#seven capital vices

[reasonsforhope]

"New York City officials have agreed to restore more than $111 million in funding to libraries and cultural institutions, the City Council announced Thursday [June 27, 2024].

The agreement is a victory for residents and organizations who had been pushing back for months against budget cuts in the nation’s largest city and one of the world’s foremost cultural capitals.

In November, the city announced it would cut the budget of the New York Public libraries by $58.3 million in fiscal year 2025, and slash the budget for other cultural institutions, including the Bronx Zoo and Carnegie Hall, by $53 million. The new deal reverses those cuts, and is set to be finalized in a City Council vote Sunday...

“Our arts and cultural institutions and libraries are foundational pillars of our city, and New Yorkers depend on their services every day,” said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, thanking the mayor’s administration for reaching the deal. “The Council has consistently championed funding restorations for these institutions as a top priority, and we’re proud to reach an agreement with Mayor Adams and the administration to successfully secure these critical investments for them in the city budget.”

The news was received with collective approval from New York institutions that had been forced to cut hours and public access due to lack of funding.

“The Museum of the City of New York is delighted to learn of the restoration of cuts to the cultural sector,” the museum’s president Stephanie Hill Wilchfort told CNN in a statement.

“This support makes it possible for MCNY to be open seven days a week, starting on July 1,” said Wilchfort, who serves as Executive Vice Chair of the Cultural Institutions Group, a coalition of 34 non-profit organizations such as the city’s museums, gardens, and arts centers. “As such, the Museum’s exhibitions exploring history, popular culture, and art will be open to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the first time since the pandemic. City support also allows the Museum to operate as a cooling center, open at no charge to anyone who seeks relief from warm weather.”

The city’s three public library systems — New York, Queens, and Brooklyn — issued a joint statement thanking the administration, the city council and New York residents, who overwhelmingly supported the campaign to restore library budgets. More than 174,000 people sent letters to City Hall in support of the “No Cuts to Libraries!” campaign since the cuts were announced in November [2023].

“This funding will allow us to resume seven-day service, a priority for many New Yorkers,” the libraries said in a statement shared with CNN. “We expect that service to begin in the coming weeks, bringing our branches back to the same hours of operation prior to the November 2023 cuts. The funding also allows us to continue universal six-day service, which New Yorkers have enjoyed for nearly a decade.”

-via CNN, June 28, 2024

[itneverendshere]

alrighty imagine rafe feeling jealous for the first time in his life and absolutely not knowing how to navigate through it, so he just takes it out on you 🤗 he's down bad so it's funny

just a lil something for y'all:

rafe cameron does not get jealous.

why would he? he has the world at his feet—wealth, status, popularity, and seemingly limitless opportunities. got everything he wants and needs in his perfect kook-life, right? there’s absolutely nothing that could make him envious of others. he’s been moving through life with a sense of entitlement, accustomed to getting what he wants when he wants it.

that earth-shattering confidence translates into his sexual life. if there was such a thing as mastering the subtle art of not giving a fuck, god, he’d get a nobel prize for that shit. 

rafe likes to indulge in the pleasures of his fantastic mortal life without the burden of attachment of commitment, just thinking about tying himself up to someone else makes him want to drive his jeep into the nearest wall. 

that’s not the life he wants. that kind of bullshit gets people depressed or killed; he’s seen enough of that kind of misery in his lifetime. 

he knows he’s got a reputation by now. it precedes him, and he revels in it. and people say he’s a bad guy? please, he’s doing the entire female community a favor. there’s no point in restricting his independence for one person. 

no feelings involved, no clinging, and no, he’s not fucking cuddling someone after he just blew his load into their back. The women he involves himself with know what they’re getting themselves into when they open their pretty legs for him.

 it’s great. 

no stupid headaches, no fights, no “why didn’t you text me back?”, complete radio silence unless they want something from him or vice versa. sure, there have been a few girls who needed a collective reminder of his rules, which he does by always cutting them off.

no one’s ever made him want to throw his philosophy out the window. can you imagine that happening? rafe cameron…feeling…something other than complete horniness for someone else? enough to make him want to commit capital murder when someone else thinks they’re entitled to touch what’s his?

no, of course not.

that’d be insane. completely impossible. rafe cameron would never get his perfect hands dirty with filth. not in this universe or lifetime. 

or so he thought. 

“you have a real problem, you know that?”

if looks could kill he’d be seven feet under. you’re shooting daggers at him through your pretty eyes, hands settling on your hips. if he wasn’t raging with misplaced anger issues, he’d tell you how fucking beautiful you look tonight.

“me?” rafe grits out as he sticks his fingers into his chest, “you want to talk about problems, sweetheart?” his words drip with venom, a thinly veiled attempt to deflect the intensity of his own emotions.

you don’t back down, though, gaze steady and unwavering as you meet his challenge, “i’m not the one who just punched the living shit out of someone else!”

rafe's lip curl into a mocking smirk. "whose fault is that?” he quips, the barb aimed squarely at your intellect.

a violent urge to strangle him takes hold of you, anger nipping at your skin, “what the hell is wrong with you?”

he doesn’t know why he did it. all he remembers was that in that moment, while watching you entertain someone else, he wanted to snap someone’s neck in half. and he’d be damned if he didn't get what he wanted. 

rafe’s head tilts, oh so slowly, to the side, pretty blue eyes burning your skin, “i’m not the one letting some sleazy bastard get their hands under my slutty dress.”

that didn’t come out right. 

it made much more sense in his head. he doesn’t want to admit it, doesn’t want to acknowledge the gnawing jealousy that threatens to consume him whole.

“slutty dress?! this is vintage versace you possessive lunatic!”

“so fucking what?” he saunters closer, seemingly calm, except that’s the one thing that he never is, “did they run out of fabric in Italy?”

you watch him, a little mesmerized by the way the moonlight accentuates his features, heart pounding. he stops in front of you.

you must’ve taken a good hit to the head if you believe rafe cameron feels anything for you besides some sort of allure to your cunt. you know better than that. you open your mouth to speak, but rafe’s quick to lift one of his hands, tapping your lip with his finger.

“this is supposed to be like— a casual thing, right?” he exhales a breath, voice barely louder than a murmur.

you tip your chin up, “what are you getting at?’”

 “no strings. so, i really shouldn't be this fucking pissed about seeing you post a picture with that asshat face, smiling, his arm around you. that stupid fucking caption.”

straightening your posture, you don’t let his sugar-coated confession get to you, remaining silent for the time being. what’s his deal? is the devil spawn...confessing?

“speaking of photos…i just looked at a really cute one of you before, can you guess which one?”

and watch that picture be the one where you're on all fours in his truck's backseat lmao😃👀

[aflame4goinghome]

Kay’s Fic Recs !

i wanted to update my fic recs from last year, so here it is 🥰

all of these fics are 18+ and contain smut! read at your own discretion ;)

Josh:

- The Art of Life by @gvfgal

- Brightest Blue by @garbagevanfleet

- Valtava by @gretavanlace

- Picket Fence Dreams by @josiee-gvf

- The Meditation Room by @fleet-of-fiction

- Champagne & Fireworks by @sacredjake & @gold-mines-melting

Jake:

- Mine by @gretavanstink

- Covet by @jakeyt

- Le Morte D’Arthur by @joshym

- Cream & Sugar by @sacredthefran

- Sémillante by @profitofthedune

- The Red Medallion by @earthlysorrows

- Capital Vices by @builtbybrokenbells

- Pedagogue by @profitofthedune

- Mirror of the Damned by @alwaysonthemend

- Heartbreak Hot Seat by @builtbybrokenbells

- Poolsides and Pizza Boxes by @builtbybrokenbells

- Little Miss Sunshine by @builtbybrokenbells

- Imber by @gretavangroupie

Sam:

- Pink Lemonade by @garbagevanfleet

- Seven by @garbagevanfleet

- How I’m Imagining You by @geminisecrets

- Lucky by @gretavangroupie

- Talk by @ageofhearingloss

- Locked Out by @sparrowofthedawnsworld

Danny:

- Little Bird by @gretavanlace

- Time of the Season by @devilathedoor

**apparently i’m in need of danny fic recs myself, so send them my way!!

Twins:

- Poppins by @gretavanlace

- Kismet by @gretavangroupie & @sacredstarcatcher

- Down The Hall by @milkgemini

Forbidden Twins:

- Vigilance by @gretavangroupie & @gretavanmoon

- A Beautiful Riff by @sparrowofthedawnsworld

- Cruel Summer by @sacredstarcatcher

Janny:

- Valor by @gretavangroupie & @gretavanmoon

- Guilty Pleasures by @builtbybrokenbells

- Sweet Little Toy by @gretavanlace

[simply-ivanka]

Are the Democrats trying to assassinate President Trump, or are they just rooting for it?

Shortly after Donald Trump was inaugurated after the 2016 election, a so-called comedienne posted a picture of herself holding Trump’s severed, bloodied head. That apparently passes for comedy among Democrats.

In a presentation of Julius Caesar in the venerable Shakespeare in the Park production in New York City a few months later, a likeness of Trump was cast in the role of Caesar. I don’t need to remind you what happens to Caesar in the end.

The violent rhetoric from Democrats just keeps on coming, through Trump’s first term, into this year’s re-election campaign, and right up to weeks before the election. And now, it’s predictably escalating from violent rhetoric and into violent acts.

A month ago, a would-be assassin missed Trump’s cranium by a quarter-inch with a bullet from an AR-15, only because Trump luckily turned at the last possible second. It came out that the Trump campaign had requested beefed-up security prior to the incident, and the White House had denied his request.

The Secret Service at the time was headed by a DEI hire, and the agents at the event were test-failing amateurs. They allowed the shooter within 130 yards of Trump on an unsecured rooftop. Even after they saw him there, with a gun, they failed to take him out and failed to alert Trump or his staff until he’d fired eight shots, killing one man, seriously wounding another, and grazing Trump’s ear.  

In an apparent admission of near-lethal negligence by the Service, five agents were later suspended.

Their replacements seem not much better. In yesterday’s attempt, a Democrat donor got within easy range of Trump on a golf course with a rifle equipped with a high-powered scope. The shooter was wearing a Go-Pro, apparently to post his assassination on YouTube where Democrats everywhere could cheer it. He was thwarted only because he was foolish enough to poke his rifle out of the bushes, where an agent happened to see it.

The shooter had been on the golf course for at least 12 hours. One must wonder, how did he know Trump’s golfing schedule at least 12 hours in advance?

Even now, after two assassination attempts that missed due only to incredible luck or Providence, President Trump is not afforded the level of protection that President Biden or even Vice President Harris receives.

Most recently, President Doofus again falsely accused Trump of saying that neo-Nazis are “fine people” even though that accusation has been thoroughly debunked even by leftist fact-checkers.

Kamala Harris repeated the lie in her debate with Trump – and was not corrected by the moderators even though the moderators purported to correct at least seven Trump statements (some of which were not factual claims, but mere opinions).

You might think the mainstream media would condemn these assassination attempts in the strongest words possible. But if you do think that, then you haven’t been paying attention to the mainstream media for the last ten years.

The mainstream media is implying – no, they’re outright stating – that Trump has all this coming because he’s a Republican who says nasty things. The Washington Post has already dismissed the assassination attempt and has framed it instead as Trump unfairly capitalizing on the incident politically.

The media take their cue from Biden and Harris. They routinely equate Trump with Adolf Hitler, the mass murderer of millions.

The Democrats let their rank and file connect the dots: Everyone has been taught, correctly, that killing Hitler would have been a heroic act that would have saved millions. So, the Democrats don’t exactly say “kill Trump” but they do suggest you’d be a hero if you did.

[raedas]

where in the locked tomb universe are we?

or: a tentative guide to the solar system in the locked tomb and which houses go where :)

[id: a diagram of the solar system, including pluto, with additional white text overlaid over each body. the sun is labeled dominicus, mercury is labeled the sixth, venus is the seventh, earth is the first, mars is the second, jupiter is the third, saturn is the fifth, uranus is the fourth, neptune is the eight, and pluto is the ninth. /end id]

note: i'm pretty sure people have put together similar analyses before, but i wanted to try my own hand at it! and please feel free to share if you disagree with me on anything & your own evidence and thoughts <3

evidence & analysis under the cut!

THE NINTH HOUSE:

okay, this one is pretty much just a freebie. if you didn't know that the ninth house was on pluto, then, uh... sorry! i'm not going to exhaustively go through all the evidence for this one, but some things that stick out are the cold, gideon's awe at how close the first house is to the sun, and the fact that it's the "ninth" to begin with—the house that wasn't really meant to exist, perfectly in line with the planet that isn't really a planet THE FIRST HOUSE:

this one is given to us just as much, if not moreso, than the ninth. with that in mind, i'm just going to do a quick run through of the evidence that the first house is earth: it's very blue and covered in water, there are ruins of civilization, it's "the first", so on and so forth. home, sweet home :)

THE SIXTH HOUSE:

Then he said, "The sun has stabilized. Hope the Sixth House didn't get cooked in the flare." (Harrow the Ninth, 490)

this line is pretty much the entire selling point for the sixth being on mercury, the closest planet to the sun! (until they run away to the other side of the universe, that is)

THE SEVENTH HOUSE:

There were other planets that made their homelands closer to the burning star of Dominicus--the Seventh and Sixth, for instance--but to Gideon they could not imaginably be anything else than 100 percent on fire. (Gideon the Ninth, 67)

the implication here is fairly obvious: the seventh and sixth are on venus and mercury, or vice versa. thankfully, since we have the sixth squared away as mercury, it's pretty obvious that the seventh is located on venus

BONUS MYTHOLOGY FACT: venus is the roman goddess of beauty! (also known by her greek name, aphrodite). "seven for beauty that blossoms and dies", huh?

THE EIGHTH HOUSE:

"I squeal so long and so loud that they hear me from the Eighth." (Gideon the Ninth, 26)

while this line is obvious hyperbole, to me it implies one of two things: either the eighth is the farthest planet from the ninth, or it's right next to them. and since we know that mercury already has its hands full with sixth house, i think it's safe to assume that the eighth is on neptune, the ninth's next door neighbor :)

THE SECOND HOUSE:

"We went through the same shitty questions of what to do. What about the Mars installation, what about the fusion batteries?" (Nona the Ninth, 74)

john helpfully offers this tidbit to us when he's recounting everything that happened leading up to the apocalypse to harrow. i think it says a lot that there was a mars installation even before the apocalypse properly hit, and it makes sense that said installation would eventually become a proper House, with a capital H

BONUS MYTHOLOGY FACT: mars is the roman god of warfare (known in greek as ares)! looks at the second house and how closely they're associated the cohort... yeah, i think that speaks for itself

THE THIRD & FIFTH HOUSES:

"I thought we'd end up on the Third or the Fifth, or a sweet space station, or something." (Gideon the Ninth, 56)

"We are not becoming an appendix of the Third or Fifth Houses," continued the necromancer opposite." (Gideon the Ninth, 58)

okay, here's this bit where things begin to get a bit hairy. repeatedly throughout the books, we're told about how the third and fifth are the two "big" houses. harrow's scared of them and worried they'll make the ninth one of their appendixes, gideon originally thinks the entire lyctoral meeting will be on one of their planets, so on and so forth. with that in mind, it really isn't that much of a stretch to think they'd be situated on the two giants in our solar system: jupiter and saturn. we'll come back in a moment to sort out which is which!

THE FOURTH HOUSE:

aaaand uranus is the only planet left! congrats, fourth!

THE THIRD & FIFTH HOUSES (again):

"Naturally [Isaac] is Pent's protégé. I hear the Fifth takes special pains with the Fourth... hegemonic pains, some may say." (Gideon the Ninth, 170)

from this quote, as well as the whole of jeannemary & isaac's relationship with magnus & abigail, we can surmise that the fourth house is very close to the fifth house (hegemonic though it may be). it's reasonable that that metaphorical proximity is reflecting (or caused by) something else: physical proximity. with that, i think it's fairly safe to assume that the fifth is on saturn, putting the third on jupiter

DOMINICUS:

aaand finally, the center of the solar system itself! i really, really don't think it needs sharing that dominicus is the sun, as long as you accept that the locked tomb takes place in our own solar system. however, i do think the meaning of dominicus is worth sharing. coming from latin, it translates roughly to "lordly", "belonging to god", or "of the master." very subtle, john, very subtle.

[consult-sherlockholmes]

It's Pride, obviously. Or is there a cardinal sin concerning consumption of psychoactive substances? Which one would that then be, sloth or gluttony?

Happy Pride Handsome Boy!

Thank you, and I agree I am definitely handsome. Even more than handsome. Time to be my most prideful self then.

[mariacallous]

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has been making headlines for his “rocky rollout” since being named former President Donald Trump’s running mate last month. The bad headlines and poll numbers have been driven by Vance’s extreme comments about “childless cat ladies,” abortion, and more. Well, along with extreme comments, Vance has some extreme investments. 

Vance has had a six-figure stake in Rumble, an online video platform. The company has played host to Russian propaganda and to far-right personalities like Stew Peters and Tim Pool. It has also featured even more extreme content, including explicitly neo-Nazi images and themes like this song touting the “Reich” and calling for Jews to be placed in ovens from a “dissident rapper” with a dedicated page on the site. The site features a plethora of channels and videos dedicated to the concept of “white genocide,” which is a core belief for white supremacists. It also hosts channels for explicitly white supremacist organizations including VDare and Patriot Front, which has led masked demonstrations around the country. 

A former Marine, Vance was elected in 2022 after a career as a bestselling author and venture capitalist. In both the financial world and as he rose in politics, Vance has been backed by the Silicon Valley investor and right-wing donor Peter Thiel. The pair co-founded a firm, Narya Capital, in 2020. In keeping with Thiel’s preferred styling, the company was named after a reference to the “Lord of the Rings” fantasy novels. 

In 2021, Narya Capital made a major investment in Rumble. The investment, which made Narya one of Rumble’s top shareholders, also gave the firm a seat on Rumble’s board. Financial disclosures filed by Vance in conjunction with his Senate bid also show that he made a personal investment in Rumble that was valued between $100,000 and $250,000. 

Rumble went public in 2022 following Narya’s investment. In a filing last year that was reported by CNBC, Narya indicated it planned to sell more than three million shares of Rumble. Narya’s initial investment in Rumble totaled over seven million shares. 

Vance has not yet filed required financial disclosures for last year. He sought an extension in April. His most recent disclosure, which covered 2022, showed the Rumble investment. 

The stake is notable because it represents a direct financial link between Vance and a key outlet for some of the most extreme elements of the far right. Vance’s stake in Rumble was the subject of a New York Times piece during his Senate race in 2022. That story focused on Rumble hosting the Kremlin-backed propaganda network RT, but gave less attention to the extensive hate speech on the site. 

A spokesperson for Rumble did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this story. A company representative responded to the prior Times story by saying the company is willing to host those who “hold politically unpopular views, so long as they comply with our content policies,” framing the issue as a matter of free speech. A spokesperson for Vance’s campaign told the paper “J.D. does not play an active role at Rumble, nor does he set Rumble’s content moderation policies” and noted his belief in “free speech rights online.”

Vance isn’t the only figure in Trumpworld who has financial ties to Rumble. Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son, signed a seven-figure podcast deal with the company last year. Trump Jr. reportedly played a “pivotal role” in persuading his father to bring Vance onto the Republican presidential ticket. Trump Jr. did not respond to questions about the extremist content on Rumble and about whether his financial relationships influenced his support for Vance.

Representatives for Vance and the Trump campaign also did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The campaign of Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, was more forthcoming. Harris 2024 spokesperson Joseph Costello issued a statement to TPM decrying Vance’s links to the extremist content on Rumble. 

“The American people deserve a president who works to bring people together and who gives hate no safe harbor,” Costello said. “Every day the words and actions of Donald Trump and JD Vance prove they belong nowhere near the White House.” 

While the bad headlines have seemingly led Vance’s political stock to drop among some Republicans, shares in Rumble have fared far better. According to CNBC Pro, Rumble stock went up 17 percent on the week Trump picked Vance. The movement prompted a note from JP Morgan analyst Kamal Tamboli, who said the surge was a “quarterly record” for the extremist platform. 

“Retail traders appear to be closely following US election developments,” Tamboli wrote. 

The stock has dropped a bit from its recent high, which came on the day Trump picked Vance. However, it is still up 21 cents from where it was before the pick. The Ohio senator may be a drag on the Trump ticket, but someone out there enjoyed a bit of Vancementum! 

[builtbybrokenbells]

The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings.

According to the standard list, they are pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth, which are contrary to the seven heavenly virtues.

Pairing: Jake Kiszka x f!reader

Word Count: 120k | FINISHED

Warnings: SMUT 18+ (lots), angst, fluff, fwb, loss of a parent, grief, abusive/toxic relationships, jealousy, cheating, unrequited love, smoking, drinking, swearing, sorry if i miss any!

DISCLAIMER: I do not know Greta Van Fleet or any of the members personally. This is all fiction and I will never claim otherwise. I attempt to keep all of my work 100% original, so please do not steal or take credit for my writing. As of right now, I aim to get chapters out on weekends, but it is not guaranteed as I do have a full time job and other responsibilities to attend to. Please be patient and kind to me. Do not mind any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes, as I am the sole writer/editor for my blog and do miss things sometimes.

LUST | teaser

GLUTTONY | teaser

GREED | teaser

SLOTH | teaser

PRIDE

ENVY | teaser

WRATH | teaser | teaser 2

JACOB THOMAS KISZKA

CAPITAL VIRTUES

TAGLIST: if you would like to be added to the Capital Vices taglist, please feel free to send me an ask, pm me, or respond on this or one of the above chapters. if i do not respond, it is because the replies on my posts will only allow me to reply with my main account. i promise i will see it, and if i happen to miss you, don’t be scared to ask again!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: I am incredibly grateful for all of the support, likes, reblogs and kind comments I receive from all of you. I would be nothing without your support, and I do take the time to read and appreciate every reply and message, even if I don’t respond. Thank you so much for all you do, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy this story as much as I do 🫶🏻

all things capital vices:

playlist: spotify | apple music

moodboards:

moods, outfits, and other things

[tetheredfeathers]

Some of my favourite fics set during CF

My favorite everlark moments are the months before and after the announcement of the quell. Anyway here are some fics to fill that void. All are canon compliant except for one.

Because she couldn't possibly..... by ETNRL4L

An absolute favorite, the eyelash scene in Peeta's pov. The writing is impeccable.

knit 2 together by loveleee

Katniss knits, Peeta paints. So sweet.

Seven Days by ThirtySomething

Another one about them working on the plantbook, so bitterweet.

The Archer's Aim by sophinisba

A villanelle for the Catching Fire training montage. Let's just say I cried.

The Last Sunday by IzzySamson 

Training before the quell in Gale's Pov. Loved the insight into Gale's head watching everlark be so angsty and obvious lol.

Capital Vices and Distinct Virtues

This one is so beautiful and well written I cannot emphasize enough.

Katniss and Peeta debate the merits of mankind, its virtue and vice, with District Twelve as a stage. Katniss begins to realize something she won't fully understand until after the rebellion. Canon-compliant CF interlude. Round 4 PiP submission for the sin of pride, though all seven make an appearance.

Sneak Attack by burkygirl

This one is so fluffy and cosy, ughhhhh loved it. SLight canon divergence tho. This is the only one rest are all canon complaint.

A surprise during Peeta's walk home from the bakery could change everything. A little winter Everlark interlude post-Victory Tour. Written for Day 1 of the Yuletide in Panem: 12 Days of Christmas challenge on Tumblr.

Intimate Bystander by burkygirl

Love this author so much.💕💕

Katniss said it was just for the cameras. Gale believed her until he discovered she screams for Peeta in the night. In the days before the Quarter Quell, Gale finds out there’s more to Katniss’s relationship with Peeta than she’s led him to believe. In-Panem, mostly Canon. Everlark Fic Exchange, Springtime Edition, Prompt 1 – Gale walks in on/eavesdrops/overhears Everlark being intimate.

Conversations by tethered_feathers

Last but not least one by me, still writing tho.

Peeta and Katniss' conversations over the course of CF

[preet-01]

Maxiel Political AU

Word Count: 958

Summary: Max Verstappen only had one goal - to be President. It's all he's wanted since he was just seven years old and all that he's worked towards. But bachelors don't get elected as Presidents, for the most part. Enter Daniel Ricciardo. Daniel's the ideal candidate for the country's most prominent and stressful unpaid job: the President's loving partner, a pretty bauble for the country to fall in love with and look towards. In secret meetings, contracts are signed and a marriage is arranged. Max and Daniel must convince the American people that they are a loving couple and perfect for the White House

<< Prev ||| Next >>

Chapter Four

This is not a meeting for the public. They don’t meet on the golf course or some insanely fancy restaurant where policy is negotiated. Nor do they meet underneath the clandestine moonlight in a park with no one else present. 

No, they meet in the little farmhouse that Seb had built for himself just an hour outside of DC in Northern Virginia. It’s quaint and nothing like the townhome he keeps in the District. With no one around, it’s the perfect spot. 

Max is the first to arrive. Always so prompt when he needs to be somewhere or do something important. He arrives with his father close behind and an air of annoyance as the two Verstappens step into the little farmhouse. 

They don’t talk much. Mostly just sit in silence as Jos Verstappen reads the file Seb had made on Daniel and his very prominent family. Max had been sent the file days ago and had memorized just about everything that was in it during his preparation for this meeting. He had not deemed it something that he needed to share with his father, so of course his father had hounded Seb about the file as soon as they sat down. 

Approximately twenty minutes after the Verstappens had arrived, Daniel arrived. “You’re late,” Seb says to the younger man in greeting. Daniel’s dressed in a suit with his tie loosened and has a Gucci briefcase in hand. 

“Drama at the office,” Daniel sighs, “then major accidents on 495 and 66. Almost makes me miss Cali.” 

“California traffic is worse,” Seb deadpans, he’d heard Daniel complain about traffic countless times over the years they’d known one another. If he was in California and stuck in traffic, he’d say he missed Virginia traffic. And it would be vice versa if he was stuck in Northern Virginia traffic. 

“Why would you take the Beltway at this time?” Max questions, looking at Daniel as if he was odd for taking 495 when leaving DC. Though Seb agreed with avoiding the Capital Beltway as much as possible, he also knew that Daniel was a creature of habit despite what he said. He’d taken the Beltway, or 495 as Daniel and so many others preferred to say, once when he first moved to DC and hadn’t changed his preferred route out of DC ever since. 

“As much as I love talks of traffic and travel routes,” Seb says, “but we have greater things to talk about.” 

That’s all it takes for Daniel to straighten up and take a seat opposite the Verstappens. He places the Gucci briefcase on the coffee table and opens it. 

“Contract, I presume,” Seb mutters when Daniel hands each of them a file. Ever the good lawyer, Daniel had come prepared. 

“Just a preliminary contract with room to negotiate. My terms are laid out,” Daniel says.

_____

Before he met Senator Verstappen, Daniel knew he’d be tying himself to the man and agreeing to a political marriage. 

Maybe if he hadn’t spent a few hours with his grandfather and talked about legacy and political aspirations, he would’ve called Seb crazy and been done with it. Maybe then he would’ve listened to his father and mother’s hopes for him marrying for love. Maybe then he would’ve called Michelle and let her talk him out of this as she had talked him out of so many bad decisions. 

But he’d done none of that.

He had left his office and spent hours with just his grandfather. He had listened to his grandfather talk about the burdens of legacy and the aspirations of their ancestors. He had thought back to his own childhood dreams and desires to be the President of the United States. Then he’d spent hours before work writing out a contract. 

Senator Verstappen, his soon-to-be fiance, sits across from him on Seb’s couch. He’s handsome – much more handsome than some of the men his grandfather had suggested in the past. Daniel could see himself chatting up the man at some bar and going home with him. People who know him would believe that Daniel Ricciardo was seeing someone like Max Verstappen. 

“These are very reasonable terms,” Max says, flipping through the contract pages carefully. Next to him sits his father, who looks much less pleased than his son does. Daniel didn’t know much about Jos Verstappen. To be fair, why would he? Jos Verstappen, in the context of US politics, was nearly a nobody. Insignificant except for the part he’d played in birthing and raising a rising star Senator with presidential dreams. 

“I’m a reasonable guy,” Daniel states causing Seb to raise his eyebrow. But the older man does not say anything contrary to his statement. 

It’s not until the last page, that Max has objections. He’d only put in the last few terms to see how far he could push the Senator’s willingness. 

Farther than he expected, Daniel notes when Max brings his objections to the last two terms – Cabinet appointments and judicial nominations. More specifically getting to choose at least two Cabinet appointments and federal judge nominations. 

“I’m willing to compromise on that,” Daniel says, “I want my opinion considered. I grew up amongst many of the establishment names that will be suggested for such positions.” Seb wanted Daniel for a reason. It wasn’t just his ability to birth children and look pretty on the arms of a Presidential candidate, but his connections and the inherent power he held as a scion of a major political dynasty. Max Verstappen, for all he could become President and the most powerful man in the free world, he would never have the privileges that Daniel was born into. 

Three days later, a finalized contract is signed and plans are made. 

[tigersharko]

yes pls.... give inform....

so!! gray was originally a character i wrote and designed for a narrative project, not actually lancer.

his original concept was meant to open the discussion "how much of gray is himself/his own nature, and how much is TR-GRAE; and vice versa?" though, honestly, that doesn't matter much to me; he just, is the way that he is. i actually refer to the two as brothers, though they're less like a traditional family and more two people shoved into a blender, combined, then poured back out into two separate molds?

anyways, about why gray is so jacked up!!

From his original text, I kept the city/colony he originates from;

>The collapse of Leicester (pop. 1,230,000) marked the final days of Harrier (55-Cancri-fb)'s civilization. Colonization of the distant moon had been difficult; Tidally locked and weaving ever-so-slightly in and out of the solar system's habitable zone, the celestial body only had two small islands of land that were habitable year-round. Capitalizing on the mineral-rich and lush land, Harrier's settlers built and developed massive supercities. Housing, commercial districts, etcetera were all crammed together in compact skyscrapers. This left more room for agricultural efforts, but created a cramped and uncomfortable lifestyle for the generations to come.

Eventually- Leicester, the largest of the two habitable cities, began to grow too close to the stars. Generations of expansion made the terrain beneath their feet unstable- and the crumbling body of their beloved moon gave way. The entirety of Leicester collapsed in on itself, sucked into a massive sinkhole. Skyscrapers fell unto one another like a poorly-assembled jenga tower. Survivors were few and far in-between as decades of carefully-constructed infrastructure fell into the depths. Those who did survive were forced to contest with the post-apocalyptic like conditions of their fallen city.

So, Gray, bless his heart, is dropped into the sinkhole with the rest of his city; Most of the scars we see today, such as the ones on his chest and (organic) arms, are the result of shrapnel damage. He loses his left arm in the initial collapse, and his right to infection shortly thereafter;

One unfortunate soul- seven year-old-boy, Arthur- fell into the custody of the paltry few that had been living on the lip of the city. Wounded from the collapse of his housing unit, the boy's arms were tragically amputated; Quick thinking and good luck, however, saved his life. Shortly thereafter, he was outfitted with makeshift prosthetics, allowing him to at least somewhat participate in the survivors' attempts at rebuilding.

Now, that's the spot where Original Gray and Lancer Gray diverge; in LANCER, the very young Gray goes on to explore and adventure in the wreckage of his city, and eventually comes across the entombed chassis of a long-forgotten mech. He climbs up to meet it- and makes contact with the cascading mind of a very, very old NHP.

See, my take on NHPs' "perspectives", and how those can be translated into human/anthropocentric analogies, is sort of convoluted and it would honestly require a post of my own (which I would love to make, if given the time and motivation)- but the important thing about how TR-GRAE (or, at least, the nonhuman mind it was founded on) in specific works is that a willing, malleable, and open (y'know, like a child's) human mind was the perfect means for it to ground and voluntarily shackle itself.

Obviously, gray doesn't remember this. He doesn't remember much of his history at all.

No, Gray remembers emerging on Carina, well into his teens, having been "adopted" by a Northstar campus outreach/scholarship program based on engineering prowess he thinks that he always had. He doesn't remember how, or when, but he had built a casket for the mind that he discovered, and had come to regard the entity- the person- within like family. Gray and TR-GRAE (named for the chassis he was discovered in and the subsequent role he filled in their community, "Terran Recovery - Ground Rescue and Excavation") understand eachother on a frightening level, even without implant intervention (though Gray has a lot of implants installed for his and his copilot's convenience). They don't need to speak to know what the other is thinking, or needs, or even knows. Of course, there are several divides, and the fact that TR-GRAE knows what Gray knows, but not vice versa—

Anyways, Gray has been in IPS-N "custody" for ~8 years? He was 8 when the city collapsed, 10 when they picked him up, and he's 19 now. Ra's sake, he's young—

I hoped you paid attention, this will be on your test.

[aflame4goinghome]

Kay’s Fic Recs !!!

all of these fics are 18+ and contain smut! read at your own discretion ;)

Josh:

Confession by @thewritingbeforesunrise

The Art of Life by @gvfgal

Brightest Blue by @garbagevanfleet

I See Hell in Your Eyes by @joshsindigostreak

Uncharted Territory by @ficthots

Little Fantasy by @jake-kiszkas-smirk

No Hands by @joshym

Valtava by @gretavanlace

Jake:

Covet by @jakeyt

Imperfect Moments by @abeautylives

Le Morte d’Arthur by @joshym

Cream & Sugar by @sacredthefran

Sémillante by @profitofthedune

Last Call by @milkgemini

The Red Medallion by @earthlysorrows

Capital Vices by @builtbybrokenbells

Pedagogue by @profitofthedune

Dear Patience by @ageofbajabule

Tending by @zm-gvf

Mirror of the Damned by @alwaysonthemend

The Professor by @jakekiszkasmommy

Crimson Lace by @meetingthestarcatchers

Sammy:

Pink Lemonade by @garbagevanfleet

It’s Called Being Nice by @gretavanfleetposts

Locked Out by @sparrowofthedawnsworld

A Need That Goes Unspoken by @neverwanttofallasleep

How I’m Imagining You by @geminisecrets

Seven by @garbagevanfleet

Danny:

Stretch You Out by @gvfgal

Black Swan by @holybananafuck

Struck by @gretavangroupie

Little Bird by @gretavanlace

Red by @vanfleeter

Stroke Me by @hyperfixated-gvf

Twins:

Poppins by @gretavanlace

Kismet by @gretavangroupie & @sacredstarcatcher

What Is And What Should Never Be by @sinsofstardust

Down The Hall by @milkgemini

Skin Deep by @streamingcolors-gvf

Forbidden Twins

Vigilance by @gretavangroupie & @gretavanmoon

A Beautiful Riff by @sparrowofthedawnsworld

Janny:

Valor by @gretavangroupie & @gretavanmoon

Greta Van Fleet

Fire in the Water by @gretavanfleetposts

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dean Obeidallah at The Dean's Report:

Imagine if Vice President Harris publicly called on a foreign nation that has a history of interfering in our elections to help her defeat Donald Trump. The response would’ve been wall to wall media coverage and members of the GOP would’ve been calling for a DOJ Investigation. But when Donald Trump did that exact thing on Thursday, it barely received any coverage from the corporate media.  Yet there was Trump at an event organized by Trump’s close ally Miriam Adelson—the widow of billionaire Sheldon Adelson and a supporter of far-right policies in Israel—calling on Israel to defeat Harris. I don’t mean Trump inferred he wanted the help of Israel to win, he stated it point blank.

That is when Trump declared: “More than any other people on Earth. More than any other people on Earth, Israel, I believe, has to defeat her. You know that?” He then repeated that Israel—not Jewish Americans—need to help him defeat Harris, stating, “And I’ve never said this before. And I’m thinking, Miriam, more than any people on Earth, Israel has to defeat her. I really believe that.” There is no wiggle room here. Trump twice asked Israeli leaders to help him defeat Harris in a room filled with people like Adelson who has very close ties to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Where is the outrage that Trump wants a foreign nation to interfere in our election?!! What could Netanyahu do to help Trump? Well one example is the online interference type campaign they were engaged in 2016 that I detail below.  Or far worse and what is what we are seeing over the past few days and that is spark a deadly war with Lebanon.

[...] To that end, in the last few days we’ve seen an unparalleled escalation of attacks by Netanyahu on not just Hezbollah—but the nation of Lebanon. It began with the pager bombings that may have been targeting Hezbollah militants but ended up killing and wounding innocent people including children. In the days that followed, Netanyahu’s military bombed targets in the suburbs of Beirut that killed 45 people, including three children and seven women. Two Hezbollah leaders were killed as well but we as we’ve seen in Gaza, there is no limits to the civilians Netanyahu will kill. And then there is the more traditional type of online election interference. For those unaware, the Israeli government under Netanyahu has a documented history –even noted in Israeli media outlets like Haaretz--of interfering in other nation’s elections, including the United States, to elect people supportive of his right wing views. That was the very point made by The Nation in a detailed deep dive article in 2023 titled, “The Trump Campaign’s Collusion With Israel.” As The Nation explained, “In the spring of 2016, no issue was more important to Benjamin Netanyahu than Donald Trump winning the White House.”  The reason was simple: “The GOP presidential candidate was key to everything he was after, from ending the Iran nuclear agreement, to recognizing Jerusalem—rather than Tel Aviv—as Israel’s capital, to continuing the occupation of” the West Bank.

To that end, Netanyahu personally directed a “covert operation” that “aimed to use secret intelligence to clandestinely intervene at the highest levels in the presidential election on behalf of Trump.” The Times of Israel in 2020 even addressed this plot noting Trump close ally Roger Stone was the point person for key Israeli figures, writing, “the Trump campaign, was in contact with one or more apparently well-connected Israelis at the height of the 2016 US presidential campaign, one of whom warned Stone that Trump was “going to be defeated unless we intervene” and promised “we have critical intell[sic].”

[...] Trump publicly asking Israel to help defeat Harris, of course, conjures up Trump’s infamous comment during the 2016 campaign when he declared about Hillary Clinton’s missing emails, “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.” And as the Mueller report detailed, “the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome.” Adding importantly about Trump: “the campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts."

Israel Apartheid State PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s escalation of war with Lebanon serves one purpose: put Donald Trump back in office as “President” in the USA.

[whencyclopedia]

US Presidential Election of 1789

The US presidential election of 1789 was the first presidential election to take place after the ratification of the United States Constitution. Held on 4 February 1789, it resulted in the unanimous election of George Washington (l. 1732-1799) as the first president of the United States, with John Adams (l. 1735-1826) elected as the first vice president.

This election was very different from modern-day presidential elections in the United States. For one thing, candidates did not campaign for office, as outward displays of political ambition were viewed with suspicion by the public; instead, aspiring politicians discreetly made their interests known while their allies publicly lobbied for them. Additionally, as there were not yet any formal political parties, presidential and vice presidential candidates did not run on a shared ticket. Instead, the candidate who received the most votes from the Electoral College became president, while the runner-up became vice president. Finally, the president was chosen by electors – who were themselves selected by each state through various methods – who were each allowed to cast two votes. Washington, after his unanimous election, travelled to the temporary US capital of New York City, where he was inaugurated on 30 April 1789.

Background

In March 1781, as the American Revolutionary War neared its end, the Articles of Confederation went into effect as the first framework of governance for the fledgling United States. The Articles, which bound the 13 states together in a league of perpetual union, deliberately kept the new central government weak to protect the sovereignty of the individual states. Congress' lack of authority would soon lead to problems, however; the central government's inability to raise its own taxes meant that the national treasury was constantly depleted, while its lackluster response to Shays' Rebellion (1786-87) showed that it was ill-equipped to handle domestic crises. By the mid-1780s, many Americans viewed the Articles of Confederation as ineffectual and demanded they be revised, if not replaced. George Washington certainly spoke for many of his contemporaries when he called the Confederation Congress a "half-starved, limping Government that appears to be always moving upon crutches and tottering at every step" (mountvernon.org).

On 25 May 1787, the Constitutional Convention met at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Washington presiding. While the initial goal of the convention had been merely to revise the Articles of Confederation, it was soon decided that an entirely new framework of governance was needed, and the delegates got to work debating and drafting what would become the United States Constitution. As suggested in the Virginia Plan (drafted by Virginian delegates James Madison and Edmund Randolph), it was ultimately decided that the new federal government should consist of three distinct branches: executive, legislative, and judiciary, each expected to exert checks and balances on the others. Debate over the exact powers and functions of these branches consumed much of the convention, particularly regarding the executive branch; under the Articles, the US had no executive officer, as the 'president of Congress' had served more of an administrative role.

On 1 June, it was decided that the nation's chief executive would be a single person rather than a group of persons and that this officeholder would be called the ‘president'. Believing that the masses were too easily manipulated, the delegates decided against electing the president directly through a popular vote and instead set up an Electoral College, wherein voters in each state would choose electors who would, in turn, elect the president. After toying with the idea that the president should serve a single, seven-year term, the delegates instead went with the notion that multiple terms could be served. While the idea of the presidential office seemed foreboding to many convention delegates, who still feared the tyranny of kings, most were lulled into compliance by the idea that Washington would become the first president. Time and again, Washington had demonstrated his patriotism during the American Revolution and had voluntarily resigned his position as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. The idea that he would be the first one to define the office of president did much to ease fears that the office would become an elective monarch.

Washington at the Constitutional Convention, 1787

Junius Brutus Stearns (Public Domain)

Continue reading...

[alchemicaladarna]

Demon Royalty au part 1

This was supposed to be a simple vampire!Bagi/demon princess!Tina au but I got carried away while researching the nether biomes so here we are lmaoo

Ironmouse- Queen of the Underworld

Castle resides in the Nether Wastes region

Oversees all the Nether capitals/kingdoms/demon kind

And business concerning the Overworld's access to the Nether

Tina- Princess of the Seven Capital Vices

Castle resides in Warped Forest region

7 deadly sins reflect the Seven Capital Vices (regions) and are named: Avaritia, Luxuria, Invidia, Gula, Ira, Acedia, Vanagloria

Helps Mouse with matters concerning demon kind/the kingdom's subjects

Bad- Prince of Death (Grim Reaper)

Castle resides in the Soulsand Valley

Also has connections and access over ancient cities/deep dark

Mostly rules over matters concerning dead mortals/making sure souls pass properly

Bad's role is like Hades' in greek mythology basically

Yangdding- Highest ranking demon general

Main fortress resides in the Crimson Forests

Leads Mouse's armies

Has a lot of experience exploring the different biomes, fighting, and resolving conflicts between demons

Still a part of demon nobility but doesn't "rule" over anything, so no royal title

Basically a brief summary of how the Nether Kingdom works:

Demons are still looked down upon by many people from the Overworld, but that's mainly due to the many millenia of tyrannical demon rulers and the power they abused to instill fear into the people of the Overworld. Eventually, the Nether Kingdom became impoverished because of the corrupt governing, until IronMouse- a "lowly demon" stepped in to try to change things. A civil war ensued, but the rebellion led by Mouse, Bad, and Tina won and Mouse took the throne as the new Demon Queen.

She changed a lot of things including how long a ruler should stay in power, since technically, one crowned demon can rule forever. Mouse declared that demon rulers can stay in power for 1000 years maximum before they must eventually find a successor to take their place. Mouse's dynasty has just reached its 650th year when the story takes place. Ironmouse wants to establish peace with the people of the Overworld, and they mainly stay out of Overworld wars. That is, until the ancient conflict between demons and vampires arises and escalates once more...

I want to go over the vampires and Bagi's role, but I think that requires a separate post XD

[juminies]

Don't know if you've ever talked on this subject or not, but what's your interpretation on Jumin's relationship with Jaehee after her good ending? Really love how mindfully you explain Jumin's feelings and actions, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter! Especially bc her route kinda leaves many people feeling like he's an antagonist of sorts 😬 But I kinda always felt like he'd respect her a lot, especially once he sees how much passion she puts into her dream? And Jaehee shows her genuine care for Jumin, too, moreso after his infamous crash. I'm kinda babbling here, but yeah! Really curious to read up on your interpretation <3

I haven't talked about this before actually—I think there's a lotttt of nuance to it and I didn't want to be haphazard with it in case it comes across as me being over lenient with corporate heirs or whatever hahah. I promise I'm not! I just love Jumin. Also sorry this took me a while to answer, I had actually just started a game the day you sent it with the intention of doing Jaehee's route so I decided I would play before responding to ensure it was fresh in my mind. I hadn't played her route in so long, and I wanted to get the Jumin outgoing calls too!

To get into how I think he would treat her after some time passes I first want to discuss their dynamic in her route a bit, because I honestly think people are unnecessarily harsh on him because of it sometimes. I personally don't feel as if they pushed him too far into an antagonistic role, but perhaps since Cheritz weren't bringing in an outsider (à la Echo Girl or Sarah Choi) to act as the driving force it seemed that way to some people? It was inevitable given the nature of Jaehee's struggles that Jumin would be viewed as the bad guy in a sense, but I feel like it's often sort of blown out of proportion due to a misunderstanding of both Jumin's intentions and his character as a whole. He is admittedly at his worst in Jaehee's route, but people tend to brush his actions during it off as completely out of line and absurd and then go on to use it to totally mischaracterise him as someone who doesn't value his employees whatsoever or is an abusive boss. In reality though, the way he acts as a superior in general as well as given the specific circumstances is very... Jumin? in that it's logical and efficient and goal-driven. Jaehee's route is such a push and pull in the sense that the two of them clash repeatedly in a scenario where neither person is willing to compromise—for what, to each of them personally, is good reason! Jaehee is a victim of a wider system, of capitalism itself, less so than of Jumin as an individual.

On one hand, Jaehee having to give up a project she was finally actually enjoying working on would be incredibly frustrating, even without having something she actively dislikes stacked on top of it. I get why she went against Jumin's wishes of doing a bad job (why would she choose now of all times to put in half of her effort when it's something she's actually having fun with?) and I get why she used Seven's cat hotel proposal. Life can be messy like that. Sometimes you have to make a decision that has a shitty outcome for someone else for your own sake or vice versa. She should be doing something that makes her happy, and had she not gotten the encouragement to find something she loves she would have continued to feel unfulfilled for god knows how long. Plus, in regard to the coffee report she is still technically doing her job and doing it well, even if going against her boss' personal wishes in doing so. She also does use her own time to revise it in the end so Jumin can have his way (and maybe a little bit so she can use her ideas for her own place) so, to me, that says she understands where he's coming from and doesn't particularly resent him. It's a complex situation for sure, and objectively Jumin does have the upper hand even if he doesn't quite realise the extent of it. I absolutely support Jaehee in her endeavours; I love her so much and she absolutely deserves better than eternal C&R bullshit.

At the same time, Jumin's perspective does make sense if you try to understand his worldview a bit more. Jaehee is the only person at C&R he feels he can genuinely rely on, and when he's already been thrown through a loop with his father prior to her disobedience it's entirely logical that he would feel as if everyone who should be working with him is suddenly against him. Jumin has been shown before to not quite have a grasp on the social standing he holds over Jaehee, for example in this chat from deep story day 2 where he doesn't understand why she can't tell him, as he told her, that she doesn't like seeing him in chatrooms.

And I think it's genuine obliviousness as opposed to purposeful ignorance; he overlooks bigger structures at play because he legitimately values hearing the honest opinions of the people around him and expects them to have a mutual respect for him. As far as Jumin is concerned his employees should be able to come to him with honest feedback, but of course that typically isn't the case and so Jaehee can't express how she really feels to him lest she face consequences. Jumin's thought process when it comes to employment is shown to be, to put it simply, people work for money -> more work is more money -> more work is good, and it hasn't been explained to him why this isn't the case for a lot of people. Jaehee's actions register to Jumin as is simply a betrayal of his trust and respect, because he doesn't quite see the level at which he and Jaehee are on unequal footing in the first place. On top of that he is rigid in that he needs everything to be done as he expects it; he does not like sudden change and (as demonstrated in his own route) can be incredibly rattled by it if he is already otherwise stressed or overworked. Just because he stands strong for his friends does not mean he is entirely invulnerable to being overwhelmed and acting out, and while I completely agree he was on some level being selfish in regards to the cat project, at the point where Jaehee quits she has already left him with what (to Jumin) is a mess to handle essentially on his own. He is overworked too, something Jaehee admits herself, and he wanted to transfer the coffee project to another department both to make less work for the two of them and in order to not succumb to his father's lack of consideration for anyone or anything but his current partner.

Again I do not blame Jaehee for anything she did whatsoever—I think it was a good idea for her to quit and she absolutely deserves the happiness she finds in MC and their café!—but Jaehee is incredibly competent and Jumin knows that. Consequently he knows she has big boots to fill and it can't be done on a whim. I'm sure you can see why he would be incredibly frustrated. As a whole it's just a very messy situation where the two of them can't really fathom the other's perspective. Their lives and outlooks on the world are so intrinsically different at this turning point in Jaehee's life, and that's fine. Neither of them have bad intentions towards the other whatsoever.

Now to actually answer your question! Firstly I want to put out there that he says this on days nine and ten respectively:

Then I want to add that I do not think Jumin is the type to hold a grudge. He is shown frequently to take on a sort of each to their own/whatever will be will be attitude, and though this situation is something that impacts him directly I can't imagine him taking it any more personally in the long term than he would anything else. Sure he's a little hostile in her AE, but to be completely honest with you I do not think he would have gone to visit the café at all if he was completely furious and had lost all respect for Jaehee (and/or MC) after her endeavours. Again he knows that Jaehee is highly capable, hardworking, and generally a very good person, and I can't imagine that one rocky dilemma between the two of them is something that would make him bad tempered around her forever. He still clearly held her highly and has a lot of respect for her despite their differences, and she doesn't seem to have any ill will towards him either. Ultimately, as you say, he would grow to respect her passion and would hear her out on why she took the course of action she did in the end. While Jumin may not be great at putting himself in others shoes he can identify patterns well, and it lets him draw parallels between his own experiences and other people's. Once he finds the common ground (he knows how fulfilling passion projects can be, he knows how frustrating it can be to work yourself to the bone for others' sake without any real incentive, and he values real friendship an awful amount) I think he would accept it.

I actually feel like hypothetically in the long term not working together would be good for their relationship in terms of RFA too—Jaehee was only made part of the group originally because of Jumin and it meant that all of their interactions even amongst their mutual friends were that of a work relationship. We know they both dislike being in chatrooms together and dislike hearing each other talk outside of work, which was bound to have put a strain (even if very minor) on their association with RFA as an organisation. Jaehee even says herself it's like an extension of C&R for her! Dropping the working boundary between them means less tiptoeing around each other and more openness among friends, especially for Jaehee.

As for Yoosung becoming Jumin's intern/assistant, I don't think it would carry the same tone into RFA as it did with Jaehee since they are already well associated without the business relationship prior to Yoosung being hired. Sure things might be a little weird at times, but no discomfort or frustration to the same extent. It's already shown to be kind of unserious and silly, and I honestly don't think Yoosung would last long as Jumin's assistant anyway, lol.