica had ever experienced. Archie's music career was far more successful in New York than it had ever been in LA so he did the only smart thing he could, he moved to New York.

Veronica realized she was in love with the gorgeous redhead six months after they had met. She had been sick and he had been there for her through it all, more than her own parents had ever done. She had never met such an amazing human being. 

Archie realized he was in love with her the second be gave her the bag back. He's not sure how he held it together for so long but he knew he had to tell her eventually, so that's exactly what he did exactly a year after their first meeting.

"I think I'm in love with you." He stated. "No. I am in love with you."

"Well it's a good thing I'm in love with you too, Archiekins." She smiled in reply.

"I was so scared you were going to run from me like everyone else has in my life." Archie began to spoke. "My dad died, my mom left, my girlfriend broke me. I didn't want to scare you away."

Veronica grabbed his face with her two hands and planted a passionate kiss against his lips. "I will never leave you."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

The End

[tatttletale]

Pearl: Despair

Pearl paced back and forth in Yellow Diamond's control room, twisting the material of the sash in her hands.

        "Pearl?"

        At Connie's voice, she stopped and lifted her head.

        The girl smiled nervously back at her. "Steven's been here before, remember? And he came home, just fine. I'm sure he's okay."

        Pearl bit her lip, shaking her head hard. "You don't understand, Connie. White Diamond is different. He's already been in there for three of Earth's months! What if she did something to him? What if he never comes back? Then . . . Then it would have all been for nothing."

        She felt a hand on her arm and turned to Amethyst. "P . . . he'll come back. They promised."

        Pearl's shoulders relaxed, but only slightly. "Blue and Yellow left . . . hours ago. What if they can't find him?"

        Amethyst's only reply was a gentle squeeze.

        Hoping for some further consolation, Pearl lifted her gaze to Garnet, seated cross-legged next to Connie. The permafusion had been quiet for days — and today alone, she hadn't moved a muscle. Every so often, Pearl thought she saw her tremble, but it was always gone too quickly to be sure.

        She exhaled, sliding to the floor next to Amethyst. "Oh . . . this is all my fault."

        "Pearl . . . no."

        Amethyst settled next to her, sliding her hand onto Pearl's knee. "We're all to blame. I mean . . . yeah, maybe if we hadn't let Steven come here in the first place, then the Diamonds wouldn't have come after him. But . . . you couldn't stop that. Alexandrite couldn't, and she tried."

        Pearl sat back and pulled her knees to her chest, giving a quiet sniff. "I miss him."

        "Me too."

        "We all do," Connie broke in. "We just . . . have to hope for the best."

        "Gems! Pearl, Garnet!"

        Yellow Diamond's strong voice echoed through the space and they all jerked to attention. The Diamond pair stepped through an open panel and into the room. They both looked breathless.

        "She said yes," Blue breathed.

        "She has him," Yellow stammered. "Steven. We can see him."

        Pearl jumped to her feet. "Where? Where is he? Is he okay?"

        The Diamonds looked at each other.

        "White wants to meet us in her quarters," Blue said.

        "Then let's go!" Connie cried, pushing herself to her feet.

        Garnet remained, unmoving, in her meditative position.

        "Garnet! Come on!" Amethyst was next to her in a flash, tugging at her in an effort to pull her to her feet. "We gotta go see Steven!"

        Garnet didn't budge. Around the third time the smaller Gem shoved her she ground out two words, voice low and dangerous.

        "Let. Go."

        Amethyst stepped back, a little shocked, as Garnet rose slowly to her feet. She moved stiffly and gave the air of a tiger on edge. She stood, trembling fists clenched at her sides, mouth a thin line.

        "Okay, everyone's ready? Perfect! Let's go, then," Pearl motormouthed, and sprinted off towards the Diamonds, who were already turning to lead the way. The rest of the party followed.

        They hurried through corridors, breezeways, past barracks and command centres, first through a yellow and then a white labyrinth. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the Diamonds came to rest at a leviathan door engraved with a star. Yellow Diamond stepped forward to file a request on the doorside panel, and with a few quick swipes of her fingers she was done, stepping back to wait anxiously beside Blue.

        Connie caught her breath.

        Amethyst bit her lip.

        Pearl's knuckles whitened around the fistful of sash.

        Garnet stood stock still, trembling.

        A few tense seconds ticked by.

        "What's taking them so long!" Amethyst burst out, voice strained.

        At that moment, a small white panel in the door lit up, and out glided a smiling boy.

        "Steven!" Pearl cried, throwing herself at him.

        She squeezed him tight, sniffing back tears. "Thank goodness! I was so worried. Steven, I—"

        She stopped, the unnatural absence of movement finally registering, and pulled back. What she saw horrified her.

        Steven's lips were drawn into a small, fake smile, his eyes wide and unblinking — and now she could see the difference on the right. The iris was pale and bleached, a lifeless disc behind a diamond-shaped pupil.

        Pearl was suddenly numb to everything except the heavy sickness in her stomach. She let go and stumbled back, hands trembling, and slowly looked up at Garnet.

        She was still standing, tall and tense, with her hands clenched at her sides. Her whole body was shaking, her teeth gritted, as tears streamed down her face. Slowly, it dawned on Pearl.

        She knew.

        Connie, on the other hand, was blissfully unaware of the extent of the damage that had been inflicted. Pearl watched as she scrambled forward, hands clamping down on his shoulders.

        "Steven?" she cried, face pinched with fear. "Steven, are you okay? What's wrong!"

        Steven's body tilted its head to the side. "Hello. I am well." His voice sounded flat and wrong. He had pointedly not answered the second question.

        Behind them, Garnet's form quivered and distorted before her components fell to the ground. When Pearl turned, she found a stricken, almost paralysed Ruby trying to hold a sobbing Sapphire in her arms.

        "Don't lie to me! What happened? Please!" came Connie's voice, and Pearl whipped back to see Amethyst pull her away. From here, she could see that the purple Gem was sickly pale and short of breath, her eyes brimming with tears. She looked like she was going to be sick, or cry, or both. And then she opened her mouth to speak.

        "That's not Steven."

        Amethyst's voice trembled and cracked. Pearl wouldn't have recognised it if she hadn't been looking at her when she said it.

        "What do you mean!" Connie yelled desperately. "Of course that's Steven! Steven—" she whipped back again to face him and made a frantic lunge. "Steven please! Talk to m—"

        She was only whisked away again, held tight in Amethyst's arms as she turned away. Pearl watched Amethyst tremble, her own chest heaving. Connie only continued to writhe in her arms, gasping, confused and panicked. With her subconscious connection to Amethyst, Pearl could understand how the two of them felt. Two fusions were dead, and the sudden gaping hole left in them must be unbearable. She had felt the same way when Rose had gone.

        "I kn— knew it, I cou-ould see him . . . I SAW him— I KNEW AN— AND I COULDN'T HE — HEL. . . W-WE—"

        Pearl couldn't hold back the all-consuming sobs at Sapphire's shrieked words. She felt her arms give way and her torso hit the floor. All she could make out was cold and salt.

        Not him. Not again. Lost again.

        Connie had heard as well. She screamed and struggled, writhing until Amethyst's arms gave way and let her fall to the ground. Beside her, the latter doubled over, shuddering, retching.

        Pearl heard scuffling behind her and turned her head, making out two blurry but distinct shapes through the tears. Ruby appeared to be struggling to wrap her arms around her lover, the other Gem's frantic movements throwing her world more out of proportion. Suddenly, the room was enveloped in an aura of blue and she couldn't make out anything at all. Her vision flashed white, purple, white, red . . . Garnet flashed in and out of existence, splitting and convulsing, until their overloaded bodies disappeared, gems clinking together to the ground.

        Pearl found she couldn't move. She was trapped on the floor, limbs turning to lead pipes as soon as her vision had gone blue. She lifted her head, blinking away the river of tears, and managed to catch a glimpse of Steven before her world blurred again. Mustering up the last drop of strength left in her leaden muscles, she pushed herself forward and up, feeling her arms wrap around something solid and her cheek brush something soft.

        "Steven. . ." she breathed against cold skin. "I'm— I'm sorry I. . ." I was supposed to protect you. "'M sosorry. . ."

        Her fault. Her fault. Her fault.

        And it all ended with this.

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