#Buyers Role

[lets-blogoff]

The Power Of Sustainable Design In Commercial Furniture Manufacturing

The Power Of Sustainable Design In Commercial Furniture Manufacturing - #letsblogoff #Entertainment, #FurnitureManufacturing, #HomeImprovement, #LetsBlogOff, #ModularOfficeFurniture, #Tips - https://www.letsblogoff.com/the-power-of-sustainable-design-in-commercial-furniture-manufacturing/

[lambsouvlaki]

For the Hell of It - Putting on a Show(*)

Characters: Jason Todd x fem!oc

Rating and warnings: NSFW, smut, pre-discussed kink, light bdsm, voyeurism & exhibitionism (discussed, nothing is done in public).

Word count: 1,929

Summary: Jason tries being a little meaner in the bedroom, to delightful results for everyone.

Masterlist

----

In the middle of the night, the bedroom door opened and the Red Hood walked in. 

Andy looked up from the book she had been reading. It was a little after three in the morning with the muted sigh of wind rushing past the lofty heights of his apartment. The bedside lamp cast the large industrial-styled room in golden light and murky shadows. 

Jason shut the door behind him. 

She opened her mouth to ask how patrol went, then found the words dying in her throat. He was standing at the door, mask inscrutable, observing her in silence. 

Belatedly it struck her that she had never seen him wear his armour into the bedroom before. She slid her reading onto the bedside table and cocked her head at him. 

“Did you wait up for me?” His voice rumbled through the modulator. 

“Blame the jet lag.” She shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. Figured I’d try again once you got back.”

He slowly crossed the space between them.  

She pulled her knees up under the blankets. She didn’t know what to make of the way he studied her, but her body already knew how it felt about having his sole focus. The armour only made it worse. She wondered if he knew. 

“You remember that talk we had?”

“Which one?” she looked up, only to recall exactly the conversation he was referring to, in the face of blinding white lenses. “Oh.”

Her cheeks warmed. She was very aware of the looming figure standing over her, and anticipation unfurled within her.

“Yes, I remember.”

He pulled his gloves off, loosening finger by finger. He reached down a warm, bare hand and gently traced her cheek. His thumb grazed her lip. He pushed down lightly. She opened her mouth. He slid it in and she curled her lips around it. 

He drew his damp thumb back and traced it down her jaw to tilt her chin up. 

“The safe word?”  

As though it hadn’t been branded onto her mind the moment she agreed to this. 

She repeated the word. It came out breathless. 

He turned away. 

“Take off your clothes.” 

Her cotton shirt then her silky bra and matching panties landed on the floor. Her nipples pebbled in the sudden cold. She sat bolt upright, awaiting further instructions. Her heart in its cage beat like the wings of a hummingbird. 

Jason reached up to take his helmet off and placed it on the desk. 

“Lie down,” he said and he removed his weapons. “Spread your legs, and get yourself warmed up for me.”

A blush rose in her cheeks. He sat in the armchair, facing her. He leaned back, with his legs casually spread wide, and lit up a smoke. He watched her expectantly. 

She did as she was told. 

She had never put on any kind of performance before, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her now. Most nights Jason relished this part himself. He was an artist with his fingers and she was his sculpture, beauty and pleasure drawn from stoic marble. Tonight he was the audience, and she was artist and art together.  

The idea turned from daunting into arousing without her noticing. Her timidity fell away and her pleasure rose. 

In the half light the glint of the cigarette reflected in his eyes. 

“Do you touch yourself when I’m out?” 

She shook her head, mussing her hair against the sheets.” 

“No?” he drawled, incredulous.

“No.” It didn’t occur to her to be dishonest. Her role in the scene was not a fabricated one. 

“Why not?”

“I… prefer the ache of waiting for you.”

He swore quietly.

“There’s a toy in the bedside table. Get to it.”

She reached out blindly and swiftly found it. Jason enjoyed using it on her, but she had never used it on her own. It let him draw out and build up her pleasure to his own exacting standards without getting distracted by his own ends. He was a wretched tease. She both adored and hated the thing. 

He took a long drag of smoke as she adjusted. Her head tipped back against the pillows. Her eyes fluttered shut, but she didn’t want to lose sight of him and kept reopening them. He watched with burning intensity. 

Her excitement built and built, far past any notions of simply warming up. He had told her to get ready for him, but he made no move beyond stubbing the cigarette out and attempting to brand her with the heat of his eyes alone. 

“Can I… can I climax?” she asked.

“No.” 

She withheld her whine.

Normally Jason’s body language was so open and reassuring around her. This was nothing of the sort. The Red Hood, hard and uncompromising, watched her fuck herself on a dildo, and she was more hopelessly turned on than she had ever been under her own touch.  

 Slowing down was unthinkable as stopping. She had unthinkingly built her pace up, and now she had no off-ramp.

She wasn’t going to ask again. 

She wasn’t. 

With one hand cast over her face and the other between her legs, she writhed. 

Jason let out a harsh breath and stood. Every heavy step towards her felt like salvation and doom both. 

He put a hand on her shaking knee. 

She squeezed her eyes shut. Despite the calluses and the hardness of his demeanour, his thumb rubbed her skin in a familiar reassurance. 

It did not help her predicament. Her breath hitched.

He pushed her hand aside and withdrew the toy. He replaced it with two of his fingers. 

She moaned. His touch set her alight and her breath grew thin. His touch was as scorching as his gaze which pinned her down like a lance through the chest. 

“I’m-I’m going to cum if you keep doing that,” she said. 

So he stopped. 

She wanted to cry. She covered her face with her hands and took desperate heaving breaths.

The sound of unbuckling belts cut through her panting. 

“Look at me.” 

Her eyes snapped open. 

Jason lifted her by her hips and impaled her in one blow. 

She sang out in relief. 

He set a swift pace, slowing only a moment to let her rearrange pillows to support her back, shooting her straight back to the loft heights she had teetered along for so long. He drove her higher still. His thumb rubbed circles over her clit only twice, and her climax slammed into her. 

Her whole body shook. He did not slow his pace, relentlessly working her through it. 

She breathed hard as she came down, arching her back for him. The relief was short lived but it brought her a moment of clarity. 

Jason’s focus was fixed to her entrance, watching himself sink in and out, in and out. So locked up inside his own head tonight. 

“Okay?” she asked quietly, breaking character. 

His eyes flickered up to hers, and he gave a short nod. His hand on her hip gave a quick squeeze. 

Then the hard tilt returned to his jaw and they were back in it. 

“Spent the night at a strip club,” he said harshly. 

Her eyebrows rose. It was unusual only in that he was telling her about it: his protection extended to sex workers all over the city. She trusted him, it was a non-issue.  

“Working out a territory dispute. Negotiations. Should have been done hours ago. But no, they had to keep stopping to watch the girls.” His lip curled and he changed his angle to something deeper. “Made them make out and touch each other. As though we’re there for a good time, as though I have any interest in getting hard with that pack of slavering animals.” 

He brushed his sweat slicked hair from his face and swore. She was so helplessly turned on by him even when he was hacked off, she couldn’t come up with any response. 

“Waste of my fucking time,” he growled, thrusting with emphasis. “When I have you alone in my bed. Waiting for me. Clenching on nothing. Dripping wet, just for me. Aren’t you, sweets?”

“Yes.”

He pulled out. 

She made a needy noise of objection. 

“On your knees or in your mouth?” 

She rolled over without hesitation. 

He chuckled. He ran his hands up her body, possessive and appreciative. He gently pushed her down onto all fours and pushed back in. His pace was more sedate now and his grip softer, having worked out some of his frustrations. 

Well, that just wouldn’t do. 

“Did you get hard at the club?” she asked. 

His pace stuttered. “What?”

She reached back to touch his thigh, a silent reassurance she was still in character. 

“Did it turn you on, surrounded by beautiful women making out with each other?”

The snap of his hips picked up. “Yes,” he conceded, arousal and shame and frustration in his voice. 

She looked back over her shoulder. Her hair was tousled, her skin flushed, and her lips swollen from where she bit them. 

“Were you thinking of me?”

“I–” The look he gave her was a little stunned, a little star struck. 

“There, in that red lingerie you bought me, draped over you?” If he wasn’t thinking it before, he was now. 

A whispered “yes,” passed his lips. The burning intensity rose in his eyes once more. 

“...touching myself?” 

He made a hungry noise in his throat. 

“Up on the stage, in front of everyone,” she said, as she looked forward again, flicking her hair aside and arching her back. “Putting on a show?”

He growled, then she was pinned to the bed. 

“I’d have to kill them all for looking at you,” he said into her ear, bending over her. “And I would–mm–before I’d take you right there.” 

He stood tall again, still holding her bent in half with a hand on the back of her neck. His other hand was on the meat of her ass, to drag her back to meet him. He put one leg up on the bed next to her for more power. A thick muscled thigh rippled against her side. Raging waves of need pulled her back down into the depths. 

“Trying to upset me, sweetheart?” he asked, back to ruthless and in full control. She was in paradise. “You know only I get to see you like this. That’s why you’re mine.”

She whimpered, so close to the edge. 

“Only I can hold you down and fuck you like you deserve. Only I get to watch you writhe… hear you beg.” 

“Hnng, please.” 

“Please what?” 

“Please! Jason, I–I– fuck, Jay, I don’t– I need..”

“That’s my girl,” he said, dark and appreciative. “You know you’re mine before anything else.” 

She sobbed a cry.

“You can cum,” he drawled, sneaking a hand around her hip to reach her clit.

Her climax rocked through her violently. Her vision blanked and her body seized up in great wracking jolts. Her mouth hung open, breathing hard against the blanket. 

She vaguely heard his voice encouraging her through it, before he followed after her into bliss. 

He curled over her back and held her fast against his hips. He growled her name in her ear. 

The last of her strength fled her limbs. It felt like her bones had simply melted.  

He collapsed on the bed behind her. With shaking, tired arms he gathered her to himself and nuzzled into her neck. He made a soft inquisitive noise. She sighed in contentment in reply. They tangled their legs together, and basked in the afterglow. 

Next>>

[sleepinglionhearts]

Man, just saw a post about it, but renewed my frustration over work nonsense yesterday

Being like, oh, cool! It's disability pride month! We get to switch the displays in the store! I wanna make a really cool display right up front!!

Getting a cart to go start selecting books from our wide array of children's books, picture books, YA novels, adult fiction, nonfiction, etc that I know feature disabled characters and people and that I've seen sitting on the shelves for a while, our previous book buyer was always suuuuuper vocal about finding books w disabled characters, after all, representation just MATTERED SO MUCH to her,

And then being absolutely dumbfounded when we BARELY HAVE ANYTHING outside of characters w ADHD/Autism. MAYBE anxiety. PERHAPS a character has cancer. THE FAINTEST SUGGESTION of a wheelchair in one book. Huntington's? Question mark? In another? Conditions resulting in disfigurement/amputation? The concept could possibly exist in this book, uhh.. maybe...... anything else? Ha! Not on these shelves I fucking guess?!

Like.... we have a ton of books w queer rep! Different body types! Different skin tones! Teach your toddler about social justice! Transgender characters! Nonbinary characters! The alphabet but we're making it gay! At least one book, I think, with asexual characters! But no, we don't have our self-empowerment books anymore or the little guide to sexuality and disability, we have Buddhist monk advice for anxious people, but nooooo we DON'T have that cool book that talked about disability activism anymore, and definitely not in time for July!

I know she and I were at odds before she left, and I know my specifically putting "National month of..." prompts up on my desk calendar after she expressed it was "so difficult to find out what each month is the month of!" probably really irritated her, but I'm like. Appalled that she hadn't been ordering to restock for disability pride month since she always made such a big deal about having books like that in the store.

[moisthalforcboy]

Also, I love that it seems like they retroactively looked into that sick dagger that they destroyed, the remorse was real with Travis and Marisha lol

[angelsndragons]

man i haven't seen critical role hot takes this bad since luc brenatto died.

[steventrevisanplastering]

Expert Residential Plastering Services in Newcastle for a Perfect Finish

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[ribbonoflights]

The Expertise of Real Estate Appraisers in North York

Real Estate Appraisers in North York possess specialised expertise in assessing property values within this dynamic market. With a keen understanding of local trends, regulations, and economic factors, they provide accurate and insightful valuations for residential, commercial, and industrial properties. Their comprehensive knowledge enables them to meticulously analyse property characteristics, market conditions, and comparable sales data to determine fair and competitive values. Additionally, their proficiency in appraisal methodologies and adherence to professional standards ensure the integrity and reliability of their assessments. Clients benefit from the expertise of North York's real estate appraisers, as they receive trusted guidance for making informed decisions regarding property transactions, financing, insurance, and more.

Understanding the Role of Real Estate Appraisers in North York

Real estate appraisers in North York play a crucial role in assessing property values and providing valuable insights into the local real estate market. They analyse various factors such as market trends, property characteristics, and comparable sales data to deliver accurate and unbiased appraisal reports. Their expertise aids homeowners, buyers, sellers, and investors in making informed decisions within North York's dynamic real estate landscape.

Expertise in North York's Unique Real Estate Landscape

Real estate North York possesses specialised expertise tailored to the area's unique real estate landscape. Their deep understanding of local market dynamics, neighbourhood characteristics, and property types enables them to deliver accurate valuations. With insights into North York's diverse housing options, commercial developments, and industrial properties, they provide invaluable guidance for clients navigating the region's dynamic real estate market.

Comprehensive Valuation Services for Residential Properties

Real estate appraisers in North York offer comprehensive valuation services tailored to residential properties. They assess single-family homes, condominiums, and townhouses with precision, considering factors like property condition, location, and market trends. Their expertise ensures homeowners, buyers, and sellers receive reliable valuation insights to make informed decisions in North York's dynamic real estate market.

Navigating Commercial Property Valuations in North York

Discuss the complexities of commercial property valuations in North York and how real estate appraisers specialise in this area. Highlight their ability to evaluate retail spaces, office buildings, industrial facilities, and other commercial properties, supporting investors, developers, and business owners in making informed decisions.

The Role of Real Estate Appraisers in North York

Real estate in North York adheres to rigorous professional standards and ethics, ensuring integrity and reliability in their valuation services. They follow industry best practices, regulatory requirements, and ethical principles, upholding transparency and accountability in every appraisal. Clients can trust in their commitment to honesty, impartiality, and professionalism, providing assurance in the accuracy and integrity of their assessments.

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Navigating North York's Real Estate Market

Real estate North York prioritises a client-centric approach, focusing on understanding clients' unique needs and objectives. They provide personalised advisory services, offering trusted guidance and expertise throughout the appraisal process. With a commitment to delivering accurate and reliable valuation reports, they empower clients to make informed decisions confidently in North York's dynamic real estate market.

Conclusion

Real estate appraisers in North York play a pivotal role in upholding integrity and reliability in property valuation services. Through their adherence to rigorous professional standards, ethical principles, and industry best practices, they ensure transparency, accountability, and accuracy in every appraisal. Clients can trust in their commitment to honesty, impartiality, and professionalism, knowing that their assessments are conducted with utmost integrity and diligence. By following regulatory requirements and continuously updating their knowledge and skills, real estate North York provides invaluable support to clients navigating the complex real estate market. Their dedication to excellence serves as a cornerstone of trust and confidence, fostering strong relationships and facilitating informed decision-making for all stakeholders involved in property transactions.

[korns299]

Sex work debates within feminism often revolve around the tension between protecting workers and dismantling the industry. Radical feminists argue that while sex workers should be protected, the ultimate goal should be to eliminate the conditions that force women into these roles. They advocate for systemic change that addresses poverty, abuse, and exploitation, rather than merely regulating an industry that profits from women's vulnerabilities. But suddenly, when it's a 19 year old girl, she's so mature for her age, she just gets him, she knows what she's doing. Men 's dismissal of women 's safety concerns reflects a broader societal issue of control and dominance. When women take steps to protect themselves, men may mock or undermine their efforts, revealing a desire to keep women feeling unsafe. This behavior is rooted in a need to maintain power over women, making it difficult for them to assert their autonomy and independence. Radical feminists argue that sex work should not be normalized or celebrated but dismantled. While protecting workers is essential, they believe that the real solution lies in addressing the systemic issues that force women into the industry. By targeting the demand for sex work and providing women with alternatives, feminists hope to create a society where women are not exploited for their bodies. Why? Why are you for sex work? Why do you think that sex work should exist? Why do you think that there should be laws in place that protect not only the sex workers but also the pimps and sex buyers? I didnt PINGAS for this squogulous banana, it found me in The hotdog stand.I didnt PINGAS for this squogulous banana, it found me in The hotdog stand.I didnt PINGAS for this squogulous banana, it found me in The hotdog stand.! Ive had enough of Eggman always trying to peang in under my bed. The funny part of The Miscarriage shack is where the Firestar likes to slomp. Go to my house.

[brailsthesmolgurl]

"It's priced reasonably..."

Preview: The boys' reactions to you buying things on impulse/on a discount! (Let's be fair, we all know they are all rich af, but I personally wanna give it a slice of life touch for them <3)

SYLUS

The big man you call your boyfriend stares at you when you stepped in through the front door with multiple bags loaded in your small palms. You had told him earlier on that you were going for window shopping and he was all too kind to give you his card and to ask you to use whenever you seem fit. However, coming over a huge discount on groceries are rare hence you had decided to use it as you 'deem it fit'. Sylus did noticed his phone's notifications going off a couple of times to alert him about transactions made on his card.

Instead of him looking at it, he would just mute the notifications and continue his humming while he seats himself comfortably on the couch and watches the news broadcast. "You had fun shopping, kitten?" He smirked, walking over to you to help you with the bags. "Next time, bring me along. I would like to see how my kitten makes good use of my card." Yet, you apologised for having to use his card when you told him you were supposedly going for window shopping but the man laughed in response, finding your apology to be adorable. "No more apologies kitten for I am not a stingy man."

RAFAYEL

Whilst on a shopping trip with Rafayel, this man would splurge on you. Apparently in this case, he would take up the role of the impulsive buyer rather than you. You eyeing something for more than 3 seconds? Considered it bought. You mentioning about something more than 3 times? Considered it purchased. You imagining something that may look good on him? Considered it a done deal. This man has no fear nor worry of ever going bankrupt as long as you're satisfied.

Staring at the huge lorry outside of his mansion, unloading everything you had mentioned would definitely put you in a state of shocked. Your boyfriend would approach you casually, wrapping his arm around your waist and nuzzling his nose against your neck. You would definitely question him on his purchasing behaviour but he would pout. "Gift giving and impulse buying goes hand in hand, and I do not see the reason why I should not be spoiling my cutie." Seeing you smile, he would continue. "It is just one of the ways I can show you that I love you, so don't hold me back on that, yeah?"

XAVIER

Grocery shopping with Xavier would be like going on a hunt for rare breeds of wanderers. Anything that are on discount would not be missed, especially with both of your sharp eyesights. However, you and Xavier are not known to be impulsive buyers. More like calculative buyers, the both of you seemingly carry a bit of a girl math's mentality. Other than necessities, anything that is supplemental to the house would be assessed for its usability and longevity. It is a perk the both of you would sometimes fight or bond over.

But if the discount is worth the product, then none of you would get it on the spot. You would have your moments where you would get something out of the blue, without running through your usual girl-math calculations, and you would be met with the quirk of an eyebrow from your boyfriend. "I suppose we lack this in our house." He would secretly do the math in his head but would never say anything to intentionally make you feel bad. "Yeah, we can make this work, no worries." Then, he would pull the same stunt as you, showing you something that he had got out of the blue as well.

ZAYNE

You would give Zayne a headache sometimes. Your childlike curiousity for interesting and new items would prompt Zayne to take on the role of a father figure. He might sometimes go as far as to suspect you may have a slight hint of ADHD in your system, but other than a slight migraine, he finds the quirk in you to be specifically unique to you. And, he never complains. Being the gentleman he is, he accepts you for who you are and tries to work his way around you whenever he could manage.

"Do you think you really need that?" He would point at the stuffed toys you are holding in your arms. Your point being all of them are begging you to adopt them with their big googly eyes. "Y/n, you might just have to pick one for adoption." Your slack-jawed expression would make him sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose slightly before he serves you a reminder of the consequences for your behaviour. "You had adopted exactly 36 plushies, and now, only 5 of them are actually adopted on your bed, while the rest of them are abandoned in your closet. So y/n, which one do you plan to ACTUALLY adopt now hmm?"

[leviathan-supersystem]

BEIJING — China’s struggling real estate developers won’t be getting a major bailout, Chinese authorities have indicated, warning that those who “harm the interests of the masses” will be punished.

“For real estate companies that are seriously insolvent and have lost the ability to operate, those that must go bankrupt should go bankrupt, or be restructured, in accordance with the law and market principles,” Ni Hong, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, said at a press conference Saturday.

“Those who commit acts that harm the interests of the masses will be resolutely investigated and punished in accordance with the law,” he said. “They will be made to pay the due price.”

That’s according to a CNBC translation of his Mandarin-language remarks published in an official transcript of the press conference, held alongside China’s annual parliamentary meetings.

Ni’s comments come as major real estate developers from Evergrande to Country Garden have defaulted on their debt, while plunging new home sales have put future business into question.

In 2020, Beijing cracked down on developers’ high reliance on debt for growth in an attempt to clamp down on property market speculation. But many developers soon ran out of money to finish building apartments, which are typically sold to homebuyers in China ahead of completion. Some buyers stopped paying their mortgages in a boycott.

Authorities have since announced measures to provide some developers with financing. But the national stance on reducing the role of real estate in the economy hasn’t changed.

This year’s annual government gathering has emphasized the country’s focus on investing in and building up high-end manufacturing capabilities. In contrast, the leadership has not mentioned the massive real estate sector as much.

Real estate barely came up during a press conference focused on the economy last week, while Ni was speaking during a meeting that focused on “people’s livelihoods.”

Ni said authorities would promote housing sales and the development of affordable housing, while emphasizing the need to consider the longer term.

Near-term changes in the property sector have a significant impact on China’s overall economy.

Real estate was once about 25% of China’s GDP, when including related sectors such as construction. UBS analysts estimated late last year that property now accounts for about 22% of the economy.

Last week, Premier Li Qiang said in his government work report that in the year ahead, China would “move faster to foster a new development model for real estate.”

“We will scale up the building and supply of government-subsidized housing and improve the basic systems for commodity housing to meet people’s essential need for a home to live in and their different demands for better housing,” an English-language version of the report said.

next time you complain about how things are in America, consider that if you lived in some kind of scary communist country like China, you wouldn't even get to fund a bailout for the real estate company owners who ruined the economy like you can (whether you like it or not) in the good old US of A! 🇺🇲

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

Things You Might Not Know About the 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

The **1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am** holds a special place in automotive history, renowned for its bold styling, powerful performance, and cultural significance. Here are some fascinating facts you might not know about this iconic muscle car:

1. **"Smokey and the Bandit" Fame:

The 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am gained widespread popularity thanks to its starring role in the classic movie *Smokey and the Bandit*. Burt Reynolds’ character drove a black-and-gold Trans Am, turning it into an instant pop culture icon.

2. **W72 Performance Package:

The W72 performance package, offered in the 1978 model, significantly enhanced the engine's performance. With a 400 cubic-inch V8 engine, it delivered around 220 horsepower, which was a respectable number for the late 1970s when emissions regulations were restricting power outputs.

3. **Special Edition Models:

Pontiac released several special editions of the 1978 Trans Am, including the Gold Special Edition and the famous Black Special Edition, often referred to as the "Bandit Edition." These models featured gold accents, such as the iconic "screaming chicken" decal on the hood and gold alloy wheels.

4. **Improved Handling:

While muscle cars are known for their straight-line speed, the 1978 Firebird Trans Am was notable for its handling. Pontiac engineers upgraded the suspension and steering, making the Trans Am one of the best-handling American cars of its time.

5. **Optional T-Tops:

Buyers of the 1978 Trans Am could opt for T-top removable roof panels, which became a favorite among enthusiasts. These panels gave the car an open-air feel without compromising the structural integrity of the body.

6. **Last Year for the 400 V8:

The 1978 model year marked the last time Pontiac offered the 400 cubic-inch V8 engine in the Trans Am. This engine was one of the final remnants of the muscle car era, and its discontinuation was a sign of the changing times in the automotive world.

7. **Appearance Package Overhaul:

In 1978, Pontiac updated the Firebird's appearance, giving it a new front end with a split grille and updated rear-end styling. This refresh helped keep the Trans Am competitive in the rapidly changing car market of the late '70s.

8. **Turbo Hood Scoop:

The Trans Am featured a functional "shaker" hood scoop, which helped channel cool air into the engine, boosting performance. The hood scoop was not just for show—it played a real role in enhancing the car's capabilities.

9. **High Sales Numbers:

Despite rising fuel costs and growing emissions regulations, the 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was a commercial success. Pontiac sold over 93,000 units of the Trans Am that year, proving that demand for muscle cars still existed, even in a more restrictive era.

10. **Enduring Legacy:

The 1978 Trans Am continues to be a favorite among collectors and car enthusiasts. Its unique combination of performance, style, and cultural impact ensures that it remains one of the most beloved muscle cars from the golden age of American automotive design.

These little-known facts highlight the lasting appeal of the **1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am**, a car that has transcended its era to become a symbol of American automotive culture.

[usnatarchives]

Happy #NationalComicBookDay! Did you know the National Archives carries a wide array of comic books such as this No.90 "Batman" comic once used as evidence in an investigation by the Judiciary Committee of the United States on juvenile delinquency?

In April 27, 1953, the Judiciary Committee of the United States Senate created a Special Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency to investigate the causes of juvenile delinquency and to propose measures in response. The subcommittee examined several factors influencing young people, but it drew the most attention when it investigated the allegation that comic books contributed to the rise in juvenile crime. The subcommittee looked at comics like this one as evidence.

The early 1950s were a time of great anxiety about the nation’s youth. In 1955, Newsweek magazine reported that the national crime rate had increased by 33.4 percent since 1940, largely due to increased criminal acts by teenagers. Comic books were a new form of media and among the first consumer products specifically marketed to teenage buyers. Civic and religious leaders linked comic book reading to antisocial and criminal behavior, and several major newspapers launched anti–comic book editorial campaigns.

During April and June, 1954, the Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency held televised public hearings in New York, the center of the comic book publishing industry. They were especially concerned about comic books’ vivid, detailed illustrations of violent acts. In the end, the subcommittee found that reading comic books did not cause teenagers to commit crimes. They ruled against censoring or banning comics and instead called on the comic book industry to regulate itself by adopting a ratings code and imposing a voluntary ban on depictions of extreme violence. The committee concluded that, ultimately, it was a parent’s role to screen material their children read.

[therealbatman111]

Through Fire and Shimmer

╭──────────.★..─╮ *After being forced into working for Silco, you bond with his second-in-command, Sevika, who initially resents the babysitting role but begins to appreciate the small moments of connection with you. During a mission, you're injured in an ambush, and Sevika helps you recover, leading to a deepening friendship marked by mutual care and a shift in the tension between you. ╰─..★.──────────╯

It's been a few months since you've joined Silco’s cause. You didn't really join willingly, he threatened to kill your family if you didn't help him. He needed you to do testing on shimmer to make it more manageable and make mutations to it so it's not just a drug that heals sometimes and on top of that he wanted you to run the numbers for his shimmer deliveries and such. After a few months you start fitting in with the chembearens after long and painful meetings of you trying to explain biological reactions but only getting mocked. 

Silco assigned his number 2, Sevika, to assist you and bodyguard you when you went out for supplies, she thought of it more as babysitting. She was always acted brooding and frustrated when she was sent on these jobs with you knowing there was something more important she could be doing but she didn't mind taking a break from getting her face beat every day and she didn't get to do domestic things like running errands often.you felt awkward with her standing behind you constantly without saying a word so the second week into your job you decided to try starting a conversation with her not really knowing any of sevikas intrestets

“What's your favorite kind of liquor to drink?” you chirp while tilting your head back and slowing pace so you can walk next to her. Sevika looked down at you with a questionable look on her face then looked back up with an unimpressed look on her face

“Whisky” she replied in a dry tone 

“Why whisky?” 

This lead you guys down a road talking about alcohol and a few drunk stories that you were surprised sevika told you so quickly making a new bond between the two of you and these small conversations between you guys soon became her favourite part of being your bodyguard even though she wishes she could be more for the entirety of Silco’s cause still not thinking what you were doing was that significant. Her least favorite part of these jobs was when goons in the markets hit on you. Most of the time you would tell them off and they would walk off, but then there would be a few that wouldn't back off and that's when she would have to actually do her job. 

After a few months of this sevika is getting majorly annoyed by this, feeling that silco doesn't see her value and that he has lost respect therefore demoting her even after her  years of loyalty. You notice this and try not to frustrate her, you stop trying to start conversations and not making eye contact with her because anytime you meet her gaze she has this look of resentment that scares the shit out of you.

One day after months of perfecting this new formula of shimmer, Silco wanted you to tag along with sevika on a shimmer pick up and delivery so you can explain to the buyer how to handle this new mutation of shimmer. This was sevikas first real job and was very willing to go. When you where at your first stop sevika noticed when you were explaining the shimmer they weren't really listening to you but rather looking at you in a lay that made sevikas spine crawl, this made sevika stand behind you, not close enough for you to take any notice but close enough for the men to take notice and go back to listening about the shimmer

While you were finishing up the last of the conversation with the buyers there was a surprise attack from the firelights. Not having any weapons or fighting experience you try dodging the bombs that were flying near you but that wasn't enough because a firelight on there hoverboards comes out of nowhere with a pipe flying at your face, but if that split second sevika jumps out pulling you down to the ground behind some boxes

There you two are 

Bombs flying 

Guns firing 

And sevikas face is buried into your chest. You don't take notice due to the 170 lbs that just hit you making your head hit the floor, giving you a definite conclusion. After Sevika releases what position she's in, she immediately pushes herself off and tells you to stay right where you were and join back into the fight trying not to think about how warm and soft your tits were. Sevika leaving so fast to go fight lead her to not knowing you passed out from your concussion seconds later

After the fight ended with the firelights failing and retreating. Sevika looked around for you thinking you would come out once you stopped hearing the fight but no. She went back to the corner behind boxes and saw you laying there cluncked out. Sevika picked you up and threw you over her shoulder and signaled to the rest of the group that was doing the delivery to go back to silco. 

Once you got back to silcos office and explained the ambush, sevika took you back to your office where you spent most of your time tinkering with the simmer and any other work you dealt with. It had a small couch where Sevika usually sat on the days she looked over you, your experiment table, and a small vase of blue violets. Sevika lays your still unconscious body down on your couch and waits for you to wake up. She didn't know why she waited, she didn't need to wait for you but she did. 

 You wake up and see sevika at your desk looking over your notes

“Shes lives” sevika says in a sarcastic tone

“What happened?” you slur trying to pick yourself up off the couch

“The firelights ambushed us and you got caught in it” sevika didnt think you needed to remember her shoving her face in your chest, hoping if she didnt remind you of it you would forget it entirely. “Mmmh” you mumble feeling the concussion headache hit feeling off in pressure. You feel the back you your neck and feel some semi dried blood 

“Hey sev, can you hand me the first aid kit in my top drawer please” sevika looks at you confused for a second then retrieving the first aid kit for you and walking over to you 

“Sev?” she asked in a questioning tone

“Its a nickname, would you prefer vika?” you say as you take the first aid kit from vika who sits on the coffee table infront of the couch.

“Why dont you just call me by my name?”

“ because a nickname is a form of endearment and i think weve gotten to that point in our friendship” you start taking out the supplies from the kit that you need while continuing the conversation

“Oh really now” sevika says in a taunting tone “since when have we been friend”

“When have we not” you say while giving her a smile. You try taking a cotten pad to the back of your neck where you felt the blood but you cant quite get the exact spot where the bloods coming from, sevika sees this and sits behind you on the couch facing your neck and swiping the cotten pad from your hand 

“Ill do it” sev says in a gruff tone but you can hear the endearment in her voice

A moment goes by with sevika cleaning your wound in silence 

“Thank you, Sevika” you say in a soft tone

“Don't mention it” she replies quietly

After sevika finished patching up your neck you turned to her and looked her in her eyes not seeing resentment anymore, you see a new, unfamiliar look in her eyes. You look down at her flesh hand and see the cuts on it and then noticing the gash on her face

“Can I fix your hand?” you ask. Sevika looks down on her hand and then at the door

“Sure” she says hesitantly” with that you take her hand in yours and clean the blood and dirt off the cuts on her knuckles trying your best not to hurt her. Sevika looks at you while you're looking down at her hand and feels a new sense of fear. once you finished with her hand you look up at her face

“Can I fix that one too?” you ask gently not wanting to scare her off, this being the closest you've ever been to her. Sevika nods in response but clearly tense. You scoot closest to her and prepare another pad with alcohol. You softly take sevikas face in your hand so you can position her right. Before putting the pad on her wound you look into her eyes again and feel tension trust she's putting in your hands right now. You proceed with cleaning her wound and putting a cover on it so it's not exposed. When you finished you were the first one to pull away from the couch where it felt like all the tension was. After taking a few steps you felt a dizziness hit you making your steps sway making sevika jump to your side and you leaning over her shoulder.

“Let's get you home” sevika said while propping you up on her shoulder and smiling down at you

╭──────────.★..─╮ a/n: hey guys lmk if you like this and want more like this, feel free to request characters from arcane or any other fandom I mentioned in my bio 𖦹 ᖭ༏ᖫ ╰─..★.──────────╯

[iamonlyperson]

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

YouTuber Markiplier Got Passes From Everyone in Hollywood — So, He Made a Hit His Way

Podcast adaptation 'The Edge of Sleep' from New Regency spent the weekend on Amazon Prime Video's most watched TV chart, but, as the YouTuber and team reveals, it didn't get there through traditional channels.

In 2019, 'The Edge of Sleep', the latest offering from Mark Fischbach, known to his 37 million YouTube subscribers as Markiplier, was pitched to every major platform in Hollywood.

By then, 'The Edge of Sleep' was already a popular podcast. In fact, it quickly became the biggest genre narrative podcast of all time, with some 6 million downloads and counting. And for the television adaptation, Markiplier would be reprising his role as a night watchman, who attempts to survive a mysterious global crisis where anyone who goes to sleep dies. The podcast’s creators, Jake Emanuel and Willie Block, were on board to write and run the TV version, and Longlegs producer Brian Kavanaugh Jones was attached to produce. There would be six episodes, made on a relative shoestring budget, served up to a rapt audience that Markiplier has cultivated for more than a decade with a channel primarily focused on Let’s Play videos.

Curtis, who’s represented Markiplier for eight years, wasn’t particularly surprised by the deluge of nos. As he tells it, Hollywood has never been willing to take his client seriously. The feedback? “Oh, the YouTuber? No, thanks.’ Just totally dismissive,” he says via Zoom, insisting the entire reason that they did 'The Edge of Sleep' as a QCODE-produced podcast first was because they wanted something to be able to show skittish buyers when they ultimately shopped the TV adaptation. It was also the reason that Curtis, whose client roster over the years has included Rami Malek and Veep‘s Timothy Simons, urged Markiplier to do his second podcast, Distractible, an unscripted offering featuring him and a few buddies.

“I went to Mark three years ago and I said, ‘Hey, look, I’m not getting a lot of love and respect for you in the market, you should do a podcast because I know you can build one of the biggest podcasts in the world. And at that point, I think traditional Hollywood will say, “Oh wow, you just knocked out Joe Rogan from No. 1 on Spotify. Let’s pay attention,”’” says Curtis. “And then he did that, and people still didn’t care. It’s been seven years now of trying to get traditional Hollywood to pay attention.” (For the record, Spotify did, allegedly inking an eight-figure dealfor him to host video episodes of Distractible and other podcasts.)

Markiplier is considerably more diplomatic. “I’m trying to show people [in Hollywood] that there is a different way, but at the same time, I do understand the mistrust of some creators,” he tells THR, acknowledging it was daunting to leap from his own videos to large-scale productions, with crews in the hundreds, even for him, who had scaled up gradually. “A YouTuber going into that is used to doing everything themself, so to learn to both collaborate with others and to let go a little and trust those who are experts in their department, it’s tough — especially when you have a distributor or some production company overseeing it or paying for it who wants to have input. It’s hard, and YouTubers can be very egotistical.” (Though he was simply an actor-for-hire and not a creative engine on Edge of Sleep, Markiplier still managed to butt heads with his producers, including the time he insisted upon licensing and editing in a different opening theme song, which he ultimately did with his own money.)

Most in Markiplier’s situation would have cut their losses and moved on. He hardly needs Hollywood, after all. But he didn’t generate nearly 17 billion video views by doing what others would do. “And I have a desire to prove myself and prove that I can play at other people’s games just as well as they can,” he says. So, he and the team, which also includes Oddfellows’ Chris Ferguson and director Corey Adams, among others, decided to forgo the traditional route. Markiplier agreed to put up a portion of the financing, and figure out a distribution strategy later. On Kavanaugh Jones’ recommendation, New Regency was recruited to come aboard as the studio and foot the remainder of the bill.

So, with COVID-19 still raging, the cast and crew decamped to Vancouver in the summer of 2021. The shoot lasted 25 days across 35 different locations, a triumph given the protocols in place at the time. According to New Regency’s chairman and CEO Yariv Milchan, it was a bet worth taking. “New Regency has a history of recognizing potential where others haven’t. Projects like The Revenant and Bohemian Rhapsody had been overlooked for years, yet we saw their value and brought them to life,” he says via email, adding: “With The Edge of Sleep, we saw a different potential in the unique combination of the largely untapped creativity from Markiplier and his dedicated fanbase, along with the success of the original QCODE podcast. We were inspired by the challenge to create, together with Markiplier and QCODE, a series at the right budget while embracing innovative marketing approaches.” (Though everybody’s staying mum on said budget, it’s said to be a small fraction of a typical prestige drama.)

In 2023, with a nearly completed series, they took it out once more. This time, they did so with the first episode available for potential buyers to preview. Again, they were greeted with a succession of passes. Curtis, who’s also an executive producer on the project, isn’t even sure they bothered to open the link and sample it. “It was the same thing, ‘No.’ ‘No.’ ‘No.’ And that’s the point at which 99.9 percent of Hollywood quits, it’s over,” he says. “But we knew, with Mark, you have this special ingredient that people truly undervalue — and he’s a complete genius in marketing to his fans.” 

He was confident that Markiplier could and would activate his audience. After all, he’d seen him do it many times before. A few years back, for instance, Markiplier had a YouTube channel called Unus Annus (“One Year” in Latin), where he posted a new video every day for a year, culminating in a 12-hour live stream on day 365 that ended with him deleting the entire channel. At one point, Curtis says there were 1.3 million concurrent viewers watching; and, in 24 hours, he says Markiplier managed to sell $19 million of merchandise. “And that was something that we couldn’t pay people to write about or talk about. No one cared,” says Curtis, who acknowledges he has a chip on his shoulder on his client’s behalf. “I mean, there’s less than 50 people in the entire world who could do that. We’re talking, like, Taylor Swift, Kardashian type stuff.”

Last month, Hollywood finally got its taste for Markiplier’s power. Over on YouTube, his platform of choice, he released a video announcing that Edge of Sleep would be coming out in a matter of weeks. That video, which didn’t even tell people where they could watch the series, racked up 3.5 million views. Then, on Oct. 18, the full season dropped on Amazon Prime Video via the Prime Video Direct content submission portal — or, technically, it was uploaded a few days before, for quality control. Almost instantly, and without any real promotion, it had broken into the Prime Video’s Top 10, where it remained, hovering around No. 6 or 7 through the weekend.

By Friday, a trailer dropped on both QCODE and New Regency’s social media, and Prime Video posted a clip on its social channels. A paid media buy launched that day, too. Later that evening, Markiplier called an “Emergency Meeting” of his fans, which turned into him hosting a three-hour livestream, during which he urged everyone to tune in and rate the series, as his goal now is to stay on the Top 10 TV chart for 30 days. In success, there will be a second season, and ideally distribution outside the U.S. According to the Amazon site, Content providers to Prime Video Direct receive 50 percent of net revenue for titles that are available to buy or rent. By Sunday, 1.2 million had checked out the livestream video just to hear him field questions about the making of the series, his first foray into scripted and dramatic TV. (He talked, too, about Iron Lung, a bloody film that he acts in and directs, for which he’s currently seeking a theatrical distributor.)

The irony of its success over on Prime Video, one of many platforms that passed on Edge of Sleep when it came through the traditional channels, is not lost on Markiplier or his rep. “We definitely want to break glass,” Curtis says. “We want people to pay attention to the fact that this guy who was told no over and over again is so powerful that he can launch a TV show to great success on his own.”

[mushimatsu]

jeweler headcanons

now that i've posted my jeweler translations i wanna post my headcanonssss

The stories don't really have a lot of substance to them. Basically they travel through portals called GATEs and it seems like it's for the purpose of traveling to alternate universes where the objective is just to give each Totoko of each universe a pretty gem. They run a shop together in a back alley of Akatsuka ward.

However the Hesokuri canon is kind of nothing and gems and minerals have been a huge interest of mine for months soooo I wanted to expand on that

Osomatsu

He’s got a loupe in his attack art which i think is soooo cute but there’s like a 7/10 chance he would scam you I think. Now there’s a chance he’s just looking through the loupe to make it seem like he knows what he’s doing and he’s bullshitting you but I prefer to think he actually does know his shit and knows what he’s talking about and how to spot a real gem bc ummmm it’s hotter that way.

In my heart I want him to be an honest, trustworthy man. I want to tell you you're safe buying things from him but it's osomatsu......

HOWEVER I think if he does sell fakes, he does have quite a few of them. A lot of glass filled rubies that he sells at the full price of a genuine Burma ruby, imitations and synthetics that are not disclosed as such, and he also doesn’t usually disclose any treatments. Although I don’t think his standards are Quite so low that he’d sell straight glass. But if you give him a good gem to appraise he’ll try to buy it at a lower price and sell it at a hell of a markup. Perhaps the real, high quality gems are only saved for Totoko?

He’s got the charisma to trick a lot of people into buying something that is not worth nearly as much money as he’s asking for, and is probably smart enough to be able to tell when a buyer knows their shit and when he can and can’t get away with bullshitting them. Probably makes conversation first to get a feel of how much you know.

Obviously he still takes on that "leader" role among the brothers. Like they all own the shop but maybe if you ask for the manager, he's the one that'll show up?

Mostly sells faceted gems that are not yet set in jewelry. Doesn't have any rough stones or mineral specimens, and might carry jewelry sometimes, but not much.

Will sell to anyone, but I think his clientele is usually like, the casual jewelry/gem consumer. Doesn't appeal to mineral collectors very much, and will sometimes sell to very very rich people but not often.

It's also shown in the story and his art that he will just shove the gems in his bag carelessly. No wrapping or special packaging, I guess he just throws them in there (which can cause scratches, fractures, and breakages among gems, especially of varying hardnesses)

The gems mentioned in the story are emotites, originally from Pazzmatsu, but I think he also deals mostly in red gems, particularly rubies, but of course he's got stuff like spinels, fancy sapphires, tourmalines, etc

Karamatsu

His attack shows that he only has jewelry, but it's jewelry made of all different types of gems so he may not focus on one particular type like Osomatsu. It also seems to be very big, extravagant statement pieces. In the story he's also shown at what looks like very expensive rich people parties, so while Osomatsu is more geared towards selling to the general public, Karamatsu may specialize in very very rich customers. Also explains why he's dressed so well lol my mans so put together.......

His personal favorite is probably sapphires, or some other blue stone. PERSONALLY. I think his favorites are specifically star sapphires. look at these

I think he’s honest enough that he’s the most reputable of the six to buy from. I think he’s about as skilled as Osomatsu, if not more, when it comes to identifying and appraising gems, but he’s not Perfect so he’s bound to make mistakes and maybe there’s some misidentified things in the mix. But I think he’s like 2/10 most likely to scam you. If you get something you didn’t expect he probably just genuinely didn’t know lmao he somehow doesn’t look as shady as the rest of them so I think he’s probably involved in reputable circles, sells to people that know their shit and doesn’t try to prey on those that don’t know anything.

He also properly packages and cares for his gems, he's not careless like Osomatsu. Also probably something required of him if he's going to be selling to a very wealthy clientele

Choromatsu

This guy will fucking scam you he is going to tell you shit that just straight up isn’t true. 9/10 chance you are not getting what you asked for. I went to a gem show in may with my friend and I saw a ‘gem’ that looked like fordite - which is tumbled paint scraped off the bottom of ford car factories. Very pretty but absolutely not a real gem, it's paint. I held it up and asked what it was - expecting the answer to be fordite - and he said some other name that I forgot but upon googling it its basically the same thing as fordite and this mfer said “and that’s naturally occurring!” do you think I am fucking stupid. anyway that’s the shit jeweler choromatsu tells you.

In the story and his art he's shown selling amulets of some sort, and he tries to sell one to Dekapan that's meant to increase libido and claims it's got something to do with cavemen. Despite him only being shown selling amulets, I do think he has small specimens and loose stones. just for me

look hes such a FREAKKKKKKK i need him bad

He does Have real gems in his collection, but you can’t trust anything he says about them. He’ll try to pass off any fucking green thing as emerald yes he will sell straight glass. It’s a grab bag of anything. He tells some kind of made up story about the history of it, usually full of some kind of mysticism and what it could bring you. He knows a bit about how to identify a real gem but isn't as skilled as his older brothers.

He also seems at least a little disorganized, what with the amulets hanging on the inside of his jacket and all. It's a system that's organized enough at least that someone unfamiliar could figure it out, but it's also a little bit of like "I know where everything is" kind of a deal

Ichimatsu

His art makes it look like he digs up his gems himself, just cause the gloves and backpack and hat and map makes me think he's out in the field and stuff

The umbrella and blanket sale in his attack art also makes me feel like he’s not As shady as choro but is probably trying to sell them as like “this stone will cure your anxiety” type stuff.

His items are most likely genuine but overpriced. I get the vibe that maybe he digs a portion of his stuff out of the ground himself and is more of a traveling salesman kind of a thing. So part of the stuff he sells is stuff he dug up and cleaned himself and some is stock that he bought from others. But because of this, he's decently good at identifying more common minerals, like the kind you'd find at these spiritual shops. Maybe not that great with rarer minerals, though.

Most of his stuff is likely rough pieces, although I'm sure he has polished points, worry stones, those things carved like hearts.

6/10 likely to scam you just based on the fact that a 2 inch chunk of low quality amethyst is not worth $30 fuck off. he’s essentially the same as any overpriced metaphysical spiritual shop that sells crystals in the shape of penises for $20

I think he does know his shit in terms of scientific information, but he's selling them on the basis of like crystal healing and shit. He also doesn't know that much about crystal healing though he makes up the meanings whenever you ask

Jyushimatsu

the big bag and devious hat and cloak makes me think he stole that shit lmao

He looks like he has a citrine geode in his attack (natural citrine is actually quite rare, a lot of citrine on the market is heat treated amethyst) also it's fucking HUGE so it would be pretty expensive.

I get the vibe that maybe he steals expensive shit like big statement pieces? I don't know. I dont know ......

In the story it seems like he can appreciate both rough and polished stones. He might lean a little more towards rough specimens, but it sounds like he's quite happy with either one

As a salesman I think he's a bit more trustworthy as well? He was trying to sell something to Hatabou in the story but in his own Jyushimatsu way I have trouble truly understanding him.....

Todomatsu

His art and costume makes him look very well traveled, I like to think that he mainly collects rough mineral specimens, usually very rare and expensive collector's minerals. He's got the super niche expensive stuff that the average person doesn't know but that collectors would pay thousands of dollars for. In the story he also mentions picking something up from a mining location, which tells me he's taking shit that's coming straight out of the ground rather than stuff that's already been processed in some way.

Very very knowledgable about his stuff. His clientele is also very niche, like Karamatsu's, because the main people interested in his stuff would be people that are already into mineral collecting.

He's less likely to scam you solely because the people he sells to are usually skilled enough to be able to tell the difference between something real or fake, or an imitation. He has a reputation to uphold, so he can't risk ruining that.

[fiddler-on-the-starship]

The thing about SkyStar that really drives me insane is that what launched the ship was one (1) episode where Starscream briefly (and I mean very briefly) shows an unusual hint of depth beyond his role in the show, which is to be a scheming backstabbing egotistical asshole, fail at everything, and get slapped upside the head by Megatron. That's it, that's all he does most of the time. It's par for the course because this is a 20-minute commercial for robot car toys in the 1980s, you can't expect the characters to have a lot of depth (or any depth at all).

Which makes it all the more interesting when suddenly a character in a show like this does appear to have some depth, even if it's only for a moment. You have to wonder if it was an accident, just something the writers stumbled into in the course of trying to write a sufficiently entertaining story to keep potential toy-buyers interested, or if someone decided on a whim to deliberately slip a little something Extra into a character in between all the Robot Punching Action.

The contrast between how Starscream behaves 99.99% of the time and how he behaves immediately after finding Skyfire is kind of jarring, actually. Why does his voice sound so soft in That One Scene? Why am I getting the sense that he does genuinely care about Skyfire? What is going on here?

Of course, nothing comes of this; after Skyfire switches sides their history is never brought up again. No time for silly things like character development, we need to keep the focus on the Robot Punching Action in order to sell those toys (and honestly, I can't bring myself to complain about it because Robot Punching Action is, in fact, why I'm watching this show in the first place).

That One Scene sure did give fanfic writers a lot to work with, though.

(Also, props to Chris Latta because his performance is a major part of what makes that scene stand out so much. He was like, "Okay, time to imbue the screechy evil jet plane with some actual PATHOS.") (Say what you will about G1, but there's no denying how good the voice acting is.)