Ok So Like Can We Please Take A Moment To Appreciate The Unique Wardrobe Mr Graves Here Has, I Mean Like????

Qatar GP 2021: Post-Qualifying interview

end of american isolationism 

“And who are you?,” the proud Lord said “That I must bow so low”

Only a cat of a different coat That’s all the truth I know

In a coat of gold or a coat of red A lion still has claws And mine are long and sharp, my lord As long and sharp as yours

____________________________

Belgium had never seen her brother in such a state before. He was pale and determined as he tore the letter from Spain to pieces. She knew what it had said. It had said that he must pacify William of Orange, or Spain would do it for him.

Spain’s fury was familiar, the look of abject anger on the Netherlands’ face was new. Though he was an imposing man with a stern demeanor, he was rarely angry. A stranger might read his quiet or his blunt nature as anger, she knew him well enough to know that it was not. This deathly silent man, white as porcelain, with a vein pounding in his temple, was truly angry.

She had wanted to say something to him since he had gotten the letter, but it was hard to imagine what could be said. She cleared her throat and tried, “You should speak to him. Surely he will understand if you go to Madrid.”

He exhaled sharply through his nose, and it made her jump. It was the first sound he had made since he received the letter. It only confirmed his deep anger.

Then, he spoke, “I have already told him that his taxes are too high. I have told him that his lack of tolerance for protestants is unreasonable. I have told him so many times that he must respect my nobility. I have said everything to him before, and he still sends me this. No, I am done talking to him.”

He held up the pieces of the letter, like she could not already guess what he was talking about.

She folded her anxious hands together so that they would not shake. His tone was worrying her deeply. She said, “But, what else is there to do? He is our lord whether you like it or not.”

He fixed his eyes on her, and they were deep and unyielding. Silently, he took the pieces of the letter and threw them into the fire. Then, he took every letter and order that he had piled in front of him, and placed them into the fire.

Belgium gasped and put a hand to her chest. He couldn’t mean what she imagined he meant by this.

The Netherlands watched the letters burn for a moment, and then said, “I do not accept his right to rule. I think it is time that we drove him out.”

She repeated, shock seizing her vocal cords, “‘We?‘ This is madness! He owns half of the world, and you think you can fight him.”

The Netherlands scoffed again, and said, “I know I am small, as David was to Goliath. I will win, because God favors me, and I will slay this giant.”

He took the rosary from his neck, the one that Spain insisted he wear, and tossed it into the fire as well.

Seeing the look of shock and horror on his sister’s face, he explained, “Antonio is corrupt, and his church in Rome is rotten to the core. I will have no more of either of them.”

She put her hand to her own cross, scared that he might take that next. Tears, from fear for him, welled up in her eyes. Her older brother, who had been her companion for as long as she could remember, felt like a stranger to her.

He was past her kind words or soothing touch, and it scared her. Nothing she knew would bring him back to reason. She felt tears coming in earnest now.

He stopped in his fit of destruction, and took her free hand in his own. He said, in the soft voice he had always used when she was upset, “Emma, don’t cry. Come with me, and we will make a new Republic for ourselves away from this cruel tyrant with tolerance and beauty.”

She felt like she could not swallow past the thick feeling in her throat. Looking at him hurt. She said, tears slipping down her cheeks as she spoke, “I cannot go with you, and I cannot bear the thought of Antonio hurting you. You know what he did in the New World-”

Her voice broke as she thought of the tales of cruelty that they had both heard. She couldn’t even imagine that happening to her brother.

Her vision swam with tears as she said, “Please don’t do this. Find some other way.”

He shook his head resolutely, “There is no other way for me except this.”

_____________________________

Dutch Revolt (1568–1648), APH Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands

“… Do NOT tell anybody I said that,”

I really liked those “classic art in modern setting” pics. So I tried to do my own. Nap, Berthier and Jojo have their first encounter with modern means of transportation.

do you see this shit my liege

Inglorious Basterds (2009) — dir. Quentin Tarantino.

One Last Time: Aldo Raine x Reader

@owba-chan, @war-obsessed, @inglourious-jules 

Let me know if you want to be tagged in these! :)

Requested by @inglourious-jules

————————————————————

 Aldo sighed.

He was sitting on the concrete ground, his back against the metal bars separating him from you.

He should’ve known you couldn’t be together… He lost his head over you and Hugo…

Now look where all that got his team.

You had all been captured, and he couldn’t help but blame it on himself.

He wondered how he could be so stupid?

He should’ve known a girl like you could never really fall for a guy like him. You were an educated girl from up north, you spoke any and every useful language to their side of the war… Aside from your ability to scalp a nazi, you were a proper, well-read, intelligent young woman, capable of deciphering intricate codes, from Vermont.

He was a redneck hilllbilly from the deep south. A basterd, through and through.

Even you were surprised at yourself for falling for him…One of many surprises since you became a part of the basterds. 

You never thought you’d be in the war to begin with. As of December, 1941, you thought the most you’d ever have to do with the war would be with war bonds. By mid 1942, you were well within the OSS’ ranks, and dispatched to the basterds.

It was almost imaginable to anyone that you of all people would befriend the short-tempered, quiet, stubborn German basterd, Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz.

In fact, that was part of the problem.

No one else in the world had ever made him smile like you did, let alone laugh. If it had been anyone else, Aldo would have been more than happy with it. 

But it was you.

It had to have been you.

It crushed Aldo to see you with Hugo…to see you talk to Hugo for hours on end. It shocked every single one of the basterds. Hugo barely tolerated anyone to begin with, then you came along.

Aldo fell head over heels with you.

He couldn’t bear to see you with anyone…the basterds’ joking flirts were of course just jokes, but it drove him crazy.

He especially couldn’t stand to see you with Hugo.

The thought of losing you scared him. So much, that he had to ask Wicki what you and Hugo were talking about.

Because of course, all your conversations were in German.

Wicki chuckled. Opera, ballet, concerts, your favorite symphonies, and records Hugo hoped to find after the war.

It terrified Aldo.

He thought he wasn’t good enough. He didn’t know much about those things, and it broke him to think he’d lose you to Hugo…or anyone, if you ever realized Aldo wasn’t enough for you.

Aldo’s little bout of jealousy, however, was what distracted the basterds at the worst possible moment.

It was, in fact, the reason you were all currently in cells.

“So…would you be so kind as to tell me what the fuck happened back there, lieutenant?”

It practically sent a shiver down his spine, froze his heart, and crushed him  to hear you talk like that.

You were a basterd, but you were also ‘the best goddamn lady’ he ever met. It was rare to hear you curse, even rarer to hear you call him ‘lieutenant,’ and almost unheard of to hear you with a spiteful tone.

Still, he stood his ground.

“I think you owe me a goddamn explanation.”

You didn’t hesitate in firing back. You never did. According to Aldo, that was what made you one of the best goddamn basterds. But at the moment, it hurt him… something he never really admitted to anyone. “Owe you? The only thing I ever owed you was one hundred nazi scalps, seventy eight of which have already been accounted for. Try again.”

Aldo sighed in defeat and mumbled under his breath. “I just wanna know where the fuck we went wrong…”

He didn’t think you heard him.

“We never went wrong, Aldo.“ You leaned against the bars dividing you, your back against his.

He was startled for a moment, then managed to get his words together, and retorted, “The fuck you call this then?”

“War." 

He growled, "Then what the fuck do you call that?!” He raised his voice. You could tell he was pointing to the cells down the hall, where Hugo was being held.

You lowered your voice, trying to salvage at least his friendship with Hugo in the darkest moment. “Hush…”

“Don’t you tell me to hush. I wanna know what the fuck-”

You understood Aldo had misunderstood it all. “Leave Hugo out of this.”

“So you do care for him.” Aldo crossed his arms, and shook his head, even if you couldn’t see. 

“He’s a basterd. I care about all of you.”

Aldo wasn’t budging. “I didn’t say about, I said for.”

“No.”

“Then?”

“I don’t care for anyone. I love.”

There it was. The decisiveness. The stong cold truth you always seemed to carry on your shoulders.

Aldo knew that. He’d once fallen for that part of you, but he scoffed this time, “Love, huh.”

“You know me, Aldo. You know what I feel for you.”

“Yeah. But I don’t know what you feel for him. I don’t know what you and I are gonna be.” He looked up at the ceiling of the pitch black cell in exasperation. 

“Nothing.”

Your answer was bleaker than the cell itself.

His heart stopped…

It took him a moment to get his words out.  “Nothing to which one?”

“I feel nothing for him, and you and I will be nothing.”

No one had ever talked to him like that before. “What?”

“I don’t see us getting out of this, lieutenant.” You sighed as you watched guards walk down the hall. It was odd to you to call him that…even when you first joined his team, you called him Aldo with a blushing smile or a sly wink. Now you distanced yourself from him, not wanting to die with an aching heart, knowing it all could have been different… As the guards’ footsteps echoed and disappeared, you gave up. “They have it in for us. We’re not going to be anything because we are out of time. You know that, and I knoe that.”

Aldo was silent. He never heard you talk thay way before. He never heard you give up. He had to pry you away from firefights more times than you cared to admit, You were always the first one in, and last one out. You were always optimistic, always rallying the basterds, even in the worst times. You were like a ray of sunshine to them… that was why not a single nazi could ever get away with so much as a glare at you.

You were known for being blunt and brutally honest, but you were always positive. You never gave anyone false hope, but you gave them hope nonetheless.

You meant so much to the basterds…

And to Aldo, you meant the world.

That was why hearing you being so bleak, and hopeless was heartbreaking to him.

If you gave up, there was nothing left…

“Don’t talk like that.”

“And why not? You like the truth, don’t you?” You looked up, trying to find an ounce of patience, as you muttered, “That’s what you wanted to hear.”

“Hey…”

You felt him shifting, but you didn’t turn around. You couldn’t bear to look at him. But you held your ground, “We’re not getting out of this one, Aldo…it’s over…”

Hearing you say just his name gave him some hope. He shook his head, “You don’t know that. Team full of smart boys, we’ll be fine.”

“They’re lining us up in front of a firing squad at sunrise. It’s over.”

Aldo nodded slowly at the news… He knew she’d known that for at least a few hours.

 And you chose not to tell him, somethingn that never happened before.

Aldo realized you must have overheard the guards…

It felt like a boulder was pressing over his chest… maybe you were right.

Maybe it really was the end.

“I didn’t think it would end like this…”

“What would?”

He sighed, “The war, the team…you and me.”

You were both silent for a moment.

You sighed, annoyed at yourself…for such a smart agent, you always seemed to be getting into some unfavorable predicaments.

This one might just be the worst of all.

You were proud, but you knew when you had to back off, and ease the coldness.

You knew Aldo loved you. Hell, you loved him. You didn’t want it to end like that.

“Seeing that these are our last few hours together, I’m going to say this once, and once only. I don’t care if you believe me or not. I don’t care if you’re still pissed at Hugo, or if you don’t care anymore at all. I’m saying it one last time. I love you, Aldo. More than anything or anyone I’ve ever loved before. ”

He stopped frowning. He uncrossed his arms. His heart softened up, and he wanted more than anything to hold you one last time.

After everything, he couldn’t lie to you. Not if it was the last thing he’d ever say to you

“I love you too, darlin’." 

He realized it night be the last time he’s ever get to say that. It was his last chance to redeem himself to you. "I’m sorry, y/n.”

“It’s not your fault. That’s war…that’s life.”

“I’m sorry. I just never thought I’d love anyone as much as I love you.”

“Aldo, don’t.” You sighed. You didn’t want this. You didn’t want to hurt him, or anyone… And yet, there you were, waiting to be executed. 

“I have to. I don’t want to die knowing the last thing I ever done was make the woman I love angry. This ain’t no way to die…”

“I’m not angry.”

“Y/n…” Aldo laughs a little at the absurdity of it all… “I imagined a life with you. I thought we’d end the goddamn war together. I dreamed we start a life together. I dreamed we’d end the war together. It was stupid of me to think you’d move down to Maynardville with me after all this.”

“What’s stupid about it?”

“You and Hugo talk about them operas and ballets, all those paintings and museums you want to to see. You don’t belong in Maynardville. You-”

“I belong with you, Aldo. Here, or Antartica, or in Tennessee.”

He smiled warmly, appreciating the sentiment, but realizing you were still right. “Come sunrise, that ain’t gon’ matter no more.”

“When you love someone, it never stops mattering. Dreams never stop mattering.”

Aldo smiled a little.

“Tell me about your dream, Aldo.” You needed to hear something to take the edge off it all…even if it was just a dream.

“Damn good one…” He smiled again, “Thought I was gettin’ too old… didn’t think I’d meet anyone, then I met you.”

You smiled a little. Silent tears streamed down your face as you desparately hoped for a change of fate.

“I thought we’d leave all this behind some day, take you up em Smoky Mountains… maybe some day a little 'un or two runnin’ round. I just wanted to make you happy.”

“You do.”

He muttered, “I got us killed…”

You shook your head, “Not yet.”

“There she is…” He smiled. There was the girl he knew. He felt your hand slip throufh the bars and into his hand.

Aldo turned around and faced you.

You wrapped your hands around the bars and pressed your forehead as close to his as possible.

He realized you’d been crying…

He managed to reach through the bars and told the side of your face.

“Don’t you cry now, darlin’…I ain’t leavin’ you.”

He smiled softly as he felt you gently press your hands over his.

Suddenly you heard metal clanging. You both turned around to see a smiling shadowy figure at the entrance of Aldo’s cell.

The door was wide open.

For a moment, you were petrified, your blood ran ice cold, you lost your senses.

You could hear the smirk in his voice, “Hol dir ein Zimmer, ihr zwei.”

The old, familiar voice…

'Get a room, you two.’

You smiled and got to your feet, “Hugo?!”

You heard jangling from keys, as you realized that he tossed the keys to Hirschberg. You turned to see the rest of the basterds waiting outside.

Somehow…Donny was already covered in nazis’ blood. Useful…and unsurprising.

You and Aldo looked at each other, then ran out of your cells. He picked you up and spun you around.

It wasn’t over.

Hugo chuckled as he watched you and Aldo kiss.

He wanted to you be happy, even if it was with someone else.

“Du brauchst definitiv diesen Raum.”

'You definitely need a room.’

You rolled your eyes at him as you smiled, and took your place with the basterds, and cleared your way to freedom.

You were a step closer yo the end of the war. You were a step closer to Maynardville, Tennessee apparently.

It wasn’t “ideal” but it was what you wanted.

You looked at your lieutenant, Aldo the Apache.

He was everything you could ever want. And more.

You loved him. You’d follow him to hell. In fact, that was where you met. In the middle of Nazi occupied France, deep behind enemy lines, in direct line of fire.

You would walk to the ends of the earth, if it meant spending the rest of your life with him.

The war went on, and you still had a debt to pay.

But you caught a glimpse of that familiar knowing smile and loving eyes as he glanced at you.

You knew from that moment that you were going to make it to the end.

You looked at the basterds, your brothers.

They all would make it…

You held Aldo’s hand as you marched back through nazi-occupied France, to a tavern called La Louisiane in a small town called Nadine.

Alfred is suspicious of the new kid at daycare.