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hyewka · 1 year ago

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*ೃ unconventional sex

synopsis. where they'd like to fuck outside of the boring ol’ bedroom.

warnings/notes. mostly sub!reader (beomgyu's a tad bit subby), no protection + creampie, mention of impregnation for soobin, dry humping, fingering, groping, bulge kink, reader's older with beomgyu (use of noona honorifics), barely proofread + varying lengths with each extract, does not include yeonkai !

★ choi soobin |

ever since the overwhelming amount of layoffs widespread throughout your entire company had started to hit your specific department, you've been coming from work exhausted, ready to slip off your torturous heels the moment you key your door open, stumbling over to your bedroom to finally throwing yourself on the comfort cushion you've been drooling about all day. usually, you'd take the time to stare up your ceiling contemplating the day, and the day before, and the day before...until your brain picks up the overly familiar rattle of the door—each time, startling you awake with the realization that you were about to drift to sleep in your work clothes, without taking a shower, makeup still very much on your face. during these days are you especially grateful with your boyfriend's struggle with the door despite living here for the past two years has persisted, because god knows soobin would've opted to let you sleep instead of waking you up.

soobin gets home, you go take a shower, then prepare yourself for bed as he enters the bathroom. its a routine you've grown accustomed to. today was no different— your brain is on its own lookout of soobin's signal entrance. when you hear it, your shut eyes immediately fly open like muscle memory, your half-nap reached its inevitable end. you don't expect the moment you sit yourself up, for soobin's large figure to come through the door, wobbly as he walks over to you and engulf you in the biggest, most suffocating, loving embrace, basically tackling your body back down on your bed. "soobin?" you whisper, his cologne overpowering your sense as you quickly realize that your body compared to his would not survive if he stayed another full minute on top of you.

"i have to go shower baby." you wheeze out, "and you're about to crush me." he nuzzles his nose in the crook of your neck as retaliation, his breathing pattern almost immediately syncing to yours. "shhh, i missed you." he whispers groggily— you sure weren't the only one drained after work.

soobin was a big baby in that sense, feeling his lips forming into a pout against your neck. the paradox of him being a broad man with a towering figure makes it a lot more endearing, and also hilarious, making you burst into a series of giggles...but not enough to let him continue crushing every bone of your body. "soobinnn," you whine trying to wriggle yourself off his hold but failing for the hundredth time, "i really, urgently, seriously need to take a shower."

after a few beats of silence, and you thinking you might just give up and fall asleep under him, he speaks up, lifting his head from the comfort of your breasts, his eyes doe-like, "let's take one together then." you think he's joking and so naturally you're sent to another fit of giggles and half laughs...until it quickly dies down with his very more-than-serious face, making your brows perk up in disbelief, eyes wide. "hey, you're acting like it's the first time!" he defensively retorts at the judgy expression spread across your face before his lips form into a comically exaggerated pout, his bottom lip sticking out, making sure to force his dimples as bonus. "plus, we'd be saving up on water bills ...you know?"

you should've known better, and really thought it over, because a shower with soobin would never end without having your cheek pressed against the shower's glass panel, steam long fogging up the view, his fingers tightly intertwined with yours, palm flat against the panel, head drooped down to your neck, sloppy purple splotches displayed all over, feather kisses on your overly fresh hickeys, his hips unrelenting, fucking your cunt closest thing to doggy style space would allow— the brutal, pornographic sound of skin slapping on skin mixture with your uncontrolled moans almost loud enough to drown out the shower head.

his length slips in and out of your cunt in a rhythmic speed, his breathing so heavy and whines so loud, getting your legs to buckle when he hits your cervix, "shit, soobin— soobin, slow down" your mewls hitch when water runs down from your face to the entrance of your mouth, choking momentarily. your head is foggy, light with ecstasy the more he drills his dick far deep inside you— eyes slowly rolling to the back of your head, feeling your energy quickly replenish. but soobin isn't done yet, oh, far from it.

you're too far gone to differentiate between water and your tears as soobin turns you around swiftly, making sure he doesn't slip out as his dick's still far buried in your warm pussy, switching positions as he pushes you to have your back against the tiled shower wall. you muster the energy to weakly shake your head, your chest heaving, "c-can't, binnie, i can't—no more-!" but soobin can't help himself, so horny over the reveal of your messy face, red with a mixture of drool and water seeping out the corner of your pink swollen lips as a result of his rough kissing. his calloused finger display over the bulge in your tummy and soobin loses the last bit of his sanity. "sorry baby," he says with much pity, his large hands positioning your wobbly legs to cling around his waist, "i just missed you...just need you—need my pretty's cunt so, so bad."

the steam enough to make both of you light headed as soobin's thrusts slower than before, thrusts calculated so surely and patient, your hand claw at his bare back every time he roughly hits a spot, hyper aware of every vein against your walls, soobin's head falling back as he groans, mouth slightly open at feeling your tight pussy clench around his dick, the running water hitting his face, hair further plastering to his forehead, his slippery hands bruising your waist the tighter his hold gets—soobin's never this rough, to the point your body jerks when his large hands start fondling your perked up tits, lips parted as he blatantly stares down.

"gonna fuck a baby into you," he breathes out crazed, his long lived fantasy of getting you full and big with his baby driving him to roughly land a passionate, wet kiss before attaching his lips to your hard nipples, sucking so earnestly while his thrusts become unrelenting, picking up, erratic as he detaches, eyes fixated on the long string of saliva connecting his mouth and your swollen nipple, oh how addicted to you he was. with every frantic thrust, your breasts bounced, slapping together, a lewd view he could stare at for hours...and hours...and hours.

you could almost pass out from the overwhelming sensation, your body long overheated, fog submerging around your feet, but soobin's degrading laugh gets you to flutter your eyes open, "fuck, these breasts would look so pretty swollen—don't you think? you'd like that right?" your lids are heavy over your eyes as you sniffle your runny nose, not exactly processing his words. "you want me to get you pregnant, don't you?"

bonus. soobin who bathes you, a sweet, caring boyfriend making sure to keep your smaller figure protected, washing your hair so in love with every aspect that makes up who you are—knowing he made the right decision with choosing you. your loving boyfriend who whispers in your ear, with your back against his chest, the bubble bath both healing and relaxing, "keep it in." the transition of his cute giggles to the low rumble of his voice near your ears has you blinking confused, yet you still find yourself nodding, completely under his trance. soobin who's giddy, having your body completely engulfed by him, no space between the two of you with his hand wrapped around your waist, snuggling close to you, a grin so wide as you both quickly fall into sleep, some of his seed leaking down your leg, your swollen abused cunt unable to fully follow through your boyfriend's command.

★ choi beomgyu |

beomgyu was never known as being an overly... patient fellow which would explain a lot. like the time he burst into a woman's bathroom because he just could not wait a few more minutes until the janitor could unlock the jammed door for the mens', or when he downed a spiked drink a second before he could be told that he was supposed pour it down the sink, or...now, when he has you pinned on the floor, clearly not in the mood to stop and take it to bed. "beomgyu—" you gasp when he starts nibbling on your earlobe, grounding his erection in between your legs. you start laughing nervously when he slowly trails his kisses down to your exposed collarbones, "let's get up, beomgyu, baby stop playing around."

he whines, starting to teasingly suck, slight nip on your skin. and you just...can't wrap your head around the position you're in—a few seconds ago, you were watching a cute movie with your beloved, adorable boyfriend and suddenly the teasing jokes started, then the addition of pillow fights on each other had you both toppling to the floor, giggling like little children. and now you had your boyfriend on top of you, not willing to negotiate and do the deed on the couch at the least— something a little more comfortable than a hardwood floor with no carpet furnishing. instead he busies himself, already rutting his hips against the aching need between your thighs, soft groans magnified to your ears, his breathing getting heavier and faster by the minute.

"beomgyu, we're on the floor." you repeat for the hundredth time— in between the startled gasps every time he got just a tinge bit rougher—thinking it'd get to his head this time. "who cares?" he whines, his sly hands already finding their way under your shirt, ministrating, fondling like the horny dog he was. "you're so fucking hot noona, can't control myself."

patience was never beomgyu's thing. having your shirt haphazardly pulled over your tits because he was just too goddamn impatient to undress you properly, your panties bunched to the side in frantic urgency as he finally prods his leaking tip at your entrance, sliding it in and out to prep, light headed as he bites down on his bottom lip, before he decides he just can't wait any longer, voicing his sorries over and over again as he fully takes you in unexpectedly, stretching out your tight pussy, earning him a delicious, drawled, loud moan of his name. and oh, does he fucking lose it. "louder, say it louder."

beomgyu who pounds you senseless, hand reaching up to grope your breasts every time he gets close, strained groans when he spills inside you again, hips still unrelenting, fucking his seed into you, his sweaty shuddering body looming over you when he stops for a second to catch his breath, you similarly worn out, head hazy, barely able to use your strained voice as you had lost it by the...you could barely keep count. "such a fucking cumslut, huh? taking everything so well noona," he babbles with each sudden thrust to your pliant body, you unable to arch your back from utter exhaustion, "love you, love you so much baby."

bonus. beomgyu's favorite locations? many, but the floor always takes the cake. the animalistic nature of just pure horniness and sweaty backs on the cold wooden floor—it's beomgyu's thing.

★ kang taehyun |

it starts off with the subtle brush of his hand on the roundness of your ass, a few times and you pretend it's nothing. then came a squeeze, right as you were washing dishes with your mom, the suddenness of the action making you freeze for a second, the polite gentleman facade he put up with your mom as he converses, leaving yet another good impression. it all confuses you— how he's able to play it off like nothing while you were practically breaking out in cold sweat. it couldn't be accidental. nothing is accidental with taehyun.

you weren't nervous about introducing taehyun to your (rather conservative) family—he was unanimously picked as your best partner thus far by even your closest friends, which you trust the judgement of. you believe it too, that he's the nicest, most genuine guy you're lucky having to call yours...but it seemed that with each passing minute, you were questioning your decisions.

taehyun isn't a fan of typical pda: hand holding, kissing, embraces that overstayed its welcome, but oh was he particularly bold with everything else. sitting at your family's home dining table, the one you grew up with, reminiscing the countless mornings of rushed breakfasts as a teenager— even recognizing the initials you carved by the edge of the table, it all rushes back to you and you feel guilty for not visiting as often as you should have. your mom who displays a feast on the table, ranging from delicates to turkey and fried rice—your father sitting right by her, uncles and aunties filling the remaining seats, everyone joyfully eating and conversing amongst themselves before your mother clears her throat to finally quench her curiosity.

occupation, the college he graduated, plans for marriage, kids, all of which he answered with perfectly satisfactory answers earning him a few swoons from the older women, to which he tried to be humble making the women get even more swoonful over the generous flaunt of his pearly whites...all the while you sit there at the edge of your seat metaphorically and physically, more than aware of the hand toying with the hem of your dress, dangerously inching closer and closer to your inner thighs.

you could barely hold up your glass of wine without having your hands shake just so slightly at the dangerous game taehyun was more than willing to play. you try to clear your throat, anything to get him to wake up, and remind him where you were, but he seemed nonchalant, picking at his food, eating at small portions, participating in conversation when prompted.

"why aren't you eating y/n? i cooked you your favorite foods!" your mom pouts, drawing the attention of the entire family, all eyes on you—which was just great. just great as taehyun's hand hid under the tablecloth, finger long stuffed in your cunt, your panties bunched to the side as he had his way with you, insanely slow as he decides to shove a second finger making your eyes widen, quickly reaching for the glass to drown out any noise you might slip up—but taehyun's gaze is focused on you, following the crowd, awaiting your answer to the pending question. "um, uh—yeah, sorry, i-i ate a few hours ago."

lies. when it's time for a movie and conveniently, you get to the living room last as you went out to fetch everyone a soda, realizing that you'd have to sit on the floor. taehyun catches you looking for a place to sit, pulling on your dress to catch your attention. when you turn around raising an eyebrow, he pats his lap, motioning to you to come sit, but you shake your head.

you can't, and frankly you don't trust taehyun to not...do something. but he tuts at you, patting his thighs again, this time, mouthing it to you, "sit."

"aww, you guys are so adorable, y/nie go, go, sit." you snap your head to see your mother, who's been invested with your relationship the entire dinner night. "no, mom, i don't want to make him uncomfortable i-"

"what kind of man would be uncomfortable with his girlfriend sitting on his lap?" your uncle speaks up and now all of a sudden, everyone's pitching in the conversation to the point you might just be driven to insanity with all the back and forth. when everyone settles down and the lights are shut off, you feel taehyun's chin resting on your shoulder, a cute gesture until you hear him whisper, "try to stay quiet baby."

the real intentions of kang taehyun were always less than pure.

bonus. spilling juice on your white dress with purpose, unknownst to everyone else who're quick to take out napkins and dab it on the stain, panicked over the ruined white—taehyun taking it as an opportunity to come off as caring as possible to your family, heightening his approval ratings, excusing you both to the bathroom so he can try and clean it off. it was a win win, getting your parents approval, and pounding you in the same bathroom you got potty trained.

a/n. my obsession with soobin + pregnancy talk is detrimental to my mental being holy shit 😂 wanted to try out some footing with different settings, a little bit of a headcanon practice and dom!txt as i have practically almost nothing of the sort in my masterlist that isn't totally fucked up. thoughts and overall feedback are extremely helpful and appreciated, it motivates me greatly. to all those who wanted sub soobin, i promise i'll serve a full fic soon ❤

#txt smut #soobin smut #beomgyu smut #taehyun smut #soobin hard hours #beomgyu hard hours #taehyun hard hours #txt hard hours

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matcha3mochi · 1 month ago

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roommates // chapter 1

synopsis: living with your childhood friends can't be that bad, right?

various! jjk x reader

˙✧˖°📷 ༘ ⋆｡˚

The chaos began six months ago, but in a way, it had been brewing for longer than that. Life had a funny way of throwing curveballs, and your most recent one hit harder than usual.

It all started when the company you'd been working at for the past few years—your first “real” adult job—suddenly went bankrupt. There had been warning signs, of course. Layoffs here and there, hushed conversations in the break room, an ever-increasing workload as the higher-ups scrambled to keep things afloat. But no one expected the announcement to come so suddenly.

One minute, you were mindlessly typing up reports in your tiny cubicle; the next, you were sitting in a mandatory company-wide meeting, staring blankly at the CEO as he delivered the bad news with all the enthusiasm of a man who had clearly checked out months ago.

"We regret to inform you," he had said, voice monotone, "that due to unforeseen financial difficulties, the company will be ceasing all operations immediately."

Immediately? You barely had time to process what was happening before your coworkers started packing up their desks in stunned silence. The moment you walked out of that office for the last time, you were no longer gainfully employed—and without severance, to make things worse.

The first few weeks after the bankruptcy were a blur. Your savings were quickly drying up, and the job market was ruthless. Nothing seemed to stick—no matter how many applications you sent out, you couldn't catch a break. Then, as if things weren’t bad enough, your landlord gave you notice that the building was being renovated, forcing you to move out immediately. Now you were jobless and about to be homeless.

You sighed as you pushed open the door to the convenience store where you now worked. A far cry from your corporate job, but at least it paid the bills… well, some of them. You’d been lucky to snag the position, honestly—Mai, your coworker, had been the one to suggest applying. They’d been desperate for staff, and you were desperate for anything.

Still, going from a cushy office job to stocking shelves, manning the register, and dealing with cranky customers at all hours of the day (and sometimes night) was jarring. You hadn’t exactly dreamed of a career in convenience retail, but after the whirlwind of the last few months, stability, however temporary, was a blessing.

"Hey, Y/N," Mai called from behind the counter, flashing you a grin as you entered. "Rough day already?"

"Is it that obvious?" you groaned, dropping your bag behind the register and grabbing your apron.

Mai smirked. "You've got that ‘I’ve had it with everything’ vibe. It's probably the living situation, huh?"

"You have no idea," you muttered, tying your apron and preparing yourself for the usual rush of customers.

“I went from a sleek office chair to a creaky stool behind the register. I think I need a degree in psychology to handle the late-night customers.”

Mai chuckled, nodding. “Welcome to retail! You learn to read people fast. Just last week, I had a guy try to haggle for a pack of gum like we were at a flea market.”

You laughed, shaking your head as you imagined the scene. “At least it’s not boring, right?”

“True, true! You’ll have some wild stories to tell.” Mai leaned on the counter, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Speaking of stories, have you heard about the guy who keeps coming in and trying to buy the entire stock of energy drinks? I swear, it’s like he thinks he’s prepping for a marathon.”

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “No way! Does he actually drink them all?”

“Who knows? But it’s hilarious watching him get all defensive when I tell him we have a limit per customer.” Mai rolled her eyes playfully. “Just the other night, he tried to convince me that he needed them for a ‘very important project.’”

“Right, because that’s a totally valid reason,” you replied with a laugh as the first wave of customers trickled in.

As you settled into a rhythm of ringing up snacks and drinks, your mind wandered to thoughts of reconnecting with your childhood friends. You hadn’t seen them in ages, and the idea of a reunion felt like a much-needed breath of fresh air. Just as you were about to ring up a customer, your phone buzzed on the counter, drawing your attention. You quickly glanced at the screen and saw a message from Geto in your childhood friend group chat.

Geto: “Anyone in Tokyo these days? I’m moving there next month.”

You stared at the message for a moment. You hadn’t known he was moving. Coincidentally, you had been planning to relocate for job opportunities, and a strange feeling crept up on you. One by one, the others replied.

Nanami: “Same here. I didn’t know you were moving, Geto.”

Toji: “In town for work. We should catch up.”

Your stomach twisted in a mixture of excitement and dread. You hadn’t seen them in months—everyone had grown distant since childhood, and while you occasionally exchanged pleasantries on birthdays or holidays, life had taken you all in different directions. When you replied, you kept it casual, not wanting to reveal just how much your life had unraveled recently.

You: “I’m also in Tokyo! Let’s meet up sometime!”

It didn’t take long for Gojo to suggest drinks. Of course he did.

The bar Gojo picked was, predictably, obnoxious. It was one of those trendy places with dim lighting and overpriced cocktails. You hadn’t been sure what to expect when you stepped inside, but the moment you spotted the familiar faces, a wave of nostalgia hit you hard.

You spotted Gojo first, waving wildly from across the room. His grin was as wide and infectious as ever, his bright white hair standing out in the dim lighting. He was wearing his usual oversized black sweater, sleeves pushed up to reveal his lean, toned arms, and his sunglasses perched atop his head as if he were making some grand fashion statement.

“Y/N!” he called, motioning you over to the booth where the others were already gathered.

You took a deep breath and approached, a mixture of excitement and apprehension swirling in your chest. Geto greeted you with his usual calm, easygoing smile, his long dark hair tied back in a loose bun, a few strands framing his face. He wore a simple, well-fitted black shirt that showed off the broadness of his shoulders and the subtle tattoos that peeked out from beneath the sleeves.

Nanami gave you a nod of acknowledgment. His blonde hair was neatly slicked back, and he wore a tailored gray suit, though the jacket was discarded to reveal his dress shirt rolled up at the sleeves. Despite the setting, he looked as though he could walk into a boardroom at any moment, his sharp features giving off an air of quiet authority.

Toji, leaning casually against the booth with his muscular arms crossed, offered a smirk that hadn’t changed in all the years you’d known him. His dark hair was tousled in that effortlessly cool way, and he was dressed in a simple black shirt that clung to his well-defined chest and arms. There was something rugged about him, a sharpness in his jawline and the way his emerald-green eyes appraised you that made it clear he was still the same cocky troublemaker you remembered.

“It’s been a while, huh?” Geto said, giving you a friendly hug as you sat down.

“Too long,” you said, hugging him briefly before taking a seat between him and Nanami. Toji was on the opposite end of the table, casually sipping a drink as he observed the group with that smirk you remembered all too well.

Nanami, ever the stoic, gave you a polite nod. “How’s everything?”

You forced a smile, not wanting to dive into the whole ‘I just lost my job and am probably going to be homeless soon’ conversation. “It’s… been better. But it’s good to see you all.”

Gojo slid a drink across the table toward you with a grin. “You look like you need this more than anyone.”

“Thanks,” you muttered, taking a sip of what you immediately recognized as something far too strong for the start of the night. Gojo always had a knack for picking the worst possible drink choices.

The first hour passed in a whirlwind of reminiscing. You laughed about old childhood memories—the ridiculous pranks Gojo used to pull, the time Geto convinced you all to sneak out to watch a horror movie, and Nanami’s early obsession with studying that kept him from joining in on most of the chaos. Toji, of course, had been the rebellious one, always dragging you into some kind of mischief.

“Remember when Y/N got stuck in that tree because she tried to follow Toji up there?” Gojo laughed, eyes glinting with mischief.

You groaned. “I was six.”

“And you were so mad at Toji for leaving you up there!” Geto added, chuckling.

Toji raised an eyebrow, a smug grin creeping onto his face. “You weren’t ready for the climb.”

“You could have helped me down!” you shot back, rolling your eyes.

Nanami shook his head. “I was the one who had to call for help. No one else seemed concerned that she was stuck up there for an hour.”

“That’s because you were the responsible one,” you teased, nudging his shoulder.

Gojo leaned in, his grin widening. “Anyway, what’s everyone up to these days? I know Nanami’s still a corporate slave, but what about the rest of you?”

Geto was the first to speak. “I’m starting a nonprofit. Trying to get things off the ground.”

That sounded about right for him—always the one to care about bigger causes. You nodded approvingly. “That’s awesome, Geto.”

Toji shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “I’m doing freelance work. You know, keeping busy.”

Gojo snorted. “Freelance work? You mean muscle-for-hire.”

“Something like that,” Toji replied with a smirk.

The conversation moved around the table, each of them sharing what they’d been up to in the years since you’d drifted apart. It felt strangely natural, like no time had passed, and yet, so much had changed.

Eventually, the spotlight turned to you.

“What about you, Y/N?” Geto asked, his gaze soft but curious. “How’s life treating you?”

“I’m... getting by,” you said vaguely, swirling your drink as you avoided eye contact. “Had some changes, but nothing I can’t handle.”

Gojo, always a little too perceptive for his own good, leaned in with a grin. “Changes, huh? Come on, you’re hiding something. Spill.”

You sighed. “Fine. My company went under, and I’ve been stuck working at a convenience store for now.”

“That sucks,” Geto said sympathetically. “Are you okay? Do you need help finding something new?”

You appreciated their concern but shrugged it off. “I’ll manage. It’s not ideal, but I’ll figure it out.”

Toji, who had been watching you closely the whole time, spoke up. “You still looking for a place to stay?”

You blinked, surprised that he knew about your housing situation. “Uh, yeah. My landlord’s renovating, so I’ve got to move out soon.”

“Why not stay with us?” Gojo blurted out, clearly not thinking it through.

Nanami’s brow furrowed immediately. “Gojo, don’t—”

“I’m serious!” Gojo interrupted, eyes bright with enthusiasm. “We’ve got space, and it’d be just like old times, right?”

You laughed, though the idea seemed ridiculous. “Are you serious? All of us, living together again? I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Geto chuckled softly. “It’d be chaotic, for sure, but it could be fun.”

“Or a disaster,” Nanami added dryly, giving Gojo a pointed look.

But the more you thought about it, the more the idea stuck. You needed a place, and as crazy as it sounded, the thought of living with them again—of being close to your childhood friends��was oddly comforting.

Before you could talk yourself out of it, you found yourself nodding. “Alright. But only until I get back on my feet.”

Gojo whooped in victory, raising his glass. “To our new roommate!”

And just like that, your fate was sealed. The reunion had brought you back together, and now, you were officially moving in with the four of them. What could possibly go wrong?

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covid-safer-hotties · 2 months ago

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With COVID-19 relief gone, teachers are losing their jobs. It's a blow to diversity. - Published Sept 3, 2024

Erica Popoca's ninth grade English students were livid in the spring when she told them she wouldn't be back to teach this fall.

The district where she works in Hartford, Connecticut, terminated her contract because the COVID-19 relief money that covered her salary was about to dry up. Newer teachers such as Popoca were the first to be cut. Her students wrote letters urging school board members to change their minds.

Popoca, the founding adviser of the multilingual student club, worried she would lose bonds with Latino students she had taught for two years who identify with her culturally as a Latina and as one of the few teachers who speaks Spanish at the school.

The district ultimately came up with other funding to pay her, and in a win for her and her students, officials reversed the layoff.

Popoca is among the thousands of teachers and school staffers across the U.S. at risk of losing their jobs as districts balance their budgets and prepare for the shortfall after COVID-19 relief money expires. Districts have been scrambling to put unfunded staffers into different roles. The reality is that many students will lose contact with adults with whom they have built relationships in recent years.

The Biden administration granted schools $189.5 billion over the past few years through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) under the American Rescue Plan Act. School officials have until the end of September to commit the remainder of their money, and districts will no longer be able to pay for nonteaching staff roles with that money after Sept. 30. Schools nationwide used most of their relief fund money to pay for classroom teachers and support staff, according to a U.S. Department of Education analysis of district spending for fiscal year 2022. Districts across the country are now laying off recently hired educators, teaching assistants, counselors, restorative justice coordinators and other key staff at schools, or they're scrambling to find ways to retain them.

A recent survey of 190 district leaders by the nonprofit research group Rand found that teacher reductions were "the most common budget cut" officials anticipated. Conversations about staff layoffs cropped up in at least 28 districts ahead of the upcoming fiscal cliff, according to a tracker of media reports from the Georgetown University-based research center Edunomics Lab, which monitors potential layoffs at districts.

The post-pandemic layoffs have been widespread. Montana's Helena Public Schools cut 36 positions, including 21 teachers. The Arlington Independent School District in Texas cut 275 positions, including counselors, tutors and teaching support staff.

Newer teachers are the first to go in states that allow or require districts to use "last-in-first-out" policies, which protect tenured teachers – and many people terminated will be staffers of color, said Aaron Pallas, a professor of sociology and education at Columbia University. States that diversified their educator workforce in the past several years will see a backslide in that progress since "recently hired staff who are often more diverse" will be "laid off more than experienced staff who often are more traditionally white," he said.

Schools serving low-income students will be hit hardest by the shift in funding because those campuses received more federal relief money, Pallas said.

Schools were required to comply with some equity provisions when obligating the relief money. The end of the funding will disparately affect students of color and kids in high-poverty neighborhoods.

Popoca, who comes from the Bronx in New York City, is concerned about what the losses will mean for her school.

"I am relieved but wary because quite a few positions are still vacant," she said. "We don’t have the amount of staff we're supposed to have, and I'm concerned about how the lack of staff is going to impact the students and the school."

Which states are likely to lose new teachers? At least 11 states – Alaska, California, Hawaii, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island – last year had policies explicitly requiring districts to consider seniority in layoff decisions, according to a 2023 analysis from Educators for Excellence, a New York-based nonprofit organization that supports state laws that rid of seniority-based considerations from layoff decisions. Some other states, including Connecticut, where Popoca lives, allow districts to consider seniority in layoff decisions among other factors, but it's not required. Some states ban districts from considering seniority as a factor.

Because junior teachers tend to begin their careers in higher-poverty schools, there could be cases in which schools lose high percentages of their staff, said Marguerite Roza, director of Georgetown University's Edunomics Lab.

"It's really disruptive for students," Roza said. "And it's not great for teachers."

When Popoca told her class of mostly Black and Latino eighth graders last spring that she would be laid off, they were heartbroken. She's one of a few new staffers of color returning to the district this year. A few of her colleagues lost their jobs in the spring and won't be back when school starts, she said.

What should families expect to see at schools? In addition to the emergency funding layoffs, Roza said, many teachers may leave of their own accord. Some districts may also try to shrink their staffing pools with attrition rather than layoffs.

"They're going to hope and pray teachers just leave," Roza said.

Most of the cuts will likely hit the pool of support staff districts beefed up during the pandemic to help kids recover, Columbia's Pallas said.

The counselors, nurses, restorative justice coordinators and teaching assistants added to campus staff in recent years will be gone, and students and their school communities will start to feel that loss by the start of this school year, he said.

Francis Pina is one of several staffers and one of few Black men hired by Boston Public Schools to train teachers how to infuse social-emotional learning into classroom teaching. At the end of last year, he learned his role and the jobs of most new staffers on his team would be dissolved because it was considered a short-term position. Boston Public Schools paid Pina with COVID-19 emergency money through the end of the past academic year.

Pina will return as a high school math teacher this year, but he worries about what will happen to the district's social-emotional learning program.

When he heard his role was coming to an end, Pina said, he was nervous because he felt it was "really important to support students" still facing pandemic-related academic, social and emotional setbacks. He says students in the district haven't worked through all of those losses, even if the district has gone back to the "status quo."

As a Black man who attended Boston Public Schools, he believes he offers a unique perspective to kids, including Black students, and helps them thrive academically and emotionally in school.

"Prioritizing this is important," Pina said. "Kids need to know we care about them."

Teacher diversification will face a setback Diversity among the teaching staff has improved in recent years in Massachusetts, where Pina teaches. But the state's last-in-first-out policy means schools will lose diversification in the workforce, Roza, from the research lab at Georgetown, said.

That's a problem considering students of color are the majority at public schools in the U.S. Nearly one-fourth of public schools did not have an educator of color on staff, according to a May analysis of state-by-state data from TNTP, a nonprofit organization focused on the needs of students of color and those in poverty. Academic studies show students of color perform better academically when they have teachers from diverse backgrounds

There's a surprising reason: Why many schools don't have a single Black teacher

Representation on campuses may be further diminished when the emergency funding ends.

To stave off those losses and rescind seniority-based layoffs, some lawmakers tried to change how layoffs work, but they ran into pushback from the state teachers union, which said the policies harmed protections for senior educators. In March, the Massachusetts Legislature rejected sections of education bills that would have removed seniority considerations as the sole factor for layoffs.

“While we are happy to see the legislature taking strides to improve teacher diversity in Massachusetts, it is disheartening to see that the Education Committee chose not to prioritize protecting these very educators in the event of district layoffs,” Lisa Lazare, executive director of Educators for Excellence's Massachusetts chapter, said in a news release.

More new staffers of color are expected to face layoffs this year, Roza said.

For now, Popoca, in Connecticut, is looking forward to returning to the classroom and seeing her students – many of whom come from Latin American countries and with whom she feels a special bond. She's worried about the cuts, she says, because the school needs more teachers and support staff, not less.

She already has heard from people she knows who had considered entering the teaching profession in Hartford or elsewhere who have pulled back because of the district's lack of money.

"It's really concerning," she said.

#covid #mask up #pandemic #covid 19 #wear a mask #coronavirus #sars cov 2 #public health #still coviding #wear a respirator

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37sommz-archive · 6 months ago

Text

✼. THRU SPACE 'N TIME | THE FAMILY.

NOW PLAYING: michaela's family members. ✼. view:⠀masterlist⠀⸻⠀join the taglist⠀⸻⠀request.

✹.⠀The Sommers family is very tight-knit. Throughout her career, Michaela's family has made a lot of sacrifices to provide her with the opportunities that have enabled her to become the driver she is today. Ever grateful, Michaela has never let them forget how precious they all are to her. Between luxurious gifts and simple podium gestures, the Sommers family retains the ultimate spotlight within Michaela's career.

TOBIAS SOMMERS is the father of Formula One racing driver Michaela Sommers. Attributed by his daughter as being the "driving force" behind her love of racing, Sommers gifted her with a go-kart for her fifth birthday as a form of bonding. After Michaela fell in love with driving, he entered her in karting competitions across eastern Australia. After losing his job in 2012 through massive layoffs, Michaela would be forced to put a hold on her racing for nearly a year before leaving for the UK with the financial assistance of Tobias' younger brother, Travis. Currently, Tobias Sommers is a frequent face in the paddock on race weekends. Notoriously, he can be found wearing the cap of his daughter's team while conversing with her manager Guido Marotta.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

birth name: tobias stephen sommers

alias: toby sommers

date of birth: october 20, 1970

zodiac sign: libra

hometown: whyalla, australia

ethnicity: australian

nationality: australian

languages: english

height: 5'10" (178 cm)

career: accountant

faceclaim: guy pearce

MIRIAM SOMMERS, better known by her professional name Miriam Sandile, is the mother of Formula One racing driver Michaela Sommers. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Sandile moved to Australia at the age of 17 to pursue a professional dance career with the Sydney Dance Company. After marrying Tobias Sommers, Miriam moved to Gold Coast to focus on choreography. According to her youngest daughter, Miriam was not as enthusiastic as her husband with Michaela's love for racing. In fact, she would avoid watching full races due to her overwhelming anxiety. Regardless, Miriam did her best to prepare her daughter for the impending negativity that would follow her throughout her career. Ever proud of her daughter's accomplishments, Miriam has a hand in every contract Michaela signs.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

birth name: miriam yonela sandile

legal name: miriam yonela sommers

date of birth: january 26, 1970

zodiac sign: aquarius

hometown: johannesburg, south africa

ethnicity: xhosa

nationality: south african

languages: english, xhosa

height: 5'7" (170 cm)

career: choreographer

faceclaim: hlubi mboya

COURTNEY SOMMERS is the older sister of Formula One racing driver Michaela Sommers. Five years the driver's senior, Michaela often jokes about her sister's taking after her mother in regards to her distaste for racing. While Tobias Sommers was unable to convince his older daughter to pick up his interest in motorsport, Courtney is a passive fan of formula racing. Although the distance between the two sisters often results in relationship strain due to their equally headstrong natures, the two are still incredibly close. In her free time away from her work with her STEM foundation, Courtney can be seen supporting Michaela (from a stress-free distance).

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

birth name: courtney christine sommers

alias: coco sommers

date of birth: august 06, 1994

zodiac sign: leo

hometown: gold coast, australia

ethnicity: australian & xhosa

nationality: australian

languages: english

height: 5'6" (168 cm)

career: nonprofit advocacy director

faceclaim: carolyn moore

TRAVIS SOMMERS is the uncle and former manager of Formula One racing driver Michaela Sommers. As the younger brother of Sommers' father, Tobias, Travis spent much of his niece's early childhood tagging along to her karting competitions. Sharing his brother's love for all things racing, Travis invested a great deal of time into ensuring his niece's karts were in prime condition for competition while pulling strings in the background to get her into races for older children. Recognizing her potential early on, Travis stepped up to provide the financial support for Michaela's racing career after his brother lost his job in 2012. Moving to the UK, Travis became Michaela's full-time guardian and manager, establishing connections across all levels of formula racing to ensure his niece would be able to achieve her dreams and more. Known to be a lion of negotiation, Sommers stepped back from managing Michaela's career in 2016, only after securing top manager Guido Marotta to replace him. Travis continues to have input in Michaela's career, namely with sponsors and promotional appearances but has since shifted his focus to making a Formula One caliber racer in his young son, Quentin.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

birth name: travis joseph sommers

date of birth: november 03, 1980

zodiac sign: scorpio

hometown: whyalla, australia

ethnicity: australian

nationality: australian

languages: english

height: 6'1" (185 cm)

career: day trader

faceclaim: alex o’laughlin

BEENA KOTHARE is the wife of Travis Sommers. Frequently referred to as the calming force to calm Travis' madness, Beena is credited for establishing a connection between Prema Racing principal, Rene Rosin and her husband. Michaela attributes much of her demeanor to the elegant editor who continues to work as a fashion editor for Harper's Bazaar. Beena is typically spotted accompanying her husband to Formula races and being more than supportive of her son's racing ambitions.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

birth name: beena kothare

legal name: beena kothare-sommers

date of birth: september 17, 1985

zodiac sign: virgo

hometown: london, england

ethnicity: marathi

nationality: english

languages: english

height: 5'2" (157 cm)

career: harper's bazaar editor

faceclaim: dilshad vadsaria

✼. taglist:⠀

@cha-hot @certifiedlesbianbaddie @nichmeddar

@d3kstar @thewannabewriter @hwalllllllelujah

@pacmacs-macs @thearchieves @doodlehunz

@lavisenri @evie-119 @bxdbxtxh

@seaweed-orchid @glitterquadricorn @99snse

@ginghampearlsnsweettea @alliwantisadonut

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gabessquishytum · 8 months ago

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Dream's a software developer (I could see either as an architect for that large-scale view mentality or as the Senior level dev that keeps getting asked to move into management type positions and just straight up refuses because he's been doing code happily for the past fifteen years and doesn't plan on changing that now).

He enjoys his job enough. He likes computers and code. It functions exactly as told (for better or worse) and appreciates the straightforwardness of it all. He's a bit insufferable to work with, but if you have an issue, he'll readily help (just be prepares for critiques on your code in the process).

Hob works at the same company as Dream, but as a front-end dev. The work he does for his day job is kinda boring. All standard corporate style web design. No fancy scripts or fun colors. But in his spare time, he weaves Javascript and CSS like a wizard and creates magical, animated scenes across the page. Would it be easier to just make a video and play it on the page instead? Sure, but where's the fun in that?

Dream and Hob get paired together on a small side project for work. Hob does the front-end work, Dream does the back-end. They get on each other's nerves at first, until Dream spots Hob tinkering with his personal code on their lunch break and is honestly a bit in awe. He's found code beautiful in its own right (the way one appreciates a well-oiled machine) but he's never seen it wielded in such a fashion before. This is the moment he falls just a little bit (read: a lotta bit) in love with Hob. He was already starting to fall for that endless charm and wit of his anyways.

The company hits the first quarter of the New Year and with it come layoffs. Hob gets fired along with some other devs from Dream's same team (a younger pair of devs: Matthew and Jessamy). A fellow named Will comes along to help Dream finish the project in Hob's stead and Dream hates every moment of it. He misses Hob, more than he ever thought he would.

So, in an impulsive rush of anger and longing, he quits the company because how dare it toss someone as good as Hob Gadling out the door without a thought? He's halfway to the café he and Hob had started frequenting together when he realizes that he's just thrown away a career fifteen years in the making. But when he finally gets to the café and sees Hob tapping away on his laptop, he knows he's made the right choice.

Dream slides into the seat across from him and proposes that they build something wonderful together. So they create a small business of their own. They become a freelance web dev team (and steal Jessamy and Matthew as well) and with their skills combined, they take off. It's not huge, but for their size, they're incredibly popular. And Dream's certain he's never enjoyed his work more than when he's working beside Hob.

Later on, Hob proposes to Dream via a custom website with the most beautiful web animations he's ever seen before. And of course, he says yes.

(If you're curious about what inspired this, here's the website: http://www.species-in-pieces.com)

This is such a good concept for a story!!! I really really love aus where Dream and Hob are coworkers. Dream being the grumpy, awkward guy who hides behind his coffee mug while Hob is the popular, chatty one who tries to get Dream involved in fun office activities or socialising after work - it makes so much sense to me.

And Dream quitting his long-term dream job because he's mad that genuinely talented people have been laid off? I love it. Dream just has this inate appreciation for hard work and good art, and that's exactly what Hob (and Jessamy and Matthew) do. How dare the stupid company not understand that they're firing people who deserve to thrive and grow in an environment which actually appreciates them? Everyone is shocked that Dream has quit (not only that, he sends around an email to everyone in the company from the ceo all the way down to the work experience guy, outlining exactly why he quit) because he seemed to be the type to play by the rules and never leave his comfort zone. Apparently, Hob has really helped him bloom into a much more confident person, able to express his principles and strive for better.

And Hob isn't surprised, because he always knew that Dream had the courage, talent and ambition to strike out on his own. Maybe he just needed a bit of love and understanding. Which Hob is only too happy to provide.

Their work together sometimes involves long hours and stress, but Dream wouldn't ever want to go back to the slightly soulless corporation where he used to be. Even if he's tired and a little frustrated by Hob’s disorganised workspace, Dream is perfectly content. There's nothing better than curling up in Hob’s lap while he taps away on a line of code. Plus, he has a great time building their wedding website. Hob got to propose, so Dream gets to celebrate their upcoming marriage with his own expression of love through code. The theme colours are, of course, black and red <3

#kydrogendragon #the sandman #dreamling

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thatdisasterauthor · 10 months ago

Text

Disasters in Film: The eras of disasters in film.

Here we go! The first in a series of posts I'm going to do giving my thoughts on the college course I'm taking this semester about disasters in film. I made a post with the film list and reading list as well, which you can check out here.

Also. One of the professors teaching this course LOVES quotes. And I mean loves them. 90% of his presentations are just quotes that he then rambles about. So be prepared for lots of quotes in this series. 😂

And I'll open this up with the same image the professors did, which is an image from the Mayfield Kentucky tornado. Because damn is it fitting and evocative:

This is a theater that was damaged by a tornado, revealing the world outside the theater while leaving the interior of the theater itself untouched. The photo was taken by Shawn Triplett.

And a quote:

“Disaster is one of the oldest subjects of art.. It is concerned with the aesthetics of destruction with the peculiar beauties to be found in wreaking havoc.” —Susan Sontag, The Imagination of Disaster

Now, onto my thoughts on the eras of disaster! We covered the basics, obviously, which is that we started off with biblical disaster movies in the 20s and then swung into more exaggerated/"imagined" stuff. Then in the 50s and 60s we kind of swung back to biblical and historical stuff for a bit before going back to exaggerated/"imagined" stuff like aliens and monsters. Then, of course, we had the big resurgance in the 70s which moved away from aliens and monsters and that sort of destruction and swung more towards natural disasters and using them to frame various discussions of class and the real world. The 80s were dominated by action disaster movies with lots of focus on remasculinization of America (aka sweaty men with their shirts off kicking ass). Then in the 90s we just went in all fucking in on completely destroying the world. There were 83 disaster movies released in the 90s, with 21 of them being released in 1998 alone.

And then we've got 9/11. Now, the professor's have stated that we'll talk more about pre-9/11 and post-9/11 disaster movies later, but what I found interesting here is that the professor stopped separating the decades after this. We just went from the 90s to the 21st century as a whole. Which felt weird. We're nearly 1/4 into this! There's two complete decades of it so far! I think we can at least make some broad strokes generalizations about the sort of differences in disaster movies in each of those decades.

But, with that said, I do wonder if the lack of breaking it down farther stems from the sort of cultural stall we're in as a whole. This has been talked about a lot in other realms, such as how quickly fashion trends turn over to the point they hardly count as trends anymore. The same could, potentially, be said of disaster movies. I'm actually tempted to sit down and try and figure it out, to see if I could put a specific trend to 00's and 10's disaster films, but I haven't had the chance yet.

Then, of course, we have the fact that Hollywood is pretty broken right now. Obsessed with remakes and churning out the same content over and over again. Killing unique studios left and right. Constant layoffs. Terrible treatment of its workers. Etc. Etc. Might that also speak to our lack of easily discernible trends in disaster movies?

Either way, it's interesting!

#Disasters in Film

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juni-ravenhall · 5 months ago

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If you take over SSE, what would be your first changes that you make? Like immediate things you want to do?

And what’d be your long term goal, how would you achieve it?

- ro-sso

this is the best ask ever thank u but u might not be prepared for this essay........ sorry :3

first off id need to find out exactly who are the current ppl for game director, art director, etc direction positions, and who of them are making the crazy decisions. is it directors and managers, is it the CEO, etc. ofc there might be many parts in this chain from an uncaring CEO down to a confused director down to a struggling game designer down to a coder/writer/artist that doesnt get enough time and resources, like, i understand its a complex chain but that doesnt change the fact that someone (or several) have been fucking shit up for all of sse's history. so i would do a lot of talking to staff respectfully and finding out whats really been going on in the chain, and who is not working in the best interest of the game's quality and the company's stability. map out where in the company theres the most and least problems.

(this to me is easy, im analytical and resistant to lies and manipulation as a person. i see through shit very easily and i have a long history of self-studying and analysing stuff related to running companies and making games, since thats my life goal... so to some ppl it might sound like "thats harder than you think" bc theyre just not me. some ppl arent passionate about running good healthy ethical game companies - i am!)

sse clearly has basically never had good directors with good direction, or if they did, those werent given enough power and resources. they shouldnt have been changing artstyle several times, they shouldnt have been abandoning storylines and areas, they shouldnt have been ignoring bugs in general, they shouldnt have been ignoring bugs and cheats in racing and champs, etc. so, its very important to get a good game director, art director, and so on, in place, whether its an existing staff member who just needs more power and resources, or its someone new who is a good fit.

then ofc take a look at all staff hired and see what everyone is there for. after the layoffs im not sure if they have many passive workers left but id get an overview and do some interviews w staff to find out how the efficiency situation is and if more/less ppl are needed in diff areas to actually pay ppl to work on the game itself. (as an example mb u need one less social media person and one more programmer, one less team manager consultant or other middleclass word salad jobs... etc.)

then overview of salary differences. this is a huge point to me. was the CEO that im assumably taking the job from, earning a lot more than everyone else a month? then thats not happening anymore. all salaries within the company would become more balanced, setting in place a system where the minimum salary and max salary at the company are tied together in a ratio so that to raise the top u must also raise the bottom. this will instantly lower much of the top and assumably raise some at the bottom (how much, i dont know from the outside). this ratio system would be clearly outlined and from now on a pillar of the company's structure. also, check that skilled senior staff has appropriate pay for their experience, etc, make sure salaries seem fair.

along with this ofc a good overview of costs, loans, earnings, the current office and all of this to know the situation. i think thats obvious but ill say it anyway to be clear. have a complete grasp of the economic situation, talk to the economics staff.

with staff interviews and salary checkups it would also be relevant to see if theres any gold star workers who should shift up in positions, for example a very good animator could become lead animator, stuff like this. sse has already done things like this fairly often (sometimes maybe not with the right people) so im not too worried about it but i would do another check. also just general talk w staff to find out who has hidden potential that might not be getting used. (i want to know my workers and be able to help them shine, this is good both for the workers, the work environment, and the company results.)

at this point, we should have balanced out some of the leaking money at the top (and hopefully made a few leeches jump ship while at it), boosted the happiness within the company (balanced salaries etc), and have a great overview of whats going on from the more economic and hierarchy standpoint. we should have gotten rid of some potential leeching staff that didnt actually help create a good product and run a healthy, ethical company, and we might have gotten new people in positions where we needed more skills (direction, programming, whatnot). compared to sse's 10+ years of being a chaotic mess, the company structure should look pretty good now, even if not perfect.

i would have a lot of talk with the directors and team leaders and senior staff to make sure everyone is on the same page from now on: we are making a good quality game, we are being consistent, we are not adding new random shit just bc ooh shiny or cashgrabs, we are going to impress the players and make them feel "oh god, finally sso is consistent and living up to its potential". everyone at the company needs to understand this goal and why the loyal players are disappointed with the game. there will still be new horses and item recolors etc ofc, we do need a certain degree of "ooh shiny" from the player side of things (hopefully good gameplay and good stories would also be ooh shiny though), but there needs to be a new focus on the Actual core and Actual pillars of the game, which sse failed to do bc they have bad direction.

most likely, we would change the weekly update into bi-weekly or monthly, maybe starting with bi-weekly to test the waters. in order to deliver a good quality main storyline and also good quality stories and updates to tie up loose ends, there needs to be enough time to do that. there would be very solid goals on the cadence at which major updates are released and no long stretches of time without main story, and no long stretches without other significant updates.

an important part of that is also the seasonal events - i think the 4 seasons of events is a good thing, but they need to be properly bug fixed and have some design and writing improvements, one new fun (more challenging) race for each of them, etc. so hopefully we can afford enough staff that we have a few ppl working on updating and finalising the 4 seasonal events to their more or less final form.

each seasonal event needs to have a cool and challenging race (similar to cloud kingdom rainbow race or some other recent races) that HAS A HIGHSCORE BOARD. this is a key thing to me. all event races should have highscore boards (and some crappy event races may be removed, or combined into a better version of all of them together). *everyone* playing would be able to just better their own score for a generic gold/silver/bronze score, which gives specific rewards for reaching the medal score on the event race(s), and those who are at the top of the leaderboard among everyone, would get a non-exclusive prize, like 1000js. its not a huge win - not to encourage cheating to get to the top - and mostly based in the existing "daily best" system. it would still encourage players to actually try their best at the event races and feel like there's some stakes in it. (active human moderation of suspicious race results is also necessary - we should be able to afford that now.) i also think, if someone has won the daily best, they should then not be able to get the daily best for at least another week, leaving place for other people... but this becomes a problem with alt accounts, so it needs more consideration, i dont have the full answer to that yet.

also, all the tack and clothes need a stats overhaul. the random top stats we currently have are stupid and they seem like they just didnt think about this at all. this is partially a dress up game, so you need to be able to dress up cute and still have top stats and be able to win champs. if possible, i would set staff to work on letting you upgrade any piece of equipment to max stats (which would be something like 5-10 in each stat i guess). this system might require starcoins to upgrade - a way for the company to earn money from cosmetic changes, that seems fair enough to me. (maybe there would be a way to pay with shillings and collectables, but just an easier way to pay with sc, it would be considered.)

we'd also need to sit down and take a good look at what all horses stats are, which horses seem to be boosted or nerfed in races for no reason, and make sure all horses at least function fairly and as intended. after that, to consider whether you should be able to train all horses to have the same max stats, or if we want to keep breeds unique and different, then those differences should also be well thought out and actually matter. right now, and for a long time, some horses are just better at races than others (pintabian, etc), and some (ardennes) seem to be shit for no real reason (other draft horses dont necessarily have the same problem). so it needs to be properly looked at and fixed so all horses at least have good reasons to be different, if they are different at all, and no bugs or unintended boosts and nerfs. horse stats should make sense for gameplay.

all the champs need to get their updated forms, so i also hope we could afford enough staff to have a few ppl working on updating the champs consistently until thats done. i do think a lot of sso's races also should be overhauled, because racing is the main gameplay we actually have (collecting light in hollow woods is not challenging and not really gameplay) and it should be satisfying, fun, and challenging, like playing a mariokart race (that doesnt mean it should play *like* a mariokart race, just that it needs to be fun). the highscore boards and the gold/silver/bronze medal systems are really, really neglected assets of sso's player motivation. if getting a gold medal score on a race was consistently actually difficult and required practice, and getting that gold medal also gave you a good reward (shillings, items) that motivated you to aim for it, then players might actually have fun challenging themselves for higher scores! the same goes for daily best / etc scores that should be looked into, what rewards they give, etc.

also, there should be a ban on adding any new npcs to the game if theyre not extremely necessary. sse has been adding new npcs left and right all the time, and it just clogs the game with random irrelevant characters that dont add anything to the game, it takes time and resources to make their model, give them a name, write their dialogue, and so on. instead, focus all that energy on actual relevant npcs and ones that players want to talk to and find out more about, hear their storylines, etc, and let races be handled with either existing npcs or with new and improved highscore board objects (make it obvious you click them to start the race).

of course, the art style of sso should never again change. art direction from now on is consistent and solid with an art director who understands their job, lead artists and lead animators who 100% understand what the goals are. directors who make sure that the quality of art, design, animation are up to the standards of the style we are using, that things fit together in the game. new models should not actually be "better" than the old ones - you end up in a destructive cycle where the art keeps changing. the style should be consistent with only relatively minor refinements over time. so, the art directors and leads need to make sure the style continues to be consistent, and update things that need to be. (im not sure how many areas of sso should really get the complete overhauls like silverglade village anymore - at some point you're also wasting resources on something less important than the gameplay and story, but some areas also look really outdated, so careful consideration needs to go into which areas to update and *how* to update them. maybe jarlaheim doesnt need a complete overhaul but a partial one. etc.)

the gen 4 horse needs to have very solid planning before release, which seems to have been the case so far from the little ive heard about it. if players can finally get a more custom horse with custom markings, mane and tail styles (preferrably available across breeds), and ability to pick coat, mane and tail colours separately, i think this would be great. it also relates to the whole thing with horse stats and just making sure that horses function properly and have reasons to actually have different stats and such, if theyre going to have that.

there also needs to be a decision made about sso's future - specifically, should we keep developing this game on this crappy messy engine for another decade, or should we eventually say, "this is sso 1, and we're finished with it (the story is finished, game isnt buggy, etc)" - and then go on to create a new game (while still keeping sso 1 running!) on a new, modern engine, where there is good direction and good planning from the very beginning? i dont know how far they got with project curie before cancelling it, whether theres much work to salvage, but i think that creating a new horse mmo set in jorvik (curie was supposedly not a horse game) as a more or less "sso 2" is a fair idea. the potential of customisable gen 4 horses might not really be that relevant for sso 1, or customisable player character faces and bodies like the sims. maybe this is stuff that should be in sso 2 from the very beginning, rather than patches trying to fix the mess that is the current sso? i think a lot of players wouldve been happier to see the old avatars and stuff remain in sso 1 and see the new, current artstyle we have be a separate game as sso 2 instead. (runescape classic etc.)

so, i would want to very carefully consider what really should be in sso 1 versus if we should be making sso 2. its possible to decide, actually we do want to just keep updating sso 1 and make it the best it can be, to basically keep adding expansions to it. but even if we decide that, the thing is, its hard to save the original story at this point due to the careless updates that have already been made for years. my question is, is it possible to give the loyal, old players a satisfying ending to this story and these characters' stories and this world's lore, within the current state of sso? or is it just too far gone off the track? so this needs to be carefully considered. maybe sso 2 could be a sort of remake of the story, starting with elements based on SSL, rather than the haphazard "uh these girls saved the world a while ago and now youre here i guess" that sso did start with. maybe its not too late to give the loyal long term players a satisfying end to the story. but its a complex issue that needs a lot of thought. (which should never have happened! the story shouldnt have changed the way it did, things shouldnt have been abandoned randomly, added randomly, changed randomly, all of this is just bad shitty direction and management without respect to the players, which is especially frustrating bc it goes right into "girl gamers dont matter, girl games dont matter,".)

there are more things, like a weather system, that i would have loved to see in sso but ultimately might be better to save for sso 2. or maybe sso keeps going with major updates and major expansions and then it would be relevant to consider for sso. the same thing for customising our home stable, getting a player home to customise, there are lots of fun ideas like this that i could talk about but that ultimately im not sure how much time and resources should be sunk into when sse have chosen to fuck themselves over for this long and caused this many problems with the game that need immediate attention to make it playable and enjoyable. so in this... essay... i focused mostly on solving problems and making the game a solid and fun experience, and what to prioritise to keep it that way, while these bonus new content like weather or customisable horses or customisable player faces/bodies and all that, would be great updates (or sso 2) but have to come as a bonus when everything else is under control.

so yeah thats covering both a lot of immediate stuff and long term considerations. this is like, a fraction of the stuff i've thought about. i have a lot more to say about a lot of things to fix in sso and other things that have to do with running companies too. and ofc theres a lot of things i just cant know from the outside, and so on, im not a perfect person who knows everything and never pretend to be (i have to say this bc ppl like projecting things on me just for being confident in my skills). getting to take over sse would still be a learning curve with finding out exactly where the problems are and how to solve them. i view this realistically. there are always unknown variables and things i'll have to figure out when i get to it, but you can do that if you have a strong core and strong direction that wont be swayed by capitalism or ooh shiny. i just know a lot about prioritising and directing and about ways to run healthier, better companies, and ways to be ethical and create good products instead of cash grabs - and i also value the skills and knowledge of others, which matters in finding the right people to work in the right positions. these are specific interests i have and spend a lot of time thinking about, analysing, studying, practising, etc.

if you or anyone else actually read all of this (im shocked) and want to discuss more about it or have questions about it, im all ears :D

#LONG POST. VERY LONG #thank u ro-sso and sorry :)

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stampedestring · 1 month ago

Text

(eBay source)

An article on Clint Eastwood (Rawhide): "This Cowboy Feels He's Got It Made", TV Guide, February 4–10, 1961, pp. 8–11.

I typed out the text from this to make it easier to read, but I didn't check if it was already floating elsewhere on the Internet before I did this—whoops. Highlights:

Mention of Eastwood singing on an episode and preparing to cut a record (presumably Rawhide's Clint Eastwood Sings Cowboy Favorites, 1963)

Eastwood complaining about how annoying his long hair is and how he can't wait to get it back to a crew cut (I was surprised by this, considering his hair in the 70's)

How he got started on his pre-Rawhide career from 1954 to 1958. "'You,' said the assistant director, using the line generally reserved for pretty high school girls, 'oughta be in pictures.'"

Article (typed out) below the cut!

THIS COWBOY FEELS HE'S GOT IT MADE

Clint Eastwood of 'Rawhide,' an amiable young giant, just wants that cattle drive to go on and on and on

The dimly lighted outdoor set on MGM's vast Stage 22 made it difficult to distinguish the many figures that milled around the off-stage area. It was the Rawhide set, which differs little from any other set except for the small collection of tired-looking horses and the large collection of unkempt actors dressed in soiled cowboy outfits. The trim-looking script girl seemed oddly out of place.

Clint Eastwood, the tall, almost gangling young actor who plays Rowdy Yates, shuffled his feet and introduced a visitor to his co-star, deep-voiced, ebullient Eric Fleming.

"Yar," said Fleming to the visitor. "Are you anybody important? If you are, we'll find you a chair. Otherwise you can stand up like the rest of us peasants."

Fleming wandered off to study the various bits and scraps of paper to which he habitually reduces his script, and Eastwood unshuffled his feet long enough to pull up a couple of canvas chairs.

"I was sleeping," he said sheepishly. "You should have woke me up. Went back to the dressing room just to lie down for a bit."

The name Rowdy fits Eastwood about as well as Pollyanna fits Alfred Hitchcock. Even when completely awake, his manner is mild to the point of being apologetic. An amiable, quiet-spoken giant (6 feet 4) of 30, Eastwood likes to describe himself as "dull but happy." He has been married for the past seven years to model Maggie Johnson, lives in a San Fernando Valley ranch house, spends most of his off time prancing about in the surf at the beach or sitting home listening to his homemade hi-fi set.

A gentle soul, Eastwood is the kind of man who carefully picks struggling bees and grasshoppers from the surface of a swimming pool and returns them to their own element. "I always feel," he says a little defensively, "that they were put here for some purpose and it's not my business to let them drown."

Eastwood is, in fact, the antithesis of the hard-driving, ambitious young men who populate most of the other TV Westerns now on the air. They incorporate themselves, branch out into other businesses, itch to "do a play on Broadway," try their hand at directing and even producing. They are the Richard Boones, the Hugh O'Brians, the Robert Hortons, the Jim Arnesses, the Steve McQueens. And there are others.

Eastwood's medium-sized ambition at the moment, with Rawhide ready to begin a three-month layoff, was to star in a farcical French play for a Hollywood little-theater group. "We'd only do it for a couple of weeks—just for laughs," he explained. [It never came off, even for laughs.—Ed.]

"Then I'd like maybe to do a feature, something that might get me away from Westerns. I don't mean that I'm any drawing-room kind of actor or anything like that, but I always used to wear my hair in a crew cut and it would be kind of nice to get back to it again.

"They tell me the guys really did wear their hair long like this in the old trail days, but I don't see how they stood it. I would have sheared mine off as close as I could get it. Darn stuff picks up more dirt."

When Rawhide temporarily ceased production in mid-December (the series' comfortable backlog of episodes already filmed spurred the layoff to give producer Charles Marquis Warren time to work on his new Gunslinger series), Eastwood had done some [illegible digits] episodes of the hour-long films over a period of two years and was still looking forward to "doing as many more as the viewers care to put up with."

"I figure," he mused, "that I've done a little something for Rawhide, but I also figure they've done a little something for me. I have my beefs now and then, like anybody, but nothing serious. I'm under contract to CBS and sometimes they won't let me do an outside show because of what they call 'sponsor conflict.' I figure this is a little farfetched, but it's really not all that important, so I just go along."

Last September Rowdy Yates sang a song in a Rawhide episode. This has resulted in negotiations with several record companies, commercial enterprises dedicated to the proposition that while Frank Sinatra is good, anyone else who can sell records for whatever reason also is good.

(Proof of this, as any hapless parent with a teen-age offspring will willingly testify, lies in the fact that 13 of TV's Western heroes, most of them hitherto utterly inexperienced in the art of singing, have made at least one record. Eastwood makes the 14th—and this figure does not include any of the singing cowboys of prehistoric times, such as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Jimmy Wakely.)

Eastwood's flirtation with Tin Pan Alley is not to be construed as an indication that he is about to mount up and ride off in seven different directions. Eastwood likes Rawhide. He is even proud of it, which is a far cry from the average Western hero, who can't wait until his contract is up and school is out.

"I like to think," he says reflectively, "that Rawhide is at least honest. I mean, we're doing stories as they pretty much happened. Oh, occasionally I guess we hoke one up for dramatic purposes, but generally speaking we're doing the kind of things that guys on the cattle drives really did."

Warren, whose experience goes back to the first year of Gunsmoke and Jim Arness, says of Eastwood: "He's more than just a personality, I think. He's an actor. A quite fine actor, in fact. Like any other actor, he beefs now and again but they're generally justifiable beefs. If he thinks his part is too small in any given script, I'll hear about it.

"I think next season we may work on a strictly alternating basis, Eastwood to carry an entire show, then Fleming to carry one. That'll keep 'em both happy."

Eastwood fell into show business rather easily. While studying at Los Angeles City College in 1954 he also was holding down a part-time job at a filling station. One of his customers invited him to a cocktail party, and there he met an assistant director from Universal-International.

"You," said the assistant director, using the line generally reserved for pretty high school girls, "oughta be in pictures." A few days later he was, if a screen test can be considered a picture, and the test resulted in a contract and a series of insignificant parts in equally insignificant pictures. Remarkably, considering his height, looks and inexperience, he was cast in only one Western, and in it had just one line.

Leaving Universal after a year and a half, Eastwood signed on with RKO and found himself getting "Introducing Clint Eastwood" billing opposite Carol Channing in a Ginger Rogers movie called "The First Traveling Saleslady." The picture was not a success. Indeed, RKO folded shortly thereafter.

After a brief stint at Warner Brothers, where he appeared, briefly, in another unsuccessful picture, "Lafayette Escadrille," Eastwood wandered into TV via a role in a Highway Patrol episode. Late in 1956 he got into the now syndicated West Point series, going to New York to appear in "about half a dozen of them. The trouble with that series was that practically nothing ever happens to West Point cadets in real life. They march, go to classes, play football, study and go to bed. We'd open an episode with some strong dramatic line like 'You stole my laundry!' And where do you go from there?"

In short, Eastwood's "career" between 1954 and 1958 was about as fruitful and exciting as a postponed PTA meeting. One day early in 1958, however, he stopped by at CBS to see a friend of his wife's. Bob Sparks, then a CBS television executive, also picked the same time to drop in to see the same friend. He stared at Eastwood, took him back to his own office and had him read for a role that had been stumping producer Warren. The role was that of Rowdy Yates.

By that fall, 10 episodes of Rawhide, all an hour long, and expensive, had been filmed and there were still no takers. Eastwood got permission to do a Maverick over at Warner Brothers, the only other TV Western in which he has ever appeared. Rawhide finally got on the air in January 1959, and he has been with it ever since.

Says Clint: "I wasn't going anywhere when this show came along. Now I guess I'm a star. Eventually, like anyone else, I'd sort of like to branch out a bit, do other things. I don't figure Rawhide will last forever, but I don't figure to walk out on it, either."

#rawhide #rowdy yates #clint eastwood #tv guide #interview #magazine #article #1961

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