#and while my boss giving me a tchotchke is...not that
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littlecornerinbrooklyn · 1 year ago
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just found the Vegas bottle opener my boss bought me when we were there for a convention and like...souveniers fucking rule man, gifts are so cool, i love being reminded of people & places with little objects!!!
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ditch-witches · 5 years ago
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Business Lunch (Dean-Charles Chapman Smut)
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requested: yes/no (back by popular demand + people having dreams about him)
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pairing: Dean-Charles Chapman x reader
warnings: smut, rough!dean but not as rough
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word count: 2,249
a/n: I need to stop eating Lunchables when I sit down to write. They turn me into a S I N N E R. TAKE ME TO SYNAGOG AND THROW ME IN THE RIVER. I'M READY.
Your fingers thundered against your keyboard, only stopping briefly to furrow your brows at your last edits and take a sip of your weak coffee. A headache was forming at your temples; had it been from the lack of sleep, the caffeine, or the stress, you didn't know. You rolled your head on your shoulders, sighing slightly before continuing with your work. The only sound in your office was you, typing feverishly and your clock, ticking away rhythmically to remind you that time is the enemy. 
So it was only natural for you to jump nearly three feet in the air as your phone rang out loudly with your secretary's voice cracking over the static. "Ma'am, there's a Mr. Chapman here to see you."
You let out a breath of relief, placing a hand on your chest to steady your heart as it threatened to pound out of your chest. "Send him in," you answered, standing to throw your coat in one of the closets. Dean peeked his head through the door, catching sight of you. "What a surprise," you blithely stated, raising an eyebrow in his direction. He sent you a sweet smile as he stepped into your office, settling his hands on your waist and pulling you in for a brief kiss. You relaxed in his arms, digging your hands into his jacket. The headache faded almost instantly.
"You forgot your lunch this morning," he mumbled, kissing your cheek as you motioned for him to sit in one of the chairs in front of your desk. He hooked one of his boots under a leg and dragged it closer to you so he could rest his elbows on the hardwood of your desk across from you. "It's me. I'm for lunch." You chuckled at his cheeky comment before he took the sight of you in completely. "I need to start paying more attention in the mornings. Look at you, you're like a sexy librarian. My schoolboy fantasies are tingling."
You rolled your eyes with a snort as he grinned rather widely. "You are such a dork," you grimaced, inserting a graph into one of the slides of your presentation from an email you had to have missed while welcoming Dean. He rested his chin on top of his hands, his large blue eyes watching your hands work. "Sorry, just give me a second."
"Don't worry about it. I just wanted to be here." You looked over to smirk at his comment. "Besides, I don't think I can look at your underwear all over the place anymore," he jeered.
"Dean-Charles! I will call security," you huffed dramatically, adding a few points to your notes. You cracked your knuckles and turned to Dean, deciding that spending a few moments with your man wouldn't kill you, especially if he was looking at you like he was now.
"That was sexy. You can get arthritis from that, you know?" You shushed him, pushing his arms off your desk and making him giggle slightly. "You don't have any nicknacks in here." His eyes looked across your desk at the stacks of reports.
"I have a picture of you. That's enough of a tchotchke," you joked. He shook his head at you. "Tell me about your day. What have you been up to in the," you paused to look at your watch, "six hours since you saw me this morning?" The image of Dean's messy hair and raspy morning voice brought a warm, fuzzy feeling to settle inside of you. Remembering his half-lidded eyes and lazy smile as he kissed you goodbye had gotten you through the morning's traffic and the awkward elevator ride with a few of your coworkers.
He looked up in thought for a moment, his expression almost mimicking when a child begins to tell someone about their favorite animal. Before he answered, your manager opened your office door, barging in with a devious smile cracking across his face. You internally groaned at his presence swiveling in your chair to stand and greet him but he walked over to you, stepping behind your desk to lean against it. You were slightly taken aback at his actions. "Mr. Daughtry, this is-"
He cut you off. "Come on, doll. You know you can call me 'Michael'." He turned to look at Dean, who had moved the chair back into place and sat up without your realization. "You must be the fiancé." He held his hand out across your desk for Dean. You knew full well that Michael was going to practically pop Dean's arm out of his socket with the handshake, but Dean took it in stride.
"You must be the manager." Dean looked to you momentarily, his expression almost deadpan at the interrupting man.
Michael gave him one of his piranha-esque smiles, showing most of his teeth before turning back to you. "All right. Let's see the Houston report," he gestured to your computer, pulling at his shirt cuffs. You nodded, moving to your computer and scrolling through what you had for him, feeling him bend down to hover over you, his breath almost against your neck as he narrowed his eyes at your work. You worried he would tell you to scrap the assignment, all your effort being for nothing. His mouth curled into a smirk. "It looks amazing. I have faith it'll be done by tomorrow?"
"Yes, sir. Are you sure this section-" He hushed you, standing up straight and resting his hands on your shoulders. You tensed, your eyes flashing to Dean as if to ask if he saw it too. He tilted his head slightly, an eyebrow raising with the same quizzical look you were giving him.
"It's really good. I'm really proud of all you have done." His thumbs rolled against your shoulder blades a few times. "I can't wait to see what else you come up with."
"Oh stop," you jested, attempting to keep up with his game in the hopes that he would leave earlier if you did, feeling uneasy until he removed his hands and began moving towards the door.
He turned on his heel. "Oh, Dean, right? You're one lucky man." He winked at Dean, sending him finger guns as he left, sending you one last look.
Dean turned in his chair, his expression slightly dark. "Is that your boyfriend?" He quipped, settling against the back of his chair. You narrowed your eyes at him. "Should we invite Michael over some time? He seems fun." You straightened up at his comment and brushing it off standing to organize a stack of papers near you. You knew he was mocking you, but his tone was almost unreadable to you. He wet his lips, pushing himself out of the chair swiftly and taking his time to come around to the other side of your desk after locking your door, running his fingers down the grain of the wood before his hand trailing the length of your arm to settle against your neck. You leaned into his touch and despite not being face to face with him, you could feel the smug look playing at his lips. "I'm a lucky man, huh?" His hands brushed down to rest on your hips, pulling you to press against him with his lips against your ear. You bit your lip to keep from grinning. "What does he know?"
"Are you jealous, D?" You teased, moving your head to side-eye him just enough to see the dark grin spreading over his face as his lips brushed against your neck faintly. You turned in his grasp, him now leaning you against the edge of your desk, his hands gripping your leg to pin you between him and the object.
His eyes darted from your lips to your eyes before finally attaching his almost glare to your irises. Your fingers found their way to grasp at the soft fabric of his t-shirt beneath his jacket. "Depends how easily he can get you off." Your breath caught in your throat and his arm moved up your back quickly, crashing his lips into yours. Your hands moved to grip onto his hair as his tongue engaged in an intricate dance with yours. Your mind went numb as his hand drifted down to unzip your skirt, slipping his hand beneath the material to squeeze your ass, closing the space between the two of you as you stepped out of the garment. You pushed his jacket off his shoulders, moaning into his kiss, already feeling his excitement behind his zipper. You moved to ride his jean-covered thigh, your leg wrapping around him, wanting friction as soon as he could give it to you. He broke the kiss, his eyes deepening at your slack-jawed expression as your hands fisted his t-shirt, holding him closer to you. He pressed open-mouthed kisses against your neck, his teeth grazing and nipping at the skin already covered in goosebumps. "Stop it," he growled, his hands clamping down on your hips to halt your movements.
He wrapped his hands around the back of your thighs, lifting you to sit on your desktop, the wood cool against your skin. You leaned back on your elbows as he slipped out of his pants, standing before you like he was your conqueror. He roughly pulled your underpants down your legs and leaned over you, lips pressing to the behind your ear before slamming into you. A moan escaped your lips as your legs lifted to give him a better angle to drive into you again. He stood up straighter, pulling your hips forward as he sank into you, beginning to snap his hips faster, his hand moving to rest on your neck, giving it a light squeeze, eliciting an excited grin from you. Your back arched at his movements, trying to move against him, holding onto his wrist. You didn't know if you needed his fingers or more friction, but your edge was building and you needed more relief. He grinned darkly, halting his actions and pulling out of you, flipping you over to press against the desk. "I said stop," he groaned in your ear, kicking your feet further apart and pressing into you again with a grunt.
"Dean..." you moaned, his hand reaching around to clamp around your mouth.
"Shh. You don't want someone to hear their boss whining, do you?" His words made your knees weak as you bit down on the skin of his hand while he pounded into you from behind, his fingers digging into your hip to keep you right where he wanted you. "Fuck," he groaned, his voice low and greedy. You could tell he was close and you were ready for him to finish you off at this point. He pulled out of you to return you to your previous position, and sitting on the desk he wrapped an arm around your back, the other lifting one of your legs. Just the pure sight of him, sweat from the exertion of fucking you forming against his temple. His hair already disheveled and his eyes lust blown as he looked at you. He was right. The only one allowed to hear you beg was him. And as you held onto his shoulders, reaching towards your orgasm like it was the sun coming out from behind the clouds, you were prepared to beg.
You bit his shoulder to stifle a moan wanting to violently rip through your body as Dean's breath curled around your neck, his speed increasing by the second. His hand slid beneath your shirt to grasp your breast, his lips lazily dropping to your neck and jaw. "Beg," he commanded.
"Please, Dean," you almost whined, your voice strained with pleasure as he chuckled softly. "I'm so close," you practically whimpered. His thrusts soon became strained as he groaned into his climax, urging you over the edge as well, chills rushing over your body as you finally came. Your hands ran into his hair as you pulled his lips to yours in a kiss that was hungry and well deserved. The two of you caught your breath as you leaned into his chest and a sense of ease settled over you for the first time in days. "I would never be with another man."
Dean chuckled, stepping away from you slightly to pull his pants back on. "Trust me, I know."
Your mouth fell open slightly. "Cocky bastard." He sent you a cheeky grin as you tugged your skirt back up your hips.
He ran the pad of his thumb over your lips, smoothing them with a gentle kiss, an action so soft compared to his previous tactics that you found it hard not to invite him for round two already. "I'm proud of you and your huge Don Draper office, but I have to get going. I forgot I made plans with our neighbor." You chuckled at his statement as he looked into your eyes. "I love you."
"I love you. Thank you for the lunch," you joked, kissing him again before he turned to leave.
"Good luck with your presentation, sweetheart. Even if it flops, you're a winner to me," he teased, sending you a goofy smile. You rolled your eyes with a stupid grin on your face, sinking into your chair as your office door clicked shut behind the love of your life.
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lady-divine-writes · 6 years ago
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Kurtbastian one-shot “Social Climber” (Rated PG13)
On a visit to New York City, Kurt and Sebastian drop by Vogue to see how the fashion world is getting along with Kurt Hummel's presence five days a week. But while they're there, they run into a situation that brings up painful memories from Kurt's past, as well as Sebastian's role in them. (3829 words)
Notes: If this one-shot makes you feel some sort of way, be sure to read the notes at the end.
Part 47 of Daddies
Read on AO3.
“Woo-wee! Swanky!” Sebastian strolls a circuit around Kurt’s office, giving the place a once over from the carpeted floors to the higher-than-normal ceiling, which, along with the pale white walls, keeps the room bright with the help of sunlight alone - no overhead lighting required during the day. An abundance of natural light is probably necessary for looking at photographs of beautiful people dressed in stylish but revealing clothing, Sebastian thinks. Why did he ever make fun of Kurt’s obsession with fashion for so long? Compared to what Sebastian stares at all day, Kurt obviously ended up with the better career. He trails his fingertips over the slick surface of Kurt’s desk. The second he touches it, it goes dark and a menu pops up. Sebastian’s eyes go wide. “A touch screen? This … this desk has a built in touch screen?”
“A-ha. It replaces my laptop. It handles everything from page layouts …” Kurt demonstrates, selecting a tab that brings up a slideshow of what Sebastian assumes to be next month’s magazine, each section highlighted and available for editing “… to the blinds on the windows.” Kurt taps another tab and the blinds lower. When they reach the sill, Kurt clicks the tab and they lift again.
Sebastian whistles through his teeth. “Isabelle gave you an office? This office? Even though you only come here, like, once a month?”
“Yes, sir.” Kurt watches his husband continue his investigation, preening at his praise. It’s not often Kurt has something that makes Sebastian this jealous. Kurt plans on enjoying every minute of it.
“Wow. I worked at my father’s office for years and all he ever gave me was a blotter and a pen set. Vogue must have a bigger hard-on for you than I do.”
“Nah. Vogue is like the Hilton. They have a bunch of empty offices like this one sitting around empty, waiting for people to fill them. They just gave me one of the leftovers.”
Sebastian, staring out Kurt’s window at his phenomenal view, throws an astonished look over his shoulder. “Really?”
Kurt laughs. “No, not really! Sebastian! This is a corner office! They don’t hand out corner offices to just anyone! They love me here!”
“Mr. Hummel?” A soft knock follows. “Mr. Hummel, I have those back issues you requested.”
“Great! Thank you, Celia!” Kurt hurries over to the door to collect an armful of vintage magazines from the young blonde woman standing there. “I’ve been trying to order these from every library on the east coast with no luck,” he says, sifting through the pile. “Most of these haven’t been uploaded to the Internet yet. I should have known Vogue would have them. We’ve got a huge vault full of clothes. Why not magazines, too?”
“What do you need these for?” Sebastian asks, taking half the leaning pile of periodicals from his husband’s arms.
“My new line. I want to encompass one iconic look from every major shift in couture fashion. I’m calling it The Legacy Boutique.”
“That sounds like a lot of work,” Sebastian comments, his impressed tone clouded by the distraction of Celia lingering in the doorway, aiming inscrutable looks at the two of them that Kurt doesn’t seem to notice. As a gay man in fashion, Kurt is probably used to people gawking at him. Sebastian has been gawked at tons of times, too, but it’s not something he’s ever gotten used to.
“It will be.” Kurt puts his portion of the magazines on his desk, the screen shuffling to keep the information displayed out from underneath. Sebastian can’t help but shake his head at Kurt’s high tech desk, as well as the other bells and whistles his office has. It seems excessive, but Kurt deserves it. Sebastian is glad someone else in the world appreciates his husband as much as he does. “I want to have some sketches done by the end of the month.”
“Kurt! Sebastian! I was hoping I would catch the two of you while you were here!” Isabelle moves Celia gently aside and sweeps in, rushing forward with open arms. “It’s not often I get the honor of having both of you in my neck of the woods!”
“You didn’t think we’d come to New York without stopping by, did you?” Kurt asks, giving his boss a hug. “Besides, I wanted to see how you’re all getting along without me.”
“Abysmally.” Isabelle kisses Kurt on both cheeks, then Sebastian. “It’s so much more fun when you’re here. Remember what I said, if you ever want to move your family to the city, even part time, we’d love to have you. Five of the best elementary schools in New York are within walking distance of our building.”
“A bus ride and a walk,” Kurt points out.
“True. But you can use the company car. It’ll be at your disposal 24/7.”
“I promise we’ll think about it,” Sebastian intervenes, giving Kurt an out since he knows how much it breaks his heart to say no to Isabelle. “If nothing else, I promise we’ll visit more.”
“And you’ll bring Thomas with you next time, right?” She glares sternly at Sebastian, leaving Kurt to wonder when exactly he got edged out of this conversation.
“Of course,” Kurt adds, in case Isabelle honestly forgot he was there.
She pulls them in for another hug. “That’s all I ask. Ooo, except, it’s not. Kurt, I was hoping you’d sit in on this morning’s meeting. I want to show you off.”
“Sure! I’d love to! Oh …” Kurt turns to his husband, sheepish for having jumped the gun so quickly. They did have plans after all, which consisted of lunch (mostly naked) back at their penthouse before they had to swing by Ohio and pick up Thomas from a visit with his dad “… are you going to be alright for a couple of minutes by yourself?”
Celia walks up to Sebastian, ready to take his arm. “You don’t have to be alone. I’ll gladly give you a tour if you’d like.”
“Nah, I’ve been,” Sebastian says, side-stepping her before she can reach him. “Besides, I’m good to hang here … enjoy the view … rifle through the desk drawers looking for loose change.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Isabelle pecks one last kiss on Sebastian’s cheek. “I’ll return him to you soon!”
“Yes, thank you.” Kurt wraps his arms around Sebastian’s waist and steals a kiss from him as well, this one on the lips, before he’s whisked out of the room by Isabelle and her non-stop chatter.
“You two lovebirds will have the entire afternoon for that when you get back to your place! It’s time to talk about this new line you’ve got planned!”
Sebastian listens as Isabelle drags Kurt down the hall, leaving him alone in Kurt’s office with Celia, standing not too far from Kurt’s desk, staring at Sebastian as if waiting for him to strike up a conversation. Internally, Sebastian sighs. This wasn’t what he signed on for when Kurt suggested they drop by Vogue. He was hoping for a little office nookie, though he was pretty certain he wasn’t going to get any. He doesn’t mind visiting Isabelle and listening to her talk on and on about fashion, even if he doesn’t know a bralette from a tank top. He doesn’t mind hanging out in Kurt’s office while Kurt sits in on a meeting that will most likely run two-and-a-half hours before he remembers he has somewhere else he needs to be.
What he doesn’t like is being left alone with someone he doesn’t know, having to make small-talk he doesn’t have the impetus to make. But eventually her staring gets to him. He has to say something either way before he starts maniacally screeching just to break the tension.
“Can you play Galaga on this thing?” he asks, acting as enthralled by Kurt’s fancy new desktop as he can. “Does it get cable?”
“I’m not sure,” Celia answers in a much smoother voice than she’d used around her boss … or his husband.
The question Why don’t you run along and find out? jumps to mind, but Sebastian doesn’t want it getting back to Kurt that he was rude to the woman who essentially fulfills the role of gofer every time he’s in town. He takes a deep breath and decides to play nice, find a way to ask her to leave that won’t have Kurt giving him the silent treatment all the way to Ohio.
Not with the afternoon they have planned.
“Celia … you’re Isabelle’s intern right? Filling Kurt’s shoes from, like, over a decade ago?”
“That’s right,” she says, but offers nothing more.
Sebastian side-eyes her as he walks from bookcase to bookcase, examining with a smile the photos and trinkets Kurt chose to leave here – a brief history of their life together in snapshots and tchotchkes. He glances her way, but she hasn’t moved, watching him like a hawk with an unsettling grin on her face.
“I’m not actually going to steal anything,” he says, hoping she’ll get the hint and vamoose. “You don’t have to stick around and guard the place.”
She saunters in his direction. “I’m not. But, for the moment, I don’t have much to do.”
“Must be nice” - Sebastian switches gears, walking in the opposite direction - “working at a prestigious place like Vogue and being paid to do nothing. How do I apply for a job like that? I mean, my husband makes bank. I don’t know a thing about fashion, but I think I could match a shirt to some pants for the amount of money he makes. Plus, we could share this office. It’s big enough for the two of us … our son and his dog …”
“I’ve seen your picture around Kurt’s office,” she says, overlooking Sebastian’s repeated references to his family. “You’re a very handsome man.”
“I know.”
“How did he get so lucky?” She runs her fingertips along the edge of Kurt’s desk, which pisses Sebastian off. Sebastian may joke about Kurt only being around once a month or so, but Kurt has been with Vogue for years. He worked hard for his office and that super cool desk. She has no right touching it without his express permission. “I’ve seen pictures of his ex, too. What’s his name? Blaine?”
“Yup.” He tries not to sound affected. He suspects that’s what she wants. “That’s his name.”
“Three sexy men from Ohio.” She chuckles. “What’s in the water out there?”
“Mostly fish pee, I think.”
“If I knew all the hunks lived there, I definitely would have gone to high school in the states, not spent my formative years in Italy.”
“Well, the hunks in question happen to be gay,” he stresses, making his way towards the door, “so you didn’t really miss anything.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I heard Blaine was questioning …”
“I guess so,” Sebastian replies. When in the hell did Blaine become such a hot topic of conversation at fucking Vogue? The gossip train may run rampant, but Kurt and Blaine are ancient history. “But I think he sorted that out pretty quick from what I hear.”
“And how about you?”
“How about me what?” Sebastian snaps, everything from his stomach to his neck getting hot.
“Were you ever questioning?”
Celia asking that makes his skin crawl. It’s not just personal, it’s rude as hell! But that’s something he’s come to expect the few times he’s visited Vogue. Filters don’t seem to be required to get hired.
“No, not that I can recall. And what the fuck would it matter if I was!? I’m definitely not now!”
“Come on … not even a little?” She closes the distance between them faster than he’d expected and he trips backward. “How do you know you don’t like something until you try it?”
“Does this ever work for you?” Sebastian asks, realizing Celia doesn’t seem interested in responding to something as petty as logic.
“I would say around 50-50. Come on. I could open a whole new world for you.”
Her answer, and the smug expression that accompanies it, enrages Sebastian.
“What the heck’s wrong with you, lady!?”
Women like her who try to ‘convert’ gay men should be forced onto some sort of registry, along with men who think that lesbians just need to be fucked by the ‘right guy’. Who else has she been pursuing at Vogue? The amount of young people around that office is staggering – interns, models, assistants. Whom here has she pressured into an encounter they may not have wanted?
“Not only am I gay, I’m married and gay! With a kid! That should be a huge red flag that I’m not going to be into you! Do you do this to Kurt when he comes to the city without me!?”
“Nah,” she says, nonplussed by the anger in Sebastian’s voice. “He’s hot and all, but he’s not exactly my type.”
“Not your type?” he repeats in disbelief because who in the hell could be in the same room with his husband and not want to tear his clothes off? Then Sebastian remembers – him once upon a time. Sebastian remembers being that asshole, flirting with Blaine and insulting Kurt, how much he pushed, how hard he pressured. He always secretly thought Blaine was into the attention because, even though he had a boyfriend that he claimed to love more than anything, he never outright told Sebastian to stop.
Kurt, however, never had a problem saying no. When they transitioned from enemies to friends and Sebastian came on to him, Kurt made himself known loud and clear.
Did Blaine not want to tell Sebastian to get lost? Or did he not know how?
Is this how he felt?
Even though Sebastian and Blaine came to an understanding long ago (Sebastian’s underlying guilt eradicated in part by Blaine’s cheating on Kurt), Sebastian thinks it may be time for him and Blaine to have a heart to heart.
If Blaine wants it … or needs it. Sebastian has never asked him.
But he’ll extend the offer because this sucks, and Sebastian wants it to end.
He’ll make sure to hate himself properly for his past sins the second he makes sure he’s not going to lose his husband.
“I don’t think that’s it.” Celia bites her lower lip in an attempt to look coy. “I think I am turning you on. Look at you. You’re blushing.”
“I’m frustrated!” Sebastian growls. “There’s a huge difference!”
“Not much of a difference,” she says with an infuriating shrug. “I’ll take it.” She loops her arms around Sebastian’s neck and he cracks.
“I won’t!” Sebastian tries to channel a bit of that bastard he was in high school – the same boy who flirted with Blaine while he cut Kurt down behind Blaine’s back. But Sebastian is having a hard time doing that because, regardless of the fact that he’s managed to keep his quick wit and his sarcastic sense of humor, he’s not that boy any more. He’s a grown man with a husband and a son. He’s spent a lot of time and money overcoming his demons. He doesn’t need to summon them back to fend off this woman. Besides, he doesn’t want to have to cut her down to get her to back off.
He wants her to leave him alone because he said no.
Sebastian comes up with a course of action that, though it lacks any of the finesse he had as a stuck up rich kid with his dad’s reputation in his back pocket, it’ll be twice as effective. He knows he could leave, but why should he? This is his husband’s office. He has every right to be there, probably more right than Celia does. He sticks his head out the door and yells: “Kurt! Kurt! Help me, Kurt!”
“Sebastian?” he hears Kurt’s confused voice call from an open doorway down the hall.
Celia’s face goes white, her arms dropping from around Sebastian’s neck as if they were filled with lead. “Wha---what are you doing!?”
“I’m telling on you!” Sebastian refuses to look at her, refuses to acknowledge her existence any more than he has to. “Kurt! Celia’s trying to kiss me and she won’t take no for an answer!”
“What are you? Twelve?” Celia snaps, backing away so quickly she nearly breaks a heel.
“No! I’m in love with my husband! I put a helluva lot of work into getting him to love me back, and I’ll be damned if some overambitious, overreaching intern is going to screw that all up for me!”
Kurt races out into the hallway with Isabelle close on his heels, running back to his office as if Sebastian had yelled ‘Fire!’ Sebastian waits at the door for them to arrive while Celia stumbles into a corner, her back against the wall on the opposite side of the room, red splotches painting her pale cheeks. Kurt enters his office, but Sebastian stays put, determined not to occupy the same space as Celia if he can help it.
“What’s going on in here?”
“Kurt,” Sebastian starts, but before he can finish, Celia pipes up.
“I was just trying to be friendly, Mr. Hummel,” she says, her voice trembling. “We were having a conversation … about you … and he accused me of making a pass at him.”
“Did he?” Kurt asks, his response so dry that Sebastian, who has known Kurt since high school, has no clue what he’s thinking.
“Y-yes.” Celia clears her throat. “Yes. I’m sorry if I came across any other way. I really am. That wasn’t my intention.”
Kurt looks at Sebastian, then at Isabelle, her arms crossed, her face blank, but working things through behind her eyes. Then, as infuriatingly as Celia had, Kurt shrugs. “This is actually a simple situation to rectify,” he says, walking over to his desk and selecting a tab on the screen. “There are security cameras set up in all of the offices.”
“What?” Celia and Sebastian say together.
Sebastian sounds relieved.
Celia sounds terrified.
“Absolutely.” Isabelle unwinds her arms and joins Kurt at his desk, selecting the program he’s looking for when his hands begin to shake. “There used to be a fair amount of intellectual property theft going on here, especially by interns.” Isabelle shoots Celia a look. “It’s outlined in the contract you signed when you started working here. It states quite clearly that you would be monitored in every space except the bathrooms and the dressing rooms.”
“Uh … you know … you know what?” Celia says, prying herself from the wall. “You don’t … you don’t need to look at that. I’ll admit, I may have acted inappropriately …”
Her own voice coming out of a speaker on the wall stops her as the four stare at the screen, varied expressions from fear to anger on their faces.
“Were you ever questioning?”
“No, not that I can recall. And what the fuck would it matter if I was? I’m definitely not now!”
“Come on … not even a little? How do you know you don’t like something until you try it?”
“Does this ever work for you?”
“I would say around 50-50. Come on. I could open a whole new world for you.”
Kurt puts the playback on pause when he gets to the point where Celia loop her arms around his husband’s neck - his shoulders, his back, his entire body rigid as steel. Sebastian wants to touch him, but for the moment, he’s paralyzed. He can’t imagine what’s going on in Kurt’s head, what kind of flashbacks he’s experiencing.
Is Sebastian in them? And what part does he play?
Isabelle looks at the man beside her, his hands clenched into fists on the desktop, and runs a hand up and down his spine. “It’s ok, Kurt,” she whispers. “It’s going to be ok.”
Kurt nods but he doesn’t speak. The silence growing in the office seems to wait for him to say something, but he doesn’t.
He can’t.
“I … I can explain …” Celia says.
“No, don’t explain,” Isabelle says. “Get your things and go.”
Celia’s jaw drops so far, Sebastian swears he hears it smack the floor. “What!? Why!?”
“Because aside from perpetrating sexual harassment,” Isabelle says in a voice Sebastian has never heard her use before, “you disrespected one of my most valuable employees, and two of my best friends. I can’t stand for that. I won’t stand for that. Kurt Hummel and his family are worth way more to me than you. Now leave. And expect a call from legal.”
“I … I …” When Celia can’t think up a response, she storms out, having the nerve to go in a huff regardless of being caught red-handed. Isabelle watches Celia leave, waiting until she’s out of earshot.
“I need to stop by security, make sure someone escorts her out. But I’ll be back … okay?”
“Okay,” Kurt whispers, leaning in for the kiss he knows she has for him. She squeezes his shoulder, then reluctantly leaves him. On the way out the door, she gives Sebastian a sympathetic smile and a pat on the arm. The silence builds again without Isabelle there, wrapping around them like a heavy blanket, turning that large, bright room into a dark, tiny cell.
“Kurt.” Sebastian takes a step towards his husband, bent over the image displayed on his desk of Celia with her arms around Sebastian’s neck. Sebastian didn’t notice how close she had gotten to him. Had he not pulled away, she might have kissed him. “I’m sorry, Kurt. I am so sorry.” Those words echo in his ears with the memory of the dozens of times he’s said them before.
“Why are you apologizing?” Kurt sniffles. “You didn’t do anything.”
Sebastian nods even though Kurt can’t see him. He wants to tell him that he’s sorry that he has no safe spaces. Every time Kurt finds somewhere he can call a haven, something steps in and swipes a smidgen of his security.
But Sebastian can’t do that without dredging up a painful part of their history.
He takes a step closer. “Are we … are we going to be okay?”
Kurt breathes in, shoulders shuddering, and for a second, Sebastian thinks he may have started crying. But he hasn’t. He’s not going to let the Celias of the world – or the Blaines or the Sebastians - bring him to tears. Not again. He taps the touchscreen, and the image of Sebastian and Celia dissolves into blackness.
“Yeah.” Kurt turns away from his desk and slides into his husband’s arms, sinking into the warmth of his touch. Because the past is the past, and this is the present. In the present, Sebastian is a good man, an excellent father, and the closest thing to a soul mate Kurt has ever had. “We’re fine.”
Notes:
So, believe it or not, this one-shot took me a long time to upload. When I started writing this, it was just supposed to be light and humorous. So many people have asked me to write a one-shot where Kurt gets jealous of Sebastian because some secretary or something is flirting with him, specifically a female secretary who would have no chance with Sebastian because he’s gay. I started writing this one, wrapped mostly around the “I’m telling on you!” comment. But it began to evolve into Sebastian reflecting on his own past actions, which we touch on but don’t really address in this series. After a while, it stopped being amusing anymore, especially when coupled with actual current events. I didn’t want to blow this subject off. I didn’t want it to be light-hearted. I wanted it to be real, with a fall out beyond ‘Kurt gets mad at the evil woman that tried to take his husband away’. Also, Celia wasn’t written to villainize women. She’s not really a gender. She’s a person. She represents, like Sebastian said, every woman who has ever tried to convert a gay man, or every man who has ever tried to force themselves on a lesbian to ‘change her mind’. She’s the embodiment of the man who cornered me as a teenager and wouldn’t let me leave till I kissed him, and the anger I feel that, even though he was fired for that, so many of the comments made to me by the security officers who took down my statement are still said to women and men today who report sexual assault. I could go on, but the tl:dr is that I wanted you all to know that I don’t condone sexual assault by anyone. It shouldn’t be made light of, because it’s not a laughing matter. And even though I write Sebastian and Blaine as good guys, I think there are things on both sides that both men need to atone for.
38 notes · View notes
thepennydarling · 7 years ago
Text
Hello Penny Darlings! Happy last few days before the weekend! (the CHRISTMAS weekend!)
So, I normally am one of those people that is done shopping in October and December is just a grab bag of getting small holiday themed items, gift wrapping paper, bows, etc.
However, this year, I slacked. Slaaaaaacked. Slack. Slack. Slacked.
And I truly understand the panic now, of wondering IF anything will arrive if I order it. And as an avid internet shopper – I was secretly (not so secretly) nail biting about what I should even order, or if it was worth it to order in advance, or what should I even do.
I did the thing.
I went to the mall around the holidays.
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  image owned by Preit
Our local mall, Capital City Mall, is named because we live…well in the capital city! And bonus: this mall has THREE plus sized shopping options, a White Barn, and….it HAD A SANTA. (here’s me & Santa!)
  And I found all but ONE of my gifts at the mall. There was some fun deals, there’s even a mall VIP program where for every $250 you spend – they give you a $10 rebate (check those perks out here!), and I could munch on a soft pretzel while I looked at stuff.
And there are few things in life that ya girl loves more that munching on a pretzel while looking at some stuff.
But, as an ENFJ, I like to think of myself as an EXCELLENT gift giver. Like, supreme. One time a person I knew in academia (WE HAD JUST MET LIKE ONE WEEK PRIOR) after looking at my personality test said, “I bet you are an excellent gift giver.” AND I HAD NEVER CONSIDERED IT BUT I TOTALLY AM.
So, I went in with a few people in mind, and realized that there are probably non-ENFJ people who struggle with thinking of thoughtful gift ideas. So here’s some ideas to drop by the mall and grab some awesome last minute gifts!
But these are real gifts that I got for REAL people in my life. So, family & family-in-law – STOP READING HERE, please!
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First, let me share some of my AWESOME gift giving tips:
) There is NO shame in shopping the clearance section. None.
) I don’t like to give tchotchkes. I like to think of something personal. (Like, one year, my brother really needed new headphones and he LOVES Superman – so I found Superman headphones.) Mix practical gifts with a personal touch.
) Keep a list of who you need to buy things for. It’s easy to forget someone if you didn’t write it down.
) Figure out a price range for each group. (Office Secret Santa, Fave Co-Worker, and boss gifts – under $25, Significant Other – under $100, etc.)
) There is NO shame in asking loved ones for things they might like as a gift. It won’t ruin the surprise but it can give you a great jumping off point.
) It’s nice to go during low volume times which is usually right when they open or shortly before they close!
) It is truly the thought that counts. Showing up with a gift in THE BAG YOU BOUGHT IT IN is not thoughtful (a real thing Preston did once, honey, I love you, but no.) There’s a wrapping station IN THE MALL. Stop by.
  For The Music & Movie Lover
So for some (last minute) Christmas shopping – I knew I needed to buy for a HUUUUGE movie lover (my brother!) and my best friend who is a city dweller and a very big friend of public transportation.
So, I was on the search for two things when I went into FYE. FYE has changed a lot since I was younger – lots of merch – a lot less CD’s.
So my older brother is all about the latest tech stuff – so he wanted to upgrade his HP collection from DVD to Blu-Ray and I found a set of HP Blu Ray! And it was on sale and I signed up for a store card and saved 10% (totally worth the sign up!)
For the movie lover in your life – there’s TONS of movie merch, movie shirts, movie collectible sets, options to upgrade your DVD to Blu-Ray, and tons of $5 DVD bins! A movie tee, a few DVD’s, and a bag of popcorn is the perfect gift!
    So we stopped by FYE and I managed to check TWO people off my list in just one store (and honestly, for a steal!)
My best friend/MoH lives in Chicago and utilizes the public transportation – but in turn, has a 45 minute – hour commute every day. She was definitely looking for some new headphones for her daily travels. There were SO many types and brands to choose from. I ended up with the rose gold – because I was positive she was going to love it!
*I also had a tough time putting aside my personal taste to buy these gorgeous rose gold headphones for my BFF & MoH. You KNOW ya girl wanted those pink cat headphones!*
And BOTH items that I took up to the register rung up lower than their ticket price for an in-store sale and I was super pumped when I ended up saving over $30 between the sale, the VIP program, and the markdowns!
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        For The Big Sports Fan
Anyone who knows Preston & I well know that we are absolutely hardcore theatre and arts people…who know a MINIMALISTIC CONVERSATIONAL amount about any given sport. I could name like five athletes tops but not what team they played for.
But, Preston’s dad, my Father-in-Law to be is a BIG Oakland Raiders fan and often has the game on when we go over for Sunday night dinners. So I thought I would check out Bleacher Bums (betcha’ can’t say that five times fast).
Right inside the door is the carpet of champs. The room is split into big chunks of Eagles, Steelers, Flyers, Phillies, Pirates, etc. (all of the PA teams) and that tickled me quite a bit.
But we browsed around and I finally found these cute throws (anyone could use a spare blanket!) and they didn’t have a Raiders one! But there was a staff member there who could, like, vibe out how little we knew what we were doing – and not only recommended a great product and find it with the Raider’s logo!
10/10 would recommend this store for any sports fanatics that I know. They literally have everything with every freakin’ team. They even had college teams!
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Even though I KNOW that I am not a sports person – it was nice to be able to actually browse. So, if you have any fanatics – THIS is the store. They have EVERYTHING in every team. Water bottles, towels, clothes, sweatshirts, bobbleheads – the whole thing.
This is the perfect place for your Father-in-Law to be!
    For The Cocktail Connoisseur
So, my dad, is IMPOSSIBLE to shop for. He always says, “I have everything I could ever need – save your money.” BUT SORRY DAD, YOU RAISED A CHILD THAT LOVES THE SPIRIT OF GIVING. So, most years I settle on getting my dad a nice bottle of tequila.
He loves to sip chilled (expensive) tequila. And after TONS of research – Cazadores is the highest ranked to be almost an exact dupe of Patron! So I usually get him a bottle of Cazadores (silver)!
Well, Capital City Mall JUST (like in the last two months) had a liquor store open up. (If you’re not from PA – we have to go to special stores for wine and liquor, different stores for beer, and you can’t buy any of it in the grocery store/gas stations).
So, CCM just had a Fine Wine & Good Spirits shop open up – and it is considered a ‘premium location’ so it has a SUPER wide selection. So I went in and found a GIGANTIC bottle of Cazadores. I had never seen more than the one size, so I said, ‘THE BIG ONE IT IS!’.
But this store was humongous. It was stocked with all different sizes, hard to find products, and mini-size products.
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MOST of this aisle was different types of Tequila. HUNDREDS of Tequilas.
(I’m more of a whiskey gal myself.)
But then I found this HUUUUGE bottle. LOOK AT IT! IT’S HUGE!
And ya girl was pumped.
And since Preston and I tend to give gifts as a couple, we also snagged him a bag of limes from the grocery store so he could make a ‘damn good’ margarita. (That’s what my dad calls his own secret recipe. Spoiler alert – it’s JUST tequila, triple sec, and a lime).
I was also jazzed about how fantastic the lighting was in this store!
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So for anyone in the 21+ friends or family in your life – it’s nice to grab a few of the pint or mini-bottles to give a ‘bar basket’. A ‘bar basket’ is just a cute little gift basket full of a few mini or pint bottles, a shot glass, some whiskey stones, or other bar accessories.
Or, this is also a great stop for those on your list you want to treat! No boss or co-worker was ever mad about a bottle of wine, some nice Bailey’s, or their fave drink of choice! Or for the traveler in your life, a few of those airplane bottles is the perfect gift for all this season’s traveling!
  For The Fashionista
So, as a curvy girl, I lovelovelove having the option of GOING to a store to try things on, because honestly, that hardly ever happens. I shop almost exclusively online. Capital City Mall has THREE plus sized stores that I got to try things on in – but Torrid is my all time fave.
Little known fact, Torrid is actually a sister company to Hot Topic, so they get a lot of licensed merch (Disney, super heroes, Hello Kitty, etc.) so they constantly have cute character stuff!
But my mother-in-law to be is a HUGE Disney fan! Allll the Disney! So I went in (TBH to browse for some new leggings for myself, which I also did get) but I saw this scarf and it was perfect! She’s a big scarf wearer, it’s black and white so it will match everything, and it’s all the Mickeys! It was perfect!
So unless you KNOW someone’s size, buying them clothes can be super tricky. But a nice scarf, hat, pair of gloves, or other winter accessory is a GREAT way to show the fashionista in your life
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For The Nearly Impossible to Shop For
You’ll always have someone who will NOT let you get them a gift. They say they hate gifts and the commercialism of Christmas and that they don’t need anything.
Well, in my life, that’s my brother’s girlfriend. She’s not a gift person. Which is totes fine. Tough for me as a Leslie-Knope-esque gift giver, but fine. But I hate the idea of sitting around the tree and passing a gift to everyone BUT her.
So I grabbed a gift that NO ONE can be mad about – a gift card. I know she shops at Bath & Body Works for hand soaps, body wash, and some other things – so she’ll definitely use it – but it’s not anything too big or too flashy!
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I sometimes have a hard time getting gift cards for people because it didn’t feel personal enough – but this year – I actually thought about what store she might like, and what stores I’ve seen her shop at, and it made me feel a little better to feel that I was being thoughtful in the gift!
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I hope this post gave you some amazing gift-inspo for the last minute shopping in your life that you need to grab gifts for! I stopped by Capital City Mall and did 95% of my holiday shopping in one afternoon! If I can do it – so can you! It’s not too late! 
Since this is my last post before actual Christmas, please have a happy and safe and festive holiday. Be thankful & be kind. Travel safely!
Happy Holidays from Preston & me over here at the Penny Darling!
  *This post is sponsored by Capital City Mall and some featured photos are owned by Preit, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own!*
SO HERE’S THE “END OF BLOG” SPIEL!
I will be taking a day off on Monday for Christmas and not posting! I assume everyone will be traveling or with their families or not interested! And I’d like to take a break to be with my family as well! But I have tons of fun stuff planned for the next few weeks – so I’ll see you next Wednesday!
I definitely want to do more His & Her fashion. Do you guys like seeing Preston more?
Follow me on Instagram: @thepennydarling
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Thank you for all that you do. You are truly extraordinary.
Love all you wonderful ladies (and gents!) out there!
How Very,
Abby
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Last Minute Gift Ideas for the Procrastinators of the World Hello Penny Darlings! Happy last few days before the weekend! (the CHRISTMAS weekend!) So, I normally am one of those people that is done shopping in October and December is just a grab bag of getting small holiday themed items, gift wrapping paper, bows, etc.
0 notes
eddiejpoplar · 7 years ago
Text
2018 Chicago Auto Show Hits, Misses, and Revelations
CHICAGO, Illinois – Big news out of the nation’s biggest auto show, counting public days, was actor Jim Belushi bantering with Ford Motor Company’s sales, U.S. marketing and service vice president Mark LaNeve over the 2019 Ford Transit Connect Wagon’s mid-cycle refresh.
In their presentation, Ford appeared to have discovered, or at least rediscovered, Baby Boomers and their buying power, while the charming character actor who recently played a casino boss in Showtime’s “Twin Peaks” complained that the passenger van doesn’t come with a cigarette lighter.
We have our own complaints, of course, though with this show so light on news we find ourselves in the unusual position of having far more hits than misses …
HIT: 2018 Nissan 370Zki
I love how stupid this thing is and I’m jealous that Lassa got to play Rockford with it outside of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. If you haven’t seen it yet, Nissan made a snowmobile out of its aging sports car by adding skis and some Dominator tracks and it looks pretty rad. Chicago got a good dusting of snow last night—I wonder if Nissan will let me take it for a spin outside of McCormick Place?
—Ed Tahaney
SUVs and trucks on ski tracks are nothing new, but this is the first time I can recall seeing skis on a sports car. Well played, Nissan. In the unlikely event this thing makes it to production, I’m moving to Detroit.
– Aaron Gold
HIT: Toyota Tundra, Tacoma and 4Runner TRD Pro models
I can’t say whether these offroad TRD Pros will ever pose a threat to trail rated Jeeps, but they surely look the part, and by the way Toyota Group vice president Jack Hollis talked them up, the Fox internal bypass shocks installed on each must make for some serious offroading. The black safari-style rooftop carrier on the 4Runner TRD Pro stands out. These trucks and the 86 sports car are the enthusiast counterpoints that make appliances like the RAV4, Camry and Corolla forgivable.
—Todd Lassa
MISS: Toyotaspeak
Over several auto shows now, Hollis has referred to Toyota buyers as the brand’s “guests,” as if Toyota was operating a hotel chain instead of selling cars and trucks. They’re not “guests,” unless Toyota offers a car-sharing service, and even then the term is an annoying relic of early ‘00s corporate-speak, as in “Toyota associates sell many Camrys to Toyota’s guests.” Hollis also pointed out the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro’s new “desert-air intake” in his presentation. Serious off-roaders that Hollis wants to attract would call it a “snorkel.” —T.L.
REVELATION: Nissan’s Souvenir
The tchotchke that Nissan was handing out at the show? Turns out it’s a hand warmer, not a breast implant.
– A.G.
HIT: Volkswagen Arteon
A super subtle sedan that looks upscale just enough to help it stand apart from the rest of the pack. It’s got a sleek look, clean cabin, fastback feel, and comes with a six-year limited warranty. Its 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine offers 268 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Will SUV-obsessed Americans buy it when it finally goes on sale in the U.S. later this year? We’ll keep our fingers crossed.
—E.T.
In my opinion, this was the star of the show. The Arteon is a handsome car at first glance, and the longer you look at it, the more the details show themselves and the better it looks. My favorite view is from the side: There’s something of the first-gen “Bauhaus” Audi TT in the Arteon’s profile. Read the specs you’ll see that the Arteon’s luxury creds are, well, credible. This is a legitimate luxury car to which people will aspire. Almost makes one wonder what could have happened to the Phaeton had Volkswagen approached it a bit differently.
– A.G.
HIT: Subaru 50th Anniversary Lineup
It’s not as exciting as the Ascent reveal in L.A. and this could have gone seriously wrong with an all-black or midnight edition trim—but the Heritage Blue paint on the eight models works for me—especially on the BRZ and WRXes. Are these badges, special doodads, and blue paint going to add any value to your car? Probably not, but this is a must for diehard Subie fans.
—E.T.
REVELATION: Subaru is not so much into autonomy or ride-sharing
At the Midwest Auto Media Association’s Thursday morning keynote breakfast, Subaru of America president and chief operating officer Thomas Doll predicted that electric vehicles will catch on and quickly replace the internal combustion engine when costs come down, ranges go up and recharging becomes quicker and more accessible, though he doesn’t think the world is ready for Level IV or V autonomy or a switch to car-sharing services. “There’s a question of the secondary market for ride share cars,” he said, predicting ride sharing will grow only in large, congested cities like Manhattan, and maybe not even Chicago.
—T.L.
MISS: 2018 Lifted Nissan Titan HD Concept
Man, that truck is ugly and as silly looking as all those “Star Wars” inspired vehicle tie-ins. I hope this doesn’t blow my chances at driving the 370Zki—but then again there’s always the GMC Sierra 2500HD All Terrain X to commandeer.
—E.T.
HIT: Nissan…
…for creating a gigantic walk-in snow globe. For three minutes every fifteen, a section of the Nissan stand is deluged in snow (actually biodegradable bubbles, so there’s no mess). When it came to auto shows, I thought I’d seen it all, but making it snow indoors is a new one. That said, I’m from Los Angeles, and snow is a novelty. Chicago locals probably won’t be as impressed, especially the ones who went to the auto show specifically to get away from the snow.
– A.G.
MISS: Chicago Blackhawks Custom Camaro Convertible
Sorry Chicago—you couldn’t give this car away. Oh, wait—my bad. Chevrolet is giving it away to some unlucky fan. If you register to win it, you only have yourself to blame. Stick with the Chicago Cubs Toyota 4Runner instead.
—E.T.
MISS: Lexus LC ‘Black Panther’ Concept
Yet another over-bling’d movie car for another superhero action flick. The only add-on it’s missing is a vinyl top. Since automakers now have to pay movie producers to supply such cars, the question is, what good does this thing do for Lexus’ luxury image?
—T.L.
HIT: Hyundai I30N TCR
Bryan Herta with his drivers Michael Lewis and Mark Wilkens introduced Hyundai’s first North American race car, the I30N TCR, which will compete this year in the Pirelli World Challenge’s new Touring Car class. Why a race car based on the not-for-North America Hyundai I30N instead of the new Veloster built on the same platform? Because the 130N Touring Car already has had success in Europe, and anyway, Hyundai says it’s not ruling out switching to a Veloster body some time in the future.
—T.L.
Damn, this thing looks cool. Want, want, want.
– A.G.
MISS: Hyundai Veloster ‘Ant Man and The Wasp’ Concept
This movie car, presumably for yet another comic book super hero adaptation, almost makes the Lexus LC ‘Black Panther’ movie car look tasteful by comparison. Almost.
—T.L.
IFTTT
0 notes
jonathanbelloblog · 7 years ago
Text
2018 Chicago Auto Show Hits, Misses, and Revelations
CHICAGO, Illinois – Big news out of the nation’s biggest auto show, counting public days, was actor Jim Belushi bantering with Ford Motor Company’s sales, U.S. marketing and service vice president Mark LaNeve over the 2019 Ford Transit Connect Wagon’s mid-cycle refresh.
In their presentation, Ford appeared to have discovered, or at least rediscovered, Baby Boomers and their buying power, while the charming character actor who recently played a casino boss in Showtime’s “Twin Peaks” complained that the passenger van doesn’t come with a cigarette lighter.
We have our own complaints, of course, though with this show so light on news we find ourselves in the unusual position of having far more hits than misses …
HIT: 2018 Nissan 370Zki
I love how stupid this thing is and I’m jealous that Lassa got to play Rockford with it outside of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. If you haven’t seen it yet, Nissan made a snowmobile out of its aging sports car by adding skis and some Dominator tracks and it looks pretty rad. Chicago got a good dusting of snow last night—I wonder if Nissan will let me take it for a spin outside of McCormick Place?
—Ed Tahaney
SUVs and trucks on ski tracks are nothing new, but this is the first time I can recall seeing skis on a sports car. Well played, Nissan. In the unlikely event this thing makes it to production, I’m moving to Detroit.
– Aaron Gold
HIT: Toyota Tundra, Tacoma and 4Runner TRD Pro models
I can’t say whether these offroad TRD Pros will ever pose a threat to trail rated Jeeps, but they surely look the part, and by the way Toyota Group vice president Jack Hollis talked them up, the Fox internal bypass shocks installed on each must make for some serious offroading. The black safari-style rooftop carrier on the 4Runner TRD Pro stands out. These trucks and the 86 sports car are the enthusiast counterpoints that make appliances like the RAV4, Camry and Corolla forgivable.
—Todd Lassa
MISS: Toyotaspeak
Over several auto shows now, Hollis has referred to Toyota buyers as the brand’s “guests,” as if Toyota was operating a hotel chain instead of selling cars and trucks. They’re not “guests,” unless Toyota offers a car-sharing service, and even then the term is an annoying relic of early ‘00s corporate-speak, as in “Toyota associates sell many Camrys to Toyota’s guests.” Hollis also pointed out the Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro’s new “desert-air intake” in his presentation. Serious off-roaders that Hollis wants to attract would call it a “snorkel.” —T.L.
REVELATION: Nissan’s Souvenir
The tchotchke that Nissan was handing out at the show? Turns out it’s a hand warmer, not a breast implant.
– A.G.
HIT: Volkswagen Arteon
A super subtle sedan that looks upscale just enough to help it stand apart from the rest of the pack. It’s got a sleek look, clean cabin, fastback feel, and comes with a six-year limited warranty. Its 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine offers 268 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Will SUV-obsessed Americans buy it when it finally goes on sale in the U.S. later this year? We’ll keep our fingers crossed.
—E.T.
In my opinion, this was the star of the show. The Arteon is a handsome car at first glance, and the longer you look at it, the more the details show themselves and the better it looks. My favorite view is from the side: There’s something of the first-gen “Bauhaus” Audi TT in the Arteon’s profile. Read the specs you’ll see that the Arteon’s luxury creds are, well, credible. This is a legitimate luxury car to which people will aspire. Almost makes one wonder what could have happened to the Phaeton had Volkswagen approached it a bit differently.
– A.G.
HIT: Subaru 50th Anniversary Lineup
It’s not as exciting as the Ascent reveal in L.A. and this could have gone seriously wrong with an all-black or midnight edition trim—but the Heritage Blue paint on the eight models works for me—especially on the BRZ and WRXes. Are these badges, special doodads, and blue paint going to add any value to your car? Probably not, but this is a must for diehard Subie fans.
—E.T.
REVELATION: Subaru is not so much into autonomy or ride-sharing
At the Midwest Auto Media Association’s Thursday morning keynote breakfast, Subaru of America president and chief operating officer Thomas Doll predicted that electric vehicles will catch on and quickly replace the internal combustion engine when costs come down, ranges go up and recharging becomes quicker and more accessible, though he doesn’t think the world is ready for Level IV or V autonomy or a switch to car-sharing services. “There’s a question of the secondary market for ride share cars,” he said, predicting ride sharing will grow only in large, congested cities like Manhattan, and maybe not even Chicago.
—T.L.
MISS: 2018 Lifted Nissan Titan HD Concept
Man, that truck is ugly and as silly looking as all those “Star Wars” inspired vehicle tie-ins. I hope this doesn’t blow my chances at driving the 370Zki—but then again there’s always the GMC Sierra 2500HD All Terrain X to commandeer.
—E.T.
HIT: Nissan…
…for creating a gigantic walk-in snow globe. For three minutes every fifteen, a section of the Nissan stand is deluged in snow (actually biodegradable bubbles, so there’s no mess). When it came to auto shows, I thought I’d seen it all, but making it snow indoors is a new one. That said, I’m from Los Angeles, and snow is a novelty. Chicago locals probably won’t be as impressed, especially the ones who went to the auto show specifically to get away from the snow.
– A.G.
MISS: Chicago Blackhawks Custom Camaro Convertible
Sorry Chicago—you couldn’t give this car away. Oh, wait—my bad. Chevrolet is giving it away to some unlucky fan. If you register to win it, you only have yourself to blame. Stick with the Chicago Cubs Toyota 4Runner instead.
—E.T.
MISS: Lexus LC ‘Black Panther’ Concept
Yet another over-bling’d movie car for another superhero action flick. The only add-on it’s missing is a vinyl top. Since automakers now have to pay movie producers to supply such cars, the question is, what good does this thing do for Lexus’ luxury image?
—T.L.
HIT: Hyundai I30N TCR
Bryan Herta with his drivers Michael Lewis and Mark Wilkens introduced Hyundai’s first North American race car, the I30N TCR, which will compete this year in the Pirelli World Challenge’s new Touring Car class. Why a race car based on the not-for-North America Hyundai I30N instead of the new Veloster built on the same platform? Because the 130N Touring Car already has had success in Europe, and anyway, Hyundai says it’s not ruling out switching to a Veloster body some time in the future.
—T.L.
Damn, this thing looks cool. Want, want, want.
– A.G.
MISS: Hyundai Veloster ‘Ant Man and The Wasp’ Concept
This movie car, presumably for yet another comic book super hero adaptation, almost makes the Lexus LC ‘Black Panther’ movie car look tasteful by comparison. Almost.
—T.L.
IFTTT
0 notes
surrendertodaniel · 7 years ago
Text
Surrender To Daniel’s Top 250 Tracks Of 2017ish (120-101)
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Opening Blab
250-201
200-181
180-161
160-141
140-121
120. Sean Paul featuring Dua Lipa - No Lie
Sean Paul’s “No Lie” is as good as of a tune as Liar Liar is a terrible movie. (Liar Liar is repugnant. Not sure why I’m on about Liar Liar right now.) Also if I were an iron-fisted dictator (lord willing) I’d have blimps flying over every city with a digital banner reading “Dua Lipa’s quite good, isn’t she?”
119. Papooz - Trampoline
Breezy retro-indebted pop that’s like a luxurious tchotchke that has a glamourous tackiness as a design. “Formidable!” declares French Dan!
118. Lab Coast - Back To Your Future
Negative-fi indie that triggers sense memories of the convenience store rental shelf seen for a split second in the video. I feel confident saying 1 out of 5 gas stations that offer video rentals in the prairies still have a sunbleached blue Now & Then poster on their wall.
117. Mise en Scene - Waster
Exquisite CanRock rumbling that travels with a shark fin visible at all times.
116. Weaves - Walkaway
Featuring a hook so massive you could park 50 Costcos on it, but why would you want to do that to this lovely Springsteenesque (thanks for putting that in my brain, NPR) anthem?
115. Aymee Nuviola - Rumba de la Buena
“Rumba de la Buena” is Gatorade for the soul. (And you choose the flavor! That’s how awesome this rumba sunbeam is!)
114. Plaitum - Ovation
Decadent stadium-electro that could and should double as video game final boss cut scene music*.
*Or maybe it shouldn’t? I haven’t played video games since like fucking Bre-X or whenever.
113. New Swears - Dance With The Devil
New Swears are as reliable a hosehead-rock vendor as we’ve got going these days. “Dance With The Devil” is like if a schooch less power-ampy Hellacopters was pushed through an Ottawa Valley and Labatt 50 filter.
112. The Regrettes - Seashore
“You’re talking to me like a child,” cautions Lydia Night before ticking off the starter domino that lets you know she’s the one leaving with her arm victorious and these shitbags on the canvas looking up at the lights. It’s a pop-rock music song.
111. Kane Strang - My Smile Is Extinct
Thorny boy feelings indie that is perfect for powersulking in some sort of hammock. This alternatweennip if I’ve ever seen it.
110. Red Velvet - Red Flavor
Towering K-pop&B that’s accompanied by a video that gives fruit its most compelling role since No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” promo. (I know I’m forgetting six million videos between these two. LET ME REST, GHOSTS OF SHAME!)
109. Lovely Bad Things - Hiding to Nothing
I’ve done a lot of slow-motion air guitar to this and if you saw it out of context it probably looks like I’m trying to light a match on my belt followed by trying to hold back an invisible lightning monster and back to the match thing again.
108. Century Palm - King of John Street
My buddy Jesse is/was in this band. Hi Jesse! Remember when we used to work for a cable music network for a while? That reads weird on paper, eh? Anyway, “King of John Street” is a sublime post-punk minecart ride of a tune.
107. Jessie Reyez  - Gatekeeper
Criminally undervalued recording artist Jessie Reyez kindly guides us on the scenic route through sexist hell.
106. Jay Som - Baybee
Grooving woozy indie that gets you cozy before it sinks in that coziness is part of the trap.
105. YBN Nahmir - Rubbin’ Off The Paint
King of the midway flexing with technicolor production that makes slaughtering the opposition sound like child’s play. Or Child’s Play as it were. (No Bushwick Bill or Ski Mask the Slump God gimmick infringement intended.)
104. Milk Teeth - Owning Your Okayness
Josta-splashed teeter-toter rock majesty plucked from the top of the alternative charts in some additional mid 90s year we had our memories MiB-wiped of. Like this was probably #1 for 8 weeks in 199#!
103. Bakermat featuring Kiesza - Don’t Want You Back
Speaking of charts of yore, if Electric Circus were still around *pulls cobwebs out of beard* this would be played EVERY GODDAMN WEEK FOR 96 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS AND WE WOULD ALL BE FOR MORE! Kiesza does dumbbell choreo in the video for Christ’s sake! Incredible.
102. Jimmie Allen - Blue Jean Baby
The sort of romantic lite FM country confection that should have its own Lifetime or Hallmark movie by Q2 2018.
101. FAUX - Take Back Time
“Take Back Time” does naked 80s pop sophistication appreciation so kindly that I swear I’ve heard this song in the Coming Attractions of dozens of VHS rentals.
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