#the romy files

[emyryld]

Gail got me in KNOTS over Uncanny, lol. Reset my focus to something I didn't get to post in time for Romy week. Always OTP, always home and harbor, always together.

[laurapetrie]

SECRET SWEETH TOOTH: Sweets turned out to be one of Sisi’s favorite over-indulgences, and she was known to splurge on confections and pastries. She frequented Demel, the official patisserie of the Imperial Court, which was conveniently located across the street from the Hofburg. She would slip in and order thick hot chocolate, homemade truffles, and sumptuous slices of chocolate cake. She was especially fond of candied sugar violets, and always went home with a box. Her passion for violets was so great that she even indulged in her favorite treat, violet ice cream, when she wasn’t starving herself. THE FAIRY QUEEN: Sisi got the idea for her famous sparkling stars after attending a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Vienna's Burgtheater. The actress portraying Titania wore a sprinkling of glittering stars in her hair; inspired, Sisi then requested her own fairy stars from the imperial jeweler. She saw herself as the fairy queen Titania, and her bedroom (which she called "Titania's enchanted castle")  was painted at great expense with scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream by a young Gustav Klimt. THE LOOK: Her beauty routine was legendary. She used facial waters of rose, chamomile, lavender, and violet to remove impurities, and she would slather her cheeks with pure honey, rose petals and crushed strawberries. After her Rapunzel-esque hair was done to her satisfaction, it would be sprayed with Creed’s Fantasia de Fleurs, a heady floral fragrance created especially for the Empress, with a regal bouquet of the best Bulgarian roses.

- Assorted sundries about Empress Sisi 💗

[insextras]

What if/AU where gambit doesn't get brain surgery and his powers continue to grow beyond his control and he ends up becoming like his alt universe counterpart new son and now rogue has to reconcile that gambit might not be gambit anymore no matter how much he may try to act like it

[artbytaggerung]

I literally didn't have but the one piece to choose from for the later months of the year, but I still managed! Maybe some will be redraws this year...

Template by @nanaluvbug

[thedahliafiles]

🌈 Your favorite tropes to write about?

God I’m a sucker for Hurt/Comfort but I also love writing long form stuff, which I know is really funny cause I’ve not done anything longform ever but I’m currently working on a Blake fic that’s over 25 chapters long!! Miscommunication is a favorite troupe especially paired with Not Actually Unrequited Love!

[amphibifish]

anyway i guess if anyone wants the text files of the subtitles for the extra interviews with loki/freyrs VA and thor/heimdalls VA and heimdalls VA i got them 👍 they're a little fucked up because i had to convert the idx/sub files into srt files into txt files but i got them to work and you can kind of tell who's who from context clues

[rheya28]

Casa Del Rosario [ Filipino Inspired Restaurant ] ♥ The Sims 4: Speed Build // CC

Welcome to Casa Del Rosario, an old Spanish Colonial home turned restaurant that serves authentic and homestyle Filipino dishes from all around the Philippines(Sulani). Whether you are craving something sweet or savoury, a meal cooked by Lolo (Grandpa) Romy at Casa Del Rosario never disappoints and will always put a smile on your face.

Note: The exterior of Casa Del Rosario was very much inspired by Spanish Colonial homes in the Philippines. Although recently renovated, Casa Del Rosario's original architectural character and features remain. The original wood, stone, and ornamentation throughout the building were maintained and acted as inspiration for the rest of the interior. Modern elements, along with furniture pieces made by locals, were introduced to the interior to blend in with the original structure and materiality of the building.

The world of Sulani was chosen as a representation of the Philippines as it shares similar island characteristics and landscape (Especially where I lived as a child). I was hoping to place this build in a heritage town similar to where I lived, but sadly, we do not have that kind of world in the Sims so while Sulani does not accurately depict the environment I had in mind for this build, it is the closest to the Philippines as it was going to get.

DISCLAIMER: As mentioned previously, the exterior of this build was INSPIRED by Filipino Spanish colonial architecture and is by no means accurate! (though I tried really hard to)

Lastly, one of the reasons why I decided to create this build and create this narrative was because I was re-watching @oshinsimss Growing together let's play and was inspired by how she showcases Filipino culture in her game! Her storytelling is what pushed me to create this build and it turned out to be one of my favourites.

♥ Please make sure to turn bb.moveobjects on! ♥ Please DO NOT reupload or claim as your own. ♥ Feel free to tag me if you are using it, I love seeing my build in other peoples save file ♥ Feel free to edit/tweak my builds, but please make sure to credit me as the original creator! ♥ Thank you to all CC Creators ♥ Please let me know if there's any problem with the build!

♥ SPEED BUILD VIDEO 0:02 Intro 0:46 Speed Build 14:02 Photos

♥ LOT DETAILS Lot Name: Casa Del Rosario Lot type: Restaurant Lot size: 30x20 Location: Sulani

♥ MODS: TOOL MOD by TwistedMexi

♥ CC LIST: Awingedllama: Apartment Therapy Sooky: Vertical Oil Paintings (landscape ver) Charly Pancakes: Much, Maple & S Const. Pt 3, Soak Felixandre: Chateau (all), Colonial pt 2 3, Florence pt 1, London Exterior, Paris pt 1, Candelabra, Grove, Paris pt 1, Shop the look Harrie: Brownstone (all), Brutalist, Country, Shop the Look 1 & 2, Spoons pt 1 2 3, Jardane, Kyoto Felixandre x Harrie: Orjanic (all), Kichen, Tiny Twavellers TheClutterCat: Sunny Sundae pt 2 Pierisim: Coldbrew, MCM pt 3, Oak house pt 1 2 3, Unfold, Winter Garden Max20: Poolside lounge pack Charly pancakes x Pierisim: Precious Promises Syboulette: Sandrine Tuds: Cross, Ind

NOTE: i have not uploaded this build in the gallery yet, i will upload it asap

♥Tray File: Available on my Patreon ♥Origin ID: Applez ♥Twitter: Rheya28__ ♥Tiktok: Rheya28__ ♥Patreon: Rheya28 ♥Youtube: Rheya28__

[cmdrfupa]

Love you a waffle lot, you know?

Hiromi Higuruma x Reader

Sfw, established relationship w/ soft king Hiromi. fluff with smoochin (so sprinkled nsfw if you squint)

Foodies and Goodies entry and also me dusting off the typewriter after almost 10 years of not writing a fic. Thank you @tsukimefuku for the inspo!

The sensation of the cold, wet air and the faint sound of rain awaken your senses. A rainstorm provides respite from a week of stress, anxiety, and fatigue as it welcomes you to a new day. The overcast sky is causing very little light to filter into your bedroom. You awaken to the sensation of cold, satiny sheets beneath your hands, only to find yourself alone in the vast bed. With a smile and a hint of grogginess, you realized that not even a rainy Saturday would keep Hiromi in bed past 10 am unless you physically held him down.” That man can’t stay still.”

When you look out the window to see the rain splattering over the glass, the smell hits your nostrils just in time. The chill of the outside air was making it slightly uncomfortable to stay in bed. Well. Uncomfortable to stay in bed alone.

Shuffling down the hall to the low-lit, sage-colored, sunflower-accented kitchen as your husband comes into view. Wearing a fitted knit tank top and pajama pants from a set you bought him years ago, he leaned against the kitchen counter. Dark hair was damp, and wispy strands were sticking together at the nape of his neck. Eagle eyes watch the waffle maker as if it’ll walk off if he even thinks about looking away.

He notices your outline at the doorway and turns to you, holding out his hand for you to come to him.

“The waffle maker? You’re pulling out the heavy artillery. Need any help?”

With a slight shake of his head, the corners of his mouth turn upright.

“Was going to bring it to you. You didn’t have to get up, darling.” He spoke warmly. Fingers hooked with his, the smell of his aftershave commingling with the scent of the dripping coffee nearby.

“I was getting cold.” He brings you closer on impulse, wrapping his arms around you and rubbing your back with a delicate touch. His embrace is familiar and inviting as he kisses your head. His steady breath encouraged a sense of cozy contentment.

“You looked quite comfortable. It would’ve been a crime to wake you. So I figured I’d make a simple breakfast we could enjoy in bed."

“You spoil me, Mr.Higuruma.”

“Oh, just you wait. I even have the berry syrup you love to have with them.”

Eyebrows raised now with just a hint of excitement. “What on earth am I going to do with you?” The ding of the waffle maker brings you two apart. He gives your forehead a soft peck before you reach the kitchen nook in the corner.

“Love me forever, of course.”

"And if you think that’s bad, she didn’t even update us. Just sent the files over to Nanami and left for her vacation.” His hand on your thigh, not keeping you from spilling your thoughts.

“Not even a concern about whether our workload was already maxing us out.” The golden brown waffles sat in front of you both, fragrant berry syrup dripping off the sides as you cut into the crispy cake, feeding another forkful to Hiromi, him happily receiving the food, chewing as you talked about the previous work day.

“I’m telling you, romi. The late nights because of her lack of care are becoming irksome. Either her boss gets her together, or I’m tying Mei Mei to a tractor-trailer by that stupid braid”. Hiromi observed you as you grabbed your coffee, the first sip taken with closed eyes. 4-second sip followed by a quick lick of your lip to catch the vanilla-flavored trickle. He always waited to make sure he had your coffee perfect before taking a sip of his own. Noticing his gaze, you move the mug from your lips.

“Honey, you okay?”

“Of course, darling.” He kissed your neck, then lips, the taste of the sweet syrup lingering. “Mei is being her usual half-ass self while you and Nanami work to improve her look.” Eyes now on you, he thumbs at your lips. “ You deserve the opportunity to tie her to that tractor-trailer.” The rich tone of his voice, followed by his lingering gaze, kept you from immediately replying. You instead smirk, sipping your coffee again.

“You know what I’m going to say, so I won’t say it.” That simpered smile you’ve loved from the beginning tugs at his cheeks, “But… whenever you decide to put the salary job down…”

“I know, Hiro..” the unyielding taps of rain on the glass filled the comfortable silence. Taking your fork and having a bite of the waffle, eyes closing for a moment. “Mmm”

His lips met yours in a soft kiss, his hands reaching to bring your legs to his lap.

“I don’t like seeing you stressed. Leave that type of nonsensical energy for me to work through.”

“And what do I do when you are overly stressed, my dear husband?” Reaching to glide the tip of your finger down his aquiline nose. A sigh of contentment huffed softly under your always tender touch.

The pitter-patter of the rain hitting the glass is soothing. droplets slide down the window in a slow, methodical movement, colliding with one another and forming larger droplets that glide down faster.

Your view through the rain-streaked window was now slightly obstructed, adding to the coziness of being inside. Hiromi forks another piece of waffle into his mouth, returning his attention to you and pushing the plate away.

“This. Simply be near me.” Dexterous fingers grip your thigh as his loving gaze approaches your face. “Be near me and maybe make the waffles next time. They don't taste like yours.”

“Nutmeg. And just a spill of heavy cream.”

“Nutmeg. You beautiful genius.”

The sound of the rain fills the air, the steady rhythm of the drops building a barrier around you, separating you from the world for the weekend. Whispers of affection and conversation as your forever coffee date share what he wants to do on your rainy weekend inside.

[pinka-style]

4T2 PINKBOX ANYE Romy Bedroom

Deco Objects ♡ Double & Single Headboard | Bed Pillows | Folded Bedding | Duvet | Candle Holder | Plaid and Cushion | Rug | Books | Vase | Wall Shelf Functional ♡ Side Table | Wall Lamp | Wardobre| Wooden Bench

All files compressed. RAR includes game preview, collection file and polycount. Credits ❥ Meshes & Textures by Pinkbox AnYe

Download here

[world-of-wales]

CATHERINE'S STYLE FILES - 2024

15 JUNE 2024 || The Princess of Wales attended the Trooping the Colour celebrations in London.

Catherine was in -

↬ Bespoke Sheath Dress in White & Black reworked with Ribbons by Jenny Packham

↬ OC 155 Saucer Hat in 'Black & White' by Philip Treacy

↬ 'Cavolfiore' Pearl Stud Earrings from Cassandra Goad

↬ Irish Guards St.Patrick Star Regimental Brooch

↬ 'Bayswater' Clutch in 'Black Suede' by Mulberry

↬ 'Romy 85' Pumps in 'White Leather' by Jimmy Choo

[dayenurose]

I know this is a bit late in coming, but it is here (at last!). For @roguegambitweek Day 3 - MojoWorld.

I decided to do something a bit different this year for my annual Romy fic rec list. Instead of simply making a list, I decided to write a fanfic fic rec fic. This layers within layers effort was certainly a stretch of creativity, but I think it turned out rather well. I hope you enjoy!

TGIRomy by DayenuRose

Summary:

Rogue and Gambit receive a mysterious invitation to a movie night. Will the accept the invitation, or is it a trap? Will Rogue, Remy, Jubilee, Kitty and Logan agree on what to watch? And, why is no one paying attention to the commercials? Find out all this and so much more when you tune in for TGIR!—Thank God It’s Romy! Fridays at 8/7 Central.

(Read on [ao3])

And now for the main feature…

T.G.I.Romy - A MojoVerse Fic Rec List

The premise of this rec list is relatively simple–fics which could be a show on Mojo-verse TV. Most of these are some variety of AU or crossover, although a few are a bit more ‘canon compliant’. I’ve broken the list into two. The first half are the ones which appear in my fic rec fanfic. The second are those fics which fit the topic, but I wasn’t able to include in the fic. I hope you enjoy these fics.

Reality TV

Beauty and the Geek, X-Men Style by Chellerbelle @chellerbelles [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: T | Universe: Evo | Words: 73,969 | Status: Complete

Summary: AU: The cast of X-Men Evolution does the reality TV show Beauty and the Geek. Can ten beautiful women and men, and ten intelligent men and women learn to become a whole lot more?

Notes: Chelle created a fun opening credits of the show. There’s a link in the first chapter “Notes.”

Sitcom/Holiday Special

Everyone Loves ROMY! - HOLIDAY SPECIAL Episode by NicoPony @nicopony79 [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: G | Universe: Comics | Words: 12,610 | Status: Complete

Summary: It’s Christmas Eve on Krakoa with Mr. & Mrs. X. What holiday surprises are in store for our favorite couple and their family? It’s up to one merry Elf to make the season bright! Guest appearance by the Man in the Red Suit!

Notes: Written in script format.

Hallmark Movie

Chapter 5 - Day 4: So Close to Reaching That Famous Hallmark End of Fourteen Ways to Fall for You by lettersfromnowhere @lettersfromn0where [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: G | Universe: X-Men | Words: 2,549 (Chapter 5) | Status: Complete

Summary: Day 4: this is why you should never give aliens access to TV movies - you’ll probably end up with a simulation somewhat like this over-the-top royal-and-commoner AU straight out of a Hallmark movie.

Notes: Each chapter is a different ‘genre.’ Chapter 5 focuses on our Hallmark Movie theme, though the whole story is a fun read. While the chapter begins (and ends) with a framing device which is part of the greater story plot, the chapter does work as a standalone.

Western

Gambler’s Bounty by Sandmans_Raven @sandmansraven [ao3]

Rating: T | Universe: X-Men | Words: 31,150 | Status: WIP

Summary: Shady things are afoot in Colorado. Who is Dr. Millbury and what does his miracle elixir actually do?

Notes: All of Sandmans’ fics are a great read. I highly recommend all of them.

Heist

Lebeau’s Eleven by IlargiKat @ilargikat [ao3]

Rating: G | Universe: Comics | Words: 14,182 | Status: WIP

Summary: Planning a heist is not easy, especially when you need special skills to pull it off. The luck of being an X-Men is that the skills are within reach, maybe not people willing to commit a heist.

Notes: While the G Rating is fine for the majority of the story, Chapter 5 is really more of a M rating.

Sci-Fi - X-Files

Strange Encounter by Valerie J [ff.net]

Rating: T | Universe: Comics | Words: 16,662 | Status: Complete

Summary: When a strange woman falls out of the sky without being harmed, Mulder and Scully are sent to investigate. X Men X Files crossover.

Faith and Dreams by Valerie J [ff.net]

Rating: T | Universe: Comics | Words: 64,232

Summary: Sequel to Strange Encounter. Dana Scully never really expected to see the mutants again. But when tragedy strikes, Dana finds herself embroiled in an alien conspiracy that threatens not only her world. But the Xmen’s as well. X Men X Files crossover.

Notes: Here’s two episodes for the price of one.

Special Features

Heist - Round 2

Counting Drinks by Sandmans_Raven @sandmansraven [ao3]

Rating: T | Universe: Comics | Words: 2,092 | Status: Complete

Summary: It’s a hot one at Gus’s Saloon.

Notes: If I could choose the way Rogue and Gambit the live action universe, it would be in a Leverage-esque series where Rogue and Gambit pull off heists and cons in order to help those who get taken advantage of by the rich and powerful. From time to time, they are joined by the Thieves Guild and their closest friends—Storm, Nightcrawler, Wolverine (Laura and Logan). When I read this fic, I felt like it would be a perfect episode of this show.

Bonus Heist Non-Fic

Playing for Keeps by NickBateman [YouTube]

FanFilm: (no summary on site) - Gambit is invited to an exclusive poker game featuring the worst of the worst. When the stakes are this high, did anybody actually expect this to play out differently?

Note: Who said all fan creations must be fanfics? Enjoy a fanfilm. This heist/con would also fit for an episode of my imagined series.

Sci-Fi - Matrix

Chapter 4 - Real Love of Threads by Ludi_Ling @ludi-ling [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: M | Universe: X-Men | Words: 11,176 (Chapter 4) | Status: Complete

Summary: Whilst on a mission Rogue and Gambit become stranded in a world where the very reality of their love is tested. Movie-crossover.

Notes: Like “Fourteen Ways to Fall for You,” each chapter is a different universe. This was also another fic I read early in my Romy journey. It introduced me to many different worlds where we might find Romy (some worlds are comics adjacent while others are created out of whole cloth for this fic).

Quick content warning for the Matrix chapter - there’s some Rogneto and cheating. The OTP is definitely Romy, but Rogue is ‘technically’ in a relationship with Magneto, so your mileage may vary.

Sci-Fi - Pacific Rim

Compatible by DayenuRose @dayenurose [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: T | Universe: Comics | Words: 2,891 | Status: WIP

Summary: Rogue is a former Jaeger pilot who has no interest in finding a new drift-compatible partner. Gambit is a potential Jaeger pilot who is unable to find a drift-compatible partner. Sparks fly–both figurative and literal–when these two meet. She wants nothing to do with him. He wants to understand her. WIll Rogue and Gambit be able to help each other gain control of their powers and reach their full potential in time to help save the world?

Sci-Fi - Star Wars (Clone Wars)

A Long, Long Time Ago: X by Seagull18 (crossoverqueen9703 on ff.net) [ao3] [ff.net]

Rating: G | Universe: Evo | Words: 22,928 | Status: WIP

Summary: “Routine missions” are a joke to anyone remotely connected to a Skywalker, but if really shouldn’t include Anakin and Ahsoka getting caught by pirates and escaping with the master bounty hunter that caught them in the first place.

Or: Remy Lebeau, better known as Gambit, had never been one for subtlety; when he wants something, he rarely lets petty things like laws and common sense get in his way. If common sense said kidnapping Jedi and selling them out to pirates after siad pirates tried to kill him for cheating at gambling was a bad idea, he had no intention of listening to it.

Or: The only people with worse luck than the Skywalker lineage are X-Men. Rogue planned on spending her week freeing prisoners, test subjects, and slaves from a bunch of lame space pirates. The plan did not work.

Or: Post X-Men: Evolution Gambit and Rogue in Clone Wars.

Notes: This fic appears to end at Chapter 17, but the fic is marked as a WIP. Take that as you will.

War Film/Period Piece

Uncanny X-Men 1943 by stellarose [ao3]

Rating: M | Universe: X-Men | Words: 44,114 | Status: Complete

Summary: X-Men AU. Emma Frost runs Division X, a classified squad within the secretive Special Operations Executive based in London. It isn’t their job to win the war, only to save those they can. Emma’s squad of Psylocke, Angel, Logan, and Fantomex set out [to] rescue three mutants trapped in occupied and increasingly hostile France. But when the mission takes a turn for the worse, Emma and the team must decide if they cut their losses, or fight twice as hard to bring everyone home.

Notes: Romy is a secondary couple in this fic, but I do enjoy and highly recommend it. I read this early on in my Romy journey and this fic has always stuck with me.

[eretzyisrael]

by Troy O. Fritzhand

The main international airport in the Netherlands issued an apology on Monday after two Israeli women, including a former Hamas hostage, were allegedly harassed and publicly humiliated by a security worker.

“It is clear that the two passengers did not feel that they were treated appropriately. We regret and apologize for this,” Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport said in a statement. “We will make sure that such situations do not happen again in the future.”

The incident in question took place on Friday when the Israeli women, one of whom was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7 and later freed from captivity in Gaza, were attempting to go through airport security for their El Al flight back to Israel. When handing over their Israeli passports for inspection, the airport security officer, reportedly of Pakistani origin and Muslim faith, approached them in an aggressive way.

The officer singled them out for being in the wrong security line, told them to move, and then threatened to fine them, Israeli news website Ynet reported. The worker then proceeded to remove them from the line and began to scream at them, reportedly making derogatory remarks about the fact that they are Israeli.

An escort for the women then called Israel’s embassy in the Netherlands, which in turn called El Al’s security team at the airport. The airline’s security team cleared the situation and assisted the Israeli women in getting to their flight gate.

The escort, who was not named, said in a statement to Israeli media it was “as if we had committed some terrible crime … I have never had such a humiliating experience. Everything was intentional — it was very clear that he saw the Israeli passport and it ignited him. We felt attacked and humiliated. He had evil in his eyes.”

The Israeli Embassy in the Netherlands said it will be filing a formal complaint over the incident.

“This is especially painful considering all the trauma the abductee has already suffered,” Modi Ephraim, the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands, told Dutch media.

It was not clear from the airport’s apology whether disciplinary action was taken against the security worker.

According to reports, the two women were part of a delegation sent by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to speak to groups about the experience of hostages who were held in captivity by Hamas terrorists.

In common with other European countries, antisemitism has skyrocketed  in the Netherlands since the Oct. 7 Hamas pogrom in Israel, with an 800 percent increase in the number of antisemitic incidents recorded in the weeks immediately following the terrorist group’s atrocities.

Friday’s incident came just two weeks after a local Jewish civil rights group in Britain charged that two Israeli nationals who survived Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel were detained and subjected to discrimination while being processed at Manchester Airport in the United Kingdom.

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: Space!! part 1

We all love space, right? I certainly love space, and I'm always on the hunt for a good space book. What you've got here is a pretty wild mix of everything from fun and adventurous space opera to horrific and brutal space horror - hopefully all the space fans can find something to enjoy!

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

The Long Way To a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers series) by Becky Chambers

Rosemary Harper just got a job on the motley crew of the Wayfarer, a spaceship that works with tunneling new wormholes through space. With a past she wants to leave behind, Rosemary is happy to travel the far reaches of the universe with the chaotic crew, but when they land the job of a life time, things suddenly get a lot more dangerous. A bit of a tumblr classic in its day, this is a cozy space opera with an episodic feel and vividly realized characters and cultures. While pretty light on romance and focusing found family, there is a main f/f relationship.

Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi

Ascension follows Alana Quick, an expert Sky Surgeon who stows away on a spaceship in hopes of landing herself a job. But the ship and its crew are in deeper waters than she expected, facing threats emerging from a whole other universe, all of them searching for the same person: Alana’s spiritually enlightened sister. Undeniably a bit of an odd read, Ascension is also very creative and features polyamorous lesbian relationship.

Illuminae (The Illulminae Files) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff*

Young adult told through the medium of transcripts, text messages and the like (this is one of few books where I highly recommend reading a physical copy over a digital or audio copy as the visual aspect is much more enjoyable like that). After their colony is attacked, the surviving inhabitants flee on spaceships, attempting to avoid the pursuing killers while also dealing with a deadly maddening plague on board and a ruthless ship AI seemingly losing its mind.

Kea's Flight by Erika Hammerschmidt & John C. Ricker

Young adult. Kea has been in exile since before she was born. In a future where abortion has been forbidden, Earth has found a new way of handling unwanted children: send them off to space to colonize new planets. Kea has lived her entire life on a spaceship, surrounded by other kids rejected for 'flaws' in their genetic makeup, Kea herself being on the autism spectrum. The ship follows a strict authority, but when a new threat appears, Kea and her friends must rise up to ensure they make it to their new home.

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James*

Young adult. Romy is the only survivor on a spaceship headed toward a new planet, her only contact with other people being messages sent to and from Earth which take months to arrive. Then she receives news: another ship has been sent, one which is more advanced than hers and will eventually catch up. Ecstatic about the prospect of meeting other people, Romy begins communicating with J, the sole passenger of the other ship, and finds herself developing feelings for him. But Romy knows nothing about J, and have begun receiving worrisome messages from Earth...

Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch universe) by Ann Leckie*

A space opera in which sentient spaceships can walk the ground in stolen human bodies, so called ancillaries. One of these ancillaries, the sole survivor after the complete destruction of her ship and crew, is on the hunt for revenge against the leader of the Empire for her crimes. This series does very cool things with gender and culture!

The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley

Zan wakes without memory, a passenger aboard one of the living world-ships of Legion, a fleet of decaying generations ships. Told she's the salvation meant to free them from the fleet, Zan is flung head first into a brutal and bloody conflict. This book fucked me up when I read it. It’s weird, it’s gross, there’s So Much Viscera, there are literally no men, it has living spaceships and biotech but in the most horrific way imaginable. Had I to categorize it I would call it grimdark military sf. It’s an experience but not necessarily a pleasant one.

Ninefox Gambit (The Machineries of Empire) by Yoon Ha Lee*

Disgraced Captain Kel Cheris is given a second chance by allying with and becoming the host for undead Commander Shous Jedao, who in life never lost a battle, but also went mad and massacred his own army. Now, Cheris must decide just how far she can trust him, with her forces as well as with her sense of self. Military space opera where belief and culture shape the laws of reality, causing all kinds of atrocities as empires do everything in their power to force as many people as possible to conform to their way of life to strengthen their technology and weapons. It’s also very queer, with major gay, lesbian and trans characters, albeit little to no romance.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Life on the lower decks of the generation ship HSS Matilda is hard for Aster, an outcast even among outcasts, trying to survive in a system not dissimilar to the old antebellum South. The ship’s leaders have imposed harsh restrictions on their darker skinned people, using them as an oppressed workforce as they travel through space toward their supposed Promised Land. But as Aster finds a link between the death of the ship’s sovereign and the suicide of her own mother, she realizes there may be a way off the ship.

172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad*

Young adult horror. NASA is finally returning to the moon, and to gain the needed funding and attention they hold a world-wide lottery: three teenagers will get to travel to a recently revealed moon base alongside the trained astronauts. For Antoine, Midori, and Mia, this is the chance of a lifetime. But there's a reason NASA stayed away from the moon for so long, and while three teens may be going there, only one will return... This book scared the shit out of me as a teen, recommended for slowburn mix of supernatural and sci-fi horror.

Children of Time (Children of Time series) by Adrian Tchaikovsky*

Millennia and generation spanning sci-fi. After the collapse of the earthen empire, a planet once part of a project to uplift other species to sentience is left to develop on its own, resulting not in the intelligent monkeys once intended but in sentient giant spiders. Millennia later, what remains of humanity arrives looking for a new home, only to be met by the ancient, artificial remains of the woman who once led the uplift project - and she is not willing to let them disturb her spiders, or her planet, no matter how desperate they are.

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells*

After having hacked its own governor module, SecUnit uses its small amount of new freedom to secretly download and watch as much media as it can between doing its job guarding humans. But when the scientists it’s been charged with keeping safe come under attack, it must make a choice about whether to continue keeping its freedom secret or risk it all to save them. The series features both novellas and full length novels, and balances humor with scathing critique of capitalism.

Dust (Jacob's Ladder series) by Elizabeth Bear

In a dying spaceship, orbiting an equally dying sun, noblewoman Perceval waits for her own gruesome death. Having been captured by an opposing house, her wings severed and life forfeit, Perceval's execution is imminent - until a young servant charged with her care proves to be Perceval's long lost sister. To stop a war between houses likely to doom them all, the two flee together across a crumbling, dangerous spaceship. And at its core waits Jacob Dust, god and angel, all that remains of what the ship once was. And he wants Perceval.

Binti (Binti trilogy) by Nnedi Okorafor

Young adult novella. Binti is the first of the Himba people to be accepted into the prestigious Oomza University, the finest place of higher learning in all the galaxy. But as she embarks on her interstellar journey, the unthinkable happens: her ship is attacked by the terrifying Meduse, an alien race at war with Oomza University.

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe (The Salvagers) by Alex White

In a universe where science and magic work hand in hand, Boots Elsworth makes a living selling fake treasure maps and Nilah Brio is a racer. When one of Boots' maps turns out to be more real than expected and Nilah has to go on the run after having been framed for a murder, the two find themselves on the same spaceship, working with Boots' old captain to find the rumored treasure and reveal the conspiracy it's hiding before the people hunting them catch up. Features a main f/f relationship.

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

A strange child lands on an isolated planet, scaring its inahbitants into handing him over into the hands of Nia Amani. As captain of a transport ship, Nia is not only the planet's only contact with the outside world, she is also a woman outside of time, years compressing into months as she travels through space at high speed. Now responsible for a child who doesn't speak and in a galaxy that wishes them ill, she must rethink exactly what she wants to do with her life, and what she's prepared to give up. Features multiple major queer characters.

Eacaping Exodus (Escaping Exodus duology) by Nicky Drayden

Seske is the heir to the leader of a clan living inside a gigantic, spacefaring beast, of which they frequently need to catch a new one to reside in as their presence slowly kills the beast from the inside. While I found the ending rushed with regards to plot and character, the worldbuilding is very fresh and the overall plot of survival and class struggle an interesting one. It’s also sapphic!

Dead Silence Here by S.A. Barnes

Horror. As her current mission as team leader for a small repair crew in distant space nears its end, Claire grows desperate to find a way to not have to return to a life on Earth. When the crew picks up a distress signal from Aurora, a luxury cruise ship thought lost decades ago, she sees a chance to make enough money on salvage to buy her own ship. But Aurora is housing horrifying secrets beyond its cold hull, and Claire's own past is coming back to literally haunt her. If she wants to survive, dangerous truths must be revealed.

Activation Degradation by Marina J. Lostetter

Unit Four comes to life in the middle of a war. The mine it was created to care for is under attack, and as Unit Four is activated with the memories of its predecessors, it is thrown into the task of protecting it at any cost. When the battle leads to its capture, it is prepared to do anything to stop its captors, even as their very presence causes it to question all that it knows. Includes multiple major intersex characters.

This Alien Shore by C.S. Friedman

Space opera in which humanity found a way to faster than light travel and began establishing colonies all over the galaxy, only to belatedly realize the method of FTL caused irreversible mutations and disabilities and leaving their nascent colonies to die. Much later, many of the colonies have survived and thrived, and one has found a new method of FTL travel, allowing an interconnected space society to grow. However, Earth is on the hunt for their method and is prepared to do anything to steal it. Trapped in the middle of all this and forced on the run is young Jamisia, who is little by little coming to realize that not only might she be the very solution Earth is after, she’s also not alone in her own mind and body.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir*

Ryland Grace just woke up from a coma, unable to remember anything. He finds himself alone on a spaceship, the rest of the crew dead, and as his memories slowly trickle back, he realizes he’s been sent on a mission: to find a solution to the impending doom of the earth. Still struggling with holes in his memories, Ryland tries to fulfill his mission, but as he gets closer to his goal, he discovers someone else got there first. And they aren’t anything close to human. Funny, heartfelt, and heavy on the science.

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds

Six million years in the future, humanity has spread across the entire Milky Way galaxy. Purslane and Campion are both clones of the same woman, sent into the galaxy millions of years ago to explore along with almost a thousand clones like them. Every 200 000 years they all meet to compare memories and experiences. But this time Purslane and Campion arrive late - and discover that a secret millions of years in the making has led to an extinction level attack against their kind. Now they must find out the truth before their line is completely wiped out. Absolutely wild world-building, featuring various kinds of posthumans (among which the clones are, shockingly, the most similar to people of our time).

Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone

Vivian Liao is a highly successful innovator, but she may have bitten off more than she can chew and fears the government is coming for her. As she goes into hiding, she attempts to pull off one last stunt that could fix everything - but something goes wrong, and suddenly Vivian finds herself waking up in the far future, under attack by an army of robots in space. Hoping to find her way back home, Vivian must assemble a crew of dangerous outlaws and outcasts to help her hunt down the Empress of Forever, the all-powerful entity who pulled her into the future. Lesbian main character.

Finder (Finder Chronicles) by Suzanne Palmer

Fergus Ferguson is a finder, and his latest job has just taken him to a small colony in the farthest corner of inhabited space. There he's searching for a stolen spaceship, what he thinks will be an easy job. But things become complicated as Fergus' arrival inadvertently sets off a civil war, forcing him to ally with the thief's enemies to get out alive with his prize. And beyond it all, the ships of a dangerous and mysterious alien species watches over it all, picking people off when least expected.

Space Opera (Space Opera duology) by Catherynne M. Valente

Eurovision in space! If you lose, humanity is doomed! Good luck! The sentient species of the galaxy have chosen to face each other not in war but in a musical contest, and now humanity is invited to partake. The problem? If we lose, our species as a whole will be exterminated. While I found this book as a whole slightly gimmicky, it’s a fun and flashy experience with some wild and creative alien species.

Blindsight (Firefall duology) by Peter Watts*

Vampires and aliens and questions of the nature of consciousnesses, oh my! A ship is sent to investigate the sudden appearance of an alien vessel at the edge of the solar system, but the crew isn’t prepared for the horrors awaiting them. No, seriously, this book will fuck you up, highly recommend if you’re okay with a lot of techno babble and existential horror.

The Outside (The Outside trilogy) by Ada Hoffman*

AKA the book the put me in an existential crisis. Souls are real, and they are used to feed AI gods in this lovecraftian inspired sci-fi where reality is warped and artificial gods stand against real, unfathomable ones. Autistic scientist Yasira is accused of heresy and, to save her eternal soul, is recruited by cybernetic ‘angels’ to help hunt down her own former mentor, who is threatening to tear reality itself apart. Sapphic main character.

Honorary mentions AKA these didn't really work for me but maybe you guys will like them: Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski, Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes, Medusa Uploaded by Emily Devenport, We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor, The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang

[rosejigglypuff76]

Random sprite edit video, that's mainly Cookie Run Kingdom based with a side of Danganronpa 🧸

Context: Each of the cookies featured here have the same English VA or Japanese VA (depending on the Cookie) as each corresponding Danganronpa character 🎀

Original Audio File

English VAs 🍪🧸 *Aaron Dismuke - Clotted Cream Cookie & Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu (Anime Only) ✨💀 *Patrick Seitz - Dark Cacao Cookie & Nekomaru Nidai ⚔️⚡️ *Stephanie Sheh - Tiger Lily Cookie & Mikan Tsumiki 🐯💉

Japanese VAs 🍪🧸 *Ami Koshimizu - Rye Cookie & Ibuki Mioda 🌾🎸 *Romi Park - Dark Enchantress Cookie & Akane Owari 🎂🍗

Note: Dark Choco Cookie has the same Japanese VA as the character Juzo Sakakura, which is Junichi Suwabe 🍫 Unfortunately Juzo is an anime exclusive character, but briefly has a pixel sprite at some point. The only problem is that I can't find the resource compared to the others, and I wanted to include him as well.

[elisysd]

11. That's why I'm lying to my therapist

Masterlist - Previously - Next

Chapter soundtrack: Tornado Warning - Sabrina Carpenter

She had never dreaded and been excited to be home. But there was always a first time for everything. Ethan organized a birthday party to which she was of course invited. There would only be his closest friends, as well as Romy. They were supposed to meet later, in front of the nightclub, but for now Julia was occupied, trying to find a birthday gift for Ethan. She was completely lost, not knowing what she could get him that he had not already. Because after all, she still didn’t know him. That's when it hit her. She knew about his fears and his relationship with his dad, something she was sure not a lot of people knew about, but she didn’t know his favorite color or his favorite season. Basic things that friends knew about each other and even more, people that were in a relationship together. She mentally put a note in the back of her head to talk to Ethan about all of this.

But there she was browsing the alleys of her favorite bookstore, in the search of a new comic book for her brother. She felt so bad about lying to him that she hoped spoiling him a little would appease her mind and help her get rid of the guilt. As she was absentmindedly walking down the alleys, her eyes caught a book that made her smile. How to stop being a dick to people for Dummies. It would make a fun gift for sure, very on brand for them she thought. She picked it up and put it along Louis’ book under her arm. Before going to pay, her feet took her to the notebooks sections. She loved pretty notebooks. She had many at home, most of them were not even used. She loved to collect them more than writing in them. As she was looking at the new arrivals, she saw a poor little cactus, in a corner and once again her mind went back to Ethan and his flat. A cactus would bring a little color to the space and would make it a little more personal. And a cactus didn’t require a lot of attention and care. Perfect she thought.

Her new belongings under her arm, she went back home. The house was unusually quiet. Whenever Julia was back home, she would at least be welcomed by the happy barks of Bailey. She called out for her mom but nothing, not even Louis answered her. They must have been out.But her dad was also nowhere to be seen. The door of his office was opened, something rare when he was not working in it. His laptop was opened on a few tabs showing datas that Julia recognised quickly. She was looking at the same results every race weekend. She was definitely not supposed to see that and she couldn’t help but feel worried about the quietness of the house. There was no way her dad would have left the datas in plain sight if something hadn’t happened that caused everyone to leave in a rush. But still, she had a lot of her unanswered questions that could be solved a few centimeters away from her. It was tempting. So tempting. It was a one time only type of situation. She wasn’t sure she would use them but in any case, she still snapped a few pictures of the results with her phone before quickly leaving the office as if nothing happened.

Back in her room she retrieved the USB drive from the box she put it in and transferred her pictures on it before deleting them quickly, as if it would make her phone explode. Then, she stared at the new added files, not knowing what to do with them. She didn’t have much time to think as she heard noises in the entrance. She closed her laptop before getting downstairs and saw Louis, his left ankle in a cast looking visibly distraught.

“Oh gosh what happened?” she exclaimed.

“Your brother thought he was a monkey for some minutes. The reality check was a bit brutal.” explained Lyanna, ruffling her son’s hair.

“But I told you, it was a rare bird! And I wanted to see it closely. It’s not my fault if the branch was unstable.”

“Thank God, dad heard the noise it made and reacted fast.”

As if he heard his name being mentioned, Charles appeared with Bailey and Louis’ crutches.

“I had an eye on him ever since he had gone out and was trying to climb. I could see the incident happening from miles away.”

“And you didn’t try to stop him?”

“Lya, love, I don’t know one kid that had not tried climbing in a tree before. I used to hide in them with a book when I was Louis age to have some peace and quiet. Falling is part of life, look he is okay. It’s just the ankle, it will be fine.”

“But it could have been worse! You should have said something the minute he started climbing.”

Julia saw her brother putting his headphone on his ears and closing his eyes. The argument that was starting between their parents was triggering him, she could see it.

“I went to the bookstore today to find something for Ethan. I’m going out tonight to celebrate.”

It had the effect she hoped for. Ethan’s mention made both of her parents stop arguing to focus on her.

“Nice, where are you going?” asked Lyanna.

“Restaurant with Romy before joining the boys downtown.”

“And what did you pick for lover boy?” snorted Charles, earning a side glance from his wife.

“I found a cute cactus and a book for him. I didn’t know what I could get him that would be useful.”

“A cactus?” repeated Charles.

“Yeah… you know, to symbolize our relationship. The hope it will last for a long time since you can’t kill a cactus that easily and the prickles are a nice metaphor of us throwing shade at each other but just like they are here to protect the plant, our banter is us showing that we care about one another.”

That was so cheesy she wanted to gag. She was not the only one, her dad looked at her weirdly as her mom sighed in content.

“That’s very cute, Ju’. I’m sure he will love it.”

“Did you know that a cactus actually symbolizes endurance and strength in the face of adversity, because they thrive in harsh and arid environments?” said Louis.

“I… didn’t. But you know what, Louis? I think it sums up our relationship pretty well.”

“When will we meet him? When is he going to come home to see us?”

“He will be allowed to come when he beats me on a track, Louis.” said Charles.

“When he what?” asked Lyanna, completely unaware about the trial her husband set for Ethan.

“Dad wants to play male Alpha with Ethan, he wants to organize a karting race between him and Ethan.” explained Julia, clearly annoyed.

“Well, in that case, why not invite Kat and Max as well? Max could race too, it could be fun. And it would be a good occasion to have a nice reunion, it’s been a while.”

“I’ll talk to Ethan about it, but for now, I have to get ready. I’m meeting Romy downtown.”

It was always easy to find Romy in a crowd, her confidence made her stand out in a crowd. She was always the one laughing the loudest, talking to everyone in an attempt to make them feel at ease. With Julia, they couldn’t be more different, but that’s why she loved Romy. They spent a little time catching up before Romy looked her dead in the eyes.

“You and Ethan. How? When? Why? I have so many questions and I’ve never seen it coming. You’ve never told me that you liked him. It was always quite the opposite.”

“Yeah, it just happened. It still surprises me but, you were right, he is not that bad.”

“I bet he is not.” said Romy with a suggestive wink making Julia blush.

“But enough about me! Tell me more about Kyle and you!”

The blonde shrugged it off, sipping on her drink and avoiding Julia’s gaze.

“It’s not serious. I know that, he knows that and we are fine with it. We have fun. There is nothing else to say.”

Julia didn’t insist, knowing very well that if her friend wanted to talk to her about her relationship she would, when she would feel ready. Trying to get something out of her would only result in Romy closing off. They finally left the restaurant to meet Ludwig, Kyle and Ethan in front of the nightclub. They were soon escorted to the VIP sections where drinks were already waiting for them. Ethan didn’t want a big party, with many people whom half of them were unknown to him. He wanted to keep it lowkey with only his closest friends. They chatted and laughed altogether and his gaze fell on Julia. She was having fun and even let Romy drag her to dance along with her.  He liked seeing her so carefree and at ease around him and his friends, as she had always belonged here. It left a bittersweet taste in his mouth and couldn’t help but wonder how would have been their relationship if they had grown up as friends and not as enemies. Would they be strangers? Would they be friends? Best friends, maybe? More? Did he even want to be something with her? As he was still watching her, he didn’t notice his two best friends getting closer to him.

“So… how is the fake dating going?” asked Ludwig with a mischievous look in his eyes.

“Better than expected, to be honest. She is not what I thought she would be. She is not the insufferable girl that I remember. I think we could be great friends, if she wanted to.”

“Oh, look at you being sweet. You are cute.” Ludwig laughed.

“ Shut up.”

“I’m glad you guys are getting along well but I have to admit that I’m still skeptical about all of that. I hope that lying to everyone is worth it. Especially to your parents.”  said Kyle with calm.

“We are invited by my parents for my birthday tomorrow. We will have to act as a couple and I have to admit that it’s stressing me out. My mom can smell bullshit from miles away and I know that it will be hard to convince her.”

They enjoyed the rest of the night and it was late when they finally exited the club. Julia hugged a very drunk Romy that was clinging to Kyle as he tried his best to not let her fall on his ass and Julia joined Ethan near his car.

“You didn’t drink?” she asked.

“Nope. Didn’t feel like it.” he simply answered.

“Why? It’s your birthday.”

“I have a lot on my mind and we are meeting my parents tomorrow, I don’t want to look like a mess.”

She nodded and opened the door of the car before sitting on the passenger seat, as if she had always belonged there. He took his place behind the wheel and drove back to her place in silence. Monaco by night was quiet and it was always something he enjoyed. It allowed him to hear his thoughts. But lately Julia seemed to occupy a huge place in them and he doesn’t know how to describe it. When he closed his eyes, before falling asleep, sometimes he could swear that he could hear her laugh or see her eyes. And he couldn’t explain why it helped him relax. They finally arrived at her house. He expected her to jump out of it to avoid being near him longer than what she had to, but was surprised to see her rummaging through her bag and taking out two small packages that she handed to him.

“You didn’t have to, but thank you.”

“Look at what I bought before saying thanks.”

Ethan couldn’t help but laugh when he saw the book and the small cactus. He looked at her and saw a playful gleam in her eyes. She was trying her best to refrain from laughing too and was biting her lips.

“Well… I will have to top my game for your birthday. You set the expectations very high.”

“I hope we won’t be together anymore by then!” she replied, laughing.

“Maybe… we can still be friends, right? I don’t want to go back to hating you. I can’t.” he told her, very seriously.

“Maybe. We can learn how to be, at least.”

They were surprised to see the lights on in the Leclerc’s household and a silhouette lurking behind the living-room window. Ethans quickly recognised Charles that was more than likely looking at them. Julia noticed him too and turned to Ethan.

“Lean in. Pretend you are kissing me.” she said, almost ordering him.

“What?”

“We have to make it believable! Put your hand on my face and lean in!”

He didn’t know why but he panicked. He had his fair share of girls asking him to kiss him. But never in a million years would he have ever thought that he would hear that from Julia. Suddenly, his palms were sweating and his clothes felt too tight and Julia was too close. He could almost see the light sparkles of gold in her green eyes. If he was focusing on them hard enough he swore that he could count them. She had freckles. He didn’t know about them, he never paid enough attention to notice them. His throat was dry and he didn’t know why. He found her beautiful and he didn’t know why. And it terrified him. He would have run away if her two cold hands didn’t suddenly grab his face and she put her forehead against his. He could feel her breath mixing with his and if he moved, even an inch, he could bump her nose with his. And he would have to if two knocks against the passenger’s window didn’t wake him out of his transe. He was quick to leave the car, as Julia took her bag and opened her door. Charles was in his sweatpants and was clearly waiting for Julia to come back before going to bed.

“Thank you Ethan for bringing her back safe and sound. You didn’t drink, right? Because if you took the wheel while having drinks in your system…”

“I’m totally sober, Cha… Mr. Leclerc. You can test me, if you want.”

“It’s okay. You are not irresponsible. I trust you on this. But just on this. If you want me to trust you more, let’s meet the day after tomorrow, on a karting track, so you can show me your worth. And bring your family along, Lya would love to see your mom and I wouldn’t mind racing against your dad, like back then.”

“You know me, I’m always up for a challenge, you can count me in. Especially if it’s to beat you. I’ve alway dreamed of that! And I’ll talk to my dad. Speaking of, is it okay for you if I come to pick you up around six, tomorrow?”

Julia nodded and as if it was natural for him, Ethan smiled and leaned in to kiss the top of her head. Totally unbothered, he went to shake Charles’ hand, before squeezing one last time the young woman waist who thanked the stars that it was so dark so no one could see her blushing.

The next day, before dressing up for dinner at Ethan’s parents, she decided to work on Ferrari’s car. She didn’t know where it all would go, if she even wanted it to go somewhere. She opened her notebooks and started to watch some onboards from the drivers, as well as the data she wrongfully collected. But without knowing what the data represented it was tough to extract anything from it. But still she gathered some info. Against her will, her thoughts drifted to Martin. She would need to know the feelings of someone who was actually driving the car, it would help her so much. But it felt wrong, especially after the birthday party and what happened in the car. She had felt the atmosphere changing and she didn’t know what could have happened if her father had not interrupted them. And she was grateful that he did, something she never thought she would say. But part of her still wondered… would they have kissed? Would she have let him kiss her? Or would she have been the one to kiss him first? Did she want to kiss him? She shook her head. She didn’t want to think about this. Not now, not ever.

Her gaze fell on her notes and the endless scribbling that was not going anywhere. She knew she had all the information in the palm of her hands if she wanted to open the files that were on the USB plugged in on her laptop. She felt sick. This whole USB drive made her sick. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t help but think that it was still cheating and the consequences could only lead to disaster. But she was curious, so curious. So she opened the file and started to browse the documents, paying more attention to them than the first time. She quickly understood that they could and would help her but, a wave of nausea got a hold of her and she closed the tabs quickly. It was too much and she couldn’t brace herself to add another lie to the list. She unplugged it and threw her in a box that she hid far away from her, as if it could erase the temptation.

Finally it was time for her to get dressed and a part of her was thankful for it. It would get her mind out of the bomb that was in her room. Ethan was on her way to pick her up and she felt stressed out. She didn’t know how she was supposed to act or how she should behave. Did Ethan expect her to be clingy? Or did he want to keep the physical interactions to the bare minimum? She had never been in a situation like that before, she had never met in-laws, even fake ones. She felt stupid. She knew Max and Kat. She knew them very well and not once had she ever felt uncomfortable at the idea of eating with them. Was she supposed to dress fancy? She looked at her clothes and sighed before setting her mind on a jean and a blouse.

As she was finishing applying her makeup she heard a car parking in front of the house and the door opening. She breathed in and breathed out one last time, took her bag and went down to see Louis ambushing Ethan in the entrance.

“You’re my sister’s boyfriend.” said Louis as a matter of fact.

“I…am?” replied Ethan.

“Why?”

“Why, what?”

“You fancy her. She is my sister. It’s weird.”

“Louis, please, don’t bother Ethan.” stepped in Julia.

“No, please, Louis keep going, I also want to know why.” Charles came out of his office, a half-smile on his face.

“You guys are embarrassing.” complained Julia.

“I just want to know why. You didn’t like him a few weeks ago. It’s just weird.”

“Hum, well… Julia is… well she is Julia. She is not as unlikable as I thought she was.”

“Thanks…” gritted the young Leclerc between her teeth.

“What I mean is… I had the occasion to properly get to know her and besides her sarcastic comments, the fact that she always wants to be right, how she has boring ice-cream tastes, she is not so bad. She is actually very caring. She talks a lot about you, Louis and I hope that I can be your friend, someday. And I admire her work ethic. She always wants to do the right thing and most importantly, she didn’t judge me when the whole scandal blew up. She actually agreed to keep talking to me and explore our connection. She quickly became one of the most trustworthy people that are around me. But I clearly can see that she got all of that from her dad.”

“No need to rub me in the right way, Ethan. It won’t work.”

“Yeah, it’s a bit too much.” added Julia.

They finally managed to leave and soon they were finally alone, on their way to Ethan’s parents.

“You didn’t have to pretend in front of my parents, you know.”

“Maybe I went a little overboard with the compliments, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t mean all that I said.”

When they finally arrived, Kat almost jumped on Julia, asking her how she was doing and saying how happy she was to have her. Julia felt so overwhelmed that Ethan intervened to tell his mom to calm down. He was not surprised to see that his mom had already thought about who would sit where. Julia found her seat next to Ethan as Max and Kat sat opposite of them. The conversation was pleasant and far from what Ethan had imagined. They didn’t talk about their relationship, his parents preferring to focus on Julia and getting to know her as a person and not as Ethan’s girlfriend. For once he was not the center of attention and he could watch her talking about what she was most passionate about and he found that endearing. He watched her talking about engineering with his dad and he had to admit that he was completely lost and didn’t understand half of what they were talking about, but still, he didn’t want to look away. As he was going for another glass of wine he found his mom looking at him with a soft smile on his face.

Soon, the conversation resumed around the season. Ethan was actually proud of his results and it’s with confidence that he started talking about them, thinking that his dad would be happy for him and that maybe he would get praise.

“Yeah, you were good. You had nice moments and some I really thought you could get close to the podium but you still make some mistakes that you shouldn’t make three years into F1. Not anymore. You are not a rookie anymore. But if you want we can find some time to watch some moments that I recorded so we could watch and work on them together.”

It made Ethan angry.

“Can’t you just for once, say something nice about the way I race. Can’t you just acknowledge that I don’t alway mess everything up? That I’m doing a good job?”

“I just want you to improve so you can achieve your dream. And you will never do that if you don’t listen to advice.”

Julia jumped when she felt Ethan abruptly stand up.

“Stop pretending that you care about my dreams. You don’t and you know what? I would trade them for a dad that actually cares about me. Me! And not the driver that I can be!”

And just like that he left the table as his dad was calling out to him. Without thinking twice, Julia stood up as well and excused herself as she went after Ethan. She found him outside, on the patio, sitting on the floor behind his mother’s flowers. He only noticed her when she sat down next to him.

“I’m sorry you had to witness that.” Ethan whispered.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“To say what? There is nothing to say. It’s like that. My dad doesn’t understand. How could he anyway? He is Max Verstappen and I’m only his son, just a copy. And not the best copy. No matter how hard I try, it will not be enough. I’m not enough.”

“That’s not true. You wouldn’t be here if you were not. Ask my dad, he always had good things to say about you as a driver. Surely, that doesn’t not mean nothing . You know how my dad is.”

“I just… I want my dad to act as a dad and not a fucking coach. I want his advice but I also want to hear him say, I’m proud of you son, you were great out there. Not how I should have taken a corner or how the overtake would have been more effective if I had done this or that. He doesn’t understand. He never did.”

“That’s the thing when we grew up with dads like ours. The pressure, the expectations… It's tough. I don’t think Max wants to hurt you, he just wants to push you.”

“Easy for you to say. You are your dad’s little princess. He would do anything for you.”

“Doesn’t mean that it made me happier. It brought a lot of other problems. Parents and teachers reunions ? It was always my mom who would go. I can’t even count the number of birthdays he missed because of races. Or how people looked at me and constantly judged me when they would learn about him.”

“He loves you, Julia.”

“And your dad loves you too.”

Ethan paused and looked to the ground. Julia saw Adam's apple bobbing before he spoke again, but this time with a strangled voice.

“He never said it. My dad never told me that he loved me. I know, he does. But… We were never ones to talk about feelings, I know that. I just wish that he would say it. Just once. I would love to have him come on a race to support me. Just be there, and be happy for me.”

“I’m sorry Ethan. Maybe you should talk to him. About your feelings, it would do good. Surely, it’s not healthy to keep that bottled up inside.”

Ethan shrugged before getting up. Sadness replaced anger and Julia could swear that tears were threatening to fall. She had never seen him looking so vulnerable and she didn’t know what to do. If they had been friends, she would have hugged him. But they were not, or barely were. She didn’t know where they were standing. They were not enemies anymore, but she wouldn’t go as far as saying friends. They were just two people linked to each other by a lie. So she stood up as well and waited for him to move or say something.

“I’m sorry I ruined your night. And you were not supposed to see me like this either.”

“You didn’t ruin anything, don’t worry. And seeing you vulnerable reminds me that you are human, with feelings, something I’ve never thought I would see happening.” she joked.

“You sure know how to make me feel better, Joolsie.” he said with a half-smile on his face.

“Always there to help.”

It was not a surprise when Ethan said that he was leaving. He didn’t want to stay there longer than necessary and so he brought Julia back home. The car ride was silent and a little awkward. When they were finally back, Julia didn’t waste much time before saying her goodbyes. They would see each other the next day, but for now she just needed to be alone. And Ethan did too. He hated how she had seen him like that. She was not supposed to. He was not sure, he wanted her to be. But still, it felt nice to be able to talk about his relationship with his dad. She understood him. But part of him couldn’t help but think that involving her too much into his very private life would do more bad than good. He didn’t react much when she put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly before leaving him, deep in his thoughts.

When she opened the door, she was not surprised to see that her dad was waiting for her.

“How was it?” he asked.

“Weird. I witnessed Max and Ethan fighting… They don’t have the best relationship, I wasn’t expecting it. I always thought that Max was supportive of Ethan’s career. Turns out it is not what I expected… I feel bad for Ethan. I know I can’t do anything but…” she explained sitting down next to her dad.

“Do you want me to try and talk to Max tomorrow? See if I can do something…”

“We shouldn’t get involved…”

“I know but if Ethan is important to you then I guess that he is important to me as well. And I won’t repeat it twice so you better hold onto that only time I will say it because if you ask me to repeat it I will play dumb.”

She sighed. It made her feel better to know that her dad would not be too big of a problem in her relationship. She kissed him on the cheek before going back to her room. She quickly got rid of her clothes and threw her blanket over her head. As she was tossing and turning in her bed, replaying the conversation she had with Ethan, she grabbed her phone to text him.

For what it’s worth, I think you are amazing on tracks.

Author's note: What do you think will happen next? Let me know your theories, I love to read them.

Don't hesitate to leave a comment or an ask, as well as reblogging and leaving a like. It helps a lot for the story to find its audience. I also have a taglist for this story, so if you want to be added so you never miss a chapter, let me know.

Taglist:

@herondalism @aundercover @musingsbyshreya @karmabyfernando @reengard @mycenterfold @smoooothoperator

[dertaglichedan]

The Hillary Clinton portion of the Mar-a-Lago raid has just come into focus…

It was the shot heard ’round the world when then-candidate Donald Trump urged the Russians to release those missing emails that Clinton “bleached” off her computer. At the time, it felt like a funny joke, but looking back, you can’t help but wonder if Trump knew something the rest of us didn’t—that Russia actually had all of Hillary’s emails and knew every single one of her dirty tricks. People are buzzing about this again after Hillary’s name resurfaced, thanks to investigative reporter Julie Kelly. She’s been digging into and sharing many newly unredacted files related to Jack Smith’s “classified documents” sham case. These files paint a much clearer picture of what happened, how President Trump was intricately set up by Biden’s weaponized DOJ, and how his employees were given the unjust entrapment treatment that our disgraced FBI has become infamous for.

Julie Kelly:

Merrick Garland/Lisa Monaco DOJ and Chris Wray/Steven D’Antuono FBI sent agents to interview (interrogate) one of Trump’s closest personal aides without Trump’s knowledge. The ruse–once again–was national security interests. (Just like Mike Flynn ambush by FBI in 2017). Nauta, like Flynn, wanted to help the FBI get information. But Nauta walked into a perjury trap by agents who talk like Romy and Michelle.