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[oracle-of-dream]

Welcome to the Dollhouse

Summary: Y/n is down on their luck making financial ends meet. When a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity forces them into a bargain that can't refuse. Now, they find themselves at a party searching for a partner but the person they get is someone they'd never expect.

Notes: Male Reader, Dubious Contracts, Financial Struggles, Idol Jay, Enhypen exists, Fake names, Kissing

Wordcount: 6.9k

It’s funny to think about how much money can buy. Many people say it can’t buy happiness, love, or fulfillment. But when push comes to shove. Money makes the world go round…

Being in college was all you wanted. A chance to get an education that was enough to get you away from the boring life that awaited you if you decided to miss out. Moving to a big city, far away from your parents wasn’t even the hard part. It was paying for college… You managed to land a decent scholarship, as long as you did your school work and did some volunteering to make the school look good then you’d be safe to coast through without any worries. Or that was the case. In your second semester of freshman year, one picture put you dead in the water.

It was your first party. No parents to worry about what time you’d be back. Friends watch you in case things get too crazy. And a cute guy who invited you. A frat boy.By the end of the night, videos of you drinking online circulated. And being a year under the drinking age wasn’t a good look either. The school tore away your scholarship, you were lucky they didn’t expel you. You didn’t have the heart to tell your parents what happened, so you had to find a way to pay for school alone. You looked for private loans, but most wouldn’t accept you without a guarantor, someone to pay them back if you couldn’t. And working odd jobs wouldn’t earn you enough money before the next semester. That’s where The Dollhouse entered the picture. 

This was the sixth bank you’d visited. You were desperate. Waiting for the subway, you were approached by a man in a long black coat. He was older than you, but not by much, his early thirties max. He wore a black shirt and pants, with black hair to match. He was almost like a shadow… if shadows were handsome men. “Excuse me, you dropped this!” He exclaimed as he rushed over to you. He had your phone in his hand, ready to offer it to you.

You must’ve dropped it at the bank. “Thank you so much! I’d be dead without this.”

“You should be more careful! You never know what kind of people you’ll meet. Stranger Danger and all that.”

You giggled. He sounded like your Dad saying that. “Aren’t you a stranger?”

He tilted his head to the side, pondering your point. “I suppose so. You can call me Seo-jun.”

“I’m y/n. Sorry for making you chase me here, and thanks again for bringing me my phone.”

He shook his head. “It’s no problem. I have to go this way for work anyway.”

“What kind of job do you have?”

“I’m sorta like a manager. I help connect people looking for work with clients looking for workers.” Seo-jun smiled wryly. “But right now, business is down. Some workers quit recently, and our clients want more new faces.”

You felt a pang in your stomach. You’d been cutting out meals to save money and your job was still only paying minimum wage. Considering you had a bit of free time, you took a chance. “I could lend a hand. I could use the money, and you did help me. It’s only fair that I return the favor.”

Seo-jun’s smile faded a bit. “Um… You’re a nice kid. But I don’t think our work is good for you.”

Originally you were offering just to be nice, but now your interest was piqued. “W-Why not?” 

“Don’t be like that. You look like a hard worker, but it’s not ordinary work. The paychecks are nice, but I’d hate to see such a good kid like you work there.”

“How well does it pay?”

“That’s beside the point–”

“How much does it pay!?” You demanded.

“Depending on your client. After fees from management, I’ve seen some workers make over $4,000 in less than a week of work.” Seo-jun sighed.

4k in a week could set you up for the entire semester before the end of the summer, and then some! “Take me to work with you! Please!” Seo-jun tried not to look you in the eye, but you gripped his arm and refused to let go. “Then you’ll have to walk with me there. I’ll just talk to your boss.”

“Woah, woah. I’ll take you there, just don’t make a scene. People are staring,” He whispered, trying to peel you off him.

Thankfully it wasn’t too far of a train ride. You spent it wondering what kind of work they’d had you do. You weren’t well-dressed, having sold off most of your nice clothing. Maybe if there were uniforms, then your clothes wouldn’t be much of a problem. Seo-jun was silent for most of the ride, texting someone. His face was dark, which made his face stand out more. He wasn’t just pretty, he was extremely handsome. His black hair settled on his forehead and dipped slightly past his eyebrow making him even more attractive. The type of look no one could get enough of. And a few of the girls on the train agreed with you, from how they stared.

Seo-jun guided you off the train after another five stops. You walked a few blocks, turned a corner, and approached a black building wedged between two pale ones. Before knocking, Seo-jun looked at you. “Are you sure?”

You nodded. “I think I can handle it.” You were a bit nervous. There weren’t many people on this street, and the building was tall and imposing in the quiet neighborhood.

Seo-jun knocked on the door. It cracked open, and a big man with tattoos peeked through the crack. Once he registered who was at the door, it closed again before opening completely. Seo-jun said nothing as he entered the building, and you closely followed behind him. The large man shut the door behind you. Now you saw him completely, he looked more like an NFL player. He could easily throw you around if he wanted to. Seo-jun didn’t pay the man any mind, walking forward as he passed several doors. Each had a sign on it. Most said open and a few said occupied. The doors were closed and looked pretty heavy. It was so quiet, you could only hear the sounds of your footsteps on the tile. Seo-Jun led you to an office at the end of the hallway, putting in a key from his pocket and unlocking it. He sat down behind the desk, which was covered with papers. 

“Come in and take a seat, y/n.” 

You sat down in the chair in front of the desk. The room had a red velvet wall, and pictures of models. Or at least, they seemed like models. All of them were men in their early twenties, each was different but handsome. You even saw one that looked like Seo-Jun.

“Is that you?” You pointed at the photo.

Seo-Jun didn’t look. “Not anymore. That was a long time ago.” You raised an eyebrow. He looked almost the same in the photo as in front of you. But maybe it wasn’t the best time to push him to spill more. 

“Why are you looking for money?” Seo-Jun questioned.

“College. It’s expensive, ya know?”

He scoffed. “Yeah. I know. Don’t you have parents, or any other family who can help?”

You shook your head. “That’s not an option.” Thinking about your family left a bitter taste in your mouth. They’d be so disappointed if they knew how bad things had gotten.

He pursed his lips like he understood the feeling. “How much money do you need?”

“Ideally, enough for school.”

“Give me a number.”

“It’s about $10k a semester. More if I live on campus.”

“Okay, and when school’s not in session, do you have a place to live? Around here, specifically.” You shook your head. You caught yourself about to talk about your family home, but maybe it was best not to… Seo-Jun typed a few things on a calculator on his phone, opened a laptop, and waited for it to start. “Okay. If you start working with us, it's like this. We’ll give you the money and other necessities you need, and you have to work off that amount.”

“You’ll give me the money?”

“I’ll have you log into your student account, and I’ll pay your semester in advance now. But that’s only if you accept our offer.”

“Of course!”

Seo-Jun sighed. “Please hear me completely before you decide.” He straightened his back as he pulled the laptop closer to him. He typed a few things before turning the computer around, and showing you the screen. It was a camera feed. “This is what we do.”

You watched closely. It looked like a guy your age was in a room with another person. They were talking. You were about to look away, shrugging it off before you saw the boy kneel on the ground. He was doing something to the older man’s pants. You leaned in to see, but the camera wasn’t clear enough.

“What is this?”

“This is the job. Be a partner for your clients, whatever that means for them. Then they’ll pay you for the service.” Seo-Jun’s jaw went slack. “Like I said, this isn’t an ordinary job. But if you take it, we’ll take care of you. You’ll have a home and meals, and we’ll keep our end of the bargain and pay for school.”

You sat back in your chair as the reality of the offer landed on you. Being hired, partner… A fancy way to say, prostitute. Was this really the only way?

“I know that you don’t want to pressure your family with your financial situation. And I’ll be honest, we didn’t bump into each other by mistake.” Seo-Jun pulled your phone out of his pocket.

You didn’t even realize you’d dropped it…

“You didn’t drop it. I stole it. I needed an excuse to talk to you, and for you to trust me. I know you’ve been looking for loans, but can’t get any.” Seo-Jun leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk. “We need workers, and you need our help. Or… does your sweet mother wanna hear about your scholarship?”

A cold sweat ran down your neck. You’d walked right into a cage and didn’t even realize it. “What scholarship?” You gulped.

“The one you lost. It’s a shame. How one mistake can ruin everything for you, isn’t it?” Seo-Jun put a video on the laptop, the same one that ruined your chances of living a normal college life. “We can make it so the video never sees the light of day again, as a bonus for signing with us. You won’t have to worry about mommy seeing it, or knowing how you lost your scholarship. You’ll have school paid for, and have time to study. All you need to do is be a worker.” Seo-Jun pulled a piece of paper from a stack on his desk, a pre-printed contract, with your name at the top. “You can read through it if you’d like. Everything I promised is in there.”

Seo-Jun placed the paper on the desk, sliding it toward you, with a pen on top.

“How can you do this to people?” You mumbled.

“It’s never easy. I did try to give you a warning, but you insisted.”

“That was before I knew this!” You wanted to throw the paper at him and storm out, but your legs were glued to the seat. This was a once-in-a-lifetime offer.

“I’ll also mention. Any extra “gifts” you get from your clients will be yours to keep. Frequently, we get high-profile clients who love to have specific partners they visit. And they bring them gifts every time they visit; from clothes and jewelry to cars and even buildings.” Seo-Jun stood from his seat, walking around the desk to lean on it close to you. “It’s a good deal. Fair and transparent. If you’re lucky, you’ll be out fast. And your identity is completely concealed within our walls. No one will ever know you worked here unless we want them to know.” He picked up your hand and the pen, placing them together. “So, what’s the call?”

Your jaw was so tight, you struggled to speak, “C-Can I sleep on this?” 

“No. Once you walk out the door, the offer’s gone.” He said flatly.

The pressure was too much. You couldn’t think of anything. There was no real way out, and this was too good of an offer to pass. Even if you refused, how could you afford the new semester? You sighed heavily before moving the pen to the paper, slowly signing your name. The red ink flowed on the paper, drying into a deep crimson like you were using your blood to sign.

“Excellent. As of today, you’re a part of the Dollhouse.” Seo-Jun snatched the paper off the desk, folding it and tucking it into his back pocket. “Here’s this back,” He handed your phone back to you. “One more thing, if you violate our contract or try to run. We’ll drag your ass back here faster than you can blink. If not then your parents will have to pay off the loan.”

Your head hung. Guilt sat on your shoulder as you leaned back in the chair. This was your fate now…

Seo-Jun handed you a card. “You’ll go back to your dorm. When you do, call this number and answer whatever questions they ask. We’ll have to come by in about a week for measurements.”

“What measurements?”

“We need your body measurements to advertise you. And we’ll have to dress you, give you a nice haircut, and dress you up. Which, the Dollhouse will pay for. This will add to your debt, naturally.”

“I-I don’t want it then!”

“If you don’t look nice, no one will ask for you. If not, then you won’t make any money. If you make us no money, you’ll be stuck in our arrangement for a while.” Seo-Jun frowned. “I don’t enjoy this, so let’s make this as easy as possible. There’s an event next week where new clients can meet our workers clandestinely. It’s like a mixer, speed-dating. That’s your best way to get a high-roller on your account to support you.”

You rolled your eyes. “This is so stupid. Why would anyone pick me anyway?”

Seo-Jun glared at you. “Do not talk about yourself like that. If you start looking down on yourself, clients can tell you don’t value yourself. If you can value yourself, how can you value them?”

Seo-Jun sent you back on your way, giving you directions back home. The ride back home felt like hours. All you could do was try not to cry. You tried so hard to come to the city to be someone different than how you could’ve been back home, but it wasn’t supposed to be like this. You got back to your dorm. It was dark and quiet, just like that building. You were lucky enough not to have any roommates. No one to hear you cry yourself to sleep…

In the morning, you woke up as your phone rang. You rolled over, ignoring the call. But it rang, again and again. After the fourth phone call in a row, you looked at it. It was an unknown number.

You answered cautiously. “H-Hello?”

“Y/n? Have you lost your mind?” Seo-Jun said, with disappointment in his tone.

“How did you get this number?”

“I stole your phone. I knew I had to get your number too. Just in case you ran off.” He sighed. “I thought you did for a moment. That would’ve been a lot of trouble for the both of us… Why didn’t you call me when you got home?”

You’d completely forgotten about calling the number on the card. “Sorry. It slipped my mind.”

“Let’s get rid of that habit. Being forgetful isn’t cute. Some clients will call you at different times of the day and don’t take kindly to being ignored. You’ve got a job that’s busier than full-time. It’s 24/7.”

“Well, what do you want, Seo-Jun?”

“When we’re talking business, please call me Mr. Seo-Jun.”

You groaned but knew he wasn’t joking. “What do you want, Mr. Seo-Jun?”

“I need you to tell me your school login. I want to see your schedule for classes and pay your bill.” You told him without any fuss. You were too tired to give a damn anymore. “There’s a good boy. Now, you can go back to the rest of your week. I’ll keep in touch.”

Seo-Jun hung up before you could answer him. It was Wednesday, meaning your classes started later in the day. You took your time showering and picking out clothes. It was thirty minutes before class when you went to the bus stop. Like clockwork, your friend, Eun, waited for you to arrive.

Eun was a friend you made during the first semester of college. He was 5’9” and goofy, often laughing at his jokes like a comedy club. He probably heard a laugh track in his head when he told jokes. He usually dressed in bright-colored shirts, denim jeans, and a big smile. He was also there for you when you’d gone through the frat party fiasco. Most of your “friends” had ditched you, throwing you under the bus for drinking to save their necks. But Eun was the only one who stayed by your side.

Eun waved at you as you walked toward him. “Good morning!”

“Morning, Eun.”

He studied your face for a moment. “Yeesh, what happened? You look like you had a rough sleep.”

“Thanks, buddy. You always know just what to say…” You sighed as you looked up at the sky.

“I wasn’t trying to be funny. Seriously dude, are you okay?”

You nodded. “I’m fine.”

“If you’re sure… then, you’ll wanna hear about how Enhypen are coming to the area to perform.”

Your eyes bulged. “Enhypen’s coming here!? No fucking way, when!?”

“The news dropped this morning. They’re holding a small concert on campus around next week!” 

Your stomach churned. Next week!? That’s when the mixer was supposed to be. Maybe you could ask Seo-Jun for a day off to attend the concert…

Eun saw your smile drop. “Hey, dude, seriously. What’s going on? Normally you’re super excited about this kind of stuff.”

“I am. I’ve got some stuff happening next week, so I hope they don’t overlap.” You prayed that it would be some swift joke that would pass you by…

The next few days passed, and you kept a close eye on your phone. Not a single call or text from your new boss. Or would your owner be the right word? You checked your school login a few days ago, and your school bill for the next semester was already paid in advance. It was good to know Seo-Jun was a man of his word. But it also meant that everything else he’d said would pass too. It wasn’t until Monday that you got some news. 

The Enhypen concert was on a Friday. Which made sense, students would stay on campus all the time. So why not have a concert that night? However, your morning was disturbed by a call. You answered it immediately.

“Hello?”

“Good job answering the first time. You’re learning.” You could hear the smirk on his face.

“Let’s get to the part where you tell me what you want.”

“To the point it is. The date of the mixer is set to be this Friday night, it’ll be pretty late so get your homework done in time.”

You rolled your eyes. “Like you care about my schoolwork.”

“Of course I do. I’m the one paying for it.”

“What time exactly is the mixer?”

“Why?” Seo-Jun questioned.

“Well, there’s a concert happening on campus and I wanted to go–”

Seo-Jun sucked his teeth. “No. You’re expected to be here before sunset so we can get you ready. Tardiness will only put the whole team behind schedule, and some client’s time is precious.”

“But–”

“Be here. Friday. After class. Bye.” Seo-Jun hung up without another word.

You huffed a heavy sigh as you texted Eun that you wouldn’t attend the concert. Naturally, he was concerned about why and questioned you, but you lied about having a family matter to attend to. He promised to take videos for you at least. It left you feeling like a dog on a leash. Any time Seo-Jun pulled on it, you had no choice but to follow his orders. In the days before the mixer, he asked you more questions about the style of clothes you’d enjoy, strengths, weaknesses, talents, quirks, birthmarks, anything you hated, and even your allergies.

On Friday, after your last class. There was a black SUV waiting outside your dorm. Walking past the suspicious car, the window rolled down. “Just going to ignore me?” Seo-Jun’s voice whistled out. You turned to see him sitting in the back seat. “Get in. Time for fitting.”

“I just got home. Don’t I get to change or something?”

“Does it matter? You’d just be changing just to change again. You’ll have time to relax while waiting for the mixer to start.” You got in the car, tossing your backpack in. The car was nice. You didn’t recognize the driver. 

Seo-Jun handed you a folder. “Does everything in here look right?”

You opened it. It was almost like a resume, all about you. From an approximate height and weight to even an ethnicity check. “How did you guess my ethnicity? I didn’t tell you that.”

He shrugged. “The internet is a scary place. If you’ve put it somewhere online before, it's on the dark web.” They closed the folder and tucked it into a briefcase. “So, let me explain the mixer a bit. Generally, it's an event for our workers to meet new clients. But also for some of our clients to show off to their rich buddies and convince them to invest in our services. Be presentable, flexible, and obedient to earn attention.” Out of the briefcase, Seo-Jun produced pictures of young men pandering to their clients. “Now, we never call our clients “clients” to their face. They’re our partners. And you’ll need a persona. Something that’s already similar to who you are so you don’t need to act too much. Some like them feisty, others like our boys a little more submissive.”

“How do I come up with one?”

“Don’t, just be you and they will. Once you’ve got one, then stick to it. The savior types might be your best bet, so maybe you’ll get them with a sort of damsel persona.”

“Savior types?”

“The ones who get off on the fact they’re helping you. Like they’re the only ones who ever could, so you need them to save you.”

There was so much nuance to this… It made your head hurt just thinking about it. 

Seo-Jun studied your expression. “It’s your first one, so don’t worry about standing out. You’ll be standing with the newbies, like a puppy in an adoption bin. All the newbies are workers without a regular client, so they’re a bit cutthroat when someone gets close.”

“Anything else?” You sighed as you scrolled through your phone.

Seo-Jun leaned forward and snatched it, putting it inside his briefcase.“Also, you can't use phones. You’ll be engaged the whole time, so we can’t risk distractions. And we can’t let you take any photos of anyone.” 

You grumbled as you looked out of the heavily tinted windows. The rest of the car ride was silent, even the car didn’t make much noise. After the car ride, you were escorted into the Dollhouse. Upstairs were the living quarters for all the “Dolls” as Seo-Jun called them. You were now one of the Dolls of his house. Each doll was awarded their room. Some got to move out if their clients bought them a place to stay, but they weren’t allowed to leave the city without permission. And, each doll had a name. Something they’d go by. Your new name, Minsu, means Elegant and Beautiful according to Seo-Jun. 

“Okay. From now on, anytime you’re in the dollhouse or with a client, you’ll be called Minsu. Clients can pay to change their name. But it's how we can identify you without exposing your identity.” Seo-Jun elaborated, “We’ve had issues in the past of clients who get too attached to their dolls and tried to approach someone’s family to ask permission to marry their song. Which, of course, we dealt with before disaster struck.”

Minsu… You’re new name. Nothing was yours anymore. Your body, time, and now name wasn’t even yours.

“Let’s practice.” Seo-Jun cleared his throat. “Minsu, how are you?”

You hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I’m fine… Mr. Seo-Jun.”

“Good job. You even remembered Mr.” He smiled. Seo-Jun put your backpack in your room. It was a simple room, with a bed, desk, and wardrobe. It was bare. “You can decorate it with what you want, it's all yours. But if your client gives you a gift, I’d recommend making a space for it. They notice this kind of stuff.”

You looked around the room. The floor was hardwood, cold, and slightly creaky. You weren’t given much time to settle before Seo-Jun took you to the next floor. “This is the dressing room. We dress the dolls here in outfits when they have to attend events. We also have makeup available, if you don’t know how to use it we can teach you. You are expected to wear makeup, shave, and keep your body healthy while in our care.” There were two older women there. It was the first time you’d seen women in the dollhouse so far.

“This is Jill and Mary. They’re the main doll caretakers and your beauticians. They make you beautiful on the inside and out for our clients. They also help with cooking and cleaning, so please treat them kindly.”

You nodded to them shyly.

Mary cracked a smile. Her caramel brown skin had glitter around her eyes, and her smile was so white even the crayon wouldn’t be able to keep up. Her clothes were simple but chic like she was about to walk a runway. Jill was white, her most notable feature was her colorful hair. Her tattoos, where they could be seen, were amazingly detailed. She had a snake slithering up her throat, ready to bite her chin.

Seo-Jun cleared his throat. “Introduce yourself.”

“O-Oh! I’m y/n.”

Seo-Jun chuckled. “Not that name, remember?”

“I have to use my fake name with other workers too?”

Seo-Jun frowned. “It’s not fake. It’s your name. It’s just a second one to the one you’re born with. And yes, anonymity is our friend here. So use the name that you were given, please.”

You turned to the women, who were smiling expectantly. “Hi… I’m Minsu. I guess.”

Mary spoke first, “You’ll get used to it. It’s a transitory period right now so just take it slow.” Jill nodded in agreement. “Now, you’re here for fitting, right?” You could tell Mary had a slight English accent, but she was suppressing it.

“I’ll leave it to you. Minsu’s a very good boy, he won’t cause any trouble,” Seo-Jun said as he left you with the two women. Mary and Jill were thorough, each taking a side of your body and measuring you. The length of your arms, legs, waist size, and even your bust. 

“So, this will be your first mixer, no?” Mary asked.

You nodded.

“Are we looking for something more cute or sexy with the concept here, Mary?” Jill asked.

“Let’s ask him.” 

Mary looked at you, waiting for you to answer. “Um… I guess cute?”

Jill booed at you. “You’ve got a sexy frame already. We can crop a top, get you loose-fitting shorts, and give you something cozy yet sexy.”

“Jill, let’s respect him here. Minsu doesn’t want that. Plus, he’d look way better in leather and sheer. I already know what you’re thinking. That just won’t work.”

Jill and Mary started holding up pieces over you, arguing about what to give you. Slowly they moved away from the cute vibe you’d asked for… By the end, you had a sheer shirt, black leather pants, with a leather belt around your waist, not your pants, and a gray denim jacket. You were given some silver accessories, rings, and necklaces to try on. 

You’d never worn anything so… revealing. Without your jacket or the design on the front of the shirt, you’d be shirtless. The black sheet was see-through; you could see your stomach in the mirror, and your belt only pulled attention to it. The belt was odd. It was above your pants, so make your waist smaller, so the loops used for belts were altered to move up for the belt to slide through and keep your pants up.

“Minsu, you look great!” Jill exclaimed. 

Mary nodded in agreement. “Jill was right, your body suits a sexier concept anyway. Just keep the jacket on if you’re feeling modest. But if you want to get attention, take it off halfway through the party. Pretend it's warm or something!”

The pair squealed like young girls, rambling about ways to appeal to potential clients. But you were just tired and hungry. “So, when can I eat?”

“Oh, you haven’t eaten?” Jill frowned.

“We’ll get you something light. We don’t want to bloat you too much, since you have the belt on. There’s food at the mixer but remember not to stuff your face.” Mary said as she stepped away.

“Why not?”

“Well, what if a client wants to take you home? You’ll want your body to look its best if you have to perform.” Jill squealed. You hadn’t thought of that. What if someone does show an interest in you? And they want something physical from you… Would you be able to go through with it?

Mary returned with a sliced apple. “This should hold you over for now. The mixer will be soon. We still have to do your hair and makeup. So sit, It’s alright if you doze off, we’ll take good care of you.” You listened, sitting in a studio chair as they started working, one on your hair and the other on your makeup. Like magic, you passed out almost immediately in the chair. When you opened your eyes, they’d just finished their last touches.

“Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty. You look amazing!” You looked into the mirror in front of you. Your eyebrows had been brushed. Your shawling and nose had never been more prominent. And your hair had a shine that you could only really get from a hair salon.

“Thank you… This is great.” You mumbled as you looked over yourself.

The pair smiled triumphantly. “It's all a part of the job! So go knock them out! Seo-Jun will be here any minute to take you to the mixer.” 

They started cleaning as you left the room, going back to your room. There was a mirror on your desk. You used it to study yourself more. Their work was impeccable, with model-quality makeup in such a short time. The alone time you’d found was spoiled quickly with a knock at the door. You answered it to see Seo-Jun waiting.

“Let’s go. Leave your backpack, you can get it later.”

You put the mirror back on your desk and followed Seo-Jun out the door. The venue for the mixer was toward the downtown area in a hotel, one of the large classy ballrooms. There were waitstaff walking with finger food. Many young men, all fashionably dressed, stood around talking to each other. It was intimidating seeing some of them. They could easily be actors and models on the front of magazines… Then there was you, the college kid who wasn’t in the same league as them.

Seo-Jun led you to an empty table. “Okay, you’ll sit here. If anyone comes to you, talk to them respectfully but in a friendly manner. You’re the only doll from our house, all these other ones won’t know you. Remember, Minsu, nothing about your personal life. Or theirs. Keep everything hidden, and tell only what you need to.”

You nodded nervously. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to try and point you out to a few people.” Seo-Jun turned to leave, but you grabbed his arm. He was all you’d known for the last week. And now he was leaving you alone at a table at this huge party. “If you want to be a baby, do that to clients. But with me don’t be a baby, I’ll be watching the whole time. Nothing will happen to you.” He pulled his hand away and walked off, talking to a few men in suits.

The mixer began shortly after. Men started slowly filling the room, all dressed in formal clothes, from suits or high-end outfits. Not one paid you any mind. You were relieved that no one was interested in you. You occasionally looked around the room, searching for Seo-Jun with little luck. The first hour was a panic fest, silently hoping no one would sit at your table and talk to you. In the second hour, some clients found who they liked talking to and stuck to certain areas. Some dolls had almost seven men around them at any time. In the third hour, some dolls left with their partners. 

Thankfully, not one person seemed interested in you. You’d been sitting so long that your legs started to fall asleep. You’d tried your best to eat any time the servers walked past you with a plate, but the buffet at the other end of the room was almost calling you. Cautiously, looking over your shoulders, you stood and made your way over. Walking like you knew what to do, or like you belonged. The table was full of interesting foods you’d never tried. Mostly seafood and assorted fruits. You took a plate and started stacking it with whatever seemed the yummiest, which was one of everything!

It wasn’t until you reached the end that you realized how much you’d grabbed. It wouldn’t all fit on your plate. If you tried walking back to your seat, you’d drop something… You turned, slowly toward your table when you bumped into someone, keeping the damage under control. You don’t drop your food! 

The person in front of you let out a heavy sigh. You looked forward, a huge spot on their shirt from where you’d bumped into them.

“Holy shit, I’m so sorry!” You exclaimed.

He shook his head. “It’s alright, you didn’t mean to.”

You put your plate down on a nearby table. You slid the sleeve of your jacket down, making it slide off your shoulder, as you rubbed the spot. It didn’t look like it was going to clean neatly. “I’m really sorry. I can take it and get it washed?” You suggested as you looked at the man’s face.

You realized he was extremely familiar–like celebrity familiar. He had a middle part with long dark hair that draped his eyes. His jawline was sharp, and his eyebrows knitted together in frustration. 

“Do I know you?” You asked.

“Uh, no. We don’t know each other.” The man assured.

The spot wasn’t getting any better and some people were starting to stare. “How about you take my jacket for now?” You slid off your jacket, showing off your top completely to the room.

“Oh, I–That’s not necessary.” The man said, looking away from you. “Just put your jacket back on.”

“I insist! I ruined your shirt!” More people started staring, and whispering. 

“Fine! I’ll take it, just give it!” He snatched the jacket from you, pulling it over himself as he looked down. His long hair covered his face as he looked around. 

“Do you have a table? You can sit with me, and we can talk about getting your shirt cleaned.”

The man nodded again. “Fine, just take me away from here.”

You took him to your table in the corner of the room, where you’d spent the last three hours alone. Many more people were watching you this time than when you’d left. Maybe Jill was right about your shirt… It made you a little self-conscious with so much staring. You pulled out a chair for the man and sat next to him.

“I’m y-Minsu! It’s nice to meet you.” You put your hand out.

“Are things always like this?” 

You shrugged. “This is my first time here, so I don’t really know.”

The man looked around the room, acknowledging the looks. “Well… That’s nice.”

You sat awkwardly as you looked at him. You noticed Seo-Jun behind him, toward the other end of the room, motioning something to you. Talk to him?

“So, Mister? What brings you here?” You asked,

“You don’t need to call me that. My name’s Jay. I… came here for something stupid and I don’t think I should’ve come.”

You smiled at him. “You sound like someone made you come here. I didn’t want to be here either. I was so worried that someone would talk to me, but it turns out that no one would even pay attention to me.”

“Why’s that?”

“I just… don’t think this is my sort of party. And I’m not very good at meeting new people. I’m only here because I have to.”

Jay nodded. “I get that. I really only came because my members teased me about not meeting any new people.”

“Members?”

Jay’s eyes flickered to you. “Y-Yeah. I’m a part of a group. I’m a performer.”

“Whoa! Do you make music? I’d love to listen to it.”

Jay smirked. “It’s not me who makes the music. But I dabble.”

“I don’t have my phone. Tell me your band, and I’ll try to remember it.”

Jay leaned close to you to whisper, “I’m a member of Enhypen.”

You blinked. The words echoed in your brain before you looked at the man again. That’s where you’d seen him! He was Jay from Enhypen, and he was talking to you. “O-Oh, yeah I’ve heard of that group before.”

“Oh? Are you a fan?” Jay smiled. “It’s always nice to meet a fan.”

“I’m not trying to be weird. I am a fan, but if you wanna forget about it or talk to someone else–”

“No. You’re funny. And I think it would be better to spend time with a fan.” Jay slipped your jacket off and placed it over your shoulders. “I think this suits you better than me, by the way.” Your heart was fluttering a mile a minute. Jay said he wanted to spend time with you and even draped a jacket over your shoulders. Eun would be foaming at the mouth at this point.

“Could I ask why you’re at an all-guy mixer?”

“You can, but then I’d ask you the same question.”

“Touche…” You chuckled awkwardly. “Well, I’m here for another hour. So we can chat… or whatever.”

Jay smirked. “Would you wanna talk somewhere else?”

You nodded. “I’m cool with that. It beats talking here, with all the staring.”

“Then let’s roll,” Jay said as he stood. You followed him as he led you out of the room. You spotted Seo-Jun who gave you a thumbs-up as you passed by. Jay took you to a room in the hotel. It had an amazing view since it was on a higher floor.

“Jay, check this out! It’s so high!” You cheered.

“So, uh. I’m kind of awkward at this since I’ve never done it. I don’t have any preferences or anything. I’d be okay to start and see how it goes.” Jay said.

You turned around to see Jay sitting on the bed in the room. “What?”

“Isn’t this the part where we… do stuff?” Jay raised an eyebrow.

Your face went warm. You hadn’t thought about the context of things until now. Jay was at a party to meet a partner to spend the night with… and he’d chosen you. And like an idiot you accepted thinking he just wanted to talk.

“I-I…”

“Is it more of a, I tell you what to do?” Jay stood, walking toward you. “I’m new to this whole thing, so I’d appreciate it if you could help me.”

You couldn’t form the words you wanted. All of the thoughts in your mind couldn’t fit the situation in front of you. “I-I’m new too,” was all that you could muster.

“Well, that works for the both of us then. We can figure it out together…” Jay approached you until the both of you were at the window. Your back against it, he leaned his arm on the glass near your head. “Let’s just go slow.” 

Jay’s tone was calm and empathetic as if he were as worried as you were. He slid his free hand behind your neck and kissed you softly. Your eyes fluttered shut as you placed your hands against his chest, letting him move as he pleased. It was a peck at first. Just a touch, a test. Then Jay leaned in again for a kiss, your lips meeting for longer. His nose brushed yours as he started to move his lips experimentally to find what he liked…

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Leveraged buyouts are not like mortgages

I'm coming to DEFCON! On FRIDAY (Aug 9), I'm emceeing the EFF POKER TOURNAMENT (noon at the Horseshoe Poker Room), and appearing on the BRICKED AND ABANDONED panel (5PM, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01). On SATURDAY (Aug 10), I'm giving a keynote called "DISENSHITTIFY OR DIE! How hackers can seize the means of computation and build a new, good internet that is hardened against our asshole bosses' insatiable horniness for enshittification" (noon, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01).

Here's an open secret: the confusing jargon of finance is not the product of some inherent complexity that requires a whole new vocabulary. Rather, finance-talk is all obfuscation, because if we called finance tactics by their plain-language names, it would be obvious that the sector exists to defraud the public and loot the real economy.

Take "leveraged buyout," a polite name for stealing a whole goddamned company:

Identify a company that owns valuable assets that are required for its continued operation, such as the real-estate occupied by its outlets, or even its lines of credit with suppliers;

Approach lenders (usually banks) and ask for money to buy the company, offering the company itself (which you don't own!) as collateral on the loan;

Offer some of those loaned funds to shareholders of the company and convince a key block of those shareholders (for example, executives with large stock grants, or speculators who've acquired large positions in the company, or people who've inherited shares from early investors but are disengaged from the operation of the firm) to demand that the company be sold to the looters;

Call a vote on selling the company at the promised price, counting on the fact that many investors will not participate in that vote (for example, the big index funds like Vanguard almost never vote on motions like this), which means that a minority of shareholders can force the sale;

Once you own the company, start to strip-mine its assets: sell its real-estate, start stiffing suppliers, fire masses of workers, all in the name of "repaying the debts" that you took on to buy the company.

This process has its own euphemistic jargon, for example, "rightsizing" for layoffs, or "introducing efficiencies" for stiffing suppliers or selling key assets and leasing them back. The looters – usually organized as private equity funds or hedge funds – will extract all the liquid capital – and give it to themselves as a "special dividend." Increasingly, there's also a "divi recap," which is a euphemism for borrowing even more money backed by the company's assets and then handing it to the private equity fund:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/17/divi-recaps/#graebers-ghost

If you're a Sopranos fan, this will all sound familiar, because when the (comparatively honest) mafia does this to a business, it's called a "bust-out":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bust_Out

The mafia destroys businesses on a onesy-twosey, retail scale; but private equity and hedge funds do their plunder wholesale.

It's how they killed Red Lobster:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/23/spineless/#invertebrates

And it's what they did to hospitals:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/28/5000-bats/#charnel-house

It's what happened to nursing homes, Armark, private prisons, funeral homes, pet groomers, nursing homes, Toys R Us, The Olive Garden and Pet Smart:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/02/plunderers/#farben

It's what happened to the housing co-ops of Cooper Village, Texas energy giant TXU, Old Country Buffet, Harrah's and Caesar's:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/05/14/billionaire-class-solidarity/#club-deals

And it's what's slated to happen to 2.9m Boomer-owned US businesses employing 32m people, whose owners are nearing retirement:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/16/schumpeterian-terrorism/#deliberately-broken

Now, you can't demolish that much of the US productive economy without attracting some negative attention, so the looter spin-machine has perfected some talking points to hand-wave away the criticism that borrowing money using something you don't own as collateral in order to buy it and wreck it is obviously a dishonest (and potentially criminal) destructive practice.

The most common one is that borrowing money against an asset you don't own is just like getting a mortgage. This is such a badly flawed analogy that it is really a testament to the efficacy of the baffle-em-with-bullshit gambit to convince us all that we're too stupid to understand how finance works.

Sure: if I put an offer on your house, I will go to my credit union and ask the for a mortgage that uses your house as collateral. But the difference here is that you own your house, and the only way I can buy it – the only way I can actually get that mortgage – is if you agree to sell it to me.

Owner-occupied homes typically have uncomplicated ownership structures. Typically, they're owned by an individual or a couple. Sometimes they're the property of an estate that's divided up among multiple heirs, whose relationship is mediated by a will and a probate court. Title can be contested through a divorce, where disputes are settled by a divorce court. At the outer edge of complexity, you get things like polycules or lifelong roommates who've formed an LLC s they can own a house among several parties, but the LLC will have bylaws, and typically all those co-owners will be fully engaged in any sale process.

Leveraged buyouts don't target companies with simple ownership structures. They depend on firms whose equity is split among many parties, some of whom will be utterly disengaged from the firm's daily operations – say, the kids of an early employee who got a big stock grant but left before the company grew up. The looter needs to convince a few of these "owners" to force a vote on the acquisition, and then rely on the idea that many of the other shareholders will simply abstain from a vote. Asset managers are ubiquitous absentee owners who own large stakes in literally every major firm in the economy. The big funds – Vanguard, Blackrock, State Street – "buy the whole market" (a big share in every top-capitalized firm on a given stock exchange) and then seek to deliver returns equal to the overall performance of the market. If the market goes up by 5%, the index funds need to grow by 5%. If the market goes down by 5%, then so do those funds. The managers of those funds are trying to match the performance of the market, not improve on it (by voting on corporate governance decisions, say), or to beat it (by only buying stocks of companies they judge to be good bets):

https://pluralistic.net/2022/03/17/shareholder-socialism/#asset-manager-capitalism

Your family home is nothing like one of these companies. It doesn't have a bunch of minority shareholders who can force a vote, or a large block of disengaged "owners" who won't show up when that vote is called. There isn't a class of senior managers – Chief Kitchen Officer! – who have been granted large blocks of options that let them have a say in whether you will become homeless.

Now, there are homes that fit this description, and they're a fucking disaster. These are the "heirs property" homes, generally owned by the Black descendants of enslaved people who were given the proverbial 40 acres and a mule. Many prosperous majority Black settlements in the American South are composed of these kinds of lots.

Given the historical context – illiterate ex-slaves getting property as reparations or as reward for fighting with the Union Army – the titles for these lands are often muddy, with informal transfers from parents to kids sorted out with handshakes and not memorialized by hiring lawyers to update the deeds. This has created an irresistible opportunity for a certain kind of scammer, who will pull the deeds, hire genealogists to map the family trees of the original owners, and locate distant descendants with homeopathically small claims on the property. These descendants don't even know they own these claims, don't even know about these ancestors, and when they're offered a few thousand bucks for their claim, they naturally take it.

Now, armed with a claim on the property, the heirs property scammers force an auction of it, keeping the process under wraps until the last instant. If they're really lucky, they're the only bidder and they can buy the entire property for pennies on the dollar and then evict the family that has lived on it since Reconstruction. Sometimes, the family will get wind of the scam and show up to bid against the scammer, but the scammer has deep capital reserves and can easily win the auction, with the same result:

https://www.propublica.org/series/dispossessed

A similar outrage has been playing out for years in Hawai'i, where indigenous familial claims on ancestral lands have been diffused through descendants who don't even know they're co-owner of a place where their distant cousins have lived since pre-colonial times. These descendants are offered small sums to part with their stakes, which allows the speculator to force a sale and kick the indigenous Hawai'ians off their family lands so they can be turned into condos or hotels. Mark Zuckerberg used this "quiet title and partition" scam to dispossess hundreds of Hawai'ian families:

https://archive.is/g1YZ4

Heirs property and quiet title and partition are a much better analogy to a leveraged buyout than a mortgage is, because they're ways of stealing something valuable from people who depend on it and maintain it, and smashing it and selling it off.

Strip away all the jargon, and private equity is just another scam, albeit one with pretensions to respectability. Its practitioners are ripoff artists. You know the notorious "carried interest loophole" that politicians periodically discover and decry? "Carried interest" has nothing to do with the interest on a loan. The "carried interest" rule dates back to 16th century sea-captains, and it refers to the "interest" they had in the cargo they "carried":

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/29/writers-must-be-paid/#carried-interest

Private equity managers are like sea captains in exactly the same way that leveraged buyouts are like mortgages: not at all.

And it's not like private equity is good to its investors: scams like "continuation funds" allow PE looters to steal all the money they made from strip mining valuable companies, so they show no profits on paper when it comes time to pay their investors:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/20/continuation-fraud/#buyout-groups

Those investors are just as bamboozled as we are, which is why they keep giving more money to PE funds. Today, the "dry powder" (uninvested money) that PE holds has reached an all-time record high of $2.62 trillion – money from pension funds and rich people and sovereign wealth funds, stockpiled in anticipation of buying and destroying even more profitable, productive, useful businesses:

https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/2di1vzgjcmzovkcea8f0g/portfolio/private-equitys-dry-powder-mountain-reaches-record-height

The practices of PE are crooked as hell, and it's only the fact that they use euphemisms and deceptive analogies to home mortgages that keeps them from being shut down. The more we strip away the bullshit, the faster we'll be able to kill this cancer, and the more of the real economy we'll be able to preserve.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/05/rugged-individuals/#misleading-by-analogy

[simply-ivanka]

Letitia James Turns the Screws on Trump

The inflated $464 million bond required to appeal effectively denies him due process.

By The Editorial Board

Wall Street Journal

March 18, 2024 

New York Attorney General Letitia James’s use of lawfare to take down Donald Trump is getting uglier by the day. She is now threatening to seize the former President’s assets after effectively denying him the ability to appeal the grossly inflated civil-fraud judgment against him.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers wrote Monday in a court filing that they’ve been unable to obtain a bond to guarantee last month’s $464 million judgment. Defendants are required to post bonds to appeal verdicts. Mr. Trump’s lawyers say securing the full bond would be “impossible” since most of his assets are illiquid.

One way to satisfy the bond would be to borrow against his real-estate holdings. But Mr. Trump’s lawyers say that only a handful of insurance companies have “both the financial capability and willingness to underwrite a bond of this magnitude,” and “the vast majority are unwilling to accept the risk associated with such a large bond.”

What’s more, his lawyers say that none of the insurers that Mr. Trump’s team approached “are willing to accept hard assets such as real estate as collateral for appeal bonds.” This isn’t surprising given the recent write-downs in commercial real estate and enormous uncertainty about their valuations, especially in places like New York. Insurers may also fear Ms. James’s legal retribution if they provide the bond to Mr. Trump.

Thus in order to appeal the judgment, Mr. Trump could have to unload property in a fire sale. If he were later to win on appeal, his lawyers rightly argue that he would have suffered an enormous, irreparable loss.

Ms. James no doubt knows she has Mr. Trump in a bind. She and courts have opposed his requests to reduce the bond even though a court-appointed independent monitor overseeing his businesses eliminates the risk he could dispose of or transfer his assets to make the judgment harder for the state to enforce.

As we wrote last month, the judgment is overkill. None of Mr. Trump’s business partners lost money lending to him or claimed to have been deceived by his erroneous financial statements. No witness during the trial said his alleged misrepresentations changed its loan terms or prices, and there was no evidence that he profited from his alleged deceptions.

Nonetheless, state trial judge Arthur Engoron ordered him to “disgorge” $355 million in “ill-gotten gains.” This sum was based on the interest-rate savings that a financial expert retained by Ms. James estimated Mr. Trump netted from his legerdemain. But this calculation seems dubious since banks said they didn’t alter their loan terms.

The judge also tacked on profits that Mr. Trump putatively made on properties for which he submitted false financial statements without demonstrating that the latter enable the former. He also added “pre-judgment interest” dating back to the day Ms. James launched her investigation in 2019. This makes Mr. Trump liable for alleged wrongdoings before he was even charged. All of this provides plausible grounds for appeal.

Whatever his transgressions, defendants are entitled to due process, which includes the right to appeal. Ms. James is trying to short-circuit the justice system to get Mr. Trump, as she promised she would during her 2018 campaign. Anyone who does business in New York ought to worry about how Ms. James could likewise twist the screws on them.

[not-goldy]

Writing it down goes to show he wasn't actually trusting and that man isn't as close. I bet JM wouldn't write down if he gave money to a close friend. The members have said JM is the one who always gives expensive gifts on their birthdays, so clearly he treats close friends differently and doesn't mind about money with them. Also Hsw who introduced Jm to that man then was also someone who lent his money to him and didn't get back.

So I don't know why they be introducing such ppl to JM. Not only are they not careful but they be introducing them to Jm too.

Like that everyone will approach his friends to reach him.

But again, JM let it go. So I don't know, maybe he's not bothered as we are, about the money.

Writing it down has nothing to do with trust but rather a smart financial move and legal decision. When it comes to money, legally you either gift it or loan it and as i explained earlier in law writing something down is of little legal importance unless the law has specifically said a transaction ought to be in writing to be enforceable.

So I repeat writing things down has nothing to do with trust- before someone uses that to manipulate their loved ones into giving them monies they know damn well they will not pay. Oh you making me sign a contract you don't trust me boo boo baa baa. Do you see how harmful such a narrative you are peddling is?

I get that we are all sharing our thoughts on this but try not to spread legal misinformation or fill people's heads with beliefs and ideas that will only further harm them financially. Situations like this have practical legal implications for people in all walks of life so let's be careful.

when it comes to money it's always wise not to mix business with pleasure or in this case with friendships as you seem to be suggesting JM would have done with his close friends. Always draw out that paper regardless of whether it is your mama or not.

I think Jungkook got that paper work done even with his brother and their business which is a very smart thing to do.

You don't need to stretch this or down play what has happened to that man. He was financially abused in spite of whether it was by a close friend or acquittance whether he trusted them or didn't trust them as clearly having the terms written on paper didn't prevent that from happening.

However, since he has this in writing it prevents the person from manipulating the narrative or claiming JM only gave it to him as a gift or merely to support him due to whatever situation he claimed he was going through.

Which is very smart and something every obe should learn from.

Well I think he was bothered but like everything else he stayed strong. That money could have gone to his charities or be put to a good use.

And being a victim of financial deception can give a person trust issues. This is stealing. He's been robbed in day light and I bet it's gonna traumatize him. Poor dude.

His friends are shitty for introducing him to this cuckpit you'd think they'd know better since they are older

And JM should have said no. If he needed money he should have went to the bank. Fucking dammit

[debtservicecoverageratio]

DATASETS IN FINTECH STARTUP WORLD

Here are some real-world examples of fintech companies using datasets to improve their services:

1. Personalized Financial Planning:

Mint: Mint aggregates financial data from various sources like bank accounts, credit cards, and investments to provide users with a holistic view of their finances. It then uses this data to offer personalized budgets, track spending habits, and suggest ways to save money.

Personal Capital: Similar to Mint, Personal Capital analyzes user data to provide personalized financial advice, including investment recommendations and retirement planning.

2. Credit Scoring and Lending:

Upstart: Upstart uses alternative data sources like education and employment history, in addition to traditional credit scores, to assess creditworthiness and provide loans to individuals who may be overlooked by traditional lenders. This expands access to credit and often results in fairer lending practices.

Kiva: Kiva uses a dataset of loan applications and repayment history to assess the risk of lending to individuals in developing countries. This data-driven approach allows them to provide microloans to entrepreneurs who lack access to traditional banking systems.

3. Fraud Detection:

Stripe: Stripe uses machine learning algorithms to analyze transaction data and identify potentially fraudulent activity. This helps protect businesses from losses and ensures secure online payments.

Paypal: Paypal employs sophisticated fraud detection systems that analyze vast amounts of data to identify and prevent unauthorized transactions, protecting both buyers and sellers.

4. Investment Platforms:

Robinhood: Robinhood uses data to provide users with insights into stock performance, market trends, and personalized investment recommendations. This makes investing more accessible and helps users make informed decisions.

Betterment: Betterment uses algorithms and data analysis to create diversified investment portfolios tailored to individual risk tolerance and financial goals. This automated approach simplifies investing and helps users achieve their long-term financial objectives.

These are just a few examples of how fintech companies leverage datasets to improve their services and provide better value to their customers.

[pmegploan]

Best PMEGP loan : Government Support for Starting Your Own Business.

At sharda Associates The Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is a government scheme in India that gives financial help to individuals who want to create small companies. It aims to create jobs and encourage self-employment, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas. Here's a simplified view of the scheme

What is PMEGP?

PMEGP Loan provides financial assistance to people starting new small enterprises by offering a loan with a subsidy. The Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) manages it, while the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) oversees its implementation.

Key Features:

1 Loan Amount

Manufacturing enterprises might receive up to ₹25 lakh.

Service enterprises, such as beauty salons or repair shops, can receive up to ₹10 lakh.

2 Government subsidy:

Rural areas:

25% of general category applications.

35% for special categories (such as SC/ST, women, and those from the Northeast).

Urban areas

15% for general category applications.

Special categories are eligible for 25% off.

Who can apply?

1 Eligibility:

Any Indian citizen above the age of 18.

Applicants for projects costing more than ₹10 lakh (manufacturing) or ₹5 lakh (services) must have finished 8th grade.

Self-help groups (SHGs), cooperative organizations, and charitable trusts can all apply.

2 Personal Investments:

General candidates must invest 10% of the project cost themselves.

Special category applicants must invest only 5%.

How do I apply?

1 Application Process:\

Apply online using the PMEGP portal at Official kvic Main.

Upload documents such as ID, address verification, educational certificates, and a business plan.

2 Selection and Loan approval:

A District-Level Task Force Committee will contact you to schedule an interview.

Once approved, the bank sanctions the loan and credits the government subsidy to your loan account.

3 Repayment:

The loan must be repaid within 3-7 years, however the subsidy does not have to be paid back.

4 Training:

All PMEGP grantees are required to complete a brief company management training program.

Example of How PMEGP Loans Work

Suppose you wish to start a small manufacturing plant in a rural region for ₹20 lakh.

For those in the general category, the government will provide a 25% subsidy, amounting to ₹5 lakh.

The bank offers a loan of ₹15 lakh, and you simply need to invest ₹2 lakh from your savings.

Why is PMEGP beneficial?

project report for PMEGP loan assists people in starting enterprises without the requirement for a large initial investment. This loan is ideal for young enterprises as it requires no collateral (up to ₹10 lakh) and offers long payback terms.

Summary

The PMEGP initiative is a useful approach to start a small business with government assistance, particularly if you come from a rural or underprivileged background. It encourages employment generation and economic development. For additional information, please visit the official PMEGP website or contact your nearest KVIC office.

PMEGP: Helping You Start Your Own Business with Government Support. For details and to reach us, visit https://shardaassociates.in/ contact us : 91 79870 21896 , address : HIG B-59, Sector A, Vidya Nagar, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462026

[orchdaries]

(  bts' min yoongi/suga ,  cismale , he/him  )    : ̗̀➛   thirty-two years young , a non-bender from the noble house of seok . many know them to be pragmatic & self-interested . how unfortunate , truly … i’ve always found them to be dedicated & perceptive . they oft fulfill the duties of minister of finance . oh , i should tell you — they are impartial to the rule of house yi . well , you know how every storyteller bends the tale they tell .   ✶   sky , 21+ , she/they  .

and here i am once again but this time with lord seok taesung! he's the oldest child of house seok and a non-bender! was a little conscious over his non bending status for a while when growing up because it was a issue for more people than it should matter to that he was the oldest child of a great house and a non-bender (even went to the battlefield for a while to prove himself). now he works as the minister of finance, which means he oversees the nation's bank and that's how he firmed himself as the next head of house seok (as of right now anyway)! as usual more info under the cut + plot ideas!

seok taesung. non-bender & minister of finance. had some issues during his younger years about being a non-bender but now he honestly doesn't care for it, even more so when it doesn't make a difference in his field whether or not he bends fire.

has always had a good instinct for business + put a lot of work on his studies of finances and business administration/management and was known as touch of gold even as late teenager because every business that he touched/managed turned into a huge success. his parents not really cutting him any slack since he needed to prove he was someone competent to "make up" for his lack of bending skills.

has had a dozen and a half business in a variety of areas but delegated or sold them to thirty parties at some point or another to pursue something else, or even because he got too busy to manage them properly; yet he still offers advice (that ofc comes with a 💰) for some of them and and collects money from others as a minor partner/trustee sort of thing.

developed a little of a inferiority complex for a while because of his non bender status— even got himself in the military a little later than most people do but still moved up ranks considerably fast because he's the type to make sure he'll excel in whatever he puts himself to do. he never bribed any officials/superiors but can't deny nor confirm whether the weight of his house, even if they aren't a military family, influenced the decision of his promotions.

but then after [redacted] incident that got him the scar he carries over his left eye, he was put into more administrative duties and not long after that he was picked as the new minister of finance.

is good at combat, especially with a sword, and is more than capable of defending himself but he doesn't particularly enjoys it.

even though he does carry the characteristic charisma that his family is known for, he still can be quite intimidating to approach at first glance because of his rbf always serious expression; he does soften it up a little when someone talks to him though.

has a very uptight posture regarding his work/business which could also explain why people are a little intimidated around him (even more so if they worked or still work together), but is much more carefree during his scarce free time and when it's topics non related to work.

isn't really against any unofficial loan system but he always makes sure to not let mix it with his governmental duties and those are usually done under house seok's name and/or with his private earnings.

very pragmatic and practical to the point that he might sound cold/cruel sometimes? even if he's still very level-headed and there are lot of reasonable/rational arguments to the decisions that he makes, they should still be taken with a grant of salt sometimes, even more so when the only interest that he puts above his own are his business/his house and only because his interests are always for the best for his business/his house.

that's why he doesn't hold very strong feelings over house yi even as a part of the government. as long as they're useful for his house then he doesn't mind them sort of thing. he won't tolerate slander of the royal family but he won't vehemently defend them to his last breath either.

can be pretty detached to the people around him that he doesn't think are useful to him or caught his attention in some way because, for better or worse, he sees the world as a big business and if he doesn't see anything worth of his attention on you then he won't care for you past minimal cordiality.

still can be pretty intense with the people he actually takes a liking to? sort of will die and kill, set the nation on fire for them sort of thing. is extremely loyal to his family and is willing to sacrifice a lot if not everything for them, but is still a little awkward in showing affection.

like the type of person who will willingly lit go through hell and live in it for the rest of their days if that means that the people he loves will be happy.

wanted connections

childhood/teenage friends ! considering he's from house seok, i imagine that he had a lot of playdates when younger that could've developed into genuine friendship or they might've drifted apart at some point or another and are trying to reconnect now. someone rivals from back then could be fun too! they being annoyed that even as a non-bender taesung was good at pretty much everything and he found the way you got riled up for (in his opinion) nothing very entertaining.

arranged engagement ! he's a little over 30 y/o and the oldest child of a great noble house so i can see that he already has something arranged or maybe this is a little deal with him and someone so their parents/family will leave them alone because honestly taesung isn't very interested in romance at the moment and unless the ✨right person✨ shows up (either someone he holds affection for or because house seok would really benefit from their union), i don't see him ever being interested in it help KSDHJKJ

military camaraderie ! someone that was the same unit as him in the military and they became close! or even a subordinate that for some reason thinks fondly of him??? or subordinate that doesn't think so fondly of him??? maybe someone that didn't exactly get along with him at first but through hardships they warmed up to each other and became besties.

blurred lines ! someone that he gets along really really well. i'd say they're best friends (the platonic part being questionable at best), bordering on soulmates and their feelings for each other are a little ambiguous, even more so when they don't mind warming each other's bed from time to time.

(possible) business partners ! someone he worked with or offered advice to and he does think positively of them or even someone who wants to work with him or wants his advice but it's obvious he isn't willing to do neither so they try their best to convince him to do so?

a debt is a debt ! taesung takes debts (monetary or otherwise) very seriously and that's why he absolutely hates owing people and lowkey relishes when they owe him instead. maybe someone whom he owes a favor to and they hold it over his head more often than he would like because obviously they'll milk this as much as they can, or someone who owes him a favor and he has yet to find the best moment to cash it in which could be a little nervewrecking, i suppose?

again!! always open for brainstorming if nothing of this works out with your muse!!

[10xsalestraining]

Top Sales Strategies for Banking Professionals

In the highly competitive world of banking, sales professionals need to go beyond basic customer service. They must master the art of selling a variety of financial products—from loans and credit cards to investment opportunities and wealth management services. For banking professionals, having a well-rounded skill set and using proven sales strategies can be the key to boosting performance, meeting targets, and building lasting customer relationships.

Sales strategies for banking professionals differ from other industries because financial services are complex, often involve long-term commitments, and require a high level of trust. Therefore, a specialized approach is necessary to be successful in this field. In this blog, we’ll dive into the top sales strategies for banking professionals and how a well-structured sales training program for banking can elevate your performance and help you reach your sales goals.

1. Understand Your Customer's Financial Goals

One of the most important aspects of banking sales is understanding the financial goals and needs of your customers. Banking is a trust-based business, and clients expect their financial service providers to offer personalized solutions rather than a cookie-cutter approach. To succeed in selling financial products, you need to know what matters most to your customers.

Are they looking to invest in their future, save for a large purchase, or secure a loan for a business venture? The more information you gather about their financial goals, the better you can tailor your sales pitch to offer products that align with their needs.

How to Apply This Strategy:

Ask questions: During your initial interactions, ask open-ended questions that allow customers to share their financial aspirations. This will help you identify the most relevant products.

Active listening: Make sure you listen closely to their responses so you can offer products that truly fit their situation.

Personalization: Use the information you gather to tailor your recommendations to their unique financial situation. Personalization builds trust and makes your pitch more compelling.

2. Build Trust and Long-Term Relationships

Trust is the foundation of banking. Clients need to know they can rely on you for their financial well-being, and they often prefer to work with someone they have a strong relationship with. Building trust takes time, but it pays off in the long run, as clients who trust you are more likely to come back for repeat business and refer you to others.

Sales in banking are not transactional but relationship-based. This means that even if you don’t close the deal right away, building rapport and demonstrating your reliability can lead to sales in the future.

How to Apply This Strategy:

Transparency: Be open and honest about all the products, fees, and terms you’re offering. Clients value transparency and are more likely to trust you if they feel you’re being upfront.

Follow-up: Regularly check in with your clients, even when you’re not actively selling to them. This keeps the relationship warm and builds trust over time.

Deliver on promises: Always do what you say you will, whether it’s a follow-up call, more information, or simply checking in after they’ve purchased a product. Consistency builds credibility.

3. Leverage Cross-Selling and Upselling Opportunities

In the banking industry, many products are interrelated. For example, a customer who opens a checking account may also need a savings account or a credit card. Learning how to cross-sell (offering additional complementary products) and upsell (offering more premium products) can help you maximize the value of each client relationship.

Cross-selling and upselling should be done thoughtfully. It’s not about pushing more products—it’s about offering additional value to the customer. By genuinely identifying their needs, you can provide them with products that improve their financial situation.

How to Apply This Strategy:

Identify opportunities: During your conversations with clients, listen for cues that indicate they might need additional products or services. For example, if a client mentions saving for retirement, you might suggest a retirement savings plan or investment account.

Be strategic: Offer products that genuinely benefit the customer. Avoid overwhelming them with too many choices; instead, present the most relevant products based on their needs.

Educate your clients: Some clients may not be aware of all the products available to them. Educate them on the benefits of complementary products without pressuring them to make a decision on the spot.

4. Provide Exceptional Customer Service

Great customer service is essential in banking sales. Financial decisions are often complex, and customers want to feel supported throughout the process. Providing excellent customer service can differentiate you from your competitors and increase customer loyalty. A satisfied customer is more likely to recommend your services to friends and family, leading to additional sales opportunities.

Service doesn’t stop at the point of sale; it continues after the transaction is complete. Being proactive about following up and making sure customers are happy with their purchases can set you apart from others.

How to Apply This Strategy:

Be responsive: Answer inquiries promptly and provide thorough information when needed. Slow responses can cost you a sale.

Solve problems: When issues arise, be proactive about resolving them quickly and professionally. This shows that you care about your clients’ experience.

Stay connected: After completing a sale, follow up with clients to ensure they are satisfied and see if there are any other ways you can assist them.

5. Master Product Knowledge

As a banking professional, you need to have a deep understanding of the products and services you offer. Clients rely on you to guide them through complex financial decisions, and your expertise can make all the difference. Knowing your products inside and out allows you to confidently answer questions, provide recommendations, and present solutions that align with your clients’ financial goals.

When you have strong product knowledge, it also helps you feel more confident during sales conversations, which in turn makes your clients more comfortable and likely to trust your recommendations.

How to Apply This Strategy:

Stay updated: The financial industry is always evolving. Make it a priority to stay informed about new products, services, and regulations.

Know the competition: Understand how your bank’s products compare to competitors. This will help you highlight the unique benefits of what you’re offering.

Simplify explanations: Banking products can be complex. Break down the information in a way that’s easy for your clients to understand, using simple language and clear examples.

6. Utilize Digital Tools and Technology

The digital age has revolutionized how banking professionals can engage with clients and make sales. Using digital tools like CRM systems, email marketing, and even social media can help you manage client relationships more effectively and streamline your sales process. These tools can also provide valuable insights into client behavior and preferences, allowing you to personalize your sales approach even further.

Incorporating digital platforms into your sales strategy can also help you reach a wider audience and provide customers with convenient, online service options, making the sales process smoother and faster.

How to Apply This Strategy:

Use CRM tools: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems can help you keep track of client interactions, preferences, and important follow-up dates. This ensures that no lead or client slips through the cracks.

Embrace online banking services: Show clients how they can use digital banking services to manage their accounts, investments, or loans. This enhances their experience and keeps you relevant in the digital age.

Leverage data analytics: Use available data to gain insights into client behavior, helping you anticipate their needs and offer tailored solutions.

7. Enroll in a Sales Training Program for Banking Professionals

Finally, enrolling in a specialized sales training program for banking professionals can help you hone your skills, learn new strategies, and stay competitive in the ever-changing financial landscape. Sales training programs designed specifically for banking can provide valuable insights into client psychology, regulatory changes, and effective selling techniques for financial products.

A sales training program for banking can offer role-playing exercises, real-world case studies, and practical applications that help you improve your sales performance. Additionally, it can equip you with tools and knowledge that are directly applicable to the challenges you face as a banking professional.

How to Apply This Strategy:

Choose a specialized program: Look for a sales training program that focuses specifically on the financial services industry, as these programs will offer insights relevant to your field.

Stay committed to learning: Even if you’re already successful in sales, ongoing education is important. The financial world is constantly evolving, and continuing your training ensures you stay ahead of the curve.

Practice what you learn: After completing a training program, implement the new techniques you’ve learned in your day-to-day sales activities. Consistent practice will help you master these skills.

Conclusion

For banking professionals, having the right sales strategies in place is crucial to achieving success in a competitive industry. By understanding your customer’s needs, building trust, leveraging cross-selling opportunities, and continually improving your skills through sales training programs for banking you can enhance your sales performance and deliver exceptional results. Focus on personalizing your approach, mastering product knowledge, and using digital tools to stay ahead of the curve. By applying these top sales strategies, you’ll be well-equipped to navigate the dynamic world of banking sales.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

May 7, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAY 08, 2024

The past two days of former president Trump’s criminal trial for falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, to silence her before the 2016 election have been illuminating in different ways.

Yesterday, witnesses established that the paper trail of payments to Trump fixer Michael Cohen, who forwarded the money to Daniels, had been falsified. That paper trail included invoices, checks, and records. Witnesses also established that Trump micromanaged his finances, making it hard to believe he didn’t know about the scheme. 

That scheme looked like this: Former Trump Organization employee Jeffrey McConney said that Trump’s former financial chief Allen Weisselberg, who has gone to jail twice in two years for his participation in Trump’s financial schemes and is there now, told him to send money to Cohen. Cohen had paid Daniels $130,000 from a home equity loan in 2016 to buy her silence about a sexual encounter with Trump. Cohen received 11 checks totaling $420,000 in repayment, including enough money to cover the taxes he would have to pay for claiming the payments as income for legal services, and a bonus. 

Nine of those checks came from Trump’s personal bank account. His team sent the checks to him at the White House for his personal signature. 

A number of observers have suggested that the evidence presented through documents yesterday was not riveting, but historians would disagree. Exhibit 35 was Cohen’s bank statement, on which Weisselberg had written the numbers to reflect the higher payment necessary to cover Cohen’s tax bill for the money. Exhibit 36 was a sheet of paper on which McConney had recorded in his own hand how the payments to Cohen would work. The sheet of paper had the TRUMP logo on it. 

“It’s rare to see folks put the key to a criminal conspiracy in writing,” legal analyst Joyce White Vance wrote in Civil Discourse, “but here it is. It’s great evidence for the prosecution.” 

Today, Daniels took the stand, where she testified about how she had met Trump, he had invited her to dinner but greeted her in silk or satin pajamas, then went on to describe their sexual encounter. The testimony was damaging enough that Trump’s lawyers asked for a mistrial, which Judge Juan Merchan denied, noting that the lawyers had not objected to much of the testimony and must assume at least some responsibility for that. 

The case is not about sex but about business records. But it is hugely significant that the story Daniels told today is the one Trump was determined that voters would not hear before the 2016 election, especially after the “grab ‘em by the p*ssy” statement in the Access Hollywood tape, which was released in early October 2016. While his base appears to be cemented to him now, in 2016 he appeared to think that the story of him having sex with an adult film star while his wife had a four-month old baby at home could cost him dearly at the ballot box. 

The other election-related cases involving Trump indict him for his determination to cling to power after voters had turned him out in 2020. This case, from before he took office, illuminates that his willingness to manipulate election processes was always part of his approach to politics. 

Joyce White Vance is right that it’s rare to see folks put a criminal conspiracy in writing, but it is not unheard of. In our own history, the big ranchers in Johnson County, Wyoming, organized as the Wyoming Stock Growers’ Association, decided in 1892 to clear out the smaller cattlemen pushing their animals onto the federal land and the railroad land the ranchers considered their own. They hired 50 gunmen in Texas to kill their competitors, and they gave them a written list of the men they wanted dead. 

The gunmen killed four of the smaller cattlemen after cornering them in a cabin, but outraged settlers surrounded the gunmen and threatened to hang them all. Local law enforcement sided with the small cattlemen, and the Wyoming Stock Grower’s Association appealed to the governor for help in restoring order. The governor, in turn, appealed to President Benjamin Harrison, who sent troops to rescue the stock growers’ men from the angry settlers and lawmen. The expense of keeping the stock growers’ men imprisoned nearly broke the state.

Witnesses became mum, and the cases against the Texas gunmen fell apart. The stock growers had first intimidated and then killed those who tried to challenge their monopoly on the Wyoming cattle industry. Then, thwarted by local lawmen, they called in the federal government, and those stock growers involved in the Johnson County War actually got away with murder.

This evening, Judge Aileen Cannon vacated the May 20, 2024, trial date for the criminal case of Trump’s retention of classified documents and declined to set a new date. With so many remaining issues unresolved, she wrote, it would be “imprudent” to set a new trial date. 

This is the case in which the U.S. government accuses Trump of retaining hundreds of classified documents that compromised the work of the Central Intelligence Agency, which provides intelligence on foreign countries and global issues; the Department of Defense, which provides military forces to ensure national security; the National Security Agency, which collects intelligence from communications and information systems; the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, which provides intelligence from imagery; the National Reconnaissance Office, which operates satellites and reconnaissance systems; the Department of Energy, which manages nuclear weapons; and the Department of State, including the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, which provides intelligence to U.S. diplomats. 

These are the documents the Federal Bureau of Investigation later recovered from Mar-a-Lago, where they were stored in public spaces, including a bathroom, after Trump first retained them, then denied he had them, and then tried to hide them. 

The U.S. government charges that “[t]he classified documents TRUMP stored in his boxes included information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack. The unauthorized disclosure of these classified documents could put at risk the national security of the United States, foreign relations, the safety of the United States military, and human sources and the continued viability of sensitive intelligence collection methods.” 

Today, Trump's trial for his retention of these classified documents is indefinitely postponed.

Trump appointed Cannon to the bench, and the Senate confirmed her after he lost the 2020 presidential election. She has seemed to be in no hurry to bring the case to trial before the 2024 election, a case that, if he is reelected, Trump will almost certainly quash. 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

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[hobbit-in-kuroshitsuji]

"No More, No Less" - William T Spears Pre-Death Headcanon

CW: angst, negative view on humanity, very vague implied suicide - DMs are always open if you need someone to talk to <3

Inspired by Alice in Borderlands season 2, episode 6 and impressions I get from what William T. Spears says in the Reaper OVA, the Story of Will the Reaper, and manga <3. you can find my other shinigami headcanons here

“Life is cheap.”

William’s boss was a man several years younger than him. He had been handed everything since birth; money, affection, warmth, food… and lately, his father’s business. Said business fronted as a banking firm, offering loans to people incapable of affording rent.

It always surprised William how the majority of people that required loans for their rent were the middle class citizens of London, attempting to aspire to standards that would make them look good to their neighours, and which would make them look like they were not middle class citizens. I.e. they decided to live in places they could not afford to pretend they could afford it, to pretend they could afford things upper class citizens could.

As if being middle class was such a horrible thing.

But this banking firm was just a front. The real money came from building housing, renting out flats, etc.

"Vows are made to be broken. Words are meaningless and forgettable. No one grants others the pleasure of trust. And people abuse those who do trust. Life is cheap."

Actually, that wasn’t true either.

The real income was creating housing that was unstable and unsuitable for living in, so that they could gain a profit from the high rents they asked.

As a lawyer, it was William’s duty to ensure that any unwanted attention was redirected, and that all that occurred seemed to occur in a legal manner.

“The ones with the power to help, will never help.”

“Sir, this is a serious accusation-“

William’s words were cut off. His boss stood in front of large windows in his mansion, staring out over the surrounding gardens he never once worked in, nor cared for. Sunlight shone down on them, yet his boss didn’t seem to be lit up. The sun seemed to avoid him, leaving him in shadows, like a dark figure for William to try and see.

“The gardener isn’t doing what I asked.” His boss turned – or, at least, William thought he did. It was hard to tell the way he remained a dark blob within the light. His butler approached quickly, the only telltale that his boss had turned around. Bowing, the white gloved man nodded along with the order blindly, not a care in the world for someone’s livelihood, for the man's family...: “Fire him immediately.”

“Yes, my lord.”

William remained quietly standing in the office, regarding his boss with dead eyes. For years, his degree had been used for nothing good. For years, William had turned a blind eye to the darkness that resided within the man for whom he worked.

For years, William loathed him. His boss was a child who never grew up, inheriting a once reputable firm from his father only to turn it sour all in the name of money.

Now the darkness residing within the man had consumed him until he became nothing more but a power hungry demon sat atop his throne looking down at all others. And to his right stood William, always defending, always helping...

“And the ones with the power to help, will consume your soul after.”

Demons… They came both in mortal and immortal varieties.

“What were you saying, Spears?” Fixing his suit, he watched, emotionless as his butler stormed outside to fire the gardener.

William could almost bet his life on that the gardener had done nothing wrong, maybe just cut a bush too short. That was the kind of man William worked for.

That was why William could do nothing else but follow orders and work without emotion, without delay.

Or he would get fired too, and never see the light of a job ever again with the foul rumours his current boss would spread.

That was the power his boss held over him. Did the man care? No. Because to him, life was cheap. All he wanted was money, and those who earned him money.

“People got sick, sir. Children died.”

“And they wish to sue us?”

“They have.”

“Fix it, Spears.”

Silence followed. Polished shoes turned to walk over to William. Once he was out of the light, his face showed. Free of wrinkles. Not a sign of sleepless nights in sight - unlike William.

How did he sleep knowing what he was doing, what he had done? Or did demons not sleep at all?

“Who is to say that the factory next door wasn’t the reason?” William’s hesitation seemed to have sparked a brainstorming session with his boss, though William actively wasn’t participating. He just stared, stomach dropping. “Why should we stop renting out if we have done no wrong? The people can seek medical aid.”

"Most cannot afford it..."

"Then alert them to our other services. We can offer them loans."

The factory he spoke of was several blocks away. No one could prove, of course, that the poisoning of water wasn’t the factory, but if his buildings were the only ones affected… surely it would be obvious.

But no, it woldn’t be. Unfortunately, William knew exactly what to do in order to make it seem like it wasn’t their fault. He could find some laws. He could find some reasons.

But it wasn’t ethical. And children would keep dying.

If this had happened to his sisters, William would have cursed anyone who had swept this under the rug. His boss might be the one that was evil, but William allowed it to happen. William enacted evil’s wants.

In his eyes, William was the sole reason for evil existing in London.

“Laws don’t exist to protect the weak from the powerful…”

“Don’t look at me like that, Spears.” William immediately lowered his gaze, but he couldn’t help the repulsed expression on his face. “Any fool can work to enact equality. But in order to help the world, you need the power to bend the economy to your will.”

“And you wish to do so?”

“I wish to not have to be a fool fighting for equality just because I do not have it.” William’s boss smirked. “And I am going to get there. With, or without you. I will live my life in peace.”

“Laws exist so the powerful can control the weak… and make it look justified.”

“Well? What is your decision? Will you do it, or not?”

“Only those who have known and measured the weight of a life are given true reaper glasses. Glasses of life.”

“I will do as you ask, sir.”

He had to remember… it was just a job. There was no place for emotion in a job. He had to do his duty as a lawyer. No more. No less. He had to follow the orders that came from up high without asking questions.

And even if that required him to kill all that made him human, to quell that which caused him to feel by hurting himself emotionally and physically… William T. Spears would do it. Successfully.

Without fail...

As the years passed him by, he lost the ability to smile. To feel. Or perhaps it was hidden so deep within him that he no longer did it - if he let himself feel, he would feel the effects of looking away from the evil happening in London.

But at least his sisters and their husbands were well cared for in houses he knew were safe, with monetary benefits he could provide each month. At least his nieces and nephews had good familial reputations, gained the education they so desired, and any toys and clothing they might wish for.

He himself never took a wife, nor fathered any children. He could not live with the knowledge of letting someone love only the part of him he showed them... he could not live knowing a wife dutifully tended to him as he enacted evil's will.

Uncle William T. Spears never once missed out on a birthday, a present, or any kind of monetary support.

He did miss out on little feet running up and down the hallways of his large house, the warm embrace of a lover.

Uncle William T. Spears also never took a break, never smiled nor laughed, rarely slept, and never lived. The only way he could keep going was if he was already dead inside. The only way he could do what was required of him was if he saw life as cheap, despite if his support to his own family showed the opposite resided within him.

When the lack of life, the lack of love and the lack of joy cut too deep, he could finally breathe out and sleep… but he would never rest.

And he would never lack in his work even in death.

Despite chanting that no emotion ought to be part of his work, the other Shinigami surely noticed the grip on his scythe was a little tighter if cinematic records revealed a life lived walking over others, thinking of life as cheap…

Just a little something that I've had on my mind for so long now, but never written down - after talking to some people I realised I should just... write it out. This is just one of many headcanons I have about William and why he is/seems so closed off <3 having watched Alice in Borderlands, I got tangible creative juices to work with so..... here we are! :3 let me know what you thought, my ask box is always open to talk about William or anything Kuro related ;)

(and yes, those first gifs is lawyer!will ;) )

I'll upload this fic to my Ao3 Archive soon too

[domericstone]

THE IRON EYRIE

During his time working with the Iron Bank of Braavos and the Vale’s natural understanding of funds, Domeric Stone has been able to use of one many establishments owned by his mother’s house and convert it into one of the first banks of Westeros.

THE BUILDING (The Old Sept)

Nine thick, round towers just short of being the tallest in Gulltown are connected and strengthened by firm walls made of sandstone. The stained glass in the windows has been changed to a darker obsidian to discourage people from trying to glimpse in any windows close enough to the ground. The gate is sizable with giant wooden doors soon to be replaced by doors of steel once men can start building again. With this former sept being built on the cliff edge the only entrance is through the front gates. The vaults of a great sept are enough to hold coin, assets and other items will men work on finishing underground cave system inspired by Domeric’s notes of Mole’s Town.

LOANS & SAVINGS

Approaching the bank with a request for loans requires one to arrive with their notes in order and an idea of how and when they will make these payments. Domeric Stone is not intent on creating a charitable system for people with bad reputations in regard to repaying loans nor is he in the business of giving loans to those who cannot pay unless he sees a bust out. A bust out will allow him to take ownership of property that equates to the loans and accrued interest. Lords are strongly encouraged to use the bank Gulltown will lead the example with House Grafton not only donating a sizable amount but announcing that taxes collected will go to the Bank (after all amounts are paid to the crown).

CUSTOMER RELATIONS

Surprisingly, customers are valued, and potential clients are courted. Taking notes from the Iron Bank, Domeric keeps an eye out on any who can clear up the debts of another for the price of what that person has lost. For example, landed nights losing land due to another lord assuming their debt. If/when loaning to other regions within Westeros the nature of their treatment depends on alliances. Though, if you’re a poor house from the Crownlands, for example, this is not the loan for you. Domeric will take everything you have.

SECURITY

There are guards at the gates, on the wall, in the sea, and within the bank herself. No one enters the bank without an appointment, and no one leaves without being searched.

| @ravellaarryns | @rememberences |

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