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dilemmaontwolegs · 7 months

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Hiiii I absolutely loved you Max fics I don’t know if you ever would want to do that but if your interested please do a mafia storyline with Max or Mick! ❤️

Little Lion Man || MV1 & CH16

Pairings: dark!Charles Leclerc x fem!reader, Max Verstappen x fem!reader Summary: you find yourself caught in a war between the mafia families that ruled Monaco. Warnings: 18+ only, nsfw, guns, murder, pregnancy, slight non con/reluctant vibes, forced marriage WC: 3.5k

For a nation so small it was hard to believe that Monaco could be home to not one but three mafia families. There was the Leclerc famile, Verstsppen familie and the Sainz familia. The Leclerc’s had always called Monaco home but the Dutch and Spanish families had made their arrival known in the 90’s, almost burning the city in the war that broke out.

Just over 30 years later, it looked like history was going to repeat itself as the prodigal sons took over the family businesses.

“You are my daughter, if I say you will marry Charles then you will marry him. End of argument.” You would hardly call it an argument when you weren’t even given an opportunity to say your piece but your father left no room for a rebuttal as he slammed the door closed behind him. There was a reason the Sainz’s called him the Peacemaker.

You were a bargaining chip, a pawn in your father’s arsenal to end the war between the Leclerc’s and the Sainz’s before it could spill out into the street and affect everyone’s bottom line. The last thing anyone wanted was to lose their men, their money and their product.

Two weeks later you were shoved into a wedding dress that could have been a film prop for any 80’s rom-com, puffy sleeves and all. It was hideous.

“You are quite beautiful,” Charles said as you reached the dais where the priest waited. “I suppose that will make this easier.”

By ‘this’ you assumed he meant the moment the reception was over and you found yourself stepping into his bedroom, your bedroom too now. Charles had been quiet for most of the evening, indulging in a handful of whiskeys over ice as he mulled over what his life had become, but he found his voice as he tugged his tie off. “On the bed.”

Your fingers tightened around your waist as you hugged yourself, trying to fight back the tears you thought you had finished shedding when you resigned yourself to your fate. “You don’t have to do this, we can come to an arrangement.”

Charles scoffed and continued to unbutton his dress shirt. “This is the arrangement.”

You swallowed as he shucked the shirt over a leather armrest and you saw the dark tattoos that curled over his biceps and down his forearms. A snake moved with his muscles and entwined around a gothic cross. Beneath it, thorny roses with blood drops splattered over the petals decorated the otherwise sun kissed skin.

“I don’t know what my father told you but I-”

“Your father said you would be an obedient wife,” he interrupted as he pointed a ringed finger to the bed. “I’m only as terrible as you make me.”

You took a step back as he stepped closer, his hand lifting to your face. It was reflex to flinch from his touch, knowing the violence his hands were capable of dealing to those who displeased him. You couldn’t help shivering as his cold wedding band touched your cheek and his other arm snaked around your waist, dragging the zip of your dress down your spine.

“What does that even mean?” you whispered. You took a breath and grew the courage to tip your head back and met his uniquely green eyes - the colour brighter than the soul behind them.

He pushed the puffed sleeves from your shoulders until the dress fell to the floor and inhaled at the sight of your body being bared to him. Biting his lip, he stepped back and ran a hand over his shadow of a beard. “Behave yourself, and I will too. Push me, and I’ll push you back harder.”

You felt the colour drain from your face at the threat and he chuckled as he closed the distance between you, forcing your lips apart with a demanding kiss. His palms ran down your spine and over the curve of your ass, pulling you flush against the hard expanse of his body.

“One other thing,” he murmured against your lips. “Disappoint me or my family and, well…it will be the last thing you do, chérie.”

You collapsed into Max’s arms the moment he opened the door, your fingers digging into the straps of muscle along his back as you clung to him like a lifeline. The penthouse apartment was quiet except for the tv playing in the master bedroom and your sobs filled the foyer before he could even close the door.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Max said, despite holding you just as tight. “He probably has Arthur or Lorenzo following you.”

You started to pull back but his arms caged you in his embrace so you settled for talking into his chest. “I know how to lose a tail. I was careful.”

He sighed and rested his cheek on your head, inhaling the floral scent of your shampoo he had missed. “I know, liefje. How long is he gone for?”

You screwed your eyes closed and wished he had never brought Charles up, but you knew Max wanted to know how long he could have with you. “He’s in Nice for a meeting. A few hours at least.”

The hatred for your husband had led you into the arms of Max, his rival and head of the Verstappen familie. The three families would meet each quarter for negotiations and settle disputes, or at least that was what it was meant for, but they just used it as a way to flaunt their wealth and success over each other.

It was after the wedding when you went to your first one that Max had caught your lifeless eyes as you sat beside Charles, decked out in a custom designer dress with diamonds strung around your neck, slowly choking you. He had been struck down by the vision before him and had never wanted something for himself so much in his life. He had been willing to go to war for you and he didn’t even know your name. He had learned it soon enough.

“Do you know who he’s meeting?” Max asked. Even when he wasn’t meaning to he was phishing for information, a reflex he couldn’t seem to stop with a mind as sharp as his.

“Please, mijn leeuw, not tonight,” you whined as you buried your face in his neck. (My lion)

“I’m sorry,” he said with a kiss to your forehead before he tipped your chin back to meet his ice-blue eyes. “What do you need from me, liefje?”

“I need to forget. Please, help me forget.”

Max closed his eyes as rage hardened his features and you knew he was rueing the day he let Charles live. The solution to your problem couldn’t be solved with a bullet and although Max knew that, it was still a bitter pill to swallow. He wanted nothing more than to bathe in Charles’ blood for what he had done to you, but the retaliation would be catastrophic. He had too many people relying on him, friends and family alike.

All Max could give you was a few short hours of his time to show you how he would treat you if the circumstances had been kinder. For a few short hours of stolen time he could erase the touch of Charles from your mind.

Max took your hand, his fingers easing your wedding ring off before placing it on the hall table with your handbag. You relished the freedom that came without the constricting band and flexed your fingers like it had been physically painful to wear the gold jewellery. In a way, it had.

Linking his fingers with yours, Max led the way through the apartment and into the bedroom you found comfort in. This should have been the place you called home, the solace you returned to at the day’s end. It was the one place you felt safe, even though just being here put your life in danger. If Charles ever found out you knew you would be dead, your body left somewhere it would never be found.

“Max…do you believe in God?” you asked in the quiet afterwards. Your arm was curled around his waist, fingers tracing the lion tattoo that covered his rib cage. You could feel the time ticking away with each heartbeat in his chest that you rested your head upon.

“No,” he said honestly, his accent thickening with his amusement. “Do you?”

You looked at the slight change in skin tone where your wedding band usually sat and slipped out of his embrace to find your clothes. “I have to,” you whispered as your throat began to tighten at the thought of returning to the cold mansion Charles owned. “There’s got to be something more than this hell. Maybe one day he will answer my prayers.”

Max could remember the feeling of taking over the family business, how he thought he was invincible - godlike even. Now he felt powerless to the situation. He didn’t like the feeling. He wanted to be the one to answer your prayer.

“One day…” he promised himself aloud, missing the way your spine stiffened at the words. There was no guarantee you would survive long enough for him to keep it.

You stared dumbly at the two pink lines and felt the walls of the bathroom constricting around you. You couldn’t imagine bringing a child into the world you were imprisoned in, it was unfair and deadly. What if the babe had dirty blond hair and ice blue eyes? A new fear sent a shudder down your body and you looked at your stomach, nothing to show - yet.

The door crashed off its hinges as Charles busted it in and you screamed at the surprise, cradling your abdomen on reflex.

“I called you ten fucking times!” Charles growled. His eyes narrowed as they scanned the room before settling on the pregnancy tests lined up. For the first time since you had wed him, Charles looked lost for words, and after a moment his hard stare softened. “We are having a baby?”

You couldn’t remember when he ever addressed anything as ‘we’, it was always you and him - separate, not together. You didn’t know how to react to the instant change in him but you nodded stiffly as he waited for an answer.

A smile grew on his face as he stepped forward and pulled your hands away from your stomach to place his own beneath your camisole. “My son, my heir,” he chuckled, the warmth of his palms almost blistering your skin.

“It might be a girl.” You flinch at the look he gave you and muttered an apology. Just because he was suddenly being gentle didn’t mean he would stay that way, especially if he ever found out the child wasn’t his. Nausea rolled through you and you pushed away to hurdle yourself at the toilet before you emptied your stomach.

It wasn’t morning sickness.

It was a sickness of the heart.

You knew if Max were to believe the child was his then he would have no choice but to go to war, it was a matter of pride and family. On the other hand, Charles would never let the child live if it wasn’t his and despite just learning of its existence, you were willing to do anything to protect it. You needed to tread carefully and that meant no more escaping your guards to see Max. It meant playing the good wife, at least for the next eight months.

You could feel his intense stare from across the table, willing you to meet his eyes. Too many times you felt them drifting up from your husband’s hand clasped on your lap only to snap them back down before you could give in. It would do no good to look at Max. You hadn’t seen him since the night before you took the pregnancy test and you had dreaded going to the quarterly meeting.

There was no hiding the bump in the tight dress Charles had chosen for you. There was no way that Max had missed it when you walked in on your husband’s arm. He had seen it and he had questions.

“I’m going to the ladies room,” you excused yourself after the meal, while the men talked business.

“Arthur will go with you,” Charles said with a nod to his younger brother sitting at his other side. “I don’t trust any of these assholes.”

His hand lingered on the small of your back as you stepped out and you glanced across to see Max’s eyes fixated on that touch. Though you did not welcome the hands of your husband, you no longer feared them the way you used to. Charles was far gentler now that you were, potentially, carrying his heir. It could also be Max’s.

A hand clasped over your mouth and silenced the scream that rose in your throat. “It’s me,” Max whispered, soothing your racing heart.

You looked around the powder room wondering how he had made it past Arthur and saw a narrow cleaner’s entrance left open a crack. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“You never came back, never answered my messages.” The hurt in Max’s voice made your chest ache and your hands dropped to the growing swell of your abdomen. He followed that movement, his chest filling with the deep breath he took and the pearl buttons on his shirt started to strain until he exhaled. “I didn’t believe the rumours.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?” he asked, the biting tone wanting detailed explanations like you were one of his men answering for your actions.

Your lips parted, ready to tell him exactly what you were sorry for, before they slammed shut. “I should go.”

He caught your arm as you moved past and he pulled you flush against his body to bury his face in your neck. “Tell me, please. I’ll make it happen, I’ll answer your prayers, I’ll go to war for you - for both of you. Just tell me, is it mine?”

The confession threatened to slip past your lips, the truth that you didn’t know, that he very likely could be. The confession threatened to eat you alive like it had done every time you saw one of Max’s men around Monaco. They always managed to get a message to you, but you never had a response to send.

“No,” you muttered as you pushed him away.

He rocked back on his heels but remained steady as he watched you retreat to the exit. “No, it isn’t mine or no, you won’t tell me?”

Your back hit the door and you blindly reached for the handle, sparing one last look at his shimmering eyes so you could remember them a little longer. “Whatever helps you to sleep at night.”

“Dammit, liefje, just tell me. I need to know.”

You broke away at the endearment that weakened your resolve and your shoulders curled in on themselves. “I can’t tell you, Max, because I don’t know. I. Don’t. Know.” Your voice cracked and the weight of those words fell tenfold on your shoulders as your hand slipped from the doorknob. “I don’t know who the father is, Max. I-I’m sorry.”

His strong arms grappled you into a tight embrace as you broke down in them, your knees giving out as you felt his lips on your forehead, smelt his cologne on his neck. “It’s okay, liefje, I'm going to fix this.”

You pulled back with eyes and blinked away the tears as you placed your hand on your belly. “How? What if it’s not yours?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything,” he promised as he tipped your chin back. “Mine or not, this baby is yours and that’s enough.”

A knock sounded at the door and you panicked as Arthur asked if everything was alright. Your reply was muffled as Max stole a kiss and quietly repeated his promise before disappearing back into the cleaner’s room. Wiping your eyes, you unlocked the door and met your brother-in-law’s narrowed eyes before they searched the room behind you. “You’ve been crying.”

“Pregnancy,” you said with a wave of your hand. “It’s called hormones, Tur. Happens all the time, just ask your brother.”

Max’s chair was still empty when you reached the table but he entered from the main door a few minutes later. The mask he often wore in front of those outside the familie was firmly in place as he unbuttoned his suit with one hand and dropped back into his seat, apologising for taking an important call.

“Your men can't handle one evening on their own?” Charles baited over the rim of his wine glass with an antagonising smile.

Max returned the grin with his own as he slipped his phone into his suit jacket. “You have no idea what my men are capable of.”

You could feel the ripples of those words across the table, the feel of a threat in the air. It not only set Charles on edge but Carlos too - the two sharing a look of concern before facing the Dutchman once more.

Max took a mouthful of his gin and tonic and bit into the lime wedge without reacting to the strong citrus taste. Taking his time, he picked up his napkin and cleaned the drops of juice from his fingers before laying it over his lap as everyone watched closely.

It looked as if he were nervously fiddling with his rings under the napkin and Carlos snickered, relaxing back into his chair until your lion spoke again. “But you will…”

The air stilled for a moment as the napkin drifted to the floor and warmth splattered your cheek. You couldn’t think fast enough to process what had happened or why the wetness on your cheek was red. It could have been minutes but it felt like hours before your brain connected the dots and you saw your husband's body slumped in his chair before you, his green eyes open but unseeing.

Across the table, Max had risen to his feet, the fidgeting revealing a silencer he had been screwing onto his gun. He was cold and precise as he took out Carlos next, his accuracy unmatched. Around the seats he went, faster than they could react as the doors were busted open and his second in command arrived. Danny was ready to die protecting Max’s back while you dropped to the floor and prayed for protection of your own.

“We have to get out of here,” Arthur growled as he caught your ankle and dragged you back where he was kneeling, his white chinos turning red as they absorbed his brother’s blood. “Stay low, protect my nephew.”

“Do you have a gun?” you asked with a shaking voice.

“Of course not,” he spat angrily. No one was meant to have weapons at these meetings and you were assuming Max had retrieved his from the reception area before returning.

“Then you’re fucked.” You kicked your Louboutin into his face and scrambled away as he howled in pain, reaching the edge of the table close to Max.

“Liefje, are you alright?”

“Arthur, under there,” you rushed as you pointed behind you, closing your eyes as he lifted the cloth and the muffled gunshot rang out.

“Not anymore.”

“Time to go,” Danny suggested, reloading his magazine and kicking a few bodies to check they were truly dead.

“Is that it?” You asked, hope filling your voice despite the devastation in the room surrounding you.

Daniel threw his head back and laughed but Max just shook his head and said, “This is just the beginning. We just declared war.”

“But they’re dead.”

“Someone will take over, and when they do - we will need to be ready.” Max reached out and wiped the blood from your cheek. “You’re free of him now, you both are.”

Your breath rattled out of you as you felt the weight lift from your shoulders and as the sirens grew in the distance you managed to smile, the first genuine smile in months. Your prayers had finally been answered. “Thank you, mijn leeuw.”

Five Months Later

Ice blue eyes met yours before a piercing cry erupted and Max’s laugh was one of pure joy. “Mijn zoon,” he cooed softly as he rested his cheek on your head and you watched the midwife gently bring your son to your waiting arms.

Tears blurred your vision at the warm comforting weight of his tiny body lying chest to chest with you. You had never felt anything more precious, never held anything more delicate. He was perfect.

“My little lion man,” you whispered, brushing a kiss over the tufts of dark hair he already had. “We love you so much.”

As if he knew what the words meant, his eyelashes fluttered and he peeked them open to bear twin green irises. He would be an heir. He could unite the families. Or, he could tear it all apart.

Only time would tell.

#max verstappen fanfic #max verstappen imagine #max verstappen x reader #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc fanfic #charles leclerc imagine #f #mafia au #f1 fanfic #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #formula one imagine #formula one fanfiction

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livehorses · 10 months

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The Spot and Disability

It's very interesting to me how ATSV told Spot's story. At a start he's handled as a joke in the movie. Even Miles and the audience with him laughed at the new villain in his introduction. I was personally disgusted when the bread goes across him. Also, the guy isn't good at being bad and stealing an ATM, so he can be considered as a joke.

But it's hard to admit that we as an audience, and Miles did wrong laughing at his face about his new condition. We often mock him when it comes to the bagel joke, but he clearly suffered a lot, and lost it all after the accident. He was being mocked, rejected by everyone, even by his own friends and relatives. He evidently couldn't do anything without any of his holes getting in the way (which is the thing that makes him disabled), he lost his job and was forced to do illegal stuff in order to survive. That left an irreparable emotional damage that shaped him permanently. These are actual motivations for a person to take the wrong path, and even more when you discover you have a power that could give you some advantage over the others.

All of his story is clearly similar to what many disabled people live on a daily basis. "Unfortunately for me and you, this is skin." Sounds familiar? Reminds me of people that have vitiligo, which isn't exactly an illness and it isn't contagious, but common people think it is, and they fear, avoid and reject anyone who has it. Even in these modern days, where society supposedly is for everyone and everyone matters, disabled people are still rejected and disrespected, victims of bullying, mockery and exclusion. They don't get a chance to adapt to this world, not meant for them, and they miss so many opportunities of having a job, to form a family and go places adapted to their unique conditions. This world still needs to educate its people on respecting the disabled. That doesn't mean that disabled people are doomed to become villains, no! That would expand more the prejudices towards them. But what most of Marvel villains, and more, Spider-Man villains, have in common is having an accident that left them disabled: Flint falling on a sand dispenser, Max on a pool of eels, affecting their entire lives. (Not to mention that Doctor Connors was already disabled when he recurred to a not so ethic way to recover his arm, turning him into a lizard-like humanoid)

And yeah, every Spider-Man has a similar (canon) event, they're bitten by a radioactive spider. But rather to turn them onto something horrible, they hit the jackpot instead isn't it? They get attractively buffed, they get cool super powers, they become popular and loved by most people. But the others are treated as villains, and it's true, Spider-Man has to combat crime, and in the end, he shows mercy towards them. But in the end, most of the time their condition is treated as menacing and villanious. That's why No Way Home, brings a fresh vision on helping the villains to get cured or at least treated. (Although, that's not always realistically possible for disabled people, and most of them don't need to be cured or treated like their condition is bad for them)

But the movie leaves it clear it was a mistake to not take Spot's situation seriously. The man might've taken it chill at a start, but the more he was mistreated, the more he got resentful especially with Miles, wrongly considering him the source of all his disgraces, and more when the Super-Hero laughed at him. His power grew at the same time as his anger, and by the end of the movie, Miles admits it, he's his nemesis, they're mutual enemies now, and he's dangerous. If Spot was treated better from the start, with dignity and if he was given a second opportunity, support and optimum laboral conditions, maybe Spot would be now an ally.

How wrong we were, by taking him for granted...

#SpiderVerse #CW: Flasing #Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse #The Spot #SpiderVerse The Spot #Miles Morales #No Way Home #Disability #Jonathan Ohnn

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torgerandsuzanne · 10 months

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This weekend, all the major movers and shakers in Formula 1 have descended on Silverstone for the British Grand Prix. On track, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will attempt to slow Max Verstappen’s seemingly inexorable charge towards a third successive title. Off it, their respective team principals, Mercedes’ Toto Wolff and his nemesis, Red Bull’s Christian Horner, will also do battle. But arguably the most significant power move made in motorsport this week may already have taken place. Its architect was none other than Susie Wolff, wife of Toto. And just quietly, she is hoping she may have triggered a revolution.

As managing director of F1 Academy, a new all-female single-seater series, she is currently thrashing out what she believes could be a ‘game-changing deal’ with F1’s 10 teams, which she hopes will boost female participation in motorsport like nothing before.

......

Leaning back in a chair in the library of the Monaco Yacht Club, Wolff lets out a snigger. ‘It’s true,’ she nods. ‘He really did once describe me as a donkey!’ We are talking about her husband, Toto Wolff. The donkey reference actually cropped up in an interview the couple gave to Ben and Georgie Ainslie’s Performance People podcast last year. In the YouTube version of the podcast, you can see Susie, by this point in hysterics, miming someone digging a hole ever-deeper. The exchange is a window into their relationship: playful, loving, with Susie giving as good as she gets. But it also says something about both of their characters. Toto is a high performer, there is no doubt about that. And Susie? Well, ‘donkey’ may be a bit harsh for a woman who once gave Hamilton a run for his money in karting. But she knows what her husband meant. ‘Don’t underestimate the donkey,’ she says, grinning. ‘It gets there in the end. I do have a lot of tenacity.’ She is going to need it in her latest role.

There have been various attempts down the years to drive female participation in motorsport and achieve the ultimate breakthrough: returning a woman to the F1 grid. Wolff believes F1 Academy is different. For starters, it is the first all-female series launched and owned by Formula 1 itself. That means it is in F1’s interests for it to succeed. So whereas W Series, for instance, was given an enviable platform by the sport the fate of F1 Academy is far more intertwined with the brand. Not only will it compete on the F1 circuit from next season, but the two series will collaborate far more closely. Wolff cannot speak just yet about what that might look like, as the finer details are still being ironed out. Suffice to say there are some very exciting plans in the offing that she hopes to announce soon. ‘I think there are some forward-thinking team principals in Formula 1,’ she says. ‘I certainly feel a real commitment from within the paddock to help change things now.’ ‘When I met them all after my announcement in Bahrain, I said to all of them, “Please don’t think of this as a ‘woman’s thing’ being run by a woman. This is for the greater good of this sport. I hope it will add value to Formula 1 long-term. And we need to be on this journey together.” So far, the response has been very positive, I have to say.’ Wolff smiles. ‘But F1 Academy cannot just be about 15 young women racing. And we cannot have the sole purpose of trying to find the next female F1 driver. We have to stand for something much more. It’s about creating opportunity. How are we making motorsport accessible to girls? That’s why I’m spending a lot of my time in the world of karting right now, trying to understand, OK, who’s out there racing? At what level? What is stopping girls from racing? I think that’s where we’ve got to be really proactive. Because that talent pool is what we need to grow.’

......

Wolff is uniquely well-placed to do so. Born in Oban she had a typically outdoorsy upbringing. Both she and older brother David, were put on skis and bikes as toddlers. Her parents, owned a motorcycle dealership and her father raced bikes competitively, so racing was ‘in the blood’. But, Wolff says, she was ‘never a typical tomboy’. ‘I had my Barbie. I had my dolls. I liked that stuff. But I also loved going fast.’ Eventually the family got a second-hand kart and that was it, although Wolff insists it was just ‘for fun’ until she was taken to a Formula 3 race at Donington Park one year and watched Jenson Button win. ‘That’s when I was like: “This is what I want.” After that I started racing in the European and world championships.’ It was at that point, too, that Wolff began to experience sexism for the first time. She had always been ‘the only girl’ in karting races. Or at least one of very few. But as her participation became more serious, so too did the feeling of being not just different but unwanted. ‘Funnily enough, half of my battle was with the parents of my competitors,’ she recalls. ‘For them, it was not wanting their sons to get beaten by a girl.’

Sometimes her own teams, supposedly on her side, were just as culpable. When she reached DTM, the German touring car championship, Wolff was famously made to drive a pink car. ‘I hated it,’ she says. ‘It was such a cliché. No one wanted to be overtaken by that car.’ Wolff recalls one particularly awkward episode when three-time F1 world champion Niki Lauda came to watch his son Mathias. ‘Mathias and I were teammates and it was a real thrill that Niki was coming to watch,’ she says, wincing. ‘So anyway, he walks into the garage, and all the drivers were in there, and without even saying hi to Mathias or anything, he took one look at me and said to Mathias: “Whatever you do, beat her.” Even Mathias was embarrassed.’ ‘Years later, when we obviously became friends at Mercedes I brought it up and Niki was like, “Yeah, I know. But I knew it wouldn’t have been helpful to Mathias if he got beaten by you.” I said, “But Niki, I was an impressionable young driver.” Obviously he was of a certain generation. But I think that still exists. That stigma. Not wanting to be beaten by a girl. The preconception that women are bad drivers. We have to change that.’

.....

In other times during Wolff’s career it has been double standards that infuriated her. Male drivers could advertise products or cash in on their celebrity. But when Wolff did the same she would be accused of ‘using her body’ to further her career. This is someone who had, and still has, a genuine interest in fashion. ‘It was frustrating,’ she admits. ‘I turned down loads of things. I remember being questioned about one shoot, with Vogue Japan. “What? You’re going to turn down Vogue? No! It’s one of the top titles…”’ ‘Ultimately, I think it’s about finding a balance and doing what you’re comfortable with. I had one golden rule. I would never date another driver. I wanted to look after my reputation and just be someone that was seen as credible. But I think this idea that you just put your helmet on and race and nothing else matters… that’s not the case. Take Lewis. What he brings to the table is his outstanding talent on track. But also, all of the stuff he represents off-track. So if anything, I look back and say, I should have gone even harder.’

.....

Does she believe she was held back? Wolff shakes her head. ‘I think I fulfilled my potential. If I look back now, with more perspective, I wasn’t one of the most talented. I had a lot of tenacity and a lot of determination. A lot of thick skin. So I look back with no bitterness whatsoever. There were a lot of tough moments, I won’t lie. But I also met Toto, which led me to where I am now.’ They met in 2009 when Wolff was competing in DTM. Toto, 11 years her senior and with two young children from a previous marriage, was the co-owner of HWA AG, which ran the DTM race programme for Mercedes. He proposed one year later on a boat in Venice (well, on a boat back to the airport after his original plan to propose at a romantic restaurant was scuppered when a couple they knew sat down at the next table) and they were married in Capri in 2011. Inevitably their relationship, her subsequent role at Williams, and rise through senior management positions at Venturi Racing, a Monaco-based Formula E team, to F1 Academy, have led to allegations of nepotism.

‘I am completely fine with that because in the end, I know the truth,’ Wolff says. ‘I got the drive with Williams after I met Frank at a DTM event at Brands Hatch and told him I’d done a school project on Williams as a 12-year-old girl and it was always my dream to drive an F1 car. At the end of the conversation he said, “I’ll give you 25 laps at Silverstone.” It kind of snowballed from there. How much of that was Toto? It’s impossible to judge. But I feel I grabbed my chance.’ ‘Toto was never on the radio telling me how to drive a Formula 1 car. He wasn’t holding my hand telling me how to run a Formula E team. I did all of that on my own two feet. I know I’ve got what it takes to be successful, I don’t need Toto to open doors for me.’ She pauses. ‘I think in some instances, it can be very helpful having the Wolff surname, in others very unhelpful. But I wouldn’t change it for a second.’

Marrying up their schedules can’t be easy. The couple’s main home is in Monaco, but when we meet, Toto is back at the factory in Brackley, having just returned from the Canadian Grand Prix. He will fly out to take over parental duties from Susie when she heads to Zandvoort at the end of the week. ‘I don’t think we’re dissimilar to many couples who have busy jobs,’ Wolff says. ‘I have Toto’s schedule on my phone so I always know which country he is in, or at least when he’s coming home. And we just have to prioritise. If that means Jack and I jumping on a plane to wherever he is to make it work, we make it work.’ Wolff admits it is her who generally compromises. ‘Someone has to,’ she shrugs. ‘And right now it’s me, for sure. I’m based here. And Toto is in and out. It’s a big advantage that I understand the industry so well; why he has to be away, why he has to stay longer at the factory. All of that means I’m not giving him a headache at home when he does return. I get it.’

Have Mercedes’ recent struggles on track made things more stressful? ‘Actually I’d say he is in a better place than he was a few years ago,’ Wolff replies. ‘I think he had a moment in lockdown where he didn’t know whether he wanted to stay in the sport. But now he has really got the bit between his teeth again. Sometimes I’m in a room when he’s on a very difficult call and I’m starting to feel, “F--k, this is some serious pressure!” But he can just pile it on. It’s definitely one of his strengths.’ In 2021 the couple moved to Monaco from Switzerland, although they also keep a place in Oxford from which Toto can commute to the factory. ‘Believe me, I never imagined I would be living here,’ Wolff says, laughing. ‘Obviously I started coming out a lot when I joined Venturi. I’d leave cold, grey England and land here in blue skies. I just started thinking, it’s not so bad out here… It works for us now.’ As you would expect, Jack attends a school with the sons and daughters of other international jetsetters. ‘His best friend is Augusto Farfus’ son. Naila Rosberg is a year older, her sister is a year younger,’ Wolff says. But really, she insists, they do not have a lavish lifestyle. ‘My son spends every school holiday back in Scotland because I want him to have that balance. You know, this is a bubble. It’s not quite reality. So he goes camping with my parents.’ As for the Monte Carlo nightlife, Wolff says, ‘We keep ourselves to ourselves. The buzzing social life is just not my thing at all. You find your tribe but we spend so much time away, I’d much rather stay in during the evening than go out somewhere.’

Susie's interview with The Telegraph where she talks about F1 Academy, sexism and double standards she experienced as a female racing driver and her relationship with Toto.

#susie wolff #toto wolff #f1 #interview #f1 academy

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egophiliac · 1 year

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Hello!! I'm in love with your artstyle (especially the way you did the signature spells??? I've been looking at them for a while adsgfdfsf, they look like movie posters tbh and that's fricking cool to me. anyway!! I'm a player on the NA server (btw, I've already seen spoilers of chap 7 due to tumblr/reddit/pinterest, so yeah it's not the most spoiled I've ever been so yea) and yeah. I'm getting through the story okay but do you have any advice for people trying to get through certain events with a more limited life schedule??? Also, what are some of the differences that you notice between the english (if you see a lot of it??) and Japanese versions of the game? sorry if this was a longer ask, i tried to be simple but i wanted to tell you that I loved your art and everything just spiraled AAAAAAH

thank you! ❤️❤️❤️ I've been surprised by how many people really like my posters -- it's kind of a weird style to do fanart in, I guess, but I'm glad other people think it's cool too! :D

(gonna answer out of order because the event stuff turned into a huge block of text, sorry!)

I've seen a few of the localizations, but I don't know a lot about the Eng version, so I can't speak too much about differences. (I do think "housewarden" has a better sound to it than "dorm leader" though...they need a fancy little word to match their fancy little outfits.) I did look up the unique magic/signature spells to see if they were able to somehow work in the glossing -- I'm not even sure how you would localize that without it being super weird, so I don't blame them, but I was a little sad anyway! :( in Japanese, they're all written as Japanese phrases with the English as ruby text, and sometimes they're given a little extra meaning. like -- this is where the episode 7 spoilers I'm tagging are) the words that Mal says are "Fae of Maleficence":

but the meaning of the Japanese is "Blessing", which is a nice little "ooooh" moment given the context of it!

there isn't always an extra meaning, sometimes it's just. super literal. but my other favorite is Jack's, where what he means is "✨howl that pierces the moonlit night✨", but what he actually yells is "UNLEASH BEAST" before turning into a giant dog. what a good boy.

as for event advice (under the cut, because this was already getting long)...

speaking as someone who is 100% F2P and therefore also tends to get kind of burnt by some of these events -- the #1 most important thing is to just...make peace with not getting everyone. :') I am a collector-type person, so it definitely gets grating when I can't have all the fancy PNGs my little packrat heart desires. generally though: never do random pulls, always be saving your keys and gems between events. (once a month you can buy a 10-set from Sam for a 50 gem discount, and logging in on a character's birthday will give you a 10-set for free, so make sure to do those!). when the event info starts coming out, pick one or two cards that you really want and work specifically towards those, focusing on grinding out the items and/or using your saved-up pulls on their specific banner. and in the end, accept that it might just not be meant to be, even if you hit the 100-pull pity SSR no I'm not still bitter over fairy gala Ortho why do you ask. if the event doesn't have any cards that you really want, take it as an opportunity to save for the next one!

hoard your star fragments (the things that restore AP) -- if you're going for a card that requires grinding event items to permanently unlock, and the item is one you get from lessons, you can use star fragments to bump your AP up to 30 at a time (10 is the limit that will restore over time, but 30 is the max you can have at once). that makes for a looong lesson loop, but I usually get about 50-60 items per 30 lessons, and I just let it run in the background while doing other stuff. (usually these items are what also unlock the event story, so I'll do a huge amount of lessons first thing and then have enough to get the whole story at once. 👍) it can get really grindy, but events go on for a while so it's not usually that bad if you space it out a bit, instead of waiting until the last minute to try and get those last 600 items (cough) (cough).

if it's one of the ones where you get the item from doing a rhythmic, you get the same amount of items no matter how well you do, even if you miss every note. so you can just...tap occasionally to restart it and get the same effect. if it's a battle one, you do have to actually win to get the item, but once you figure out the sweet spot of a team setup + highest battle level where you win every time, it becomes basically the same deal.

so...yeah, tl;dr you can get away with a lot just by setting things up to run in the background and paying just enough attention to tap through some of the menus. it does require a certain amount of time to just leave your phone while still sorta-kinda paying attention to it, so it might not work for everyone, but that's the best way I've found to get through most events!

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland spoilers #twisted wonderland episode 7 spoilers #twisted wonderland book 7 spoilers #i feel like i just emerged from juice hell from getting my sunset lilia #and yet here i am diving right into tuna hell for my grim #it's okay i wasn't using these ap on anything else anyway #i have gotten SUPER lucky on some of these events #like i think the only halloween card i'm missing is ace #which is nuts considering how many of those are ssrs #but then i didn't manage to get a single one of the birthday diasomnias past the first year :(#we're not going to talk about the dorm dias. we just aren't.#the gacha giveth and it taketh away

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maxtothemax · 5 months

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concept for an MR fanfic that's been rattling around in my head for a few years:

at the beginning of book 2, it actually is the FBI that finds the flock at the hospital, not just itex in a trench coat. the FBI is very interested in these bird kids, and they see a unique opportunity with fang's injury.

they fake fang's death and whisk him off to a secret lab to study him.

the rest of the flock—devastated by fang's "death," unsure how they want to proceed—goes to live with anne (who, again, actually works for the FBI in this version), with the promise that they will be studied "non-invasively" and given grief counseling (which they all think is bullshit, especially max, but this is their most stable option at the moment).

fang is studied intensively while recovering from his near-fatal injury. (i know he recovered in, like, two days in canon. i'm not doing that here.) someone from the FBI tells him that the flock thinks he's dead; no one is coming to save him. he's not sure if he believes them. most of the time, he's too exhausted to think about it.

max grows more and more restless with being tied down, so to speak, but the rest of the flock seems to appreciate the momentary stability, especially while they're still grieving. she tolerates it as best she can, thinking that it would be much easier to tolerate if fang were here.

slowly, though, max grows suspicious of anne—overhearing strange snippets of phone calls, not believing when anne just smiles and says everything is fine. max and iggy snoop around in anne's office, and that's when they stumble upon the truth: fang never died. he's been alive this whole time.

cue the badass rescue scene, with iggy and gazzy's bombs wreaking havoc on the government lab. fang is weak from the experiments when they find him, but they manage to break him out and make their escape.

once they're finally far away and safe (as safe as they ever are, anyway) there's a teary, heartfelt reunion. fang cries, too, because he wasn't sure whether the flock would ever find him.

the end :)

#they speak #maximum ride #fang #long post #okay yeah that did get long #and the ending feels a bit predictable but oh well #idk where i'd even start with writing this but i've had the concept in my head for a few years

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prettycottonmouthlamia · 1 month

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This is probably going to be a little sacrilegious but something that I'm finding is that when I play IS3, I am actually enjoying myself a lot. Honestly, I'm enjoying myself a lot more than I was playing IS2. This isn't to say that IS3 is perfect or anything, or even than IS2 is bad, but I find that I'm enjoying my time in IS3 just a lot more.

Now keep in mind I'm not really a hard mode grinder by any means. I didn't enjoy the difficulty mechanics in IS1 very much, and their return in IS2 really did not inspire me with much desire to tackle IS2 on a harder difficulty. IS3's difficulty is a bit...infamous for being a bit much, and honestly I'm kind of content with just poking my toes into the water in the future if I feel I want to. If you asked me to do A15 Izumik or die, I think i'd take the gun personally.

The point here is that I'm taking both of these themes from their base standpoint, and that means on the surface level that IS3 is just going to be easier. Two of IS3's unique squads (Mind Over Matter and People-Oriented) not only feel stronger than any squad in IS2, but they're dramatically more interesting to play. You also start off with significantly higher buffs in IS3 over IS2. You have stronger statistical buffs, you have more resources, you have the frankly crazy perfect clear about 8 Max HP buff, and the new node types, all of which are good.

I don't really want to come in from the difficulty angle, although it is maybe unavoidable that more runs in IS3 for me feel like they actually finish compared to IS2. This is partly due to difficulty and partly do to factors that extend into the design of stages themselves.

I will summarize my thoughts here and maybe make a point later on to elaborate them in a different post

-IS3 gives you more opportunities to develop runs, mostly through the use of keys -Keys fuck, and honestly I will probably enjoy IS4 even more given it uses keys in a much cooler way. Having more control over a run feels really nice -Map design in IS3 is a LOT better than in IS2. A lot of IS2's map design is based on IS1, which I'm going to be brave and say is by and large total shit, and IS2 relies a LOT on what are basically pranks -Seriously, fuck the Lost Colossus stage in IS2. -This makes it so its a lot easier to get a sense of flow in IS3. You can look at a stage in IS3, and know how to reasonable tackle it. This isn't consistently true in IS2. Shit in IS2 just fucking, moves. -Also the fact that IS2 kept the absolutely awful Bear and Duck stages where you just contend with increasing numbers of bullshit, and decided to make one version with fucking Sandbeasts makes me really ticked off. These stages are so much better in IS3 -Corrosion is a significantly better mechanic than Sanity. I am not a Sanity defender and I think it says something that I consider Scarlet Singers so dangerous you have to always account for them -Granted Sea Skimmers also suck dick, Low-Altitude Hovering my beloathed -Paranoia Illusion is a much fairer boss than Lucian, Blood Diamond. I feel like if IS2 had an A15 people would legit hate this boss. You're generally priced into trying to kill him on the first pass or develop enough life to deal with leaks from the defender side. It's never worth actually developing that side if he breaks the roadblocks. -I also like Ishar'mla more than Troupe Mouthpiece. Mouthpiece's stage has a really baller design, but it is maybe the ending out of the 8 in the first two IS that requires the most specific set of units. -Also unlocking Ishar'mla is generally a bit easier than Mouthpiece and doesn't require you giving up a boss relic and THEN hitting a random event

But like, IS3 isn't perfect. It has its bad stages and frankly really annoying bullshit (Territorial Tendencies and Ubi bona somnia are quite bad as Emergency Operations). The Light mechanic is annoyingly useless and not even really fun to interact with. Izumik is uh

well frankly I kind of stopping wanting to do it that entire thing is beans

and the Resourceful Squad exists to remind me that I am not Fate's Favorite Child, I will roll nat 1s on my D12s

#arknights

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romancomicsnews · 9 months

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Blue Beetle is a triumph for DC, the Latinx Community, and Superhero Movies - SPOILER FREE REVIEW

Ángel Manuel Sotos new DC film Blue Beetle is hitting theaters this week but has had a significantly hard road to get here.

The film was originally sold as a direct to streaming film, then was moved to theatrical release, was caught in the middle of a James Gunn take over, and now a writer's/actor's strike. Couple all that with superhero fatigue, and DC's not so clean track record, the film would have to jump massive hurdles to be successful most movies do not.

Blue Beetle, however, is a magnificent departure from superhero films of late that coast on past projects, name dropping, or cameos. It is a delightful film that centers on family, responsibility, and the many different types of Latinx experiences, all while being extremely funny and full of incredible action.

Director Manuel Soto breathes new life into the DCU in a way few directors have before. instead of opting for uniformity with other superhero projects, the film has a distinct color and design that feels unique and fresh. Excellent design, costuming, and vibrancy make up a beautiful Palmera City.

One of the most notable aspects of the film was the fluid, dynamic fight choreography for Blue Beetle and our main physical antagonist, Carapax. While there are several heroes who have similar powers to Jaime, none quite have used it as interestingly. The shifting of weaponry, flight, and hand to hand combat make for types of fights we don't really see in live action.

This film of course is not just made up of excellent visuals, but a phenomenal supporting cast. It is hard to pick out favorites, as most characters are given an opportunity to shine.

Through this cast, Manuel Soto shows the many realistic day to day fears and feelings of a Latinx/Hispanic person. Responsibility, family, and becoming who you are supposed to be are all at the heart of the film. As a Latinx man, so many aspects of the film hit home for me, sometimes comedically, sometimes tragically.

The movie also emphasizes different kinds of experiences in our community. Undocumented citizens, first generation, the religious traditional older member of the family, even the slacker uncle. Every member of the family feels different, but they all feel like a family.

For me, I'd say Belissa Escobedo as Milagro Reyes brings excellent sisterly back and forth with our hero and has some very emotional moments in the film. Brother/sister chemistry is sometimes difficult to pull off, but Escobedo makes it look easy. I think she has the making of a comedic star on the rise and is someone to lookout for.

I'd say most members of the family will be someones favorite. George Lopez as Rudy, Jaimes Uncle Rudy, Damián Alcázar as Alberto Reyes, Jaimes Father, and Adriana Barraza as Nana, the matriarchal head of the family all got big laughs and, at times, tears from their performances.

This cast is phenomenal and elevates excellent writing into several iconic scenes. I don't see this film working without the perfect familial blend of actors. And they got it perfectly.

While characters like Elpidia Carrillo as Rocio Reyes or Bruna Marquezine as Jenny Kord do get the short end of the stick in the film, I think they get their moments and will be greater utilized in (hopefully) future installments of the franchise.

What made it most clear that Manuel Soto understands character were the two antagonists of the film.

While they are not nearly as significant as the rest of the family, both Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord and Raoul Max Trujillo as Conrad Carapax are not reduced to twirling mustache villains. They both have realistic and at times tragic stories that explain (but does not justify) their actions.

While both give solid performances and are a step above your average Marvel/DC villains, I think the film could've benefitted from more of them.

But the real highlight of the film, to no ones surprise, was Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes.

Maridueña as Blue Beetle feels like one of those castings that seem impossible to be topped. He brings excellent comedy, pain, and honor to Jaime in a way that feels natural. He is Blue Beetle.

In the film, Maridueña displays a wide range of emotions while he goes through an incredibly grueling 2-3 days. There is comedy, awkwardness, strength, anger, and pain, and Maridueña nails every moment of it.

I expect you will see a lot more Xolo in the future even if we don't see more Blue Beetle. But I hope he does return.

I think this movie has the potential to connect with audiences in a way we just haven't seen in a long time from a Superhero film. It is original, fun, and shows us a side of DCU we've never seen before, without endless cameos and reminders of past projects.

I hope other studios take away that audiences want more representation via original content from creative visionaries. But Hollywood often takes away the wrong lesson.

All in all, Blue Beetle is an incredible film that balances comedy, drama, and action in a way superhero movies rarely do. If you get the chance to, I highly recommend you go out and give it a watch. Films as good as this deserve support.

Blue Beetle is out in theaters this Friday August 18th.

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stranger-rants · 1 year

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I am going to preface this with a few things. One, I love Max and Lucas as a pair. I think they work well together. Two, I don't think the romance between the literal children in this show should have been the focus at all in the first season. That said...

Eleven and Mike's "relationship" in season 1 felt like a nerdy boy's wish fulfillment. It's also interesting that Mike was the one to uncritically adore her and trust her, as it pertains to how The Duffers position The Wheelers as their self-insert heroes.

I think it would have been way more interesting if Eleven and Lucas bonded more than Mike and Eleven, given the way Lucas distrusted her and for him that trust needed to be earned. I think that would have been more interesting.

Even if it was maintained as a platonic bond, it would have been more interesting to me to carry that throughout the series - that trust needs to be earned and built, and in doing so it would challenge Eleven to think about her behavior.

Eleven has no clear guidance on what is normal and what is not because of the unique circumstances of her 'childhood.' So when she's treated like a powerful weapon, she leans into it because that's where she is getting her validation.

It's good for characters like Lucas to challenge her. To set boundaries. To think what she is saying or doing isn't safe, not just for other people but for her as well. That would have been so much more interesting to watch.

...but I guess the wish fulfillment of giving the nerd from a white middle class family a super powered girlfriend who takes her for granted is much more important than all of this. Just another opportunity that's been squandered.

#text post

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emblazons · 1 year

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I've thought about this a couple of times already, but i wanted to see your opinion on it; do you think Max is going to wake up early into the season or will it happen in like.... a climax moment in the later episodes? Because it feels like they'd want it to happen in the later episodes bc what is the point of putting her in a coma, right? But i think it could feel jarring if she stays in a coma for the majority of her screentime, so not sure how they are gonna do that especially if there is some sort of a time skip. I wonder if they will reduce her screentime and mostly focus on Max through Lucas and El's dedication to save her, instead of focusing on Max's POV/character? It could also align with what the duffers said about returning to the OG characters (the boys and El). Like. That sounds like Max will stay in a coma for a while to me while we watch El and Lucas trying to save her instead.

Honestly—and I’m gonna be transparent with you in saying that this isn’t based on any deeply researched fact or analysis, because that’s not really where my focus has been for most of my rewatches—I personally think Max will probably be in a coma for a solid portion of the season, but…we might get more scenes with her as we learn what exactly Henry does to the people whose essence he absorbs…since we already know they aren’t “gone,” just “in here” the way One tells us they are.

Even if Max isn’t out of her coma, her consciousness has to be somewhere—probably something similar to what happens when people have vecna visions x a million, because it’s all consuming and (at this point at least) unbreakable without learning the mechanism for recovering people from Henry/One/Vecna?

It is canonically possible to ‘break into’ Henry’s mind through a possession or “taking” (if you want to call it that) already though, considering Will managed a bit of it when Henry was in his mind (while still alive physically)…and we also get him asking how Max “got into his head” when she somehow leaves the vision he is terrorizing her with re:Billy to head into his mindspace.

At least to me, this means it’s (perhaps) entirely possible for Max to be aware somewhere with some aspect of agency and consciousness (given she, unlike the others he took, is still physically alive) despite being in a coma in the physical world….which means we might still get her perspective.

Learning how to “free” Max might take a while for our characters, which means Max’s body will in fact be in that coma for a while—but that doesn’t mean we won’t have interactions with Max (or see Sadie) for the majority of the season. Even if we follow her struggle to understand Henry from whatever space she occupies alongside all the others he’s taken before, we might see a fair amount of her…especially since The Duffers love taking multiple (seemingly disparate) storylines and meshing them to a specific end…in this case, Max’s soul returning (however that is accomplished) to her body.

Outside the universe of stranger things though…I also don’t think The Duffers are foolish enough to spend an entire season relegating someone who is easily one of their most objectively gifted actors (a woman casted in an Aronofsky film no less) to lying in a bed the majority of the season, even if it doesn’t come about in the most linear way. Max’s internal perspective as someone who has worked alongside the party and El for three seasons now trying to sort through Vecna “from the inside” is also an insanely unique opportunity for a writer imo, and would be a waste to throw out to just leave her in a lifeless coma until she’s saved.

But again—that’s not analysis, just me wondering (and maybe a little hoping) aloud. Still, thanks for the ask!

#if they have Sadie laying there lifeless no acting half the season I’ll riot is what I’m actually saying with this lmao #she’s too talented to do that to fr #but anyway!#max mayfield #vecna #henry creel #st s5 #stranger things #asks

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adobe-outdesign · 2 years

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could you review the turtwig line maybe?

First off, before we get into the review I have to mention that Turtwig's call is delightful. This has nothing to do with anything, I just had to give it a special shoutout.

youtube

Anyway yeah, I like Turtwig. There's something about the head that's super pleasing, what with the beak and the way the jaw is yellow, which culminates in a little knob at the side. Having the plant be on the head instead of the shell at this stage is a nice way to differentiate it from its evos, and the colors are nicely balanced; yellow on the eye, jaw, and feet, brown on the back and the head, green everywhere else. I have complaints; it's a good turtle.

Also, I like how the 'dex talks about it from a biological standpoint. Stuff like this just helps make a Pokemon so much more interesting than it already is.

Grotle is a good middle evo; it works as a transitional phase, yet has a design that's all its own without looking too terribly awkward. Starting to resemble an ankylosaur, the yellow plating is distinct, and the bushes on the back hint at what direction it's going for without being handled the same way as Torterra's vegetation. Good stuff.

My only complaints are that the ridge along the yellow looks strange; I can never shake the feeling that it's wearing a hard hat. Also, the bushes feel kind of slapped on, especially with the ridges in the back being so diminutive. Other than that, though, it does its job well.

Having a Pokemon that's just a mini-ecosystem is just inherently a neat idea, and it's even neater when you consider that it's based off of the idea of a World Turtle, except instead of having the entire world on its back it's just a nice garden.

I also love how bulky and calm it looks; it matches the slowness of a turtle and the worldliness its concept would suggest. Even little details like the asymmetry (a rare thing in Pokemon designs) help add to the biome aspect of it.

My only visual nitpick is that on the rest of the line, the jaw is a different color because it leads into the spikes on the side of the head. Here, the spikes are a different color already, so the jaw is green just Because, making the little bit of brown on the face feel unneeded and creating a disconnect with the rest of the underbelly. It would've been better just to keep the jaw brown, or even consider having the jaw be silver instead. That's not a big deal though obviously.

Anyway, as a whole, this is a solid starter line. Turtwig is cute and has some pleasing colors and neat biology, Grotle is unique enough to stand on its own, and Torterra is just a cool concept in general. Great stuff.

Final note: I know they couldn't do this because it would make it better than the other starters, but it seems like not every Torterra should have the same garden. It would've been neat if there were like 3 different forms with three different kinds of gardens (forest, Japanese, and English, perhaps) or something like that. Likewise, there was a major missed opportunity to give it a g-max, given that World Turtles are obviously massive. Expand on the garden and give it some waterfalls, more pathways, flowering blooms, etc.

#turtwig #grotle #torterra #pokemon #pokemon reviews

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junhyungupdates-blog · 5 months

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[EXCLUSIVE/INTERVIEW] 121223 The scene when Yong Junhyung came to Taiwan was shocking/suprising. Fans are the biggest motivation, "trying hard to get better."

Korean singer Yong Junhyung is coming to Taiwan again after a break of four months and will hold a concert at Taipei Xinyi Theater Legacy MAX this Saturday (16th). In an exclusive interview with this newspaper in Seoul recently, he said that he was very happy to be able to perform in Taiwan in a short time. Fulfilling his promise of "coming to Taiwan as soon as possible" last time, it is even more meaningful during his birthday week. He will also present the first song "Fall Into Blue", which will be released on his birthday on the 19th, to Taiwanese fans. "In addition to the distance, Christmas is just around the corner. “I feel very happy to be able to have a wonderful ending with everyone at the end of the year. I will also bring the last energy of this year to the performance. I hope everyone will come and spend a happy time with me. ”.

Yong Junhyung quit his group "HIGHLIGHT" (formerly: BEAST) in 2019. After a gap period of nearly three years, he announced the establishment of his new company BLACK MADE Entertainment. He held his first overseas performance in Taiwan in August this year. "The first reason I met overseas fans again was because of the existence of Taiwanese fans. This alone left a deep impression on me." He also admitted that before going on stage, he was more worried than excited, "Afraid of taking too long. It will be awkward for us not to meet each other, but the energy given by fans to me is much more than I imagined. It is a new album that was released not long ago, but the songs in it can still be sung loudly. I am very touched and have left a big impression in my heart. "Shocking", the scene at that time is still unforgettable.

Fans have always been his biggest motivation to move forward. Yong Junhyung said, "Everyone who had been waiting, supporting and giving me the strength to "get better." He also said that he is not good at expressing his feelings and often cannot respond immediately. Fans apologized for their love for him, but emphasized that they were trying hard to show it. Indeed, many people had shared that he would click on or even forward content that fans tagged him on IG. He said embarrassedly, "But occasionally I still see it. Fans said, "Why don't you read what I posted?" I will try my best to find more and read more, so I recently opened a chat software (fromm) that can communicate more with fans." At the same time, he revealed his desire to stand up His thoughts on the stage, "After meeting the fans, the emotions of regret and reluctance became stronger. Every time after the performance, I seemed to be eager to go to more places to meet the fans. I really wanted to have more." performance opportunities, so I want to continue to produce good music, which should be my most urgent thing at the moment."

When he was interviewed in Taiwan last time, he mentioned that he started to exercise in the gym for physical, mental and spiritual health. Yong Junhyung smiled and revealed: "But I am a little tired of heavy training these days. It does not mean that I have become lazy, but I am just in a transition period. , I want to find other interesting sports. If the weather is nice, I will occasionally go hiking, and I have also started bowling again." Then he shared that recently, rather than going to the studio, I often create at home with my guitar, "This time the new song adds the unique sensibility of the guitar, and also integrates winter elements into the song well. I hope everyone can feel it when listening to it." He also revealed that when encountering creative bottlenecks, in addition to letting himself take a rest first In addition, I occasionally look for inspiration through movies or TV series. Recently, I watched the movie "Believer 2" starring Zhao Zhenxiong, Cha Seung-won, and Han Hyo-joo on Netflix.

Yong Junhyung has composed hundreds of hits in the 14 years since his debut. In 2019, Yong Junhyung became a formal member of the Korean Music Copyright Association (KOMCA). He mentioned that he had previously said that instead of catering to the mass market before, he now wants to tell his inner story. Explaining, "When making music, if you are always concerned about the outside world's perspective, you will easily lose your direction. However, it does not mean that you are stubborn and completely ignore the audience's feelings. Of course, it still has to sound good and satisfy the audience. This is the basic Yes, this time I want to add what I want to say on this basis. I want to share some of my past feelings and emotions more comfortably. When listening, you will miss the past, but I have tried to make it not sound too old-school. "I have made some efforts", and I am indeed more relaxed when creating this time than before. "I don't have too many complicated ideas in my mind. I think if you write songs while worrying, the listeners can actually feel it, so I want to use made with a relaxed attitude, I hope everyone will like it."

#용준형 YONGJUNHYUNG LONERs_ROOM

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argyrocratie · 2 years

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“Being free is something that I cannot truly will, because I cannot make it, I cannot create it: I can only wish for it and-strive for it, because it remains an ideal, a phantasm. The fetters of reality cut the sharpest welts in my flesh at every moment. But I remain my own. Given over in bondage to a master, I think only of myself and my advantage; his blows indeed strike me, I am not free from them; but I endure them only for my benefit, perhaps to deceive him and make him feel safe with my sham of patience or, again, to avoid rousing anger against myself through my insubordination. But because I keep an eye out for myself and my self-interest, I grab the first good opportunity by the forelock to crush the slave-owner. That I then become free from him and his whip is only the result of my earlier egoism. Here someone might say that I was "free" even in the condition of slavery-that is, "in myself" or "inwardly:' But "free in oneself" is not "actually free:' and "inwardly" is not "outwardly.

On the other hand, I was own, my own, completely, inwardly and outwardly. Under the rule of a cruel master my body is not "free" from torments and lashes; but it is my bones that groan under the torture, my fibers that twitch under the blows, and I groan because my body groans. That I sigh and shiver proves that I have not yet lost myself, that I am still my own. My leg is not "free" from the master's stick, but it is my leg and is inseparable. Let him tear it off me and see if he still has my leg ! He holds nothing in his hand but-the corpse of my leg, which is as little my leg as a dead dog is still a dog. A dog has a beating heart, a so-called dead dog has none and so is no longer a dog.”

-Max Stirner, “The Unique and Its Property” (1845)

#defiance #Max Stirner

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crapmagak · 1 year

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Engage Drip Marketing: Anna, talking, and Bonus Firene Theories

This ones probably gonna be a quickie. And honestly, it’s nice to have a little breather.

Anna intro tweet…

Anna is a merchant in training. It seems she's traveling around various countries in search of treasures that might sell for a pretty penny.

And cutscene tweet…

Anna is surprised when she realizes Alear is the Divine Dragon. It seems her instincts as a merchant are at work.

"T-the Divine Dragon? Y-you're the Divine Dragon? I-I'm sensing a good business opportunity...

...Ahem, my name is Anna. Just call me Anna-san. Nice to meet you!"

Seems Anna’s a recruitable unit in the game, and not even dlc. In fact, she seems to be a main story recruit. And considering the background behind her, I think she’s recruited during or after the Fierenesse ruin chapter.

The crit clip just says Anna is an ax fighter, with nothing new about the class. Oh well, they don’t really need to make new bios for repeat classes anyways. Anna herself has never really had a dedicated class given to her either, but I’m surprised she’s an ax fighter instead of a thief. Maybe it’s a hero's reference. Or maybe ax fighters can promote into a more fitting class for her. We also see more of the bridge chapter, and the Brodian map theme. Maxes me eager for whenever the ost leaks to youtube.

But we’ve also got a bonus tweet about the talk action…

Units with the Talk icon on them can be conversed with by choosing the Talk command when next to them. There are units who will become allies when spoken to, so use the Talk command actively. There are units who can only be spoken to with certain ally units too.

So, this monk unit with a unique color scheme and design, that Alear can talk to, is absolutely recruitable. It’s also clear they’re among the villagers you’re meant to save in that one chapter. I’m guessing they’re a boy, probably our second healer unit.

Speaking of which, I think I have a better idea of how Firene is gonna shake out story wise. Basically, in the Dragon Awakens trailer, the subtitles reveal one piece of dialogue comes from Queen Eve. “My kingdom has another Emblem Ring in its possession.” So, I think this means those ruins our heroes seem to end the Firene arc on would be the ring's location (Perhaps Micaiah’s?). On the way there, our heroes clean up some local bandits, and recruit this monk, Yunaka, and Anna. But there are two things of note to me.

1: I find Eve’s voice kind of off. Like, it has the same deep, airiness I associate with sexy female villains. Like, before the subtitles I thought this was a line of dialogue from Ivy. Like, that could just be an odd line read. But the fact it’s playing during the ominous music cut in showing off a lot of villains kind of makes her look sus. And considering the everything about Emperor Morion, the leaders of the four countries aren’t looking too good. If the ruler of Solm is also evil seeming, this story may be going some interesting places.

2: In the Engaging with Emblems trailer, we get a look at a town covered in familiar windmills, burning to the ground, and full of Elusian soldiers. This makes me think at some point in the story, Firenze is gonna get invaded again, and that each country's arc doesn’t end on the first visit. This also makes me think if Eve doesn’t turn out to be a villain, she will also meet the fate of Fire Emblem parents.

All in all, it seems like there really will be characters skipped over in favor of the main royals and their retainers. Not a terrible choice considering how close release is, in my mind. Still, I’m absolutely gonna spoil myself when the game comes out so I know how to recruit everyone.

#fire emblem #fire emblem engage #anna

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danielfuckingricciardo · 1 year

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Did anyone ask for a Doctor/Master Lestappen AU with a little Piarles and Maxiel thrown in there? No? Well I did it anyway because right now I’m fully in a deep Doctor Who phase again. I might work on this more depending on how I feel and develop it into a full fic while the whovian brainrot persists.

(This slots in post 10th Doctor and Simm!master)

The Doctor wasn’t The Doctor anymore. When the Family of Blood came for him, he had hidden away in 1913. He had erased his identity, his mind, everything that he was and ever had been. He swore he would never do such a thing again, that he would never attempt to live a human life. Too many people had been hurt, and he was the source of that pain. Never again.

And yet, he was forced to change himself once more. To become human to evade capture by his greatest enemy. But this time, he had to go even further than before. To regenerate - become a new man and wear a face no other creature would recognise before purging his unique mind and biology to disguise himself as a human.

The Tardis, his wonderful sentient flying machine, always had a flair for the dramatic. Considering that last time a plain old ordinary human life had still led to his discovery, it wove him a new backstory. A better one. He would be hidden in plain sight, given a role and a passion and a dream like any normal man. But he was far from normal. He excelled, and was formidable at any test he faced - with or without Timelord biology.

And so, Charles Leclerc laid on the deck of his yacht and gazed up at the stars of the Monaco sky, and wondered what it may be like to one day dance among them. To roam among the stars as the familiar men and women who visited him in his dreams each and every night had done before. Unaware of the fact that he came from the stars themselves, that his people, lost to time, had once had the power to control all of them. He was the only one left, but his life was lost, and so too was the legacy of The Doctor and the life he had once led.

———

Max Verstappen remembered everything. He had purged his mind once before, forgotten who he was and lived out his years as a human at the end of eternity. One thing he was sure of, is that he would never allow himself to forget again.

Max was so much more than an ordinary human. He wasn’t human at all and yet, his singular heartbeat echoed in his chest as a reminder that he was no longer the man he was before. Sometimes, he would almost come close to forgetting his past, but the ever-present drum beat that persisted on in his head, never faltering and never changing, reminded him of who he was. Of all the faces that had preceded him. And most importantly, of his mission, his life’s work. To track down and kill The Doctor. By any means necessary. Max Verstappen was an invention, as was Professor Yana, and Harold Saxon, for his true name was The Master.

A fabricated backstory, and a proficiency in blackmail and manipulation, made it almost too easy for Max to find his way to the top. He knew The Doctor was here, he could smell a Timelord from a mile off, even if they had erased the thing that made them so special, so much better than any of the creatures that roamed this stinking planet. The Doctor was someone, anyone, but which one? Max could not tell, and it made him furious.

Max was impressed by The Doctor’s choice of life. He would never have thought that his enemy would go for something so great, so gilded and celebrated. He most certainly didn’t mind. Sure, he wasn’t the Prime Minister anymore, but being a racing driver still gave him the power and attention that he craved. And needless to say, the job came with a lot less paperwork, and many more opportunities to drink to excess and entertain beautiful women.

Max was good. Really good. His Timelord mind made him quicker, brighter, and put him streets above his human counterparts. Even with only one heart beating in his chest he was still superior - a perfect specimen of peak human performance. Though his competitors tried, they could not touch him.

Only one man threatened his position of power, the beloved Charles Leclerc, the predestined one. The world was enamoured by him, and for good reason. Max could see the appeal of the kind-hearted Monegasque. Charles was everything he wasn’t, and so, he was the first on Max’s current list of suspects. Could Charles be The Doctor? The man he had tracked through the cosmos before disappearing into nothing? Max wasn’t sure, and it infuriated him. Was his closest rival also his ancient enemy?

———

Pierre Gasly was no ordinary man. He was human, that he knew for sure, but he had the most extraordinary job, and the most extraordinary friend anyone could hope to have.

Since that fateful day he had stepped through the threshold of the Tardis, to see the bright shining lights of the console, the high ceiling and curved walls crammed into the wooden blue exterior, his life had come that little bit more extraordinary.

The Doctor was unlike anyone else he had ever met, he was so intelligent, and funny, and compassionate despite all the pain and suffering he had experienced in his many lifetimes. Pierre was enamoured by him, in a way he had never been before. He had no doubts that he would go to the ends of the earth itself for The Doctor. He would do anything he was asked, no matter the cost.

Losing The Doctor, or, at least, the very essence of him, was hard. Sure, he was still there, and was still Pierre’s best friend, but he wasn’t The Doctor. Not really. He was Charles Leclerc. A remarkable man, still intelligent, and funny, and compassionate as he always had been, but he was no longer a time travelling hero, he was human, just like Pierre.

Thankfully, the Tardis had made it easy for him to watch over The Doctor in his new human life, slotting him into place in a world Pierre knew all too well. Before The Doctor, Pierre had been a racing driver, a good one, a famous one, and now, so was The Doctor.

It was in his Timelord nature to naturally excel at any task he faced, but Pierre couldn’t help but be jealous of The Doctor’s abilities. It didn’t take him long to become a race winner, or a championship contender, and that worried Pierre. His job was to protect The Doctor, to make sure his enemy could never track him down, and yet even people who didn’t know F1 had the name ‘Leclerc’ on their lips.

Pierre was scared. Any one of the men he met around the paddock could be the enemy, the dangerous man he only knew as The Master. But he was prepared, ready to awaken The Doctor if anything should go wrong. He had the pocket watch, he knew what to do. Open the watch, and The Doctor returns, and Charles Leclerc is erased, gone forever.

At first, this would have been an easy action. Pierre wanted The Doctor back, by any means. He knew it was selfish, but he didn’t care, The Doctor meant everything to him. But now? Charles Leclerc had come to mean the same to him. He loved them both, and would do whatever possible to keep them both if only he could. But if he had learnt anything on his adventures through time and space, it was that the universe was rarely so kind. It could be cruel, and cause carnage and pain for those who did not deserve it.

No matter what, Pierre would lose. He would lose the magnificent Doctor, or the legendary Charles Leclerc, and there was nothing he could do about it. But for now, both remained in limbo. Charles lived, he thrived and excelled, but he was unaware of his own extraordinary past life. If The Doctor was to return, the world would lose Charles Leclerc, and so would Pierre. He would lose the man he had fallen in love with, but once again travel the universe with the man who had taught him what love truly was.

———

Daniel didn’t believe Max at first when he told him the truth. That he wasn’t just Max Verstappen, that awkward Dutch kid who was dynamite behind the wheel, but an alien creature with godlike powers and a penchant for crime.

He had laughed it off, assumed Max was drunk, or high, until he told him everything. The secrets of the universe, things that only a being of infinite power could possibly know. Daniel was terrified, at first, until he realised just how useful having Max by his side would be. Daniel wanted to be on the side of the winner, and Max was a winner. He was the winner.

Max had shared with him the wonders of the universe, but also told him of the terrible and destructive nature of creation. He had told him about the Time War, of how the legendary conflict had purged every world into darkness, and how his own people had been driven to madness. How they had sunk so low that they had corrupted a child for all of the many lives he would live in hopes of dragging themselves out of the abyss to conquer the cosmos.

He felt for Max. His own damaged psyche was not his own doing, but the fault of the corrupt society he hailed from. It made sense that he would become what he was, and why he desired to put to an end the life of his greatest enemy. Daniel hoped he could change his mind, to change Max, to save him from himself and his tragic past, but he feared he would be unsuccessful. Either way, he didn’t care. He had grown to love Max, both as the human, Max Verstappen, and as the Timelord, The Master.

Daniel loved them both, but he wished that The Master would see that a human life was not so bad, and perhaps, just perhaps, he would choose to abandon his old life and his murderous desires, and just be Max. That awkward Dutch kid who was dynamite behind the wheel, and had been the one to capture the heart of Daniel Ricciardo.

#I don’t even know how to tag this lol #it’s incredibly niche but I know there’s probably 2 people out there who are massive nerds like I am lol #f1 fanfic #f1 au #formula 1 au #formula 1 fanfic

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roobylavender · 2 years

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If you were to be given creative control over any 3 comic characters, with the free to add or remove whatever you want from canon, which characters would you choose, why, & how would you write them? -🐻

i tried to be a little unique in my choices instead of making the whole thing about bat characters (well. except for the last one but i think that's an allowed exception)

thad thawne / i feel like this would go for most people who are also into thad but i genuinely do not care for the teenage murderer thing that geobard jawnes did with him like it felt. so removed from any of his actual convictions or desires yknow. obv there was a deep seated hatred of bart there but as we learn in the mercury falling arc that hatred was never truly his own and was imposed on him for his entire existence! he was left with no room to consider seeking out genuine love and recognition for himself as a person, until bart reminded him of what exactly he was missing in his life. so. personally i am obsessed with the fact that the mercury falling arc and wallylinda's wedding arc occur within like months of each other publication wise and had i been the one in control i would have finagled a way for max and bart to locate thad and present him with an interesting offer: let wallylinda take him in. let him thrive on his people pleasing abilities but in an environment where it might actually contribute to something other than an agenda of centuries long hatred. let him be loved. let him be challenged. let him be taken under wally's wing as not just an adoptee but a protégé. i personally think there could be so much meaning to him potentially adopting the kid flash mantle and subsequently, many years down the line, the flash mantle bc he would have earned it of his own merit rather than tried to steal the legacy as he was groomed to do. also it would be so cute to see irey and jai drive him nuts once they're born you know linda would jump on the opportunity to assign him babysitting duties (and she'd secretly assign bart to them too so that they have to work together and get along and mend their relationship. it's her kid whisperer magic) and he'd grouch and grumble but secretly thrill in it bc i mean what else would boost a people pleaser's ego more than baby validation

simon baz / i am technically going to be cheating here bc my ideas for any green lantern are like mythos wide and interconnected or whatever but basically. i fall into the camp of what i assume to be very few people who believe the lantern corps should have stayed dead when hal slaughtered them all. the whole point of the parallax arc was to hone in on the ultimate flaws of employing a police force and it being the sort of worst outcome of unchecked vigilantism not only at cost to ordinary people but at cost to the lanterns themselves bc they were ultimately used like disposable tools. there's also the fact that the rings are allegedly supposed to be the most dangerous weapon in the universe but like. what weight does that statement really have if there are a gazillion. there should only be one imo. moving onto simon: what really frustrates me about his intro and character development is how (like so much else about geobard jawnes lantern lore) it falls into the same police apologism the earlier lantern lore spent decades trying to critique. like, why would this guy who was literally about to be tortured in guantanamo bay find any sort of solace in being a member of an intergalactic police force. it makes no sense to me. but had we been working with a scenario where the guardians and lantern core hadn't been revived and kyle was ultimately the last lantern left, i feel like it could have been interesting to see simon become his eventual successor and potentially chart a new path for what being a ringbearer entailed, esp with his unique empathy-connected healing powers. it would be a sort of cycle from hal as the martyr of the policing complex the guardians had created, to kyle as the guardian of the last ring in the wake of that devastation, to simon as the torchbearer to repurpose the ring for the more humanitarian uses that it should ideally have been employed for (i know torchbearer is kyle's title but idc it'd look cooler on simon) and thus also finding meaning and purpose in his own actions outside of just being a tool for whatever agenda the corps were wanting to peddle

damian wayne / as you all know. if given the opportunity i would rewrite this kid entirely from scratch. i am personally really into the idea of subverting the way bruce generally comes into having children bc obv all of them make their way to him as adoptees after their parents have perished by some ill fate or whatever, but had damian's son of the demon origins have been maintained i think it would have been really cool to see him make his way from his adoptive parents (killed by ra's in some way) to his biological ones and seeing that mess with his head and sense of identity. bc like. how do you go from being raised as a normal child to suddenly being thrust into this world of vigilantism and martyrdom and duty. granted that happened for bruce's other children too but with damian there would be that added layer of wondering why if he had biological parents they had never come to get him and raise him on their own. what would that disconnect do to him. how would he contend with the idea of suddenly being heir to a legacy where you are essentially dedicating the rest of your life to a burdensome duty that does not necessarily entail any permanent sort of success or happiness. how does that dilemma add to the tension of getting to know his parents. i'm interested in the idea of a damian who feels utterly normal and confused and intimidated and betrayed bc he's a ten year old child who never asked for any of this but is suddenly being given the choice to consider it bc his parents are supreme weirdos who know no other way of life though they would lay the world down for him bc their love for him is that infinite. i'm interested in that tragedy and the small sliver of hope for it to not permanently be so. i'm interested in damian being the last chance for ra's to recognize the lines he's crossed in the name of duty and love and how he need not continue to endanger his family simply bc he cannot accept abandonment. i'm interested in damian as someone looking for a place to truly call home after being so violently robbed of his previous one, and him finding that home in bruce and talia, even if they're not together

#outbox #long post #sry these are so long essaying is my illness

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