#still one more promotion to go and then she has maxed the career

[simvanie]

7 Sins Legacy - generation 4 (pride)

While Rohan made an attempt to stop Supriya from walking away, Supriya barely noticed that the musicians had cleared the floor for Suraj, who had taken his place behind the microphone: "Dear friends and colleagues, I would like to make an official public announcement tonight..."

Rohan: I don't get it. You've done more for our campaign in the past weeks than everyone else combined. And we are so close to winning the city's elections, why would you suddenly want to leave?

Supriya: Oh you really want to know? Imagine what will happen to the party when I quit- With all the publicity I've had, it'll be on the front page of the newspapers, and journalists will be lining up because they want to know why. And I'll tell them exactly why they're better off voting for someone other than... you.

Rohan: This job interview is for another political party, isn't it? Tell me, do you actually want to work there? Or is it because you think that you can't get to where you actually want to be in this party, so you've built your walls so high that you've completely closed yourself off from everything that has to do with it. And the only option you think you have left is to run away. Because if so, I hate to break it to you, but you probably won't make yourself happy with that decision.

"...I assume many of you already heard speculations, so it probably won't come as a surprise that the rumors are true. I want you all to know that I've decided to officially retire...."

Supriya: Oh! That's rich coming from someone who has it easy with his influential dad arranging everything for him! And you don't know what is best for me-

Rohan: Please, listen to me. It doesn't mean that I don't agree with you- Everyone deserves an equal chance, but you also have to know that there is a big chance that you'll encounter similar kind of situations somewhere else. Especially in this political world.

Supriya: What do you want then?! Do you want me to stay so I can congratulate you when your dad announces that you will get the position? Because I'm NOT going to do that- Besides, if you agree that everyone deserves an equal chance, WHY HAVEN'T YOU DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT?!

" ...and that is why I, along with all our colleagues in the party, have unanimously decided to give the position as party leader to Supriya."

Suraj turned towards Supriya. "If you want it of course. So, what do you say?"

Supriya couldn't believe if she had heard it right and had to take a second while everyone slowly turned their heads towards her. "...Y- yes, yes of course!"

Suraj smiled and gave her a nod before turning his attention back to the public. "Very well, I suggest we leave the technicalities for the transfer until Monday and spend the rest of the night enjoying this gala that my lovely wife helped organizing."

Supriya: Did you- I... I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! Rohan: Congratiulations, you deserve it. Supriya: It's- This is amazing... That you did this!!! Oh, you've no idea what this means to me, I could kiss you right now! I-

.... Rohan: ...So why don't you?

For the first time, the feeling that had been slowly creeping up on Supriya since she met Rohan, and that she had been trying to ignore and push away ever since she found out that Rohan was Suraj's son, slipped through the walls she had so carefully built.

Rohan: ....Since I don't think you have to get up early tomorrow morning anymore, what do you say if we, when this gala is over, get some takeout from that new Mexican place near your apartment to celebrate? Supriya: Hm, I'd love that.

[somuchyoudontknow]

Sophia - I think you really have a gift.

And for some odd reason, I think you were the one person who has mentioned you also thought this - but I think this whole thing may last until or around the time the new SMA is announced.

The reason I think this is bc around the same time CE was announced as SMA, this is when the rumors really really escalated - past pumpkins, he goes and comments on one of her photos - not really a comment, but ya know. He was doing his best to fake GAF.

Then the next day Reuters Published his article and listed him as “single” which sent fans into stealth mode bc all the AB stuff was still happening.

It was then I was suddenly reminded of MBJ, and how he was also listed as single during his Reuters SMA announcement. A month or so later, the rumors of him and Lori Harvey began. By the time January 2021 rolled around, MBJ and Lori were IG official.

I remember thinking, wow that was fast. It was almost like - the sexiest man alive can never be single - and if he is single, he has to be “taken” almost right after - to show that he is hot commodity. I don’t know why I had this thought - but then I forgot about it and moved on.

When CE’s SMA happened, I had the same thought pop up. I had this overwhelming feeling that he was going to pop up with AB after this announcement. Only bc of all the SM activity and how the rumors escalated after she reactivated on SM. It felt way too strategic - like he suddenly starts liking her posts - all of them, when he more or less was ignoring her for a good few months. I know likes on SM aren’t always consistent. But after he liked her mrs Paris photo back in July, pretty sure a few months went by and he sort of just minds his own business and ignores her on SM. But the moment she reactivated in October - he starts liking all of her posts, each time. Then the pumpkin photo, then the comment, then BOOM - announcement. It felt too “sudden” ramp up - and just more like it was being planned to execute that way, leading up to the “big reveal.”

I also have this theory that him going public with her probably wasn’t supposed to happen so close to the SMA drop, but her show premiered that same week - so they just went public to speed things up and get the max PR push.

Again - all of this is tinhat theory.

I don’t think he did all this to get SMA. I think SMA was just to give him a boost in the same year he was also getting press for two movies after not having any film releases due to Covid for about 2 years. But I DO think this “relationship” with AB has to do with SMA, and I think it’s meant to make him look like a committed, can settle down type - instead of the ever long bachelor who can’t hold down a long term relationship.

I also wonder if Monica Barbaro, one actress he also followed, was at one point on the list for him to be paired up with. She had a pretty big year due to top gun maverick. He followed a bunch of these up and coming women - all:most whom had some type of show, film, or movie release in the last two years. Kaitlyn Dever had dopesick, Alisha wainwright had raising dion, Lily James had Pam and Tommy, Monica - top gun, and etc.

I just think they ended up with AB bc she was the one with a show that was likely on the cutting block - and she’s the one actress IMO - that can’t sell anything on her own. No talent, won’t promote on her socials, no charisma, no “IT” factor. But she is the star of a Netflix original so the additional boost of setting her up with a more famous man actually worked out for her. She may have also been the one actress who was willing to “sell out” to sell out, if that makes any sense. I don’t want to discredit other women who do these things for PR, but the other actresses mentioned all seemed to be happier doing their own promo and moving up the career ladder not being the “accessory” to someone more famous.

This may be too farfetched but I’ve thought this for a while. Just another opinion.

Hi :) thanks. Yes, I was the first one I guess. I made the prediction in January this year. I got a clear msg of two years and if we count from Nov 2021, it makes Nov 2023, exactly two years. Also, I made a few theories in Jan, Feb that it might last till the next SMA gets announced. I also compared how MBJ and Lori's timelines matched with Chris and Alba's.

Your theory is great, it's not far-fetched at all. I think SMA was part of the deal but not the main thing. Also, there have been info that SMA is not usually given to single men. He was given when he entered a pr rs. I think the went with the two-year timeline so Chris doesn't look like a player because of the age gap. I also feel the reason they are pushing the engagement and wedding rumors is to make him not look like Leo who only dates mid-twenties girls and then dumps them. They want his family guy image to not get ruined and that he wasn't just non-serious but he really wanted to settle down.

[keysmashingfantasies]

So are there any rules for requests boundaries you will not cross ? Also what fandoms do you write for and also if its ok since you write for death note now can you please do yandere headcanons of the characters ?

hiiii! thanks for the ask and for the delay. the end of my semester in college has been hectic.

my boundaries/what i don't write: ABSOLUTELY no underage characters x reader unless it's STRICTLY platonic (all characters i write x reader about are aged up to 18+), no incest, no self harm (only implicit or mentioned), no scat. no ships (the farthest i'll go is character a x reader x character b). i think that about sums it up, i'll add more as i think of them.

fandoms i do write for currently: death note, alice in borderland, obey me, stranger things (no billy hargrove nor jason carver tho) and i've been privately trying my hand at bts but that's an experiment and i'll save that for my ao3 so no requests w them for now.

thanks for being so considerate and asking! now, as for your headcanons, look under the cut: i selected a few characters, if you'd like more or specific ones, let me know! and these are with fem!reader also!

L

very shy!!!! even when you're "acclimated" to him, he's still very quiet and softspoken

WILL stalk you. not in person tho, probably just access cameras like in your college/job building and stuff

will manage to convice watari that is of utmost importance to keep an eye on you when possible, because he really does think you need the extra protection

absolutely will want to learn everything there is about you through watching and will grow very frustrated when he finds out that that's not the way if you want to fully meet someone

may send gifts when he's well into his obsession so watch out for things like one of those breakfast baskets but w candy inside instead

may kidnap you or, as he calls it, "extract you". out of nowhere

Light

this bitch.

he's not shy at all. he takes his time following you around a while. but when he deems himself and you ready he goes in. charm on. max level

does not know how you managed alone all this time. for a while he's been 1ft behind you at all times and you still haven't noticed. he can't believe how much you need him

if we're talking canon universe, is not above using ryuk to keep an eye on you either

different from L, he stalks you in person. hangs around your workplace/takes the same classes as you do in college

does not kidnap you. he becomes close with you enough to invite you to his place one day and THEN he never lets you leave

Matsuda

as a lot of things with matsuda, becoming a yandere comes by accident

matsuda actually begins dating you normally and becomes a yandere after you're together

after the kira case and as his police career progresses, he becomes more and more aware of all the risks surrounding you. and therefore becomes more and more protective of you, like L

after his first big promotion he convinces you to quit your job and you do. then date nights are always inside, and so on and so forth

the type of yandere that will wholeheartedly believe that everything he's doing is for you safety and benefit. and when you're safe and benefited, so is he.

will babytrap you, absolutely

Misa

she's pretty well known, so she's gonna use this to her advantage for sure to find ways to get closer to you

will not even take too much time stalking you, she's gonna kidnap you upfront

will use rem as a way to intimidate you to comply to her wishes

both you and she take turns playing housewife for each other. on the first days when you're tied up and "being fussy" she's gonna cook and clean

but on the days where she's tired from a shoot, she's gonna make you be there for her with an apron and everything

going to treat you like a doll, for sure. dressing you up, doing your hair, she pulls all the stops

[samkat10423]

Making Aliens

So today, while in the hated CAS- I decided to make some aliens. “Why?” you ask. Because I have the attention span of a gnat and decided it was time to visit an alien world. I was thinking of using Rflong7′s Moonbase Charlie - even though I’m not that thrilled with it. Way too many 60x60 lots in the main downtown area, and not enough roads. So, it takes forever to get anywhere when you play it. 

I actually helped play-test this world when it was being made. Big mistake! Rflong was okay to deal with, but one of the other testers was a royal PIA. Thought the sun rose and set with her, and only her opinion mattered. (She had a really bad rep over on the old Sims 3 forum for being a regular know-it-all. And was universally disliked). So, never offered to help play-test any more worlds over there. 

Anyway, still on the fence about which world to play. Rattlesnake Ridge has a nice military complex, but the world itself is just so-so. 

But no matter. Today I did Sims.

This 1st Sim envisions herself as a galaxy-shaking stylist. She is bound and determined to bring cutting-edge fashion to the interplanetary masses - whether they want it or not! The 1st outfit is her everyday outfit, while the 2nd is her work one. She decided to add eyeglasses to the 2nd one because she thinks it makes her look more professional. BTW, I gave her traits to help her with her career - such as hot-headed, mean-spirited, socially inept, unstable, and loser. Because I’m nice!

This is one of her roommates, who sees herself as the next inter-galaxy, rock sensation! She has absolutely no talent when it comes to singing and can’t play any instruments. She’s also absent-minded, so learning new things is a bit of a struggle. I also gave her that loser trait along with neurotic. Again, because I am nice!

And this is the final roommate. She wants to rule the galaxy! Yes, she does! So she has entered the political arena. The only problem is, in order to get promoted, other Sims have to like you. Some even expect you to kiss their rugrats. They do! No lie! And that is so not going to happen because she hates kids, (and adults too!), is grumpy, a loner, and mean-spirited. So, getting to the top of her chosen career might not be in the cards.

Anyway, the base Sims that I used for these 3 came from that Lunestia world. I just made them a bit more alien with CC that I have - plus a change of outfits based on their favorite colors. Plus I changed all of their traits and got rid of their skills. (They were maxed out on several). Then, gave then the jobs of their pixelated dreams. Because, once again, I am a good simgoddess! 

[guessimate]

I’m sorry if my screenshots are going to look a bit different, but from now on I’m going to use these eyes and accessories for the heterochromic “contact lenses” effect I plan on using for some sims whose parents have different eye colors. This is my first time using default eyes.

~*~

I got RCC mod for this ROS, so you can probably guess what I got... I rolled Ruination. Cordula Avesnes is supposed to get pregnant out of wedlock and she must marry before she gives birth. She has never had any romantic interactions before, but her highest male relationships (outside of her family) are the local priest and Aubrey Carbonneau... so Aubrey it is. Cordula and Aubrey are both ambitious, and they probably bonded over their love of skilling – she maxed out logic, whereas he maxed out mechanical at a very young age.

Her cousins are still toddlers, so they really have no relationships with any other men in the ‘hood, so I think their reputations will be fine. By the time they’re teenagers, everyone will have forgotten about this scandal, probably. Maybe it’s not such a bad match, as her uncle probably doesn’t care that much how well she marries, he’d probably care more about his daughters.

I think it actually makes perfect sense for Cordula to end up like this, because she’s both Rebellious and a Party Animal. And maybe it’s for the best, as Cordula is a Knowledge sim, and those rarely ever roll romantic wants. 

The young couple had a short courting, which was not really chaperoned, as Cordula’s Romance aspiration granny had to pay attention to 2 toddlers, and her uncle was at work all day... Cordula liked Aubrey a bit more than he liked her, so I guess that fits the storyline of her being more easily seduced by him. 

I helped this storyline a bit more by adjusting their turn ons and they ended up with 2 bolts. They didn’t do much during their 1st date but they slept in the same bed because it was a sleepover. That was not very historical, but I just didn’t want him to leave and it was late. They wanted to go on another date, during which their WooHood and she fell pregnant.

Around that time Cordula was obsessed with learning how to cook and she became a bit plump, so I’m sure at first she was trying to pretend she was getting rounder just because of that.

This marriage prospect is good for Aubrey, as he’s only a gentry and she’s a noble (although she’s just a 2nd born daughter, her dowry is still 2000$, which is not so bad). However, her father is dead and she’s been living in her uncle’s residence, so I imagine her marriage prospects wouldn’t be best.

 ~*~

They started this round with 16,755$ [495$ of this sum was a small inheritance granny Euphrosina got from her deceased lover]. They should have ended up with 30,338, earning around 13,583$ due to all the high level promotions.

Enrique got promoted multiple times throughout this round and I believe he’s just one step away from from maxing out the Architecture career. Hopefully he’ll manage to do it next round, but he lost so many friends this round and he needs like 11, so it might be a bit of a challenge. He might have to network with some lower rank sims in town.

I paid their bills at the very beginning of the weekend, as Master Architects have free weekends anyway, so Enrique wouldn’t be going to work anymore this round.

5,000$ – rent.

1400$ (rounded up from 1358$) – tax.

= 6400$ to the Royal Family. The Royals have accumulated 145,500$ to date.

1400$ – tithe. I’m going to say that the burial fee (100$) is already included because I rounded up both the tax and the tithe. The Church has earned 24,250$ total.

They ended up with 22,228$ after paying the taxes. That is before paying the dowry. They dug up just a rock.

I paid the taxes a bit earlier for a reason… Granny was dying, so I didn’t want the inheritance money to get in the way. I don’t really have any rules for the inheritance money but I don’t think it should be considered an income to be taxed.

Euphrosina lead the longest life out of my CAS-made elders so far. I don’t know why, but it just feels like she had more days to enjoy her elderly years. She had 10 best friends, and 2 lovers – Myron Farina [the now deceased fluid-rank sim added by ROS], and the new elder merchant in town who seems to be going through all the elderly romance ladies in town.

This family ended up with 38,303$ after getting the inheritance money – that’s 16,075$ they got from inheritance. I bought them an easel – a gift for the newly-grown kid, Crescentia. Bathilde wanted a piano instead. Cordula can keep 2000$ as a dowry... I’ll see about the rest. I think the money given to children by the game might be a bit too much, but the inheritance for grandkids is not that much.

~*~

I moved Beatrice’s grave onto the Church lot, as she has haunted this house enough, and I think Enrique is mourning the loss of his mother now rather than the loss of his wife, as sad as it is...

Both Crescentia and Bathilde aced their toddler skills, and learnt the Nursery Rhymes. They also got quite far with skills they were practicing as toddlers. Crescentia maxed out Creativity, and Bathilde is on her way to max out Mechanical (she preferred playing with blocks to drawing as a toddler).

Crescentia is a Charismatic Schmoozer, and a Hydrophobe. She’s an Aquarius, like her father. And she’s also into Nature, just like her dad.

Bathilde was randomized to be a Socially Awkward Loner, and Workaholic. She’s a Capricorn. Her One True Hobby is Cuisine.

~*~

The Carbonneaus had ~18,000$ before this round, and I set their money to 20,000$ when Cordula moved in. I set the Avesneses to 35,000$ for now, to account for the dowry ‘money transfer’.

This round was not meant to be about the Carbonneaus, but Ronan Gardiner invited himself to the wedding/birthday party (parents were aging up) and stole a kiss from Cecilia, Carbonneaus’ adopted daughter [who wanted her very first kiss]. I don’t really like her going so low down on the rank ladder, but she is only adopted and they’re probably more interested in securing a good match for their biological daughter… Maybe he’s just her teenage crush. 

Cordula gave birth to a baby boy! And they both survived the birth, with very high rolls! I named him Cassian. He’s a gray-eyed redhead. Aubrey wants to hire a nanny. That’s a bit funny. We have enough women in this house, young man!

[changingplumbob]

York Household: Chapter 8, Part 5

Deanna catches up with Reece, Kelly has a horrible time, improbably all four York kids feature (when I invited 0 over) and Calista gets more than one good change. Finally Deanna and Paris have a much needed discussion.

Harvey: Reece? Fancy meeting you here

Reece: I'm visiting one of my best friends, what about you dad

Harvey: Visiting one of my best friends as well, we're twinning

Reece: *rolls eyes*

So while Deanna and Reece head to the patio to practice some soccer passes, Harvey and Aaron play some chess.

Deanna: Ouch! That was my face

Reece: It was hilarious

Deanna: You should be better with balls

Reece: I'll have you know I've received good feedback on my ball technique

Harvey: Reece!

Reece: I mean....

Deanna: *laughs*

Aaron: If you're talking woohoo, do it elsewhere, I'm focusing

Deanna: Sure pa. Lets go cloudgaze

Reece: There's not even clouds

Deanna: Imagine

Reece: You know who was imagining, Paris

Deanna: What

Reece: We were talking about taking the moving in plunge and she needed to think through things

Deanna: Should I be worried

Reece: I don't know De. She did seem to have a mini identity crisis

Reece: Who am I outside of my relationship kind of thing

Deanna: That's not great

Reece: I think she's just scared. She wants a happily ever after you know

Deanna: Does she worry I don't love her

Reece: More like, she's scared of being hurt down the line if she gets everything she wants so young. If it seems to good to be true, is it, kind of worries

Kelly had one very bad day. From waking up with a loose tooth, to having a bully assuming a bib was his, he is not in the mood to head home and be forced to do homework. He and his crew head to Atlas' house to have snacks and shenanigans. By which I mean one of them tosses paint everywhere.

When Kelly gets home it's movie time so he parks himself in front of Deanna, she is not pleased. The movie just makes him madder. He finds it lame, boring and juvenile. He stalks off to his room and grabs his journal ready to scribble some obscenities.

Dear diary, I should have ripped that bully limb from limb, extra slowly. He's lucky he was taller than me or I would have let him have it. And why do we have to get loose teeth anyway. It's stupid. If I find out who did it then they'll be on my future torments list. It's a pretty long list.

Calista is busy cooking when an ecstatic Aaron finds her.

Aaron: Guess who just maxed their research and debate skill

Calista: Some tall handsome dude with an excellent array of stubble

Aaron: Guilty

Calista: Well done Aaron, seriously that's big

Aaron: I couldn't have done it without you

Calista: What do you mean

Aaron: You put your career on hold for me, and it means more than I can say that you took the reins with our kids for so long. I love you so much amore

Calista: To celebrate Mr York, may I have this dance?

Aaron: I thought you'd never ask

The two dance outside to the faint prom music

Aaron: What filled your day

Calista: I reached level 9 knitting and cooking

Aaron: I'm impressed

Calista: And being 54 the watcher made me infertile

Aaron: We didn't exactly want more kids I guess

Calista: So we can woohoo without consequence now

Aaron: What are we doing down here then? Race ya

It is really not Kelly's week. He still has that sore tooth. Beyond that he had an awful nightmare about melting away to nothing. Stupid wizard of oz affecting his sleep. He spends some time with bunbun before school to try relax a bit. It doesn't work very much.

Joey: What did you want to see me about

Calista: I made you a sweater

Joey: Another one? So quickly

Calista: This one has a scarf attached. I didn't want to give it to your pa and get the sweater curse

Joey: Just making it gets it in CAS anyway

Calista: Oh and I've been promoted, I'm a captain now

Captain Calista heads to work and Joey goes to see Deanna

Joey: Yo De, how's it

Deanna: Oh you know, casual fear of death from repeated electrocutions

Joey: Damn, stop living on the edge bro

Deanna: Hey since you're here, can I have cake help again

Joey: Why not, I'm footloose and fancy free

Joey: I noticed you're not see through anymore

Deanna: I did try get a tan. It would be easier if the watcher could just darken my skin

Joey: I know that's not whitewashing but it still feels shady

Deanna: So I should just stay tanned forever

Joey: Maybe. Oh, it's ready! Remember, add candles

Joey: Now just go slow

Deanna: Have you built a robot before

Joey: Well no

Deanna: Then be quiet genius, you don't know everything

Joey: I know you probably shouldn't-

*ZAPS*

Joey: do that...

Deanna: Youch! Maybe I should stop for today

Joey: And maybe you should listen to your family genius

I'm thinking I should invite Devin over when she rings the doorbell, I love her.

Deanna: Hey

Devin: Is that... a smoke cloud

Deanna: Not the fashion in Del Sol Valley I take it

Devin: Not even close

The two hug and do their secret handshake before Deanna heads for a jog to clear her mind.

Devin: Hi Kelly how are-

Kelly: Why are you here

Devin: Visiting my family duh

Kelly: I think you want to rub my nose in your superiority. Well guess what, I'm the better child

Devin: No you're not

Kelly: Am to

Devin: I literally am on TV, Joey is genius, Deanna is valedictorian

Kelly: You all suck pixels!

Aaron: KELLY

Kelly: What

Aaron: Stop being mean to everyone! Time out mister

Kelly pouts while Devin basks in her true superiority

Kelly: But she's a-

Aaron: Do you want to be grounded because I can do that

Kelly: This is so unfair. I'm clearly the better one

Aaron: Time out, NOW

Kelly may sit down for time out but he's angry about it. Stupid siblings. Stupid parents. Stupid watcher. All he was doing was saying that he was the better child, the truth shouldn't upset the peasants.

After school Deanna and Paris have the chance to meet up and discuss the future some more.

Deanna: How was school

Paris: So keen for it to be done. Without you lot there's just boring sims

Deanna: So tomorrow's your age up birthday. Could we talk more about you maybe moving in with me

Deanna: I realised when I offered it probably didn't sound as romantic as it could have been

Paris: It kind of sounded like you felt obligated to let me move in to be honest

Deanna: Oh baby no. That was not what I meant at all, I'm sorry if you've been thinking that. I don't feel obligated, I love you is all

Deanna: I just didn't want you to worry about your future and it came out wrong

Paris: Like when I tried to put this shirt in the dryer and it shrunk

Deanna: It just makes you boobs look gorgeous

Paris: So... you do want a future with me?

Deanna: Of course I do! I love you. I know we're a bit young...

Deanna: But that just means we'll get more time together right

Paris: I worry I'm being naive

Deanna: You are beautiful and kind and frequently adorable

Paris: Can we really have happily ever after though

Deanna: We can try. In the end, everyone is trying for the best no matter where they are

Deanna: So Paris Pearl, will you do me the honour of moving in with me

Paris: I may have a condition

Deanna: What is it

Paris: Don't get really skinny on me, I love your love handles

Paris manages to hold a straight face for a few seconds before bursting in to a fit of giggles.

Deanna: *laughs* I like fitness but I can try keep curves

Paris: Then it's a deal. I'll move in babe

Previous Part ... Next Part

[nerdykitkat123]

I've played 7 Rotations of Pleasentview, here's what happened

So, I took a break from Sims 2 after my hood corrupted and started a fresh, I'm currently on rotation 7 and well, I love to share what goes on in my games so, lets break it down. The Lothario Family

Don left Cassandra at the alter as he realised that he loved Nina. They got together and Don changed his career path. He had always been quite athletic and dreamed of being the best of the best in the Athletic career. To say that he was good at it was an understatement as he got promotion after promotion. Nina also got a job in the Music career as she loves to play the piano. All was going well for the two, they had moved into a much nicer house with the money saved, and Don was surprisingly very loyal to Nina, calling of his fling with Kaylynn Langerak and limiting contact with Dina.

After a woohoo in the tub however, Nina found herself pregnant. She expected Don to panic and leave her, however, he stepped up and the pair got married before there Daughter, McKenzie, was born. Don completely fell in love with his daughter from the moment he had laid eyes on her. During this time he was a superstar in the Athletic career and bringing home a lot of money. There daughter, just like there mother, is a very creative individual. Just like her father, she is extremely athletic too. She is a teenager now and has the pleasure aspiration where she wants to go on 50 first dates. While McKenzie was a child, Don and Nina had a second baby, this time a boy named Raymond. He is very reserved and keeps himself to himself. He is currently still a child. Both Don and Nina have gotten to the top of there careers, and Don has just aged up into an elder, Nina is one day away from ageing into an elder. This is somehow one of my purest families. The Goth Family Cassandra moved out shortly left at the alter to figure things out alone. Mortimer however decided that Dina was the second love of his life, and quickly married her. They did woohoo a whopping one time before he passed away, and while he didn't complete his lifetime wish of maxing out all skills, he did die with platinum aspiration. Alexandra absolutely HATES Dina at this time and when Mortimer passes he immediately RUNS AWAY. Luckily, Dina notices in time and they do manage to find Alexandra. With the mass about of wealth Dina now owns, she sells the Goth Manor and buys an extremely lavish modern mansion, brining along Alexandra for nothing more than a legal obligation to take care of a teenager. Dina and Alexandra do become friends with a lot of time, however Dina becomes extremely career oriented in the Business sector. She rises to the top with time. After Mortimer she does mess around with a couple sims she met from work, however, she accidently falls pregnant when she's around 12 days away from ageing into an elder. She has a girl and immediately gives the baby up for adoption. At the time she could only think about her career, but when Alexandra moved out for collage she was very lonely for those couple years, practically begging Alexandra and his girlfriend he met in collage to move back in with her, to which he reluctantly agrees. Alexandra is now in the gamer career, his girlfriend doesn't have a job and dreams of having a large family. Will the sound of children in Dina's Mansion make her regret her choice? Alexandra takes Sharlene on a date to a restaurant downtown and proposes to her, she says yes and the rest of the date is spent getting steamy in Dina's sports car. They are now expecting a baby soon. The Copur Family

Cassandra moved into a small house after Don Lothario had left her at the alter, she quit her job in the science career and turned to education, becoming a teacher to try and fill the void of not having the baby she so deeply desired. This worked for a while, but after a while, decided it was time to go back into the dating scene. She calls up the matchmaker service and pays quite a bit of money for a blind date. She is set up with Warren Copur, to which the immediately hit it off and she could feel that he was the one. They go on a couple dates, all of them being dream dates. Cassandra asks Warren to move in to which he does and gets a extremely good job in the hospital thanks to the sheer amount of skills he has and that he went to collage. While on a date in the park, Warren proposes to Cassandra. She is ecstatic and agrees immediately. The wedding was a couple days later, where Cassandra invited over close family and Darren. Darren was extremely mad with Cassandra once she had wedded Warren and goes as far as to slap her on her own wedding day. Needless to say, after that day there friendship had ended. Cassandra fell pregnant shortly after the wedding, where the two sold there house with the money saved up and moved into a four bedroom house. She gave birth to twins, Allison and Austin. Allison and Austin were practically attached to the hip the moment they were born, there bond they share is unbreakable. Warren and Cassandra managed to get the twins into privet school, something Warren really wanted. Shortly after, Cassandra gives birth again to another baby, a son called Carter. However, with how busy Cassandra and Warren are at this point, Carter becomes that of an after thought. Cassandra finally becomes the Education minister the same day she ages into an Elder Broke/Dreamer Darren, heartbroken that Cassandra once again rejected his advances, turned his attention to Brandi Broke. He didn't love her per say, but he did see that she was a struggling single mother of three with her teenage son supporting the family and Darren was incredibly lonely. Brandi meanwhile had just given birth to her third child, a son she named Skip Jr, after her late husband Skip Broke. It was a loveless marriage, Darren using Brandi to make it appear that he had gotten over Cassandra, and Brandi was using Darren for money. Darren got a job in the Science career, the same career in which Cassandra used to work in before switching jobs, as he realised that he couldn't go on as a struggling artist with 5 kids now in the household. Dustin during this time meets Meadow Thayer, to which the pair immediately have a strong connection. Although he loved Angelica, they had shared there first kiss together and gotten together, he could feel his love was stronger for Meadow. He starts cheating on Angelica with Meadow, which goes on for a while. Dirk found out about this and was disgusted with Dustin. So, one evening he called up Angelica and asked her to come round, to which she was met with Dustin and Meadow making out with each other. Angelica broke up with Dustin there and then, Dirk comforted her after. Some time passes, Dustin and Dirk get into collage, Beau is now a teenager and Skip Jr is a child. A storm breaks out one night, Skip Jr is playing outside. Lightning strikes a tree and it catches alight, the fire spreads and kills Skip Jr along with one of Darren's friends, who tried to rescue the child. Beau managed to eventually get the fire under control, but it was too late. Brandi had lost there youngest child.

Darren didn't a tear at the news and went back to studying his research. Brandi on the other hand ended up having a mental health crisis. She is never quite the same. Beau moves to Collage, and now Brandi and Darren are left alone, in this loveless marriage. The Pleasant Family Mary-Sue walks in on her husband Danial Pleasant cheating on her with Kaylynn Langerak. Having just been fired and now walks in on her husband cheating on her she is PISSED. She doesn't even listen to him before kicking him out the house and divorces his ass. Danial moves into a depressingly small house, and only invites Kaylynn Langerak for a quick pick me up. He dies alone. That's the Danial lore. Mary-Sue meanwhile, now having to support two teenage daughters that absolutely hate each other thanks to her toxic parenting, gets a job in the medical field and works extremely hard. She works so hard in fact, that when she dies she is working still as a surgeon, surrounded by family. Speaking of family, Lilith works hard onto rectifying her grades and ends up graduating High School along with Angelica, both getting an A+ and both get into collage. Dustin, Meadow, Dirk, Lilith and Angelica all share a house together and it is CHAOTIC. Angelica and Dustin both take Art Majors ( which actually rekindles there friendship and Angelica forgives Dustin in the end) as Angelica wants to be a chef and Dustin really likes Architecture. Dirk takes Economics because he always has and will be interested in cold hard cash, Lilith takes Biology as she dreams of working in Law Enforcement and Meadow takes Psychology as she really wants to be a teacher. While in collage, Angelica meets Michelle Tse while shopping for clothes. At first she thought that they were just really good friends, however there love for each other slowly blossomed, after her final exam Angelica proposed to Michelle and the two got married shortly after moving back in with Mary-Sue. The two hear about a baby that had just been placed into adoption shortly after being born named Jasmin Goth (I wonder who the mother is) and the two adopt it, the baby taking the Pleasant surname. They manage to get Jasmin into private school shortly after Mary-Sue passed away and adopted another baby girl called Rosie.

The Burb Family I never really tend to do much with John and Jennifer, but they did get jobs. Jennifer got a job in the Business sector and John worked as a builder. Although John wanted another baby with Jennifer, due to there poor finances, they could never afford to have another child. Lucy for the most part keeps herself to herself although she does befriend Justus . When a teenager she picked the pleasure aspiration however, she was never allowed out, her parents were very controlling and limiting. In fact, Lucy doesn't get out of her shell until she leaves her parents (Jennifer had died shortly beforehand and Jhon would die, electrocuting himself to death when trying to fix his TV) and head out to collage along with Alexandra Goth. Whilst the pair didn't get along at first, they end up forming a deep friendship. The pair would dabble in juice and blowing bubbles, but near the end Lucy would pretty much function off of those alone. She also managed to gain 3 boyfriends to which she's woohoo'ed with all of them. Alexandra didn't judge as at this time, he had met his girlfriend. For the first time, Lucy was free, she had no one to tell her what to do. Despite Lucy now being a functioning Juiceaholic and avid bubble blower, she still had a perfect 4.0 GPA, something even Alexandra didnt manage. She moved into an apartment complex, the same that her childhood friend moved into and got a job as a freelance web developer in the slacker career. She makes more friends, she goes on more dates and gets promoted to professional party guest. Life cant get any better for Lucy, she is finally free.

The Oldies

Coral Oldie wanted to adopt another child to fill the everyday boring life she had been feeling since Mary-Sue flew the nest. Herb didn't really complain much, although he was slightly against the idea. They adopted a child, Justus Oldie. Justus did make a friend with Lucy Burb, but has never had any romantic feelings for anyone, nor felt the need to woohoo. By the time he was a teenager both Herb and Coral had passed away and he was left alone with the couples two dogs. During this time he discovered two things about himself.

He wanted to enrol into the military as soon as he was old enough so began to really work on his logic, mechanical and body skills.

He discovered that he really enjoyed stargazing at night.

Justus decided that he didn't want to go to collage and immediately enrolled into the Military, moving out the house and moved into an apartment complex. Every evening he searches for UFO's, wondering if there real.

The Thayer Family

After collage, Dustin proposed to Meadow, to which she immediately agreed. As a Family Aspiration sim, all Meadow dreamed about was marriage, children and the perfect suburban home. She absolutely loves children and can't wait to have her own. They move into a house that has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, its perfect for the large family Meadow dreams of. The day of the wedding and everything is perfect, the two share there vowels and sealing it with a kiss. Dustin takes Meadow's surname, no longer wanting to be reminded of his past. All goes well, and then Lilith and Angelica ruin everything by fighting twice.

Meadow quickly falls pregnant and the pair have a daughter, Diana Thayer. When Diana is a Toddler the pair find out the Meadow is pregnant again.

The Pleasent/Dreamer Family

Dirk and Lilith stay dating throughout collage and move in together after collage, the pair work hard to get in a good spot in there respective careers. Once both get to the top, they finally decide to get married. Lilith falls pregnant unexpectedly, at first Dirk was scared to be thrown into fatherhood, but once Travis enters the world Dirk falls in love with him and parenthood. They move into a large home where Lilith quickly falls pregnant again (this time planned) and she gives birth to twins, Ruby and Martin. With the trauma Lilith went though as the forgotten twin, Lilith is set on treating the twins equally. Will Lilith be able to right her parents wrongs?

[silverjansims]

Sims 3: Wild Darlings

Wild Travels & Brainstorms

Hello and welcome back for another visit with the Darling family in Moonlight Falls as the first generation begins to wind down. This update will have the recent family news in a few photos as well a preview of the next generation now that Kory and Ana have reached the tops of their careers.

Here are a few photos of Ana's trip to Egypt. Here she's entertaining Lu Zhi and Sun Young Sim are enjoying Ana's guitar playing and gave her quite a few tips.

Ana getting out of the dive well inside the Pyramid of the Burning Sands after torching herself the second time when she failed to examine an area of the floor in the Tomb of the Rock part of they pyramid that was hiding a fire trap before stepping on it.

Ana completed her lifetime wish a while ago now since she became a 'Hit Movie Composer' in the music career. Kory is a 'World Renown Surgeon' at the local hospital and is still working towards becoming an 'Alchemy Artisan'. He has completed the first part of this goal by reaching level 10 of the alchemy skill but still has use several of his potions on himself or others to reach the required 50 of this lifetime wish. Kory has used twelve of them so far so has 38 more to go. Hopefully he'll be able to do this before their youngest daughter, Koralee is ready to officially take over the family story in generation two.

Ana also had an opportunity to explore the part of the Great Pyramid that was blocked by a big boulder which was probably there to keep the local townies safe from the mummy living there. She had been asked by Shadia Rashid to get a picture of a mummy but unfortunately was attacked by the one she woke up there so could not get the picture.

The biggest news items for this update is that Dana's fairy girlfriend and partner, Sophie Rodgers has moved in with her. Korbin will soon be graduating from high school and then like his older sister will study Fine Arts at university where he has already been award 18 of the required 48 credits to graduate. With a lot of hard work and study, Korbin should be able to finish his degree in two semesters by taking three courses in each one. The family story will focus on Korbin's studies in the next two updates which will allow his parents to withdraw from the spotlight for a bit.

Before Ana left for Egypt, Dr Kory Darling held a 'free health clinic' at the performance park across from the hospital.

Getting back to Ana, her music career boss asked her to travel to Egypt on a promotional gig to earn 1000 Simoleons in tips while playing her guitar there. Since she has maxed the skill, it wasn't hard to get the other explorers who were staying at the camp to stick around and listen to the beautiful music she was making. It took about two days of her trip to get the required tips in addition to getting torched and soaked a couple of times for Fahad Madbouli but due to her having two soulpeace gems in her inventory, she could not get cursed even though she lost two out of three fights with mummies. Ana also took a photo of a rubble pile for Fahad's new tourist brochure before coming home.

Meet Dana's girlfriend and partner, Sophie Rodgers who was adopted as a toddler Linda Rodgers who now a retired chef. Sophie's favorite color is pink and she wants to become a Superstar Athlete and has already joined the athletic career. She's very athletic and a natural born performer. Despite having her 'hot-headed' moments, Sophie is friendly and family-orientated.

That's the main news for now but as the title of this update suggests I've been brainstorming as to how to divide up the household for generation two which I will share in point form below. Feel free to comment on what you think of the ideas or add suggestions.

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend and have lots of simming fun.

Silver Jan

Generation 2 Brainstorming Notes

First in my game play, I generally do not have Seasons or Into the Future activated as I've found that while they work better now, they can still cause lagging issues with my game since Seasons is a large file. So, I'm thinking of creating a game save or two that uses Seasons but deactivate a few of the other expansion packs to see how that goes and whether or not it will affect my other saves.

Thought I'd try this with Dana and Sophie and play them just until they complete their careers and/or LTWs. Korbin may join him with his werewolf prom romantic interest Hank Gandillon if I can add him to the household so that he can change into his human form to age up to a young adult.

Since Kory and Ana will soon be retreating from the spotlight altogether, they plan to hand the family legacy home over to their youngest daughter, Koralee continue with in generation two along with her high school sweetheart, Nathanial Levin who is one of the town's current babysitters. They will move to a new game save as this one has just finished it's 13th Sim week not including Dana's university years. Almost all of the tombs in Egypt have been explored so it will soon be time for fresh start for them, too.

I plan to share Kory & Ana as a household to my studio so that they can live out their golden years in other games or just live happily ever after.

Sorry about this long post but sometimes I just need to write out my brainstorms. Due to the 'As-it-Happens nature of my game play these ideas are subject to change.

[amateurfilmopinions]

Network (1976)

"He's saying life is bullshit, and it is, so what are you screaming about?"

The first time I saw this movie, I was traumatized. Not because it wasn't any good, it was actually one of the best I had ever seen, but because I felt like it was more of a horror movie than a dark comedy. I extended my unsettled nature to my friend who insisted we watch. After my second viewing, I knew I had to write about. Let's dig in!

Who, What, When, Where, and Why Do We Care

We start the film with two old friends and work colleagues laughing, drinking, and reminiscing about their careers. We learn through their drunken rambles that Max Schumacher (played by a solemn William Holden) has had to deliver the hard news to his longtime-friend and co-worker Howard Beale (played brilliantly by Peter Finch - more on that later). Little do we know, Howard is not going to take this sitting down. On his next broadcast, he announces that he is being forced to step down and that in his next and last broadcast, he will shoot himself on live television. Keep in mind this movie came after the real-life on-air suicide of Christine Chubbuck, which was rumored to be the inspiration behind this, but this has since been debunked. UBS, the channel they work for, and its executives immediately fire Howard. Max somehow gets Howard back on the air to apologize for his outburst, but it quickly turns to a rant on how life is "bullshit." This turns out to be a winner in terms of ratings, something the newly-hired programming chief, Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) tries to capitalize on this by convincing her superior, Frank Hackett (Robert Duvall) to give Beale his own show where he can continue his rants in front of a live audience. However, their quest for ratings soon turns into a deadly end.

Diana + Max = Nobody Wins

Lets make something clear: Faye Dunaway and William Holden have chemistry. New Hollywood and Old Hollywood came together to form a steamy, May-December romance. However, they were doomed from the start. Let's put aside the fact that he is married. She is at the precipice of her career at UBS, while his has been over for a long time. She is consumed by her ambition, while his is burning out. She wants ratings, at no matter what cost, while he believes in the integrity of programming. It does not help that this movie displays a pattern present during its time and even today: dehumanizing single, career-minded women where their ambition becomes their downfall (most extreme case: Fatal Attraction). Max truly emphasizes this point by calling her a "humanoid" during their break-up and when he told his wife that Diana is "incapable of any feelings." She even at one point talks about the potential romance as if it was an upcoming pilot. Unfortunately in this movie, particularly in terms of the romance, Diana's character comes across as a caricature, one that as a female, I am tired of seeing. Say it with me: THIS OUT-OF DATE TROPE NEEDS TO GO!

Overall Thoughts: Movie Still Powerful (Flaws and All)

Even with its Sorkin-like, on-the-nose dialogue (sorry Aaron, there is one Paddy Chayevsky), Network still works and resonates, even more than forty-five years after its release. This bring us back to my horrified reaction after my first viewing. The quest for ratings by giving unhinged individuals a platform sounds a little too familiar in this day-in-age. The people of UBS took advantage of the social unrest of the era and its impressionable audience to gain more success and money. It's quite hard to not draw comparisons to the forms of media that constantly air out misinformation and seeks views regardless of content, at the expense of disenfranchised groups. Did we not just have a former, reality television host as President, who in turn used his infamy to attack minorities and promote his anti-democratic ideologies? This film goes beyond satire. It is a warning, which Chayevsky succeeded in portraying. The goal is views/ratings/likes and the cost are our rights and livelihood. Think I'm exaggerating? The January 6th Insurrection says hello. This goes beyond a trend. This is our new normal and we need to start paying attention.

The Oscars: Here's some awards, but not the ultimate prize.

This film won three of the four acting awards: Peter Finch (Best Lead Actor - posthumously), Faye Dunaway (Best Lead Actress), and Beatrice Straight (Best Supporting Actress - holds the record for briefest film performance win at five minutes and two seconds). An argument can be made that Ned Beatty deserved to win for Best Supporting Actor for his brilliant, brief performance as Arthur Jensen, the UBS parent company chairman who helped turn Howard Beale to the dark side. It won Best Screenplay for Chayevsky, deservedly so, but controversially, not my favorite of his movies. I feel that Marty was better equipped at portraying emotional turmoil and philosophical turning points (highly recommend). However, when it came to the top prize, the film felt short of another cultural phenomenon: Rocky. It appears that the Academy went for the heartwarming story of triumph, rather than the one that mirrors our ugly reality. Seems like a copout, yet I don't blame because that is the easiest option. However, in times like these, we do not have that luxury and neither does the Academy. By constantly picking simplistic one-dimensional films like Oliver!, Shakespeare in Love, and Dances with Wolves that fail to examine the human condition and what is actually going on, they were and continue to be at risk of fading into obscurity. I mean, let be honest, how many people were watching this year's ceremony before the "Slap Heard Around the World"?

What do you think? Do you think Network is worth the hype? Leave your take in the comments!

[agentofscifi]

Success is the Best Kind of Revenge Ch. 3

Heels click onto the floor of my office as Chloe pushes open my doors. My hands were currently holding up the train of a dress hung on Juleka. Alix follows after Chloe, tinkering with some kind of camera in her hand. Over the years, as we all graduated from University and done pretty well for ourselves.  

Juleka ended up changing her major in school after three semesters. Instead of going into performing arts for instruments, she went and got a composition degree. Juleka wrote music for a variety of artists and was one of the most sought-after songwriters. When she wasn’t doing all of that, she was modeling for my company. Juleka did a variety of photoshoots for several companies, mine included throughout her University Years. After I opened up my first few stores, we signed a formal contract. She’d been working for me for almost a decade. She split her time between Paris and Nashville in America. 

Alix decides to focus on a degree in art history. She worked at an Auction House company in Paris, moving between the various countries of Europe to authenticate pieces of art and then handle their sales. She was rather successful at her work, earning many bonuses for rather extremely successful sales. Alix’s unique style and comfortable professionalism made her easily approachable to buyings. She was rather blunt, and it did her well in her job. On her off-hours, Alix did some minor modeling and promoting much of my athletic pieces. Alix’s popularity grew as she competed in several X-Games in and after university. She won several titles in skateboarding, BMX freestyling, rollerskating, and snowboarding before retiring after a slip-up when snowboarding. She shattered her kneecap, broke a leg, her collarbone, and dislocated her arm in two places. She still did BMX biking, skateboarding, rollerblading, and snowboarding, just not in a professional capacity. That being said, little kids still asked for her autographs all the time.  

Chloe graduated from the London Business School with Honors and then proceeded to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York to get a Graduate Degree in Global Fashion Management. She modeled some of my designs, worked connections, handled all my brand’s social media accounts, and finalized contracts. Now, she had several people working underneath her, to handle the day-to-day operations. Either way, Chloe handled all of the Brand’s business dealings and flourishes.  

As for me, I attend the London College of Fashion. I got a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design and Development with honors. After those years, I went to Milan to attend Istituto Marangoni International for a Master’s Degree in Luxury Accessories Design & Management. After that, I relocated back to Paris. My first boutique opened up quickly after that along with a small factory with a loan from a bank. I ended up having to open a second factory within three months due to demands. More boutiques opened up worldwide as the Brand became a household name.  

“Hello Chloe, how is everything?”  

“We got invitations to a reunion for Lycée. Alya sent them, as she was the class representative when we all graduated. Personally, I think she wants to get her hands on you or Juleka for an interview. You know her journalism career is in the gutter.”  

Alix snorts. “And who’s fault is that?” 

Chloe rolls her eyes. “Her’s. The idiot ruined her blog when she was a teenager and she never changed. She still does idiotic and frankly dangerous things to get a scoop. Sure, she does some basic research now, but the girl’s been detained several times for endangering people and disrupting the peace. No University would touch her, and no place will hire her.”  

Alix looks up from the camera. “So, you didn’t inform everyone in the fashion journalism world about her history, knowing it would spread to all major news and journalism networks.  

Chloe raises an eyebrow. “Look, this company’s image is important. I was not going to let Miss Blogger ruin it for 15 minutes of fame. She dug her own grave.”  

I sigh. “This is great and all, but are you all going?”  

There’s a snort right behind me. “Not on any of our lives. We will not be sinking that low.”  

“Chloe!” Juleka’s face is red and slightly scandalized.  

“What? Why would we go to this reunion? To see how everyone is doing? It’s rather simple. Alya’s a tabloid writer. Nino is a barely successful DJ who works at a music store to help pay his bills. Max is an IT guy at a company. That fake research paper haunts him to this day. Kim works at a gym. The drugs screwed his athletic chances over and he never planned for anything beyond going to the Olympics. Nathaniel works at an art store and does nighttime classes. He’s unsuccessfully worked with 7 different writers for his comics after leaving Marc.   

Now, Myléne and Ivan are happy, at least. Myléne works as a secretary and Ivan as a grocery store manager. Both are part-time so one of them can stay home with their kids at a time. They have millions of photos of their family on their Instagram accounts. Neither one can do much with charities. The fraud they committed was spread around the charity communities fast.  

Rose, Adrien, and Sabrina are the only ones who did what they wanted to do. Rose had a few years of fame with her music before getting married and settling down as a youth music teacher. Adrien moved to America and works for a University. However, I know for a fact that he will not be returning to Paris for anything less than a funeral or a wedding. As for Sabrina, after some therapy, ended up as a Detective in Marseille.”  

“Didn’t you pay for her therapy?” I tie off my last stitch and let the train fall to the platform.  

Chloe purses her lips. “I owed her that much. I screwed her childhood up, majorly.”  

“Did you stalk everyone to find out all of this?” Alix has a mischievous look.  

Another eye roll from Chloe. “I didn’t need to. In this day and age, all you need to do is type their name into the internet and all of their social media pops up.”  

I hum. “What about Lila?”  

“She’s still in prison. Tried another appeal a little while ago, to no avail. Her long list of offenses and the “assisting a terrorist” change isn’t something any judge would want to touch, even with a 10 ft pole.”  

Juleka simply shrugs. “Back to the point at hand. I’m not going to this reunion. Rose is the only one I wanted to keep in contact with, and she’s not going. It’s her five-year anniversary with her husband. She’s going to Spain that week.”  

Alix shugs. “I’m not going either. Kim has tried to contact me so many times to help him get back into the sports world. I am not giving him another chance. Besides, there’s this huge auction going on in Russia for that week. I am not missing that for a few hours with our childhood classmates.”  

I look at Chloe. She raises a perfect eyebrow. “Not a chance and you are not going either. Heavens forbid Alya posts something on that new blog of hers.”  

I set my needle and thread down on a work table and gesture to Juleka to get changed. “I’m not going if none of you are. Besides, there’s this fashion show in Milan that weekend. It’s for freshly graduated designers to show off their talents to possible employers. I was planning to go to find some who would specialize in Fashion Contour. I’ve been doing quite a bit of work in that field and want to get a fresh pair of eyes that will eventually take over that area of our brand. I was also hoping to look for someone to start a Make-up department. One of your people mentioned the idea at a meeting.”  

Chloe nods and starts to type into her phone. “I’ll tell my assistant to look through the applications we have to see if anyone fulfills the requirements for that job. Just find that new department head.”  

I give Chloe a nod as Juleka hands me the dress from before. A custom-made wedding dress for a woman who happened to be Juleka’s exact size. One of the many I had made of the years since I’d started my fashion business.   

Some part of me wanted to thank Lila. If I was honest with myself, I wouldn’t be where I was if she hadn’t arrived at my class and taken everyone’s loyalty. They weren’t bad people, but thanks to Ms. Bustier, they were a drain on my energy and abilities. Now, however, I was one of the most well-known and successful fashion designers with over two dozen people for me in Design. I could not be happier. 

Ch. 1 ~~~~~ Ch. 2

[reallyhardy]

went through the goes-wrong-verse playbills/programmes - that is, ‘the play that goes wrong’ and ‘peter pan goes wrong’ (thank you @cornleypolytechnicgoeswrong​ !) trying to piece together each society member’s career within the society PLUS if possible whatever it was they were doing at the polytechnic (university) course-wise, along with whatever other character snippets they give. this is mostly to inform me when writing but i thought it’d be useful for other mischief/goes wrong fans!

chris bean:

as of TPTGW is the ‘newly elected’ head of the drama society, and is known at the university for his charitable & philanhropic work. he has six acting credits within the polytechnic to his name.

i was going to presume his choice of course at the uni was acting or directing, but his PPGW bio states that his ‘dacting’ (directing and acting) is all self-taught, so who knows. maybe he’s just in the society because of his aforementioned charitable work.

robert grove:

has starred in 40 productions with the society since 2002 (when he began work at cornley polytechnic as a caretaker - i’m taking this to mean he was never actually a student there.) anyway wow explains why they call him a “veteran actor” lol.

he offers acting lessons (reacting, gesturing, emotioning and acting) and can be contacted via twitter @robertgoodactor. i’ve looked this twitter account up and it does exist it’s just not been used since 2017 - that said there are some in-character photos of henry lewis as robert and nancy zamit as annie on there and plenty of tweets.

he runs an extremely dubiously safe cornley youth theatre program and can be contacted at his email robertgoodactor@hotmail.com (membership fees are non-refundable.)

trevor watson:

in TPTGW is arbitrarily from ‘the north east’ (rob falconer’s portrayal, whereas chris leask’s portrayal is firmly and specifically scouse.)

he has a twitter account (rob falconer’s portrayal) @trevtechie, with i think probably the most tweets of the cornley twitters. stopped being updated in 2017.

his participation in haversham was to complete an electronics module - as the light and sound technician i’d assume his course was in this kinda field.

he states that after haversham he wants to never work with the cornley drama society again, but as of PPGW he’s “following in his parents footsteps” and has pivoted to possibly actually studying stage management. (his PPGW bio states that he’s in his final year at the uni for the 3rd time running. so it could mean his staying on with cornley is like partially due to failing his course?)

dennis tyde:

in his TPTGW bio it states that he joined the drama society after failing to get in to any other societies.

he didn’t live on university campus and commuted in from his parents’ house. he mostly just wanted to make friends - he’s interested in snooker and wants to meet like-minded people.

in his PPGW bio he still wants to make friends and says you can reach him via twitter @dennistyde. i checked this account too and again it does exist but hasn’t been used since 2013, and there are only 3 tweets so its much more bare-bones than the others. i like his one tweet about drinking a mug of bovril to calm his nerves before a show.

as of 2021 in promotional vids we learn that dennis and robert now live together.

max bennett:

in TPTGW bio it says he was a first year studying human geography and crime which i was surprised about but sure okay. it also says here that he happily donated “a large portion of his recent inheritance” to the society to help fund it.

at the bottom of TPTGW’s cast page it states that the west end performance of the play is “made possible by a generous legacy from claude bennett” who’s presumably max’s grandfather? or just father? idk

his TPTGW bio also says his favourite movie is the legend of bagger vance which i’ve never seen but is apparently a will smith golf movie.

his hobbies as listed in his PPGW bio are chess, cooking & hanging out with friends and fam. he also dedicates his performance in PPGW to his grandma claire, which is sweet.

annie twilloil:

as of TPTGW she’s designed, built, painted, costumed & stage managed every cornley show for the past 3 years. in the PPGW bio, it states she’s studying cognitive behavioural therapy and pottery, and has taken up life drawing at the student’s union (as the model.)

after haversham, she apparently had an internship lined up at the bolton octagon.

she has WILD backstory in her PPGW bio that says she dedicated her performance to her estranged husband julian who she hoped was in the audiance and two children frangipani and ylang-ylang. not sure if the kids are with her or with the husband but either way, wild. nuts. pretty funny but also pretty tragic.

she’s also got an ad out looking for a new bloke (i suppose if her husband isn’t in the audience) apparently she’s been left by boyfriends previously for an air hostess, a stripper, and a coal miner.

she also enjoys knitting and playing the banjolin (an instrument she made herself.) her email address is greatfunmum@hotmail.com.

she has a twitter account that again hasnt been used since 2017 (@annietwiloil). a couple tweets chronicle dave hearn’s shoulder dislocation but as max so i guess its canon that max also dislocated his shoulder, but he did it while trying to open a twix? lmao

sandra wilkinson:

in her TPTGW bio it states that haversham manor is her 11th production with the company. idk how frequently they put on shows.

she won some kind of local kids beauty pageant in 1998 and did some modelling for a local restaurant (the sunam balti house, which apparently the cornley crew frequent? or have at least been to - seems they struggled with spicyness levels there, especially dennis.)

nothing on her course at the university, i might just take a stab and assume she was actually doing acting, since her bio is mostly about her being a performer.

she’s a big fan of jeremy irvine, they mention him in both of her bios.

jonathan harris:

is a total health & fitness guy. his course at the uni is in physical education and he’s also a model, though who’s to say what for. in PPGW this is expanded and he’s moved on to being a combo model/actor/photographer/lifecoach.

he loves his outdoor sports: mountain biking & kayaking are noted.

he had a bath salts advert out and he hoped it was gonna go national.

lucy grove:

her surname IS grove! i wasn’t sure, but that’s confirmed. not really much about her in there, because the bio is written by robert and he just used it to gas himelf up.

can’t tell if she’s a student at the university or just in the society through robert. genuinely there’s just not a lot to go on when it comes to lucy.

another note is that the murder at haversham manor and the version of peter pan that the cornley crew perform are both written by ‘susie h. k. brideswell’ who i guess either chris knows or chris is a big fan of?

other notes... they try so hard to make out like the characters aren't all the same age like implying that robert is genuinely older than most of them etc etc but ofc the cast featured in the TV broadcasts are all visibly the same age... ofc all this is just comedy innit so you can take it or leave it

also i realised that the american version of TPTGW calls it “the cornley university drama society” since i guess you guys dont have polytechnics over there. a polytechnic is like... a university that offers the arts (among the classics you know science law what have you) basically. by 2021 in promotional videos etc. shields in character as chris has dropped “polytechnic” altogether from the group’s name (but varies between calling it ‘the cornley drama society’ and ‘the cornley amateur dramatics society’) i assume to reflect how much time has passed since the group put on their first production under chris’ leadership - and that now they’re simply operating unattached to the university because they’ve become a real family. love love love, sillyness and love.

[lightsovermonaco]

His Good Sweater: Chapter 18

Masterlist

Thanks to @acollectionofficsandshit for being my bestie and beta reading! This would have never happened without her ❤ Make sure you read Roman Profile, set in the same universe!

Word Count: 7.6k

Abu Dhabi holds a special place in Pierre's heart. The food is great, the views are spectacular, and there is always plenty to do to keep him busy. Night races are some of the more exciting races too and Pierre appreciated the variety.

Coming into the final race of the season, Pierre holds on to seventh in the championship by a few points. Perez sensed the usurper creeping up on his seat and had cranked it up to eleven. 

Exams had kept you in London for the race in Brazil, where Pierre had finished sixth and Checo DNF'd. You had managed to fly out for the weekend in Saudi Arabia, where Perez had finished fifth and closed the gap to Pierre to only four points behind. 

If Pierre didn't finish ahead of Perez this weekend, he was fucked. And he was at the distinct disadvantage of his good luck charm being absent, stuck in London finishing up your final few exams of the semester. Two weeks without seeing you coupled with barely hearing from you had worn on him. It wasn't purposeful on your part but Pierre's stress was already compressed like the suspension on his car. Stray an inch too far over the racing line, hit a curb too hard and it was liable to snap, sending bits and pieces flying.

Pierre checks his phone for the millionth time as he waits to check in to the hotel. Wednesday was late for this many crew members to be arriving. His main concern though was that you hadn't responded to the text he'd sent you upon landing.

"Look lively, will you?" Max claps Pierre on the shoulder and he slides his phone into his pocket. "It's the last race of the season. We get to go balls to the wall and leave it all out in the track. And here you are looking like a kicked puppy."

"Easy for you to say," Pierre starts, grinning at his friend. "You clinched the title weeks ago. You don't even have to race this weekend if you don't want to and you'd still win."

"Doesn't mean I won't be shooting for a podium."

Pierre rolls his eyes. "Yeah well we can't all be so lucky, can we?"

"Next year you'll be playing with the big dogs." Max hands the receptionist his ID, says a few words and turns back to Pierre. "Looking forward to having you as a teammate again. It was fun for those couple races and I'm sure you'll be a challenge now that you've found your groove."

"You're gonna jinx it if you keep talking." Pierre laughs, praying that it covers up the old wound Max's statement picked open. Pierre hated the idea of moving back to Red Bull but he didn't have much choice. He was still contracted to one of four Red Bull branded seats for next season. A promotion, at the very least, would help him showcase his talent and further cement his value. If he had to spend any longer than that with the team, ripping out his hair was a real possibility.

"Wasn't someone supposed to be with you this weekend?" Max quirks a brow. "Where is she?"

"In London." Max bringing you up doesn't help the pit forming in Pierre's stomach. Win or lose, seventh or eighth, Red Bull or Alpha Tauri, come Sunday Pierre wanted you at his side. Interview requests were bound to roll in either way and Pierre would need someone to ground him, a task much easier to accomplish if you were physically at his side.

"Too bad." Max clicks his tongue and takes his room keys from the receptionist. "It's gonna be a fun weekend."

"I don't think-"

Pierre's vision goes dark at the same time someone whispers, "Guess who?"

Pierre sucks in a breath, spins on his heel and wraps you in a hug in one smooth motion. You laugh as he lifts you off your feet and presses kisses to your cheeks. 

"What are you doing here?" He grabs both suitcases and tugs you aside. His room can wait.

"Tost asked me to come." Your grin is contagious, its twin appearing on Pierre's own cheeks. "He said that since you were flying out from Milan on your own there was an extra seat on the jet, so if I got myself to Nice I could fly out with the Red Bull boys."

"Seven hours trapped in a tin can with Max, Yuki and Checo?" Pierre rubs his chest. "I've got heartburn just thinking about that."

"It wasn't so bad," you say, finally giving him a proper kiss. "Yuki and I just played games on our phones the whole time. And I beat Max at Scrabble."

"How many Dutch words did he try to use?"

"Mmm, about half the words he tried were definitely not English."

"Yep, sounds about right." Pierre throws an arm around your shoulders and leads you back to the reception desk. He pays for an upgraded room when you aren't looking- though when you're assigned a suite there's not much higher you can go- and slips the woman behind the counter an extra bill for good measure.

"I could use a nap," you note, leaning against Pierre like you'd otherwise fall over. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

Pierre checks his watch. "We've got time for a nap."

"We?" Your raised eyebrow is question enough. Pierre smiles and swipes his key card once you're in the elevator with him. He hadn't looked at the price of the room but he was positive it was more than he'd spent on a single night in his entire career, considering it occupies an entire floor of the swanky hotel.

"It's date night," Pierre says simply. Initially his plan had been to invite Charles over for a game of Fifa but the Monegasque wouldn’t fault him for cancelling at the last minute. "We're in one of the most luxurious cities in the world and I'm going to show you off every chance I get. The restaurant down stairs is to die for."

Your attempt at nodding along with what he says is thwarted by a yawn. "Sleep first, eat later." Seeing as it was impossible to deny you, Pierre simply drops a kiss to the crown of your head.

"Wait until you see our room." The way your eyes light up when he says our room makes him want to say it again and again just to see you sparkle.

"I know you upgraded it, Mr. I-think-I'm-sneaky." You uncurl yourself from against his arm when the elevator chimes. "How much did it cost?"

"A few extra pennies."

The stainless steel doors open directly into the suite. The living space is dominated by a curving crescent of full length windows overlooking the cerulean harbor and the jagged steel of the city skyline beyond. Suitcase forgotten, your jaw drags along the floor as you toe off your shoes in favor of sinking onto one of the half moon couches situated around a low coffee table.

"Did you get some sort of bonus you didn't tell me about?" Pierre sees your inner engineer cataloging the chandelier dripping crystals over the carved dining table and the pattern of the black veined marble flooring. "This cost more than a few pennies."

"I didn't really look at the price so it's possible," he admits. In the end it was worth it to see you like this, happy as a pig in mud. Pierre was in his element at the track you were in yours in beautiful buildings. For all Pierre cared you could be sharing a dingy room at a motel; it would still be five star worthy with you there. 

Every once in a while though, you deserve a bit of pampering for all you put up with. Late nights and months apart wasn’t easy on either of you, but you stuck by him. And when the day comes that Pierre retires or loses his seat, you would be the one there to comfort him. Spending frivolous amounts of money to see you smile was nothing in the grand scheme of things. 

In Pierre’s world, money is temporary, you are forever.

"Well I have half a mind to tear into you for spending so much on a room we won't spend all that much time in," you start, your star-speckled gaze landing on Pierre, "the view is too pretty to be upset about."

"Mine isn't half bad either." You laugh, tucking an errant hair behind your ear. You both know he isn’t referring to the glittering bay or the expensive furnishings.

"Up," Pierre demands softly, holding out his hand. Your hand is warm and dwarfed by his long fingers but you barely seem to notice. The heart in his chest pounds for no discernable reason as he leads you down the narrow hall past doors leading to what he can only assume are bedrooms and bathrooms, to the one at the end of the hall. Based on his mental floor plan this one has the best view, if he's guessed correctly.

Your breezy oh confirms his hunch. You stutter at the threshold, coming up short behind him to bathe in the beauty of the sea, dotted through with white sails. Sunlight twinkles off the waves and if he breathes deep enough, he can almost smell the salt.

"Come on," Pierre says with a chuckle, urging you to fall into the fluffy down of the bed with him. You follow reluctantly, too enamored by the sights to pay any real attention to how Pierre arranges your limbs to his liking, your head resting on his chest and your joined hands laying atop his stomach.

"How about that nap?" He murmurs, running the fingers of his free hand through your unbound hair. 

You sigh and snuggle in closer. It was rare that Pierre had the opportunity to steal moments like this during a race week, when he had nothing better to do than tangle himself in you.

"I'll tell you a story." 

Just as he expected, you leap at the offer. "Can you tell me the one about the time you and Charles got in trouble when you were karting?"

Normally he opts for something fictional that allows him to embellish the details to fit his narrative. Pierre loved spinning tales rife with laughter and intrigue but he also didn't mind indulging your curiosity.

"Yeah, I can tell that one. Let me set the scene. It's midnight on a Friday at a little track outside Rouen. Two gangly teenage boys, one French and one definitely, positively not French, have nothing better to do than get themselves in trouble…"

**********

Fans began whispering when Pierre set foot in the lobby. The price of stardom was high and had taken years to get used to. Some days the bombardment of people asking for photos and autographs overwhelmed him to the point he was desperate for an out. Most people respected his boundaries and when they sensed it was too much, they backed off. Other days it was simply too much and he would mumble excuses and book it out the door.

The pressure increases tenfold when he steps into the lobby with you on his arm, the pair of you dressed to the nines. He clocks a group of women- clearly tourists based on their body language- perched on a sofa the minute their low murmurs turn into excited squeals.

Pierre mentally braces for you to stiffen or stop altogether but you do neither. You carry on unaffected, either ignoring them or completely oblivious to the women who do nothing to hide their pointed stares.

"Table for two please." You smile at the restaurant host and then at Pierre. You must not have noticed the fans then. You were getting better at coping with the photos and whispers, although your smile usually became forced the longer it dragged on, the polar opposite of you currently beaming at him.

Pierre's shoulders sag a bit when you're led to a secluded table towards the rear of the dining space. Privacy wasn't a luxury he was often afforded. With his back to a wall of windows, there were fewer angles for people to approach from which was a small comfort.

Apparently you find sitting across from Pierre unacceptable because you shuffle your chair to his side of the table before plopping down in it. Pierre shoots you a questioning look but keeps his mouth shut. Inquiring after your motives didn't tend to end well for him.

Instead he leans over to kiss your cheek, relishing the blush his lips coax to the surface.

“It all sounds good,” you say, scanning the menu. “You’ve been here before, I take it?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah I have. It’s all wonderful.” 

The fans from the lobby remain in the blurred fringes of his vision. Pierre does his best to focus on the waitress explaining the specials. He tunes in automatically to the fan’s heavily accented English as they argue with the host, vying for a table as close to Pierre as possible.

Their phones remain out as an annoyed waiter tries and fails to coax the gaggle of girls into ordering something. Pierre drags a hand through his hair.

Being the center of attention usually doesn't bother him. Coping with the spotlight and the scrutiny that accompanies it is second nature; if the press conferences at Spa in 2019 had taught him anything, it was the importance of a solid poker face. Fame is new to you though and interactions with polite fans make you nervous. Having your picture taken without permission and splashed on social media? Forget about it. Pierre didn't care to find out how you'd react.

"Don't be nervous." You lay a hand on Pierre's thigh. The touch is enough to temporarily pause his bouncing leg. "You're going to do amazing this weekend. All you have to do is finish in front of Checo and you're golden."

How you haven't noticed the girls giggling mere yards away is beyond him. The last thing he wants to do is ruin this perfect, beautiful moment of bliss. You look gorgeous with your painted lips and that sinful black dress that he doubts can be comfortable based on how it hugs your curves like water. To top it off, the pride in your gaze is something to behold, making it impossible to doubt himself when you so clearly and openly believe he can conquer the world.

But it's better to tell you now versus you finding out on social media later. "That's not what's bothering me."

"Oh?" You sit straighter and set the menu down. "What is it then? Because if it's Horner, I have no problem marching in there and chewing him out. Birdy will back me up."

Despite himself, Pierre can't hold back his smile. "Where did all this confidence come from, hmm?"

"I'm learning," you insist, nodding your head firmly. "I'm growing as a person and you should be proud."

"I never said I wasn't." Maybe you'd spent the last month at university interacting with racing fans on campus. Perhaps being exposed to endless questions in a setting you controlled was the key. "Did you take a course in confidence at university?"

You scrunch up your nose and laugh in the most adorable way. Pierre's heart lurches at the sight, regardless if it was him you were laughing at.

"No, but I did make a few new friends that have a habit of pestering me about you." You jab a finger in his side for good measure. "It helped, I think. I don't look for cameras as much anymore. You're my focus now, not paps that may or may not be lurking in bushes."

"I knew it." Pierre is slightly impressed that he'd hit the nail squarely on the head. "I figured there had to be someone at uni responsible for helping you out."

You shrug and purse your lips. "I guess we'll have to see how I handle this weekend. I mean, there's bound to be press trying to corner me, what with the stakes and all. But I think I can take them." You raise your fists in front of your face and Pierre has to laugh. 

“Throw a punch like that and you’ll break a finger.” He takes one of your clenched fists in his and untucks your thumb from under your fingers. “That’s how you make a proper fist. And you hit with these knuckles here- make sure you distribute the blow across all four, or you’ll be hurting.”

“Regardless,” you say, jabbing the air a few times, “The shock factor of having little old me in their face ought to be enough to earn me an advantage.”

Pierre finishes the lap to circle back to the topic at hand. "How about we test your confidence?” 

"Okay," you say, dragging out the 'a' until it hangs in the air between you like a spider's web. 

Pierre rakes a hand through his hair and nods to the girls a few tables away. "They've been taking pictures since we sat down. I'm sure they'll be all over Instagram in an hour, if they aren't already."

You steal a glance at the table in question under the guise of grabbing something from your purse. You hum, contemplating how to go about responding. Pierre is almost certain you'll ask to head back upstairs where it's just the two of you, no cameras or outside influence to ruin your night. His wallet is already out under the table, ready to leave a hefty tip for putting up with your drink-and-dash.

“We aren’t doing anything interesting,” you point out, swirling the knuckle’s worth of whiskey in your glass. “Why do they feel the need to document every passing second?”

Pierre lifts a shoulder in a shrug. “It’s just what some people do. If you’re uncomfortable we can go.”

“Who said anything about leaving?” You scoff, the corners of your lips turned up in a teasing smile. “I figure the best course of action is to give them something worth photographing.”

“What do you-”

Pierre’s yelp is decidedly unsexy when you yank him forward by his tie and attach your lips to his. Caught entirely off guard, he flounders for a moment before he catches himself and sinks into you. One hand on your cheek and the other creeping up your thigh, Pierre slides his tongue over the seam of your lips. You don't hesitate to obey the silent command.

He should be embarrassed. He should be contemplating the consequences of this kiss being splashed across tabloids the world over. He can’t bring himself to care, not when you’re the only release he needs and something as simple as a kiss sets his skin alight and causes any sane thoughts to trickle from his head.

Nothing matters. You're kissing him and your hand is a few inches below his hip on his right thigh, burning a brand that he prays leaves a puckered pink scar. Your scent and your mouth and your unmistakable hiss of pleasure saps the worry from his limbs. He's floating up off his chair, lungs filling with helium as you steal every last molecule of oxygen from the room.

Just like that, Pierre is the one that's roaring to leave for an entirely different reason.

Your hand on his jaw keeps your lips a hair's breadth apart as you whisper, "Are they staring?"

A blissed out nod is all he manages. Thoughts evade him and speaking is utterly out of the question when your lips are within striking distance. He surges forward for another kiss, heavier on teeth than on tongue. He makes sure to hold your lower lip between his teeth longer than necessary, putting on a show now that you've given him permission.

"Pierre," you murmur, using the hand splayed on his chest to push him away. The whine that escapes him is wholly unintentional. Thankfully it's low enough that only you hear, pressing a finger to your sinful lips.

"Down, boy." You extricate his hand from the dimpled flesh of your hip and place it chastely in his own lap. "We've accomplished what I wanted to."

Saying you tossing a wink over your shoulder at the intrusive fans isn't the hottest thing he's ever seen would be a lie. Pierre needed to be sure to thank Daniel's girlfriend the next time he saw her for whatever the hell she said to finally bestow you with a healthy serving of self-assurance because this new you is an entirely different entity, one Pierre intends to explore at the next opportunity.

"Problem solved." You brush your hands together and Pierre half expects to see dust clouds in the air like you'd just finished a woodshop project. 

Pierre's brain is operating on a ten second delay. So really, normal operating procedure when he was in your vicinity. "I don't think we've accomplished everything I'd like to get done."

"We have a dinner to finish first." You pick up your menu and resume browsing like you hadn't just forcibly ripped his appetite for anything other than you right out of him. "The salmon sounds good, don't you think?"

"You sound good," Pierre mumbles under his breath and picks up his own menu. God, he'd love to let his fingers drift to the apex of your thighs. You’re always cute when you squirm. It was so simple to do too, all you needed was a brush of his knuckle to your center and you'd be gasping.

"Are you ready to order?"

The soft-spoken waitress bursts Pierre's bubble. She brings fresh drinks and jots down an order of two salmon fillets and leaves with a smile. 

How Pierre has managed to make it this long without fucking you is beyond him. From the moment you surprised him in the lobby, his limbs have been thrumming with energy. And now your surprise kiss had been the pebble that preceded an avalanche of feverish longing. Those red painted lips would look better wrapped around his-

The pointed toe of your shoe digs into his calf. "Quit staring."

"Either you let me daydream or you let me take you upstairs,” Pierre quips back, licking his lips before he can catch himself.

"Can we get through one date without you mentally undressing me?"

Pierre dips his grin in a vat of lust, his words dripping with waxy promise. "No. Not when I know that as soon as we're alone, you'll let me do what I want."

"And what about what I want?" Your pouted lip does absolutely nothing but push his mind further in the gutter. 

"Your wish is my command." His hand floats under the hem of your dress to graze along your core. And there it is, that sound he would swim across oceans to hear, your chastizing gasp of surprise. 

The cross way you whisper his name is a thing of dreams. No one else's name sounded like that on your tongue, that honor is reserved solely for Pierre. The two breathless syllables are more exhilarating than standing on the top step. The rush of adrenaline that accompanies them is ten times what he is rewarded with when passing a world champion on track. He'll give it all up to hear you repeat it when you're pissed or lonely or tired- he just wants your voice echoing in his ears like a broken record.

You move his hand a safe distance down your thigh, nearly at your knee. Pierre gives your leg a sharp squeeze. "Can we please get our dinner to go?"

"Not tonight. You can wait, mon amour."

The French rolls off your tongue awkwardly but Pierre will be the last to complain. Your encyclopedic knowledge of which buttons to press when had come back to bite him in the ass.

"That's not fair." His pout is a mirror image of the one you turned on him earlier. "You can't use my own language against me."

You pat your pockets as if searching for something and shrug when you come up empty. "I don't see a rulebook anywhere."

Reminding you what happens when you tease him shoots to the top of his to do list. "I'll play if you wanna play, ma chérie. Don't bite off more than you can chew."

"I think you're forgetting who usually wins off track."

Pierre can't help it. He takes advantage of his superior reflexes and surges forward to claim another searing kiss. You did normally win and it wasn't for lack of trying on his end. No matter the tactic he employed, you generally got the better of him. Not that he minded.

"Why don't you come here?" He purposely grazes his lips to your ear as he speaks and grins when a shiver runs down your spine. 

"Because we are in public," you hiss back, though the way your head tips to the side betrays you. Pierre's nose touches the underside of your jaw and you struggle to find your breath.

"We should eat." A self satisfied smile splits his face when he notices your heaving chest and wild eyes. 

"When did our food get here?" Pierre did that. He got you so worked up that you blocked out your surroundings so thoroughly that you hadn't heard the clink of plates. Pierre wears that fact like a badge of honor.

"A minute or so ago. Remind me again who's winning?"

"We may be even," you relent, adjusting the skirt of your dress. Yeah, even isn't the word he would pick, considering how flustered you are. It's a good thing Pierre has learned to eat with one hand because he doesn't plan on moving the arm currently slung over the back of your chair anytime soon. His finger traces the letters of his name on the bare skin of your shoulder. Whether you realize what he's writing or not you lean into him as you eat, falling in closer with each lemon-scented bite.

"Excuse me?"

You don't bother to look up but Pierre does. Disappointment washes over him when he is met by one of the fans, apparently deeming now to be the appropriate time to approach him, while clearly on a date, in the middle of a meal.

"I'll be happy to take a photo once I'm done." Sometimes passive aggressiveness works best with people like this, who have no regard for personal space. "Right now I would prefer to be alone, thanks."

"Oh, right." The blonde giggles, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "You two make a… cute couple?" The end of her sentence turns up and your fork falls to your plate.

Pierre tucks you a little closer to his side, both possessive and reassuring. "We know."

Your discomfort is plain, the way you curl in on yourself making his heart hurt. But you surprise him by taking a deep breath and turning to the woman with a smile. 

"If you'd let us finish our meal, I would appreciate it. We can stop by on our way out and chat with you." Sylvie would be proud of that answer. Diplomatically phrased and said with a smile that negates any negative connotations.

"Of course." The blonde's smile is sickly sweet. To Pierre she adds, "Good luck on Sunday."

Pierre nods. The woman's rude behavior didn't warrant a verbal response. She mumbles a feeble goodbye before slinking back to her friends. If nothing else at least their whispers died down, put out by his behavior. 

Pierre loves his fans. Without them he wouldn't have a sport to compete in, and of course he appreciated their endless support. Stopping for photos or autographs had gotten him in trouble with Marko multiple times for being late to meetings that usually turned out to be pointless anyway. As a whole, their enthusiasm gives him an extra boost on Sundays and lifts his spirits after a bad weekend.

And then sometimes there were people like the blonde woman that had interrupted his dinner. Those people he has far less tolerance for. Basic manners were imperative to Pierre giving someone the light of day, otherwise he saw no need to waste time and energy on them.

"All good, ma chérie?" Pierre rubs your shoulder, hoping it'll stave off any anxiety.

"I'm good," you confirm with a nod of your head. "Let's finish up and go to our room."

Pierre presses a kiss to your temple and scarfs down the remainder of his meal in record time. He flags down the waitress and hands her his card, leaving a substantial tip when she returns with the check.

“Can you distract that table?” Pierre asks, aware of how unusual the request likely is. “I’d like to get out of here without making a scene.”

“Of course,” the waitress says with a warm, sincere smile. Pierre waits until she loudly announces, “Excuse me? Your card has been declined, do you have another method of payment?”

Neither of you can contain your laughter as you stumble through the lobby. In the sanctity of the elevator, Pierre wraps his arms around your middle and molds himself against you. "You look especially gorgeous tonight."

"You're not too bad yourself." One of your hands finds the nape of his neck, guiding his face to the crook of your shoulder. Pierre takes the invitation at face value and nips at the sensitive skin. Your hum goes straight to his cock, twitching against the swell of your ass.

"I win," you purr, tangling your fingers in his hair and tugging. 

For once Pierre is glad to be in the world's slowest elevator. Since he's already lost, he might as well lose in style. He spins you to face the mirrored wall. And because he knows it'll make you tremble, he trails his hand lazily over your throat to grip your jaw.

A low moan leaves your parted lips. Pierre studies your reflection, from your hands gripping the railing to the skin dimpling beneath his fingers. 

"Fine, you win this time. But I think you and I both know, I'll come out ahead in the end."

**********

Waking up to soft kisses will never get old. Thirty years from now when Pierre was retired and you fell asleep each night with his arms around you, you'd still yearn for the brush of his lips to your cheeks, neck, and shoulders to rouse you from the violet shores of sleep.

"Good morning," you mumble, a sentiment which Pierre echoes with his gruff, sleep tinged voice. "Sleep well?"

"Best sleep I've ever gotten. You tired me out last night." You both grin at the reminder. Fueled by a slight tinge of jealousy after the women at the restaurant made eyes at him, you had refused to let him tumble into bed until well past midnight, when you both were well and truly exhausted. Thursday is press day, nothing strenuous that he couldn't afford to be a little sore for.

Pierre rolls to straddle your hips, lips capturing yours for a proper kiss. The taste of freshly brushed mint makes your skin tingle when he tugs your lip between his teeth.

"It's too early for that." You throw your arms around his neck and urge him to bend his elbows until he falls atop you. It takes him a moment to snuggle in, his head on your chest and his arms sliding under your middle. 

You're convinced that ten minutes in this position can cure any ailments, physical or mental. The weight of your soulmate pressing into you, forcing you to focus on breathing instead of whatever might be bothering you. It's easy to forget about the outside world when everything you require to be happy is wrapped around you like a blanket.

You stroke a hand over Pierre's hair until his breathing evens out, only rousing him when the sun peeks over the harbor. Amiable silence fills the space as hues of orange and pink paint Pierre in swaths of color. Suddenly you're seeing him for the first time, completely enamored by the angles of his cheekbones and the sharp cut of his stubbled jaw. The golden hour of dawn shines on it's golden boy, his lashes brushing his cheeks as he turns towards the warmth calling him home.

"Pyry and I are going for a run soon if you'd like to come with us."

You cringe. Running used to be fun when you were in school, but seeing as you hadn't properly trained in years you doubted you could keep up with a pair of professionals. "How about you text me when you're back and I'll come to the gym with you? It looks fancy, if George's snaps are anything to go by."

Pierre trails kisses up your sternum, over your neck and only speaks once he's reached your lips. "Looking at other men, are you?"

"Shut up," you laugh, shoving him off you. "I'll have you know it was a rare shirt on picture, thank you very much. I don't need to see George shirtless ever again."

A satisfied, "Good," rumbles from Pierre's chest and he stands to stretch the lingering sleep from his limbs. Clad in nothing but a pair of white four inch inseam shorts and with his back to you, you grin as an idea forms. You scramble forward before he can process you moving and smack his ass so hard he yelps.

"Gotcha!" You devolve into a fit of giggles as he rubs the spot you hit, whining about you taking advantage of his distraction.

"You like it," you tease, and Pierre remains strictly pouty for two whole seconds before he breaks into a grin and nods. "Now put on a shirt and get downstairs before Pyry calls you and you get reamed for being late again."

Pierre leans down for one last kiss before rushing off to the lobby. Waking up before the sun leaves you plenty of time to laze about if you choose to. Kicking your butt into gear seems like the better option so you drag yourself out of the relative warmth of the sheets and shuffle to the kitchen in search of coffee. 

Apparently the suite came fully stocked with a handful of different freshly ground blends, and much to your delight you recognize one of your favorites. You scroll through the room service menu on your phone while it brews. Without a doubt Pyry would rope you in to whatever workout he had planned for Pierre, albeit giving you a watered down version of what he gave the driver. Regardless, it would still be grueling and you needed to fuel up.

A hearty breakfast of fresh fruit and cinnamon sugar oatmeal shows up at your door ten minutes later. You're just finishing up when Pierre's snapchat comes through and you nearly choke.

Come on down baby

The sweaty, shirtless selfie that accompanies the caption is wholly unnecessary. Pierre's stupid tongue sticks out and the fingers of one hand are tangled in his hair. The muscle of his bicep is perfectly flexed, an obvious but appreciated attempt to rile you up. You shamelessly screenshot the photo before it disappears to save it for later.

You change into a simple set of leggings and a loose t-shirt and head to the elevator, curating your music queue on the way down.

The outdoor gym overlooks a pool of the same crystalline blue as the sea not far beyond. A few Alpha Tauri and Red Bull team members you recognize occupy a handful of machines. You wave at the ones you recognize, including Alana- she was a sight for sore eyes. You make a mental note to catch up with her at some point today, as you're sure to cross paths again.

Pyry spots you before Pierre does and waves you over. "Start stretching," the fin orders, "I'm glad you dressed for the occasion this time."

"I've learned my lesson." You plop down next to Pierre and lean into a stretch to stage whisper, "He drives you this hard?"

"Get used to it." Pierre shoots you a grin that sets you on fire. He's got a shirt on now, which means he only took it off earlier to send you that snap. Tease.

Any other time you'd chide him for his behavior but this weekend you let it slide. Tension has been brewing since the moment you spotted him across the lobby; simple things tip you off to the stress winding up in him. If flirting could offer him a small amount of release, then so be it, even if it was torturous for you to see him like this and be unable to do anything about it.

"If you two can't get through this without making heart eyes at each other I'll separate you," Pyry warns, pushing at your shoulders and helping you stretch a few more inches. You hide your wince and laugh, leaning into the slight burn.

"Sorry coach," Pierre chimes in, "I'll keep my hands to myself, don't worry." He accepts Pyry's hand to be pulled to his feet. Bouncing on his toes he throws a few punches at the air and catches your gaze over his trainer's shoulder.

"Definitely not you I'm worried about."

As Pyry says it, you blow Pierre a kiss. You quickly tuck your hands behind your back when Pyry's head whips around. Your cheshire grin gets you off the hook and Pyry just points to the stationary bike in silent command. At least he was going easy on you.

Headphones pumping a Pierre curated playlist, you lose track of time as you cycle mile after mile. Pierre sparring on the fringes of your vision helps distract you from burning muscles. Sweat soaks his black tee and is absorbed by the waistband of his oddly patterned orange and white shorts. No matter how incessantly you tease him for his fashion choices, he never fails to amaze you for how well he pulls it all off.

Lost in the music and the incredible view, it takes you a moment to realize Pierre's lips aren't just moving silently. You yank out an ear bud and blubber, "What did you say?"

Pierre's breathless laugh is accompanied by a shake of his head. He half curls in on himself, hands on his hips and mouth agape as he tries to catch his breath. The image stirs memories of the last night, when he was panting just like that but with nothing obscuring you from drinking in his godlike muscled body.

"I said," Pierre starts, walking over to kiss your cheek, "I need a shower before press. I'm going upstairs. You can stay here and Pyry can take you through some more-"

"No thanks!" Pyry shrugs off your immediate refusal. Training top tier athletes and training you sat at polar opposite ends of the spectrum and often times the Fin pushed you farther than you thought capable. You'd like to be able to function tomorrow, thank you very much.

The elevator ride to the suite is filled with salted kisses and wet touches. A breadcrumb trail of clothing leads from the stainless steel doors to the glass encased shower. There's not enough time to worship Pierre like you'd wanted to but he sighs when you run a soapy cloth over his body. Your lips follow the suds, leaving light kisses to the tender muscles. By the time you pour shampoo in your palm and lightly scratch at his scalp to work it into a lather, he's practically purring.

Media appearances are a necessary part of being a driver. Pierre usually handled them well enough on his own and occasionally with Sylvie's help when she could be bothered to get off her phone for a few minutes, but having you with him is different. You pride yourself on reading him well enough to know exactly what he needs. Some days, when the press isn't a pack of rabid animals, he returns to his driver's room and needs nothing more than a quick kiss to have him righted. On days when the pack of piranhas descend to feast on the bones of a bad session or the whispering of drama, a delicate touch is required.

If your suspicion proves right, today would be the latter. Being ahead of the frenzy might take the edge off when Pierre got in the thick of it.

When the tap cuts off, you step out and wrap Pierre in a fluffy towel. His smile communicates how grateful he is- and that he knows what you're doing.

You hand him a stack of Alpha Tauri branded clothes and sit on the foot of the bed. "Do you want me to come to the paddock with you?"

Pierre pauses with his shirt half on. "If you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind." You pluck a few of his rings from the nightstand and hold out your hand. "You have to complete the look."

"What would I do without you," he murmurs, slipping one on his pinky and one on the thumb of his opposite hand.

"Probably be ridiculed for your lack of fashion sense."

**********

As a driver's girlfriend, you had come to grips with being relegated to a background role when it came to team events. You have to ask Sylvie to repeat herself twice before her words sink in.

"Come with me to the media pen," the woman grits out. Apparently Tost intended to have some fun torturing the woman before he fired her at the end of the season. Hopefully whoever Pierre got stuck with next was a bit more personable than Sylvie.

"Pierre told me to wait here," you say, gesturing to the garage buzzing around you. You were a rock and the mechanics were the stream, parting around you without a care in the world. You were barely a blip on their radar, everyone too honed in on their tasks to pay you any mind.

"And now I'm telling you to come with me. The other wives and girlfriends are in attendance and it'll look odd if you're not there too." Clearly, Sylvie didn't like the idea. And any idea that pissed Sylvie off sounded like a good one.

"I know the way," you say and breeze past her. Your feet follow the familiar path to the cluster of reporters crowded around metal gates, keeping the drivers in like caged animals. It was fitting, considering how often people referred to the sport as a traveling circus.

Pierre is already knee deep in an interview with one of the more popular journalists in the bunch, Will Buxton. Careful to stay out of the lens, you lean against the guardrail to listen in. So far it seems to be going well, Pierre's laugh brings a smile to your face.

"So, Pierre." Will shifts on his feet, pausing to create a sense of drama. "Your seat for next year. We know you'll be in Alpha Tauri or at Red Bull. Only a few points separate you from being demoted right back to eighth in the championship, which would officially relegate you to keep your seat at Alpha for the upcoming season. Are you worried about a mechanical problem or an accident stripping you of your chance to prove yourself and leaving you stuck where you are?"

Your stomach sinks. Buxton knew how to phrase a question, you had to give him that. Each word had been carefully chosen to elicit an emotional response from Pierre. You hate seeing him backed into a corner, forced to answer the same questions again and again, helpless to prevent it.

"Well first of all I'd like to stay that I'm not stuck at Alpha." Pierre shifts his weight and you exhale. Buxton's poisoned dart had missed its mark.

"Given a few years of development I know we could have a really competitive car. But it's more so that I'm ready to move up, fight with the leaders now instead of waiting. I'm in my prime and I don't want to let that pass me by.

"So no, I'm not worried about things that are out of my control. My team has given me an amazing car this year and I'm not concerned about mechanical problems. Things out of my control aren't worth my energy. There's nothing I can do about it so I don't even give it thought. I'll focus on my driving and pushing my limit- if an accident happens, I'm just a passenger."

"Well said." Buxton nods and turns away, effectively dismissing Pierre. As soon as he's out of the camera's view he's reaching for you and you meet him halfway. Sylvie trails after you as Pierre leads you through to the Alpha garage.

"Five minutes until your briefing," Alana says the second you enter. "And hey girl. Don't think I've forgotten about that sweater I loaned you. I still want it back!"

Your friend doesn't leave any room for rebuttal before heading for the conference room, presumably to set up whatever presentation she had created. Sylvie had disappeared too, leaving you as the only one for Pierre to focus on.

"You think I can do it?" He asks quietly, playing with your interlaced fingers.

"I don't think." You tilt his chin up so he's looking at you. "I know. And I'll be right here when you cross that line on Sunday and bring home points. You've got this, baby. Don't doubt yourself now."

"Pierre!"

Your grip on his chin prevents him from following the voice, not that he would if he could. You shoot him a raucous grin, "Red Bull colors would look pretty good on me, huh?"

Pierre's smile is brighter than all the stars in the sky. "Anything with my name on it will do.”

@seasidetom @flashcal @limp-wrist-max @sunshinesewis @lifeofzoemichael @ninuffi @perfectfantasies22 @lamboleglerg @ladyperceval @0forgottenparadise0 @evie-pr @avsensio @ninuffi @lu-morningstar @ggaslyp1 @swiftyhowlz @xeniarocks @teenwaywardasgardian @saintandrea-droidsmuggler​

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future updates!

[musewrangler]

In honor of OT Week here’s a little one shot I wrote a while back. My favorite film is The Empire Strikes Back.

This story is entitled— Piett’s Promotion

(In my work, the Lady is sentient and Veers didn’t die on Hoth)

He lost track of how many hours he had spent on the bridge, ruthlessly clamping down on his emotions. He had hated the man, it was true. And had suffered at his hands. But he had not ever wished that death upon him. He could still hear Ozzel’s wet chokes and see his bulging eyes, mere feet from himself. That last, desperate gurgle as he turned toward Piett-- as though the Captain could do anything against the Force. The thud of his body---it sounded like someone had dropped a bag of meat on the deck.

Lord Vader on the holoscreen, dispassionately squeezing the life from the man and calmly informing Piett what he wanted done with the fleet.

You are in command now, Admiral Piett.

So he went through the motions of being in command. Of taking reports. Checking duty rosters. Speaking to the morgue about the disposal of Ozzel’s body. Force . Writing to his family, because someone should.

Then---the asteroid field. His Lady, his fleet now, going to their destruction. And he had tried.

Three years he had worked with Vader and he had watched the obsession for finding Skywalker grow. Say what you would about Vader, and people did, he had seemed to genuinely care about Death Squadron, about the men and ships that served him faithfully. And he was being ordered to take that Squadron to their deaths, throw all that away, to find that damn ship.

So he had tried. He knew his life was forfeit. He went to Vader. His bridge crew clearly believed he would not return from that meeting. Veers had commed him as he walked to Vader’s quarters and begged him not to go. But he had to. For the sake of the men. For the sake of his Lady. And was told it was not an excuse. Vader was willing for the Lady, the pride of the fleet, his flagship, to be horrifically damaged, if not destroyed, in this obsessive quest.

The only moment in his entire career that Piett appreciated hearing from the Emperor happened just in time.

They had moved out of the asteroid field and Piett had an entirely new burden as damage reports flooded his datapad and alarms blared around the Lady’s bridge. So he did what he had to---he ordered repairs, he checked casualty reports, at one point, he personally had his hands in some of the Lady’s wiring, repairing damage to her bridge deflector shield.

And then…..

Avenger reported they had her.

Piett had served with Needa at one point. They weren’t quite friends, they hadn’t had time for that, but he liked the man and thought he was a good officer. And a good man.

So good that he felt he needed to shield his men from Vader’s unpredictable wrath. And for the second time in 48 hours, Piett had to stand by as another larynx was crushed and this time, Vader mocked his prey.

Apology accepted Captain Needa.

And all of Piett’s emotions must be silenced. Because he had his own men to think of. If he was to die, some other poor bastard would be Admiral. He would rather kill himself trying to save them than have Vader crush his throat.

At some point, and he genuinely couldn’t say when in the eternity he experienced, Captain Kelly had walked up to his side, carefully removed the datapad he found he’d been clenching in his hands, and quietly murmured, “Admiral, I have the bridge. Please sir, go and rest.”

Piett had stared at him a beat and then realized that he was being given a reprieve.

“You have the bridge, Captain,” he’d said in automatic tones that must have been his and then he was turning to walk as straight and confident as he could toward the blast doors.

First hurdle cleared, he made it to the turbolift where he allowed himself to lean against the wall for support.

There had been a time when he thought that Vader actually gave a damn about his men. That he was building something which Piett was proud to be part of. But this consuming obsession…..

His deck. He felt as though he was watching someone else as his boots moved slowly toward the Admiral’s quarters---his quarters.

Someone other than himself (perhaps Captain Kelly) had ordered his things transported here, and Ozzel’s removed. He could still smell the chemicals that the cleaning crew had used, to prepare it for their new admiral. He wondered if the smell would have faded by the time the next admiral was installed here. For he had no illusions. His death was coming swiftly in this mad chase for Skywalker.

One of his miniature trees was tipped over. In automatic response, he carefully righted it, scooping the dirt back in with his fingers. They were trembling.

Force. He needed a drink. He didn’t care if he was commed---he was going to die anyway, might as well add some liquid courage to face it.

He stumbled to the cabinet and found his liquor collection neatly put away. He found the strongest one he had--something from Dathomir--- and a glass, and poured it full, cursing the shaking in his hands as it spilled on the floor.

He stumbled to his sofa and sat, taking a long fiery drink, and then set the glass on the table, and managed to remove his hat and gloves. He unfastened the top of his duty jacket and found himself gazing at his very gleaming brand new Admiral bars.

Kriff it. He’d hated Ozzel but this had not been the way he wanted a promotion. Six hundred men had died today as a direct result of travelling through an asteroid field.

Dear family, I’m so sorry to write to you to inform you of the death of your son/father/brother. They were pulverized by a completely unnecessary asteroid trip because our commander has lost his kriffing mind over a Rebel pilot.

Piett took another long drink and poured another. As he made a good start on it, the lights of his quarters dipped into indigo.

He laugh/sobbed. “Yes lady, I am sad. That word…….doesn’t begin to cover what I’m feeling I’m afraid.”

Icey blue light--her color for fear. “Yes, literally afraid. I’m likely going to be dead soon….” He put the glass down again and buried his face in his hands.

The Lady. What would happen if he died next? Would Vader take care of her? Today’s actions didn’t seem to indicate that he would. Piett had to find a way to survive. Someone had to try and stand between Vader’s madness and this ship and crew.

The icey blue was flashing at him as he lifted his face and he realized that she was frightened at his words.

“I’m sorry….I’m sorry, Lady, I will do my best not to be. Lord Vader is….can you sense that he is not….right?”

Her regular lights flashed. <Yes>

He finished his glass and his head swam.

“Lady, if…..if…..I can’t, then you must take care of this crew. Do not let Lord Vader hurt you, do you understand?”

And that was dangerously close to treason, even in his rather intoxicated ears.

She flashed her lights and gave him indigo again.

“I’m sorry, Lady, but you need to be prepared, if I……” he reached for the bottle again, and suddenly strong hands were taking it from him, and he followed the hands with his eyes up to the deeply compassionate gaze of the General.

“Enough, Firmus.” He set the bottle somewhere out of sight and came around the sofa to kneel in front of Piett and begin undoing his duty jacket.

The Admiral’s swimming brain was struggling now, between the alcohol and the exhaustion of terror.

“Max. You’re in sickbay.” He raised a finger to point at him. “You will be in soooooo much trouble with Henley.”

“I discovered today, much to my shock,” Veers began, helping Piett shrug out of the jacket and reaching for his boots next, “that underneath multiple layers of baked on cynicism and appalling condescension, the Doctor might possibly have a heart. When he heard you were on a path to throw yourself between Vader and this crew, he let me go early. And your Lady got my attention a short while ago by blinding me with that white light she’s chosen for you.”

The General had finished wrestling off his boots and Piett noted the still pink and healing lines on his face from his injuries on Hoth.

“Now,” said Veers firmly. “I would say congratulations, but this is not the time and I’m so kriffing sorry that it happened this way, Firmus.”

“He was right next to me,” Piett whispered, and found himself irrationally angry that his hands were still shaking. “I need one more drink, Max, I’ve got to keep it together….”

“You do need one more drink, Admiral, but not alcohol.” The General rose and procured a glass of water which he came back and handed carefully to his friend. “That’s an order, drink it all. I found out how long you were on the bridge, and you are no doubt dehydrated. Drinking that much….” he looked back at the bottle, “damn when you go for it, you really do, don’t you? Dathomirian vodka? Yes, more water it is.”

Piett did not like the feeling of crumbling, but it was happening and he couldn’t make it stop. He tried anyway. “Techina---telechni---kriff, technically , I outrank you now, General Veers.”

He saw Max pause and glance at him with an eyebrow raised. “Well. Even plastered, trust you to know your military protocols by heart. That is true, Admiral .”

Piett flinched at the title. Veers relented, getting more water silently and snagging the duvet from the bed in the other room.

Don’t be comforting Max. I can’t. I will break utterly and I don’t think I have time for that.

Another glass of water was shoved into his hands and then his duvet was draped around his shoulders. Veers seated himself close to his friend.

“I know you pretty well now Firmus, would you agree?”

Piett just nodded, drinking the water, letting it slide down a throat that was feeling tighter by the moment.

Like Ozzel’s, like Needa’s.

“So I hope you can trust me enough to believe what I’m going to say.” Veers paused, considering. “A great deal of bantha poodo has occurred in the last several days. Hoth was a success in some ways. But I lost three walkers.”

“I’m sorry, Max I should have….”

“You should have nothing, Firmus. You haven’t had a single second to breathe until now and I know it. My point is, that our commander is…..not what we had hoped. But we both have men under our command and I know that you care about that. If what I overheard you telling the Lady is any indication…..you don’t expect to make it much longer.”

Piett shuddered involuntarily and in a rare move (he must look pathetic) Veers got an arm around him.

“I’m here to tell you, that you must . Keep your head down, follow orders, do your best as you always do, and hope that Lord Vader remembers that you are one of his most competent and loyal officers.”

And he would like to find some shreds of hope in that, he would, but….

“Did you…..” he cleared his throat and gave another attempt. “Did you hear about Needa?”

A pause. Veers sighed. “Yes. Kriff it. Were you there for that too?”

And the throat that was now unbearably tight wouldn’t work for him to make any words, and Piett leaned forward to hide his face in his hands as his shoulders shook.

Veers’ arm tightened around him.

“Get it out here, Firmus, it won’t help to try and bury that. I’ll be here as long as you need.”

You are in command now, Admiral Piett.

[lastsonlost]

Many of the women promoting the “cancellation” of men in comics, and demanding they post the recent empty promise known as #ComicsPledge, are in fact hypocrites.  In this article, I’m going to present evidence of lies, collusion, rumor spreading, and, in my opinion, defamation and contract interference.

I personally know that they’ve colluded for YEARS to take down men. Specifically those with conservative politics and philosophies. This is an ongoing, coordinated effort. How do I know this?

Because I obtained access to their PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP.

This is Part 1 of the #Hypocralypse leaks

There is simply too much to put in one leak, so I will make the following three points for now.

1. The so-called Comic Book Whisper Network, which has been dismissed as conspiracy since 2016, is real, and I have hundreds of screenshots to prove it.

2. The Whisper Network has been targeting men and trying to destroy their careers, and use their connections in the comic book media to do so.

 3. Whisper Network members have acted unprofessionally and unethically at best. At worst, they have engaged in what I believe could be illegal behavior.

MY STORY

I first heard about the Whisper Network back in mid-2016 from folks I knew at Image, DC, Marvel, and later, Valiant.  Depending on who I chatted with, sometimes the group was called ‘The Women’s Network’, other times ‘The Whisper Network’, occasionally ‘The Whisper Campaign’, and eventually there were more conspiratorial names used mockingly (a friend called them a gender-swapped 4Chan, which became ‘FemChan’ to some insiders).

Regardless of the name, it was all the same group.

The same five or six names kept popping up in conversation over and again. As time ticked on, I noticed a trend on Social Media: half a decade of rumors, false allegations, cancellation attempts , and they almost always traced back to these same five or six people.  The goal of this Whisper Network, according to industry folks, was simple: choose a target, smear them until they lose their reputation, their income, and are ultimately blacklisted – opening up job opportunities for the same people who started these smear campaigns in the first place.

 Behind the scenes these “cancellations” are painted as morally or politically motivated, but in the end it’s all financial. As time passed, the group in question seemed more and more like a reality. I saw their influence. I saw things I knew to be verifiably untrue go viral online, appearing in what I thought were legit news sources. I felt angry and helpless seeing innocent people getting attacked, but did not know what to do. 

A few years passed and by 2018 almost everyone I interacted with in the industry seemed to know about the Network, from top level editors right down to the letterers. It was an open secret, but no one was willing to speak up for fear of being targeted themselves. They knew the consequences.

And after all, this was a secret network. Without proof, there was no point in going public because members would just deny its existence, and use their media connections to smear anyone who challenged them.

 THEN THINGS GOT INTERESTING

December 16, 2018, Whisper Network member Gail Simone, who joined the Network 6 years ago (4 years before the following tweet was posted), mocks “doofuses” who speculate that a “whisper campaign” exists.

At this point in late 2018, I was still skeptical of the Whisper Network’s existence. I’d heard many stories of individuals spreading rumors and lies, and plenty of malicious behavior was going on behind closed doors. Though I wasn’t ready to believe it was a coordinated effort, or collusion was involved.  Then, certain people began openly mentioning the Whisper Network and my attitude changed.

 March 26, 2019, Heather Antos, a member herself, did not outright mention the Whisper Network or her involvement, but she made what some took as a veiled threat to those who got on her bad side.

 Heather “milkshake girl” Antos’ colorful backstory at Marvel, and later at Valiant, is notorious in the comic industry. A conversation about office rumor-spreading and bullying is never complete without someone bringing up a juicy Antos anecdote. Everyone has one.

Up until then, I still hadn’t seen ACTUAL PROOF of a larger scheme. But then, something changed in 2020.

January 8, 2020, Alex de Campi, who I would discover is one of the most active Whisper Network members, openly admits there is a Network. I have no idea if this was a slip or a brazen attempt to show off her power and influence, but this appeared.

Eventually, everything I had heard and read was confirmed beyond any shadow of a doubt after I gained access to their private Facebook group.

I WAS INSIDE THE WHISPER NETWORK!

This is the place where the Whispher Network has been colluding for years. And although their activity is not confined to just this site, from what I can tell, this was where they first met, and started their coordinated campaigns.

Members of the Secret Group called “Comic Book Women”

At present time, there are 440+ members of the secret Facebook group, called COMIC BOOK WOMEN. From what I can tell, a few are regular users, though many of them have never posted.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/comicbookwomen/ 

*unless you are a member, this will not show up in a search

Secret Facebook groups offer the same level of privacy as closed groups, but operate under a cloak of invisibility. No one can search for secret groups or even request to join them. The only way to get in one is to know someone who can invite you. Everything shared in a secret group is visible only to its members.

This secret group includes a list of members whose actions and connections speak for themselves. Members such as:

Zoe Quinn

Gail Simone

Alex de Campi

Heather Antos (aka Heather Marie)

Mags Visaggio (aka Magdalene Francis)

Mairghread Scott

And several key members of the group are women who work in the comics media and can be used to run damage control, including women like Heidi MacDonald of Comics Beat.  They have contacts outside of the secret network as well, with some male allies in both comics and the media.

Just the fact that all of these folks were secretly linked in a private network came as a shock to me, considering their reputations and the accusations that they’ve made. Immediately I began to connect the dots…

They’ve denied for YEARS that they coordinate their actions in private. And yet they always coincidentally appear on Twitter, retweeting and amplifying each other’s accusations, signal boosting one another, and helping them gain traction. And their allies in media – Bleeding Cool and CBR specifically – will turn those same tweets into stories almost instantly & with no fact-checking or verification, sometimes within the hour.

I’m going to start explaining who the key actors are, and, from my perspective, how they coordinate these attacks.

KEY ACTORS

There are too many people to focus on at once, so I will have to break this into several posts, but I will start with one of the clear group leaders IMO.

Alex de Campi is well connected, despite never being part of the Big Two (since, from what I’ve been told management is well aware of her bullying, harassment, rumor-spreading and unethical behavior that goes back years, and depending on who you talk to she’s almost as notorious as Antos or Tess Fowler).  She just wrapped up a graphic novel campaign on Kickstarter with David Bowie’s son, the Hollywood film director Duncan Jones. It grossed over $366K

All the while she makes baseless accusations while demanding transparency from everyone else.

Now, I’ll take you into their private network.

Two years ago, on May 13, 2018, De Campi launched a private campaign to target an independent creator, claiming she was using her connections to have Simon & Schuster cancel their book.

In addition to contacting the publisher, others in the Whisper Network coordinated their efforts to contact media outlets to have the narrative changed, according to the posts in this thread.  Again, in my opinion, this could end up as a defamation or tortious interference case, and has many implications regarding media bias as well.

 

The following month, on June 23, 2018, de Campi posted private text messages between herself and writer Max Bemis in what appeared to be an attempt to damage his career. Despite Bemis being mentally ill (diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2014), de Campi still posted the private messages with malicious intent IMO. According to US and UK law this is an actionable offense: posting private texts without both parties consenting.

[rurpleplayssims]

Jasper pulled Tyler aside, determined to give Tyler some venting time. "Spill bro, you're unhappy with the baby coming, aren't you?"

"Jasper my dad was a douche!" Tyler confessed, his voice low. "I know how much I dreaded him coming home, how he attacked me and my mum verbally and a lot of why I appear so confident is because I actually don't feel that confident sometimes!"

"As much as I care for Zoey, I know my feelings have shifted drastically in the past few weeks!" he admitted. "Now I only found out about the baby a few days ago and it's clear she's known for way longer! I wouldn't be surprised if Roselyn knew before me!"

"Aren't Zoey and Ros good friends?" Jasper asked, playing dumb. Nobody else (except Emily) knew how much Roselyn cared for Zoey.

Tyler rolled his eyes. "I know they are but I wanna know why Zoey really didn't want to tell me the truth! She told me that Roselyn told her to tell me and I'm glad she gave that advice! Zoey seems to think I hate children and that I would blame her for all of this happening, even though we both forgot the condom!"

"Do you hate children?" Jasper asked him bluntly.

"No!" Tyler said honestly. "I just always felt they wouldn't be for me. It's not just my fear of becoming like my father, it's because I don't think I'm interested in it at all! I said to Zoey that I'm happy to fund her financially but I don't want to actually parent the baby! I don't want to be tied down like that! I'm actually regretting my very rash choice to propose to Zoey - mate I swear I wasn't thinking straight!

"I've been a bloody fool!"

"Do you still want to be with Zoey?" Jasper said, cutting straight to the chase.

"That is the most important part and then you need to speak to Zoey, make sure you're both on the same page and then get through what your plan going forwards with the baby will be."

Phillip is back late (again!) and has scored another promotion!

Phillip you have one more promotion and then you'll be at the top of the Law career! 😀👍📝

And to finish up this round of the Morgan's, Noah has maxed the Logic skill!

Unlock Science Career: Max Logic Skill ✔ Gold Robotics Badge

[guessimate]

While I was not playing, I got some new CC and I replaced the non-medieval armchairs I had for my lower classes. I got a new wedding arch and a mod for announcing betrothals under it. I’m not a big fan of arranged marriages, but I have that option in my game just in case of ROS-es and such. I like it when my sims roll Get Engaged/Married wants, which they do once they are adults only. If some unexpected pregnancy happens I'll make my sims tie the knot, too, but so far I’ve been mostly ignoring ACR. I did a dress rehearsal of Drifa and Bay’s wedding when I was checking if the mod worked. I also gave the twins small makeovers since I had to gussy Portia up on age up anyway. They got freckles and some new clothes I got.

~*~

I was trying to have this family keep the parrot, but on the last but one day of their round, I gave up. The pet had just been fed and it went through all of its food immediately and got the red hunger thought bubble. I had Bay release it. And it was not the only problem with it. My sims were just standing next to it, unable to talk to it and it was really getting on my nerves. Plus it’s really expensive to take care of birds and peasants can’t really afford that luxury. And with the bird off went the previous job of Bay's. He got a job in the Athletic career instead, as that's where his father used to work. His Fitness enthusiasm and body skill are already maxed out, so his career will probably get fast tracked. It also helps that Tinkering is his One True Hobby, in case he needs more Mechanical points. In terms of the pay the top of the Entertainer career paid only 105$, while Athletic career starts at 97$ - or 110$ if you get promoted on your first day. Bay lost a vacation day, but he’s a Workaholic, so I don’t think he minds. Bay actually got a flu this round (he brought it home from work). I don't have the deadly sickness mod so he was fine and thankfully didn’t infect anyone else. It definitely made it harder for him to work on his Fitness, and during his illness he was afraid of himself dying.

~*~

Declan Gardiner was running by and he caught May’s eye. Maybe I forced it on her a bit by having her check him out, but they have 3 bolts together, I just had to. She rolled a want to flirt with him and then to ask him out on a date. I locked that in for the next round, because Knowledge sims roll romance-related wants so rarely. She made her choice and it’s actually a pretty good suitor for her, as she would become a yeoman. Maybe they’ll even end up, becoming the town’s butchers. I really need a butcher in town, because I have too many animals, mostly male pigs in this household (and 8 more piglets were born this round!).

~*~

When Portia was still a toddler, one of the twins would go jogging, while the other one was taking care of their little sister. Portia was obsessed with Creativity wants since she was a toddler, but she had only the Logic toy. Upon age up she managed to max out the skill by playing the piano. I swear I never fed any of my kids smart milk, so it must have been just the fall aura that made her learn it so quickly. She aged up on Wednesday, having learnt all of the toddler skills and the Nursery Rhyme. I gave her her last trait (Party Animal). Her brother had a party this round, so that was quite fitting, especially that she must have been really looking forward to this party. She got to meet her father during the feast. Her father came over together with the head monk and I teleported in the 2 men that would come back to their homes this round because of the ROS I got for this family (just for some storytelling). Cyprian Carbonneau and Franklin Fulke enjoyed the meal immensely and the Crown paid them with a kaching (1000$) for holding this feast.

~*~

They didn’t get to dig for treasure at all this round, because it was very snowy.

375$ - tax.

500$ - rent.

~850$ to the Royal Treasury. The Crown has earned 121.050$ total.

200$ - to the Church (tithe + burial fee for Poppa I didn’t pay the last round, because I was waiting for her ghost to show up and it did… at the very end of their round, after Drifa had already moved in). The Church has earned 20,150$ total.

They were left with pretty much nothing (~30$) before getting the big kaching ROS bonus because of the constant feeding of the parrot that they had to set free. I got them a maypole (stereo) and an easel, because Portia wanted an easel when she aged up (Arts&Crafts is also May’s One True Hobby) and Bay wanted a stereo earlier (Drifa also had a modern looking one in her inventory). After paying everything, they were left with only 190$. 

I have to say they got really lucky not with the ROS, but with the numbers they rolled later. Military men coming home from war ended up appreciating the meal they shared with them and the family was given 1000$, even despite everyone’s really low cooking skill. That's the most they could get with their nonexistent culinary potential. If you really want to know what I think... they probably ate the pigs...

~*~

I moved Drifa in with the sim blender. She’s 3 days younger than Bay and May. She will still age up at the very end of the next round and they can get married properly then. Before I moved in Drifa, I had also double checked how much money she was supposed to have and put it in her wallet. She had 825$ initially (from playing the piano and inheriting money from Myron), but as she had to pay a tax on that, she was only allowed to take 500$ with her. It left the Jenkins family with 1342$, as Sibyl won a swimming contest last round. They probably didn’t even notice Drifa’s leaving, since their money still checks out.