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bluwavez · 23 days

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˗ ˋ 🌊 TAX WRITEOFF ﹕ THE FIFTH FULL ALBUM !

TAX WRITE OFF is the FIFTH full album by the fictional South Korean boy group DeepDive. The album was released on March 29th, 2024. Before the album's release, the group would release a pre-release single, "MY EGO," which would get a two-week promotional period before Tax Write Off's release. With a total of ten tracks, DeepDive would promote VENOM, EAZY, and CALL 2229 for a total of three months. Due to the success of the b-side "Smarter" they would add on another month of promotions for the song.

"We kept a lot of the producing and writing in-house," DeepDive's leader, Hwang Jisung, would explain at their release showcase. With an impressive ten-song track list, every track is primarily produced and written by the members of DeepDive with the help of notable friends and colleagues of theirs.

With the typical features of SNS members on the credits, Mika and Yuki worked on the songs Venom, Kick It With You, and Locked In. "It's always great to work with them, especially Mika. She knows our sound very well. She's like the eighth member of DeepDive at this point." Noah would joke. SNS and DeepDive have worked extensively with each other over the years, typically being seen together in person and on the credits of their albums.

A new face would be seen on the album's credits. Oliver Song of Plastic Flowers and Starzie would help write and produce the song "This Feeling" alongside Finn, which came as no shock to fans. The pair first met on the survival show "Shooting Stars" and have been inseparable since their debut in the subsequent group Starzie. "Oliver is very fun to work with. It didn't feel like we were working. We were just messing around." Finn explained through laughs. It's noted that This Feeling was the second to last song to be finished, and the pair barely made the cutoff date due to the pair taking so long to finish the lyrics.

Another new face but not new to Mydol's catalog was the feature of Closure, AKA Zion of Arm Candy, on the final and fan-favorite track, Broken Trials. When asked how working with Closure went, Finn just shrugged, saying: "It was cool. He was cool. Very talented." leaving fans questioning what went down in the studio that day.

A shock to many was the featuring of VENUS members on the tracklist. Chloe Lee, Jacob's little sister, and Klara Blix would be seen several times on the album as writers and producers, only fueling rumors that Mydol is in the works of reacquiring the girl group's contract, though the boys did not comment on that matter. "If we release an album, we're going to work with a Venus member. That's just tradition at this point." Jacob would go on to say when questions about the girl's involvement in the album.

The most shocking producing credit would go to Son Jinhwa, controversial CEO of Mydol and father of member Noah. Call 2229 would mark the first song the father-son duo would work on together. "He came up to me and said: "We're going to work on a song together. It's been long enough." and we went in the studio and made 2229. It was really fun to work with him like that and I hope we can do it again soon."

WRITERS & PRODUCERS CREDITED ... @snspice + @plasticflwrs + @venusvity + @pinkscaped + @r0mcoms

TRACK OO1. MY EGO

TRACK OO2. VENOM

TRACK OO3. EAZY

TRACK OO4. CALL 2229

TRACK OO5. THIS FEELING

TRACK OO6. 1, 2, 3

TRACK OO7. KICK IT WITH YOU

TRACK OO8. LOCKED IN

TRACK OO9. SMARTER

TRACK O10. BROKEN TRIALS

VENOM PERFORMANCE OUTFITS !

EAZY PERFORMANCE OUTFITS !

CALL 2229 PERFORMANCE OUTFITS !

TAX WRITE-OFF sold 2,050,106 copies on Hanteo on its first day, setting an insane first-day record for the first release under Mydol. Within the first week of its release, Tax Write-Off sold 3,004,823 copies. Within a month of its release, it sold 3,653,291 copies, resulting in total sales in South Korea of 3,813,271 copies, according to Circle.

TAX WRITE-OFF received positive reviews from music critics. According to Metacritic, the album has an average score of 80 out of 100, based on 58 reviews. This score indicates that the album received "generally favorable reviews" from the critics.

VENOM would win SEVEN music show awards, EAZY would win EIGHT music show awards, and CALL 2229 would win FOURTEEN music show awards. SMARTER would also win THREE music show awards despite not being a part of the original promotional schedule.

#˗ ˋ 🌊 dive deeper ﹕ discography !#fictional kpop community #fictional idol community #kpop fanfic #idol oc #kpop oc #fake kpop oc #fictional idol group #kpop au #idol au #kpop addition #idolverse #bts addition #fake kpop idol #oc kpop group #stray kids addition #fictional idol oc

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sagaschan · 8 months

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What happened on Sep 16th: a compilation

If I could clarify some things. Lots happened on twitter within a short timeframe, and I've seen a fair number of people misled, so here goes. The Project Moon User Association(PMUA) had received the reply to their demand letter(can only be received by the recipient, and can't be refused) a week ago, but waited to make their statement because they still believed there was a chance PM could apologize, and because the Youth Union(YU) requested it. PMUA uploaded PM's reply and their statement today.

PM's reply, written by a lawyer, said essentially: You are lying and it affected our sales so I will sue you. The termination was legal because Vellmori said first that she wanted to resign(we have a recording). We wrote the agreement with Vellmori and her lawyer later. In order to protect her and the other employees we did nothing(if that sounds illogical to you, it is). Disappear immediately or we will sue you for defamation.

There are many things wrong with the reply, as covered by the PMUA's statement, but I'll get to that later. Alright let's go for it, says the PMUA.

Then PM tweets two threads. The first thread says: We were only laying low to protect our employees, y'all are lying, if you attack our employees we will sue you. The second one says: The YU tried to use us for political gains, since we were going to announce legal action against employee harrassment anyway but they tried to take the credit for it. Look at this image of a document where YU says they were wrong, and apologizes. This PMUA might be under the YU's control, isn't it suspicious? And political?

PM, though technically it's KJH, keeps insinuating that those such as PMUA and the YU are attacking the employees, when it's only KJH himself who's been criticized since 7.25, when he tweeted that they had 'terminated the contract' with Vellmori for violating company rules. The fans knew that was illegal. The paper that interviewed Vellmori the day after, the various news media that reached out to PM, the unions that spoke out on the matter knew it was illegal. We weren't going to let him get away with it if we could help it.

The YU rep Lee Jongchan(@JCLEE0333 on twitter) provided a more accurate picture. The YU, having just learned of the agreement between Vellmori and PM from PM's reply, had asked the PMUA to delay their statement, contacted PM behind the scenes. The PMUA and the unions they were working with had been trying to solve the situation amicably if possible, if PM would just come to the table and learn how to fix the situation. A legal fight would be the absolute last resort, since they wanted the company to do better.

This is where the supposed statement from the YU that PM included in their second thread comes in. A crude screencap of a word doc with typos and 'draft' in the title. It says: We recognize there was no illegal firing and that you've taken precautions to protect employees. We're sorry and we retract our protest. We welcome that you've stated ideology hunts and cyberbullying against your employees will be dealt with stern legal action. Basically, the YU didn't want Vellmori to be bothered anymore so they'd take a bit of a L.

The thing is, during the negotiations KJH refused to include that PM would take legal action to protect employees from ideology hunts and cyberbullying in the future in PM's statement. Apparently that wasn't something he could agree with. Negotiations fell out(around 8 pm, according to KJH), and the next day PMUA went ahead with their statement.

That's the bare facts of it. But I'd like to elaborate a little on where PM is contradicting itself, though the PMUA has already covered some of it.

1. It's laughable that KJH is using the excuse of 'protecting employees' to explain PM's past actions and future motivations, when he can't even put it on paper.

2. He most definitely did not protect his employees. The initial lack of action against DCinside incels' camping out of their office, how he treated contractors like Mimi(author of Wonderlab) and Monggeu(artist for Leviathan comics), the overwork and harrassment Eng translator Watson experienced, the HHPP manager he used as a scapegoat, the LoR Chinese localization team that still hasn't been paid... the list keeps growing.

3. KJH's words are all over the place. In the very first notice he says Vellmori's contract has been terminated because she violated company rules. You know, just as DC had asked for. In the second one, on 8.3, he says they did not fire her, and that it had nothing to do with ideologies. And that he would sue anyone calling it an illegal dismissal. (Also when news media reached out to ask if that meant she was still employed, said he wouldn't answer.) And in the most recent letter, he claims that during the phone call on 7.25 Vellmori said first she would resign.

Nobody believes that, not in the least because the Hankyoreh interviewed Vellmori the very next day about the unjustness of it. Any 'recording' of the call that he posits as evidence will likely reflect that, and work against him in court, so I'd love to see that actually. KJH apparently doesn't remember that.

4. Can you believe he's fudging his words to make it seem like the PMUA and those associated were the ones attacking employees? Not a single mention of DC anywhere. Now in court, if he's required to provide evidence as to just why Vellmori wanted to resign, well... DC did that. That's undeniable. All this started with wetsuit Ishmael, if anyone's forgotten. And if he admits DC was the reason a perfectly innocent illustrator was left jobless overnight, well, he can do away with his insistence that he was protecting her in any way.

5. And even if he twists legalese to claim Vellmori left of her own volition, it's nothing that hasn't been said by employers in the country a million times over. Advisory resignation this, political controversy that. It's still an unfair dismissal, and an especially rampant problem in the game industry that has been a long time coming to be dealt with.

6. Remember when KJH threatened Mimi and Monggeu with the mention of NDA, when they came out with stories of how they were horrifically mistreated by PM? Hypocritical, just revealing private correspondence with the YU without their permission. As well as the ridiculousness of treating the remnants of a negotiation that fell through like fact. He thinks people can't read, I suppose. It's more ammunition for the unions.

7. The inherent idiocy of evilmongering about 'politics' all thread long. What does KJH think unions Do? He's been fueling the fire regarding a labor rights case for near two months now, but doesn't seem to have learned much other than to dig deeper holes. What he means to do by repeatedly insinuating the PMUA and YU are secretly in cahoots when the PMUA has been open about working with the YU from the start I will never know.

8. Refusing to translate The Notice for 53 days was the first and biggest hint, I think. The radio silence, purposefully leaving international fans in the dark, threatening the contractors, the staunch refusal to name the incels for a single offense. During that time we learned Monggeu had been fired just as quickly as Vellmori, after being made to follow an unrealistic schedule to the point she had suicidal ideation. The workplace reviews in the wake of the incident saying KJH was prone to emotional outbursts. All the translators worked to the bone and abandoned, HHPP's manager announcing an apology with his name for decisions he couldn't have made. Those aren't the actions of someone who has his employees in mind.

The PMUA was created in response to PM's announcement to sue fans back in August. They'd held out hope that KJH would be someone who could see reason. But you'd have to be beyond naive to believe that now. So with all evidence piled up during these two months pointing to KJH being a nasty little guy who has only ever had himself and DC's best interests at heart, I sincerely hope KJH fucks himself over, and for all fans who are eternally confused about what PM has done wrong to be someday in need of a union.

#project moon #limbus company #am going to sleep but questions are always welcome #why does anyone take pm's words at face value

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lolabythebaysims · 8 months

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Here you go, anon: 42 signs for the price of 14! Turns out I was a lazy monster and had mostly popped my own textures into the original packages (available here, if you want more contemporary/English language advertising), so I fixed that and cleaned up some little texture issues in the process. When I was taking preview pics I remembered how annoying it was that only the big six-tile mesh was quarter-tile enabled. I fixed the smaller 3- and 4-tile meshes; nothing is renamed so let these overwrite any you might have in your downloads already.

Row 1: Hanby Auto Sales, Simoco 1, Simoco 2, Texaco Row 2: Sofi Pofi soap, Great Gatsby-inspired eyes, Rinso laundry soap, Mr. Crack in Simlish Row 3: Cerise Noir cigarettes, Lucky Strike cigarettes, Llama brand cigarettes Row 4: Bostonian/Bruenig Shoes, Downtown deco clip art, asbestos

DOWNLOAD recolors + fixed meshes (or just the two meshes, if you want)

As usual, do what you want with them, slap 'em on a new mesh or whatever, have a blast. Credits: Raynuss (for meshes & some recolors I turned Simlish), @franzillasims & @ajaysims & @chere-indolente for Simlish fonts, Francis Cugat, psycho/pinksoim for Sofi Pofi as a soap brand, and asbestos (Don't allow a CHEAPER and INFLAMMABLE product to puncture your desire with hesitation, it says. Which is real ad copy.)

Because I originally did this for myself, I didn't keep very detailed image credits. That makes me feel a bit bad, but that's the nature of ephemera like this. A few were recent simlifications from James Lileks' archived 1922 printing trade mag.

#the sims 2 #sims 2 download #simlish

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vbecker10 · 1 year

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On to my second request!

Pairing: Loki x Fem!Reader

Scene: One way or another, Loki is now part of the Avengers. Y/N isn't an agent at S.H.I.E.L.D., she works an ordinary job ( i.e. architect, consultant, or sales rep...etc.) but is friends/related to some agents.

Request: Y/N is set up on a fancy blind date to meet up with an agent her friend said was a perfect match for her and Loki is undercover for an intel gathering mission and needs a partner to look less suspicious. He's not her usual type, but she trusts her friend and decides to see it through. Could you please write about the two going through the blind date, she not realizing he is the wrong person until the end of the night. I'll leave the ending of whether or not they actuality end up dating or just stay friends up to you!

The Blind Date? (Part 1 of 4)

Part 2 | Part 3 & 4 in progress

Pairing: Loki x female reader

Warnings: none...? Loki annoying Thor, a vague history of terrible dates, mentions of mob activity (I guess)... idk I'm hoping for a bit funny at first then fluff in the second or third part

Summary: Your friend sets you up on a blind date with someone she works with at SHIELD but you accidentally end up on a mission with Loki

POV: This goes back and forth between Y/N's perspective and Loki's (and if you don't like how I call it Y/N POV and Loki POV... I don't care lol we've all had this convo before and you know damn well what I mean so here goes)

A/N: @soubi001 I love this idea!! I really hope you like this, I'm so sorry it took such a long time and I'm sorry it seems to be getting really long so I'm making it a few parts 💚 thanks for listening to me ramble about this one @michelleleewise

Word Count:

Dividers by: @harlequin-hangout

(Y/N POV)

"Oh come on, it'll be fun," Michelle urges but you shake your head then hide behind the flimsy plastic menu. "Don't you trust me?" she asks with a wide smile as she reaches across your other friend to tap on the back of your menu.

"Not even a little," you reply slowly in a serious tone.

She scoffs dramatically, leaning back in her chair as she holds her hand over her heart, "Wow Y/N, that really hurts." You stifle a laugh as she turns her attention to the woman sitting between you at the bar, "Can you believe her Jess?"

"Well... you don't exactly have a good track record with setting her up on blind dates," Jess answers, putting her menu down. Michelle rolls her eyes and she continues, "I mean, let's be honest, the last few guys you set her up with were-"

"Horrible," you finish her sentence, looking up from your menu.

"I was going to say not great, but horrible works," Jess agrees with a nod.

"Ugh," Michelle groans, clearly annoyed Jess sided with you on the subject. "Ok, so maybe there were a few duds here and there-"

"A few?" you ask quickly.

"I'll admit, Mark was definitely a jerk... and I guess I should have known Danny wouldn't be your type but they weren't all that bad. You have to give me some credit," Michelle says, not giving up.

"Let's see... Fred was an hour late with literally no excuse then he got annoyed when I didn't want to go to his place after. Kevin brought his cat to the restaurant in a backpack and talked to Mr. Pickles more than me. Derek kept eating off of my plate without asking and he took my leftovers. Toby was into all these weird conspiracy theories and thought Australia wasn't a real place-" you count each person on your fingers as Jess laughs hysterically at your string of terrible blind dates.

"I get it!" she practically yells, cutting you off before you can continue. "But seriously, this guy really is perfect for you. I promise."

"No. Absolutely not," you tell her, crossing your arms as you lean back in your chair. "You've set me up with enough weirdos. I'm not doing it."

"Just this last one," she pleads. "And if it doesn't work out, I'll never set you up with anyone ever again. Jess can be your witness."

You sigh and rub your eyes. "I'm not getting out of this am I?" you ask Jess.

She looks over at Michelle before answering than shakes her head, "Nope, doesn't look like it." She then adds, "Better you than me."

"Thanks," you say sarcastically. You can practically feel Michelle buzzing with nervous energy as you try to think of a way to avoid what is almost guaranteed to be another terrible blind date. After a few moments of silence you breath deeply then throw your hands up in defeat. "Fine... tell me what's so amazing about this guy," you tell her.

"Ok ok ok, so..." Michelle starts excitedly. "He's new to the city, he just moved here with his older brother a couple of months ago. He keeps to himself so he hasn't really made friends with anyone at work," she explains.

"Oh good, so he's anti-social," Jess comments and you can't hold back a laugh.

"What? No," she says then glares at Jess, "You're not helping."

"I wasn't trying to help," your friend smirks.

Michelle groans and looks directly at you, "Ignore her. He's not anti-social, I think he's just a bit on the quiet side. He reads a ton so you guys have that in common."

Jess interrupts again, "Unless he's into smut about fantasy characters I doubt they've read any of the same books recently."

"I read other stuff too," you respond, hitting her shoulder lightly but she raises an eyebrow at you.

"Can I continue?" Michelle asks and you both nod. "So he's super tall and he has a really sexy accent."

"Now those are two things you can definitely build a lasting relationship on," Jess comments and you cover your mouth with your hand to quiet your laughter.

Michelle clears her throat loudly and Jess avoids making eye contact with her. "Do I need to remind you that you are only engaged to Sebastian because I set you two up on a blind date two years ago?" Michelle asks Jess.

"No..." she answers sheepishly. "I'll be quiet."

"Good, now as I was saying..." Michelle's tone becomes excited again. "You're going to love him. Trust me."

You bite your lip then say, "Ok, I trust you. But if he's not totally amazing..."

"I'll never set you up with anyone ever again," she agrees to your terms with a smile. "I'll talk to him Monday at work to set it up."

(LOKI POV)

"Ah, there you are, brother," Thor's loud voice echoes through the small library. You sigh deeply, setting your tea on the small table next to you. You mutter a greeting in response but don't look up from your book as you turn the page. "What are you reading?" he asks as he settles into one of the leather chairs across from you.

"A book," you reply, "You have heard of those I assume."

"You know that is not what I meant," he says, you can't help but smirk in response to his annoyed tone. After a brief pause, you finally tell him the title of your book and he nods although you know he has never heard of it.

You continue to read, assuming he will grow tired of you ignoring him but after several minutes your curiosity gets the better of you. "Is there something you need brother, or did you truly come to the library to watch me read?" you ask, your eyes still fixed to your book.

"Peter told me you asked him to delete the dating profile he had set up for you," he says.

"I did," you confirm as you turn the page again. "I do not see how this is any concern of yours."

"You only had it for a week," he states.

"That was six days longer than I required it," you reply.

"Did you match with someone that quickly?" he asks in surprise.

You shrug, you hadn't opened the app once after the boy had installed it for you, "No and I doubt I would have. I do not need a computer to solve a problem I do not have."

He sighs, "Loki, you cannot spend all of your free time alone, hiding in the library."

"I am not hiding," you look up finally, closing your book. "And I do not spend all of my free time here, sometimes I read in the park or my room."

He puts his hand over his face and groans. "You know we are going to be on Midgard for the foreseeable future, brother," he reminds you unnecessarily. "It is not good for you to be alone all of the time. How about I ask Jane if she knows anyone you could spend time with? We could even go on a double date, that might be fun."

"As thrilling as that sounds," you say as you roll your eyes. "I am perfectly fine alone. Thank you for your concern, now if you wouldn't mind," you open your book again and wave your hand towards the door.

Before he can respond, the door to the library opens and a SHIELD agent with a tablet enters. She only takes a few steps inside and says, "Captain Rogers needs you to report to the briefing room in fifteen minutes."

You smile to yourself, hoping this new mission will occupy your brother for at least a few days. Thor rubs his hands together and stands up but the agent shakes her head. Thor pauses and she says, "Oh, actually... it looks like this mission is for Loki. Sorry Thor, maybe next time."

You chuckle at the obvious disappointment on his face as you stand up, your book vanishing into your pocket dimension with a flick of your wrist. "Well brother, it looks as though this uninteresting little chat of ours will have to wait until I return," you smirk as you walk past him.

(LOKI POV)

"Ok team," Stark says when everyone has taken their seats at the large oval table. "This is going to be strictly a recon mission. As most of you know the Sokovian mob has begun opening a large number of restaurants in Manhattan, Philadelphia and Boston. It's been confirmed that the majority of these establishments are being used as fronts for illegal gambling tournaments, money laundering and other criminal activities."

"Such a waste, cause the food is supposed to be really good," Barton says in a joking tone.

Natasha laughs while Rogers crosses his arms and gives Barton a disapproving look. Stark ignores the comment and continues, "Up until now we have been letting state and local law enforcement handle the mob as they normally would but there's been a new development that puts them on our radar. We just received intel that there is going to be a meeting between several members of the Sokovian mob family and two high ranking members of Hydra."

"That can't be anything good," Natasha says. "Does the intel give any details about what they might be meeting about?"

"No," Rogers answers. "That's why we need you and Laufeyson to go undercover as a couple on a date, so you can record their conversation." He opens a small metal case and continues, "You will also need to plant these four listening devices in various locations in the restaurant. Hill has mapped them out for you." You open the folder in front of you again, flipping to the floor plan of the restaurant. Hill added several notes and suggested locations for the devices.

"Since the goal of this mission is to plant the bugs, record their meeting and then get out without being noticed you'll both need to alter your appearance," Hill says to you and Natasha.

You stand up confidently, "That shouldn't be an issue." You hold your arms out slightly at your sides as a green glow surrounds you in a flash. "What do you think?" you ask, running your fingers through your unruly blonde curls. You adjust your dark rimmed glasses then roll up the sleeves on your deep blue sweater.

"Yea..." Stark says. "I'm not sure the professor look is quiet what we were talking about. You're still-"

"Incredibly handsome," you smirk.

"I was going to say tall," he rolls his eyes. "You only changed your hair and added glasses, you still look like you. Try becoming someone no one will notice."

"Ah, yes. One moment," you say then with a second flash of green your appearance changes again.

"Oh come on," Rogers says loudly. He throws his hands up and turns away from you then back quickly.

You look down at yourself and chuckle, you can't remember the last time you were this small. You crane your neck to look up at the Captain who is now almost a foot taller then you.

"What kind of game is this Laufeyson?" he asks.

You feign innocence, "I was merely following Stark's suggestion. I imagine very few people would turn their heads if I walked by as you, the pre-serum version of course."

Natasha and Barton try to contain their laughter while Stark steps between you and Rogers. "Very funny," he says sarcastically. "You get one more chance..." he warns and you nod, clearing your throat as a green glow surrounds you again.

"That's more like it," Hill says and Stark nods in agreement. You shrug, unimpressed with your current form. You reduced your usual height by nearly six inches, changed your hair color to light brown and shortened the length. Your features are different as well, your eyes becoming a dark brown, ensuring that you are completely unrecognizable.

"May I ask, what are your plans?" you turn your attention to the spy.

She smiles and takes a small device out of a pocket on her belt, placing it behind her ear. She taps the device and her face changes right before your eyes. "Its a Photostatic Veil, or Nano Mask depending on who you ask. They are nano-sized holographic cells that can change a person's features and even their voice," she explains in a flawless British accent.

"Impressive," you say with a slight nod as she turns it off. After an hour of discussing the minor details of the mission, you finally head back to your room to finish your book in peace.

(Y/N POV)

You close the door to your apartment and kick off your shoes then you walk quickly into your kitchen to set your grocery bags on the counter. You reach into your pocket and answer your phone.

"Hi Y/N," the voice on the other end greets you happily.

"Hey Michelle," you reply. You hold the phone against your ear with your shoulder as you begin to unload the groceries. "How's it going?"

"Fantastic," she says and you can tell by her voice that the date is on. "So... I talked to him at lunch today and he is definitely looking forward to seeing you this weekend."

"Great," you tell her, trying to sound enthusiastic. Maybe this wouldn't be a complete disaster like all the others, you think hopefully.

"He said he wants to try one of those new Sokovian restaurants," Michelle says. "I hear the food is amazing."

You laugh, "Me too. They seem to be all over the city all of a sudden."

"Perfect, so it's all set. This Saturday at 7, on the corner of 3rd Avenue and East 6th street," she says, pausing for a moment before adding, "Write it down, so you don't forget."

"I'm not going to forget," you mumble as you roll your eyes.

"I can practically hear you rolling your eyes at me. Look, we both know you have the memory of a goldfish. Write it down," she jokes but you know better then to argue with her.

You grab a pad and pen from one of the drawers in your kitchen and write down the time and address. "There, I made a note," you tell her. You tear off the piece of paper dramatically so she can hear it over the phone then stick it to your fridge with a magnet.

"Good," she laughs.

"So..." you pause. "Does the mystery man have a name?"

"He does," she answers.

"Do I have to guess it?" you ask.

"I'm not telling you," she says, "The last time I told you a guys name before a date, you googled him so much you could have written his biography."

"That's fair, I guess," you admit.

"Oh, I've got to go," she says, you can hear her dogs barking in the background. "I'll text you later."

"Ok, bye," you say just before she hangs up. You put the last of the items in the fridge and check your note.

(LOKI POV)

"Since Natasha got called away for a mission with Thor, you're going to need to find someone in the restaurant to use as cover. You'll be far less noticeable if you aren't sitting at the bar alone for hours. If you can, get a table as close to the targets as possible," Rogers instructs you.

"I doubt I'll have any issues finding a lovely young lady to spend my evening with," you respond as Hill hands you a small earpiece to use during the mission and the listening devices. After shifting into your undercover form, you straighten your tie and comb your hair with your fingers. Checking yourself in the small mirror you shrug, this is as good as you are going to look.

You reach for the door handle and Rogers stops you. "Remember Laufeyson, you're still on probation and this is officially your first solo mission. Stay on script and under the radar," he reminds you. "You don't want to give us any reason to reconsider the deal we made with Thor. Fury and Tony would have no issues sending you right back to Asgard if anything goes wrong."

You nod silently, not wanting to admit how well you understood the gravity of your current situation. You clear your throat then sarcastically say, "Its heartwarming to see how much confidence the team has in me."

"Just don't make us regret trusting you," he responds as you step out of the van.

Putting your hands in your coat pockets, you turn the corner from 6th Avenue onto West 3rd Street. The restaurant is visible roughly halfway down the street. When you step inside, you can see most of the tables full and the bar is crowded. The hostess walks over to you with a friendly smile and asks if you need a table.

"I'm actually supposed to be meeting a blind date here. Would it be alright if I checked to see if she was waiting for me at the bar?" you ask.

"Of course," the woman replies and you walk past her towards the back of the restaurant.

As you get closer you see several groups of friends, a few couples but only one woman sitting by herself. She is alternating between staring at her phone anxiously and looking around the room. Clearly she is waiting for someone, you think to yourself, but she is your best opportunity at the moment. You take a few more steps towards her and chuckle quietly as an idea quickly forms. You adjust your illusion so she will be the only one in the restaurant to see you as yourself and decide to go on a date, as your brother has so often suggested.

(Y/N POV)

You hold your phone nervously, seeing a new text from Michelle letting you know he was at the restaurant. You look up, scanning the large space but you have no idea who you are looking for. Suddenly your heart stops when you see Loki walking towards you with a smile.

This can't be happening, you think to yourself. Michelle worked for SHIELD but you knew she barely interacted with the Avengers or even the agents. She was on the technical side, working at least ten floors below them in the Tower. He had to be your date though, you quickly reasoned. Just moved here with his brother... really tall... sexy accent, that all sounds like what little you knew of Loki.

You look down at your phone and text Michelle, "I found him." You slide it into your pocket and get up from the stool as Loki approaches you.

"Hello darling," he says smoothly.

"Hi, I'm Y/N," you introduce yourself with a smile. You feel your phone go off but without reading the message, you put it on silent.

Please let me know if you want to be added or taken off the tag list 💚💚

@michelleleewise @soubi001 @ace-of-gay @misunderstoodself @coldnique @lokiprompts @thomase1 @mochie85 @fi-recs-fics @huntress-artemiss @sititran @xorpsbane @kkdvkyya @lokisgoodgirl @harlequin-hangout @muddyorbs @holdmytesseract @kats72 @avoliax @peaches1958 @peachyjinx @loopsisloops @unabashed-lover-of-fictional-men @high-functioning-lokipath @psychospore @dukes2581 @buttercupcookies-blog @animnerd @lokiswife-dark-fox-queen @laufeyson-16 @loki-laufeyson-1054 @pics-and-fanfics @coffeeorsomething-irl @crimson25 @simping-for-marvel @slytherclaw1227 @lokixryss @lokidokieokie @unlucky-number-13 @asuni921 @currish-rosewolfe @elizabethmidnight2017 @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @sunshineangel-reads @eleniblue

Likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated 💚💚

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zvaigzdelasas · 11 months

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The global market for carbon offsets is worth about $2 billion today and projected to grow to as much as $1 trillion in 15 years even as it faces fundamental questions about credibility and effectiveness. Add government appropriation to the list of risks for this climate solution. A shock announcement this week that Zimbabwe will take half of all revenues generated from offsets projects developed on its territory is a harbinger of an uncertain future in the carbon trade. The African nation is the world’s 12th largest creator of offsets, with 4.2 million credits from 30 registered projects last year, according to BloombergNEF.

Zimbabwe’s move gives the government control of carbon credit production and cancels all past agreements with international organizations. That means more revenue generated from credits tied to protecting forests and other efforts to cut emissions will flow into national coffers rather than going to project developers. There’s now risk that other countries might follow suit, creating new uncertainties for businesses that develop and sell offsets, corporations that purchase offsets as a way to counterbalance their greenhouse gas pollution and the cohort of traders who invest in this emerging asset class. [...]

The move “blindsided” CO2balance, a company that runs five carbon offset projects in Zimbabwe. “Everyone knew changes were happening but we weren’t expecting this — it wasn’t on the horizon,” said Paul Chiplen, head of sales, in an interview on Thursday. “It does put a question mark in investors’ minds when you’re not quite sure of what level of return you’re getting.” [...]

“I think it is an entirely understandable thing for Zimbabwe to want to take a proportion of the funds from any exports of carbon from its territory,” said Edward Hanrahan, director at carbon project developer Climate Impact Partners. “But the issue is they acted rapidly and without prior notice.”[...]

Each credit represents one ton of carbon dioxide and can be bought and sold many times before being used. The unregulated structure of the market involving companies, traders and governments creates risk of double counting. What if a government seeks to benefit by trading a credit produced in its territory after its been sold to an investor or used in a corporate sustainability plan?[...]

Treating carbon credits as just another export commodity underscores an imbalance at the heart of this global trade: Efforts to develop credits are usually funded by firms from wealthy countries and sold to corporate buyers in Europe and the US, yet most of the projects are located in emerging economies. This setup has been derided as a form of carbon colonialism that strips developing countries of an increasingly valuable resource. “Rushing to frame the decision by Zimbabwe as ‘nationalization risk’ exposes a sense of entitlement to access those resources by the global North,” said Rich Gilmore, chief executive officer at investment manager Carbon Growth Partners in Melbourne. “We need to acknowledge that the past 200 years of resource extraction have miserably failed people and the planet. And if we want the carbon market to scale, we need to respect the right of the nations of the south to determine their own rules.”[...]

Developers and investors might start to prioritize countries where governments have been transparent about their future carbon policies. Plus, if governments follow Zimbabwe in taking half of the project revenues, that will create a barrier to carbon projects that are the most costly to implement.[...]

It’s “entirely appropriate” for countries to seek a larger share from their carbon resources but they must “carefully consider the economics,” said Martijn Wilder, chief executive officer of Pollination, a climate advisory and investment firm. “If what’s left for a project developer is not sufficient to cover an investible rate of return, the project simply won’t happen.”

21 May 23

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finnglas · 5 months

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In order to explain my cats' latest obsession, I have to give you some history. Behind a cut, warnings for Cat Illness.

In 2015, both K and I were working a lot and I felt bad that my>our cat, Luna, was being left alone for hours on end. So we decided to get a second cat - thus, Evie joined the family. Now, being that Evie was about 2 years old and Luna was about 5 years old, they didn't really enjoy the Sudden Roommate Situation [SRS]. It took a lot longer than normal for the introductory methods to work. (They still tolerate each other more than anything but they seem to have made their peace, eight years on.)

Anyway, we got Evie in November of 2015 and in January of 2016 I lost my job and Luna also developed an ongoing UTI due to the stress of the SRS. (Between this and the Politics Situation at the time, I was so stressed I skipped my period for almost seven months. I don't think any of us have recovered.) Anyway, so Luna had to go on antibiotics, and the antibiotics gave her diarrhea, so we also put her on probiotics, but the probiotics (I learned later) gave her worse diarrhea, and the stress of constant upset stomach meant that she kept having ongoing UTIs which meant ongoing antibiotics/probiotics, etc., in a vicious cycle. I'm still mad at that vet because they refused to slow down to consider me asking "what if the fact that it's making her sick is contributing to the infection" and kept just assigning more rounds of antibiotics that I couldn't afford. Yeah that credit card JUST got paid off two months ago.

A N Y W A Y. The result of all this is that it tore poor Luna's stomach up to the point that she couldn't eat any kind of dry treat or kibble. Literally, one Greenie treat would instantly give her the shits. This means that both cats have been on wet-food-only for like, seven years. It's expensive, and not great for their teeth, but also Luna wasn't shitting herself constantly so you take what you can get. I occasionally tried samples of kibble that advertised themselves as Sensitive Stomach Formulae over the years but none of them were successful.

Fast forward to two weeks ago, when I was at my parents' for my dad's surgery and Kellie stayed home with the cats. She had to go get some more wet food for them during this time and while at the pet store, she eyed a bag of kibble that said it was for Sensitive Stomachs and had a strong impulse to Try It. So she got a small bag. Texted me about it. I said "You're awfully brave trying that while I'm not home to give her a bath when her back end winds up covered in poop at 2am."

But miracle of all miracles: Luna can tolerate this kibble. We started very very small - less than 1/8 of a cup once a day - and have been working our way up. We are at 1/6 of a cup once a day now, and there has been no stomach upset!

This is great news for multiple reasons, but one of them is that we can now have an automatic feeder which means that we can take short overnight trips without needing a cat-sitter. For long trips, of course, we'd still want someone checking in on them and giving them their supplement of wet food.

We have one such short overnight trip coming up in two weeks, so I took advantage of Black Friday sales on one of my favorite pet brands (their water fountain also came from PetLibro) and ordered them a two-bowl pet feeder. It came in yesterday (love Black Friday being a week long now) and I set it up last night. I tested it at the time by having it dispense 1/12 of a cup of kibble. Worked great! tipped most of it back into the granary and let the kitties have a couple of pieces as a treat.

WELL. They now cannot enter the room without paying tribute to the Fickle God of Kibble, aka Sammy the Automatic Feeder, just in case he has decided to dispense more kibble.

They just had their first scheduled 9am feeding, and both of them ran around like they were losing their minds before diving in mouth-first, so I am deeply amused and will be watching these developments with interest.

#catblogging

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mariacallous · 2 months

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It no longer makes sense to speak of free speech in traditional terms. The internet has so transformed the nature of the speaker that the definition of speech itself has changed.

The new speech is governed by the allocation of virality. People cannot simply speak for themselves, for there is always a mysterious algorithm in the room that has independently set the volume of the speaker’s voice. If one is to be heard, one must speak in part to one’s human audience, in part to the algorithm. It is as if the US Constitution had required citizens to speak through actors or lawyers who answered to the Dutch East India Company, or some other large remote entity. What power should these intermediaries have? When the very logic of speech must shift in order for people to be heard, is that still free speech? This was not a problem foreseen in the law.

The time may be right for a legal and policy reset. US lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are questioning Section 230, the liability shield that enshrined the ad-driven internet. The self-reinforcing ramifications of a mere 26 words—“no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider”—has produced a social media ecosystem that is widely held to have had deleterious effects on both democracy and mental health.

Abraham Lincoln is credited with the famous quip about how you cannot fool all the people all the time. Perhaps you cannot, but perhaps the internet can. Imperfect speech has always existed, but the means and scale of amplification have not. The old situation cannot be the guide for the new.

Section 230 was created during a period when policy was being designed to unleash internet innovation, thereby maintaining America’s competitive edge in cyberspace. The early internet was supported by a variety of friendly policies, not just Section 230. For instance, sales arranged over the internet were often not taxed in early years. Furthermore, the internet was knowingly inaugurated in an incomplete state, lacking personal accounts, authentication mechanisms, commercial transaction standards, and many other needed elements. The thinking was not only that it was easier to get a minimal design started when computing power was still nascent, but also that the missing elements would be addressed by entrepreneurs. In effect, we were giving trillion-dollar gifts to parties unknown who would be the inevitable network-effect winners.

Section 230 was enacted as part of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, a larger legislative effort within the umbrella 1996 Telecommunications Act. Section 230(c)(1) provides immunity for online services regarding user-generated content, ensuring the companies hosting content are not treated as publishers of this information. Section 230(c)(2) offers Good Samaritan protection from civil liability when the companies—or platforms, as we call them today—in good faith remove or moderate objectionable content.

After President Bill Clinton signed the 1996 Telecommunications Act into law, it was unclear how the courts might interpret it. When the dust cleared, Section 230 emerged as something of a double-edged sword. It could be used to justify censorship, and at the same time be deployed as a corporate liability shield. Most importantly, it provided the runway for the takeoff of Google, Twitter, and Facebook. (And now TikTok—which, being a Chinese company, proves that Section 230 no longer serves American interests.)

The impact on the public sphere has been, to say the least, substantial. In removing so much liability, Section 230 forced a certain sort of business plan into prominence, one based not on uniquely available information from a given service, but on the paid arbitration of access and influence. Thus, we ended up with the deceptively named “advertising” business model—and a whole society thrust into a 24/7 competition for attention. A polarized social media ecosystem. Recommender algorithms that mediate content and optimize for engagement. We have learned that humans are most engaged, at least from an algorithm’s point of view, by rapid-fire emotions related to fight-or-flight responses and other high-stakes interactions. In enabling the privatization of the public square, Section 230 has inadvertently rendered impossible deliberation between citizens who are supposed to be equal before the law. Perverse incentives promote cranky speech, which effectively suppresses thoughtful speech.

And then there is the economic imbalance. Internet platforms that rely on Section 230 tend to harvest personal data for their business goals without appropriate compensation. Even when data ought to be protected or prohibited by copyright or some other method, Section 230 often effectively places the onus on the violated party through the requirement of takedown notices. That switch in the order of events related to liability is comparable to the difference between opt-in and opt-out in privacy. It might seem like a technicality, but it is actually a massive difference that produces substantial harms. For example, workers in information-related industries such as local news have seen stark declines in economic success and prestige. Section 230 makes a world of data dignity functionally impossible.

To date, content moderation has too often been beholden to the quest for attention and engagement, regularly disregarding the stated corporate terms of service. Rules are often bent to maximize engagement through inflammation, which can mean doing harm to personal and societal well-being. The excuse is that this is not censorship, but is it really not? Arbitrary rules, doxing practices, and cancel culture have led to something hard to distinguish from censorship for the sober and well-meaning. At the same time, the amplification of incendiary free speech for bad actors encourages mob rule. All of this takes place under Section 230’s liability shield, which effectively gives tech companies carte blanche for a short-sighted version of self-serving behavior. Disdain for these companies—which found a way to be more than carriers, and yet not publishers—is the only thing everyone in America seems to agree on now.

Trading a known for an unknown is always terrifying, especially for those with the most to lose. Since at least some of Section 230’s network effects were anticipated at its inception, it should have had a sunset clause. It did not. Rather than focusing exclusively on the disruption that axing 26 words would spawn, it is useful to consider potential positive effects. When we imagine a post-230 world, we discover something surprising: a world of hope and renewal worth inhabiting.

In one sense, it’s already happening. Certain companies are taking steps on their own, right now, toward a post-230 future. YouTube, for instance, is diligently building alternative income streams to advertising, and top creators are getting more options for earning. Together, these voluntary moves suggest a different, more publisher-like self-concept. YouTube is ready for the post-230 era, it would seem. (On the other hand, a company like X, which leans hard into 230, has been destroying its value with astonishing velocity.) Plus, there have always been exceptions to Section 230. For instance, if someone enters private information, there are laws to protect it in some cases. That means dating websites, say, have the option of charging fees instead of relying on a 230-style business model. The existence of these exceptions suggests that more examples would appear in a post-230 world.

Let’s return to speech. One difference between speech before and after the internet was that the scale of the internet “weaponized” some instances of speech that would not have been as significant before. An individual yelling threats at someone in passing, for instance, is quite different from a million people yelling threats. This type of amplified, stochastic harassment has become a constant feature of our times—chilling speech—and it is possible that in a post-230 world, platforms would be compelled to prevent it. It is sometimes imagined that there are only two choices: a world of viral harassment or a world of top-down smothering of speech. But there is a third option: a world of speech in which viral harassment is tamped down but ideas are not. Defining this middle option will require some time to sort out, but it is doable without 230, just as it is possible to define the limits of viral financial transactions to make Ponzi schemes illegal.

With this accomplished, content moderation for companies would be a vastly simpler proposition. Companies need only uphold the First Amendment, and the courts would finally develop the precedents and tests to help them do that, rather than the onus of moderation being entirely on companies alone. The United States has more than 200 years of First Amendment jurisprudence that establishes categories of less protected speech—obscenity, defamation, incitement, fighting words—to build upon, and Section 230 has effectively impeded its development for online expression. The perverse result has been the elevation of algorithms over constitutional law, effectively ceding judicial power.

When the jurisprudential dust has cleared, the United States would be exporting the democracy-promoting First Amendment to other countries rather than Section 230’s authoritarian-friendly liability shield and the sewer of least-common-denominator content that holds human attention but does not bring out the best in us. In a functional democracy, after all, the virtual public square should belong to everyone, so it is important that its conversations are those in which all voices can be heard. This can only happen with dignity for all, not in a brawl.

Section 230 perpetuates an illusion that today’s social media companies are common carriers like the phone companies that preceded them, but they are not. Unlike Ma Bell, they curate the content they transmit to users. We need a robust public conversation about what we, the people, want this space to look like, and what practices and guardrails are likely to strengthen the ties that bind us in common purpose as a democracy. Virality might come to be understood as an enemy of reason and human values. We can have culture and conversations without a mad race for total attention.

While Section 230 might have been considered more a target for reform rather than repeal prior to the advent of generative AI, it can no longer be so. Social media could be a business success even if its content was nonsense. AI cannot.

There have been suggestions that AI needs Section 230 because large language models train on data and will be better if that data is freely usable with no liabilities or encumbrances. This notion is incorrect. People want more from AI than entertainment. It is widely considered an important tool for productivity and scientific progress. An AI model is only as good as the data it is trained on; indeed, general data improves specialist results. The best AI will come out of a society that prioritizes quality communication. By quality communication, we do not mean deepfakes. We mean open and honest dialog that fosters understanding rather than vitriol, collaboration rather than polarization, and the pursuit of knowledge and human excellence rather than a race to the bottom of the brain stem.

The attention-grooming model fostered by Section 230 leads to stupendous quantities of poor-quality data. While an AI model can tolerate a significant amount of poor-quality data, there is a limit. It is unrealistic to imagine a society mediated by mostly terrible communication where that same society enjoys unmolested, high-quality AI. A society must seek quality as a whole, as a shared cultural value, in order to maximize the benefits of AI. Now is the best time for the tech business to mature and develop business models based on quality.

All of this might sound daunting, but we’ve been here before. When the US government said the American public owned the airwaves so that television broadcasting could be regulated, it put in place regulations that supported the common good. The internet affects everyone, so we must devise measures to ensure that our digital-age public discourse is of high quality and includes everyone. In the television era, the fairness doctrine laid that groundwork. A similar lens needs to be developed for the internet age.

Without Section 230, recommender algorithms and the virality they spark would be less likely to distort speech. It is sadly ironic that the very statute that delivered unfathomable success is today serving the interests of our enemies by compromising America’s superpower: our multinational, immigrant-powered constitutional democracy. The time has come to unleash the power of the First Amendment to promote human free speech by giving Section 230 the respectful burial it deserves.

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seeminglyranch87 · 5 months

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Taylor & Travis Timeline

December 2023 - part 2

December 10 - Chiefs v Buffalo Bills, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City.

Travis Kelce arriving ahead of game

Taylor flies into Kansas City to attend the Chiefs game with her cousins, Travis' cousins & friends at Arrowhead Stadium

Travis made a brilliant play contributing to a touch down but was denied due to a team mates penalty.

During the game, NFL announcer and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo referred to her as "Travis' wife" while on the air with announcing partner Jim Nantz.

"As you see, Kelce's wife, Taylor Swift, in the audience," Romo pointed out, quickly correcting himself and saying, "I'm sorry -- girlfriend."

"Not yet," Nantz said in response.

Chiefs were defeated 17 - 20.

Taylor and Travis leave the stadium together

Taylor and Travis together with team mates, coaches friends and family gather at Miracle Pop Up Bar

Travis' barber shares a photo of Taylor and Travis (x)

Lots of photos emerge from the party with Taylor and travis taking photos with friends - these have been cropped...

December 11 - Taylor is nominated for a Golden Globe for The Eras tour movie.

USA Today reports that Taylor has donated $1 million to a Tennessee tornado relief Fund (x) after a Tornado ravaged the state on Saturday 9 Dec.

ET article (x)

According to Cheterah Jackson, a Columbus, Ohio-based real estate agent and friend of Travis', the couple rented a luxury bus to transport their group and reserved the Christmas bar in downtown Kansas City for friends and family.

Jackson tells ET, "My boyfriend Calvin Locke... is Travis' friend and has known him since the 7th grade. We were in the suite at the game, which was filled with family and friends."

"Taylor is an absolute sweetheart. She is very down-to-earth and kind."

"Taylor and Travis are so in love. It was so cute seeing them together and I can see them getting married"

December 12 - Taylor returns to NYC. Pictured with Miles & Keleigh Teller

December 13 - New Heights Ep. 68 airs (x 5:05)

Jason and Travis limit talking about Taylor although when the brothers chat about the No.1 & No.2 sales of NFL jerseys in the UK, they give credit to Swifties for helping with the success of topping the sales and Travis gives a "shout out to Kylie and Taylor." Travis suggests that perhaps they could "find our way over there this off season and say hello to everyone in person" and record a live show in the UK. Jason replies "we also got an opportunity to do one in Australia - we could make it a world tour"

Any one know of an international pop star who may be touring in the UK and Australia in 2024 that coincides with the NFL off season? Are the Kelce brothers hinting that Travis and perhaps Jason will join Taylor on tour next year? It should be noted that Patrick Mahomes has also raised the idea of possibly catching the Era's Tour in Europe in the off season too...

The boys answer "No Dumb Questions" from handle "metal-as-hell", a reference to Taylor's TIME article calling Travis "metal as hell" when he publicly declared his interest in dating Taylor.

Taylor Swift's 34th Birthday - Taylor heads to Banzarbar, NYC with friends to celebrate her birthday into the early hours of the morning - Happy Birthday Taylor! The paps even broke out into song to sing Taylor "Happy Birthday". Note Travis remained in KC with commitments to the Chiefs. This was expected.

December 14 - Taylor and friends share photos from the birthday celebration the evening before (x)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

instagram

December 15 - Taylor is named Billboard's No.1 Greatest Pop Star (x)

It didn’t seem possible that anyone could have a year this dominant: not this deep into the streaming era, not this long after the oft-proclaimed death of the monoculture, not when the entire industry seems to be in crisis over how to capture and hold onto listener attention. It was a year not to be judged against Swift’s 2023 peers, but against the entirety of modern pop history.

There is no wasted potential with Taylor Swift, no what ifs – the chance was there for her to have one of the greatest years any pop star has ever had, and you know that she grabbed it. Taylor was here. No one who was around for her 2023 will ever forget it.

With reference to Taylor's relationship with Travis, Billboard's Andrew Unterberger says:

... rumors were beginning to swirl about her and Kelce. The Chiefs star had become increasingly coy in his comments about the pop icon, saying he’d invited her to come see him play a home game (after he’d seen her Eras show in Kansas City that July). She did indeed do just that on the September 24th, with her presence at Arrowhead sending both the worlds of sports and pop culture into a frenzy, and leading to numerous posts and videos of non-football-conversant Swifties sharing the sport’s rules with one another, so they could better understand what was happening in between the shots of their hero in a private box with Kelce’s mom Donna. From then on, every Sunday (and a couple Mondays and Thursdays) of 2023 was overtaken with Taylor talk: Would she be showing up at the Chiefs’ next game? What other celebrities would she be attending with? What kind of Kelce swag would she be wearing, and what would that mean about their relationship? What do you mean Kansas City is on a bye week?While Swift’s short relationship with Healy was extremely controversial to Swifties and her long relationship with Alwyn was largely uninteresting to everyone else, her love story with Kelce – a well-liked, unproblematic figure, a Super Bowl-winning superstar as an athlete with enough of a Q rating as a celebrity to host SNL – was universally accessible, and found near-100% public approval. You didn’t need deep grounding in Swift Lore to understand the relationship, because it just felt right: the All-American athlete dating the All-American pop star.

Go to part 1 of December 2023

Go to part 3 of December 2023

Return to the timeline

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justimajin · 9 months

Text

The Profit & Love Statement » Pt. 2

↠ Pairing: Seokjin x Reader

↠ Genre: Fluff, Comedy, Angst

↳ (3.8k), Office AU (lowkey E2L vibes)

↠ Summary: The workplace isn’t for everyone. It can be mundane and repetitive, with some describing it like a nuisance and others as a blessing. You’re the kind that leans more towards the latter and while it does make you an ideal candidate for many things, nothing could have prepared you for the whirlwind that is the new employee.

↠ Warnings: pg13, just a whole lot of bickering

GIF credit.

↠ Next Update: Tuesday, August 1 (series masterpost here)

You rise from your chair.

Firstly, you peer to the right and left of your cubicle, before your feet take a step back and end up walking down the lengthy hallway of the sales and finance department. You walk back only moments later, swiveling yourself to glance at the elevator leading up to the floor, before threading your way by Human Resources ‒ from which you can see Hoseok working at his desk from the window ‒ until you’ve reached all the way to Customer Service, eyes hastily flickering over the department. With an exhausted huff, you stride all the way back to your department, finally planting yourself down in your cubicle and frantically typing down on your keyboard.

Yoongi raises a brow when the circumstance repeats itself three times, his irises eyeing your working form.

He cuts to the chase, “What are you doing?”

“Two hours.” You huff, halting your typing to stare at him, “He was supposed to be here two hours ago.”

Yoongi stares at you in alarm, “What?”

You shake your head, deciding that you’ve had enough prolonged waiting and the best way to combat is to resume your work. You don’t try to glance at your watch this time, painfully aware that you were losing patience by the minute and there was a huge dent in your schedule.

It’s short of an hour later when he arrives.

You don’t even notice at first, too submerged in your work to be paying any attention to your surroundings anymore and frankly, to wait.It’s only when Yoongi’s eyes grow wide that he’s leaning over the plastic wall separating you and poking you by the shoulder, gesturing to the man at reception that’s peering around the place.

A sigh of relief escapes you immediately and you shoot Yoongi a grateful smile for the reminder. Rising from your seat, your heels practically rush over to the white desk.

He’s leaning against it, grey suit hanging off of his broad shoulders and one of his hands raised against his cheek. From his subdued posture and turned head, you can tell that he’s engaged in a conversation, but what catches you off guard is the wide-eyed look that’s taken over Bora.

Your irises flicker and Bora’s eyes connect with yours as you draw close.

She seems dazed, clearing her throat right away, “Oh, Y/N!”

You’re not one to indulge in other people’s personal lives, but it is a bit annoying to know that he’s late by three hours and finally shows up just to resort to having a conversation with the receptionist.

You get rid of the ill thoughts, a smile looping on your lips. “Bora, I see you’ve met Mr. Kim.”

“Uh y-yes, I have…” She looks at him expectantly, and he swivels, coming face to face with you.

Your breath hitches.

The first thing that catches your attention is how tall he is, his height surprisingly surpassing many employees at your workplace. The second thing you notice is how disarrayed he actually seems to be, suit jacket clumsily hanging from his shoulders like he just threw it on, his dress shirt barely tucked in. But the last thing you notice and the very thing your gaze is fixated on, is his actual face.

Swept back dark hair, wide twinkling eyes, plush full lips, it’s like an actor from one of those kdrama’s Hoseok had forced you to watch just walked out in the flesh.

You attempt to muster up a couple of words, suddenly understanding why Bora was so dazed ‒ but that’s when you notice it.

You’re practically ogling at him and in the moment, he grins.

Almost as if aware of the effect he has.

Clearing your throat, a rigid look reinforces in your eyes and you offer him a handshake.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Kim.”

Still grinning, he takes your hand.

“Likewise.” He says, surprisingly polite, “And you are…?”

“Y/N.” You state, “You’re supposed to be shadowing me today. Please follow me.”

You turn around without another word, briefly glancing over your shoulder to ensure he’s coming along with you. You notice his gaze drifting, eyes sweeping around his surroundings as if he was in a completely different world.

Taking out a rolling chair for him, you pair it next to your desk as you place a hand against your monitor.

“So this is where I work.” You begin to explain as he sits down, “My work hours start at nine in the morning, which is the set standard time that everyone follows.”

He dryly hums, half-lidded eyes fixated on your keyboard even though you’re pointing at your monitor. You sit down with a sigh, deciding to show him instead.

“This is my computer,” You explain, hovering over the icons, “I usually store my own work files on here and continue from where I left off each day,” You click on the report you were working on last week, “I’m mainly involved in the sales portion of the department and this is what I created at the request of an email‒”

You continue to explain it all using the company’s last product as an example. You go on to inform him of how crucial it is for you to generate reports and keep an eye on the company's numbers, as these numbers would not only demonstrate what they’re current situation with sales is but also forecast for upcoming projects. You even explain to him how you work on a task-to-task basis with taking in impending notices from the company as priority, but how occasionally your work can overlap with other departments if need be.

As you keep explaining the details, you notice his eyes are concentrated on your computer, shifting into a haze that you pick on right away.

You freeze, “Am I going too fast for you?”

He shakes his head, but your eyes are still narrowed at him, flickering over his features.

You could have sworn that he seemed utterly bored for a second, your instincts already hearing the wii music playing through his head.

“Do you have any questions then?” You probe, “Anything you’d like to add on…?”

Life flickers into his eyes, but before you can get your hopes up about an inquiry regarding how you conducted your analysis or maybe even a question about how you generated your recent sales report based on the given numbers, they immediately fizzle out the second he opens up his mouth.

He appears greatly interested now, a grin tugging on his lips.

“Do you think I’m incredibly handsome?”

You blink wide-eyed, wondering if he was being serious.

“I beg your pardon...?”

“Do you think I’m handsome?” He repeats it like you weren’t listening.

You narrow your eyes, “What does that have to do with anything I’ve been talking about?”

He playfully tilts his head, “You’ve been staring at my face a lot.”

“How else am I supposed to talk to you?”

“You know what I mean.” He crosses his arms and leans forward, a glint residing in his eyes, “So? What’s your answer?”

You frown, “I’m not answering that.”

“So you do agree.”

“What? No!” He widely grins and you shake your head, focusing your attention back onto your monitor. “We need to be focusing on your training right now.”

You open up the sales report from the beginning of this week.

“I’ve just explained how I got the revenue computations through this software to you,” Quickly glancing over the statistics, you step back from it, “Can you try to repeat what I did?”

The question renders him silent. He stares at the computer for the longest amount of time, gaze flickering all over the screen in a puzzled manner before his eyes abruptly snap up to you.

Desperation leaks into his voice.

“I don’t really feel like it...”

Your eyes are as wide as they can be,“You don’t feel like it...?”

You hear a low snort from behind you, swatting at the plastic wall separating you from Yoongi.

“It’s just one computation.” You attempt to explain, “It shouldn’t be that difficult, and if you really do struggle with it, I’m here to help.”

You roll away from the monitor, and he hesitantly steps forward again, narrowing his eyes at the screen. You closely watch from behind for any errors, but when he takes a long amount of time just to get started, you decide it’s best for him to go at his own pace.

Your arms are crossed as you continue to stare at him, but something flickers inside of you.

In puzzlement, you blurt it out, “Have we met before?”

He scrunches up his nose, answering without hesitation, “No.”

“I could have sworn I’ve seen you somewhere….” You attempt to wrack your mind for an answer.

“Maybe I walked by you one day and you couldn’t resist forgetting me.” He grins again, but you roll your eyes at the answer.

“Nevermind.” You attempt to change the topic, “So did you figure it out?”

“I don’t understand any of this.” He mumbles.

“What?” You alarmingly inquire, glancing at the statistics sprayed out on the computer. “None of it?”

He steps away from the monitor, “How about you explain it to me one more time and I’ll try to give you 2% of my attention?”

You scoff, “What happened to the other 98%? Did you lose it on your way after being three hours lateto work?”

Seokjin smiles, “Maybe if you actually admit you were caught staring at me before, it’ll return.”

You deadpan from his words, shaking your head with a sigh.

Your heels click against the tiled ground. There’s a file in your hands and a scowl written on your lips when you gyrate around the corner, pressing the button for the elevator with a huff.

It’s been roughly an hour with Seokjin and you already feel like pulling your hair out. You came into this with an understanding that it takes everyone various amounts of time to learn properly and were prepared for at least some development and progress.

But in that one hour you’ve had to face his complete confusion with your job despite being recently hired with the credentials to do it, him constantly making remarks about himself and at one point, you even found him spinning around in his chair when you were in the midst of getting something from Hoseok.

You’ve been trying your best, chiding yourself on being patient with him, but that patience is beginning to wear out.

You seriously don’t get paid enough.

The elevator dings just as a sigh leaves your lips and you head in, swiveling around to press the button for the floor beneath you. There’s still a scowl lining your lips as you cross your arms.

“Who spat in your coffee this morning?”

You instantly spin around in surprise, irises coming into contact with a man leaning against one of the corners.

There’s a small playful smile tugging on his lips, but it contrasts the dark bags underneath his feline eyes and his tousled caramel hair.

A lengthy exhale leaves you, your sarcasm practically peaking, “Well, aside from the fact that I’ve possibly gotten the worst shadow ever and asking for a different job seems far-fetched now...things seem absolutely peachy.”

His fond smile only grows from your ramble, tugging him out of his fatigue.

“You really seem to be having a lovely day.” His deep voice is able to mimic your exact sarcasm and tone, something that draws out a roll of your eyes.

You peer at him curiously, confused as to why he was on the same floor as you.

“Why are you here, Tae?”

That question snaps him out of his amused demeanour, tension filling his form. “I’ve been bringing up files to Research and Development from Marketing.” He sighs, “Basically been playing messenger boy this entire morning.”

You hum and Taehyung narrows his eyes, “By the way, is this person you’ve been talking about only supposed to shadow Sales and Finances?”

“I think so...why do you ask?”

He shrugs, “There’s supposed to be someone coming over to shadow the Marketing Department soon and more specifically‒ “ He points to himself, “Me.”

Your eyes widen, “Kim Seokjin?”

Taehyung tilts his head to the side, “Hm, so it is the same person…”

There’s confusion in his irises and it reflects your own. You were first told that Kim Seokjin was going to be hired but needed to be an intern first, then you discovered that he wouldn’t just be shadowing one person in your department.

And now Taehyung ‒ who works on a different floor that’s beneath you in Marketing ‒ has also been requested to mentor him?

Before you can inquire more, the elevator dings and the door opens. Taehyung gestures for you to go ahead with the promise of dropping by if he’s given the chance and you quickly smile at him, hurriedly saying that you’d love to catch up with him later.

You step out the elevator with the file in hand, mind still swimming with the details.

Seokjin ends up returning from his much-needed lunch break ‒ as he precisely worded to you ‒ for you to have already returned to your cubicle and resumed your work. However, this time you’re not alone.

Soyou is talking with you as you patiently wait for his return, already wanting updates on his situation even though it’s truthfully been going horrendous.

Her eyes light up instantly as he draws near, “Mr. Kim!”

Soyou’s hand is outstretched with a friendly smile on her lips, something that has your brows furrowing.

“Mrs. Kang.” He takes her hand, acknowledging her politely much to your own surprise.

“I hope you’ve been finding everything well.” She gestures to you, “Has the shadowing been going alright?”

You raise an eyebrow from her response. Here was your Manager, someone always scrutinizing details and never ever adhering to anyone, generously asking someone that just got hired if he was comfortable.

Seokjin sincerely smiles and you nearly gap at the appearance of it, “Of course, Y/N has been training me so well.”

He directs the smile over to you and for a second, you can see it all. It’s a fluke, a mirage of him putting on the disguise of being an absolute angel while the past couple of hours have simply informed you of how much the opposite is true.

Soyou nods in an instant and you still can’t grasp onto the way her expressions have shifted. It isn’t like Bora, who was stuck in a daze and captivated with his appearance. It seems more personal, almost as if he’s the one that’s hired her instead of the other way around.

She requests for him to demonstrate his knowledge from the computations (aka the thing you’ve been trying to teach him for the past hour that he has yet to properly grasp) and to no one’s surprise, he’s barely able to do it.

You’re expecting a lot ‒ Soyou reprimanding him for wasting time like she did to that one employee that was slacking off and then promptly fired, to then finally alleviating you from the tough position with something else that might shed some better light on your skills.

But your eyes are as wide as they can be when she waves it off completely, left gaping as she in turn tells you to work harder and that she’ll be back soon with some expected progress.

Your mouth is left hanging as you watch her form disappearing, head snapping in Seokjin’s direction.

“What kind of magician are you?” You ask in a mixture of awe and disbelief.

He playfully smiles, giving an answer you expect by now, “The handsome kind.”

You shake your head, left wondering how you managed to get yourself into this situation.

After meeting with your Manager, the remains of your day consist of futile attempts in training Seokjin, the former not being interested in the least and throwing remarks in your face that just make you want to roll your eyes. Fortunately there is some luck on your side, because he only sticks with you for a couple of hours before suddenly checking his watch and promptly informing you that he can’t stay longer.

He leaves early, and you are relieved. Your productivity spikes up again, no longer having to monitor his progress in the midst of sacrificing your own.

And it’s thankfully enough to earn you a decent break.

“Yoongi, you’re not supposed to be working during lunch.” Hoseok states, eyes fixated on the company laptop the former is working on.

After grabbing your lunch and heading towards the breakroom, Hoseok and Yoongi had bumped into you in the midst of their own break. The room itself isn’t much to look at, a handful of tables and chairs alongside with a fridge and a counter that has a sink, microwave and a coffee machine that you know every single employee is attached to.

Yoongi is seated across from you, balancing the laptop on his knee.

“I’m not working, I’m checking the stock market.” His pupils flicker all over the bright screen, scrutinizing the numbers displayed.

“Are you looking to make an investment?” You ponder, grimacing at the amount of charred onions in your home-cooked pasta.

“No, I’m trying to see how much the company’s stocks are failing.” Yoongi casually states.

Hoseok’s mouth falls agape and you stare at him with wide eyes.

The door to the break room yanks open and a familiar face emerges.

His eyes light up, “Oh, hey guys!”

Taehyung grins and Hoseok spins around in his seat, abandoning his beloved sandwich.

“Taehyung!” He rushes towards the latter, engulfing him into an endearing hug.

Taehyung laughs, swiftly grabbing his lunch from the fridge as Hoseok urges him to sit down with you. He grabs a spot next to Yoongi, scrunching up his nose in disgust once he sees the laptop in his hands.

“Are you working?”

You lightly shake your head, “He’s checking the company’s stocks.”

“Oh yeah, apparently the recent product didn’t do too well.” He attempts to open up his container of food, “I’ve heard rumours that the executives weren’t too happy.”

“They shouldn’t be.” Yoongi injects, spinning his laptop around, “Look.”

Your eyes enlarge at the range of numbers the screen displays, all highlighted in red and dipping into negative zones.

Taehyung physically winces. “Ouch.”

“That is not a pretty sight….” You state and Hoseok hums.

Yoongi spins his laptop around again and Taehyung shakes his head. “I don’t understand why they’re still fussing over this new product. If you ask me, they should just cut their losses and move onto launching something else.”

“Maybe they’re having issues because the head of the company is retiring soon?” Hoseok whispers.

Yoongi furrows his brows, “The head of the company?”

“CEO Namjung,” Taehyung clarifies for him, glancing at Hoseok, “And I think you’re right, I remember seeing it in the headlines. There’s even rumours going on that they need someone to take over.”

Yoongi shakes his head in dismay, “Great, the company doesn’t want to cut their losses and now they have to find a new head.”

Hoseok sheepishly laughs, “But it can’t be so bad...right?”

Your features twist and Taehyung tries his hardest to smile back at him.

“It shouldn't affect us too much…” Taehyung cautiously says, flickering his eyes around, “but if it does….anyone got a backup plan?”

Your eyes light up, “You guys can work at my restaurant.”

There’s responses flying out left and right.

“I suck at cleaning.”

“The only thing I know how to cook is rice.”

“I can’t remember the last time I did laundry.”

You blink, “Wait, what?”

“That sounded a lot better in my head….” Taehyung pipes down, lightly chuckling to himself.

Hoseok scrunches his nose in disgust, desperate to change the conversation. “What about you? How’s it been going with Mr. Shadow?”

Taehyung’s eyes glint, “Kim Seokjin, right?”

You let out a groan, planting a hand right against your temples.

Taehyung blinks wide-eyed at your reaction.

“That bad?”

You sharply inhale, “He’s not aware of basic analyst computations, didn’t feel like doing them after I tried teaching him and for some bizarre reason, keeps announcing self praises about himself.”

Hoseok cringes, “Damn, that does sound pretty bad.”

“It is.” Yoongi mentions, “It doesn’t seem like he knows what he’s doing half the time.”

Taehyung looks defeated, “So you’re telling me this is the person that has to shadow me too?”

Hoseok sheepishly smiles at Taehyung, “You’re not the only one in that boat.”

You look at Hoseok wide-eyed, and he sighs, “I had a meeting with the head of HR this morning about the new intern.”

“So he’s going to be our collective headache?” Taehyung frantically asks. You’re prepared to sink your head against the table at this point.

“Wait.” Hoseok holds up his hands in defense, “Who is he going to be mentored by next?”

You slowly raise your head and Taehyung turns at the same time. Hoseok’s eyes are wide, filled to the brim with sympathy.

There are three sets of eyes spontaneously glued to him and Yoongi’s head snaps up, the horrid realization finally sinking in.

#jin fanfic #seokjin fanfic #kim seokjin fanfic #bts jin fanfic #jin fluff #seokjin fluff #kim seokjin fluff #jin angst #bts jin angst #bts jin office au #kim seokjin office au #bts office au #bts fanfic #bts fluff #bts angst #bts imagines #bts scenarios #jin x reader

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kiki-strike · 6 months

Text

15 people, 15 questions

Thanks for tagging me @ozais-lobotomist !!

1. Are you named after anyone?

Yes, my real life name is named after my grandfather

2. When was the last time you cried?

I think I made myself cry thinking about fanfiction yesterday

3. Do you have kids?

I don’t even have a credit card

4. what sports do you play/have you played?

None except when I was very small and my parents tried to get me into soccer but I don’t remember it

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Yes but 3/4 of my household is autistic including me and I also don’t understand when other people are being sarcastic so it doesn’t usually go through right

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Their hair and then their clothes

7. what’s your eye color?

Hazel but like mostly green

8. scary movies or happy endings?

Either if it’s a movie but only happy endings if it’s a book/fanfic

9. Any talents?

I’m pretty good at remembering sequences of numbers/words. I can read things that are really small. I’m really good at finding buried information on the internet also (not in a creepy way like in a discontinued blender parts for sale way).

10. Where were you born?

Where I live

11. What are your hobbies?

I read a lot of fanfiction and watch the same tv episodes over and over. I also like finding tunnels/cool underground things in the old part of my city

12. Do you have any pets?

Buppy. Tortoise. Snake

13. how tall are you?

4’11

14. Favorite subject in school?

History. When I was younger I would read history textbooks for fun. Percy Jackson kid, etc etc

15. Dream job?

Well my life goal is just a picture in my head of me in a bikini on the front of a yacht so… beach? Like Ken.

I actually have 15 people to tag this time!! I’ll tag @leafsfromthevine @wingstobetorn @billcipher951 @kyoshigirl @fanfic-gremlin-ft-trauma @azulaapologistforeverandalways @sulkybender @waterfire1848 @fireflaked @plantsants @juniperhillpatient @sukidude @zingay @aligoo @bellatrixobsessed1

#thanks jac :)#also to transboyzuko I only didn’t tag you bc jac already did I’m tagging you in spirit #if you see this

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chersteddie2 · 9 days

Text

#wg story inspired by @scoops-aboy86 & @hotluncheddie

Eddie's always been a little pissed, a little too aggressive, a little jealous in his hatred for Steve, the Hair, Harrington; he had the big house, the rich parents, the love of everyone in school. It makes his blood boil and the annoyed face Steve would shoot him during his weekly speeches at lunch were worth the trouble. Every lunch period he'd climb on the table and rant on about society's standards and that it's all just such bullshit. "Eat the rich!" Eddie remembers chanting, tongue stuck out and middle finger up as he'd bat his eyes at the jocks.

Now, two years after what should've been his graduation not only is he still stuck in class, but he's stuck working at the damn diner across the lot. Porky's Rub and Grub, known statewide for their dedication to customer service and burgers. Eddie hated it, most of the time he was stuck in the back because he

1.) Distracted customers with his tattoos.

2.) He was never able to rack up tips or make sales.

3.) His boss hated him.

The only reason Eddie got the job was because of a favor Wayne called in. And with no one else willing to hire him, Eddie sucked up his pride and clocked in for another shift. With his hair tied back and apron slung over his shoulder, he glanced at the tables and stopped dead in his tracks, "No way, no fucking way," he cursed. There, across from him, basking in the sunlight with that stupid smile, was Steve Harrington. Dressed in his cream blazer and khaki pants, brown hair combed back perfectly and a redhead on his arm, just smiling at him.

Eddie had never ran to the back so fast, heart thumping and skin flushed. "Why the hell is he here? Ugh, why," he groaned, sinking back against the wall. "It'll be fine, I'm not even a server, I don't even have to look at him if I don't want to--" the ring of the service bell cuts him off. Slowly Eddie peeks over the kitchen window where Steve is waiting at the register, hands in his pockets and a smug grin on his face.

"Munson! Customer!" His boss yells and Eddie nearly rips his hair out from frustration. "Yeah! Okay, I got it!" he shouts. With a deep breath he adjusts his apron, bites his tongue and puts on the best service smile he can manage before walking out, "Morning, what can I get you?"

"Eddie! I thought it was you, it's been awhile man. What've you been up to?" Steve asks, almost like he's happy to see him. 'Asshole,' Eddie thinks.

"What I'm doing is taking your order, so again, what can I get you?" He bites back and the slight shock in Harrington's eyes makes his stomach curl.

"Oh, okay. You know what, give me the slammer. Matter of fact, add some onion rings and a coke," Steve huffs, pulling his wallet out and tossing a 20 on the counter. "You gonna charge me or be an asshole?"

Eddie closes his eyes, bites his tongue, and grabs his change, "Anything else, sir?"

"Dick," Steve mumbles, grabbing his change and walking back to his table. Eager to retreat back to the kitchen, Eddie gets to cooking, his movements fast and hard as he slams pots and pans. 'He's just gonna eat, then leave. He'll eat, then leave,' he reassures himself, praying that if there is a God, he will end his misery. But as he heads back out, food in hand, the sight of Steve Harrington chatting it up with his boss nearly sends him into a fit.

"Your order, sir," he interrupts, placing the food down with a loud clink.

"Munson! You never told me you knew Harrington's boy. This man right here was the best baseball player of the season!"

"Ah, sir, really you're too kind. I had a great team," Steve responds, his smile cocky.

"Oh, come on. Give yourself some credit! Let me know if you need anything alright? Here at Porky's we value our customers, especially a Harrington! Anything at all just tell Munson, alright?"

The sight leaves a bad taste in Eddie's mouth. 'How annoying,' he gripes to himself, the thought of slamming his head into the wall incredibly tempting.

"You know, there actually is something I'd like," Steve drawls, eyes sharp and grin crooked. "I've heard all about Porky's, and I heard that your servers take customer requests, is that right?"

"Yes! Anything you like, just no hokey pokey if you know what I mean," his boss chuckles.

"Well, I've gotta say Earl, Munson is the best server I've ever had. I'd love if he could show us how it's done handling one of your slammers," Steve mocks, his smile tight as he stares Eddie directly in the eye.

"Oh well, sure! Munson, you heard the man, show him how it's done," Earl orders, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"But...Earl, that's...seriously? Why?" he whines.

"Boy, just eat the damn burger" Earl groans, pulling Eddie to the front of their booth. "Now, you enjoy. Pleasure to have you, Harrington."

"Likewise!...Well, you heard him, eat the burger asshole," Steve's tone is icy and playful at the same time and the warmth that spreads in his groin has Eddie stomping his foot in horror. 'Do I?...What the fuck?' he asks himself.

"You dick...Ugh! Fine!" he huffs. With both hands he shoves down a bite, the patty juicy and hot off the stove, the sheer size of it a little difficult to keep together. Eddie doesn't even spare a glance at Harrington as he plows his way through the burger, barely even chewing as he fills his cheeks. Faintly he thinks he hears Steve date leave, but he's too upset and embarrassingly horny to care. Even as he starts to feel a tightness in his underbelly he keeps going, sauce smeared across his lips and grease coating his fingers. Briefly he pulls his head back to chew, swallowing down a burp as he moves onto the onion rings; big and crispy, perfectly cooked. One after the other he alternates between the burger to the onion rings to the fries, hyperaware of the pressure in his stomach. 'Fuck...fuck,' he internally groans.

With one last bite he's finished his meal, and without even swallowing what's in his cheeks, Eddie pops the lid off his Coke and begins chugging. Taking big, slow gulps, the fizz making his nostrils burn and intestines squeeze. Only when his tongue licks around the empty rim, almost as if it's searching for more to indulge in, does he set it down.

"Oof! Fuck...," he burps, staggering back as he looks down at himself, hands resting on the sides of his swollen stomach. Distended against his apron and bumping the front of the table sits his gut, packed to the brim and practically on display despite his shirt. Along his chest are sauce stains and he just knows he must look ridiculous; Glutted to the gills like a greedy pig, cheeks flushed at the sounds his belly is making as it works to digest the feast he just forced down. Eddie can't even imagine a worse situation to be in, but in his haze, he looks over to Steve and realizes the small tent that's formed between his legs.

"Huh," he mumbles, realizing just what he's seeing.

"Munson," Steve growls, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him down to his height, "In the car?" he pants hotly.

"Yes. Fuck, yes, oh my god," Eddie groans, too full and turned on to focus on anything other than Steve's hands which have latched onto his hips.

"Knew you'd like this, knew it," Steve whines, quick to pull Eddie out the diner.

After that, Steve began stopping by every week, requesting Eddie as his server, pupils blown as his uniform gradually became smaller and smaller. And after the first 30 lbs, Eddie knows that if you'd told him two years ago that he'd be eating for the rich? He'd have never believed it.

#wg story #chubby steddie #chubby eddie munson #fat belly

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