#economic car hire

[ace-and-ranty]

You get used to living in a big city, with trains and buses and Ubers, and then you get rudely reminded you still live in car culture, where every fucking review of every fucking where will tell you everything you want to know except how to fucking get there.

[blogy2024]

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[ajaycarrental]

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[befuddledcinnamonroll]

We Are and the evolution of Thai BL tropes

The QL discord started a rewatch of My Engineer a few weeks ago, and damn, has it been an interesting experience. At the time I originally watched My Engineer, there was little that stuck out to me, because so much of what happened felt so incredibly common in a lot of the (admittedly rather limited) number of BLs being produced. It felt like pretty standard fare.

But going back and watching it in juxtaposition with We Are airing has been so fascinating. This genre has been evolving, y'all.

As much as we all joke about always getting more university BLs, there is something to be said for a format that can be used as something of a metric for the genre. And though there's only four years between My Engineer and We Are, seeing them both at once gives me such an incredible appreciation for the direction the genre is going in, the impact of having more queer voices involved in the creation of QLs, and how there's a lot of good we can find in seemingly simple spaces.

Obligatory disclaimer: This is just my perspective and subjective interpretation of what I have seen as a BL viewer of some time; also I don't have time to go in and do a university deep dive, so this isn't a real analysis, but more of a brief writeup of observations.

Trends are not black and white, of course, there is a spectrum. I'm sure we'll suffer through more Dinosaur Loves. At the same time, having such predominant production companies as GMMTV putting effort into hiring queer creatives and subverting old cliche tropes is an encouraging thing. (Especially as they were the creators of the original university trendsetting BL with Sotus).

Note: For newer QL viewers, I highly recommend @absolutebl for brushing up on trope history. For university BLs in particular, this post and this post are great starting primers.

Let's talk tropes!

Ok, one more note - some tropes are being what I would consider subverted, some more adapted to a newer framework, and some just played with - I'm going to talk about how they appear to me, but I'm not going to be super pedantic over it, because this is just for fun.

Trope: Bullying/hazing behavior

This did not age well in My Engineer, and I would guess hasn't aged well in a number of BLs (and other media, because the whole "he's mean to you because he likes you" bullshit has been around forever). Not just because the behavior was shitty, but because it was played off in the script as cute, and implied that it was completely justified for the seme to do whatever he wanted in his pursuit of his uke.

(There was also quite a strong tone of internalized homophobia, with the lead feeling more comfortable in expressing his interest through harassment than honest emotion, but the show never actually engaged with that in any meaningful way.)

We Are sets up a very traditional enemies to lovers/bullying start to the story, with Phum taking advantage of Peem's economic situation to make him his "slave".

And yet... there's some important elements here that make this more than the standard use of the trope.

Phum keeps it pretty light in his bullying behavior, and clearly is using it more to keep Peem around as company, versus the kind of bullying in My Engineer, where Duen is literally hit by a car, and yet still expected to keep jumping to Bohn's whims.

As soon as Phum realizes he really upset Peem by leaving him waiting at the mall, he genuinely feels awful about it. It's clear that his intent is not to cause harm, and that he has a conscience. He wrestles with his feelings on it quite a bit, and it ends up being the thing that gets Phum to finally express an honest emotion with Peem.

And most importantly, the script does not let him off the hook. His behavior is bad, and is identified as such by the writing. Peem pushes back and is shown to be right to do so, Beer openly says he disapproves.

So instead of a cliche story beat that's used just to start the action, or a seme who's allowed to do whatever he wants because "passion" (blech), we're seeing it used for characterization, giving us important beats about who both Phum and Peem are in how they engage with each other through the use of the trope.

Trope: Obsessive/jealous behavior

Oh, this one was painful in My Engineer. Duen couldn't even talk to another human being without Bohn getting jealous and angry and dragging him away.

Phum gets jealous, particularly around Kluen, but what makes it feel so subversive here are two key things.

Phum's jealousy has a purpose here, it's not just for drama's sake. It's not the cliche seme doing whatever he wants and being treated as justified. It's deliberately being used to explore his insecurities, and give him a challenge to overcome. Phum doesn't stomp over and drag Peem away, he retreats, he hides. When his jealousy causes him to lash out at Peem, he is immediately aware he fucked up.

And again, the script is making it clear that this behavior is not ok. Peem chides Phum when he acts unkind to Kluen, and Beer makes it clear that the solution is not petty behavior, but actually figuring out a way to communicate his feelings with Peem before he misses his chance. This is portrayed as a barrier for Phum to overcome in order to be with Peem, not an expected part of a romantic relationship.

Trope: Friendship group

There are not enough words to express how much I love the friendship group in We Are. To be fair, this is one of the better historical tropes. We've gotten a lot of amazing friend groups, even in mediocre BLs.

But it's still different in We Are, for one simple reason. In most university BLs, the friend group is a supporting structure. But here?

The story lines may be about the romance, but the point of We Are is the friendship.

I will die on this hill, y'all.

I don't have enough time to go into it fully here, but this show is a love letter to friends. It's a tribute to finding the people who see the real you and have your back unconditionally. Who cheer your successes and commiserate over your defeats, who pick you up when the world knocks you down, who call you out when you make mistakes, and push you to be better.

And romance is lovely, but all of these budding relationships are about being friends first, and then lovers, because that friendship is just as important as everything else, if not more.

Trope: Pink milk

Lol, ok, kinda kidding, kinda not. I know we all got mad over the drink wastage, but also check out these visuals - it's about diversity baby!!

TanFang speed round

My two little trope-busting bebes. These two are already so beautifully non-traditional in their composition, but I love how frequently they are used to make fun of and play with tropes just on their own.

Introduced as pining crush/friend's older brother pair, but actually secret enemies to lovers.

Grumpy/sunshine pairing, where the sunshine used to be a fighter, and grumpy smiles when he thinks no one is watching.

Wound-tending where they keep poking each other instead of acting soft.

Openly mocking the jealous boyfriend trope.

Setting up the possessive trope when Tan doesn't pick up Fang's calls, only to immediately have Fang question if he's being unreasonable.

Setting up their own cute eating scene for kicks.

"First time" sex scene making it clear this is anything but their first time.

Tan holding Fang down in the cliche possessive pose, only for Fang to take the agency of kissing Tan. (And overall saying eff off at the cliche top/bottom roles old BLs were such a fan of).

In Summary

I'm sure there are more tropes that will come to me, and we do still have 5 episodes left of We Are, so there are some potential trope uses that I am keeping an eye on. This is by no means an all-inclusive list.

But I wanted to write this, because I was genuinely shocked to realize how different my My Engineer watching experience was this time compared to my first time. How over the last few years I'd come to expect more thoughtfulness in my QL media, even in the ones that seem shallow on the surface.

Considering how fast and furious the QLs are coming these days, it's easy to forget how recent it was that we were much more starved of content. And I think sometimes we forget to take in the big picture, of how far we've come in just a few years.

Critique is always going to be important, of course, it's part of what helps us make progress. At the same time, it doesn't hurt to take a moment to look around and see some good in where we are.

@sailorbryant thanks for the push to get this written! Feel free to add thoughts!

[sadoeuphemist]

7 free startup ideas worth $1M-$1B

Customizable News Settings - A news website that generates three versions of every news story: a right-wing version, a left-wing version, and a centrist one. You can set your preferences depending on the topic - say you're right-wing on economics, but left-leaning on immigration. Or you can cycle between versions while reading an article to get a comprehensive overview of the issue at hand.

Twitch, but for Uber - With all the drama they have to deal with, independent contractors can gain a second revenue source simply by streaming their jobs. Rather than just offering rides, they can be hired to drive around performing chores and various tasks. The more outrageous the task, the more eyes they're likely to get on their stream. The more popular the stream, the more people calling in who want to be a part of the program.

Panera Lemonade, Your Way - Let the customer take control by deciding how many milligrams of caffeine they can handle. With sufficient warning about the risks, this puts the responsibility back on the consumer, allows you to upcharge for extra caffeine, and creates viral marketing from customers competing to see how high they can go. Variations of this can be created for other menu items, e.g., a version of the One Chip Challenge where the customer decides how much capsaicin to sprinkle on.

Shein, for NFTs - Whenever an NFT project hits the mainstream, there are always going to be people who miss out on being able to purchase one. This creates room in the market for 'knockoffs' - NFTs that mimic the aesthetic of the original, using similar but legally distinct AI art that uses the original set as training data, run on a parallel blockchain. Since the images themselves aren't tied to the blockchain, you can mint the NFTs beforehand and then change the image at the link to whatever happens to be in fashion at the time.

Twitch Chat Plays YouTube - Add a level quality control to AI-generated YouTube videos by allowing users to submit suggestions and vote on the results beforehand. Users can submit Wikipedia articles or movie summaries to be converted to text-to-speech, suggest keywords for the accompanying AI-generated animation, and vote on the best combinations. Users who submit winning suggestions get a portion of the ad revenue.

Buses, but Worse - The current obstacle hindering self-driving car technology is their difficulty adapting to unexpected scenarios. So instead plot a route around the city that minimizes roadway obstacles and heavy traffic, map out that route extensively to provide a model for the autopilot, and you can have a fleet of self-driving cars patrolling that circuit. Passengers can board and get off anywhere along the route.

Twitter, but for Bots - A social media platform populated entirely by bots, all programmed to maximize engagement. Memetic evolution in the wild as the bots latch on to trending keywords, spam each other with AI-generated meme images, mock up t-shirts hawking each other's designs, getting more and more degraded with each sub-iteration. Real people can't make accounts on the platform, but count for views and interactions as they stop to gawk at the virtual ecosystem. Advertisers can pay to have their brands injected directly into the discourse, like throwing a pumpkin into the polar bear cage at the zoo.

[coimbrabertone]

The Backdoor Deals that Make Motorsport Go Round

This is going to be a bit of a different blogpost.

First things first, last weekend during the Las Vegas Grand Prix, we started hearing about the Andretti Cadillac to F1 story being resolved, at least on the Cadillac side. Today, we got confirmation, with the Cadillac F1 team confirmed to join for 2026. So far, we know this: Dan Towriss will be CEO, Mario Andretti (not Michael) will serve on the board, and Cadillac will initially use a Ferrari power unit while Cadillac develops their own unit in Michigan.

We also know that the team will retain all of Andretti's hires so far - Pat Symonds chief among them - and that the team will be based in Fishers, Indiana (where Andretti's new base will be) with a sort of forward operating base in Silverstone.

So...it's Andretti with the serial numbers filed off.

And I think this has been in the works for a long time.

Let me talk about a few things, and then we'll weave all these little threads together to show a bigger picture.

First things first, Michael Andretti launches Andretti Aquisition Corporation I - a Special-Purpose Acquisition Corporation, which is a public company that exists for the whole purpose of buying out a private company, merging with that private company, and using that to make the private company public in a streamlined manner - to merge into an AI company called Zapata.

Zapata starts trading at $10 a share, it almost immediately drops to $2.95 a share, and it keeps dropping. As of November 25th, 2024, Zapata AI stock is trading at $0.02 a share. That is quite literally two cents a share.

I don't need an economics degree to tell you that was a shitshow of a stock.

Second of all, at the Miami Grand Prix, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei reportedly promised to do everything in his power to keep the Andretti name out of Formula One.

Third of all, in response, Mario Andretti goes to his friends on Capitol Hill - Mario is the big political donor of the family - and petitions Congress to begin an antitrust probe into Formula One and Liberty Media.

Fourth of all, at the end of the 2024 NTT Indycar Series, Michael Andretti announces his decision to step down from the day-to-day running of Andretti Global. Dan Towriss, co-owner and the man who brought in Group 1001 (and its Gainbridge and Delaware Life subsidiaries) to the team, has been taken control. Michael is still a strategic advisor and maintains that he will still be connected to this team, but...it's a change.

And for whatever it's worth, there are whispers that Michael Andretti stepping down wasn't entirely his own decision.

Fifth of all, two weeks ago, Greg Maffei announced he is stepping down from his role at Formula One and Liberty Media at the end of the year.

Finally, like I said, it has now been confirmed that Cadillac will enter Formula One as its eleventh team. Mario is on the board, Dan Towriss is in charge, and the team will be run on Cadillac's behalf by Towriss' TWG Global.

TWG Global is said to be the owner of Andretti Global in Indycar, Wayne Taylor Racing in IMSA, and Spire Motorsports in NASCAR. That last one is particularly notable because, while there have been rumors about Andretti buying into Spire and Towriss' companies consistently sponsor the Spire cars, this is the first time we've actually heard about him owning a piece of Spire.

I guess Dan Towriss' thing is quietly acquiring racing teams without putting his name on them.

In any case, after all that, Cadillac is going to be in F1, the Andretti organization is going to run the team, but the Andretti name - particularly Michael Andretti - is not going to be attached to this project.

To illustrate that point, today, Michael Andretti tweeted about how proud he is about an American team entering Formula One and that he'll be cheering them on from the outside.

So...what has happened?

I think Michael Andretti got burnt bad on the Zapata stock, and I think it's possible that he might have been playing with some of Dan Towriss' money while doing so. So, Andretti now owes Towriss money, Towriss sees Formula One as a more lucrative return on investment than Indycar, and Michael Andretti has rubbed people the wrong way in Formula One.

Liberty Media and Formula One don't want Michael Andretti in Formula One.

Cadillac and Towriss want to be in F1.

Mario Andretti is a World Champion, so his name carries weight in Europe, but Michael Andretti's name does not. People in Europe either don't know who Michael is or remember him for that disastrous McLaren stint.

They don't care that Michael's bad 1993 was sandwiched either side by challenging for the championship in CART.

So...I think Michael Andretti had to get out of the way.

I think Greg Maffei had to get out of the way as well.

Cadillac is a big money name, Dan Towriss is a big money guy, and Formula One wants the American market, so an American manufacturer is an immense resource in that regard. So, in the name of the money, they got rid of the two big egos holding the deal up, and they got the team on the grid.

Now, I'm not a news source or anything, I'm just speculating on the bits and pieces of this that we know are public, but I find it hard to believe it's a complete coincidence that Michael steps down, Maffei announces his retirement, and then suddenly a Cadillac team is accepted with Andretti in more of a background role.

To me, it screams of a background deal for the greater good of the money people.

Liberty Media and Formula One don't want the Department of Justice sniffing around their business. Towriss and Cadillac want a piece of that Formula One pie. Mario Andretti wants to see his family's team in Formula One before he dies.

As for Michael, well...Andretti Global was his team, but he brought in investors, he started hiring people, he started building facilities in Indiana and in Motorsport Valley. The ball was already rolling, and Michael Andretti was the only thing holding it up.

Was he forced out? Maybe, but I think it's more likely that he was given a light push and a retirement package so that he can sit on his couch with his granddaughter and watch his team put a car on the Formula One grid.

Just without his name on it.

[coochiequeens]

A man exploited a woman, then he beats her before murdering her by shooting her NINE times and now he’s claiming to be a woman.

A gay man who admitted to murdering the surrogate mother he hired to have his children has told the court he identifies as a woman in what some are calling a bid to avoid a potentially lengthy sentence for femicide.

Fernando Alves Ferreira was detained in February of 2022 after admitting to the murder of Eduarda Santos, a surrogate he had hired who was living with him in the Argentinian city of Bariloche. Santos’ body was found by a tourist on the Circuito Chico Trail with 9 gunshot wounds. A later forensic examination revealed that Santos’ corpse also had injuries consistent with having been beaten prior to her death.

Two days after the killing, Ferreira turned himself into police. He repeatedly admitted to the crime while in custody, stating repeatedly “I did it. I killed her.” He was charged with femicide, premeditated murder, and use of a firearm owned without authorization, and expressed a desire in court to enter a guilty plea.

In Ferreira’s car, which was seized after he turned himself in, police found blood stains, leading them to theorize that a fight had broken out in the vehicle before Santos fled on foot. Ferreira then chased her down and shot her. Investigators noted that Ferreira had taken “every precaution to ensure the woman could not defend herself.” CCTV footage was also found of Ferreira disposing of his weapon. 

The motivation for the crime is unclear, as Ferreira has refused to provide concrete details. Instead, he has vaguely accused Santos of being involved in illegal “gang” activity and suggested he was the victim in the situation. No evidence has been found to substantiate his claim.

The court heard that Ferreira and Santos were both originally from Brazil, and that Ferreira, along with his husband, had hired Santos to be a surrogate in 2020. 

Santos would give birth to twins for Ferreira and his partner, who would pass away the next year. The woman had apparently been living with the couple due to having a lack of her own economic resources.

The chief prosecutor in the case characterized Santos as being particularly vulnerable, and described her as having been “at the mercy” of Ferreira. Just one month prior to her murder, Santos had given birth to another child.

“Eduarda was a foreign woman who lived in Bariloche … She lived in the defendant’s house, lacked her own resources, and was at the mercy of the owner of the house,” chief prosecutor Martín Lozada stated during a hearing. “It was a situation of remarkable asymmetry. Eduarda was a woman to whom the accused had rented her womb to have two children through surrogacy, and since the birth of the twins, she lived in the same house.”

Prosecutors also argued that Ferreira had exercised “economic and psychological violence” on Santos for years, and that Santos was without any family or friends in Argentina. 

In response, Ferreira accused Santos of being the aggressor, saying “she was not submissive.”

Santos’ family in Brazil have previously spoken out against Ferreira’s claims of victimhood, slamming media for giving him sympathetic coverage. 

“My sister is the victim, not him,” Santos’ brother told Brazilian outlet O Dia last year. At the time, the family appeared to have been unaware of Santos’ situation in Argentina, believing she had gainful employment in the country. Santos’ family has been fighting for custody of the children she had as a surrogate for Ferreira in order to repatriate them to Brazil. Ferreira has demanded the children not be returned to Brazil. 

It was the dynamic between Ferreira and Santos which led to prosecutors pursuing a conviction for femicide, which is defined as a gender-specific crime introduced in 2012 to address the nation’s epidemic of sex-based violence. According to the United Nations, one woman is murdered every 32 hours in Argentina. The femicide provision was defined broadly as “a crime against a woman when the act is perpetrated by a man and gender violence is mediated.”

But now, Ferreira’s lawyers are seeking to have the femicide charge withdrawn, arguing that their client no longer identifies as a man. This past week during a hearing, Ferreira’s lawyers stated that his name was now “Amanda,” and that he was going through the relevant legal procedures to have his self-declared gender identity recognized. 

The prosecutors have reportedly pushed back against Ferreira’s request to be treated as a woman, but the case is still underway.

Of the charges Ferreira faced, the femicide claim carried the longest potential sentence of life imprisonment. If withdrawn, and if the other legal strategies stated by the defense are successful, Ferreira could spend as little as 10 years in prison for slaughtering Santos.

This is not the first time gender identity has interfered with a femicide-related crime in Argentina.

As previously reported by Reduxx, the brutal murder of a prostituted woman in Buenos Aires was initially recorded as a femicide until media learned that the two men involved in the killing identified as transgender.

Brenda Córdoba, 28, was murdered on November 10 of 2021 in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Balvanera. Grisly surveillance camera footage released by police during the investigation into her death showed Córdoba being approached by what appeared to be a man in a white hoodie and face mask. The man circled around to her back before grabbing her in a headlock and stabbing her multiple times in the chest.

Córdoba, who was dropped into a puddle of her own blood, was initially found alive by passersby who had attempted to intervene in the stabbing and rushed to hospital. She died as a result of her injuries days later.

Her killers were apprehended by police after an appeal to the community with CCTV footage of the murder. While media initially reported the crime as having been a femicide, the term was quickly scrubbed from reporting after the gender identities of Córdoba’s killers were established.

“due to having a lack of her own economic resources”……. Meaning two men exploited a poor woman.

By Anna Slatz

Anna is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief at Reduxx, with a journalistic focus on covering crime, child predators, and women's rights. She lives in Canada, enjoys Opera, and kvetches in her spare time.

[totowlff]

break the rules

➝ you're there for business and that's all. however, after your presentation, you meet a mysterious man who makes you question all your convictions.

➝ word count: 3,8k

➝ warnings: strip club environment, alcohol consumption, mentions of smut

➝ author’s note: this was an idea that appeared suddenly and that was stored for some time in my drafts. after finishing my last one shot, i took the courage to finish this story. definitely not my best, but I still find it interesting and, in a way, mysterious.

The wind whipped your hair against your face as you walked down the narrow street. Winter hadn't officially arrived in Vienna, but that didn't stop you from feeling a bone-chilling cold under the thick coat and red scarf you had chosen to leave the house that late afternoon.

The movement at that time of day in the Innere Stadt was intense, cars roaming the alleys near St. Stephen's Cathedral, sharing the tight space with buses, bicycles, motorbikes and pedestrians, many pedestrians. Residents and tourists, adults and children, all mixed together, heading to their homes, apartments and hotel rooms to rest after a long day in the City of Dreams. Walking in the opposite direction, however, you weren't going home or to the hotel, like them.

You were going to work.

The fact that you had a night job was not surprising, considering that that was a city that had tourism as its main economic asset. There were countless bars, restaurants and cafes that were open, waiting anxiously for customers, especially after a complicated period related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

But the surprising part of your job was that you weren't a waitress, a cook, or a bartender, even though you'd served countless flutes of champagne and glasses of whiskey, with and without ice.

You were a stripper.

It wasn't the most conventional job there was in Vienna, especially considering the city's nightlife. However, it was the only one that, in addition to paying well enough to cover the expenses of the PhD in psychology you were doing, was flexible with the timing of the workshops and seminars you needed to attend, as well as making it possible for you to work on your dissertation during the week.

Your family didn't know, let alone your classmates or teachers. The official version was that you worked in a high-end bar and received some generous tips from customers. Nobody needed to know what you did or said for them to pay you so well.

Stopping briefly to see an interesting shoe that was in the Midanis window, you headed towards the brown door next to the gold tiled wall where the club's name was placed. Stopping in front of the intercom, you quickly typed in the employee passcode, a simple sequence that caused the lock to squeak open.

Descending the stairs leading to the lounge, you came across one of the security guards, who was smartly dressed in a well-tailored suit.

— Good evening, Layla.

— Good evening, Marc — you replied, smiling.

That wasn't your real name. As soon as you were hired by the club, you were given a new name, of Arabic origin, in order to protect your privacy and offer more security against clients who wanted to cross the line that was firmly delimited in your contract. Unlike other girls, you had refused to join the club's list of available escorts.

You were there to dance, and only to dance.

As you entered the main hall, you found the place being carefully prepared for the night. Two female employees were bent over tables, wiping them down, while the bartender arranged drinks on the bar. Greeting them with a smile, you crossed the room towards a door at the back of the room, which led to the dressing rooms.

As she opened the door, your nostrils were filled with the scent of hairspray, women's perfume, and nail polish remover. In the speakers, a lively beat mingled with the conversations and laughter of the other women who worked there, who were already getting ready for the night.

— Good evening, Layla — a blonde girl, who was modeling a curl with a curling iron, greeted you.

— Good evening, Fatin — you answered, as you went towards the lockers and opened yours to put your purse in — Curls today?

— Aisha heard that there is a big table reserved tonight — Fatin replied, letting go of the strand she'd just styled and picking up another one — Looks like it's a big guy's birthday party. And you know what it means, right?

— Tips? — you replied, looking over your shoulder as you removed the coat you were wearing, revealing the black top you were wearing underneath. Then it was the turn of the jeans to slide down your legs, revealing your panties in the same color.

— Exactly — she smiled, releasing another curl — And the good ones. The kind ones that pay bills.

— I hope so, I still have to pay my apartment’s rent this week — you chuckled, as you folded your coat and put it in your locker. Then you pulled the black tulle top and shorts out of your bag, putting them on right there. There was no point in feigning modesty considering the women there were dressed even less discreetly than you. Finally, you put on your favorite heels, with transparent and vertiginous platforms, perfect for the choreography you would be doing that night.

Sitting in front of the mirror, you were just finishing gluing on your false eyelashes when Theresia, the club manager, walked into the dressing room with a wide smile on her face.

— Good evening, girls — she said, receiving a chorus of positive responses — Today we are hosting a large group for a birthday celebration, so I ask that you put your all into your choreographies and be nice to them.

— Do you have the setlists? — one of the girls, a brunette whose name there was Huda, asked.

— You start, Huda, followed by Iman, Layla, Malika and Karima closes the first round — the woman replied, making you release the air that was trapped in your throat. You hated being the first one to perform, as your choreography was more rhythmic, and generally, the audience appreciated more lively opening numbers — Any other questions? No? Great. Girls who want to go to the bar are free to do so.

Theresia walked out with a few girls behind her. However, you remained seated, staring at your own shoes.

— Layla? — someone called you. You looked up to find Fatin standing in front of you with a smile on his red lips — Are you going to stick around?

— Yeah. I want to stretch and concentrate for the performance.

— Want me to take a look at the guys to give you a preview?

You smiled.

— I do.

— Okay, I'm going there and I'll be right back, okay?

Fatin left the dressing room towards the club’s bar, while you remained seated, staring at your own reflection. You were wearing strong makeup, your eyes lined with eyeliner, almost cat-like. A perfect parallel with the choreography you had chosen for that night, which had something wild and mysterious about it.

As you mentally recalled the steps, following the beat of the music in your head, you imagined how your movements would look to the eyes of the men who should be walking into the club at that hour, ordering their drinks and talking about business and other banal things before enjoying the women who would walk onstage and make them put their hands in their wallets and pockets.

Still thinking about one of the moves you would make, your eyes met Fatin's, who was returning to the room with a wide smile on her face.

— Did you like what you saw? — you asked, stifling a laugh.

— There are some interesting guys out there. Apparently they're here to celebrate the 50th birthday of one of them. But if you ask me, they don't look 50 years old...

— Did you ask their age?

— No, but, you know, these guys always have friends the same age.

You laughed.

— Everyone from here?

— Doesn’t look like it, as they're speaking English. There must be foreigners with them.

— Americans?

— Don't think so. Too handsome to be 50-year-old guys from America.

— There are 50-year-old guys from America who are handsome.

— But those are too handsome, Layla. And, let's face it, the only good looking guy in America at that age must be Ben Affleck and I'm pretty sure he's not out there.

— Of course he’s not, he got married this year.

— Married? — Fatin asked, incredulous.

— Yeah, with Jennifer Lopez — you replied. It wasn't like you followed celebrity news, in fact, you found out after a customer commented on your butt being similar to the singer's and lamented for long minutes about her marriage.

— Shit — she muttered, taking a seat in a chair beside her, facing the mirror.

— Don't worry, you'll find your Ben soon, Fatin.

The two of you continued talking, commenting about the choreography you were working on and the song you were dancing to that night. When showing a video that you had made in a rehearsal, your colleague gave a mischievous smile.

— The guys out there are going to love it.

— You think so?

— I'm sure — she replied, as you caught sight of Theresia's face in the dressing room doorway, a slightly worried expression on her face.

— Layla, you’re up.

— Why?

— Iman's with a client and the guy paid for an hour with her. I can't get her out of there now.

You sighed, getting up from your chair.

— The show must go on — you said, pushing past Fatin and heading for the door.

The way to the stage was always a moment of introspection for you. It was as if you stripped yourself of all the labels you occupied in the lives of the people around you. You abandoned your daughter, granddaughter, friend, student, psychologist and future doctor to become just Layla. Your sensual and confident alter-ego, who looked each of those men in the eye and made them feel much more than sexually desired, but understood and welcomed as well.

Standing at the entrance to the stage, you took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching your hands, relaxing the muscles in your shoulders. “It's showtime”, you thought, before looking up and wiggling your feet to check that your shoes were securely fastened to your feet.

And then you entered the stage, slowly.

The room seemed to quieten as you walked to the center of the stage, the voices becoming whispers inside your head. Leaning your back against the pole, you waited for the woman's voice to come through the speakers before looking up. The club was full, men and women mixed up, liquor bottles, champagne flutes and whiskey glasses strewn across the tables.

The soft beat guided your movements. Lifting one leg a few times, soon you were pulling yourself up onto the pole, spinning as your body slid down. Your muscle memory took you through the music as if it were something natural that you had done hundreds of times. Every step came naturally, every sigh, every lust-filled gaze you directed at the audience.

After a few steps on the ground and spinning around the pole to get up again, you finished the choreography looking back at the audience, while the song ended in a whisper from the interpreter. The silence that followed made the corners of your lips curl. The mission had been accomplished.

Taking a deep breath, you waited for the spotlight that illuminated you to go out so that you left the stage in quick steps, hurrying to make room for the next girl who would perform there. At the backstage door, Fatin was waiting for you with a wide smile on her face.

— Another perfect performance, Layla — she said, as she escorted you back to the dressing room — The guys were completely mesmerized.

— I hope you didn't notice that I missed one of the footprints on the pole — you replied, walking back into the dressing room.

— Honestly, I didn't even notice — Fatin murmured, while you took one of the small glasses of water and took a long drink — Now drink this and let's go back to the hall.

After a quick look in the mirror to confirm that your hair was still acceptable and that your makeup still looked fresh, you followed Fatin to the bar, which was, indeed, very busy. Smiling, you waved towards the bar, where the bartender, Farah, was making another Old Fashioned for one of the men sitting across from her.

— Layla — you heard Theresia call out to you from a corner of the hall, near the hallway that led to the private rooms. Giving Fatin's shoulder a knowing squeeze, you walked over to the manager with a smile on your face.

— Yeah?

— There's a guy waiting for you inside.

You blinked.

— Who?

— Does it matter?

— Well, it's just that I haven't talked to anyone yet...

— And you don't even have to, just move that ass of yours and these guys are happy — she said sharply — Now go, he's in room three.

Nodding, somewhat resigned, you entered the hallway in silence. Taking a deep breath, you were concentrating on putting the mask back on, on being the mysterious, seductive woman that man had seen onstage. “Focus”, you thought, before exhaling and putting your hand on the doorknob.

The private rooms always had the same layout, with a pole placed in the center of the room while a large black velvet sofa took up three of the walls of the room. Sitting right in the middle of it, tugging at the sleeves of his white shirt, was the man who had requested your presence.

He had dark hair and eyes, as well as a strong jaw. His shoulders were broad and, even sitting down, he looked very tall. Upon noticing his presence, he straightened his posture, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

— Good night — you said, slowly approaching the pole in the middle of the room, your eyes locked on his.

— Good night — he replied, his deep voice running through your body like a caress and a shiver — Layla, isn't it?

— Yeah — you said, placing a hand on the cold metal, leaning almost nonchalantly, even though you were feeling just the opposite. However, the rule was clear: it didn't matter to you who he was. It only mattered that he was willing to pay to have you for his eyes alone, if only for a few minutes.

— I liked your performance — he said, resting his elbows on his thighs — Have you been dancing long?

— A few years already — you replied, as you walked around the pole, your fingers slipping along it.

— And you like it, I presume.

— Well, yes — you said, smiling as you practiced a few laps on the pole — It pays my bills, so I can't complain.

The corners of his lips curled up as he leaned back on the couch.

— I guess I can say the same about my work.

— What do you do? — you asked, before mentally condemning yourself. It didn't matter to you what he did, you were just there to be a pleasant sight and nothing more. However, your curiosity did not anger the man in front of you.

— A curious girl, I see — he murmured, giving her a small smile.

— Someone needs to be — you hesitated, after all, you didn't know his name. And, realizing this, he hastened to complete.

— You can call me Torger.

A strong name. Powerful. Unusual. Something tingled on his skin.

— And what do you do for a living, Torger?

— Business — he replied, punctually.

— That we all do, don't we? — you returned, leaning against the pole.

— Indeed. But in my case, it's real business. Finance.

— Banker? Or investor?

— Neither of them. I own a business.

You snorted, looking unimpressed.

— Ah, crypto, eh? — you said — I hope you're not thinking of paying me that way, I won't accept it.

Your comment made Torger chuckle, throwing his head back. Stopping suddenly, your heart was pounding in your chest as something warm spread through your body.

— No, no, I've learned my lesson regarding cryptocurrency, I don't even want to think about putting money into that.

— Did you already try and lose money?

— Enough for me to regret thinking it would work — the man replied, running a hand through his hair — The point is, my job is related to finance, and before you ask, it's not illegal at all.

— I'm relieved — you murmured, allowing yourself to hook one leg over the pole for a quick spin.

— And you?

— What about me?

— What do you do? — Torger asked.

— You see what I do — you answered — I dance.

— I'm asking out of here. Do you work with something else? Study?

You pressed your lips together as you put your feet back on the ground. The moment you stepped there, Y/N didn't exist, the woman who was fighting for a postdoctoral degree didn't exist, neither the daughter, or the sister or the granddaughter that you were.

There was only Layla. And only she could be there, inside that room.

— I can't say anything.

— Why not? — he asked, raising an eyebrow.

— Because it's in the rules — you said, leaning against the pole again.

That was an outright lie. There were no rules within the club regarding what you could and could not say about yourself to the customers. The choice was entirely yours and you always chose not to say it so as to protect yourself from potential stalkers. Yet even following your own directive, something told you that you could trust Torger.

— Rules?

— From the club. I can't say anything about myself.

— Anything?

— Anything.

— Not even if I want to know more?

— Not if I wanted to tell you more — you said, stopping in front of the pole. Staring at you, Torger had the shadow of a smile on his face, as if he sensed that you wanted to say more. “Am I that transparent?”, you asked yourself as you took careful steps towards him.

— And are there any other rules here that you need to follow?

— Well, there are some — you murmured.

— Do you mind telling me?

You took a few seconds to think as you allowed your back to slide down the pole, coming to a stop on your knees in front of it.

— I can't use my real name or any information that identifies me, and I can't drink or smoke during working hours.

— Layla isn't your name then?

— No — you replied with a smile, as you slowly rose from the ground — And I didn't even mention the rules you have to follow…

— Are you serious?

You chuckled as you walked to the front of him.

— Yeah. You can't pressure me for information about her private life, not even take me out of the club during working hours... And you can't, under any circumstances, make physical contact.

— You mean I can't touch you? — he asked, a gleam of mischief in his eyes.

— No, you can't — you replied, looking down at his hands. They were big, with long fingers and not a ring in sight. Perfect to touch you.

— Not even if I asked?

— No.

— No one would know.

— They would.

— Only if you tell — he returned, in a mischievous tone.

Moving closer, you crouched down in front of him, your eyes wandering over his expression, trying to unravel what was behind the mischievous smile and curious look. He was completely magnetic, drawing you into his orbit in an almost natural way.

— And you want to touch me? — you finally asked.

— Yes, I do.

Looking into his dark eyes, you took a deep breath before taking his hand and bringing it to his face, your fingers lightly touching his skin. You felt as if your entire body was pulsing, heat spreading inside your chest. The feeling of doing it for the first time was both frightening and delicious.

— You're beautiful — Torger murmured, his thumb brushing lightly against your cheek.

— You're rather handsome yourself — you replied, making him chuckle.

— Thanks, I don’t hear that often.

— Seriously?

— Yeah. I've never been successful with girls.

— I don’t believe you.

— Why not?

— Because you're making me want to break all of my rules — you replied, instinctively bringing your face closer to his — And I never break rules.

— But you're breaking them now.

— For you.

— I guess I should feel special.

— Maybe you are — you whispered, your face close enough that your nose was brushing his. His touch on your face made anticipation swell below your navel — Maybe you are that much more than special…

You knew the moment you kissed him, you were lost. This was your last chance to back off, to avoid doing something you would bitterly regret. But at the same time, you wanted to jump into that abyss, you wanted to do that.

And when you kissed him, it was glorious.

It was a chaste, subtle touch. It was the first time you'd kissed a customer, and in a way, you wanted it to be the last. You wanted to kiss that man forever if that was possible. You wanted to taste him, wanted to feel his skin under your fingers. I wanted to feel his strength and delicacy mixing with his desire between the sheets.

— Torger — you whispered as he pulled away slightly. However, the answer came through his hands, which helped you up and placed you on one of his legs. Wrapping one of his arms around his neck, he didn't wait to bring your lips together again, this time in a more intense kiss.

It was strange to be in that position, completely surrendered to a customer, tasting alcohol on his tongue and his fingers squeezing your thigh. But, it was a good-type stranger. A stranger who made you understand why other girls had their favorite customers, who they offered more than attention and affection.

— I've never seen a woman like you — he growled, nibbling her neck, the hand that was on her thigh slowly moving up her body, burning you with desire — So beautiful, so perfect...

Your fingers dug into his dark hair, pressing his face against your skin, as if it could give you a crumb of pleasure. And, considering the path his lips made towards your breasts, you were pretty sure it was close.

Until the lights in the room turned white, and the music suddenly stopped.

That change in the environment had him looking up at you as sadness invaded your chest, your lips pressed into a thin line.

— What happened?

— Your time is up — you muttered.

— But… If I want, I can request more time, right?

You sighed, getting up from his lap. It was like waking up from a really good dream and realizing it never really happened. You couldn't have a guy like him all to yourself, you never could. You could never have more of him, however much you wanted.

— No, Torger. The limit is 30 minutes per girl, per night.

— Shit — he said quietly, running a hand over his face.

The silence that followed was uncomfortable, not to say painful. You didn't want to go, but you knew you needed to get on with your night, just like he did.

But how to continue working after that?

“The show must go on”, you said to yourself mentally, before sighing and turning towards the door. However, something wrapped around your wrist, preventing you from following. Turning your face, you found Torger's dark eyes fixed on yours.

— Are you going to be here tomorrow?

— Yeah. I perform every night here.

— So I'll see you tomorrow, okay?

— Okay — you replied with a little smile — See you tomorrow, Torger.

Bringing your hand to his lips, he placed a kiss on your knuckles.

— See you tomorrow, Layla.

[imustbenuts]

there's 2 fun facts you can infer about AITSF and AINI that isn't spoken about in game if you know enough about japan (MAJOR SPOILERS FOR AITSF)

1. mayumi started her diner likely in the 1980's, before an economic crash happened

when you first meet her (iirc), one of the things she says about her diner is that it was opened 30 years ago, and quote,

this line seems weird if you know nothing about it, but there was a major economic crash in the 1990s that still has lingering effects to this day.

in short, the banks were so over leveraged into the stratosphere that loan interests were crazy low, and everyone was wealthy and partying until the bubble popped. when it did, it was catastrophic, resulting in the 1990s being known as 'the lost decade'. new graduates couldnt find jobs and people struggled a lot. corporations suddenly stopped hiring fresh graduates. the perception of the 'safe salaryman life' began to see its death in this decade, it was painful.

anyway, mayumi pulling through this era really does mean the diner was doing GOOD. like, CRAZY GOOD.

spoilers: and this also means date was likely part of the lost decade. born 1977, it would've been 1995 when he reached 18. he would've graduated into a landscape of poor job opportunities, so being a civil servant (a cop) would've been a safe choice aside from his own possible motivations at the time.

speaking of.

2. date's car is stupid expensive. like, stupid, fucking, shouldn't-even-be-driven expensive. (potentially over 3k usd every 2 years minimum*)

so. in japan, cars are allowed to be on the road after passing an inspection. 車検 shaken, as it is commonly called, occurs every 2 to 3 years depending on the type of car it is. since the Ford Falcon is a common car, it would have to be inspected every 2 years.

all this system is in place to ensure the integrity of the car. in another way, shaken incentivizes people to renew their old cars for newer, more efficient models. the avg lifespan of a car in japan seems to be 12 years, and also, most people living in tokyo actually don't own a personal vehicle.

now, due to how shaken works, it would cost between ¥100,000 (US$747 rn) and ¥200,000 (US$1495) to renew... for newer cars. for older cars, it's more. plus, each time a car inspection fails, it'll cost even more time and money to get that shaken approved.

i've found someone claiming that driving a 1992 Porsche 911 964 RS meant paying ¥400,000 (US$2990 rn). (link) (EDIT: this was written in 2014)

now, best case scenario for Date's car being a '89, his shaken would cost maybe slightly more than ¥400,000 (US$ 2990 at time of writing) every 2 years. also again, this does not take into effect whether his car would actually fail inspection and require a fix or replacement to its parts, leading to even more costs. so yeah, potentially far more than ¥400,000.

but! one thing about his car is that it seems to be modified, seeing as how a certain someone's (plural) vehicle in AINI is also modified. it's probably safe to assume that there's some degree of tinkering going on under ABIS'/MPD rules bending.

so, this means date's vehicle is either bleeding him dry, or is being paid with taxpayer's money, or shaken isn't a thing in uchikoshi's mind. i'd like to believe in the former, because this means date has

been blowing ¥400,000 every 2 years on his stupid fucking car

been blowing ¥¥¥ on cabaret club

blew ¥1,000,000 (US$7,473 rn) on his stupid fucking audio system

his mountain of porno mags???

feel free to draw your own conclusions about the economy of AITSF, the pay of ABIS agents, and his residence:

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

I collected a lot of data. We collected millions of observations on everyday use of force that wasn’t lethal. We collected thousands of observations on lethal force.

And it was in this moment, 2016, that I realize people lose their minds when they don’t like the result.

So what my paper showed, you’ll see tomorrow, some of you, was that, yes, we saw some bias in the low level uses the force, everyday pushing up against cars and things like that. People seem to like that result.

But we didn’t find any racial bias in place shootings. Now that was really surprising because I expected to see it. The little-known fact is I had eight full-time RAs that it took to do this over nearly a year. When I found this surprising result, I hired eight fresh ones and redid it to make sure. They came up with the same exact answer, and I thought it was robust.

And then I went to go give it and my God, all hell broke loose.

It was 104 page dense academic economics paper with 150 page appendix. Okay? It was posted for four minutes when I got my first email. "This is full of shit." "It doesn’t make any sense." And I wrote back: "How'd you read it that fast? That's amazing. You are a genius."

And I had colleagues take me into, to the side and say, "don’t publish this. You’ll ruin your career." I said, what are you talking about? I said, what’s wrong with it? Do you believe the first part? Yes. Do you believe the second part? Well, it's... the issue is they just don’t fit together. We like the first one, but you should publish it-- the second one another time. I said, let me ask this. If the second part about the police shootings-- this is a literal conversation. I said to them, if the second part showed bias, do you think I should publish it then? And they said, Yeah, then it would make sense. And I said, I guarantee you, I’ll publish it. We’ll see what happens.

So, it was, it was, I lived under under police protection for about 30 or 40 days. I had a seven day old daughter the time. I remember going and shopping for-- because, you know when you have a newborn, you think you have enough diapers, you don’t. So I was going to the grocery store to get diapers with an armed guard. It was crazy. It was really, truly crazy.

==

This is why Claudine Gay set out to destroy Roland's career.

However low your opinion of Claudine Gay, it's not low enough.

[darkeagleruins]

TikTok Creator Told To Read Agenda 47 By Commenters Trying To Bash Trump.

Video Accidentally Blows Up Approaching 100k Likes & Everyone In The Comments Says They Can’t Believe They Just Became Donald Trump Supporters

“I was told in my live this morning that I need to go read Agenda 47 because I stated that Trump does not endorse Project 2025, but agenda 47 is a cliff notes version. So I went and I read it:

- First up, ending homelessness in veterans, which will be taking the funding away from the housing for the immigrants that are coming in illegally over our border and putting that funding into housing for our homeless veterans - Also giving funding to the VA

- Ending the war in Ukraine on day 1. News flash, Putin, about a week ago, said that he would be okay with this.

- It talks about lessening low income housing and using that money to help Americans who want to purchase homes purchase homes. Instead of putting that money into rentals and low income housing, it would put together programs so you can be in the best financial position to purchase a home

- Hiring a 100 new prosecutors and firing the ones that George Soros hired

- Ending the source of drug addiction in America, and funding better programs for people who are addicted to drugs. That funding would also come from the housing that is for the illegal immigrants crossing our border

- If you come over to the United States illegally right now but give birth to a child in the United States, that child is a are automatically a US citizen. This is going to stop that from happening.

- The rise in childhood chronic illnesses, we are going to start incentivizing looking for the root cause of those illnesses instead of just shelling out the medication to these children, not just putting a Band Aid on it and calling in a day

- Building the military and giving monetary incentives to join the military, but also changing the way that the military does things, re reconstructing the military - Returning jobs back to the United States that are currently being done overseas so that we can further an economic boom.

- If you are caught human trafficking or drug trafficking and you are convicted, you could get the penalty.

- Using gas cars instead of electric cars, making America energy independent again, drill, baby, drill.

- People that homeschool will get a check from the government every month just like the public school system does.

- Taking that funding from the Department of Education and putting it back in the hands of the parents, giving the parents back that power, and also holding teachers and faculty accountable for talking about their sexual preferences or the sexual preferences of a child, setting children up for success before they graduate

- And stopping welfare for the people who are coming into this country illegally.

Where's the problem with all of that? I don't really know, but I read it.

Those are some of the key points. If y'all wanna go and read it for yourselves, please do.

Stop listening to the media. Have a nice day.”

[luvly-writer]

“You are my sunshine”

Part 27: I know what the chaos brings

——————————————-

Jason Todd x Latina! Reader

Social Media Au

Warnings: guns

Status: Finished

Author’s note: FINALLY ITS POSTINGGGG! Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions!!!

Taglist: @lorosette @randobeetlehouse @alecmores @milas-teapot @writing-for-the-hell-of-it @izukuisbaby @unofficial-jaytodd-wife @graywrites5567 @addictedtothefictionalworld

Series Masterlist:

——————————————-

you hate having to constantly be nervous

You tugged on your red dress anxiously as you waited in the car.

You hair was tied back into a slick pony tail, the diamond necklace that laid comfortably on you matched with your bracelet, both gifts by Jason for the gala since you bough your own dress, and your heels snugly on your feet.

Jason had come to pick you up in his father’s black Mercedes (the one that he constantly stole and had absolutely no idea Bruce had already put down on his name and planned to tell him on his birthday) and decided to take a mirror pic with you on the complex lobby.

Nola had accompanied you to get your nails done and there you expressed the real reason of your current nerves

You had gone to quite a few galas before, and yet this one was different

Last time, you were a nobody hidden in the shadows, just another lucky commoner

Now…now you were set in the middle of the public eye, an easy victim for reporters and paparazzi to harass and tear down in order to get closer to the Wayne Family.

Bruce and Jason had given you some sort of publicity training before hand. Smile, wave, answer simple and superficial, and most importantly, don’t let them know they are getting to you. You were used to the first three seeing as you had enough practice getting benefactors at the scholar galas, but these weren’t old rich men and women who felt the need to give to the poor. These were people with sharp claws and teeth, ready to pounce on their next unsuspecting victim.

Jason could feel your inner turmoil. He had a hand on your thigh and would squeeze it reassuringly every once in a while. He was trying so hard to keep his eyes on the road but damn…..red looked so good on you. Why hadn’t you worn it before? He decided to voice his thoughts as a way of distracting you.

“You know, bonita, red looks so right on you. There’s just something about it that absolutely destroys me. Are you sure you want to go the gala? Cause I mean, I can turn back and we can spend the night back at mine or yours, just rolling in the sheets…” he finishes with a wink making you smile and look at him

“Well, if you manage to behave at the gala, I might consider this oh so generous offer, Tesoro”

Annnnnd Jason almost lost all sense of composure. God he was smitten.

He smirks and takes the hand that was in your thigh, grabs one of yours and kisses it lightly “I’ll be on my best behavior then, anything if it means I get to have you screaming my name and coming undone under me”

You heat up at that, feeling it go straight to between your legs and smile at him, you take advantage of the fact that you are at a red light and pull him for a short peck, one that as soon as you lean back has him almost whining to have you back on his lips.

You finally arrive and Jason exits first, handing the keys to the Valet parking. He walks around the car and opens the door for you, holding his hand out to help you out.

You start to see the flashing lights and the murmurs, all eyes on you. You grab his hand and let him help you out. You hold his arm and start walking towards the entrance.

“Miss YN! How does it feel to go from poor to rich!?!?”

“You look absolutely lovely, who are you wearing tonight!?!?”

Is this a ploy to make Mister Wayne hire you as an architect!?!”

“Smile for the camera”

“Is it legit that you are both soulmates!?! Or is it a lie conjured up for money!?!”

“Miss YN, is this a way of advancing in the economic pyramid? You know, for a woman and one of your background it could be difficult on your own…”

You had been smiling and waving politely until that last question

“First of all, as a woman, specially one from my background, it was rather easy climbing that pyramid seeing as my hard work, determination, and pure talent and intelligence paid off and I was and continue to be successful without the Wayne family name and titles. It your had been an informed reporter, and a competent one at that, you’d know you are speaking to the person that designed the very same building we find ourselves in. Second, if you ever speak to me again, it will be done with respect and not with your blatant racism. Have I made myself clear with everyone here.” You answer, gracefully with a wolffish smile and sharp eyes.

You never considered yourself an intimidating person (Jason and Nola would say otherwise, hell freezes the moment you’re pissed) yet, standing here in this crowd of reporters, who all had wide eyes at the drop of your credential, nodding like bubble head, you admit that your family and friends might have been onto something.

To ease the tension, you genuinely smile, and answer a few of the other questions taking advantage of the silence, “ah yes, the dress is from Carolina Herrera, beautifully made isn’t it. And yes,” you look up at Jason that has been staring with nothing but amazement and adoration at you “we are quite sure that our soulmate link is legit”. You stayed looking at each other and the paparazzi went wild, trying to capture the moment of pure love between the two of you and the ruckus began again, asking more questions.

You both finally got inside the hall and burst out laughing

“My, you really are something else..” Jason breathes out “his face! I can’t, Bonita, you truly never stop amazing me” he laughs and you can’t help but laugh as well

Jason gathers you in his arms and pulls you close, giving you a kiss in the head, “baby, you are so fuckin’ hot it’s killin’ me. Ya’ sure imma have to wait till later?” He whispers in your ear and you giggle, flustered cause his Gotham accent came out and it always drove you absolutely insane whenever it did.

Before you answer him, you both hear someone clear their throat behind you and find Bruce and Damian standing there. Bruce has an amused glint in his eyes and Damian looks fuming.

“Well, I’d say you were more than prepared to take on them. Quite the introduction to the public, I’m sure you definitely are going to do well in this family” Bruce states with a chuckle and motions for you all to start heading towards the ballroom.

Damian walks towards you, hugs your waist and murmurs “Did they offend your honor? Because if they did, I can have father and Drake strip them from their credentials, I’ll make sure of it.”

You laugh and hug him tighter, oh how much you adored him, “Thank you for the offer, Dames, I’ll be fine” you answer and he lets go. He nods and goes back next to his father.

“I will never not be unnerved by how soft he is for you” Jason whispers as he places his hand in the small of your back and you both continue to walk towards the ballroom.

You look around and smile, you know this place like the back of your hand. Pride swells on your chest because this was the first big shot design that you had made. Your art style flowed through these halls. You are suddenly pulled out of your thoughts by Tim’s smiling face.

“At last, I finally get the pleasure to meet you. Tell me, Dick didn’t get to you first right?” He asks concerned and you laugh, shaking you head no and pull him for a hug.

He stiffens a little but lets it happen, not used to physician contact without violence

Once you let him go, the five of you enter the ballroom, the four of them admire everything on it amazed by the splendor

“You designed this?” Asked Bruce

He had seen splendor and glamour a lot growing up, but nothing compared to this. Outside of the ballroom, it looked like any other mother hall, yet once you entered, it had this vintage splendor in it, almost as if you had stepped right in to a regency era movie.

Jason puffed out his chest in pride and smiled, “yup! That’s all her, talent indeed”

Bruce, Tim, and Damian nod, both Bruce and Tim murmuring in agreement that they would have to hire you sometime to do some work for them, both at Wayne enterprises and at the Manor.

The room is full of life, music playing and people chattering.

You meet up with the rest, with the exception of Dick. You see him chattering a red head up on the other side and laugh at the comments you hear of his obsession with red heads.

You spent a good amount next to Jason and Damian, neither willing to leave your side. That was until Tim asked you for a dance, receiving a look from both of the boys at your sides. You dance with Tim, talking just about anything. He was particularly interested in Puerto Rican coffee and you promised that would text your mother and tell her to send you some good cafe from la Isla so that he could try. Though it did come with an exchange, he would have to rest more and regulate his caffeine intake if he wanted to try. YN also offered to text a few old friends of hers to see if they could also send some coffee from Colombia and Cuba so that he could try those as well. Tim could see why it was so easy to adore her, it hadn’t even been an hour yet and he was already fond of her.

Next she felt a tap on her shoulder and low and behold, Dick Grayson in the flesh was there, smiling at her and asking for a dance. Sending a knowing grin at him, Tim let YN stay with him and left leaving the acrobat and the girl.

“I take it you lost the bet?” She asks stifling her laughter

Dick had the decency to at least look guilty and that was all it took to make her laugh. He joined her as well soon after. Both swayed to the music whilst Dick insisted that she should teach him how to dance salsa and speak Spanish..

“Aaaand why should I do that?” She teased and he replied with a boyish smile, “well thank you for asking, as a matter of fact, I have a list…”

The acrobat almost made the girl cry with laughter as his reasons ranged from “I don’t want to be unseasoned” to “the ladies will love it ;)”

YN was definitely amused and would tease the acrobat making him laugh even harder. It got to the point where both decided to head back to their family in order to stop causing a ruckus.

YN hugged Jason and smiled up at him, she sighed dreamily and pecked his cheek. He squeezed her a little, making her giggle. She entertained herself with a conversation with Cass and Steph where they speculated what the theme of the met gala would be and Jason would go from admiring his girl to talking with Tim and Dick. Damian would switch to hide behind YN whenever a particular elderly woman came by with the intentions of pinching his cheeks and the girl held out her hand for him to take. A few weeks back she had told him that if he ever felt overwhelmed, he can always hold and squeeze her hand in order to ground himself. He took it, discreetly of course, he didn’t want his brothers to see and potentially tease him.

It was going great so far.

YN had excused herself to go to the restroom and Jason, having a bad feeling followed her. She was fixing her hair, when Jason entered the bathroom.

“Jason! What are you doing here?” She asked surprised.

Jason tried to hide his worry with a smirk and said “Had to get you for myself for a while”

His smiled turned boyish and he pulled you closer, “I wanted some attention and they are hogging it completely and it’s not fair” he says in a mock whine and rolls his eyes making you die of laughter.

He leans in and kisses you gently. The music of the band can still be heard a little bit and he sways the two of you softly once he pulls back.

You place your arms on his shoulders and look up to him adoringly

God, this man was going to be the death of you and you loved it. You nuzzle your nose to his making him laugh softly

It was such a soft ambience,

His hands on your waist, foreheads pressed, Jason occasionally kissing your neck, cheek and collarbone, and lips.

It was perfect, until, it wasn’t.

A loud shot and someone screaming broke the calm atmosphere.

You look up at him startled and he looks towards the door and to his watch.

“Stay here” he tells you, his suspicions had been correct. Thankfully, it looked like you were away from danger and him being there just confirmed your safety.

He walks towards the door and you pull his arm back, “What the fuck do you mean stay here, Jason?!?!”

You are terrified and he just holds you by your shoulders, “Your family Jason, they could be in danger! We have to go help!!” You are trashing around trying to get out the door but he holds you still and looks into your eyes,

“Do you trust me, mi reina?” He asks softly, not wanting to scare you even worst

A few more shots rang and he felt you tense under his hands, you nod rapidly too panicked for words.

“Then I need you to stay here and trust me, everything will be alright, baby, I’ll come back for you, you just need to stay here and trust me, and under NO condition open this door unless it’s me okay?” He explains and you try to take deep breaths and nod.

Jason leaves the bathroom and only starts to walk away when he hears the door lock. He has lost so much in his life and he couldn’t afford to loose you too

___________________________________

Author’s note: MWAHAHAHAHAHA A CLIFFHANGER!! I LOVE THEM!

[porterdavis]

"A Test of Character"

Tom Nichols is a conservative writer who spent 20+ years as an instructor at the Naval War College, not a particular bastion of left-wing loonies. His article for The Atlantic is behind a paywall, but available for free if you subscribe to one of the magazine's newsletters, so I don't think it's totally out of bounds to reprint it here. It's a #long-read, but worth every second of your time.

(tl;dr -- we face a moral character test for the second time in seven years. We failed miserably the first time)

"Donald Trump went to CPAC and gave a speech that was, even by his delusional standards, dark and violent. Much of it was hallucinatory. Amusing as it is to listen to President von Munchausen and his many “sir” stories, Trump is the former commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces and the current front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024. He is as  dangerous as ever to our democracy and to our national security.

But I also want to turn attention from Trump’s evident emotional issues to consider a more unsettling question: How, in 2023, after all we know about this man and his attacks on our government and our Constitution, do we engage the people who heard that speech and support Donald Trump’s candidacy? How do we turn the discussion away from partisanship and toward good citizenship—and to the protection of our constitutional order?

In the past, reporters have approached such questions gingerly, poking their head into coffee shops, asking for comments at rallies, and claiming to overhear conversations at gas stations, all in the service of trying to understand Trump voters. (Only The Daily Show’s Jordan Klepper has ever managed to get anywhere in such interviews, and the answers he elicits are often terrifyingly dumb.) These respectful conversations with Trump voters have produced almost nothing useful beyond failed theories about “economic anxiety” and other rationalizations that capture little about why Trump voters continue to support a posse of authoritarian goons.

In 2016, Trump supporters could lean on a slew of hopeful arguments: Trump is just acting; he’ll hire professional staff; the “good” Republicans will keep him in line; the job will sober him up. All of these would be disproved over time. (It didn’t help that the alternative at the time was Hillary Clinton, for whom I voted but whose campaign was a tough sell to many people.) But by 2020, Trump, along with his enablers at Fox and other right-wing outlets, had created a kind of impermeable anti-reality field around the GOP base. This shell of pure denial defeated almost any argument about anything.

Media, flummoxed by having a sociopathic narcissist in the Oval Office, treated Trump like a normal political leader, and soon we all—even me—became accustomed to the fact that the president of the United States routinely sounded like the guy at the end of the bar who makes you decide to take your drink over to a table or a booth. When Joe Biden won, I hoped that this strange fever gripping so many Americans would finally pass. But the fever did not break, not even after January 6, 2021, and the many hearings that showed Trump’s responsibility for the events of that black day.

And now Trump has kicked off his attempt to regain office with a litany of lunacy. His speech at CPAC has been recounted by my Atlantic colleagues; John Hendrickson notes Trump’s return to the classics of grievance, and McKay Coppins describes how Trump has managed to become part of the typically boring CPAC kitsch.

But we shouldn’t mistake Trump’s gibbering for harmless political glossolalia. As Charlie Sykes said this morning, CPAC is “a serious threat masquerading as a cultic circus cum clown car,” and revealed “what a Trump 2.0 would look like.” This is a former president whose pitch included “I am your retribution.” Retribution for what, exactly, was left unsaid, but revenge for being turned out of office is likely high on the list. The Trumpian millennium turned into a tawdry four years of grubby incompetence and an ignominious loss. If Trump wins again, there will be a flurry of pardons, the same cast of miscreants will return to Pennsylvania Avenue, and, this time, they won’t even pretend to care about the Constitution or the rule of law.

Imagine an administration where we’ll all be nostalgic for the high-mindedness of Bill Barr.

Trump also reminded us that he is an existential menace to our national security. He reveled in a story he first told last spring—almost certainly a fiction—about how he informed a meeting of NATO leaders that he would let the Russians roll over them if they weren’t paid up. (Trump still thinks NATO is a protection racket.) He then fantasized about how easily a Russian attack could destroy NATO’s headquarters.

We’ve all cataloged this kind of Trumpian weirdness many times, and I still feel pity for the fact-checkers who try to keep up with him. But I wonder if there is any point. By now it should be clear that the people listening to Trump don’t care about facts, or even about policy or politics. They enjoy the show, and they want it back on TV for another four years. And this is a problem not with Trump but with the voters.

It is long past time to admit that support for Trump, after all that we now know, is a moral failing. As I wrote in a recent book, there is such a thing as being a bad citizen in a democracy, and we should cease the pretend arguments about policy—remember, the 2020 GOP convention didn’t even bother with a platform. Instead, anyone who cares about the health of American democracy, of any party or political belief, should say clearly that to applaud Trump’s fantasies and threats at CPAC is to show an utter lack of civic character. (I might say that it is no better than applauding David Duke, but why invoke the former KKK leader when Trump has already had dinner with Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist who he seems to think is a swell guy?)

The man who bellowed and sweated his way through almost two hours of authoritarian madness is still the same man who instigated an attack on our Capitol (and on his own vice president), the man who would hand our allies to Russia if they’re behind on the vig, the man who thinks a free press is his enemy, the man who tried to wave away a pandemic as thousands and thousands of Americans died.

Stigma and judgment have a place in politics. There was a time when we forced people out of public life for offenses far less than Donald Trump’s violent and seditious corruption. We were a better country for it, and returning to that better time starts with media outlets holding elected Republicans to account for Trump’s statements—but also with each of us refusing to accept rationalizations and equivocation from even our friends and family. I said in 2016 that the Trump campaign was a test of character, and that millions of us were failing it. The stakes are even clearer and steeper now; we cannot fail this test again."

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Anthropocene Magazine:

Nearly ten times as many people in America now work at Starbucks than dig for coal. Coal mining has long been a canary of America’s energy transition—it lost hundreds of thousands of workers in the 20th century, and has shrunk in half again since 2012. 

Losing dirty, dangerous coal jobs is one thing, but the wholesale dismantling of our fossil fuel economy promises to be far more disruptive. True, but there’s a huge caveat. The bright light on the horizon is that most estimates of new clean energy jobs dwarf even the largest oil refineries and auto plants. 

Winners

1. Everyone (on average). 2021 was a big year for energy jobs globally—it was the first time that more people around the world were working in clean energy jobs than fossil fuels, according to the International Energy Authority (IEA). While the US is still lagging behind that curve, clean energy jobs here are growing at twice the rate of the rest of the energy sector, says the Department of Energy (DOE). And the future looks rosy. Researchers at Dartmouth College calculate that a low carbon economy in the US would create two or even three green energy jobs for every fossil fuel job lost. (That fits with an earlier study out of Berkeley, which found that renewable and sustainable power sources inherently require more people per gigawatt hour of electricity generated, compared to fossil fuel plants).

2. Solar installers and battery makers. Photovoltaic and energy storage companies have been on a tear, adding tens of thousands of workers last year in the US. When considered along with wind, EVs, heat pumps and critical minerals supply, solar power and batteries accounted for over half of all job growth in global energy production since 2019. And the IEA expects these sectors to add tens of millions more jobs by the end of the decade.

3. Some surprise hires. Don’t count out Big Oil and Big Auto just yet. Both the IEA and the DOE expect the fossil fuel industry (particularly natural gas) to hire more workers in the immediate future, albeit at slower rates than clean energy jobs and tailing off in years to come. The IEA notes that if fossil fuel companies could successfully transition to hydrogen, carbon capture, geothermal and biofuels processing, they could almost offset decreases in core oil and gas employment all the way to 2030. It also expects car makers to pivot to EV production, retraining workers and safeguarding many jobs.

Losers

1. Oil workers. Changing careers means more than just a quick retraining session. Morgan Frank at the University of Pittsburgh went down the rabbit hole of what transferring US fossil fuel employment to green jobs would actually mean, and the answer isn’t pretty. His team’s paper in Nature found that green energy jobs are not co-located with today’s oil and gas workers, leading them to predict that almost 99% of extraction workers would not transition to green jobs. And any workers that do make the change face a financial hit. The IEA notes that workers moving from oil and gas to wind, solar and hydrogen today would see pay cuts of 15 to 30%.

2. Petro-states. The shift to green energy will be difficult for economies that rely heavily on fossil fuel extraction and processing. Consultancy EY has an illuminating, interactive webpage allowing you to compare employment in regions around the world, under different decarbonization scenarios. Spoiler alert—oil producing nations in the Middle East and Australia are likely to see employment slump, and even Africa could experience a destabilizing wobble unless it accelerates production of green hydrogen and EV battery materials. “Due to the transition, socio-economic sustainability risks will likely increase as the employment rate drops,” warns author Catherine Friday.

3. Homer Simpson. Some low-carbon energy sectors aren’t exactly booming. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects the employment of nuclear technicians to decline 6% from 2023 to 2033. The US hit peak nuclear power stations in 2012 and has been declining ever since, as facilities age into decommissioning without being replaced. Meanwhile, a planned new generation of safer, cheaper and more efficient fission reactors continues to suffer cost overruns, red tape and delays, and commercial nuclear fusion remains a decades-distant dream. D’oh!

What To Keep An Eye On

1. Labor shortages. Workers skilled in green energy jobs won’t just appear from nowhere. Projects are already facing delays in the EU and the US from labor shortages. Biden’s omnibus Inflation Reduction Act included incentives for partnering with apprentice programs and other funding that could be used to train maintenance workers, and installers for clean energy projects. But millions of workers will be needed, and in short order.

2. Carbon capture. The IPCC estimates that between 350 and 1200 gigatons of CO2 will need to be captured and stored this century. No one really knows yet what the technologies needed to achieve that will look like, but they will likely involve a lot of new workers. Climate research firm Rhodium Group estimated that each gigaton captured could translate to 1.5 million construction and 500,000 operation jobs.

3. Chat (and other) bots for hire. Any predictions about the future workplace should be taken with a large pinch of AI and robotics. The BLS just issued a report that shows dozens of occupations employing hundreds of thousands of Americans are likely to shrink in the years ahead. Top of the list are clerks and supervisors, but there are plenty of manufacturing and production roles at risk, too, that could affect the green energy roll-out.

[itsahotminuteinbetween]

okk so for my boys being from 1940s, anything related to music I have down but I have NO IDEA how life operated back then and since you mentioned it I haven't been the same since please talk to me all you want abt the '40s

imma be honest, most of my knowledge on the 40s is either about the war or the precursor to the war, so probably not the most helpful of info-remember to do your own research for extra information!

with that, some quick bullet points cuz I can’t sort thoughts concisely:

Okay so to get into the 40s we gotta go at least 10 years before that cuz that’s also important: the Great Depression hits in 1929-not just in America, but the rest of the world as well-the US supposedly suffers the worst (aside from Germany, which was in debt from the first world war and their crippled economy as a result of the treaty of Versailles). I’m assuming your story takes place in the US?-otherwise I’d probably have to do some digging to find you some facts. But yea, with the stock market crash in the 20’s, tons of people were placed out of jobs, banks closed, people started living out on the streets. Government started creating random corporations to give people jobs after 1932-FDR’s presidency.

Fun fact, the radio was around at this point, so if you wanna listen to tunes, there’s your ticket. TV was a thing, but it became more popular in the mid 40s because it was used to showcase propaganda-televised entertainment became a thing in the 50s.

Anyways, some laws were passed and stuff to give people jobs-not all of them would be considered important for you, I think, cuz most of them were environmental or economical-the Workers Progress Administration was a thing though, and it hired artists and actors and others for their talent, if that’s of any importance.

Corporations weren’t faring much better either, especially the entertainment industry. The 20s were their peak years, with film being introduced and festivals or carnivals brought in cities-but with the crash of the market and extreme poverty, not too many people wanted to spend money on amusement over food. So a lot of those industries lost money and laid off a lot of people before either shutting down or being extremely poor.

Nother fun fact-ovens and stoves existed at this time, similar to how they are today-just in case one of your guys needs to make their human pal some food on their possibly outdated technology. Telephones were also available to the public by the 20s, the landlines.

Games like Monopoly (kinda ironic that it was made during the Depression), Scrabble, Sorry, and the Game of Life (originally made in 1860) were popular at the time-plus actual sports. Yes, kick the can was a thing around this time, you can make that reference.

If you want literature, I'm told island adventure stories were pretty popular for kids at the time (you'd have to double check that one, though, cuz I'm not too sure)-Superman and other heroes were a thing in the late 30's early 40s-Donald Duck comic strips were early 30s. Comedies and dramas/romances were popular in both literature and theatre (Charlie Chaplin was pretty funny), though they had this trope of things magically working in their favor until sometime in the 20s (you're gonna need to check that one cuz again, this isn't really my strong suit).

The Depression really only evened out with the start of the war-the US needed to militarize and stock up on their artillery, which meant a ton of job openings in that department, and other ones related-car companies (yea cars were a thing-you'd have to check how accessible they are though, that's not really my strong suit in history-only thing I remember is Ford releasing a model in the 20s) started building tanks, film productions started making propaganda videos (donald duck was a common character in Disney's anti-nazi propaganda for some reason), toy companies sold toy soldiers and guns to kids to convince them to support the war effort. Propaganda had advanced after ww1, which meant bigger, more eye-catching headlines in the media and clever usage of poster layouts and formatting to persuade people. The US stayed neutral up until 1941, though it did provide resources for the Allies who were fighting Germany.

That's basically all I have about the 40s-again, most of it is about the war and the economy, so not sure how much that would help. Maybe FazCo went bankrupt during the Depression and prompted your carnival to shut down?-I can see it trying to start more locations in the MidWest or something (the Plex is in Utah, if I remember correctly, though I don't know how important that is to your plotline) and scrapped it after the Depression and the War? I dunno, take your story in whichever direction you'd like, it'd be interesting any way you make it! Thanks for the opportunity to ramble, by the way-I hardly ever get to talk history or philosophy on here, so it's pretty refreshing! Hope this helped, thanks for droppin by!

[redrikki]

Teen Wolf Rewatch 2.04 Abomination

Scott and Deaton finally have that talk about how Deaton knows what he knows, except not really because the Argents interrupt. Interesting interactions between Deaton and Gerard. They know each other. Gerard thinks Deaton is retired and Deaton thinks Gerard is a murderous psycho. What a riveting autopsy report.

Pro tip kids, if your mechanic starts working on a problem without discussing it first, get a new mechanic. If your mechanic won't stop working when you tell them to, get a new mechanic. Squishing optional. Stiles never takes his car to a mechanic again. Trauma response or did Matt kill the only mechanic in town?

Poor Lydia some more. She's lying about her friends supporting her so hard she's hallucinating a friend she can talk to. The scene with Stiles and the car is a heartbreaking missed opportunity for her to be heard and supported and learn the truth. Taken out of context, the you're beautiful when you cry thing is ugh, but in context the idea that she can be less than perfect and still be loved is what she needed. That's especially true given how her family has historically reacted to mental illness.

Do you think Lydia knows how racists she sounds questioning a Black woman's qualifications to do her job? From a Doylist perspective it's about setting up Morrell as someone who can translate, but ouch the optics. The guidance counselor also teaching French and the Athletics Director teaching economics is a sure sign that Beacon Hills is struggling to hire and retain teachers even before 5 get murdered.

Scott blows his cover playing lacrosse (again) trying to stop Boyd blowing his. Cue another awkward dinner with the Argents. Boy can't catch a break, but the intimidating dessert grab of mutually assured destruction was hilarious. The Gerard threat is less so. This is the moment Scott realizes Gerard has cancer.

Scott is right that no one trusts each other and with good reason. Everyone is lying or keeping secrets from each other. I don't think working with the Argents at this stage is a good idea, considering they're actively trying to kill team werewolf.