#loans through employer

[eccsociety]

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[hexhomos]

LoL Jayce with the Gioparas. LoR Jayce with the Ferros. LoL Viktor with Stanwick and Renata. Both of their Arcane versions with the Council, specially Medarda and the Kiramman.

Hmmmm.... having thoughts about how their common enemy is always their own investors

HAHAHA part of vikjayce's built-in charm to me is that their position in society is that of the working man under the gears of capitalism and rapidly advancing industry. They are *employees*, doesn't matter how brilliant or how groundbreaking their work is, the results will always be co-opted by those with the most money and power in the society they inhabit. The average man can't win capitalism by "pulling themself up by their bootstraps," -- when they try to, the result will often be them being swiftly outplayed and a quick economic demise.

Investors are landlords of ideas. Ask anyone trying to break into industry how they feel about that relationship and you're going to end up collecting a whole album's worth of doompilled stories, worst case scenario always being The Money Guys Get All Your Work (Including Credits For Work They Didn't Do!) By the End.

[theriverdalereviewer]

HOW BAD DO THINGS NEED TO GET IN THIS COUNTRY FOR THINGS TO CHANGE

[suguann]

tags. fem!reader, boss/employee relationship, stupidly domestic, little wife kink in there somewhere, nanny reader, single dad gojo, breeding kink [18+ only]

You sometimes find yourself wistfully imagining having a family of your own—a soft and sweet little bundle to cuddle and someone strong and capable (competent) at your side. But you can’t think of the last time you’ve been on a date where that person had the same interest in something more serious than casually sleeping around. 

Nannying seemed like the natural conclusion, especially when you’re still settling in a new city and barely scraping by for rent and student loans for a degree you don’t use. 

You pick up a few jobs just to get a feel for it: parents going away for a honeymoon, a last-minute call-in, a weekend business trip. Then a friend of a friend says she makes enough to afford one of those picturesque apartments that overlook tall high-rises and iridescent lights, the very ones you’ve dog-eared in real-estate magazines.

All it takes are a few phone calls and an interview until you’re packing up your apartment and taking the freeway outside of the city to somewhere remote and expensive, your car looking almost out of place parked beside the shiny new one in the long driveway.

You rap on the front door before you lose your nerve, and a few moments later, it opens, and you’re unsure who looks more out of place: this man with a smile too big, dressed for work, immaculate suit dampened by the baby rag slung over his shoulder and what looks like drool on his crisp collar, or you in your scuffed shoes and second-hand store clothes, standing in front of the nicest house you’ve ever seen.

“The nanny?”

“Yes,” you mutter, licking your lips. “That’s me.”

“Good, Ren just woke up from his nap,” he says, opening the door a little wider with a creak. The darkness behind him is almost comforting.

You take a deep breath and pass over the threshold into his home.

The entire time, his hand stays on the small of your back to steer you toward the nursery, and a shiver threatens up the length of your spine.

Three months. That’s how long it takes before your employer poses a problem.

It’s not that he’s a terrible boss; in fact, he’s quite the opposite. He lets you take over one of the many spare rooms in his massive house, pays you double the regular rate, and gives you time off when you ask for it.

It also helps that Ren is cute, only a year old, and still so sweet and tiny. 

Perfect.

The problem lies in that you know what he sounds like first thing in the morning, that he knows how you like your coffee, that he helps you fold laundry in the living room while the baby naps, how you catch him staring anytime you hold his son—his expression shuttered, a foreign thing that you can’t read. It’s all so terribly domestic. 

Terrible in that you think it’s a horrible idea to develop a crush on your boss, that you can’t help but get flustered anytime he so much as looks your way, even if it’s fleeting. How a sleepy smile before he retires to his room for the night can turn your thoughts into a scattered, ill-defined mess of what they used to be until all that’s left are words like spun sugar melting on your tongue.

But also, it’s not normal, at least not from your experience. 

You were lucky in the past if your employer even wanted to know about their kid’s day. Barely saying hello once they walk through the front door before sending money to your bank account.

Satoru—because that’s what he asked you to call him one afternoon while you were in the middle of feeding Ren mashed banana, a lazy smile curling the edges of his lips after you say it for the first time—wants to know everything: what Ren ate, if he laughed, how your day was, if you finally got your hands on that book you’ve been meaning to buy. 

“You don’t have to ask about my day,” you tell him shyly, accepting the glass of wine he proffers you after spending the past hour trying to put a teething baby to bed. “To make me feel better, that is.”

“Would it be so bad if I said I want to? You live here, too.”

You try to separate the two: that he cares as your employer and not for any other reason, and how you sometimes catch the soft look in his eye whenever he looks at you could make you believe otherwise.

Cool fingers cup your chin gently, thumb caressing the top of your cheek, now close enough that you catch a few of the warm notes of his cologne, a move that’s probably very inappropriate between a boss and an employee.

“I never say anything I don’t mean.”

You swallow, nodding, slightly shaky, breath caught in your chest. “Okay.”

“Good girl.” He retreats to his office before witnessing how those two words knock the wind out of you.

He starts saying things like our shopping list, our car—because he gave you the keys to the SUV parked beside his car and hasn’t touched it since; for you and the baby, he said, plus it’s terrible on gas when I drive it to work—our house, our baby. You don’t think he means to do it; it's more of an easy slip in conversation.

But then, one morning, he’s rushing around the kitchen, hair still damp and smelling like his shampoo, as he grabs his coffee and briefcase from the counter, kissing Ren’s forehead first…and then yours.

You’re half convinced that you imagined it—that his lips hadn’t stayed there for a second longer than necessary—until he straightens his tie and heads out for the day with a ‘be good’ tossed over his shoulder, and you’re left wondering if he meant to say that to you or Ren.

It sets off a chain reaction of thoughts whirling away in your head, leaves you wanting and wondering—only ever allowing yourself to fantasize a little when the house is quiet and dark, the baby monitor humming on your nightstand, and images of your boss flit behind closed eyelids as you fit your hand underneath your soft sleep shorts.

In the morning, you worry he can tell what you did, his smile almost too sharp, too something—more teasing than what you’re used to—his hand resting on your lower back as he leans down to kiss Ren’s chubby cheek while you make breakfast.

“I have a meeting this afternoon, so I’ll be late. Want me to pick up some food on the way home?”

No, you think, there’s no way he knows.

You spend most of the morning cleaning and folding the array of graphic onesies Satoru has a penchant for dressing Ren in, and the later half walking around the pool because it’s warm and Ren enjoys splashing around in the water. It’s enough to tucker him out for bed early, unable to keep his eyes open while eating a plate of mashed potatoes.

It’s also the first time in weeks that you have the night to yourself, no baby keeping you busy, no Satoru to—well.

After a long shower, you step out of the bathroom, moving into the hallway. And there are many reasons why you felt confident walking the few steps it took to reach your bedroom. Most revolve around what Satoru told you that morning, so you don’t expect him to be standing there, shirtsleeves rolled up, piercing gaze sliding down the length of you wrapped in a towel and little else.

“I brought home those drunken noodles you like,” he says when his eyes focus back on your face, his whole expression softening into a smile.

A beat. “Thank you,” you whisper, unable to look away.

He tucks the wet strands of hair clinging to your cheek behind your ear. “Why don’t you get dressed, and I’ll join you downstairs?”

The noise in your brain goes static.

You’re unsure what causes it, but everything changes when he comes home early one afternoon and finds you and the baby napping in the nursery. He has this soft look on his face and something else you can’t decipher with his piercing blue eyes settled firmly on you.

Ren coos softly into your shoulder. 

When Satoru picks him up and settles him in the crib, then walks you to your room—here, let me help you—and when he hovers in your doorway, you let him in without question.

He doesn’t waste any time peeling off your clothes, eager to have you naked and splayed out underneath him. You cum on his tongue more times than you can count until you’re silently begging him to fuck you.

He laughs, large hands spread over your tummy. 

“Use your words, baby. I’m not a mind reader.”

You feel like you’re someone else watching you from somewhere else, another body rocking against the length of your boss’s cock, back arching every time you manage to find the friction you need. He’s hard against your back, thick in a way that makes you wonder if he did enough to stretch you out. 

“I-I want—”

All other thoughts are obliterated by the stretch and press of him against your cunt. 

“Think I’m going to keep you,” he rasps, lips dragging over your throat. “Keep this drippy little cunt spread open on my desk whenever I want while the baby naps. Would you like that? For me to fuck you full until you give me a baby.”

You clench, nerves shot.

“Gonna get all round with my baby, stay here forever,” he mumbles when he draws away, and you can’t tell if the words are meant for you to hear or slip out without him realizing. “Fuck—breed my little wife until it takes—”

Your eyes roll up, lost in the little promises he paints across your skin, body shivering over and over until you’re sobbing from it until he has to clamp a hand down over your mouth—shh, you’re going to wake the baby—going limp when he finally cums, pressing as deep as your body will allow, as if he can somehow imprint himself there. 

Wonders if maybe he’s been building up to this moment all along. 

It’s so easy to lay there after, blissed out while he litters kisses across your face and collarbones, letting him lift your hips up to slide a pillow underneath, even though the position is awkward when he tries to cuddle you afterward.

His fingers draw shapes on your stomach, giving you a wistful look, like he can’t believe he’s laying here with his cum still dripping between your thighs—no matter how many times he scoops it up and pushes it back inside you. “Do you think it’ll take?”

And you don’t have the heart to tell him about the little foil packet of pills tucked away in your nightstand.

[thatgirlonstage]

Re: whether or not Miles actually has the real Mona Lisa: while it being the real thing does provide greater commentary I propose to you that the painting being fake unlocks the potential for a short film about the horrified and pissed off Louvre employees who can’t believe they’ve been asked to turn over The Mona Lisa to this guy scrambling to put together a fake and hide the real one. In terms of the commentary, you can even have your cake and eat it too, if the French government agrees to loan it out bc billionaire corruption and so it’s the average museum employees lying through their teeth to the government and risking felony offenses to protect the art.

My proposed cast of characters:

1. The elderly curator who’s forgotten more about da Vinci and renaissance art than most people learn in a lifetime, was mentored by a dude who smuggled art out of France to hide it from the Nazis and the second he sees the request from miles is like “M. Laurent did not get shot in the leg by a Nazi shithead for me to simply hand over Joconde to this idiot, he would crawl out of his grave and murder me himself and he would be right to do so”

2. The art conservation and repair expert who has worked on the Mona Lisa personally for the past decade, knows her better than just about anyone else in the world, one of probably like three people alive who’s allowed to actually touch her, comes across as high strung and business like but has the deepest and most genuine love for the art pieces and is fiercely dedicated above all else to the idea that art belongs to EVERYBODY, that her job is not the preservation of art for art’s sake but the preservation of art for future generations to see and fall in love with just like she did

3. The 18-year-old who was supposed to be here on an internship except The Covids Happened and now they’re in a bizarre employment limbo where they are sort of still interning but the actual job is not at all what it was supposed to be. Enthusiastically anarchic and socialist and almost concerningly Down For Crime

Together they have to team up for a mini heist-like adventure to convince Miles Bron and the French government that they are handing over the real Mona Lisa while engaging in shenanigans to keep the real thing safe and hidden

[slyandthefamilybook]

since we now know that all those "my blog is safe for Jewish people" posts are bullshit, here are some Jewish organizations you can donate to if you actually want to prove you support Jews. put up or shut up

FIGHTING HUNGER

Masbia - Kosher soup kitchens in New York

MAZON - Practices and promotes a multifaceted approach to hunger relief, recognizing the importance of responding to hungry peoples' immediate need for nutrition and sustenance while also working to advance long-term solutions

Tomchei Shabbos - Provides food and other supplies so that poor Jews can celebrate the Sabbath and the Jewish holidays

FINANCIAL AID

Ahavas Yisrael - Providing aid for low-income Jews in Baltimore

Hebrew Free Loan Society - Provides interest-free loans to low-income Jews in New York and more

GLOBAL AID

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee - Offers aid to Jewish populations in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in the Middle East through a network of social and community assistance programs. In addition, the JDC contributes millions of dollars in disaster relief and development assistance to non-Jewish communities

American Jewish World Service - Fighting poverty and advancing human rights around the world

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society - Providing aid to immigrants and refugees around the world

Jewish World Watch - Dedicated to fighting genocides around the world

MEDICAL AID

Sharsheret - Support for cancer patients, especially breast cancer

SOCIAL SERVICES

The Aleph Institute - Provides support and supplies for Jews in prison and their families, and helps Jewish convicts reintegrate into society

Bet Tzedek - Free legal services in LA

Bikur Cholim - Providing support including kosher food for Jews who have been hospitalized in the US, Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Israel

Blue Card Fund - Critical aid for holocaust survivors

Chai Lifeline - An org that's very close to my heart. They help families with members with disabilities in Baltimore

Chana - Support network for Jews in Baltimore facing domestic violence, sexual abuse, and elder abuse

Community Alliance for Jewish-Affiliated Cemetaries - Care of abandoned and at-risk Jewish cemetaries

Crown Heights Central Jewish Community Council - Provides services to community residents including assistance to the elderly, housing, employment and job training, youth services, and a food bank

Hands On Tzedakah - Supports essential safety-net programs addressing hunger, poverty, health care and disaster relief, as well as scholarship support to students in need

Hebrew Free Burial Association

Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services - Programs include early childhood and learning, children and adolescent services, mental health outpatient clinics for teenagers, people living with developmental disabilities, adults living with mental illness, domestic violence and preventive services, housing, Jewish community services, counseling, volunteering, and professional and leadership development

Jewish Caring Network - Providing aid for families facing serious illnesses

Jewish Family Service - Food security, housing stability, mental health counseling, aging care, employment support, refugee resettlement, chaplaincy, and disability services

Jewish Relief Agency - Serving low-income families in Philadelphia

Jewish Social Services Agency - Supporting people’s mental health, helping people with disabilities find meaningful jobs, caring for older adults so they can safely age at home, and offering dignity and comfort to hospice patients

Jewish Women's Foundation Metropolitan Chicago - Aiding Jewish women in Chicago

Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty - Crisis intervention and family violence services, housing development funds, food programs, career services, and home services

Misaskim - Jewish death and burial services

Our Place - Mentoring troubled Jewish adolescents and to bring awareness of substance abuse to teens and children

Tiferes Golda - Special education for Jewish girls in Baltimore

Yachad - Support for Jews with disabilities

[cosmicpuzzle]

Jupiter🌸Transit in Sidereal Taurus

May 1, 2024 - May 14, 2025

Aries Rising, Jupiter in 2nd house: This will be a great year for your finances and wealth. You will have increased income at your disposal. You may also spend a lot due to extra funds available. You may buy something of a high value. You could even purchase a home using loan as Jupiter aspects 6th house. Loans will be granted to you at this time. Your health would improve although you may gain some calories due to increase in food intake. You may get a new job with a better pay. You may also have an addition to your family. If you are a woman, you could conceive or have birth of child. Relations with family members will be warm during this time.

Taurus Rising, Jupiter in 1st house: This is a year of new beginnings for you. You may start something new in your life. You may join a college or a new job or a new relationship. Something about your life will be new this year. Physically you will feel confident and may gain weight too. This is a year you will feel confident but be cautious not to be over optimistic. New opportunities can come in your life. Things can progress without much effort. You may have success in relationships and love as Jupiter aspects both 5th and 7th house simultaneously. There may be possibilities of long-distance travel as Jupiter aspects 9th house.

Gemini Rising, Jupiter in 12th House: This is an introspective time ahead for you. You may have foreign travels on account of work. You may meet someone for a relationship through online or at a foreign location. There may be foreign travels for your spouse. You may make long term investments now. You may decide to invest in property as Jupiter aspects 4th house. You may relocate to a foreign country with your family. There may be birth of children abroad. There may be expenses on good account. You may have good restful sleep in this period. Your work may be draining, or you may take a sabbatical now. You may do remote or online work now. You may take a long vacation too.

Cancer Rising, Jupiter in 11th House: This will be a great year for you in terms of success, gains, wealth and profits. You may get a promotion, or you may have an additional stream of income. Jupiter will bring new financial opportunities for you. You may make new friends now. You will have opportunities to conceive if you are a woman as Jupiter aspects 5th house. If you are a man too, spouse may get a child as 11th house is 5th to spouse. If you are single, you may get opportunities to date as Jupiter aspects 3rd, 5th and 7th houses simultaneously. Relations with elder siblings will be on good terms. They may have good news in their own life (marriage, birth of child, promotion etc.). If you are in relationship and looking to get married, this will be the right time.

Leo Rising, Jupiter in 10th House: This will be a year for advancement in career and job. If your job has been troublesome or stagnant for some time, it is time to apply for new employers as Jupiter aspects 6th house too from 10th house. You will get a satisfying work profile. Your career status will rise automatically. If you are self-employed, you will take on much bigger projects than before. Sales will increase on it's own without much effort from your side. You will quote a bigger value for your projects and hence your bank balance is bound to increase. You will have good relations with bosses and superiors at work. You may buy a property or car as Jupiter aspects 2nd and 4th house simultaneously.

Virgo Rising, Jupiter in 9th House: This will be a year for long distance travel. If you wish to start higher studies this will be the right time. You will be granted visas easily to foreign countries. You will have good relations with your father and spouse's relatives. Physically you may gain some weight with Jupiter aspecting 1st house. If you are a spiritual person this transit will increase your perception and understanding. You may go on pilgrimages or spiritual retreats. You may get a Guru or teacher if you have been searching for one. This will be a good year to start writing or publish a book if you have saved them up in drafts as Jupiter aspects 3rd house. You may have both short and long-distance travels.

Libra Rising, Jupiter in 8th House: This will be a year of deep transformation and rejuvenation for you. You will have metaphysical experiences. You may develop interest in occult subjects. Your intuition will be on the rise, and you may understand things on a deeper level. You will have more shared resources and thus you may invest a significant amount. Jupiter will increase both yours and spouse's income. You may have good relations with in laws and spouse's family. There may be some inheritances or tax refunds coming your way. If someone owes you money, they may return it unexpectedly. If you are working for someone, you may become more hidden and silent at work. You may have great sex this year in abundance as 8th house is your sexual life. You may have sex at a foreign location or with a foreigner if you travel abroad.

Scorpio Rising, Jupiter in 7th House: This is a great year for your relationships. If you are single, you will find someone definitely. If you are already committed, you will enjoy the relationship a lot. Your spouse or partner may have a great time, and this will pass on to you. You are bound to gain some weight as Jupiter aspects 1st house. You will increase your contacts as Jupiter aspects both 3rd and 11th houses. Relations with younger or elder siblings will be good. You may also get pregnant if you are planning for a baby because Jupiter in 7th house increases the chances of conception. If you have grown up children, they might get married or travel to foreign countries. If you have any legal cases, they will be settled amicably.

Sagittarius Rising, Jupiter in 6th House: This is a year to change your work or job. You can get a new workplace as Jupiter aspects 10th house. You may get new job opportunities with increase in pay. Physically your health will be good although there may be chances of weight gain. You may join a fitness programme or a gym. Your relations with coworkers will be good. You may get bonus or incentives if you are in sales. If you are self-employed, you may get more clients who pay you much higher than what you get usually. You may get tipped more. You may get help through banks and financial institutions who may grant you loans and credits. If you are looking for onsite opportunities at work, you may get as Jupiter aspects 12th house. Your expenses may rise too due to increased credit available.

Capricorn Rising, Jupiter in 5th House: This is a year where you will find lot of opportunities for love, romance and dating. If you are single, you will enter into a relationship. You may meet someone at college or at a place of education as Jupiter aspects 9th house. This is a also a good time for learning and you may join school again. If you are old enough to have children, you may conceive now and get a baby. If you have children already, you will love them and dote on them. You may have lot of fun this year as 5th house is house of fun and recreation. If you are an artist, your creative spark will come out. This is a good time to write as Jupiter is 3rd lord in 5th house. As Jupiter aspects 9th house, you may get foreign travels, or you may find luck with foreigners. You may date someone online as Jupiter is 12th lord transiting 5th house. Jupiter can expand your waistline in 5th house- so control your indulgences.

Aquarius Rising, Jupiter in 4th House: This will be a great year for happiness and contentment at home. You may get that property which you have been searching for long as Jupiter is 2nd lord transiting in 4th house. You may put down your roots now and settle especially if you are in late 50's. If you are in mid 30's you may relocate to another country and settle down. If you are looking to expand family, you may have an addition to your family. Someone could come to your home and stay with you. Your relationship with extended family and relatives will be good. You may redesign your home or buy new furniture or a car too. You may get inheritances or tax refunds as Jupiter aspects 8th house. There may be family vacations too as Jupiter aspects 12th house from 4th house. If you have your mother around, she may have a good time personally.

Pisces Rising, Jupiter in 3rd House: This is a year to develop your skills and bring your creative side out. Jupiter will grant success in your education, school or college or in any academic endeavor you are involved as it aspects 9th house from 3rd house. If you are writing thesis, it would be accepted. if you are working under a team, your team mates would be helpful. There may be opportunities for relationship as Jupiter aspects 7th house. These may arise as a result of short travel. Jupiter in 3rd is a good time as you make new efforts. You may have success with sales, business, marketing and advertising efforts. If you are a business owner, you may sign new agreements and contracts. You can have lot of short travel. There may be change in employment or an internal transfer or change of city due to job location as 10th lord is transiting 3rd house.

Above interpretation must be applied after looking at Jupiter's Ashtakvarga score, placement of Venus in your chart and running Vimshottari Dasha/Bhukti.

If you are following tropical, then apply the results as to where Gemini is falling in your chart. So, if you are Aries rising, check for Jupiter in 3rd house results under Pisces rising.

For Transit and Other Readings DM

[peachsayshi]

peach u should absolutely 100% share that nanami thought

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ sugar daddy!nanami x babysitter!fem reader ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ minors/ageless/blank blogs dni (this blog is 20+ of follows)

➳ tags: single dad nanami; porn with little plot; nipple play; pussy drunk nanamin; oral (female receiving); overstimulation; squirting; mentions of cum; dirty talk ➳ n: don't ask about my mental state when I wrote this.

nanami hasn't been intimate with a woman in two and half years. so, of course, he can’t help but be in a constant state of heat when he’s around you in such close quarters. his last relationship was serious enough for him to invest in an engagement ring, but a surprise pregnancy ultimately turned his life upside down. one minute he was ready to start a family, and the next he found himself abandoned by his partner who left him to raise his son all by himself.

nanami didn't have time to process the devastation of that experience with a toddler to worry about. instead, he buried himself in his work and channeled all his focus on raising yuji. he absolutely adored being a father to his bubbly little boy, but he knew that he couldn't keep relying on his parents to take on the extra pressure as he juggled between his very successful career and fatherhood.

you were a part time babysitter, but a godsend to nanami.

hiring you proved to be the best kind of luxury he could afford, and the man was finally able to acknowledge that he was spreading himself far too thin. with you around, he managed to catch his breath for the first time in two years and the cherry on top was that yuji absolutely adored you.

of course, the arrangement worked out both ways.

you were strapped for cash after paying off your loans, and with the cost of living skyrocketing in the last couple of years, you knew you needed to take on a second job just to make ends meet. not only was nanami the sweetest employer, but he offered you a very generous salary.

the man isn't shy to admit that you brought a little light back into his life, as well as some peace and much needed quiet.

he found himself having more alone time during the weekends, especially on saturdays when yuji would stay by his grandparents and you were off from work.

that's when it dawned on him just how lonely he'd been all these years. he shouldn’t have been surprised that his dormant sexual appetite emerged once you came into the picture, and that he regularly began touching himself with the thought of fucking you in every position imaginable.

after one of his solo sessions, when your name escaped him in a broken grunt as he came all over his palm, a bold proposition crossed his mind…

…you've been doing such an amazing job with yuji, why not help fulfill his needs to?

he knew how much this could backfire if things turned sour, but nanami was also aware of your financial circumstances and decided that the risk was worth taking.

he treated the conversation professionally; along with a monthly salary, he offered to cover any and all of your expenses in exchange for you quitting your job and working exclusively for him.

he had "new terms" in regards to your position. you would continue taking care of yuji as usual, but every saturday would be dedicated to having scheduled "dates" with nanami. he was expecting a companionship, preferably one that was physical, but he wasn’t going to force you with anything you were uncomfortable with. you were to join him on any work or family trips, but he reassured you that you were allowed to take any personal breaks and holidays as you saw fit. he would be flexible with you just as long as you stick to the demands of the contract he drafted.

“can I think about it?” you asked him a little breathlessly, your cheeks scorching hot as you clenched your thighs tightly together in your seat.

“take whatever time you need,” he politely replied. “I want you to think it through”

- ♡ -

this pretty cupless corset top with the matching lace thong is the most expensive present you’ve ever received. the detail on the set itself is stunning, molding around your body like a piece of art. your skin is the canvas beneath the see through material, showing off the printed panels and lacy embroidered detailing.

nanami handed you the present just the night before as he walked you out the door.

“wear this tomorrow,” he whispered in your ear, smirking with amusement and anticipation.

you feel so exposed with your tits exposed out like this, hard nipples poking against the air as you watch your employer wrap his mouth over one of the tender buds.

you hiss as he swipes his tongue along the peak, nipping at the tip with his teeth before sucking gently. your thighs were still trembling from the orgasm he just delivered from this act alone, and you can feel your arousal stick to your inner thighs as it soaked through your underwear.

“ah-ah!” you whine, your lashes fluttering close as you arch your hips lightly against his pelvis. “nanami-san…”

it’s strange hearing yourself call out his name this way, the tone unfamiliar and foreign to your ears.

those strong, beautiful hands leave your waist and travel to your breasts. nanami squeezes your tits and drags his thumbs over the taut peaks as he places a kiss along the boning of your corset.

“I'd rather be inside you, but I haven’t tasted pussy in ages…” he admits shyly against your ribs, his mouth traveling further down to the space between your legs.

your thighs nearly snap close, but he sternly pinches your nipples to keep them spread.

“Such a pretty thing, I bet you taste like heaven ...” he contemplates, nuzzling his nose into your clothed crotch and breathing in the scent of your arousal. he swipes his tongue over the soaked material, his brown eyes turning hazy as he glances up at you from between your legs, "mmm, you really fucking do..."

your spine quivers from the vibration of his deep voice, and his vulgar choice of words. nanami releases his hands from your chest and proceeds to tug your underwear to the side while keeping one thigh nice and open for him.

he licks his lips at the dewy wet mess and groans.

"fuck, I could cum just looking you."

he places featherlight kisses over your clit, one after the other, until you sigh dreamily as your head fall backs against the pillow. he keeps you spread while his tongue massages over the sensitive button and parts your folds. he slurps, nips, and kisses to his heart's content - the tension knitting the front of his brows together from how your pussy intoxicates him.

he draws out another orgasm, his hand kneading your shaking thigh as your essence coats the lower have of his face. he can feel himself leaking through his boxers, so he ruts against the mattress to give himself some relief.

he moves to focus on just your clit, making noises as he lewdly sucks on the bud. his other hand finds your dripping hole, and he manages to slip two fingers inside with ease. he brushes his digits upward, the pads stroking over your gummy walls and turning your sensual moans into desperate little whimpers.

the pressure is unbearable; the tight coil around abandon an ache that you can't even stand. your hand threads between his golden strands, your manicured nails digging into his scalp which eggs him on even further. your eyes roll to the back of your head, your jaw goes slack when he touches just the right spot that has tears of relief falling down your cheeks.

your body spasms when your third orgasm trickles through you in an eruption, a gush squirting from between your legs and painting nanami's hand, forearm and neck.

"good girl," he grunts as he peppers kisses over your pubis and along your hip.

you're trembling as you readjust your position to sit up again. nanami finally shifts his body to sit upright, his knees on either side of your thighs. he pulls his dick out of his boxers and starts stroking his thick, veiny cock. you're panting to catch your breath, mouth slightly dry at the sight of the bulbous head.

"s-shit, I can't h-hold off any longer," he admits with a shaky voice, his heavy eyes locking on yours as he continues jacking off. "gonna have to cum on those beautiful tits, darling..."

you sheepishly reach one hand to tweak at your nipple to provoke him, "do whatever you want with me, I'm yours."

your sensual delivery tips him over the edge and with just a couple more strokes, he finally reaches his climax and shoots white ropes all over your chest.

you crawl up his body as he comes down from his high, wrapping your arms around his neck and pressing your tainted chest against his own strong torso. you brush your finger over his undercut, leaving a kiss along his jaw before murmuring against his lip: "was that good for you, nanami san?"

he grins as he reaches to grip the flesh of your rear, his lips closing the gap of space where he steals a messy, open mouthed kiss. "better than I expected, " he reassures as he nips at your bottom lip, careful not to confess that he's pined for this moment night after night.

[cinnatwo]

Emergency Commissions!

My husband and I are both disabled and have been unable to find employment despite our best efforts for around 6 months now. We have enough money left for about 2 weeks of food, but there are medical bills, car loan payments, gas, heating, and insurance to pay for as well.

I'm taking $15 commissions through Venmo for colored doodles of a single character similar to the examples below- $10 upfront and $5 after I am finished.

I am most comfortable with sonic ocs and object ocs, but I am willing to try anything. I will NOT draw: -NSFW -Things involving hate speech or politics -I am also allowed to turn down any commission as I see fit.

Please DM me if interested! Boosts are greatly appreciated.

[pokemoncaretips]

PSA from the Alolan rangers

This year, due to unusual cosmic activity, worm holes are going to be frequent, and this corresponds to a predicted rise in ultra beast sightings. The rangers have released information on how to keep yourself safe during the next 8 months until the wormholes die down:

Travel in groups and keep alert. We recommend keeping your pokemon out of their balls if feasible.

Familiarize yourself with the cries of ultrabeasts. [A link to a government website is attached with a soundbank of recorded ultrabeast noises]

If you are deaf or HOH, all service pokemon trained in Alola recently are trained to recognize these sounds, but if you have an older service pokemon or are from out of the region, the Deaf Society of Alola will be happy to loan you a trained pokemon for the duration.

Download the ranger alert app for your rotom dex or rotom phone in case of an encounter or sighting. Remember, it is a $5000 fine for making a false report.

Avoid unnecessary travel during this event. If you are someone who works with wormholes or has travelled through or been very close to one, we recommend leaving the region for the duration if you can or increasing security if this is not an option, due to the likelihood of ultrabeasts approaching you.

Ultrabeasts are frequently startled and confused by their sudden arrival here, and are much more likely to be aggressive or reactive. Do not engage ANY ultrabeast. Avoid eye contact and remain still.

Avoid picking up litter with your bare hands, particularly paper litter that seems folded.

Keep an eye on the skies.

If you find dead wild pokemon that have been drained of fluids, vacate the area immediately.

If you feel dizzy, confused or sleepy, leave the area. Pheremosa may be present. Wear a good quality n-95 mask to provide decent protection.

Avoid power plants if you aren't an employee there. If you are an employee, pay close attention to safety briefings and wear all provided PPE. If your employer is not providing PPE, anonymous reports can be made to the authorities here [A link is provided]

Avoid large forested areas and remain alert for a long, low rumbling noise. Stay away from unexplained wild fires.

Obey all evacuation alerts sent out, and keep a survival kit packed with clean clothes, important documents other necessities. A comprehensive list of essential items can be found at the Alolan governments website.

Avoid coming unto contact with naganadel toxin. This toxin is purple and slightly bioluminescent, with a sharp, bitter smell. It's powerfully adhesive and can quickly cause breathing difficulties. If accidental contact occurs, vinegar has been shown to begin breaking it down. Apply white vinegar to the area and contact emergency services.

Make note of stone walls in your area, and report if new ones appear with no signs of construction workers.

Stay safe and don't be a hero.

[llyfrenfys]

Disabled trans author (me) in financial worry zone

Prynhawn da pawb

I'm making this post to keep you all updated with what is happening in my life and where I'm at currently. There's no need for panic just yet, but things are more tenuous than they were before and I hope by explaining what has happened I can keep you all in the loop regarding everything.

So, first things first - I was in A&E last month due to suffering a shock (which I would prefer not to talk about at this time). Suffice to say, this shock was so intense that it caused the knock-on effect of my body entering a state of ketoacidosis caused by involuntary starvation. You can read more about what happened to me in this reblog which I posted earlier.

The ordeal caused me to need to take anti-nausea medication for a while before I ate in order to be able to stomach anything. Thankfully I am able to eat normally again now.

However, I didn't have long to recover from this ordeal before some more bad news came my way. Due to a change in circumstances, I will need to move house at some point this year (ideally as soon as is humanly achievable, which could still be several months) into a smaller flat than the one I'm currently living in. House moves are costly and to make matters worse, more bad news this week.

It looks like I will become unemployed by the end of the month. I'm already looking for some more part-time work, with a few options lined up. But none are guaranteed unless I am successful as a candidate for these jobs.

Which means I'm going to be living on remaining student loan funds in order to pay rent (hence the need to move to a cheaper flat as soon as humanly possible - which could be several months from now. My remaining student loan is *only just* enough to be able to cover this. I'm hopeful I will be able to find part-time employment somewhere - however, the jobs I am applying for don't quite offer enough hours to fully pay for rent as it stands, therefore I'm going to be promoting my patreon for creator support purposes a bit more in order to help me get through this difficult time.

I already can't thank patrons enough for helping me afford a dental mouthguard earlier this year to protect my teeth from my bruxism. If anyone has anything to spare - even in the short term, this will go directly to keeping a roof over my head and food in my fridge. Once I'm able to move house, costs should come right down and hopefully things will be much smoother sailing. But until then, please share this post or donate to my patreon or tip me on tumblr if you are able.

Diolch yn fawr iawn i chi gyd

Luke

Photo of the beach at Aberystwyth I took yesterday for tax:

[gloomwitchwrites]

Captain John Price x Female Reader Dark Romance

Chapter Specific Warnings (per the warnings MDNI): alcohol, club atmosphere & dynamics, suggestive themes, foul language, canon-typical violence

Word Count: 6k

A/N: Part One of Dangerous Pursuit (shoutout to @glitterypirateduck for sending this idea my way)

At your place of employment, a customer delivers a bloody blow. Captain John Price makes you an offer.

Chapter Two

ao3 // taglist // main masterlist // dangerous pursuit masterlist

The booming bass of the music filters through the wall and greets you like a familiar companion. This is how your Friday nights always begin. And your Saturdays. Like clockwork, you can always rely on the pulsing, thudding beat to keep your rent paid.

It’s a necessary evil, because your day job just doesn’t fucking cut it. You were told as a child that if you just “worked hard” and “went to college” you’d have a good, happy, healthy life.

What a goddamn fucking lie.

Your student loans from grad school are shackles dragging you deeper into the muck of the earth. There are bills piling up on your kitchen counter, and you’re fairly certain your electric is about to be switched off in a few days. Not to mention all the unpaid medical bills. None of them are yours.

Even in death, your mother haunts you still. Your entire life is full of ghosts.

No one tells you that this is the reality of life. It is just one beatdown after another until you’re nothing but bloody pulp on the pavement baking in the sun.

In the moments upon waking, and the spaces right before you dream, your mind drifts to those places in your life that you wish were different. If this one thing didn’t happen, maybe you wouldn’t be staring at yourself in a dirty backroom mirror.

You always come in early to your weekend job.

Thirst is not all it appears to be. Out front, there is always a show. Sometimes it’s drag, and sometimes it’s burlesque. Other times—usually later in the night—there are dancers on poles wearing clothing that makes it seem like they’re in nothing at all. The main floor is where the public dwells. That is where they stay.

In the back—in private VIP rooms—is where the real money rolls in. Booking a private room starts at $10,000, and it’s worth every penny—at least to the customers who book them. It’s a mini-Thirst within Thirst. The walls are soundproof, the seating is spacious and comfortable, and certain illicit services are widely available. The public doesn’t have access to these services, and to even secure a room, a vetting process is required.

No one wants the Feds at the door.

You’re not one of the dancers or performers, and you certainly aren’t one of the workers who fornicate in the VIP lounges. That is not your job, and you purposefully keep it that way. The money you earn by simply making sure the liquor keeps flowing in the VIP lounges is the only thing preventing you from drowning.

It’s not like you haven’t considered it, but you’re not desperate enough to take the leap. The detachment is what appeals to you. You’re not interested in doing something that would put you into intimate proximity with the private clientele. Some of them make your skin crawl and the distance is your safety net.

The dirty mirror is doing nothing for you. Placing your belongings in your designated locker, you seek out one of the tall mirrors next to the various vanities. They’re technically for the performers, dancers, and companions, yet none of them care that you use it.

You twist and turn, checking every angle and curve. While your black cocktail dress is revealing, it’s mostly for appearances sake. You’re not on the menu, but you need to look like you are to a certain extent. The black dress is mostly to mark you as service staff, and while you’ve never had a direct problem, there have been customers in the VIP areas who know they’re not supposed to but blatantly ignore the rules anyway.

“You’re here. Thank God.” At the sound of Holly’s voice, you turn toward the blonde, dabbing off the excess red lipstick you just applied. She plops down in the chair next to you and sighs, her elbow resting against one of the many vanities. “Your regular is here.”

“Already?” you ask in surprise, and Holly grimaces. It’s a pained expression, one that says your regular is already on a rampage. “Is everything okay?” This time you speak slowly, knowing what her answer might be.

“Peachy,” she grins, but the smile is strained, and doesn’t reach her eyes.

You frown. “Tell him I’m here and I’ll be with him shortly. Maybe that’ll smooth over whatever it is he said to you.” This doesn’t seem to relax Holly at all. Her exhalation involves the heave of her shoulders as she slowly pushes herself to standing.

“On second thought,” you interject before Holly can leave. “Have one of the boys do it. Wait. No. Have security tell him.”

The relief that oozes off Holly is palpable. “I will,” she replies, her step lighter as she exits. The pounding bass smashes into your face the moment she opens the door to enter Thirst’s main floor.

Holly shouldn’t have to deal with assholes. She’s too sweet and gentle for that. The smallest emotion can send her right into tears.

And this regular of yours is particular about who serves him drinks, and which people are allowed in his VIP room. He always comes on Friday. He always books the same private lounge. He only ever wants the same girls to cater to him and his friends’ needs. And he only wants you to serve and make his drinks.

You only know him by his first name, Dimitri. His last name is completely unknown to you, and you don’t dare ask around or try to find out. Is it possible to learn that information? Yes. VIP clients are always vetted, but the owners of Thirst keep that information close.

Dimitri bleeds violence. Every action and word are laced with the threat of brutality. This man is attached to you, has been since your first day serving him. While Dimitri has never been cruel or touched you inappropriately, his gaze is a heated one, and never welcome.

He sounds American, but over the course of several months, you’ve noticed little nuances to the way he speaks. There is a slant to his vowels that leans toward a Russian accent, but you can’t be sure even if his name gives that impression.

But it’s also none of your business.

You tell yourself that every shift you work at Thirst. The things you see and hear stay. They don’t follow you out the door. They don’t follow you home.

Maybe that’s why Dimitri always asks for you. You’re consistent and you don’t ask questions. But you also know better. There is no reason for you to stick your face somewhere it isn’t wanted.

Smoothing out the front of your cocktail dress, you inhale deeply, attempting to soothe your nerves. Closing your eyes, you hone in on your heart, counting the beats until they don’t seem so loud in your head. When you open your eyes, you curve the corner of your lips upward, pasting on that customer service smile.

You just need to fake it for a few hours, and then you’ll be walking out of this place with a stack of cash in hand.

The thudding bass of the main room swells in volume when you open the door. You don’t even glance at the main stage to see if anyone is performing. Instead, you keep your gaze sweeping over the tables. Most of them are full, which is a good sign. Walking right by all of it, you aim for the bar, slipping behind it to snag a clean cocktail tray.

Chase, Bree, and Damon all man the bar, working with and around each other in a fluid dance that’s as natural as breathing. Chase notices you grabbing a tray and waves while topping off a beer.

With tray secured, you head for the VIP door. It’s not clearly marked, and that’s on purpose. It blends in with the dark, giving guests an extra layer of privacy. Greg, one of several security personnel working tonight, opens the door with a nod. When it shuts behind you, the thudding bass becomes a low hum.

Just like the VIP rooms, the main hallway that connects them all is also soundproofed. The lights overhead are evenly spaced, but are low, creating long shadows all the way to another door with a glowing red “EXIT” sign above it.

Dimitri always books the room down at the very end on the left, like he wants to by close to the emergency exit in case he needs to use it.

Approaching the correct door, you punch in the code to unlock it. Each door has its own code, and the code is reset with each new guest. The owners thought of everything, but it’s not surprising given some of the fuckery you’ve seen go down in these spaces.

You hear the whirl of the lock disengaging, and then you enter into a small server station. It’s a tiny space, extending out along the wall with a storage room at the end. It’s blocked off by a curtain that separates the two spaces. As of now, Dimitri has no idea you’ve entered the room.

You set the tray down and mentally prepare yourself. Deep down, you know Dimitri is a dangerous man, and you always tiptoe around him because of it. You never do anything that might upset him, and you always take careful measure of his demeanor.

The moaning greets your ears even before you push back the curtain.

The VIP room starts as flat flooring. As you walk across its shiny surface, it rises, requiring you to step up onto a large platform. There are three sofas in total, all angled around a flat table that comes up to your knees. Sitting on the sofas are Dimitri and his four guests. Of the four, you only recognize three. They’re the trio who always tag along.

Abram. Nikola. Lev.

You never asked them their names. You never cared on wanting to know. Dimitri is the paying customer. They simply cruise by, consuming the women and booze Dimitri supplies.

The fourth is a new face, and you immediately pick up on his nervousness. He’s older, perhaps in his late fifties, with a balding head, and slight belly. He’s not wearing a nice black suit like Dimitri and his crew. This man looks like a professor or even a stereotypical watchmaker.

He is completely out of place.

There are three women in the room as well. Olivia dances against a pole behind the sofas on a raised platform, Addie is on her knees between Lev’s spread legs, and Megan is perched in Dimitri’s lap. You deliberately keep your gaze on Dimitri’s face instead of Megan’s bouncing body.

Club music pumps from the speakers but it’s not overly loud. The lighting on the stage is red, and you never get used to it. Dimitri likes it like this. It reminds you of dark, congealing blood.

Dimitri’s gaze immediately draws to you the moment you walk up to the stage. He never breaks away once. His arms splay out over the back of the couch even as Megan writhes on him. He doesn’t touch her. Doesn’t even glance her way.

You have his full attention, and it’s awful. Degrading, like he wants you to watch Megan fuck him.

“Dimitri,” you say in greeting, keeping your tone cool and neutral.

“Sparrow,” he replies cooly, the corner of his mouth twitching as it turns upward.

Sparrow. The pet name Dimitri always uses with you is affectionate and yet sounds like a threat when it rolls off his tongue.

“Do I need to ask?”

“You know what I like,” he says slowly. It’s nearly a croon, like he’s attempting to seduce you.

Indeed, you do know what he likes. Dimitri is specific, and he always orders the exact same thing. He never waivers.

“We don’t need to do this dance every time, Dimitri.”

You’re playing into your role, but the words taste sour in your mouth. It makes you appear flirtatious and interested when you’re the exact opposite.

“But I enjoy our dance, Sparrow. Don’t you?”

No, Dimitri. I fucking hate it.

Your face hurts from smiling. “I’ll be back soon.”

Dimitri’s gaze is smoldering. “I look forward to your return.”

The entire walk to the curtain is like slowly melting ice. You feel Dimitri’s gaze latched on your back. It’s a wet horror of a sensation, like the slimy texture of a slug sliding up your spine.

When you stand on the other side of the curtain, you have to take a moment, inhaling sharply and exhaling slowly in repetitions until your heart ceases its insistent hammering. Dimitri always does this to you. It’s like he has completely control over you even when he doesn’t.

Calmness seeps in, and you step out into the quiet hall, heading for the main room. You’re not exactly peaceful, but you’re not shaking anymore which is better than nothing.

At the bar, you enter in the same order you do every Friday. It’s a waste of time for you to go to Dimitri and then back again. It’s a fucking power trip. He indulges himself, and you’re only option is to give in.

Once everything is in the system, you start pulling bottles. It’s a habit to prep these things in advance. It’s mostly to bring Dimitri what he wants quickly and then making yourself scare.

Behind the bar, Chase grabs several slightly chilled bottles of vodka. They’re top shelf and Russian-distilled, selections Dimitri made himself on the first night. He’s never strayed from it. There are also several bottles of champagne and tequila you pull, along with salt and lime for shots.

Chase deposits the vodka next to the champagne and says your name over the music. You glance up at him and immediately noticed his “I’m sorry I have to tell you this” smile.

“What it is?” you ask.

“Sara called out. Sick kid.”

“I’m guessing we need coverage?”

“Booth section in the back.”

You glance over and frown. They’re all full. Some already have drinks in front of them while others have nothing at all.

“VIP comes first,” you shrug, hating that you have to say it at all.

Chase waves away your words as if it doesn’t bother him. “No rush.” He winks. “I’ll keep an eye on the tables.”

The last items you collect are Dimitri’s cigarettes. Thirst provides a plethora of services, and one of those is freshly rolled cigarettes served tableside. There are cigars as well, but those are not done in house. In the back room where the wine is stored, you carefully weigh out and divide the tobacco and flavor additives, collect the correct sized rolling papers and two crystal ashtrays.

Once you have everything, Chase steps out from behind the bar and follows you back to Dimitri’s private room, carrying the things you can’t. Usually, you only bring yourself because it’s what Dimitri prefers, but if you have to cover for Sara, this entire affair needs to be done quickly so you can go to the floor.

Under the blood lights, you notice the way Chase awkwardly stares at the wall to avoid the pumping movement of Megan’s hand. She is no longer in Dimitri’s lap but next to him. While this is nothing new for you, it is Dimitri’s harsh gaze that gives you pause.

Chase seems oblivious to Dimitri’s fury. Those dark, cold eyes are like spikes on knuckles, meant to shred skin. Dimitri is a walking threat, and you need to get Chase out of here fast.

Clearing your throat to snag Dimitri’s attention, you roll his cigarettes quickly, presenting them to him with a soft sway of your hips. It’s a diversion, and Dimitri appears to seize it, placing a cigarette between his lips.

You strike a match and light it for him. When he inhales, Megan takes the liberty to remove it as he releases the smoke. The exhale is slow, but it’s clear that her action upsets him by the soft curl of his lip and the way his hand forms a fist.

“Thank you.”

“Do you need anything else from me before I return?” you ask, keeping your professional demeanor intact.

Dimitri inhales and then exhales a rolling cloud of smoke. “I always need you, Sparrow. But I can wait until you come back to me again.”

The fact that you keep it together at all is a miracle. Dimitri’s behavior tonight is…odd. And even Chase notices because the moment you’re out of the room, he comments on it.

“That guy is fucking weird. How do you do it?”

“I think about the money,” you reply flatly, because it’s the truth. The money is the only reason you put up with Dimitri’s bullshit.

As the two of you enter the main you, you take stock of Sara’s section along the wall. Booth seating is one step down from VIP. They are relatively private and can be closed up if the people in them so wish it, but they’re also incredibly comfortable and have the best views of the stage. People always think that front row is the best row, but it’s not. Not at Thirst.

You begin at the far end, checking in with each table, making sure that all the items they currently have are in the system while also taking additional orders. Just like VIP, booth seating requires a flat fee for the space, and then a minimum monetary order to keep the booth for the evening.

Everything is fine. Everything is great. Everything is usual.

Until it’s not.

The final table closest to the VIP door brings you to a dead halt.

It’s three men. No. Scratch that. Four? They all have drinks in front of them but there is a fourth drink—whiskey—with no companion. This trio are also severely underdressed. They’re not dirty or unkempt, but lean toward the casual side like they’re at their local dive bar.

The drinks in front of them aren’t nearly enough to cover the minimum. They will need to order more or you’ll have to ask them to leave. It’s one of your least favorite things to do.

“Evening, gentlemen.”

To your left, the one with a short mohawk grins. It’s disarming how handsome his smile is. He looks like trouble. “Evening,” he replies, the Scottish accent startling you for a brief second.

Next to him is a man with dark eyes and hair. He smiles too but it’s much softer. Cozy is the word you’d use to describe him, like he’d be the boyfriend who does things for you because he wants to and not because he has to.

The other man, the one to your right, is an older gentleman. He isn’t nearly old enough to be your father. He may have ten to twelve years on you at the max. Of the trio, he is the most relaxed, with one arm draped over the back of the booth cushion while he nurses a beer.

He’s wearing a black windbreaker and beanie. His facial hair is neatly trimmed, starting at the sides of his face only to stop near his lips, coming up over his top lip to form a mustache. There is a small spot beneath his bottom lip that isn’t touched. It’s…a statement, but you like it. It’s unique and suits him.

The other two are dressed similar to him but neither of them wears beanies. Their casualness throws you off, makes you question their intentions. The people who frequent Thirst do not show up in windbreakers, jeans, and boots.

The older gentleman turns to look up at you, and your heart momentarily flutters. His eyes are a lovely shade of blue that draw you in to their depths. You feel yourself falling, moving toward them, only realizing what you’re doing when he speaks.

 “Evening,” he answers, and the roughness of his voice is like sugar on the tongue.

You want to fall into him, to hear him speak soft nothings into your ear. But that momentary desire is quickly squashed.

Instead, you keep a professional tone, presenting one of the menus. “Booth seating requires a minimum purchase amount. You have not met the requirement.” Using just the hand you hold the menu with, you open it up, revealing the lists within.

Those blue eyes slowly draw away from your face, glance down at the words on the paper, and then promptly return to you. “Can you make an exception?”

Fuck. His voice is lovely.

“I’m very sorry, but I cannot.” You shift on your feet, turning your body toward him without thinking about it. “But I am more than happy to help you make a few selections to get you there.”

The corners of his mouth pull back as he glances at his companions. “On me.”

“Would you like me to go over your options?”

“I didn’t catch your name,” he replies.

You give it, and apologize for not stating it earlier. That’s something you always do when you greet new guests. That’s common sense, but apparently all that went right out the door when you came to their table.

He says your name, and you immediately form a core memory. The sound of it rolling off his tongue is luscious. Sinful. There is no reason for him to say your name like that. And why do you like it so much?

“Along with our extensive selection of alcohol, we offer food, freshly rolled cigarettes, as well as the finest cigars.”

Mohawk whistles lowly. “Simon is gonna hate missing those smokes.” He nods and then looks up at you. “Get me a scotch.”

“Preference?” you ask.

“Nah. You pick it for me. Meet that minimum.” He winks. “Isn’t that right, John?”

John grins. “Careful, Soap.” He turns that smile on you and you feel your cheeks heat. “I’ll have the same. And a cigar. Pick for me.”

Soap snorts and then leans in to whisper something to the man next him. John’s gaze is still fixed on you as you start to walk away from the booth, but you notice a small flicker, a quick snap to the VIP door before looking back at you.

Odd.

You return with the two glasses of scotch and the cigar on a silver tray. You trim and prep the cigar in front of John, and then present it to him. “Would you like me to light it?”

“Is it extra?” he asks.

“I can certainly make it so.”

Along with other things.

“Do it,” he says, taking the cigar from the tray and placing the end between his lips.

Lifting the matches, you remove one and strike it sharply, the little flame igniting in the dark of the club. You hold it out and John leans in. The movement is like two lovers meeting in wanton anticipation.

He puffs on the end until the cigar glows red and smoke seeps out from around it. John leans back, and removes the cigar from his mouth, the smoke curling upward slowly.

“Thanks, love,”

“My pleasure,” you reply, and it takes all your control to make it sound like that one word—love—didn’t just turn you on.

His gaze flick upward and lock with yours. They’re heated, almost interested, but you must be mistaken. You’re the one acting like an idiot. This is all in your head.

You gently dismiss yourself and move away, preparing to go back to Dimitri’s VIP room. On the way back, your heart is thudding and your palms are sweaty.

What the actual fuck is wrong with you? This behavior is absurd. You’re like a goddamn teenager swooning over their crush. This is unlike you, and you want the feeling gone.

As you enter Dimitri’s private room, you head for the table, removing the empty bottles and glassware, taking them back to the small service area. When you return to empty the ashtrays, Dimitri’s demeaner is entirely different.

This man has always been terrifying but this is horrific. It is not a lurking darkness but a present threat. Dimitri’s gaze is fixated on the man who appeared so nervous earlier. All of the women look fearful and on edge, their bodies rigid with tension. Even Olvia who dances on the stage isn’t really working anymore. She stands behind the pole as if that thin metal will protect her.

You’re immediately alert. Vigilant.

“Say that again,” snarls Dimitri. The man mutters something and Dimitri’s lips curl back to show his teeth. “Louder!”

The man looks down at his feet, shaking. Dimitri sneers and then leans back against the couch, shaking his head. “Can’t even admit when he’s a snitch. How am I supposed to trust you then?”

“I didn’t. I promise. I—”

“Shut up!” screams Dimitri. He smashes a half-empty vodka bottle against the table. The glass shatters, and little shards of crystal go flying, chilled vodka splattering everywhere. Megan and Addie shriek, shooting out of their seats and congregating near you. On stage, Olivia looks stricken.

Her eyes are wide, and she cowers behind the pole. You try to coax her with your gaze, silently imploring her to come to you.

“You’re a liar, Legasov. A fucking liar!” Dimitri wields the broken bottle top like a weapon, slashing at the man’s face.

It strikes true, and even under the red lighting, you notice the arc of blood. That is when Olivia moves, nearly tripping off the stage as she runs to you, Addie, and Megan.

“Go,” you whisper at them, pushing at their arms toward the door. “Go.”

They start to move, and you with them.

“Stay here, Sparrow!”

Dimitri’s shout is a blow. You are facedown in the dirt and dragged back over gravel. Slowly, you turn on your heel, facing this demon.

He places his hand on the sofa next to him. “Sit.”

You shake your head.

“I wasn’t asking,” he says, and his voice is almost light, airy. Like he isn’t mad at all. And that is fucking terrifying.

On shaky legs, you go to him, sinking down on the sofa. Dimitri leans in with a gentle smile that is so at odds with his body language. The backs of his knuckles hover just shy of your cheek. “I have a question for you, Sparrow. I’m seeking some advice.”

“What sort of advice,” you murmur, swallowing. The salvia sticks in your throat.

“How should disloyalty be rewarded?” Dimitri points at the cowering man. His hands cradle his face, and blood pools between his fingers, dripping.

When you don’t answer, Dimitri’s head tips to the side, his lips pursed in thought. “What’s the saying you Americans love to use?” Dimitri’s wrist snaps back and forth like he’s knocking on a door. The broken vodka bottle moves with it. “About getting stitches.”

“Snitches get stitches?”

Dimitri laughs. “That’s the one! It sounds so cute when you say it, Sparrow.” His hand hovers just shy of your skin and you don’t dare move. You don’t want him to touch you or even to close the distance.

“But they don’t always get stitches, do they?”

That’s when you notice the gun on the table.

“Go, my Sparrow” murmurs Dimitri. “Don’t come back to this room unless someone fetches you.”

You bolt up so fast you almost knock your knees against the table. You don’t even glance at the cowering man as Lev reaches over and grabs the man by the throat. You don’t glance back even as he starts begging for his life.

As you stride up to the door, the fear starts to give. It starts to melt like ice in the sun. Deep down, you understand that Dimitri has made you an accomplice in this. You step back, let the door slam loudly, and then you turn on your heel, moving to the edge of the curtain, watching through the small break between the curtain and the wall.

The man in question is on his knees before Dimitri. Dimitri presses the barrel of the gun to the man’s head.

“Stitches aren’t nearly enough.”

But there is no loud shot. No slumping of the man’s body as the bullet exits the chamber.

Behind the man, Nikola steps from the shadows, holding a baseball bat. He swings it round and round in slow sweeps until he doesn’t.

Until he brings it up over his head only to bring it down in a powerful blow.

You hear the crunch.

See the head of the bat return to it’s peak. See it come right back down again.

You bear witness. Watching Dimitri and the others observe Nikola’s brutal beating.

You taste blood in your mouth, and you realize you’ve bitten the inside of your cheek.

When Nikola stops swinging the bat, that is when Dimitri steps forward, and uses the toe of his boot to kick the dead man’s shoulder.

“Clean up this mess.”

He steps off the raised platform and you bolt for a dark corner, sliding down until you make yourself small. You hear his heavy footsteps before you see him. Dimitri throws back the curtain and strides out the door without a backward glance.

The three men beyond the curtain talk in another language, but their voices are distant. Slowly, you unfurl, checking to see where they are in the room. They’re still on stage, surrounding the bloody mess on the floor.

Fingers shaking, you silently slip through the door, nearly sprinting to the main room.

When you emerge, you aim for the employee door, needing to isolate until you can calm yourself. Glancing up, John is looking right at you, face grim. Your gazes lock, and his eyes widen slightly as if he’s recognizing the terror on your face.

You promptly look away, bursting through the door, collapsing onto one of the stools. Your breathing becomes a beast, all hulking gasps and harsh tears. Everything comes roaring forward like a monsoon, and you are bending like the trees to its emotional battering.

The door opens and you whirl around, tears stinging your cheeks.

“Get out!” you bark through the tears, not really seeing who is standing in the open doorway. You blink rapidly, some of the tears giving, clearing your vision.

It’s John and a man in a fucking skull mask.

“Watch the door, Simon,” says John over his shoulder.

The masked man only nods, slipping out like a shadow, closing the door behind him. You’re instantly on alert. A frozen deer sensing danger.

“Are you with them?” you mange to say through a hiccup. You’ve shifted on the stool, poised to run out to the back parking lot if you need to.

John takes a step forward. “With who, love?”

You want to like it when he calls you love. Really, you do. But right now, all you can think of is Dimitri calling you sparrow.

“Get out. Get. Out.” He doesn’t budge. “This is an employee area and you—”

“—You’re shaking.” He strides forward with purposeful intent, his gaze focused on your hands. Instinct kicks in, and you draw back. John immediately stops and puts his hands up. “I won’t touch you. Promise.”

“What do you want?”

John places one hand on his chest, keeping the other up. “My name is Captain John Price. I work for the Special Air Service of the British Army. I’m here wanting—”

You shake your head. “Oh, fuck,” you mutter, rising from the stool, backing away from him. “Fuck—just…leave me alone. Whatever it is, I’m not involved.”

He’s on American soil, which likely means he and the people sitting at that booth are together. Is the federal government involved? They have to be. Why else would he be here.

John matches your steps. “I simply want information. That’s all. I’m not after you.”

“Respectfully, go away.” Whatever heated thoughts you had about John Price are quickly flushed from your head. Survival is the most important thing. Him being in this room with you puts a target on your back.

“Just talking. That’s it. Talk to me and I’ll go.”

“About what?”

“About the man in your VIP room.”

“Which one,” you snap. “There are several.”

“Dimitri Radovic.”

Of course, it is. You know it is. Why would it be anyone else?

“I don’t know what kind of information I can offer you,” you reply, extending your arms. “Dimitri and I don’t talk, and you need to leave.”

John’s eyebrows rise toward his hairline. “But you’re on a first name basis?”

“Fuck you,” you snap, anger replacing everything you’re feeling.

“Not until I get what I came for.” Is he flirting you with? Or is he simply trying to rile you up? John’s tone softens. “Did he do something to you? Is that why you look so frightened?”

You look at the ground, unable to form the words as a lump forms in your throat. “Get out,” you whisper.

“I’m not your enemy.”

When you glance up, John is right there. He is so close and yet you don’t feel threatened. “But you can’t help me. And I don’t want it.”

John reaches into his jacket and presents a small piece of paper. It’s not a business card. You unfold it, revealing a phone number.

“If you realize you need my help, call me.” He retracts his hand and your gaze locks with his. Those blue eyes drill into your soul, swallow you up until all you can think about is him. “Paid out by the way. Left you a generous tip. Have a good night, love.”

John walks backward, knocking on the door once he reaches it. The skull-masked man appears, and John exits through the opening.

With his leaving comes a wave. The force of it slams into you. You sink to the floor, cradling your face in your hands, the tears welling quickly. At some point, you manage to scrape yourself off the linoleum, dragging yourself to a mirror to fix your disheveled appearance.

The rest of the night is a dull drone of noise. You hardly hear anything or anyone, moving through the motions just to stay sane.

By the end of the night, you’re ready to collapse.

“Walk you to your car?” asks Chase, tossing a rag into the linen bin.

“Please,” you sigh, wanting the familiar. Chase is someone you’ve known for a while. You trust him.

“Everything okay? You seem off?” he asks.

You open your mouth, a vague reply forming on your lips, but when the two of you exit through the side door into employee parking, you come to a halt.

Chase nudges your arm with his elbow, noticing your abrupt shift. “What is it?”

“The van,” you answer. It’s black with tinted windows. There are no markings and no signs of a license plate.

Chase squints and shrugs. “What of it?”

It’s parked right next to your car. Chase starts walking in that direction, and while your feet don’t want to move, you force them anyway. You purposefully stay to Chase’s left, keeping him between you and the black van.

When you reach your car, Chase leans against the trunk as you fumble with your keys. “You know,” he says. “If you ever want to grab a drink—”

You glance up at him and your mouth falls open. “—Chase!”

The metal pipe comes down fast and Chase doesn’t see it coming. He drops like a stone and his assailant is on you, placing a sack over your head. You lash out but this person is so much stronger. When you hit something on their body, you hear a grunt before they strike you. You whimper, staggering slightly, as their large hand grips your upper arm.

They shove and pull. There is no light. There is only hard metal as you’re half-pushed half-thrown into the back of the van.

This is not John Price’s doing. This is someone else.

With the world dark around you, and the sound of the van roaring to life, all you can think about is John’s offer. If you had said yes to him, if you had talked to him, would you be in this van right now?

Or, would you be safe?

Chapter Two

taglist:

@glassgulls @km-ffluv @glitterypirateduck @tiredmetalenthusiast @spicyspicyliving @childofyuggoth @coffeecaketornado @aykxz98 @36namey @kayden666 @wrathofcats

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

Yandere Best Friend pt 2

tw: self harm, mentions of violence, general deranged yandere shenanigans, angst

ageless blogs n minors DNI blease tq <3

part 1 here

my masterlist

this sucks bros i broke my fucken leg and i cant move, my cast is so itchy and i cant scratch and i feel nasty cause i cant shower

feeling bads, so thats why i churned part 2 out faster thn usual , its shorter than before but just need some angsty comfort atm

as uaual many errors cause i did not proofreasd

enjoy i hope

You left the exam hall a couple hours later. To find out that your dad left a total of seven missed calls. You thought someone fucking died.

Of course, you called back. Preparing for the worst.

Your father picked up the phone, he explained that it was your friend. He had a mental breakdown because you weren't there for the opening of his dream restaurant. Eventually though, he calmed down enough to come back into the building to return the phone, eyes noticeably dull and tired, worse than before. He never stopped trembling.

The three of them sat down and talked.

Neither of your parents knew you stopped contacting him. They thought everything was fine, so your friend couldn't fault them for that.

Your parents trusted your friend, so they gave him your phone number and told him basic information about you now. Such as, the country you're studying in and the course.

You felt a pang of guilt, but you had to move on. You understood that he was busy, it would probably do no good for you to try and reach out to him. You would just ruin his plan and distract him too much. At least, that was what you thought.

Usually, he would call every day. But that turns to once every three days. Then once a week. Then never.

It's true that he would not miss a single day to send you a sweet message, a reminder to practice self care and that you're very dear to his heart. Which would be then followed by an update to his progress, it was stressful to read what he was going through and that was all he talked about. You felt like his personal diary, he stopped asking about how things were going for you.

Since it doesn't seem to bother him you weren't replying because he would send his texts when the entire world is asleep, you stopped opening his texts too.

You wanted to tell him in person that you're moving out to pursue your studies and you were granted a student loan. A crushing student loan. But... You believe his ten minutes of free time a week is better used for his sleep. Or even going to the bathroom perhaps.

A day passes by another and in the end, you moved on without him. Without telling him. It just always slips your mind every time you see him brisk walking towards his beat up car with a stack of metal trays in his arms. They must be extremely heavy, you could see the veins bulging out of his forearms and forehead.

It was hard to watch his cheeks get sunken in, his hair going back to its' matted, unhealthy state, dark bags forming under his constantly bloodshot eyes. He looked like he aged a decade older from all the stress and pressure. But... He is working towards his dream and you're happy for him. It was great that he finally achieved what he wanted, he deserved all of its glory for working his ass off like that.

You held no ill will towards him, but you grew apart. He was so consumed with work that the friendship suffered in silence, there were no more fun hangouts together at the mall, you don't get to eat his cooking anymore (you didn't want to burden him by buying a tray, he already has too much to do), no more fun conversations about the silliest shit. It was just... Bank loans, revenue, expenses, investors, employees, employers, credit score, mortgages, taxes etcetera. The urgency and distress was also rubbing off you too, there were nights you woke up in a cold sweat because you had a nightmare that your hypothetical restaurant failed and you went into debt.

So you thought, he needed his time. You shouldn't really interfere with anything you don't understand. Your friend is already nose deep in the real world, you're not even close to it yet and you're not ready for it yet either. Therefore, you took the route most young adults take after getting a high school diploma: getting a bachelor's degree in some field of study that you probably don't even like.

You trudged onwards to the direction of your hostel. You need to get ready for your shift, money is a little tight now and you don't want to burden your parents too much. They're already sending a lot of money to support your living.

If your friend knew you were working hard for some extra money, his heart would break. It would be devastating news to him, no doubt, he would at least have a dozen freakouts and breakdowns. But you don't know that, yet.

As expected, your friend eventually called you. It was later than expected; it took him a week before he called your new phone number himself. He needed to calm down and collect his thoughts, as he knew that he might just drive you away if he comes barreling in with passionate yelling and sobbing over the phone. Plus, he also needed to focus on his new restaurant too, he can't just abandon his lifelong dream like that. How else is he going to make enough money to provide for you? He can't take back the money and time he invested in this now, all he can do is keep going and find some compromise.

It was tempting to go M.I.A. and hastily book a plane ticket to wherever you're studying. He was deeply yearning for your presence, he was desperate, he was clawing his arms and decorating them with nasty scars in an attempt to keep the urge at bay. He was extremely miserable but he had to keep going, to build that wonderful, cushiony foundation for you and him to fall back onto.

Everything he does, he does it for you.

He was polite, kind and pleasant during the first phone call you both had in two years. Though, there was a noticeable twinge of hurt in his mildly wavering voice. He still sounded like he's happy and relieved to hear you again.

The call started off with a greeting, then some small talk, then finally to the meat of the call;

Why didn't you tell me? He asked. It seems like he was fighting back his tears.

You didn't answer right away, you don't know what to say.

You could tell him the truth that he was too busy with his endeavors and you just don't feel like interfering by burdening him with "unnecessary information". However, you think that might wound him deeply as you're somewhat blaming him for your own actions.

You could lie... and tell him what, exactly? Either way, it would hurt him even more and there is probably going to be some resentment.

So, you apologized. You kept your reasoning brief and simple; you needed to move on. You acknowledged that whatever you did wasn't very nice of you, but you still had to proceed and you thought that it would be better that you didn't tell him.

There was a moment of silence between the both of you.

On the other side of the call, your friend was wracking his brain, trying to comprehend what you just told him. It came across as you not wanting to do anything with him anymore because you feel unprioritized, unimportant, inferior. Guilt and remorse was eating him up, he is putting all the faults onto himself.

He spiraled downwards in that call, spewing nonsense and absurd promises to destroy everything he has ever worked for just to have you back in his arms. Deranged negotiations involving the idea of blinding, deafening, mutilating or doing some sort of bodily or mental harm to himself to prove something; prove that he puts you above everything else and also to punish himself for neglecting you.

It was horrifying to hear your dear friend babble about putting himself into financial ruin for the sake for your forgiveness. He spoke of his accomplishments and advancements as they were disposable, as if it held no value compared to you.

This isn't normal, far from it, Your friend devolved so much to the point he was making demented pledges to kill and maim your enemies for you, and only you. To eviscerate the ones you dislike and send videographic proof of it, to disembowel his business associates to show that they mean absolutely nothing to him. Mind you, he was talking about real, breathing, living humans.

It was hard to fully grasp the insanity in his now incoherent words, he was muttering apologies and self hatred. Promises of severe self harm was also common in his mad speech. At one point, religion and superstitions were thrown into the mix. But you could not understand what he was chanting about.

What the fuck are you talking about? Your friend didn't pick up on your distress... or words over his excessive tirade against himself.

Everything I do, I do it for you, and I would do anything and everything for you. I love you- You hung up.

You couldn't take a second more of that. It was really difficult to see this side of him. It hurts you too that he became like this, perhaps all the stress from building a business from the ground up fried his mind. Whatever it was, you knew that he is not good for you anymore.

You sent him a final text message telling him that you're not comfortable with him after that massive sanity slippage. You wished him luck and expressed your regrets that it had to turn out this way.

You didn't give him a chance to respond, you blocked him immediately on everything and went on with your day.

Whatever he said kept replaying in your head like a broken record. It was pure horror.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Why the Fed wants to crush workers

The US Federal Reserve has two imperatives: keeping employment high and inflation low. But when these come into conflict — when unemployment falls to near-zero — the Fed forgets all about full employment and cranks up interest rates to “cool the economy” (that is, “to destroy jobs and increase unemployment”).

An economy “cools down” when workers have less money, which means that the prices offered for goods and services go down, as fewer workers have less money to spend. As with every macroeconomic policy, raising interest rates has “distributional effects,” which is economist-speak for “winners and losers.”

Predicting who wins and who loses when interest rates go up requires that we understand the economic relations between different kinds of rich people, as well as relations between rich people and working people. Writing today for The American Prospect’s superb Great Inflation Myths series, Gerald Epstein and Aaron Medlin break it down:

https://prospect.org/economy/2023-01-19-inflation-federal-reserve-protects-one-percent/

Recall that the Fed has two priorities: full employment and low interest rates. But when it weighs these priorities, it does so through “finance colored” glasses: as an institution, the Fed requires help from banks to carry out its policies, while Fed employees rely on those banks for cushy, high-paid jobs when they rotate out of public service.

Inflation is bad for banks, whose fortunes rise and fall based on the value of the interest payments they collect from debtors. When the value of the dollar declines, lenders lose and borrowers win. Think of it this way: say you borrow $10,000 to buy a car, at a moment when $10k is two months’ wages for the average US worker. Then inflation hits: prices go up, workers demand higher pay to keep pace, and a couple years later, $10k is one month’s wages.

If your wages kept pace with inflation, you’re now getting twice as many dollars as you were when you took out the loan. Don’t get too excited: these dollars buy the same quantity of goods as your pre-inflation salary. However, the share of your income that’s eaten by that monthly car-loan payment has been cut in half. You just got a real-terms 50% discount on your car loan!

Inflation is great news for borrowers, bad news for lenders, and any given financial institution is more likely to be a lender than a borrower. The finance sector is the creditor sector, and the Fed is institutionally and personally loyal to the finance sector. When creditors and debtors have opposing interests, the Fed helps creditors win.

The US is a debtor nation. Not the national debt — federal debt and deficits are just scorekeeping. The US government spends money into existence and taxes it out of existence, every single day. If the USG has a deficit, that means it spent more than than it taxed, which is another way of saying that it left more dollars in the economy this year than it took out of it. If the US runs a “balanced budget,” then every dollar that was created this year was matched by another dollar that was annihilated. If the US runs a “surplus,” then there are fewer dollars left for us to use than there were at the start of the year.

The US debt that matters isn’t the federal debt, it’s the private sector’s debt. Your debt and mine. We are a debtor nation. Half of Americans have less than $400 in the bank.

https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/personal-finance/articles/49-of-americans-couldnt-cover-a-400-emergency-expense-today-up-from-32-in-november/

Most Americans have little to no retirement savings. Decades of wage stagnation has left Americans with less buying power, and the economy has been running on consumer debt for a generation. Meanwhile, working Americans have been burdened with forms of inflation the Fed doesn’t give a shit about, like skyrocketing costs for housing and higher education.

When politicians jawbone about “inflation,” they’re talking about the inflation that matters to creditors. Debtors — the bottom 90% — have been burdened with three decades’ worth of steadily mounting inflation that no one talks about. Yesterday, the Prospect ran Nancy Folbre’s outstanding piece on “care inflation” — the skyrocketing costs of day-care, nursing homes, eldercare, etc:

https://prospect.org/economy/2023-01-18-inflation-unfair-costs-of-care/

As Folbre wrote, these costs are doubly burdensome, because they fall on family members (almost entirely women), who have to sacrifice their own earning potential to care for children, or aging people, or disabled family members. The cost of care has increased every year since 1997:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/18/wages-for-housework/#low-wage-workers-vs-poor-consumers

So while politicians and economists talk about rescuing “savers” from having their nest-eggs whittled away by inflation, these savers represent a minuscule and dwindling proportion of the public. The real beneficiaries of interest rate hikes isn’t savers, it’s lenders.

Full employment is bad for the wealthy. When everyone has a job, wages go up, because bosses can’t threaten workers with “exile to the reserve army of the unemployed.” If workers are afraid of ending up jobless and homeless, then executives seeking to increase their own firms’ profits can shift money from workers to shareholders without their workers quitting (and if the workers do quit, there are plenty more desperate for their jobs).

What’s more, those same executives own huge portfolios of “financialized” assets — that is, they own claims on the interest payments that borrowers in the economy pay to creditors.

The purpose of raising interest rates is to “cool the economy,” a euphemism for increasing unemployment and reducing wages. Fighting inflation helps creditors and hurts debtors. The same people who benefit from increased unemployment also benefit from low inflation.

Thus: “the current Fed policy of rapidly raising interest rates to fight inflation by throwing people out of work serves as a wealth protection device for the top one percent.”

Now, it’s also true that high interest rates tend to tank the stock market, and rich people also own a lot of stock. This is where it’s important to draw distinctions within the capital class: the merely rich do things for a living (and thus care about companies’ productive capacity), while the super-rich own things for a living, and care about debt service.

Epstein and Medlin are economists at UMass Amherst, and they built a model that looks at the distributional outcomes (that is, the winners and losers) from interest rate hikes, using data from 40 years’ worth of Fed rate hikes:

https://peri.umass.edu/images/Medlin_Epstein_PERI_inflation_conf_WP.pdf

They concluded that “The net impact of the Fed’s restrictive monetary policy on the wealth of the top one percent depends on the timing and balance of [lower inflation and higher interest]. It turns out that in recent decades the outcome has, on balance, worked out quite well for the wealthy.”

How well? “Without intervention by the Fed, a 6 percent acceleration of inflation would erode their wealth by around 30 percent in real terms after three years…when the Fed intervenes with an aggressive tightening, the 1%’s wealth only declines about 16 percent after three years. That is a 14 percent net gain in real terms.”

This is why you see a split between the one-percenters and the ten-percenters in whether the Fed should continue to jack interest rates up. For the 1%, inflation hikes produce massive, long term gains. For the 10%, those gains are smaller and take longer to materialize.

Meanwhile, when there is mass unemployment, both groups benefit from lower wages and are happy to keep interest rates at zero, a rate that (in the absence of a wealth tax) creates massive asset bubbles that drive up the value of houses, stocks and other things that rich people own lots more of than everyone else.

This explains a lot about the current enthusiasm for high interest rates, despite high interest rates’ ability to cause inflation, as Joseph Stiglitz and Ira Regmi wrote in their recent Roosevelt Institute paper:

https://rooseveltinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/RI_CausesofandResponsestoTodaysInflation_Report_202212.pdf

The two esteemed economists compared interest rate hikes to medieval bloodletting, where “doctors” did “more of the same when their therapy failed until the patient either had a miraculous recovery (for which the bloodletters took credit) or died (which was more likely).”

As they document, workers today aren’t recreating the dread “wage-price spiral” of the 1970s: despite low levels of unemployment, workers wages still aren’t keeping up with inflation. Inflation itself is falling, for the fairly obvious reason that covid supply-chain shocks are dwindling and substitutes for Russian gas are coming online.

Economic activity is “largely below trend,” and with healthy levels of sales in “non-traded goods” (imports), meaning that the stuff that American workers are consuming isn’t coming out of America’s pool of resources or manufactured goods, and that spending is leaving the US economy, rather than contributing to an American firm’s buying power.

Despite this, the Fed has a substantial cheering section for continued interest rates, composed of the ultra-rich and their lickspittle Renfields. While the specifics are quite modern, the underlying dynamic is as old as civilization itself.

Historian Michael Hudson specializes in the role that debt and credit played in different societies. As he’s written, ancient civilizations long ago discovered that without periodic debt cancellation, an ever larger share of a societies’ productive capacity gets diverted to the whims of a small elite of lenders, until civilization itself collapses:

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/07/michael-hudson-from-junk-economics-to-a-false-view-of-history-where-western-civilization-took-a-wrong-turn.html

Here’s how that dynamic goes: to produce things, you need inputs. Farmers need seed, fertilizer, and farm-hands to produce crops. Crucially, you need to acquire these inputs before the crops come in — which means you need to be able to buy inputs before you sell the crops. You have to borrow.

In good years, this works out fine. You borrow money, buy your inputs, produce and sell your goods, and repay the debt. But even the best-prepared producer can get a bad beat: floods, droughts, blights, pandemics…Play the game long enough and eventually you’ll find yourself unable to repay the debt.

In the next round, you go into things owing more money than you can cover, even if you have a bumper crop. You sell your crop, pay as much of the debt as you can, and go into the next season having to borrow more on top of the overhang from the last crisis. This continues over time, until you get another crisis, which you have no reserves to cover because they’ve all been eaten up paying off the last crisis. You go further into debt.

Over the long run, this dynamic produces a society of creditors whose wealth increases every year, who can make coercive claims on the productive labor of everyone else, who not only owes them money, but will owe even more as a result of doing the work that is demanded of them.

Successful ancient civilizations fought this with Jubilee: periodic festivals of debt-forgiveness, which were announced when new monarchs assumed their thrones, or after successful wars, or just whenever the creditor class was getting too powerful and threatened the crown.

Of course, creditors hated this and fought it bitterly, just as our modern one-percenters do. When rulers managed to hold them at bay, their nations prospered. But when creditors captured the state and abolished Jubilee, as happened in ancient Rome, the state collapsed:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/07/08/jubilant/#construire-des-passerelles

Are we speedrunning the collapse of Rome? It’s not for me to say, but I strongly recommend reading Margaret Coker’s in-depth Propublica investigation on how title lenders (loansharks that hit desperate, low-income borrowers with triple-digit interest loans) fired any employee who explained to a borrower that they needed to make more than the minimum payment, or they’d never pay off their debts:

https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-sales-practices-of-biggest-title-lender-in-us

[Image ID: A vintage postcard illustration of the Federal Reserve building in Washington, DC. The building is spattered with blood. In the foreground is a medieval woodcut of a physician bleeding a woman into a bowl while another woman holds a bowl to catch the blood. The physician's head has been replaced with that of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.]

[cosmicpuzzle]

Jupiter🌸Transit in Sidereal Taurus

May 1, 2024 - May 14, 2025

Aries Rising, Jupiter in 2nd house: This will be a great year for your finances and wealth. You will have increased income at your disposal. You may also spend a lot due to extra funds available. You may buy something of a high value. You could even purchase a home using loan as Jupiter aspects 6th house. Loans will be granted to you at this time. Your health would improve although you may gain some calories due to increase in food intake. You may get a new job with a better pay. You may also have an addition to your family. If you are a woman, you could conceive or have birth of child. Relations with family members will be warm during this time.

Taurus Rising, Jupiter in 1st house: This is a year of new beginnings for you. You may start something new in your life. You may join a college or a new job or a new relationship. Something about your life will be new this year. Physically you will feel confident and may gain weight too. This is a year you will feel confident but be cautious not to be over optimistic. New opportunities can come in your life. Things can progress without much effort. You may have success in relationships and love as Jupiter aspects both 5th and 7th house simultaneously. There may be possibilities of long-distance travel as Jupiter aspects 9th house.

Gemini Rising, Jupiter in 12th House: This is an introspective time ahead for you. You may have foreign travels on account of work. You may meet someone for a relationship through online or at a foreign location. There may be foreign travels for your spouse. You may make long term investments now. You may decide to invest in property as Jupiter aspects 4th house. You may relocate to a foreign country with your family. There may be birth of children abroad. There may be expenses on good account. You may have good restful sleep in this period. Your work may be draining, or you may take a sabbatical now. You may do remote or online work now. You may take a long vacation too.

Cancer Rising, Jupiter in 11th House: This will be a great year for you in terms of success, gains, wealth and profits. You may get a promotion, or you may have an additional stream of income. Jupiter will bring new financial opportunities for you. You may make new friends now. You will have opportunities to conceive if you are a woman as Jupiter aspects 5th house. If you are a man too, spouse may get a child as 11th house is 5th to spouse. If you are single, you may get opportunities to date as Jupiter aspects 3rd, 5th and 7th houses simultaneously. Relations with elder siblings will be on good terms. They may have good news in their own life (marriage, birth of child, promotion etc.). If you are in relationship and looking to get married, this will be the right time.

Leo Rising, Jupiter in 10th House: This will be a year for advancement in career and job. If your job has been troublesome or stagnant for some time, it is time to apply for new employers as Jupiter aspects 6th house too from 10th house. You will get a satisfying work profile. Your career status will rise automatically. If you are self-employed, you will take on much bigger projects than before. Sales will increase on it's own without much effort from your side. You will quote a bigger value for your projects and hence your bank balance is bound to increase. You will have good relations with bosses and superiors at work. You may buy a property or car as Jupiter aspects 2nd and 4th house simultaneously.

Virgo Rising, Jupiter in 9th House: This will be a year for long distance travel. If you wish to start higher studies this will be the right time. You will be granted visas easily to foreign countries. You will have good relations with your father and spouse's relatives. Physically you may gain some weight with Jupiter aspecting 1st house. If you are a spiritual person this transit will increase your perception and understanding. You may go on pilgrimages or spiritual retreats. You may get a Guru or teacher if you have been searching for one. This will be a good year to start writing or publish a book if you have saved them up in drafts as Jupiter aspects 3rd house. You may have both short and long-distance travels.

Libra Rising, Jupiter in 8th House: This will be a year of deep transformation and rejuvenation for you. You will have metaphysical experiences. You may develop interest in occult subjects. Your intuition will be on the rise, and you may understand things on a deeper level. You will have more shared resources and thus you may invest a significant amount. Jupiter will increase both yours and spouse's income. You may have good relations with in laws and spouse's family. There may be some inheritances or tax refunds coming your way. If someone owes you money, they may return it unexpectedly. If you are working for someone, you may become more hidden and silent at work. You may have great sex this year in abundance as 8th house is your sexual life. You may have sex at a foreign location or with a foreigner if you travel abroad.

Scorpio Rising, Jupiter in 7th House: This is a great year for your relationships. If you are single, you will find someone definitely. If you are already committed, you will enjoy the relationship a lot. Your spouse or partner may have a great time, and this will pass on to you. You are bound to gain some weight as Jupiter aspects 1st house. You will increase your contacts as Jupiter aspects both 3rd and 11th houses. Relations with younger or elder siblings will be good. You may also get pregnant if you are planning for a baby because Jupiter in 7th house increases the chances of conception. If you have grown up children, they might get married or travel to foreign countries. If you have any legal cases, they will be settled amicably.

Sagittarius Rising, Jupiter in 6th House: This is a year to change your work or job. You can get a new workplace as Jupiter aspects 10th house. You may get new job opportunities with increase in pay. Physically your health will be good although there may be chances of weight gain. You may join a fitness programme or a gym. Your relations with coworkers will be good. You may get bonus or incentives if you are in sales. If you are self-employed, you may get more clients who pay you much higher than what you get usually. You may get tipped more. You may get help through banks and financial institutions who may grant you loans and credits. If you are looking for onsite opportunities at work, you may get as Jupiter aspects 12th house. Your expenses may rise too due to increased credit available.

Capricorn Rising, Jupiter in 5th House: This is a year where you will find lot of opportunities for love, romance and dating. If you are single, you will enter into a relationship. You may meet someone at college or at a place of education as Jupiter aspects 9th house. This is a also a good time for learning and you may join school again. If you are old enough to have children, you may conceive now and get a baby. If you have children already, you will love them and dote on them. You may have lot of fun this year as 5th house is house of fun and recreation. If you are an artist, your creative spark will come out. This is a good time to write as Jupiter is 3rd lord in 5th house. As Jupiter aspects 9th house, you may get foreign travels, or you may find luck with foreigners. You may date someone online as Jupiter is 12th lord transiting 5th house. Jupiter can expand your waistline in 5th house- so control your indulgences.

Aquarius Rising, Jupiter in 4th House: This will be a great year for happiness and contentment at home. You may get that property which you have been searching for long as Jupiter is 2nd lord transiting in 4th house. You may put down your roots now and settle especially if you are in late 50's. If you are in mid 30's you may relocate to another country and settle down. If you are looking to expand family, you may have an addition to your family. Someone could come to your home and stay with you. Your relationship with extended family and relatives will be good. You may redesign your home or buy new furniture or a car too. You may get inheritances or tax refunds as Jupiter aspects 8th house. There may be family vacations too as Jupiter aspects 12th house from 4th house. If you have your mother around, she may have a good time personally.

Pisces Rising, Jupiter in 3rd House: This is a year to develop your skills and bring your creative side out. Jupiter will grant success in your education, school or college or in any academic endeavor you are involved as it aspects 9th house from 3rd house. If you are writing thesis, it would be accepted. if you are working under a team, your team mates would be helpful. There may be opportunities for relationship as Jupiter aspects 7th house. These may arise as a result of short travel. Jupiter in 3rd is a good time as you make new efforts. You may have success with sales, business, marketing and advertising efforts. If you are a business owner, you may sign new agreements and contracts. You can have lot of short travel. There may be change in employment or an internal transfer or change of city due to job location as 10th lord is transiting 3rd house.

Above interpretation must be applied after looking at Jupiter's Ashtakvarga score, placement of Venus in your chart and running Vimshottari Dasha/Bhukti.

If you are following tropical, then apply the results as to where Gemini is falling in your chart. So, if you are Aries rising, check for Jupiter in 3rd house results under Pisces rising.

For Transit and Other Readings DM

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Prey!Series - Part Two: Mentality - OA Zidan x Reader

Tagging: @trublu2u @mrspeacem1nusone @greenies-green @rosaliedepp @whateversomethingbruh @anime-weeb-4-life @daydreaming-belle @burningpeachpuppy @scarlettsakura @divergent146 @upsteadlogic @malindacath @skyesthebomb @kilikonakapamana @yezzyyae @redpool @stxrryswvrld @district447 @soultrysworld

Prey!Series:

Part One: Trafficking - It's during a human trafficking case that Omar meets you.

There’s a wealth of information that Omar doesn’t know about human trafficking, and he discovers that the longer the case goes on. He doesn’t think of himself as naïve; he has an awareness of it, he’s read the literature, but he isn’t prepared for the extent of the misery, the impact of it.

The two of you are standing in the JOC, in front of the huge array of screens. On the first screen are the images of the girl’s visas from the employment agency. Every single one of them is fresh faced and hopeful. On the second screen are the images from the ‘Just4Johns’ website. They’re sultry boudoir images, lots of flesh on display. The text written across each picture invites the johns to come and play.

It's the eyes that get him, the deadness in them. Every single ounce of their hope has been stolen away, depleted. Omar doesn’t understand how a man can look at any one of these women and not see that they’re being coerced.

He raises it with you when the two of you sit down for lunch together. This case is moving a million miles an hour and there’s barely time to sit down and eat. He’s graciously loaned you the corner of his desk because it’s an all hands on deck situation and there isn’t space anywhere else. The two of you are crowded in close, his knee bumps against yours for the umpteenth time and he apologises yet again. You give him a look and a blush creeping up his cheeks.

“The men that are paying for sex with these women, they have to know that they’re raping them.” He says as he takes a bite out of his sandwich. The case is making him sick to his stomach but logically he knows he needs the fuel, so he persists.

“They don’t see it like that.” You tell him, opening your pack of chips and tilting it towards him. You’re a sharer, he’s learned. Food, stationary, mints. If you’re having something, you offer him one too. It’s the sign of someone who’s used to caring for others. “To them they’re paying for a service, it’s no different from hiring a plumber, they’re taking care of a need. They choose not to see the reality of it. They don’t question where these girls came from, or why they’re there, it’s a transaction to them.”

It makes Omar think back to that night in Germany, a few guys had come back to base late after visiting a brothel. He’d never reported it, they were shipping out to Iraq a few days later. What’s the harm he had thought at the time. It was a couple of months later they’d heard the place had been raided, every single one of those girls had been trafficked.

There’s shame in him when he tells you that story. You can see it in the slump of his shoulders, the way he hangs his head.

“It wouldn’t have mattered if you’d reported them or not.” You tell him, leaning forward so that you’re within his proximity. The scent of your perfume floods his senses as he looks into your eyes. It’s something floral with a hint of nectarine, it reminds Omar of walking through the park in spring. “Stuff like that isn’t in the militaries purview.”

Your hands come to rest on his, his own are clasped together as he peers up at you with sorrowful dark eyes.

“It’s not on you.” You reassure him, your thumbs ghosting over the grooves of his knuckles. “I think this case is throwing up a lot of things that you haven’t had to deal with before and that’s ok, it’s a bad one, it’s jarring but you have to learn how to compartmentalise that otherwise it bleeds into your personal life.”

“Yea.” He says, bowing his head. “I have three sisters; I keep thinking about what you said back at the hospital about it being one in five…”

“It might not be any of them.” You remind him and he swallows hard against the ache in his chest before clearing his throat and pulling away.

“Yea.” He says quietly, his palm rubbing over the line of his jaw. “That’s what I’m praying for.”

***

It’s the basement that gives Omar nightmares, he sees it in his dreams for months afterwards. Filthy, stained mattresses all pushed together in order to maximise the space. The bedding is unwashed, tossed carelessly across them. The whole place is damp, he can feel the moisture in the air as he listens to the sound of the droplets impact the concrete.

The reality of what these girls endure is staring him in the face and it’s harrowing, it makes his stomach twist because no one should live like this.

It’s the wall that breaks him, the one out back next to padlocked exit. The cream paint is peeling but it’s the only surface that even closely resembles a canvas. The girls have drawn all over it, there are hundreds of images, depictions of their hopes, their dreams. Some of the drawings are more childlike that others and it’s those that hit him the hardest.

“Is it paint?” He asks you, his voice rough as he studies the wall.

“No. It’s make up.” You say quietly, the back of your hand brushing against his. “They used the only thing they had.”

His fingers capture yours and he finds himself squeezing your hand tightly because this, this is too much. He can feel their anguish seeping through the walls, their horror, their suffering and something inside of him just breaks. He doesn’t realise he’s crying, not until he tastes the salt on his lips.

“I know.” You say softly, your thumb chasing over the hollow of his wrist. “I know.”

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