#US Recession of 2022

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

If Republicans take control of the House this fall, they plan on using debt limit talks — and the possibility of throwing the U.S. into default — if they don’t get their way on slashing government programs.

According to a new interview with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California), the party is planning on using must-pass debt ceiling legislation to force through the GOP’s agenda.

“You can’t just continue down the path to keep spending and adding to the debt,” McCarthy said in an interview with Punchbowl News, ignoring the fact that economists view national debt obligations as often signaling the health of the economy. “We’re not just going to keep lifting your credit card limit, right,” he continued. “And we should seriously sit together and [figure out] where can we eliminate some waste? Where can we make the economy grow stronger?”

When McCarthy refers to eliminating so-called waste, it is likely that he is referring to, among other things, the GOP’s plans to cut Medicare and Social Security, two of the most popular and vital anti-poverty government programs in the U.S.

Republicans have been attacking the programs over the past months. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) has threatened to put budgets up to congressional debate every year, which would almost definitely lead to cuts. Alarmingly, earlier this year, the Republican Study Committee, the largest Republican caucus in the House, put out a plan to raise the age at which people receive full benefits from both programs to 70, while implementing a rule that would raise the eligibility age over time.

The debt ceiling is an effective bludgeon for Republicans to use for this purpose. The debt ceiling accounts for government funding to provide promised payments for programs like Medicare and Social Security, as well as military salaries and other “existing legal obligations,” according to the Treasury Department.

Republicans had threatened to put the U.S. in default last September, after former President Donald Trump urged the party to do so. They appeared to be posing as deficit hawks — something they only do when a Democrat is in charge — while Democrats were debating the Build Back Better Act.

If they pull a similar move in 2023, it could be similar to 2011, when the GOP manufactured a debt ceiling crisis that ultimately “led directly to the worst recovery following a recession since World War II,” according to the Economic Policy Institute.

If the debt ceiling isn’t raised by fall of 2023, when the government is slated to run out of funding, the U.S. could find itself in a situation similar to last year, when it was at risk of defaulting on its loans. This could have triggered a global recession and would have disastrous short- and long-term consequences for the U.S., as the creditworthiness of the country would be ruined.

In other words, Republicans appear to be willing to hold the U.S. and global economy on the brink of disaster in order to force Democrats to capitulate to their demands.

This way, too, Republicans can blame whatever economic fallout will come with either a default, government shutdown or cuts to Medicare and Social Security on Democrats. By pursuing these cuts during a Democratic presidency, they can point fingers at President Joe Biden if they are pushed through — potentially providing the GOP with a weapon come the 2024 election.

Republicans are laying out other plans for if they take the House, which polls say they are likely to do. GOP members of the House Education and Labor Committee have made a list of prominent labor officials like Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo as well as Biden’s pro-worker task force to target with hearings and attacks if they take control of the House.

[dontmean2bepoliticalbut]

[the-usa-fame]

Why US Company Fires 2,700 Employees Through Text Message

When A Workplace Text Message Gave 2,700 People Twin Peaks’ “The owls are not what they seem”.... READ MORE

[sabsturned]

M. Sturniolo - Three Doors Down

SEE PINNED POST FOR NAVIGATION

comment on this post to be added to my taglist :-)

pairing: matt x fem!reader

contains: angst, mentions of a drinking and smoking parent, crying

summary: you and matt used to be best friends. you were closer to him than anyone else you know, and you’ve always secretly had a crush on him. the day you told him, you guys stopped talking. tonight was prom night, and you had no guys or even friends to go with. all you could do was sit in the corner and watch him dance with his girlfriend, sofia.

a/n: first fic!!! i’m rlly excited about this one. it’s based off of the song ‘three doors down’ by joy. this was my shit in 2022 and i don’t get why it wasn’t talked about more. ALSO I HAVE A QUESTION: what are anons??? also please leave requests for fics!! i’m literally out of ideas. THATS IT!! enjoy the fic :))

key: matt y/n sofia

and i’m in the corner

dying of boredom

catching light from the shine

of his girlfriend’s tiara

me and matt were best friends. me and the boy three doors down. i mean, the best word to describe us was inseparable. we hung out all the time—at school, at home, over the weekends, at parties—everywhere i went, he went, and everywhere he went, i went.

it started when we were both eight years old. i was trying to avoid my mom at all costs because when she drank, she got mean. i went outside, picking all the small white flowers out of the ground. maybe if i gave my mom flowers, she would cheer up, and she wouldn’t hurt me. at least that’s what i thought.

i picked a yellow dandelion, adding it to my bouquet of flowers when i saw a boy around my age riding on a skateboard. he was riding it on circles in his driveway. suddenly the only thing my eyes were looking at was his curly brunette hair. his eyes were a beautiful color of blue. not as deep as an ocean, but not as light as the sky. all i knew was that they were perfect and they consumed me. his cheeks were a shade of red, probably because of the humidity. i’ll never forget the way he looked at me for the first time; the way his eyes lit up, the way his smile widened, showing off the dimple on his left cheek, the way the world around us faded.

his hand slowly moved up, waving at me. my smile grew. i waved back.

whenever my mom started drinking, i just went outside, where he was every afternoon on his skateboard. he tried teaching me to ride it, but i wasn’t very good. we played in his backyard with his brothers and their dog, trevor. sometimes they brought out their sprinkler on a really hot day, and we all just played like kids. i would give anything to be a kid with them again.

when we were in the same homeroom for third grade, we were both ecstatic. we were always partners in group work, always played together at recess, always ate together at lunch. everybody always made fun of us, and assumed we were dating or something. but we didn’t care.

everything was perfect. up until eighth grade. ever since me and matt met, i’ve always kind of liked him. i never really had the courage to tell him, up until the day before our eighth grade dance.

i confessed my feelings for him. i didn’t say much really. i just told him i liked him and asked if he wanted to go on a date. but i don’t think he felt the same.

he said he was busy.

all contact was cut after that. no more late night calls, no more weekend sleepovers, no more study sessions after school.

and it’s all my fault. i ruined everything. if i wouldn’t have said all of that, we wouldn’t have been here. we would have still been friends. we would have gone to prom together. we would have been falling asleep on call together. we would have still been as inseparable as we were when we were kids.

all of this was my fault.

now i’m at prom. the speakers blasted a pop song i don’t know the name of. all of the kids in the room were dancing, jumping around, making out in the bathroom, but i was sitting in the corner.

i would have gone home, but i was trying to avoid being near my mom at all costs. so i was just there, dying of boredom.

i caught a glimpse of her tiara. the plastic gems glistened in the dim light of the room. how was sofia able to wear cheap plastic on her head and still manage to look absolutely beautiful.

i’m so jealous of sofia. she’s a cheerleader. she’s skinny, she’s pretty, she won prom queen, and worst of all, she was matt’s girlfriend. we have had some interactions before, and i hate talking about her negatively because she is so incredibly sweet. like i’ve never met a popular girl so nice. it made it harder to hate her the way i wanted to.

her silky straight hair ran down her back, and her wide smile could light up a whole room. her dress was fabulous too. it was a really pretty shade of lavender, and it was sparkly. it complimented her figure so well. i mean, she looked like an absolute goddess.

her hands were wrapped around matt’s neck as they danced to the slow music playing. it hurt so bad. i should be over matt by now, i mean, it’s been four years. but i wasn’t over him. i wasn’t over his curly brunette hair, his beautiful blue eyes, the dimple that appeared on his left cheek whenever he would smile. i wasn’t over our late night phone calls, our weekend sleepovers, our study sessions after school. i wasn’t over him. and i never would be.

watching them dance together made me sick. the eye contact, how touchy they were. i decided to go get some punch to distract myself. i wanted to go home so bad, but a broken heart was less noticeable than the burn mark of a cigarette.

the loud music drowned out the sound of the punch splashing into the red cup. i turned around to go back to the corner i was sitting in, when a tall figure bumped into me. thankfully, i didn’t spill any punch on my dress.

“oh, sorry. i should have been watching where i was-“ my breathing stopped when i realized who i had just bumped into. his curly brunette hair, his beautiful blue eyes. matt.

“that’s alright-“ he stopped talking when he saw me. “oh, um, hey.” he said, one hand rubbing the back of his neck.

“hi.” i responded.

“you look.. amazing.” he complimented.

“oh, thanks. you too.”

“are you having fun?” no. not when she’s the one you’re dancing with. not when i’m still thinking about you even after all these years.

“yeah, just hanging out with my friends. a night to remember.” i lied.

“yeah.” he laughed.

there was a moment of silence where we just looked at each other. the first time i’ve looked in his beautiful blue eyes in years. the first time we’ve had an interaction in years.

“hey baby, they’re playing my favorite, c’mon!” sofia ran over, grabbing chris by the arm, giving me a small wave before dragging him back to the dance floor.

“nice seeing you y/n.” he voiced, before him and sofia continued dancing together.

i tried to say something back, but nothing came out. i forgot how to speak, i forgot how to breathe. before i knew it, the tears were already falling out of my eyes.

i needed to leave. thankfully, i only live a few blocks from the school, so i could just walk home. the only thing i could think about was how i just needed to be anywhere else but this school.

i shoved open the doors, walking out into the cold rain. it was pouring outside. normally, i really liked rain. me and matt used to lay in the rain together. it’s where we had our most meaningful conversations, and shared our deepest thoughts. but i wasn’t enjoying it right now. every drop felt like cupid pulling an arrow out of me. i rushed home as quick as i possibly could, the rain soaking my hair, and the tears rushing down my face. i actually couldn’t even tell if i was crying anymore. the rain made it hard to tell.

i was able to sneak past my mom so she wouldn’t see i went out. i ran up the stairs and into my room, quietly shutting the door behind me. i let out loud sobs into my hands, my rain soaked body dripping rain into a puddle beneath me. i looked up and saw the picture we made in fourth grade art class together, my sobs growing louder. i looked next to it. a signed baseball from a game we went to together sat on the shelf, along with a scrapbook of our seventh grade summer. suddenly, my room was filled with memories of us. i need to destroy it all.

i took the canvas off of the wall, grabbing my scissors and stabbing it until you couldn’t see the picture anymore. i took the scrapbook off of the shelf, ripping out the pages, cutting them into small pieces. i grabbed the baseball, opened my window, and threw it. i didn’t see where it landed. i was just glad it was out of my sight. i ripped the cards and gifts he made me for my birthdays, and christmas, and valentine’s day, ripping and cutting them up. then the stuffed bear he got me. my favorite animal. i cut that open, ripping out the stuffing. until nothing else was left. i sighed, my sobs growing louder.

i looked down and noticed my heels, stained with punch. the rain should have washed it off. the punch reminded me of him. i must have missed when it fell out of my cup and onto my shoes. i kicked them off, throwing them under my bed.

i looked down at my dress, noticing the color of it. it was the same shade of blue as his eyes. his beautiful blue eyes. i groaned out loud, ripping my dress off and throwing it in my closet. everything reminded me of him. the clothes i wore when we hung out, the sheets we laid in, the desk he sat at while we talked for hours, the rug we sat on when we played board games, the floor, the walls, the ceiling, the window, everything. it was like he was a memory that i couldn’t get rid of.

but maybe this is how it’s supposed to be. maybe we aren’t meant to have late night phone calls. maybe we aren’t meant to have weekend sleepovers. maybe we aren’t meant to have study sessions after school. maybe we just aren’t meant to be. maybe he belongs with sofia. maybe we aren’t supposed to be together, me and the boy three doors down.

angst is one of my favorite things to write. it’s so therapeutic to me. so i hope you enjoyed this and please give me your feedback in the comments! :D

- thanks for reading!! with love, sabrina 🤍🎀

taglist:: @muchloveforhacker @saartjuhh @anonymousmfs @mylove4lana @chrissfavhoe @sturniolo101 @h3arts4harry @hereforthwtripletsfr @pepsixchris @ch3rrywine-reposts @amaliarosewood @gwennybenny @memea32221 @urfavstromboli

[tomorrowusa]

Don't risk a rerun of the 2000 election.

In the first presidential election of the 21st century many deluded progressives voted for Green Party candidate Ralph Nader.

Their foolishness gave us eight years of George W. Bush who plagued the country with two recessions (including the Great Recession) and two wars (one totally unnecessary and one which could have been avoided if he heeded an intelligence brief 5 weeks before 9/11).

Oh yeah, Dubya also appointed one conservative and one batshit crazy reactionary to the US Supreme Court. Roberts and Alito are still there.

Paul Waldman of the Washington Post offers some thoughts.

Why leftists should work their hearts out for Biden in 2024

Ask a Democrat with a long memory what the numbers 97,488 and 537 represent, and their face will twist into a grimace. The first is the number of votes Ralph Nader received in Florida in 2000 as the nominee of the Green Party; the second is the margin by which George W. Bush was eventually certified the winner of the state, handing him the White House. Now, with President Biden gearing up for reelection, talk of a spoiler candidate from the left is again in the air. That’s unfortunate, because here’s the truth: The past 2½ years under Biden have been a triumph for progressivism, even if it’s not in most people’s interest to admit it. This was not what most people expected from Biden, who ran as a relative moderate in the 2020 Democratic primary. His nomination was a victory for pragmatism with its eyes directed toward the center. But today, no one can honestly deny that Biden is the most progressive president since at least Lyndon B. Johnson. His judicial appointments are more diverse than those of any of his predecessors. He has directed more resources to combating climate change than any other president. Notwithstanding the opposition from the Supreme Court, his administration has moved aggressively to forgive and restructure student loans.

Three years ago the economy was in horrible shape because of Trump's mishandling of the pandemic. Now unemployment is steadily below 4%, job creation continues to exceed expectations, and wages are rising as unions gain strength. The post-pandemic, post-Afghan War inflation rate has receded to near normal levels; people in the 1970s would have sold their souls for a 3.2% (and dropping) inflation rate. And many of the effects of "Bidenomics" have yet to kick in.

And in a story that is criminally underappreciated, his administration’s policy reaction to the covid-induced recession of 2020 was revolutionary in precisely the ways any good leftist should favor. It embraced massive government intervention to stave off the worst economic impacts, including handing millions of families monthly checks (by expanding the child tax credit), giving all kids in public schools free meals, boosting unemployment insurance and extending health coverage to millions.

It worked. While inflation rose (as it did worldwide), the economy’s recovery has been blisteringly fast. It took more than six years for employment rates to return to what they were before the Great Recession hit in 2008, but we surpassed January 2020 jobs levels by the spring of 2022 — and have kept adding jobs ever since. To the idealistic leftist, that might feel like both old news and a partial victory at best. What about everything supporters of Bernie Sanders have found so thrilling about the Vermont senator’s vision of the future, from universal health care to free college? It’s true Biden was never going to deliver that, but to be honest, neither would Sanders had he been elected president. And that brings me to the heart of how people on the left ought to think about Biden and his reelection.

Biden has gotten things done. The US economy is doing better than those of almost every other advanced industrialized country.

Our rivals China and Russia are both worse off than they were three years ago. And NATO is not just united, it's growing.

Sadly, we still need to deal with a far right MAGA cult at home who would wreck the country just to get its own way.

Biden may be elderly and unexciting, but that is one of the reasons he won in 2020. Many people just wanted an end to the daily drama of Trump's capricious and incompetent rule by tweet. And a good portion of those people live in places that count greatly in elections – suburbs and exurbs.

Superhero films seem to be slipping in popularity. Hopefully that's a sign that voters are less likely to embrace self-appointed political messiahs to save them from themselves.

Good governance is a steady process – not a collection of magic tricks. Experienced and competent individuals who are not too far removed from the lives of the people they represent are the best people to have in government.

Paul Waldman concludes his column speaking from the heart as a liberal...

I’ve been in and around politics for many years, and even among liberals, I’ve almost always been one of the most liberal people in the room. Yet only since Biden’s election have I realized that I will probably never see a president as liberal as I’d like. It’s not an easy idea to make peace with. But it suggests a different way of thinking about elections — as one necessary step in a long, difficult process. The further you are to the left, the more important Biden’s reelection ought to be to you. It might require emotional (and policy) compromise, but for now, it’s also the most important tool you have to achieve progressive ends.

Exactly. Rightwingers take the long view. It took them 49 years but they eventually got Roe v. Wade overturned. To succeed, we need to look upon politics as an extended marathon rather as one short sprint.

Republicans may currently be bickering, but they will most likely unite behind whichever anti-abortion extremist they nominate.

It's necessary to get the word out now that the only way to defeat climate-denying, abortion-restricting, assault weapon-loving, race-baiting, homophobic Republicans is to vote Democratic.

[phantomrose96]

Hey not to go all "tumblr is a professional networking site" on you, but how did you get to work for Microsoft??? I'm a recent grad and I'm being eviscerated out here trying to apply for industry jobs & your liveblogging about your job sounds so much less evil than Data Entry IT Job #43461

This place is basically LinkedIn to me.

I'm gonna start by saying I am so so very sorry you're a recent grad in the year 2024... Tech job market is complete ass right now and it is not just you. I started fulltime in 2018, and for 2018-2022 it was completely normal to see a yearly outflow of people hopping to new jobs and a yearly inflow of new hires. Then sometime around late-spring/early-summer of 2022 Wallstreet sneezed the word "recession" and every tech company simultaneously shit themselves.

Tons of layoffs happened, meaning you're competing not just with new grads but with thousands of experienced workers who got shafted by their company. My org squeaked by with a small amount of layoffs (3 people among ~100), but it also means we have not hired anyone new since mid-2022. And where I used to see maybe 4-8 people yearly leave in order to hop to a new job, I think I've seen 1 person do that in the whole last year and a half.

All this to say it's rough and I can't just say "send applications and believe in yourself :)".

I have done interviews though. (I'm not involved in resume screening though, just the interviews of candidates who made it past the screening phase.) So I have at least some relevant advice, as well as second-hand knowledge from other people I know who've had to hop jobs or get hired recently.

If you have friends already in industry who you feel comfortable asking, reach out to them. Most companies have a recommendation process where a current employee fills out a little form that says "yeah I'd recommend such-and-such for this job." These do seem to carry weight, since it's coming from a trusted internal person and isn't just one of the hundreds of cold-call applications they've received.

A lot of tech companies--whether for truly well-intentioned reasons or to just check a checkbox--are on the lookout for increasing employee diversity. If you happen to have anything like, for example, "member of my college Latino society", it's worth including on your resume among your technical skills and technical projects.

I would add "you're probably gonna have to send a lot of applications" as a bullet point but I'm sure you're already doing that. But here it is as a bullet point anyway.

(This is kind of a guess, since it's part of the resume screening) but if you can dedicate some time to getting at least passingly familiar with popular tech/stacks for the positions you're looking into, try doing that in your free time so you can list it on your resume. Even better if you make a project you can point to. Like if you're aiming for webdev, get familiar with React and probably NodeJS. On top of being comfortable in one of the all-purpose languages like C(++) or Java or Python.

If you get to the interview phase - a company that is good to work for WILL care that you're someone who's good to work with. A tech-genius who's a coworker-hating egotistical snob is a nuisance at best and a liability at worst for companies with even a half-decent culture. When I do interviews, "Is this someone who's a good culture fit?" is as important as the technical skills. You'll want to show you'll be a perfectly pleasant, helpful, collaborative coworker. If the company DOESN'T care about that... bullet dodged.

For the technical questions, I care more about the thought process than I do the right answer, especially for entry-level. If you show a capacity for asking good, insightful clarifying questions, an ability to break down the problem, explain your thought process, and backtrack&alter your approach upon realizing something won't work, that's all more important than just being able to spit out a memorized leetcode answer. (I kinda hate leetcode for this reason, and therefore I only ask homebrewed questions, because I don't want the technical portion to hinge at all on whether someone managed to memorize the first 47 pages of leetcode problems). For a new hire, the most important impression you can give me is that you have a technical grasp and that you're capable of learning. Because a new hire isn't going to be an expert in anything, but they're someone who's capable of learning the ropes.

That's everything I have off the top of my head. Good luck anon. I'm very sorry you were born during a specific range of years that made you a new grad in 2024 and I hope it gets better.

[coimbrabertone]

NASCAR Numerology: How NASCAR's Current Teams Got Their Numbers: Part One.

So this blog has been a bit NASCAR heavy these past few weeks, but my request, I'm going to do one more: NASCAR Numerology: How the Current Teams Got Their Numbers.

To start with, a brief introduction: in European motorsports like Formula One and MotoGP, the norm has become that drivers chose their numbers. Lewis Hamilton, for instance, has chosen the #44 and will take that number from Mercedes to Ferrari when he moves after this season. The exception to this is the #1, which is typically reserved for champions. Max Verstappen (normally #33) and Pecco Bagnaia (normally #63) currently run the #1 plate in F1 and MotoGP, respectively.

Neither of these rules exist in NASCAR. In American racing (NASCAR and Indycar in particular) numbers are associated with the teams, with some teams having run the same number for decades. How these numbers came about various - some were chosen as they were the lowest available number, some to go along with sponsor, others to go along with a numbering convention at a given team. We'll get into these stories here.

We're going to start at the beginning...and the end, with Trackhouse Racing, who run the #1 and #99. Ironically enough, their story begins with the #99, as Trackhouse first entered the sport in 2021 with Daniel Suárez. Trackhouse was, at this point, a one car operation leasing a charter from Spire Motorsports, getting engines from Richard Childress Racing, and running out of a space in the RCR shop. They chose the #99 as a tribute to Carl Edwards, who ran the number from mid-2004 to 2014 as part of Roush Racing.

In a happy coincidence, Daniel Suárez had run the #99 in his very first race in Monterrey, Mexico at the age of seven.

As for the #1, well...for 2022, Trackhouse wanted a more permanent arrangement, so they bought out Chip Ganassi Racing and took control of their two charters. Ganassi had been running the #42 team for Ross Chastain, and the #1 team for Kurt Busch. Busch was off to 23XI anyway, thus the #1 charter was given to the #99 team.

The #42 team meanwhile, with Ross Chastain as driver and the CGR crew behind him, was switched to the #1. Why? Well, for starts #1 and #99 is a good number combo - the first and last numbers available and they add up to 100 - and furthermore, it has history.

Justin Marks and Pitbull are the owners of Trackhouse, but the team is run by Ty Norris. Now, in 1996, Norris was handpicked by Dale Earnhardt to help create the Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) team, with support from Dale's current team, Richard Childress Racing. DEI would go full time in NASCAR in 1998, with driver Steve Park driving the Pennzoil #1 Chevy. Yeah.

Furthermore, the #1, the #8, and the #15 would be DEI's numbers throughout the 2000s. In 2008, DEI would merge with Ginn Racing (formerly MB2 Motorsports) who ran the #01 Army Chevy with Regan Smith and Mark Martin as drivers. As the recession continued, this team would merge again, this time with Chip Ganassi Racing, in time for 2009.

Chip Ganassi at this point ran the #41 Target Dodge for Reed Sorenson and the #42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge for Juan Pablo Montoya.

DEI, meanwhile, had the #01 Principal Finance Chevrolet for Regan Smith, the #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for Martin Truex Jr., the #8 US Army Chevrolet for Mark Martin and Aric Almirola (the #01 had the Army sponsorship originally but the #8 was DEI's flagship car so the sponsorship moved over), and the #15 Menards Chevrolet for Paul Menard.

The 2009 season would essentially be a bloodletting for the team, and come 2010, the merged Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing would run the #1 Bass Pro Shops/McDonalds Chevrolet for Jamie McMurray, and the #42 Target Chevrolet for Juan Pablo Montoya. These are the same numbers that CGR would run when Trackhouse bought them, and the #1, with its lineage going back to 1998, would be reunited with Ty Norris at the Trackhouse team.

And in another move in relation to the Earnhardts, Trackhouse will add the #88 Chevy for Shane van Gisbergen for 2025. The #88 was last run by Hendrick Motorsports, first for Dale Earnhardt Jr. from 2008 to 2017, and then by Alex Bowman from 2018 to 2020. More on that in a bit.

All of that for the #1...now onto #2!

Team Penske has run the #2 since 1991, when they acquired the services of Rusty Wallace and his long-term sponsorship deal with Miller Brewing Company. Rusty had driven for the Blue Max Racing team (and won a championship for them in 1989) but that relationship collapsed in 1990. With a new program and a driver as decorated as Rusty, Roger let him choose the number - Rusty chose the #2, which he had last used in 1985.

That car, with Rusty Wallace from 1990-2005, Kurt Busch from 2006-2010, Brad Keselowski from 2011-2021, and Austin Cindric since 2022, has been the Penske flagship car.

In 2012 with Brad Keselowski behind the wheel, it won its first championship.

Penske's other cars have, typically, mimicked the #2. When Penske took over the Kranefuss car of Jeremy Mayfield for 1998, they renumbered it from #37 to #12, with Mobil 1 sponsorship. Mayfield was fired late in 2001, and Rusty's brother Mike filled out the season, before Ryan Newman and Alltel took over the #12 car for 2002. Newman would leave for Stewart-Haas Racing for 2009, and David Stremme would take over that car.

As mentioned a few weeks ago in my Viceroy rule blogpost, Alltel was bought out by Verizon in 2008, and that caused a problem as NASCAR's title sponsor was Sprint. Alltel was grandfathered in, Verizon was not. Thus, for 2009 and 2010, the #12 would run as a black and red Penske Truck Rentals car that totally wasn't mimicking the Verizon logo.

Anyway, David Stremme would be replaced by Brad Keselowski at the end of the 2009 season, and he'd remain in the #12 for 2010.

In 2011 however, Penske secured a new major sponsor in the form of Shell/Pennzoil, and Shell wanted a flagship entry with a flagship driver. Thus, Kurt Busch was moved from the #2 to the new #22, while Brad's #12 team became the new #2 Miller Lite team. Kurt Busch would essentially have a meltdown in the 2011 season - screaming at his team in multiple races - and would be fired at the end of the season. AJ Allmendinger and Sam Hornish would fill in for 2012, and for 2013, current driver Joey Logano was hired for the #22.

Meanwhile, the #12 would return to full time competition in 2018 with Ryan Blaney as driver and Menards as the main sponsor.

Logano's #22 would win the championship in 2018 and 2022, while Ryan Blaney would win in 2023. The #2 is Penske's original number, but now, all three have won championships. Furthermore, all three - plus now the Wood Brothers car they prop up - are now locked into the 2024 NASCAR playoffs.

Speaking of, this blog is running long and I'm gonna have to make this into a bit of a series over the next week or so, but while we're on the topic of the Wood Brothers, lets finish off that car real quick.

The Wood Brothers is NASCAR's oldest team and has run the #21 from the beginning. On rare occasions when the Wood Brothers ran multiple cars, back in like the 60s and 70s, it would usually be something that pays homage to the #21 - examples include the #12, the #121, and the #41.

NASCAR's modern era is considered to have started in 1972, and since then, the Wood Brothers has always run the #21 except for a controversial two-year exception in 1985 and 1986 when the team, then fielding Kyle Petty, had a 7Eleven sponsorship and thus ran the #7. They would return to the #21 in 1987, and at the 2024 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, they won their 100th race with driver Harrison Burton.

So yeah, the story of some of NASCAR's current teams' numbers. I'll pick up with RCR tomorrow (spoiler alert: all they have going for them is Earnhardt nostalgia) as this numerology project turns out to be bigger than I expected.

[margareth-lv]

😵‍💫🫡 Anxiety, apathy, withdrawal, delusions 🫡😵‍💫

@odessa-2 inspired me with her note today and a reminder of the post Oliver Jeffers shared on Instagram on 3 January 2021 (side note: I have a feeling this is a completely random date and has nothing to do with anything other than Caitríona being at the time, as many people believe, already heavily pregnant with this child, whose birth wasn't announced until August,  but I could be wrong. Is there anything that you associate with this date?).

*** *** *** My body reacts nervously to any event involving Caitríona and Oliver Jeffers. Maybe it's some kind of PTSD, I'll explain in more detail below. *** *** *** Anyway, my first reaction to the news in fandom over the weekend about the New York Times article was quite nervous.

😅

In October, […] the visual artist and author Oliver Jeffers, 46, hosted a candlelit dinner for a group of Irish and Northern Irish artists and friends.

Caitríona was also present at the dinner to celebrate the launch of Oliver's latest book, 'Begin Again'.

Caitríona/Oliver, that combination doesn't sound right to me, it means smoke and mirrors and supporting the narrative. Luckily I was wrong this time.

*** *** ***

2021. Oliver Jeffers at Caitríona's 'wedding', sitting in the fireplace recess in a white suit, accompanied by a stone dog. There was no better place for him than the soot-blackened fireplace? There was no other suit than white for a friend's wedding? There was no better companion for this wedding than a stone dog? ❓

Smoke and mirrors. As dense as a spider's web, a web of connections, dependencies and interests.

*** *** ***

July 2022. Oliver Jeffers invites Caitríona to take part in the 'Our Place' festival he is organising.

Here they are in conversation with Kathy Clugston in Belfast on 2 July 2022 ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Caitríona is sitting on the stage, tense.

Excuse me. I don't mean to be rude, but she looked like she was getting dressed for the event in the dark. And when you watch the whole thing, you realise that, surprisingly, she wasn't at all comfortable on stage. She didn't have much to say except for her personal memories. She didn't have any general thoughts, any wider perspective than her own. You could see her lack of confidence and fear in her body language, the unspoken part of communication. Sadness, stress and depression. So what does she say? What does Caitríona say?

The fandom has been buzzing for years about the fact that Caitríona never referred to 🧛🏻‍♂️ as her husband. So now Caitríona, sitting uncomfortably next to Oliver Jeffers, raised her right hand in an embarrassed laugh.

Well, her husband used to say, wait, what did he used to say? Oh yes, he used to say that a strong personality keeps their accent. I mean, the most interesting thing is what happens after that. Because the most surprising thing is what she starts talking about after she calls her 'husband'. Within a couple of sentences she starts talking about Sam, you know, the one she works with. And "Sam, who I work with, for the last three months he's been saying, 'What's up with you, you're really Irish all of a sudden'". And then she talks about her 'only son'.

A brilliantly acted scene (if it weren't for all the nervous laughing and tensing up).

💁🏻‍♀️

You ask, how do we know which 'husband' was in the festival audience? From here, of course ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Smoke and mirrors. As dense as a spider's web, a web of connections, dependencies and interests.

*** *** *** Incidentally, I am keen to compare Caitríona's pictures with her 'husband' with those of her real-life friends:

*** *** *** That's why when I saw the 'NYT' article about Caitríona and Oliver Jeffers, my stomach tightened. This time, however, I couldn't have been more wrong. 🙃🙃🙃

… because Caitríona's handbag was on the floor, near her feet, as someone on 'X' pointed out.

Which means that the professional purse-holder had been given the evening off on the day of this dinner.

Can one feel more relieved?

❓

I ate my breakfast in peace and quiet.

*** *** *** Source 1: Starting at 36:29 is the short clip I quoted above.

Source 2:

*** *** ***

Voilà. Enjoy, @lovehimloveherstuff (Although reading what I've written here probably has nothing to do with 'enjoying'. I am so sorry.)

[December 11, 2023]

[wangxianficrecs]

💙 stay by my side by ravenditefairylights

🔒💙 stay by my side

by ravenditefairylights (@ravenditefairylights)

T, 27k, Wangxian

Part of the MDZS Reverse Big Bang: 2022

Summary: “A-Ying,” Lan Wangji says quietly, trying to gauge whether the boy is asleep. Even as the boy’s figure tenses and his head peaks out from the rest of his body to look around, he doesn’t stop shaking. His clothes are wet, Lan Wangji can see in the candlelight, clinging to his skin. Winter has not yet passed. The boy must be freezing. “Hello?” A-Ying asks hesitantly, looking around. His eyes are big, but despite some suspicion in their depths, the boy mostly looks curious. “Hello, A-Ying,” Lan Wangji says kindly. “I heard that you prayed to me.” --- a boy, a god and a rebellion against the empire Kay's comments: THIS STORY!! I love it very much and I recently re-read it and it immediately had me hooked once again. This story really has everything. I loved the historical world building with the cultivation sects having fallen a thousand years ago and everyone living under the Wens' tyranny ever since, I loved God!Lan Wangji, who looks out for abandoned children and makes sure Wei Wuxian finds his way to the Jiangs, where he is raised as Jiang Cheng's and Jiang Yanli's personal servant, I absolutely adored Hanguang-Jun hypeman and the very best wing man Lan Jingyi and I loved how Lan Wangji didn't want to admit to himself that he had fallen in love with Wei Wuxian, very in-character for him. Also, the identity shenanigans were very fun! Exerpt: “It is an honour to meet you, Lan- gongzi ,” Wei Wuxian says politely with another bow. “This lowly one is Wei Ying, courtesy Wuxian.” “You have a courtesy name?” Lan Jingyi asks, surprised. Wei Wuxian is used to this surprise and doesn’t do anything other than nod. Lan Jingyi doesn’t pry either—must be the famous Lan restraint to abstain from gossip. “Come with me, I’ll show you to the guest dormitories.” “Many thanks, Lan- gongzi ,” Wei Wuxian replies. Lan Jingyi takes him through the grounds with only a lantern to light the way. Wei Wuxian has missed his chance to explore, but still… “Lan- gongzi , may this one ask you a question?” “Yeah, sure,” Lan Jingyi says. When he shrugs, the lantern he’s carrying gets jostled and the light plays on the shadows around them. “Is it true that the Cloud Recesses have the first temple that was built for Hanguang-jun?” Wei Wuxian asks. “And Zewu-jun?” he adds quickly, in case Lan Jingyi is offended that he’s included only one of them in his question. Lan Jingyi’s face brightens up under the yellow light. “Yeah! Hanguang-jun is the best —and Zewu-jun, of course, but he’s not as cool as Hanguang-jun, although he’s so close. Zewu-jun and Hanguang-jun were the last cultivators to ascend to immortality before the shift into the Wen dynasty when the cultivation clans were wiped out. They were both sons from the direct family line in charge of the Lan Sect—Zewu-jun was the heir and then the sect leader when their father, Qingheng-jun, also ascended to the Heavenly Realm. Zewu-jun is the god who protects leaders and musicians—you may note that his statues always depict him playing the xiao—he’s a martial god regardless, like his younger brother, Hanguang-jun.” Wei Wuxian knows all of this, but he doesn’t interrupt. Lan Jingyi sounds as excited to tell him about them as Wei Wuxian is to hear about Hanguang-jun again.

pov lan wangji, pov wei wuxian, canon divergence, god lan wangji, tgcf, tian guan ci fu fusion, historical, sunshot campaign, secret identity, identity porn, identity reveal, worship, angst with a happy ending, age difference, friends to lovers

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

According to the most recent polls, Republicans’ electoral fortunes have improved markedly over the last few weeks. Democrats went from a roughly two-point advantage in the generic congressional ballot at the beginning of October to about half a point today. It seems likely the GOP will take control of at least one chamber of Congress in 2023.

There has been a simmering debate over the past few years as to whether claims of conservative populism mean anything in a practical policy sense. Many have claimed that things have changed from the old days of tax cuts for the rich, business-friendly deregulation, and trickle-down economics—like Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who once wrote, “We are a working-class party now. That’s the future.”

We now have an answer to this question, and it is firmly negative. If they win in 2022, Republicans are promising the same old massive cuts to social programs, above all Social Security and Medicare, which they’ve been trying to get at for decades. And they’re going to try to force President Biden to agree by threatening a global financial apocalypse. In the words of Roger Daltrey, meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

All four GOP representatives running to head the House Budget Committee have promised that they are going to take the debt ceiling hostage to get big cuts. “Our main focus has got to be on nondiscretionary—it’s got to be on entitlements,” said Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA). Specifically, they mentioned increasing the eligibility age for Social Security and Medicare, and adding means tests or work requirements. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who will probably be Speaker of the House if Republicans take control, endorsed the strategy. “You can’t just continue down the path to keep spending and adding to the debt,” he said.

To review, the debt ceiling is a legal mechanism dating from 1917 that says the government can only borrow a certain amount. So when Congress passes a budget requiring some borrowing (which is almost every time), if the resulting debt would go beyond the ceiling, Congress has to pass an additional measure to raise it. It’s as if you had a credit card with a borrowing limit that you could set yourself.

If this sounds weird and stupid, that’s because it is. The debt ceiling is a completely pointless legal archaism. The only other country that has one is Denmark, but its government rendered it inoperative years ago by raising it far above where its debt is ever likely to reach. (It’s a sad demonstration of America’s political dysfunction that we can’t even manage this kind of elementary national housekeeping.)

Despite its stupidity, should the debt ceiling be reached, it would cause a very real crisis. The Treasury Department would probably miss an interest payment, meaning a default on the national debt. Since U.S. government debt is considered about the safest possible asset in the world, and everyone from financial firms to institutional investors to central banks owns trillions of dollars of it, the hit to global economic stability would be severe. That’s why the debt ceiling is “a hostage that’s worth ransoming,” as Mitch McConnell put it in 2012 after doing just that the previous year.

We thus see that the core of Republican economic policy remains unchanged. From the 1980s to today, it is the belief that the rich are too heavily taxed. Aside from the military, the biggest pots of money in the federal budget that might be raided for more tax cuts for beleaguered billionaires are the big welfare programs: Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

Ever since Donald Trump won in 2016, there have been innumerable articles, books, and conferences discussing a promised birth of new ideas in the conservative movement. But lo and behold! It’s the exact same party of granny-starving plutocrats as before, except now with a heavy dose of even more overt homophobia, transphobia, and antisemitism, not to mention sheer 200-proof lunacy.

One might wonder why Republicans didn’t gut Social Security and Medicare when they controlled the presidency and Congress in 2017-2018, or even try to do so. (There were large cuts in Trump’s budget proposed in 2018, but they never made it into actual legislation.) The reason is that doing so is grossly unpopular. When Trump proposed huge Medicare cuts in his 2020 budget (one that was dead on arrival because Democrats controlled the House), it polled at about 72% disapproval. A more recent poll by a pro–Social Security organization found overwhelming disapproval for cuts to the program, and overwhelming support for increasing benefits by removing the payroll tax cap. In short, Americans love their Social Security and Medicare, and if they want changes, it is to make the programs more generous, not less.

So Republicans would much prefer to get welfare cuts through coercion and brinkmanship rather than normal legislation. That way they can starve grandma in a bipartisan fashion, while simultaneously trusting that the average swing voter will blame President Biden for it, if not sticking the blame on him themselves.

At any rate, Democrats could defuse the political pipe bomb—which they handed to Republicans themselves, incidentally—in several ways. In the upcoming lame-duck session, they could pass the reconciliation bill they still have available for fiscal year 2023, raising the debt limit to an absurd amount (I personally favor Avogadro’s number), or alternatively implement some formula that would automatically keep the debt limit in line with new borrowing.

Or President Biden could mint the famous platinum coin to increase his borrowing authority through seigniorage, or he could declare the debt ceiling unconstitutional under Section 4 of the 14th Amendment, which states that “The validity of the public debt of the United States … shall not be questioned.” This constitutional argument is surely correct—especially since Congress would be giving Biden contradictory legal instructions, requiring him to spend certain amounts through the budget process while also not allowing him to borrow the necessary balance.

Whatever choice they make, Democrats would be well advised to defuse the debt ceiling forever, before this session of Congress ends. So long as it exists, there is a live chance that Republicans will use it to do something appalling or insane.

[ausetkmt]

"Ask Prof Wolff: Talk of Inflation and How It's Being Used"

It's amazing that most people don't understand the financial tools being employed against American taxpayers in 2022 by the US government. Jerome Powell recently raised the federal rate and that in itself guaranteed changes in both the rates for new financing of homes and vehicles as well as the failure rate of older more unregulated rate schemes.

Until we all know more about this type of theft of our personal wealth we will continue to become deeper and deeper in debt because it's all a cash ame, and we got to play it. Otherwise we'll all continue to be victimized

[the-usa-fame]

10 Huge Risk To US Economy In 2022

There is a huge risk to the US economy in 2022. The main reason for this is that the US government is currently borrowing money and... READ MORE

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

She’ll be even loonier if she gets to go to Washington and mingle

Nothing is stopping her from doing that now.

Oh, wait. Except:

That time she bungled paid parental leave by calling senators on personal private lines.

The time she sent lemons to Jill Biden and then blabbed to everyone about how she was a close confidante to the First Lady.

The time she tried to use President Biden and Air Force One as her own personal Uber.

The time she crashed Michelle Obama's event at the London O2 arena and broke a bunch of protocol rules.

The time she gaslit the world into thinking she was besties with Michelle Obama by telling us they were having lunch and eating fish tacos, when really it was an email exchange.

The time she made public comments that the Obamas were personally advising her and Harry during Megxit and the Obamas had to put out a press release saying "no we are not."

The time she tried to access secure spaces in the United Nations headquarters without authorization and with private camera crews in tow.

The time she booked it to Uvalde with a private camera crew in tow to merch her grief as a mother while even the President knew to stay away from the community to let them grieve privately.

The time she, and her husband, used their British titles for a motivational commercial about voting.

Plus a few others like:

All the times she lied about the BRF, the family of the UK's head of state. (US government officials will prioritize the US/UK special relationship over the whines of one single woman.)

The time she was NFI to the US/UK state dinner, held at Buckingham Palace. (It was explained as maternity leave but yeah, she wasn't invited. If she was frothing at the mouth to wear a tiara in Fiji, she would've done the Trump State Visit for a tiara.)

All the times she hasn't been invited to the White House for state dinners or advocacy since 2021 since she has COVID vaccinations, motherhood, and supporting military veterans/families in common with Jill Biden.

The times the White House sent the Secretary of Transportation, the NASA Administrator, and other not-well-known government officials to represent them at 2022 and 2023 Invictus Games.

The time Nancy Pelosi's office laughed when a reporter asked them about Meghan's political prospects.

The time she aligned with the unimportant side of the Kennedy family (versus the "real" Kennedy).

And that's just the stuff that's been confirmed. We haven't even scratched the surface of the alleged gossip (like her work to lobby Newsome for Feinstein's recess appointment or her manipulations of Gloria Steinem).

So all that considered...makes one think that the establishment doesn't like Meghan and won't engage with her. Which says a lot about her standing in political Washington.

She loves the idea of Washington IG in theory, but she's gonna hate it once she's here. And that's just the dignitaries attending the ceremonies. We haven't even started to talk about the weather and what the humidity is going to do to her appearance (since the brief sounds like it's going to be a spring/early summer event).

[elvisabutler]

Hi I’d like to request a smut about Austin Butler and reader. Reader stared as Pricilla in Elvis and Austin and her became very close And they flirt all the time but when Austin dates Kaia reader feels like she has no chance Then the cast goto the oscars where Austin is nominated and wins Reader is also nominated but for Marilyn Monroe(Love her!)she goes down the isle Austin kisses her in front of everybody like Alexander Skarsguard and Nicole Kidman reader confronts him after leads to smut.

love was just a glance away

summary: after bonding and flirting nonstop on the set of elvis, you fall for austin but don't take a chance on telling him. when he starts to date kaia you think your opportunity is gone for good until oscar night. fandom: austin butler | elvis ( 2022 ) rating: m pairing: austin butler x priscilla actress reader ( different verse than my usual ). austin butler x kaia gerber is also mentioned, plays an somewhat important part as the prompt implies. word count: 2642 warnings: cheating on austin's part, kind of. pining. oral ( f receiving ). age difference ( austin is the older one in both relationships ). mentions of the movie blonde. author’s note: so this has been tricky for me for a number of reasons that i won't get into. but anon if you're still around ( since this was from the beginning of september, lord have mercy ) thank you for this prompt and i hope you enjoy! and we're all gonna pretend that blonde wasn't a trash fire, alright? just for this fic. and for those of you who don't remember, yes that kiss with alexander and nicole did happen. it's okay, i forgot about it too. and special thanks to @blurredcolour and @ab4eva who helped talk me out of setting this piece on fire. no taglist this time for this is a piece i am still very unsure of.

Austin Butler has a magnetism you wish you could blame on him playing Elvis- wish you could blame on him not being able to separate himself from his character. You wish you could and yet you of all people know the truth, that Austin will look at you as if you're the only person in the room when talking to you, will act as if he cares about all the little tiny details of your life that most people just sort of pretend to care about. No one could fault you for falling for him- no one could fault anyone for falling for him, especially when you had been his costar- the Prisicilla to his Elvis for almost two years, watching Elvis movies together, learning everything about the real life people that made your characters who they were.

You tell yourself you should have made a move on Austin when you had the chance. You should have made a move on him at that stupid brunch or that stupid moment in the water at the wrap party. You should have but you were too scared, too much that young girl who got the part and found yourself starry eyed over your older costar. So you allow him to slip through your fingers and move onto your next project while he moves onto his. You keep faintly in touch, talking over text until the pics with Lily Rose come out and you ignore him for a week, too hurt that he moved on- like you had ever been together- to speak to him. When you finally do you're shorter than you've ever been with him and he backs off for a month. He backs off thinking you're- he knows he's made you angry, hurt you but he doesn't know why. You two were never anything more than close costars, hell, you had been one of the few he'd had that stuck around past filming like this, stuck around and had him keep that sense of family he always lost when shooting wrapped for any project.

He backs away for a month but then he meets Kaia and she feels like a balm. A part of him, a part deep inside the recesses of his mind knows he's probably using her and that she doesn't deserve this- she's not even 21 and here he was just fooling around with her. She's nice enough though- her parents less so but- no one was perfect and he was dating her and not them. Getting to know her is a whirlwind before the press tour, coffee dates and trips to Paris and making out over masks because she's better than 'Nessa ever will be about obeying the rules when it comes to the pandemic.

Seeing you on the press tour, seeing you in your dress at the Met has his heart thudding in his chest, has his hands itching to touch you. You're flying solo while he has Kaia on his arm being sweet and as lovely as can be. She's everything he could want in a girlfriend he thinks, and yet she's not you. Still, she doesn't deserve this, doesn't deserve to have anything but his undivided attention so he tries to remind himself that if you two were meant to be- if you two were supposed to be together you would be. Life isn't the Notebook and people don't drift apart only to come back together in a sweeping scene in the rain. When he reminds himself of this, when he let's himself tell his subconscious this over and over it sinks in, it makes it easier to be the adoring boyfriend Kaia deserves and after the standing ovation that lasts twelve minutes and you congratulating him, he allows himself to forget about it.

He allows himself to bury his feelings for you because he's not a cheater, he's not the type to break up his own relationship on a- fling, a potential friends with benefits situation- a something that isn't another relationship. He's not a cheater by nature but sometimes- sometimes he wishes he was, wishes he could call you up on the nights he's in Budapest or the nights he's in Ohio and tell you everything. Tell you that he loves Kaia but he's been at least a little in love with you since filming and it's not just Elvis and Priscilla. No, it's you and him. You're filming- something else at this point and he knows your Marilyn movie is getting rave reviews, not like he expected any different, and yet he only congratulates you, doesn't try and tell you his feelings, content to ride whatever his relationship with Kaia proves to be because you don't- You two missed your opportunity.

Never in his wildest dreams had Austin thought he'd be nominated for an Oscar for Elvis but if you had asked him- and you had- you were always going to be a shoo-in for a nomination for Marilyn. If you ask him, the phone call he has congratulating you- the one that takes three hours of just the two of you catching up? That might have been the straw that broke the camel's back with Kaia.

His relationship with her might not have been PR but he knows- and she knows it's a PR nightmare to have them break up right before the Oscars, and they may not be together but they like each other as people and Kaia murmurs against his shoulder that "you deserve to have your moment" and he does, doesn't he? After all those years of slaving away trying to become the actor he knows he was born to be.

You try to not watch Austin and how he looks with Kaia on his arm on the red carpet. Everyone's busy asking about your nomination and how it makes you feel and only occasionally do they bring up Austin's own, it's- it's fine. Handling this would be a piece of cake unlike figuring out just where you were supposed to sit as far as your respective casts went. You choose to sit with the Blonde cast, scrunching your face at Xavier and giving Bobby and Adrian the largest hugs imagable. You glance across the room to see Austin staring at you with something- with some look you don't dare identify as jealousy, after all, Kaia isn't too far away from him but it's something you're not sure you want to put a name to.

The ceremony itself feels like a blur- feels like a rush even though you know when you're watching it at home it never feels like that. Maybe it's just one of those things you have to experience in person to get the full effect. Austin wins- of course he does, you had no doubt and despite how complicated things have been with you and him- or how you wish you had made a move, you're still proud of him. Your standing ovation is practically a version of his one from Cannes and you see him grinning seeing you still clapping even as you sit down. It's hard to focus on the words he's saying after you hear "and my Priscilla, the wonderful Y/N," and realize he's still looking at you with something akin to joy and awe rolled into one while he continues to thank people. Brushing it off as just him needing to focus on one person in the audience is easy enough especially as your nerves start to truly hit you when it comes to your own nomination. Your heartbeat rushes in your ears a constant thrum as the names are read off until you hear them say your name and you see your castmates clapping and pushing you out of your chair. You're so thankful you didn't pick a dress with an obscenely long train because you can focus on walking and you do up until the point when you see Austin's body in front of you. Before you even have a chance to ask what he's doing you feel his large warm hands cup both sides of your face and pull you in for a kiss. Your own hands cup his face unbidden, forgetting that you two are on live television and forgetting that his girlfriend is right there. When you pull away your shocked eyes search his eyes for an answer only to get a look of pure love that you recognize, if only because he's given that look to you as Elvis so many times.

The speech you give is not the one you intended to, it's discombobulated and you swear a little nonsensical but it's over as soon as it happens and you find yourself whisked away to the backstage area where you see Austin of all the people standing there. There's an urge to slap him that threatens to bubble up to the surface before you pull him aside and snarl at him.

"What the fuck, Austin?" You pause. "What was that? Why- Why aren't you with Kaia?"

Austin pulls you farther away, into a small room of some kind before he sinks to his knees and frowns. "That- That was me kissing you. And we're- I don't need to be with her, she's twenty one years old, Y/N."

The next words that leave you are hissed as you look down at Austin on the floor, on his knees looking like he's wanting to find his way under your dress. "She's your girlfriend. Get off the floor." Your eyes dart around Austin, trying to not focus on how he looks as he looks up at you and licks his lips.

"She's my ex-girlfriend," he clarifies, as his hand moves to touch your calf, earning a slight shiver from you. "I- We should have gone together. I should have- I wanted you, I want you. Let me just- Let me make it up to you, please. Then you can be mad at me."

You raise an eyebrow at his words, wondering just what he means has his hand moves slowly upward until it reaches your thigh and you shiver, your chest heaving ever so slowly as you whisper. "Austin- You-" You shut your eyes and for once let yourself enjoy something, like he said, he wants to make it up to you, he wants to beg for your forgiveness on his knees. You can let him and then be mad at him like he says. "Please."

Your murmured please is all he needs to push up the fabric of your dress, exposing your underwear covered vagina. The underwear is pulled down enough in a flash as he wastes no time in burying his face in your crotch, inhaling a deep breath before his tongue starts to work you open. He licks at you, flicks his tongue against your clit, in your cunt, everywhere he seems to be able to reach. It's all too much and too little all at once as your hands move to grab at his hair, pulling it and earning a moan from him that he lets out around your clit. You shouldn't enjoy this as much as you do, you shouldn't be letting him do this even though you've dreamed at how his stubble would feel against your pussy, how it'd feel against your thighs. The feel of his fingers and of coolness of the two rings that are on his fingers against your pussy have you clenching around them and you hear him chuckle a little as you feel a rush of embarrassment at your reaction.

For someone who has never had sex with you and someone who- despite flirting with like your life depended on it out of character- doesn't know how exactly to pleasure you in the exact what you want, he's doing a phenomenal job. There's still calluses on his fingers that you want to ask where he's gotten them from but you feel the roughness of them against your clit and that and all other thoughts flutter away in a hiss of pleasure. He pulls away just slightly kissing your thigh and whispering words you never thought you'd hear from him. Whispers of his love and adoration for you on and off set, how he loves how you scrunch your face and how he knows this year is just the beginning for you and how he loves you and wants you to be his. It's too much for you, the words circling around in your head as you feel his fingers curl against your g-spot and feel his mouth sucking your clit that you let out a choked off shout, stopping the sound with your forearm against your mouth.

Your breath comes in short pants for a good few minutes as you lean up against a wall, not trusting your legs to hold you up as you try and recover, a fresh spike of arousal hitting you the moment you look down and see Austin's face glistening with your cum. Austin manages to push himself off the ground as you stare at him, his head tilting as he tries to get a read on you. You know you shouldn't know this is unwise but you can't help but messily kiss him, wanting to taste his tongue and taste how it mixes with your taste. He responds in kind, a growl forming in his chest as he tries to deepen it only to have you pull away and push him away from you.

"I'm- You might have ruined this night for me, Austin. Not- this. This was the only good thing I think you did." You shake your head, the anger you feel starting to push its way to the surface after your orgasm has cleared your head. "You kissing me is all everyone is going to talk about because you're still with Kaia." Austin starts to cut you off before you shake your head. "Even if you're broken up, no one knows that but the two of you. I didn't even know that and you decided to kiss me as I'm about to get an award I worked so hard on."

"Y/N- I-" He pauses and looks down at the ground apologetically. "I didn't mean for that to happen. I should have thought about it but I'm not going to apologize for kissing you. I wanted to kiss you, I've been wanting to kiss you-"

Your hand waves him off. "You could have, Austin, you could have broken up with Kaia ages ago or whenever you had this realization but you didn't. And now I look like a fool and like someone who you're cheating on your girlfriend with. Making your break up when it goes public look like my fault."

"Babe-" He starts before you glare at him, pulling up your underwear and straightening out your dress.

"Don't even think about it." Because he does not deserve to call you babe or baby or apologize with words like he's going to try to after what he's done tonight. "I'm- Austin- if you want to be with me like you seem to claim. Figure out what in the hell is going on with you and Kaia and whatever is going on with you as a person and come find me. I have to go answer a million questions about you kissing me now."

Your hand moves to open the door and you think about not looking back, think about walking out the door in a dramatic sort of huff before you sigh and look back. Austin's frowning as he stares at the floor, rubbing his head. Comforting him crosses your mind but you shake your head to yourself as you swing the door open, not even giving Austin the dignity of a farewell as you exit into the cacophony of noise outside the door.

[hamsterclaw]

Fukushu

The hitman who you met one New Year's eve promised you he'd be back, you just didn't think he'd be coming to stay.

A follow up to New Year's cheer, part of Bangtan Christmas 2022.

Pairing: Seokjin x f! reader

Genre: Assassin Seokjin, smut

Rating: 18+, minors dni

Warnings: Sex, swearing, mentions of criminal activity

Word count: 5k

You love waking up on spring mornings like this one, where the air is cool and the leaves are dripping, laden with dewdrops. The mountain air is bracing, you take in a deep breath and close your eyes as you go out into your courtyard.

When you open your eyes again, the serenity of your morning is broken by the unexpected sound of footsteps, then the appearance of a man.

As far as unexpected visitors go, he’s better looking than most.

He’s tall, with shoulders broad enough to block out the sun, and a face that really, honestly, truly, could be in magazines.

Unfortunately, in the line of work he’s in, he’s more likely to be in a CIRO dossier than a fashion tome.

You search the recesses of your mind for the name he told you that New Year’s Eve when you first met.

‘Seokjin,’ you say, pleasant with the memory of the night you shared. ‘What brings you back here?’

He smiles at you, beautiful, blinding.

‘You,’ he replies, ‘of course. I told you I’d be back to see you.’

‘The other thing is,’ he says, continuing, leaning closer like he’s confiding a secret. ‘I’ve been shot.’

***

You grumble to yourself as you set dishes on the table for breakfast, making sure to let your unexpected guest know how distinctly unhumourous you’d found his attempt at humour.

Seokjin had been unreasonably amused by your panic and concern at his announcement, had allowed you to pat him down for injuries before eventually confessing.

‘Of course I went to the hospital before I came here,’ he’d told you, just as you were searching for your first aid kit.

He’d raised an eyebrow at you, the wickedness of his humour unfortunately not detracting from his frankly devastating attractiveness.

‘You’ve very capable, but it is the 21st century,’ he’d pointed out. ‘There’s no substitute for good medical care.’

You’ve never wished so much to be affiliated with the yakuza who run your small town.

See how amused Seokjin would be with a blade to his throat.

You eye your chopsticks thoughtfully, and Seokjin says, from where he’s sitting at your table behind you, ‘You look very beautiful. I thought you’d dressed up specifically for New Year’s eve but you’re just as enticing in those tiny shorts you’re wearing.’

Belatedly, you remember you’ve yet to change out of your sleepwear.

You glance down at your thin t-shirt and decide to brazen it out.

Before you can turn around, Seokjin says, ‘that sleep shirt is so transparent you might as well be nude.’

‘Thank you for noticing,’ you say, dry.

You cross your arms pointedly as you walk past him to get changed.

He doesn’t even to pretend to avert his eyes, the bastard.

***

‘How long are you staying?’ you ask, after breakfast.

Seokjin sips his tea, casual. ‘How long am I welcome for?’

‘You actually outstayed your welcome long ago, five minutes after you got here.’

He ignores you. ‘I need somewhere to lay low, just until the heat dies down a bit. I thought a week, maybe two, max?’

He waits until you’re looking at him.

‘If that’s not ok, I can go. I don’t want to inconvenience you.’

You shrug. ‘I could use the company.’

‘Seriously, though,’ Seokjin says. He’s looking at you intently now, gauging your reactions like they matter to him. ‘If you want me out I’ll go right now.’

You say, ‘It’s fine, Seokjin.’

You hesitate. ‘I’m sort of dating someone right now, he stops by a couple times a week.’

‘Is he pretty like me?’ Seokjin asks.

‘He’s prettier than you,’ you say.

‘I find that difficult to believe,’ Seokjin says, tetchy.

You shrug. ‘You’re the one who asked.’

Seokjin mutters something you don’t quite catch, but it sounds pouty.

You glance at your phone. ‘Hey, I’ve got a delivery coming into the bar this afternoon, I should probably head to town. Will you be ok here?’

You show Seokjin around your place before you leave, tell him to make himself at home. You haven’t got a spare room, but you set up a bed roll for him in the annexe between your bathroom and living room.

‘I won’t be back until late, ok? Call me if you need anything.’

Seokjin’s already looking through your stash of games. ‘Sure,’ he mumbles, distractedly.

You roll your eyes. ‘There’s food. See you later.’

***

The bar’s quiet even for a Tuesday, you end up closing five minutes early to head home. You take the route you always take, down along the stream that leads to the back of your house.

You’re closing the gate behind you, fastening the latch, when Seokjin’s voice makes you jump.

‘Shit, you scared me!’ you mutter, leaning against the gate.

He steps out of the shadows. ‘Did you walk back? It’s so late.’

‘This is early for me,’ you say, rubbing the back of your neck, yawning. ‘I thought you’d be asleep.’

Seokjin follows you back into the house.

‘Hungry? Want noodles?’ you offer, getting a pot out of the rack.

‘I’ll make them for you,’ he says.

Surprised, you watch as he gets to work, boiling the water, dropping your noodles into the pot.

‘I’ll get changed,’ you say.

You return to a bowl of steaming noodles, a set table, a mug of tea.

‘Thanks,’ you tell Seokjin.

He sits at the table with you.

The moon shines in through your kitchen window, reminding you of the last time you saw him. You catch him staring at you.

‘It was a full moon on New Year’s eve wasn’t it?’ asks Seokjin.

You smile, softened by the late hour, the warmth filling your belly, the very beautiful man sitting across from you watching you eat a meal he cooked.

‘It was,’ you agree.

You remember the way he looked walking away from you in the cold just past the darkest part of the night, the footsteps he’d left in the snow.

Seokjin reaches over, pushes your mug towards you.

‘Drink,’ he urges.

You take a big gulp of tea, get up to put your bowl in the sink.

‘Go to bed,’ Seokjin says. ‘I’ll wash up.’

‘Just leave it, Seokjin.’

He hums, turns his back to you. His shoulders are broader than you remember, his body lean and long.

You realise he’s watching you look at him, reflected in the glass of the window.

He laughs softly, and you expect him to tease you, but all he says is, ‘Go to sleep. You look tired.’

You go to your room, find your bed roll prepared, quilt arranged neatly, pillow plumped.

You lay your head down and listen to the sounds of Seokjin clearing up in the kitchen.

Eventually, you sleep.

***

You glance out of the window at the sound of the approaching bike.

‘It’s the postman,’ you tell Seokjin, sat at your breakfast table. ‘Stay out of sight.’

Seokjin raises his eyebrow at you. ‘Just tell him I’m your brother.’

‘We don’t look anything alike.’

‘Different fathers?’ suggests Seokjin.

‘I don’t have time for a backstory now,’ you grumble.

‘Maybe an ex-husband?’

You scowl at him and yank open the door, stepping out to greet the postman at the bottom of the steps into the courtyard.

When you get back, post in hand, Seokjin’s frowning into the full length mirror by the door.

‘Do you really think we don’t look alike?’ he asks.

You stand side by side with him.

‘Do you really want to pretend to be brother and sister?’ you ask.

He wrinkles his nose. ‘Probably not. We’re definitely more like exes. Although why would anyone break up with me?’

‘Don’t know, maybe they’re not into handsome men,’ you tease.

Seokjin nods, seriousness in his eyes. ‘Too intimidating?’

You snort and start opening your post.

You frown at the bill you’re just received and shove it back into the envelope.

Seokjin’s been reading over your shoulder.

‘That’s a lot of zeroes,’ he remarks.

‘My dad had a lot of debt before he died.’ You shrug. ‘At least he owed it to the bank and not yakuza.’

You change the subject.

‘I’m getting another delivery today, I have to go in soon.’

‘Can I go with you? I can help.’

‘You good with a ledger?’ you ask. ‘You can help me with the quarterly budget.’

***

You’ve unpack your delivery, arrange things in the store room, make sure your bottles are topped up, and the dishwasher unloaded and then go to check on Seokjin.

He’s sitting behind your desk, frowning over the glasses he put on that you’re convinced are an affectation rather than a necessity.

‘What is this column?’ he asks.

You pick up the stack of receipts you’ve been meaning to sort out and start marking them.

‘What do you think?’ you ask.

Every business in the area makes regular payments to the yakuza, you’re lucky that money is all they want from you. As a single woman with no family nearby, it could be much worse.

Seokjin goes back to staring at your accounts.

‘It’s going to take you years on years to pay off that debt,’ he says, quietly. ‘Especially when half your earnings go on protection money.’

He’s not telling you anything you don’t already know.

You draw an ‘X’ on a receipt in black marker, bold, stark, before you reply.

‘My father went into debt paying medical bills for my mother’s care,’ you tell Seokjin. ‘He died paying it off. The bar is all he had left.’

You place the receipts on the small coffee table in your office.

‘I have a few things to take care of before we open,’ you tell Seokjin.

You smile at him, hoping to lighten the mood. ‘If you find a miracle in the accounts, be sure to let me know. Otherwise I can go back to looking at them tomorrow.’

The night’s lively, Wednesdays usually are, especially around payday.

You’re preparing more sake for a large group in the back when Seokjin emerges from the office, apron on like he works for you.

You give him a bemused look.

‘Want to help me serve this?’ you ask, joking.

Seokjin picks up the heavy tray without so much as a flinch.

You try not to stare at the way his forearms are flexed, hands gripping the sides of the tray. You have a sudden flash of what his hands might look like on your hips.

Seokjin smirks at you. ‘I’m stronger than I look,’ he says.

‘Weren’t you shot?’ you mutter.

He ignores you. ‘Shall I take this round the back?’ he asks.

***

Turns out Seokjin is also a shameless flirt.

You’ve always been aware of how attractive he is, how could you not?

The memory of him stepping into your bar, ducking under the noren, tossing back whiskey and dragging you out with him still sends a thrill through you.

It’d been one of the hottest nights of your life.

Seokjin pours out wine for the three women out for after work drinks, generous with his measures, with a flourish you have to admit is charming.

His already short sleeves are rolled up, and you think at some point he’d found time to tighten the apron around his waist.

He’s flushed from the heat and the alcohol, the back of his neck and the tips of his ears red, but he still looks good enough to eat.

He leans over you to reach fresh napkins. His eyes meet yours knowingly.

‘Your pours are very generous,’ you point out.

You think you sound neutral, but he laughs.

‘I was a bartender for a while, on and off,’ he says.

He’s got the audacity to wink at you. ‘I know what I’m doing.’

‘Jin,’ calls one of the women, waving him over.

Seokjin smiles. ‘Coming,’ he replies smoothly.

‘It’s unprofessional to flirt with customers,’ you point out.

‘And that’s why you don’t earn much in tips,’ Seokjin shoots back.

He lifts another bottle of white out of the crate and gets back to serving.

***

You lock the front door of the bar and turn back to where Seokjin is sprawled out across a bench.

‘Come on, big boy, let’s go home.’

He smiles at you, tipsy.

‘I made a lot of tips,’ he says, proudly.

You bite back a smile. ‘You did.’

You refrain from pointing out that he also drank an entire bottle of imported Italian wine.

You lift his arm up over your shoulders, help to steady him.

‘I can walk,’ he tells you.

‘I just don’t want you to fall into the stream, ok?’ you coax, holding on to his arm.

He hums as you walk back up the hill to your house.

‘Those women liked me a lot,’ he says.

‘You’re pretty,’ you agree.

‘I’m funny, too,’ he points out.

‘I don’t like dad jokes that much,’ you say, lightly.

He scoffs. ‘Yukino said she’ll stop by this weekend to see me.’

‘Sure.’

‘She’s pretty.’

‘I’m sure you’ll make beautiful babies together,’ you tease.

Seokjin considers this as you approach your house.

‘Can you help me get undressed?’ he asks. ‘My shoulder hurts. But don’t look too much, I’m expensive.’

You roll your eyes but you stop in front of him anyway.

‘Kneel down, you’re too tall.’

Carefully, you stretch his t-shirt over his arm, tug it upwards over his head.

He stays perfectly still as you slip his arm into his pyjama shirt.

You can feel his eyes on you as you pull the front panels of his shirt together and start buttoning. You can feel your face getting warm under his gaze.

Your fingertips brush the smooth skin of his torso as you fasten his shirt.

Seokjin licks his lips but says nothing.

‘There,’ you say. If your voice is a little higher pitched than usual, he at least grants you the kindness of not commenting on it.

‘Good night, Seokjin.’

‘Good night, Y/N.’

***

You wake to the sounds of crockery in the kitchen, the smell of coffee.

You pull on your robe and step outside, smile already forming on your face.

It’s not Seokjin.

It’s Haru, the man you’ve been dating on and off.

His face breaks into a smile when he sees you.

‘I was trying not to wake you,’ he says, pulling you into a hug.

‘I sleep light,’ you say. You take the mug he hands you gratefully.

Then you remember.

‘Haru —-‘

You’re interrupted by the arrival of Kim Seokjin.

Shirtless even though he’s been fully clothed the entire time he’s been staying with you.

Pyjama bottoms slung low on his hips.

He smiles at you, acts like he does this all the time.

‘Got coffee for me?’ he asks, intimate, low.

The shit-stirring weasel.

You want to stab chopsticks through his gunshot wound.

He turns a little, and the tattooed ‘7’ on his back makes you vow to find seven ways to torture him before you kill him.

Haru’s looking at you.

‘This is Seokjin,’ you say, using his government name to show the shit-stirring weasel how serious you are. ‘He’s an ex-boyfriend.’

You say, sweetly, ‘He just needs a place to stay for a few days. He’s between jobs. Can’t make the rent.’

Seokjin puts out a hand for Haru to shake. ‘I’m a policeman, I got injured and Y/N said the mountain air might help me recuperate.’

You lock eyes with Seokjin, unable to believe his colossal stupidity.

The heat in your gaze makes Seokjin avert his eyes. You can see the exact moment he spots the tattoo across Haru’s forearm.

His eyebrows rise.

‘Of course,’ Seokjin amends, ‘I work for the KNPA, and we have no jurisdiction here.’

You’re already pulling Haru away, leading him out into the courtyard.

‘Get dressed, will you,’ you snap over your shoulder at Seokjin as you leave.

***

By the time you get back inside, the coffee’s cold and the kitchen is unoccupied.

It’d taken you a while to convince Haru that Seokjin was just an idiot, longer to convince him you weren’t sleeping together.

You lift your hand as Seokjin re-enters the kitchen.

‘Do not,’ you snap, ‘even think about talking to me. I will castrate you.’

Seokjin’s mouth snaps shut. He walks over to the stove.

You get up and unceremoniously leave the kitchen.

Half an hour later, you’ve just about decided it would be too much effort to torture him when you kill him. There’s a quiet tap on the door of your bedroom.

You slide it open to see a tray set with breakfast - pillowy looking french toast and strawberries, fresh coffee.

Under the coffee, a note written in a jagged scrawl that’s exactly how you’d imagine his writing to be.

I’m sorry.

You look up as Seokjin approaches you.

Wisely, he stays out of arm’s reach.

‘I put extra powdered sugar on the french toast,’ he tells you. ‘I can cut it for you if you want.’

You watch as he sits cross-legged, cuts the french toast into bite-sized squares.

‘Shall I feed you?’ he asks, solicitous.

You grab the fork from him.

He eyes you uneasily, moves the knife away from you.

‘I didn’t know your boyfriend was yakuza.’

‘We’re not really dating.’

‘Strategically, it’s a good move,��� he says, like he’s pleased with your ingenuity.

‘We need a better cover story than you’re my deadbeat cop ex who got injured and are in the mountains to recuperate,’ you say.

You open your mouth, and Seokjin offers you another morsel of french toast.

As you chew, he picks up a strawberry, plucks the stem off.

‘I won’t be here much longer,’ he says.

He looks at you. ‘There’s a train out next week that I have a ticket for.’

‘Oh.’

Seokjin feeds you the strawberry, the tips of his fingers brushing your lips.

‘Stop feeding me,’ you protest.

You don’t sound convincing, even to yourself.

Seokjin’s thumb strokes over your bottom lip. He watches, eyes darkening as you part your lips.

He cups your jaw, holds you still as he leans in.

‘I want a kiss,’ he murmurs, lips barely a centimeter from yours.

‘Take it,’ you reply.

He’s gentle, slow, with you as he kisses you. He tastes like powdered sugar and mint, he smells of your shampoo.

He tilts his head, parts his lips, murmurs his approval when you part yours.

‘I’m glad you broke up,’ he tells you as you pull away.

‘We weren’t really dating,’ you point out.

‘Hmm? What were you doing, then?’ Seokjin asks.

‘Just —-‘

Seokjin says, voice silky, ‘Just what, baby?’

He’s still leaning over you, too close to do anything but touch you.

It’s funny, you’re so accustomed to hearing shit talking from him that you’ve never really noticed how sexy he sounds.

His voice is low, a purr in your ear.

‘Cat got your tongue?’ he asks.

His warm lips press against the skin of your cheek, his hands splay over the small of your back, and he pulls you into his lap with a sigh.

His hand kneads your ass under your robe.

‘Look at this ass,’ he says. ‘The number of times I’ve wanted to spank you for the things that come out of your mouth.’

You’re scrambling for something to say, but the first sound that leaves your mouth is a whine.

Seokjin laughs. ‘I don’t think you want to know how many times I’ve thought about that New Year’s eve.’

His hand works over the flesh of your ass, lifting you over the bulge in his crotch.

He mouths over the skin of your neck as his hands make slow passes over your ass, sliding over your thighs.

He moves up your thigh, tugs your panties to one side.

He presses his knuckles against your core, and you whine again.

‘Tell me,’ he says, conversational, fingers slipping tantalisingly close to your entrance. ‘Have you thought about me?’

You’re holding your breath, waiting for him to touch you.

He slides a finger into you, a slow drag that makes you moan.

He nuzzles your neck, nudges your chin up so your neck’s bared to him.

His breath is hot on your skin as he works you with his hand.

He groans as your hand finds its way under his pants. You curl your fingers around the stiff weight of his cock.

Well, you try to.

He’s thick.

Seokjin hisses in a breath as you squeeze just under his head.

His fingers are still moving inside you, stroking, scissoring.

He tilts his head back, grunting a bit as you stroke him.

There’s a deep flush in his chest now, heat rushing to his neck, the tips of his ears.

He’s beautiful like this, eyes intense on you, making soft sounds as you touch him.

He’s slipped a hand under your top, lifted it up, baring your tits to him. He cups your breasts, rolling your nipples with his thumb.

Your breathing quickens, your hand tightens around his cock, and he lowers his head, pressing into you. Your hand comes up, braces on his shoulder, and he groans.

He leans closer, presses you back into your bedroll, settles himself between your legs.

He rolls his hips against yours, the head of his cock nudging you.

The weight of him feels exquisite.

He settles a forearm beside you, propping himself up. He rolls his hips again, and your thighs part so he can fit better.

‘Seokjin –’

‘There you are,’ he says, quietly. ‘I was wondering when I’d see you soft like this again.’

You smile. ‘If you wanted me to be soft you should have showed me your cock sooner.’

He laughs, grinds against you, making you moan. ‘Take these panties off and I’ll show you.’

You lift your hips into his, and he drags your panties down your thighs, squeezes your ass on the way.

He presses a kiss to your forehead as he nudges in. ‘Tell me to stop if it’s too much,’ he says.

He’s gentle, slow, letting you adjust to him as he enters you.

‘More,’ you murmur into his ear, and he groans.

He kisses you again when he’s in all the way.

‘You take me so well,’ he praises.

Pinned underneath him like this, you realise he’s much bigger than you remembered.

He’s so long that his feet hit the door to your tiny bedroom. His shoulders and chest, up close like this, are big enough to stop you from seeing anything but him.

He’s overwhelming, and he fits inside you so snugly you can barely take a breath.

You move your hips, trying to get comfortable, and he stills.

‘Are you ok? Is this ok?’

His voice is strained.

‘I’m ok,’ you assure him. ‘You’re a lot, Seokjin.’

He sounds amused. ‘You can take a lot of me, can’t you?’

He circles his hips, pulling out, rocking into you, slow.

‘You feel so good,’ he tells you. ‘Can I move?’

You grab onto his shoulders as he thrusts.

You’re so wet the slide is easy. He moves, and the drag of his cock against your walls makes you tremble with pleasure.

Seokjin strokes your hair, murmurs praise to you as he moves his hips. You don’t catch all of it over your own moaning but it’s enough to make you feel safe, secure.

You don’t say but he knows when you’re coming, your body tightening around his. He catches your lips with his own, knits his fingers through yours, and says your name quietly, fervently, as he reaches his own release.

Afterward, you float in a pleasured haze as he gets a washcloth to clean you both up. He doesn’t bother putting a shirt back on, and truthfully, you don’t think that’s anything to complain about.

***

Seokjin’s got his plush lips against your cunt, you’re most of the way to coming, and he’s acting like he could keep going forever.

He laps at your cunt, tongue flat against your slit, moaning like he loves the taste of you.

The moon’s hanging high in the sky, you can’t see it but you can see the luminous beam of moonlight across the wall opposite you.

You look down at Seokjin’s beautiful face between your thighs as he licks you out, and the pleasure coils, ramping up with every flick of his tongue against your sensitive clit.

Your nipples are hard, your breasts swollen from Seokjin’s big hands touching you.

He parts you with his thumbs, seals his mouth over your clit, and your leg kicks out, flat, as you come.

Seokjin licks you clean, eyes closing. His hand’s fisted over his cock, even in your pleasure you can see the gleam of pre-cum smeared over his tip.

‘Get up here,’ you say, your voice a rasp because you’ve spent most of the day with his dick down your throat.

Goddamn, Seokjin doesn’t just look exquisite, he also tastes so good you could swallow him down all day.

Seokjin’s hand knits in your hair, gentle. His voice is low, husky.

‘Can you take me again? Are you sore?’

‘I can take you, Seokjin,’ you promise, legs already spreading.

His hand grips your thigh, tight.

‘You look so hot spreading for me like that.’

He’s learned how to fuck you now, just like you’ve learned how to take him. You’ve learned how good the burn is if he slides in just right, and he’s learned the angles to fuck you to hit you in places that make your back arch and your toes curl.

Seokjin’s thrusting into you now, the push pull maddening when you just want him deeper. Harder. Longer.

He grips your ass, tight, and pulls you down on his cock. He comes hard on a deep thrust, gasping your name, grinding into you.

He pulls you into his chest as he lays on his back, panting.

‘Why haven’t we been doing this all this time?’ he asks, with the audacity to sound annoyed with you.

‘Maybe because you’re annoying?’ you mumble, rolling over onto your front, facing away from his stunning face.

A moment later his hand lands on your ass. He squeezes, then his palm lands on your ass with a slap.

The sound of his hand on you resonates through the room.

You turn to him, outraged.

He’s ready, the asshole, catching your hands, holding you pinned so you can’t touch him.

You struggle for a bit but he’s much stronger than you’d reckoned.

Finally, you slump against him.

‘Not fair,’ you complain.

‘Didn’t you like it?’ he asks, feigning innocence.

‘No.’

‘Really?’ Seokjin asks.

He lets go of your wrists, presses his lips over the marks he’s made on your skin.

‘I’m sorry. If you don’t like it I won’t do it again.’

You’re oddly disappointed.

Seokjin gives you a knowing smile.

‘Anytime you change your mind, let me know, ok? I’ll spank you anyday.’

You don’t grant him the satisfaction of a reaction.

***

Seokjin’s walking home with you after a night at the bar, humming a tune under his breath.

He’s got an arm around your shoulders, you can’t remember when he started doing it but you like the feel of it.

‘I’m leaving tomorrow,’ he says.

He’s told you a few times already, it wasn’t like you hadn’t been expecting it.

You want to know more, to ask the questions on your tongue.

Where are you going?

Will you be back?

But that would mean showing vulnerability, and you’re not sure about that.

I mean, it’s one thing to cry on his cock, and another to talk about how fond you’ve grown of his company.

Because you are fond of him, even if he has a weaselly side.

You realise he’s looking at you.

‘If anything happens after I’m gone, if you need help, let me know,’ he says.

‘I’ll miss you,’ you blurt out.

Seokjin’s expression changes, and you realise you’ve misunderstood.

‘I mean, if the people who shot me come looking for me, you should let me know,’ he says.

The carefulness of his tone makes your face heat.

God, you’re an idiot.

You’re reeling at your gaffe, your skin crawling with embarrassment.

You can’t look at him.

‘Of course,’ you say. ‘I mean, I’m not going to stick my neck out for you. Even if you have a big dick.’

Seokjin says, seriously, ‘It’s the biggest around.’

‘It’s a fucking whale,’ you agree.

You both laugh.

You’ve reached your house.

‘Good night, Seokjin,’ you say. You muster your courage, smile like you mean it. ‘You still owe me a bottle of whiskey.’

Seokjin says, ‘Thank you for letting me stay. I — I appreciate it.’

You nod, smile. ‘See you in the morning.’

***

When you wake up, Seokjin’s already awake, rustling in the kitchen.

To your surprise, he’s already fully dressed. You hadn’t been expecting him to leave until the afternoon.

‘I thought I’d leave a little earlier,’ he tells you, passing you a mug of coffee.

You try to hide your disappointment.

‘Sure,’ you say, going for cheerful, not quite achieving it but you think you’re close.

‘I really do appreciate everything you’ve helped me with,’ he says, kind.

Formal.

He’s distancing himself from you now, it stings but at least he’s being honest.

‘I’m glad I could help,’ you say.

You reach for a hug, and if you bury your face in his chest a little to smell him one last time you’ll never admit it.

He looks like he’s about to say something, looking down at you, but instead he steps back, bows very formally at you and then he’s gone, walking out the kitchen door through the courtyard.

***

You’re polishing glasses as you prepare to open the bar, when the door swings open.

You’re already calling out a greeting when you look up and see who it is.

You have the oddest sense of deja vu.

The tall man who’s just walked in smiles at you, and he’s so handsome your breath catches in your throat.

‘What — what are you doing here?’ you ask.

‘I came back to ask if you wanted to come with me,’ Seokjin says.

He tilts his head at you. ‘I was going to go to Sao Paolo.’

You’re working hard to stop the smile blooming across your face.

‘I’ve never been,’ you say, casual.

‘I think you’d look good in a bikini,’ Seokjin says, without missing a beat. ‘Or nothing.’

You’re considering this as Seokjin takes a seat at the bar in front of you.

He leans his forearms on the bar.

‘I got as far as the train station,’ Seokjin says. ‘Then I had to come back.’

He smiles wryly.

‘Turns out I like your face better than mine.’

You blink.

‘We don’t have to go to Sao Paolo—‘ Seokjin begins.

You cut him off with a kiss.

‘Yes,’ you breathe. ‘Let’s go.’

©hamsterclaw 2023

[disneytva]

Variety Interviews Ayo Davis, Meredith Roberts And Emily Hart On Disney Television Animation's 40th Anniversary And What To Expect On From The Past, Present And Future

40 years ago, Disney TVA was founded on the heels of challenging outcomes with features “The Fox and the Hound” and “The Black Cauldron.”

Initially, Disney TVA was restricted from using established Disney legacy characters, but nevertheless had huge successes with new shows like “The Wuzzles” and “Adventures of the Gummi Bears,” both of which became popular in syndication. As time went on, DTVA was able to use its limited rights to create shows like “DuckTales” and “TaleSpin,” which featured Disney characters. Today, the slate has evolved to include shows that travel across Disney’s streaming, linear and digital platforms, including Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and the Disney Parks

Over the 40 years of the studio has collaborated with Walt Disney Imagineering to bring beloved Disney Afternoon characters to the parks as well Mickey And Minnie's Runaway Railway and AquaMouse for the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure cruises from the Disney Cruise & Ships Line as well collaborating with Disney Yellow Two Shoes Team to redesing some heritage characters for the WDW Passholder Magnets.

Disney TVA characters also have gone to the realm of live action. In 2019 Disney Channel brought Kim Possible to the live action world as a Disney Channel Original Movie in 2019. In Spring 2022, Walt Disney Studios brought Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers to a new generation of fans trought a meta-driven live action/animated hybrid film which won an Primetime Emmy Award for Best Feature Film.

In April 2024, it was announced that Kiara from The Lion King II: Simba's Pride created at Disney TVA will make her live action debut on the motion capture/computer animated film "Mufasa The Lion King" with the character being voiced by Blue Ivy Carter. In Fall 2023, it was announced that Blumhouse Television and Atomic Monster where developing a live action reboot of Gargoyles for Disney+.

The future of the studio looks bright as the studio is slated to debut it's 100th show overall "StuGo" in 2025, as well new interations of beloved classics like The Proud Family, Phineas And Ferb, Sofia The First and Darkwing Duck trought revivals,reboots and spin-offs in the coming years with early talks of new interations of TaleSpin, Kim Possible and Recess since Early 2023.

“We have a wildly diverse development slate because we don’t have a house style,” says Meredith Roberts, executive vice president, television animation, Disney Branded Television and CEO of Disney Television Animation “Our styles are creator-driven, so that allows for real support of the artist or creator to fulfill his or her vision. Anything is possible, whether it's CGI. (“Monsters at Work”), hand-drawn 2D (“Big City Greens”,"Primos","Hailey's On It!"), rig-based 2D (“Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur”,"Kiff") and stop-motion (“Mickey Saves Christmas”,"Rhona Who Lives By The River".). Roberts continues, “We really try and solve all the problems and develop it. We look at the scripts and the story arcs. Every project has to have a strategy behind it that will complement the slate and separate it from other things. Each project has a distinct swim lane to attract an audience. And we’ve learned to meet the kids where they are, in terms of streaming and YouTube.”

Co-viewing, the viewership that happens when adults sit down to watch a DTVA show with the kids in their lives, is part of the studio’s secret sauce and long-term strategy. Many of the shows are written with jokes and plot points for both audiences so both groups will return.

“We double down on the kids and family space,” says Roberts. “We’re not just dipping a toe in the water. We’re diving in. I think we’ve seen a lot of churn with the competition, who just don’t have the patience to develop and are for this audience, which is a very specialized kid audience and co-view audience.” ("The Witchverse", "Rhona Who Lives By The River","InterCats","Fantasy Sports") Roberts reflects: “I think one of the things I’m most proud of is how stable Disney TVA has been for the last 40 years despite a lot of outside churn of the animation industry. Many of our crews feel that Disney is their forever home. I think the excitement they have to illustrate and create with this brand has been terrific because it’s harder to be funny and clean. And nowhere are we tearing down people to get that laugh. I think that’s the beauty of a Disney animated show.”

DTVA also sought to meet kids where they are by making their audience — which is made up of the most diverse generation in history — feel seen, with series such as “Elena of Avalor,” which featured Disney’s first Latina princess, and “The Proud Family,” franchise focused on the life of a teenage Black girl.

“We do have an amazing insights team that are constantly in the field, giving us general information about how kids are watching content, what they’re into,” Emily Hart (VP of Current and Development - Disney Junior) says. “Some of those things are evolving, as we know the ways kids consume content is changing. But there are some universal truths about kids, and it’s great to have that reinforced. Kids still like a lot of the same things that we like. So, there’s a combination that we’re always tracking with every new idea, and we do pilot testing. We get to sit down and talk about the content, and we invite our creators in so they can see the kids talking about it because they’re the audience and they’re the truest test of if the story is going to work.”

Ayo Davis, president of the Disney Branded Television and VP of Current and Development at Disney Television Animation says the division is a “driving force” for memorable kids and family entertainment.

“All of us at Disney Branded Television are so proud of the studio’s 40-year legacy as it continues to entertain future generations with shows like ‘Kiff,’ ‘Big City Greens’ and ‘Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 2.0" --- Davis says.

Those creators who come to DTVA often stay for a long time, partnering with the studio on a variety of different projects or expanding on a hit and reimagining it for the next generation of viewers. “The Proud Family” was a standout in 2001 on Disney Channel. Creator and executive producer Bruce W. Smith is now working on the Emmy-winning “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” which is based on the original series. The show follows Penny Proud as she navigates family life and her own childhood.

“Being at Disney TVA has allowed me to realize all my artistic dreams,” says Bruce W. Smith. “As a kid, you always have hopes, thoughts, dreams, ideas and characters that can help lay out those ideas in your head. Disney has allowed me to really tap into my creative instinct, at the end of the day, you have to learn how to trust yourself. Meredith Roberts has been a true shepherd for me in all of this, allowing me to stretch my wings. Because of her belief in me and my ideas, she’s really allowed me to blossom as an artist. All that happened at DTVA.”

“They really seem to be a place that welcomes your ideas,” Dan Povenmire says of Disney TVA. “They want to find people with real strong ideas of the stories they want to tell, and then they let them tell those stories for the most part. They seem to put storytelling and characters over anything. With [‘Phineas and Ferb’], we would write jokes for the kids and the adults in the room because we knew the adults would be there too. We were just careful not to do any double entendres.”