#you can use most of your available credit and just pay it down when you need to have your score checked

[catastrophic-crow]

important correction!

a credit score is not, exactly, an indication of how "well" you will pay back a loan. it is an indication of reliability for the exact terms of a loan, which is why paying off a loan early or more aggressively can make your score go down. not directly—it has to do with active accounts and credit history and—it'll still drop your score to finish paying off a loan and remove it from your active accounts.

a credit score isn't for you. it's for corporations (most often) to know which customers they can maximixe their loan-lifetime profit from. someone who takes longer to pay loans back but always pays on time with the minimum payment will have a higher score (all else being equal) compared to someone who pays off their loans aggressively with the surplus of payments going to the principal of the loan, rather than early loan payments. (paying to the principal of the loan reduces the term of the loan, and thus the interest owed, and thus the amount of money they make off of you over the course of your payment on the loan. paying extra without specifying it go toward the principal will just "stock up" on payments to the loan, so the extra goes to the next payment, and then the next after that. doing this will not save you any money. it will still reduce your credit score if you pay off the loan early, even though they made the same amount of money off of you.)

yes, this is all even more horrendously complicated than you might have already been aware.

you're not even allowed to know the exact criteria used to determine your credit score, just approximations. also, you don't have "a" credit score. you have several. or many, even. it depends on the scoring methods the relevant institution(s) use, as well as the purpose for the score. is it for an auto loan? a home loan? a consumer loan, such as for an appliance or furnature? (some kinds of loan will drop your credit score just by existing on your history, even if you pay it off completely and on time.) are they using FICO 8? Experian? credit karma is well-advertised, but will that score be even remotely close to what someone sees when they evaluate your credit?

i know wayyyyyy too much about this, considering i can't really put the knowledge to practical use anymore, so. if you want to learn more, expect to spend many hours doing a lot of reading.

there are useful guides to outline the basics, but frankly at a certain granularity of knowledge you will need to just buckle down and read. and read. and read. and ask lots of questions. and keep track of the answers, and the context in which they're given.

no, it's not fair. no, it's not accessible. yes, this system is designed for others to use, and you're explicitly the product. yes, the many "gotchas" and "howevers" and "not-quite-but-actuallys" are very likely going to frustrate you and trip you up. if there's someone you know personally who is knowledgeable and willing to give you a place to start, having one or more detailed conversations with note-taking may be a good place to begin. just be wary of relying on their knowledge solely, because the rules change and if the last time it was relevant to them was several years ago when they last bought a car, they may give you bad (or at least un-optimal) advice by accident. yes, that is somewhat contradictory. i'm sorry i can't reveal a hidden, simpler way to understand all of this.

oh, yeah, and: i am not a laywer

[hypersaline]

Tutorial: adding new shapes to bodyshapes mod

Here's the promised tutorial. I'm sorry about the delay. Please also note that this is for v2 of the mod only; v1 is no longer supported.

Before I begin, I've realized I forgot to credit Quinctia the first time around. Their tattoo boxes and tutorial were where I started experimenting with overlays, and this mod contains resources cloned from their work. So, I'm giving them belated credit here.

First, one very important warning that was exceptionally frustrating to figure out and is responsible for most of the delay: you MUST use SimPE v0.73.44 for this. IIRC, later versions process certain kinds of resources a little differently, and the difference in the resulting package breaks a few kinds of mods/CC. This is apparently among them. Following this tutorial with any version of SimPE past 0.73.44 will very likely damage the character file of the sims the resulting overlay is applied to. (Specifically, in testing I found it to screw up the face and body meshes stored there.) If you test the overlay and the test subject's UI portrait completely blanks out (not just their face texture, but their hair/body/accessories too), then this is probably what's happened, and the best thing to do is throw it all out and start over.

With that out of the way, you'll need...

a pair of nude meshes, top and bottom, for each age group the shape is available for. A full-body nude mesh won't work.

a full set of seven outfits in the shape, set up as in this tutorial, for each age group the shape is available for. YA/A/E can all use the same outfits as long as they're enabled for all three ages.

a shape number. This has to be an eight-digit hex number; the first six digits all have to be zero, and the last two can't be zero or one and can't be the same as any other shape for the same gender. I've got a list here on Dreamwidth of a few numbers I've used or am planning to use. Please leave a comment telling the rest of us which number you're using for any shape you set up.

these template files.

You probably want...

a hex editor. This is optional, but it speeds things up quite a bit. I'm using HxD in the screenshots.

Open up Bodyshop and start a new project. All we need are valid group and family numbers; once you've copied those down somewhere, you should throw the project out. (If you leave it in the Projects folder, it'll conflict with your shape.) An eye color is probably quickest.

Get the following numbers together:

the new group and family numbers from your Bodyshop project

the shape number

two new GUIDs (generated however)

the instance-high and instance numbers for both the CRES and SHPE of each nude mesh

the group number for each outfit being used

Make a copy of the two template files and the template spreadsheet.

You have two main options from this point: either use the 'Hex Editing' tab on the template spreadsheet to find-and-replace various numbers reasonably quickly and then do a few more things by hand, or go the slower route, use the 'By Hand' tab, and replace them all in SimPE.

If you're using a hex editor:

Fill the requested numbers into the correct green boxes in the "Hex Editing" tab. Do all of them before you do any find-and-replacing.

Copy/paste the orange boxes into the hex editor's "replace" field, and copy/paste the yellow boxes into the hex editor's "find" field.

Make sure you pay attention to which numbers you can expect to find in which file, make sure you're in hex mode when you f&r, and make sure the numbers you're using are correct. If you paste in something with a different number of digits, your file will break and you'll need to start over.

Once you're done with find-and-replace, open up SimPE. Make sure you don't get any errors when opening resources up, and do a few spot checks to make sure, for example, that the most common group number you're seeing is the same as what Bodyshop gave you. If things seem OK, do the remaining replacements listed in the "Hex Editing" sheet by hand.

If you're editing by hand:

Look at the "By Hand" tab in the template workbook, which lists the various places you'll find the numbers you need to swap out and gives you room to organize the new ones. Please note that all numbers are hexadecimal even where not marked: 10 isn't twice five but twice eight.

If you'd like to speed things up without a hex editor: export all the resources inside Template1.package, open up the package.xml file in a text editor, find-and-replace every instance of "3166489547" with the DECIMAL version of whatever group number you got from your Bodyshop project, save, and then import those resources to a new (shape)1.package file using the edited package.xml file. (Note that SimPE won't show you the package.xml file by default.) You'll still have a heck of a lot of numbers to replace, but this will take care of several dozen.

Regardless of the method:

You'll need to make the BHAV edit pictured above - change Literal 3 (which is invalid) to Literal 0 or Literal 1 as appropriate.

One thing you'll want to keep in mind: the gender BHAVs detect for any given sim will always match the pronouns on their chance cards. If you're setting up a shape for trans women, for example, you'll want the BHAV to make it available to women even though those outfits are in the broader-shouldered half of the catalog. The mod won't be able to stop you from trying to apply a shape to sims it won't fit; if that happens, you'll get an error message and the sim's appearance won't change.

At this point you're ready to check things out in game.

One last, frustrating troubleshooting note: if most things seem fine but one particular outfit makes the game crash when a sim swaps into it, then after double-checking that it's been referenced correctly, make sure the GZPS in the recolor file is not compressed. I don't know why that's sometimes a problem, but I ran into it a couple of times during testing.

Here's a link to the updated V2 SFS folder, which contains the shape templates (note that the UniformTemplate file is for the older tutorial on giving sims with certain traits different age-up outfits), an updated version of the core mod and the Lady Apple files, and the Athletic Girl files created while getting this tutorial together. All meshes are included. If you set up any other shapes, please let me know!

[hms-no-fun]

Hi! I just read your post about your opinion on "AI" and I really liked it. If it's no bother, what's your opinion on people who use it for studying? Like writing essays, solving problems and stuff like that?

I haven't been a fan of AI from the beginning and I've heard that you shouldn't ask it for anything because then you help it develop. But I don't know how to explain that to friends and classmates or even if it's true anymore. Because I've seen some of the prompts it can come up with and they're not bad and I've heard people say that the summaries AI makes are really good and I just... I dunno. I'm at a loss

Sorry if this is a lot or something you simply don't want to reply to. You made really good points when talking about AI and I really liked it and this has been weighing on me for a while :)

on a base level, i don't really have a strongly articulated opinion on the subject because i don't use AI, and i'm 35 so i'm not in school anymore and i don't have a ton of college-aged friends either. i have little exposure to the people who use AI in this way nor to the people who have to deal with AI being used in this way, so my perspective here is totally hypothetical and unscientific.

what i was getting at in my original AI post was a general macroeconomic point about how all of the supposed efficiency gains of AI are an extension of the tech CEO's dislike of paying and/or giving credit to anyone they deem less skilled or intelligent than them. that it's conspicuous how AI conveniently falls into place after many decades of devaluing and deskilling creative/artistic labor industries. historically, for a lot of artists the most frequently available & highest paying gigs were in advertising. i can't speak to the specifics when it comes to visual art or written copy, but i *can* say that when i worked in the oklahoma film industry, the most coveted jobs were always the commercials. great pay for relatively less work, with none of the complications that often arise working on amateur productions. not to mention they were union gigs, a rare enough thing in a right to work state, so anyone trying to make a career out of film work wanting to bank their union hours to qualify for IATSE membership always had their ears to the ground for an opening. which didn't come often because, as you might expect, anyone who *got* one of those jobs aimed to keep it as long as possible. who could blame em, either? one person i met who managed to get consistent ad work said they could afford to work all of two or three months a year, so they could spend the rest of their time doing low-budget productions and (occasionally) student films.

there was a time when this was the standard for the film industry, even in LA; you expected to work 3 to 5 shows a year (exact number's hard to estimate because production schedules vary wildly between ads, films, and tv shows) for six to eight months if not less, so you'd have your bills well covered through the lean periods and be able to recover from what is an enormously taxing job both physically and emotionally. this was never true for EVERYONE, film work's always been a hustle and making a career of it is often a luck-based crapshoot, but generally that was the model and for a lot of folks it worked. it meant more time to practice their skills on the job, sustainably building expertise and domain knowledge that they could then pass down to future newcomers. anything that removes such opportunities decreases the amount of practice workers get, and any increased demand on their time makes them significantly more likely to burn out of the industry early. lower pay, shorter shoots, busier schedules, these aren't just bad for individual workers but for the entire industry, and that includes the robust and well-funded advertising industry.

well, anyway, this year's coca-cola christmas ad was made with AI. they had maybe one person on quality control using an adobe aftereffects mask to add in the coke branding. this is the ultimate intended use-case for AI. it required the expertise of zero unionized labor, and worst of all the end result is largely indistinguishable from the alternative. you'll often see folks despair at this verisimilitude, particularly when a study comes out that shows (for instance) people can't tell the difference between real poetry and chat gpt generated poetry. i despair as well, but for different reasons. i despair that production of ads is a better source of income and experience for film workers than traditional movies or television. i despair that this technology is fulfilling an age-old promise about the disposability of artistic labor. poetry is not particularly valued by our society, is rarely taught to people beyond a beginner's gloss on meter and rhyme. "my name is sarah zedig and i'm here to say, i'm sick of this AI in a major way" type shit. end a post with the line "i so just wish that it would go away and never come back again!" and then the haiku bot swoops in and says, oh, 5/7/5 you say? that is technically a haiku! and then you put a haiku-making minigame in your crowd-pleasing japanese nationalist open world chanbara simulator, because making a haiku is basically a matter of selecting one from 27 possible phrase combinations. wait, what do you mean the actual rules of haiku are more elastic and subjective than that? that's not what my english teacher said in sixth grade!

AI is able to slip in and surprise us with its ability to mimic human-produced art because we already treat most human-produced art like mechanical surplus of little to no value. ours is a culture of wikipedia-level knowledge, where you have every incentive to learn a lot of facts about something so that you can sufficiently pretend to have actually experienced it. but this is not to say that humans would be better able to tell the difference between human produced and AI produced poetry if they were more educated about poetry! the primary disconnect here is economic. Poets already couldn't make a fucking living making poetry, and now any old schmuck can plug a prompt into chatgpt and say they wrote a sonnet. even though they always had the ability to sit down and write a sonnet!

boosters love to make hay about "deskilling" and "democratizing" and "making accessible" these supposedly gatekept realms of supposedly bourgeois expression, but what they're really saying (whether they know it or not) is that skill and training have no value anymore. and they have been saying this since long before AI as we know it now existed! creative labor is the backbone of so much of our world, and yet it is commonly accepted as a poverty profession. i grew up reading books and watching movies based on books and hearing endless conversation about books and yet when i told my family "i want to be a writer" they said "that's a great way to die homeless." like, this is where the conversation about AI's impact starts. we already have a culture that simultaneously NEEDS the products of artistic labor, yet vilifies and denigrates the workers who perform that labor. folks see a comic panel or a corporate logo or a modern art piece and say "my kid could do that," because they don't perceive the decades of training, practice, networking, and experimentation that resulted in the finished product. these folks do not understand that just because the labor of art is often invisible doesn't mean it isn't work.

i think this entire conversation is backwards. in an ideal world, none of this matters. human labor should not be valued over machine labor because it inherently possesses an aura of human-ness. art made by humans isn't better than AI generated art on qualitative grounds. art is subjective. you're not wrong to find beauty in an AI image if the image is beautiful. to my mind, the value of human artistic labor comes down to the simple fact that the world is better when human beings make art. the world is better when we have the time and freedom to experiment, to play, to practice, to develop and refine our skills to no particular end except whatever arbitrary goal we set for ourselves. the world is better when people collaborate on a film set to solve problems that arise organically out of the conditions of shooting on a live location. what i see AI being used for is removing as many opportunities for human creativity as possible and replacing them with statistical averages of prior human creativity. this passes muster because art is a product that exists to turn a profit. because publicly traded companies have a legal responsibility to their shareholders to take every opportunity to turn a profit regardless of how obviously bad for people those opportunities might be.

that common sense says writing poetry, writing prose, writing anything is primarily about reaching the end of the line, about having written something, IS the problem. i've been going through the many unfinished novels i wrote in high school lately, literally hundreds of thousands of words that i shared with maybe a dozen people and probably never will again. what value do those words have? was writing them a waste of time since i never posted them, never finished them, never turned a profit off them? no! what i've learned going back through those old drafts is that i'm only the writer i am today BECAUSE i put so many hours into writing generic grimdark fantasy stories and bizarrely complicated werewolf mythologies.

you know i used to do open mics? we had a poetry group that met once a month at a local cafe in college. each night we'd start by asking five words from the audience, then inviting everyone to compose a poem using those words in 10 to 15 minutes. whoever wanted to could read their poem, and whoever got the most applause won a free drink from the cafe. then we'd spend the rest of the night having folks sign up to come and read whatever. sometimes you'd get heartfelt poems about personal experiences, sometimes you'd get ambitious soundcloud rappers, sometimes you'd get a frat guy taking the piss, sometimes you'd get a mousy autist just doing their best. i don't know that any of the poetry i wrote back then has particular value today, but i don't really care. the point of it was the experience in that moment. the experience of composing something on the fly, or having something you wrote a couple days ago, then standing up and reading it. the value was in the performance itself, in the momentary synthesis between me and the audience. i found out then that i was pretty good at making people cry, and i could not have had that experience in any other venue. i could not have felt it so viscerally had i just posted it online. and i cannot wrap up that experience and give it to you, because it only existed then.

i think more people would write poetry if they had more hours in a day to spare for frivolities, if there existed more spaces where small groups could organize open mics, if transit made those spaces more widely accessible, if everyone made enough money that they weren't burned the fuck out and not in the mood to go to an open mic tonight, if we saw poetry as a mode of personal reflection which was as much about the experience of having written it as anything else. this is the case for all the arts. right now, the only people who can afford to make a living doing art are already wealthy, because art doesn't pay well. this leads to brain drain and overall lowering quality standards, because the suburban petty bouge middle class largely do not experience the world as it materially exists for the rest of us. i often feel that many tech CEOs want to be remembered the way andy warhol is remembered. they want to be loved and worshipped not just for business acumen but for aesthetic value, they want to get the kind of credit that artists get-- because despite the fact that artists don't get paid shit, they also frequently get told by people "your work changed my life." how is it that a working class person with little to no education can write a story that isn't just liked but celebrated, that hundreds or thousands of people imprint on, that leaves a mark on culture you can't quantify or predict or recreate? this is AI's primary use-case, to "democratize" art in such a way that hacks no longer have to work as hard to pretend to be good at what they do. i mean, hell, i have to imagine every rich person with an autobiography in the works is absolutely THRILLED that they no longer have to pay a ghost writer!

so, circling back around to the meat of your question. as far as telling people not to use AI because "you're just helping to train it," that ship has long since sailed. getting mad at individuals for using AI right now is about as futile as getting mad at individuals for not masking-- yes, obviously they should wear a mask and write their own essays, but to say this is simply a matter of millions of individuals making the same bad but unrelated choice over and over is neoliberal hogwash. people stopped masking because they were told to stop masking by a government in league with corporate interests which had every incentive to break every avenue of solidarity that emerged in 2020. they politicized masks, calling them "the scarlet letter of [the] pandemic". biden himself insisted this was "a pandemic of the unvaccinated", helpfully communicating to the public that if you're vaccinated, you don't need to mask. all those high case numbers and death counts? those only happen to the bad people.

now you have CEOs and politicians and credulous media outlets and droves of grift-hungry influencers hard selling the benefits of AI in everything everywhere all the time. companies have bent over backwards to incorporate AI despite ethics and security worries because they have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders, and everyone with money is calling this the next big thing. in short, companies are following the money, because that's what companies do. they, in turn, are telling their customers what tools to use and how. so of course lots of people are using AI for things they probably shouldn't. why wouldn't they? "the high school/college essay" as such has been quantized and stripmined by an education system dominated by test scores over comprehension. it is SUPPOSED to be an exercise in articulating ideas, to teach the student how to argue persuasively. the final work has little to no value, because the point is the process. but when you've got a system that lives and dies by its grades, within which teachers are given increasingly more work to do, less time to do it in, and a much worse paycheck for their trouble, the essay increasingly becomes a simple pass/fail gauntlet to match the expected pace set by the simple, clean, readily gradable multiple choice quiz. in an education system where the stakes for students are higher than they've ever been, within which you are increasingly expected to do more work in less time with lower-quality guidance from your overworked teachers, there is every incentive to get chatgpt to write your essay for you.

do you see what i'm saying? we can argue all day about the shoulds here. of course i think it's better when people write their own essays, do their own research, personally read the assigned readings. but cheating has always been a problem. a lot of these same fears were aired over the rising popularity of cliffs notes in the 90s and 2000s! the real problem here is systemic. it's economic. i would have very little issue with the output of AI if existing conditions were not already so precarious. but then, if the conditions were different, AI as we know it likely would not exist. it emerges today as the last gasp of a tech industry that has been floundering for a reason to exist ever since the smart phone dominated the market. they tried crypto. they tried the metaverse. now they're going all-in on AI because it's a perfect storm of shareholder-friendly buzzwords and the unscientific technomythology that's been sold to laymen by credulous press sycophants for decades. It slots right into this niche where the last of our vestigial respect for "the artist" once existed. it is the ultimate expression of capitalist realism, finally at long last doing away with the notion that the suits at disney could never in their wildest dreams come up with something half as cool as the average queer fanfic writer. now they've got a program that can plagiarize that fanfic (along with a dozen others) for them, laundering the theft through a layer of transformation which perhaps mirrors how the tech industry often exploits open source software to the detriment of the open source community. the catastrophe of AI is that it's the fulfillment of a promise that certainly predates computers at the very least.

so, i don't really know what to tell someone who uses AI for their work. if i was talking to a student, i'd say that relying chatgpt is really gonna screw you over when it comes time take the SAT or ACT, and you have to write an essay from scratch by hand in a monitored environment-- but like, i also think the ACT and SAT and probably all the other standardized tests shouldn't exist? or at the very least ought to be severely devalued, since prep for those tests often sabotages the integrity of actual classroom education. although, i guess at this point the only way forward for education (that isn't getting on both knees and deep-throating big tech) is more real-time in-class monitored essay writing, which honestly might be better for all parties anyway. of course that does nothing to address research essays you can't write in a single class session. to someone who uses AI for research, i'd probably say the same thing as i would to someone who uses wikipedia: it's a fine enough place to start, but don't cite it. click through links, find sources, make sure what you're reading is real, don't rely on someone else's generalization. know that chatgpt is likely not pulling information from a discrete database of individual files that it compartmentalizes the way you might expect, but rather is a statistical average of a broad dataset about which it cannot have an opinion or interpretation. sometimes it will link you to real information, but just as often it will invent information from whole cloth. honestly, the more i talk it out, the more i realize all this advice is basically identical to the advice adults were giving me in the early 2000s.

which really does cement for me that the crisis AI is causing in education isn't new and did not come from nowhere. before chatgpt, students were hiring freelancers on fiverr. i already mentioned cliffs notes. i never used any of these in college, but i'll also freely admit that i rarely did all my assigned reading. i was the "always raises her hand" bitch, and every once in a while i'd get other students who were always dead silent in class asking me how i found the time to get the reading done. i'd tell them, i don't. i read the beginning, i read the ending, and then i skim the middle. whenever a word or phrase jumps out at me, i make a note of it. that way, when the professor asks a question in class, i have exactly enough specific pieces of information at hand to give the impression of having done the reading. and then i told them that i learned how to do this from the very same professor that was teaching that class. the thing is, it's not like i learned nothing from this process. i retained quite a lot of information from those readings! this is, broadly, a skill that emerges from years of writing and reading essays. but then you take a step back and remember that for most college students (who are not pursuing any kind of arts degree), this skillset is relevant to an astonishingly minimal proportion of their overall course load. college as it exists right now is treated as a jobs training program, within which "the essay" is a relic of an outdated institution that highly valued a generalist liberal education where today absolute specialization seems more the norm. so AI comes in as the coup de gras to that old institution. artists like myself may not have the constitution for the kind of work that colleges now exist to funnel you into, but those folks who've never put a day's thought into the work of making art can now have a computer generate something at least as good at a glance as basically anything i could make. as far as the market is concerned, that's all that matters. the contents of an artwork, what it means to its creator, the historic currents it emerges out of, these are all technicalities that the broad public has been well trained not to give a shit about most of the time. what matters is the commodity and the economic activity it exists to generate.

but i think at the end of the day, folks largely want to pay for art made by human beings. that it's so hard for a human being to make a living creating and selling art is a question far older than AI, and whose answer hasn't changed. pay workers more. drastically lower rents. build more affordable housing. make healthcare free. make education free. massively expand public transit. it is simply impossible to overstate how much these things alone would change the conversation about AI, because it would change the conversation about everything. SO MUCH of the dominance of capital in our lives comes down to our reliance on cars for transit (time to get a loan and pay for insurance), our reliance on jobs for health insurance (can't quit for moral reasons if it's paying for your insulin), etc etc etc. many of AI's uses are borne out of economic precarity and a ruling class desperate to vacuum up every loose penny they can find. all those billionaires running around making awful choices for the rest of us? they stole those billions. that is where our security went. that is why everything is falling apart, because the only option remaining to *every* institutional element of society is to go all-in on the profit motive. tax these motherfuckers and re-institute public arts funding. hey, did you know the us government used to give out grants to artists? did you know we used to have public broadcast networks where you could make programs that were shown to your local community? why the hell aren't there public youtube clones? why aren't there public transit apps? why aren't we CONSTANTLY talking about nationalizing these abusive fucking industries that are falling over themselves to integrate AI because their entire modus operandi is increasing profits regardless of product quality?

these are the questions i ask myself when i think about solutions to the AI problem. tech needs to be regulated, the monopolies need breaking up, but that's not enough. AI is a symptom of a much deeper illness whose treatment requires systemic solutions. and while i'm frustrated when i see people rely on AI for their work, or otherwise denigrate artists who feel AI has devalued their field, on some level i can't blame them. they are only doing what they've been told to do. all of which merely strengthens my belief in the necessity of an equitable socialist future (itself barely step zero in the long path towards a communist future, and even that would only be a few steps on the even longer path to a properly anarchist future). improve the material conditions and you weaken the dominance of capitalist realism, however minutely. and while there are plenty of reasons to despair at the likelihood of such a future given a second trump presidency, i always try to remember that socialist policies are very popular and a *lot* of that popularity emerged during the first trump administration. the only wrong answer here is to assume that losing an election is the same thing as losing a war, that our inability to put the genie back in its bottle means we can't see our own wishes granted.

i dunno if i answered your question but i sure did say a lot of stuff, didn't i?

[potatomountain]

*739 Seonghwa

*739 Masterlist

Synopsis: with sex work legal, it was as readily available as texting *739, filling out the form sent, and setting a time and place with an easy charge to your credit card. Even the more hefty kinks could be fulfilled with a professionalism that was respected, and could be addicting.

Word count: 7k

AN: so a little late as well as this wa supposed to be for a happy 5 years with Ateez <3 I just overestimated myself whoops. So to be fair- Wooyoung's will be delayed until I get back [so sometime in November] but Hongjoong's will be released around Halloween ^^

Also I barely edited so sorry if there are mistakes!

Warnings below the cut! Taglist at the bottom!

Smut warnings: food play, dom Seonghwa, use of toys in public, masturbation, multiple orgasms, oral [fem recieving], praise, 'Mommy' kink, breeding kink, food kink- body worship, aftercare, lil angst, unprotected sex, paid sex, sex worker. Sexual depictions and use of food!

This couldn’t be right- you’re ‘date’ for the night couldn’t be him.

He was fucking gorgeous.

Blonde hair that was practically white with half of it styled back to expose his forehead and gorgeous features. The black suit he wore with golden accents trimmed to his tall and slender body; his waist alone had you biting down on your lip just to remember the red lipstick you wore. Despite the deep red and black dress hugging your body, the most elegant cocktail dress you had, he made you feel underdressed.

You wanted to assume he was someone else’s date, but that was the table the host had motioned you towards, informing you that the other party had arrived. He hadn’t noticed you just yet, fiddling with a small black box and a rose that was on the table, which gave you plenty of time to drink him in. You weren’t alone in that endeavor, plenty of other people in the elegant restaurant were staring because even in the dim lights he was ethereal

It took several moments to remind yourself that this wasn’t a date- this was an arrangement you were paying for. The reminder surged you forward, stepping up to the semi secluded table on the far side of the restaurant- while it was still in sight of half the tables nearby, it was meant to give a sense of privacy and kept you out of earshot- that was why you had reserved this particular table.

He looked up when you approached, moving to stand up with a gentlemanly smile and your name on his lips like a question.

“Yes, that’s me. You must be Seonghwa then?” When he nodded your lips lifted in a smile but internally you were screaming.

You had no idea how you were going to handle the things you were paying him to do to you, not when his mere gaze had you hot all over. You were so fucked, flushing as he moved to pull your chair out for you and motioned for you to sit. Smoothing out your dress you did, thanking him under your breath as he pushed it forward.

A second later he was sitting across from you, a small smile on his lips as his eyes ran over you. After a moment of small talk, the waiter approached. Unsure just what to eat, considering what was going to happen after, you had glanced over at the model-worthy man across from you, both surprised and not when he ordered for you based on your preferences. Once the waiter was gone he turned to you, his smile a bit sheepish. “I hope you are alright with what I picked.”

You nodded, reaching for the glass of wine he offered. “Is that why you asked for my food preferences?”

“One of them. We discussed a lot over text earlier today after all, and I take pride in my job; I want to make sure you are taken care of properly during our time together, and that means eating food you’ll enjoy that still can be used for the purposes we intended. Speaking of- I’d like to know what items you bought from the list I sent you.”

You thought back to the conversation you had over text this morning, mentally going over each message until you could visualize the list. “I’ve never done this before so I just bought the basics I guess? Whipped cream, chocolate syrup, meltable chocolate that’s… safe, and a few things of fruit: mostly strawberries. I, uh, also bought some of the gelatin you recommended.”

He nodded, seeming pleased with your answer. “That’s more than enough, I might not use it all.”

Heat flooded your cheeks as you thought about just how he would be using those items, wondering where as well. It had you shifting in your chair and rubbing your thighs together. “I did everything else you asked as well. My home is clean, the fruits are clean, I showered, shaved, and pampered my skin. I’m-” You broke off, nibbling on your bottom lip and gripped your skirt, unable to finish the thought out loud. But from the way his gaze darkened he knew what you were going to say, what you were about to point out, heat pooling in your core.

“You follow directions well then, and the dress looks beautiful- I can hardly tell you’re lacking undergarments.” His smile turned coy, now holding out the small box to you. “Let’s change that. Finish your glass of wine and then go open this in the bathroom. You’ll know what to do.”

Swallowing hard, you took the box from him with a nod, struggling to find words, his straightforwardness throwing you off. “Y-yes.” Forgetting the first part of his order you stood up and hurried off to the restroom, even more self conscious of your lack of underwear now. When you glanced back at him, the cocky look on his features sent another wave of heat through you and you wondered if you would make it through dinner without soaking your dress in your own arousal.

How fucking hot would it be if you did?

Once in the bathroom you locked the door, opening the box after a few deep breaths but it just knocked the wind out of your lungs all over. A small pair of black underwear lay neatly folding in the box with a small handwritten note that said: Wear me. Feeling the fabric in between your fingers a groan escaped you- they were vibrating underwear.

“Fucking hell how am I going to make it through dinner?” Muttering to yourself you still followed directions, cleaning up the bit of slick between your legs before putting on the panties, noting the absence of the remote. He probably had it, and you wondered when he was going to use it.

Attempting to shake the thought off you washed your hands, taking your lipstick out of your small handbag and reapplying where you believed it had messed up. It was matte, unlikely to come off easily, but it had you paranoid still. It certainly helped for a moment, taking your mind off the fact that with every step you could feel the part of the underwear that rubbed against your clit, knowing it was going to vibrate at some point; the anticipation alone had your heart rate picking up.

Exiting the bathroom you debated on taking more time, but as soon as you saw him sitting at the table the thought was banished. His grin widened as he curled his fingers as if to say come here. You were about halfway to the table when it started, the briefest second sending a jolt up your body, tensing up your muscles and your eyes going wide. You thanked the heavens you didn’t make a sound, but you were frozen in place as you waited, expecting the vibration to start again.

It didn’t need to, not with the dark look Seonghwa was watching you with as you approached the table and took your seat. “You really do follow directions so well, such a good girl.”

The praise hit you hard, knowing that these panties, and your dress, would certainly be ruined before dinner was over. “Is this normal for you? Toying with your clients in public?”

He shrugged, sitting so elegantly in his seat and bringing the wine to his lips. “My usual sessions are a bit more vanilla than this, so I have to admit my excitement got ahead of me. It is part of what you asked for though, what we discussed. What was it you said exactly? Oh right-” His grin turned sensual, lighting your nerves on fire, “- you want to be wined and dined and teased before you’re eaten like a meal yourself. Isn’t that right?”

When he said it you couldn't help but get flustered, your fantasy seeming much more sinful. There were aspects to it that most certainly were, but none as sinful as this man.

Attempting to leash in your thoughts you cleared your throat, nodding and ignoring your heated cheeks. "Y-yes, that's the gist of it." You knew it was much more than that, parts of your fantasy, of what you went over, that went deeper than food.

"Then be a good girl for Mommy and I'll treat you right, Sugar."

You weren't sure what was the cause of the soft noise you let out; what he said, how he said it, the title and pet name, or the sudden harsh vibrations against your clit- but you had been so startled you couldn't fight it back.

He seemed pleased with himself, the vibrations stopping as he motioned for the wine you still hadn't finished. After what he just said, how could you refuse?

Only as you brought the wine to your lips, the vibrations shot through you, this time not stopping until the glass was empty. Panting and setting the glass down with shaking hands only to be met with praise for him.

That was the start of a vicious cycle throughout dinner. He would give an order subtly, whether by motioning to your wine, water, or food once that arrived. While you carried out the order, he would turn the panties on, stopping the moment you did- whether it was because you were finished or were getting too lost in the pleasure to continue the task- following up with praise.

Teasing you, edging you, and he was enjoying every second of it. Whenever the waiter or staff came to the table he would hit the remote and turn it up, bringing a finger to his lips to tell you to be quiet. It was no easy feat, especially when they had dropped the food off and taken their time leaving; you had almost come, only for him to tell you that you weren't allowed to do so in the restaurant.

A sinful Angel was a perfect way to describe him; his beauty overall ethereal, both masculine and feminine and only matched by the teasing nature and subtle tones of domination he let out through playful smirks, smoldering gazes, and subtle commands.

For a moment, you were sure you didn't pay nearly enough for this- for him. He was all yours for tonight, for this fantasy, which was priceless to you. You certainly weren't going to complain though, and he wasn't giving you a moment to do so, leaving you too wrapped up in his fingers without even touching you.

The entire dinner he hadn't touched you once, the only sign of his enjoyment was the heat in his eyes and the occasional lip bite you would catch out of the corner of your eye when he didn't think you were paying attention.

How could you focus on anything but him? Other than what he was doing to you?

The underwear was soaked by the time you were done clearing your plate, hoping there would be no dessert, in desperate need to leave the restaurant just so you could cum- just so he would touch you. But despite the look of disappointment on your features, dessert was ordered.

An ice cream and cake dish- lava cake with a scoop of vanilla bean on top with chocolate shavings and drizzle. The table was cleared and it was brought out, but Seonghwa was no longer sitting across from you.

He had allowed you to go to the restroom, only for you to return with both of your seats side by side facing the rest of the restaurant. A bit apprehensive you sat down when he pulled the chair out for you, eyes on the dessert as he pushed you forward. Unlike before he didn't pull away, instead leaning in until you could feel his breath on your neck. The softest touch of his lips shook you to your core even more than the vibration of the panties as he clicked them on.

"You're shaking, Sugar, does it feel that good?"

This close you could tell his voice was laced with arousal, the realization dashing away the words on your tongue so you nodded instead.

His lips moved up to your ear, kissing the shell. "Fuck I can't wait to get a taste of you, can't stop thinking about how sweet you're going to taste. You make the most delicious expressions already, I've almost broken the rules a few times- now included."

His confession threw you through a loop, the ground feeling as shaky as your underwear. He had been so calm and collected through dinner you would have never guessed he wanted you so much.

The realization that he did warmed your body in entirely different ways than before but you chalked his desire up to the fantasy, to the scenario, not specifically you. If you let yourself get that delusional you weren't sure your heart could make it out of this in one piece.

Odd thought that, developing a school girl crush on the sex worker you were paying to fulfill your deepest sexual and intimate desires- and over the course of one dinner.

So lost in your own thoughts you hadn't realized he was sitting down next to you now, not until his knee bumped into yours, drawing your attention. "Come on, Sugar, don't space out yet. Focus on me."

Still in a bit of a lustfilled- among other things- date you turned to him slowly, eyes on the dessert that sat in front of you both. Ice cream… you wondered how that would feel on your body.

The slight jerk of your chin didn't let you wonder at eye, your eyes meeting warm brown depths under furrowed brows. "Focus on me." He repeated in a more commanding tone.

"O-okay, I'm focused."

"Focused on?"

Confused by his prompt, and distraction by his thumb nudging your bottom lip, it took a moment for the light bulb to light up, your cheeks burning at the realization.

Batting your eyelashes you tried to act a little cute, looking up at him while tilting your chin down in submission. "F-focused on you, Mommy."

The sly smile that spread across his gorgeous lips had your breath lodging in your throat, not that your shamelessness hadn't already affected your breathing already. "That's my good girl. Now, part those pretty red lips for me and say ah."

Without questioning it you did, gaze unwavering from his as he brought a bite of the ice cream to your mouth, taking it slow. This was the foreplay, just as the rest of dinner had been, yet this felt far more intimate.

With each bite you opened your mouth and shut it when he said, swallowing when he said, not once taking your eyes off him despite how much his constant praises were flustering you. You forgot entirely where you were, hands on your lap just itching to reach out and touch him, to beg to be touched. You were practically number to everything but him and what he wanted you to do.

Halfway through the dessert he dropped his hand from your jaw and started up the vibratory again. You gasped around the bite in your mouth, your throbbing clit already so sensitive you didn't think you could take much more.

It seemed like he knew that, biting down on his lip he glanced down at your lap with the softest groan you would have missed it if you weren't so attuned to him. But neither of you acknowledged it just yet as he fed you yet another bite. And then another.

When he tried to give you the last bite you shook your head, whining and squirming in your seat glad the table kept your lower half out of view from the other people in the restaurant. "Mommy- I can't- please I'm gonna come- '' Breathless you pleaded, for either sweet release or for it to stop but you just couldn't keep your orgasm at bay any longer.

"I know baby, take this last bite and hold my hand, squeeze it while you make a mess of those panties." He held the bite out to your lips again and you eagerly took it. He set the spoon aside and held his hand out on your thigh palm up, not at all surprised with the tight grip you latched onto him with.

You couldn't even register the taste or texture of the cake, just grateful for it's presence to muffle the moan that reverberated up your throat when your climax hit. We were still gushing into the fabric when Seonghwa turned it off, leaning in and running his tongue along the corner of your lips.

Still shaking from aftershocks of your orgasm you could only stare as he pulled away just enough for you to see how long his tongue was as he licked his own lips, staring you down. "I bet you're a pretty fucking mess down there, Sugar. Can't wait to lick you clean."

Heated energy sizzles between the two of you two for a moment before, as if a trance was broken, Seonghwa was standing with your hand still in his. "I already paid and you did take an uber here correct?"

You nodded, holding onto his hand like a lifeline, legs still shaking. You didn't think anyone would be able to see the mess you made of the dress, but if you didn't get your fucked out expression off, people would certainly question. Clearing your throat, taking a deep breath, you forced a shaky smile. "Yes, and I messaged you my address earlier?"

"Already saved in the GPS. It's a short drive but there is enough time for a little more foreplay."

Brimming with anticipation, you managed to school your expression as the two of you left. You were surprised by the nice black sedan he led you to, the cozy leather seat he helped you into, but really you shouldnt be that surprised considering how much you paid him. The term 'sugar daddy' came to mind at first, quickly replaced by 'sugar momma'. Once more you fought the ever growing crush, warning yourself nothing good would come of this.

He certainly didn't help, not when his idea of foreplay was telling you just how to fuck yourself to make the biggest mess you could on his leather seats. He had you face him, legs spread but keeping the panties on. He controlled the vibrations but he had you steadily pushing two fingers into your sobbing cunt, pushing yourself to the edge but not once did he let you come, just make a mess.

He had barely touched you, hadn't even kissed you, and he's driven you to such a messy fucked out state that it was almost surreal. He's pulled out a side of you past lovers couldn't manage, which just had you melting I'm his figurative hands more.

"M-mommy, please- wanna cum." You whined out again, hips gyrating against the underwear and your fingers, watching him shamelessly. When you heard the click of the remote you let out a cry of desperation, fingers stopping knuckle deep in your pulsating cunt as he had instructed your fingers to stop anytime the underwear did.

"Soon, Sugar." He hissed through clenched teeth, both hands gripping the wheel, knuckles white, you were surprised he hadn't snapped the remote in half. "This is it yes?" He pulled up to your modest home in a somewhat upscale neighborhood.

You nodded, sitting up a bit straighter as you stared at your house, the usual sense of dread.of coming home to an empty home was replaced with anticipation for what would happen once the two of you walked inside. "This is it."

While he pulled into the driveway you moved your fingers a few times unable to help yourself, but the soft squelching sounds gave you away rather fast, your disobedience stopping with your name as a warning.

You attempted a sheepish smile when he turned the car off, only to be thrown off as your hand was ripped from your cunt and fingers brought to his lips. With bugging eyes you watched him suck and lick your juices off your appendages, your pussy clenching around nothing at the sight and even more juices gushing out of you.

The near primal groan that left him as his eyes rolled back just turned you on even more. "Holy fuck you taste so sweet, Sugar. Mommy's favorite fucking treat." It was the first time he fully lost his cool, showing off the ways he could use his long tongue and driving you crazy. There was enough heat in his gaze you felt like you were going to melt.

He dropped your hand when it was clean, leaning over the armrest as if he was about to clean up the mess between your legs- he stopped close enough you could feel his breath on your clothed, soaked core, leaving you frozen with anticipation.

"Not here- not yet." He muttered more to himself as he straightened up and cleared his throat. He got out of the car while you were still trying to process what was happening, somehow managing to sit right in your seat before your door was flung open. "Come on Sugar, let's head inside before I completely derail the night."

He stepped aside and helped you out, shutting the door a bit roughly behind you once you had your bag. With his hand on the small of your back he led you up to your door, keeping a respectable distance despite what had happened moments ago.

You were eager to get inside, fumbling with your keys until you were pushing the door open and kicking off your heels as you stumbled into the entrance. You heard the door shut behind you as you made your way through your house, turning on lights and heading for the kitchen.

Seonghwa was right behind you, the soft pad of his feet giving him away. You made it to the island counter before you were swung around by your wrist, lips crashing down on yours. He was gentle but also desperate, like he was devouring you with each stroke of his lips. His tongue prodded for entrance and you happily gave it, moaning as he explored your mouth.

His hands busied themselves with pulling you out of the dress and letting it fall to the floor. Pushing your panties down to your knees he picked you up and set you down on the counter. "Where are the-"

"In the fridge, front and center." You answered immediately, kicking the underwear off completely and leaving yourselves bare to him. "H-how does this work exactly?"

Seonghwa, on his way to your fridge, glanced over his shoulder with a raised brow. "It's really simple: I cover all the parts of you I want to devour with sweet treats to make you sweeter and then… then I devour you." He turned back to the fridge and found the items immediately, smiling at the small bowl of cut strawberries next to everything else you mentioned. He pulled out the whipped cream and strawberries, searching for the melted chocolate.

Trying your best not to gush at his words, in more ways than one, you watched him place the edible items on the island. "The melted chocolate is in that bowl there." You motioned to a covered tupperware, as the instructions had said to leave it at room temp.

Chuckling he brought that over as well, taking a moment to drink you in with his gaze. "Lay back and spread your legs."

Obliging immediately, you kept yourself propped on your elbows just so you could watch him. First he pulled his jacket off, setting it on the counter before undoing his shirt. He folded first the jacket and then the shirt, taking his time while keeping his eyes on you- more so your pussy on display.

His pants went last, also folded up and set neatly aside leaving him in just the name brand boxer briefs that suited him well and did nothing to hide the bulge, or wet spot from his precum. He adjusted himself before stepping over, looking at his options. "The first part of a good meal would be presentation. So excuse me a moment Sugar, while I dress you up." He hummed out, hands running up your body from your knees, over your sides, up to your breasts where he gave a gentle squeeze, no doubt debating on just how he would do that.

You just let him have his way, eyes fixated on his every movement as he started with the whipped cream. Along the curve of your neck and the dips in your clavicle, around each nippled, a trail down your stomach and over your inner thighs which were still sticky with your own slick- he decorated you nicely with the cream alone.

Pleased, he tapped your jaw in a silent command to open, spilling some of the whipped cream into your mouth in a small mound. "Hold that there."

Next was the strawberries which he strategically placed. One on top of the mound in your mouth and several framing your cunt like a crown, with three in between your breasts like a trail. The melted chocolate however he kept aside, instead hovering above you as his eyes followed the path he had laid out with food. "You know… I actually love strawberries." He stated, lips diving down to pick up one from between your breasts with his teeth.

He brought his tongue to your breast next, puckering the peak with his teeth in between skillful licks of the cream. The sight of him was enough to full your stomach with liquid arousal, but with how messy it felt and good? You wondered if he was going to make you come without even touching your cunt.

After what he's shown you so far- you had full faith that he could.

He took his time devouring you, switching between eating one of the strawberries or licking up a section of the cream, keeping his focus on your torso. When he ran his tongue up the length of your neck, picking up the trail of cream there, you moaned, muffled by the cream still waiting to be taken from your mouth.

He wasted no time, shoving his tongue between your lips and scooping the small treat out in one fell swoop before kissing you deep and messy, huskily whispering your name against your lips.

When you had decided to pay for this fantasy, this was not how you pictured things going: it was better.

They way he used his lips and tongue to scoop up the cream and fruit on your body had the desired effect on you, while his supposed need with each touch just intensified it. It was sexual but intimate in a way that was almost loving.

Worshiping you.

You were in a daze when he pulled his lips away, your chin and lips as a mess of drool and spit and cream. Yet he stared down at you as if you looked even more beautiful this way, his tongue dipping out to lick his own lips. You couldn't wait to have his tongue elsewhere.

So you begged, reaching up and cupping his cheek, panting. "I want to feel your mouth on my pussy Mommy- please? I've been good right?"

He groaned, peppering your lips with quick kisses as he pushed your legs open. "Since my Sugar asked so nicely-" He moved down your body, turning his head to kiss the inside of your knees, humming deep in his throat as he licked and nipped his way up your inner thighs, taking in the cream that had settled on your flesh. He was messy with it, and you were beginning to think he liked it messy.

You would gladly be a mess for him, any day, any time, any where.

You loved what he was doing to you, especially when he found out you liked him biting you. He marked up your thighs until no cream was left, leaving just one last dessert.

His face was so close, breath fanning over your soaked lips, leaving your clit throbbing, but he took his time to admire the view. "Such a pretty sweet treat, Sugar. Mommy's going to enjoy this meal."

He dove in without hesitation, taking a swipe of cream before lapping up your slick around your lips. He moaned at the taste of you,n fingers digging into your flesh as he ate you out like you truly were the best meal of his life.

Boy did he know how to use his tongue and lips, driving you crazy. He alternated between sucking on your clit and shoving his tongue between your lips while his nose rubbed just right.

He didn't speak, too engrossed in fucking you with his tongue to do so, but he made plenty of sounds that showed his enjoyment. The moan he let out when you came on his tongue was positively sinful but he didn't stop.

He didn't stop until you were coming again and harder- soaking his face and chin. He didn't stop until you had cried so much you were incoherent. Only then did he start kissing his way up your trembling body. "That's it Sugar, making such a pretty mess for Mommy. Going to ruin you on my cock before I have one last fucking taste of you." He stopped to suck each of your nipples into a hard peak, biting on the areola.

"Mommy-" you gasped out as he pulled you roughly to the edge. Capturing your lips in a hungry kiss. "Please-!"

"Fuck Sugar, keep begging for me." He pushed his underwear down, his cock flopping against your cunt with a soft slap that had you whimpering. "My cock is just as hungry for this delicious pussy as I am- and I'm not stopping until it's had its fill."

"Oh fuck yes please Mommy. Want your cock so bad." You could feel his shaft rubbing between your pussy lips, soaking himself with your cum, your eagerness growing each time his cockhead hit your clit.

He seemed just as eager, biting down on his lip while he reached for the forgotten melted chocolate. Barely registering it in your lust filled daze, you were caught by surprise as he drizzled the chocolate over you: your chest, tits, and stomach then back up your throat to your lips. You help your tongue out for it, letting the little bit left drip down into your mouth despite still feeling full from dinner.

Purposely letting some slip out of your mouth you were rewarded by Seonghwa's guttural groan. "God damn- I don't even have to tell you. So fucking eager to be a mess for Mommy." Setting the bowl down, his eyes didn't move from your face as he pushed himself inside slowly.

With a strawberry he reached up and swiped your mixture of drool and chocolate off your lips then fed it to you. The second strawberry he fed you with his own lips, locking them in a kiss as his cock bottomed out inside. This kiss was slow and easy, savoring every taste and swipe of your lips without the desperation to devour you like before. He gave you both time to adjust, body flush against yours from hips to lips.

The sight of chocolate smeared on his chest when he stood up was almost as delicious as the first thrust of his cock. He was big, not monstrous, but you could feel him poking at your stomach. Pussy and stomach full, you bad to admit your heart felt full as well.

"Gorgeous. So damned gorgeous like this. You like it when Mommy takes care of you? Feeds you and pampers you? Then eat you?"

"Yes yes yes-"

"I do too Sugar. You take very good care of Mommy like this- the best fucking thing I've tasted. You like my cock too?" He accentuated the question with a harsh thrust, his hands moving over your body to rub the chocolate in.

You couldn't deny he was as into this as much as you were- that he loved this as much as you did- not with the way he looked at you or the raw emotion in his words. "L-love Mommy's cock. So good!"

Your arms hadn't been able to hold you up for some time now but with each thrust you had to grip the edge of the counter above you to hold on. It took everything in you to keep watching him; the twists of his expressions, the heat from his gaze making you feel as if this chocolate was freshly melted and hot against your skin- you wanted to see it all.

"And Mommy loves your sweet cunt. On my tongue, on my cock, on any part of me I want it."

There were only a few strawberries left but he used them to swipe up chocolate off of your neck and touch them to your lips, groaning each time you obediently ate the sweet treat. When he ran out of those, he used his tongue to clean off as much of it as he could, biting down on softer flesh as his thrusts became harsher and more erratic.

It was the way he sucked on your throat while his cock brushed against your sweet spot that had you creaming on his cock and crying out. His hips stuttered before he went harsher, purposely hitting the same spot with encouraging mutters to come undone again.

Scooping up some of the chocolate on two fingers he pushed them between your lips, holding them there and pressing your tongue down while he captured your gaze with his. Your head was buzzing still with orgasmic bliss, but you swore the way he looked at you was the exact way you always wanted someone to look at you for this.

Either he was a really good actor, or he found the mess you were so endearing you wouldn't be surprised if there were hearts in his eyes. You probably had some in yours, staring up at him as his praises stumbled into one another under your muffled moans. "That's it. Such a pretty fucking mess. The sweetest Sugar- so addicting- holy fuck I'm going to fill you up, make you an even sweeter cream pie. Fill you up with babies and breed you like a bakery oven. Fatten you up and devour you over and over- Fucking hell I'll be your God damn Mommy then, Sugar."

Breeding kink wasn't on your list but God damn when he said things like that to you- your head went blank and filled with so much cotton you saw white as he brought you to another core shattering climax that had you shaking and drooling.

He was too, burying his cock deep and filling you up as he promised, drool slipping down his chin and tongue out.

Time flowed both quickly and too slow then, the ringing in your ears left you feeling detached from your mind while your numb limbs left you feeling detached from your body. You barely registered when he pulled out of you, staring blankly up at his features when he sat you up in his arms and peppered your face with sweet, adoring kisses.

"You did so well."

Your only reply was a satisfied sound, head falling forward to rest on his shoulder as he picked you up, wrapping your legs around his waist. You were aware he was still inside you as he walked, only realizing where the moment you were sat down on your bathroom counter. "M-mommy?"

"Shhh, baby, I'm right here." Cupping your head he brought his face close for you to focus. "We're going to take a shower now alright? Mommy will wash you up and get you ready for bed. Do you think you can stand?"

You nodded, blushing at the obvious concern on his pretty face. "Yeah- I can."

He still helped you into the shower, standing in the way of the water as it warmed up before he guided you under the warm stream and was true to his word: he washed you up. Even got on his knee and had you lift your legs so he could wash every inch, including between your toes.

He was so focused and careful with your sensitive bits you felt your heart squeeze. "I'm sorry to ask but- what are your sexual preferences and kinks? Can you tell me that?"

He looked up at you, hand stilling on your thigh where he had been admiring a bite mark. "We usually don't discuss-"

"I want to know. I-I need to know." You interrupted him, suddenly filled with a desperation you believed was from nowhere. "Your honest answer… please."

Slowly he stood, brows pushed together as he eyed you critically. "Sugar…" With a sigh of resignation he tucked your hair behind your ears, placing a soft kiss to your forehead. "Go use the restroom and head to your room- I'm going to wash up and then I'll join you." Clearly about to protest, he rushed on- "I'll answer your questions then, but first I know you probably need to use the toilet so go first."

He wasn't wrong, but you reluctantly left the shower, letting him wrap you on a towel before you left him.

Only a few moments later, once you did as he said, did he join you in your room, a towel wrapped loosely around his waist and a smile that almost felt too bright. "You really listen so well."

You just nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed in the towel, eyes locked on his frame as he stepped closer. "Will you tell me now?"

"Of course." He busied himself immediately with drying your hair with the extra towel he brought, standing just before you. "My personal preferences were in play a lot tonight. I enjoy taking care of my partner, in all the ways I've taken care of you tonight and more. Food play isn't something that I'd want to do all the time, but I enjoyed it far more than I have before."

He dropped the towel around your shoulders, tilting your head back to look at him. "You wanted to make sure I really wanted you, right? That I enjoyed every bit of this, just as much as you did? Am I right?"

There had been a few times you had been positively sure he had, but he was right: you needed confirmation. "That's right."

"Hmmm-" He softened, bringing you to your feet so he could dry off the rest of your body. "First answer me something- why was this so important to you? This fantasy?"

Now that was a loaded question, one that would take far too long to answer and reveal far too many personal things that he didn't need to know.

Even if a part of you wanted him to know everything.

"Let's just talk it up to Mommy issues and a bad streak with relationships left me desperate to feel loved… is that good enough of an answer?"

He nodded, his frown deepening. "Yes. And to answer yours… I did. I wanted you every second tonight and enjoyed it all. It almost feels like a crime that you paid for this."

You weren't sure how to respond to that, not when your heart felt like it had started a marathon, so you just watched him meticulously dry off every inch of you.

You didn't know how to tell him that those words took care of a part of you that felt impossible to reach. You weren't sure you wanted to tell him. What would he think of you? As you two had been strangers before tonight.

So you kept quiet, watching as he scoured your room for pajamas before bringing over a cute pair back to you. The smile was back on his face as he dressed you, no commands needed as you just did what he wanted without a thought. It was easy following his lead, you didn't even need to hear the commands.

"Such a good girl for me, Sugar, but now it's time for bed." He picked you up with ease, carrying you around and laying you down before you could protest. "Do you want some water or something? Do you need anything for indigestion or pain?" He looked you over before pulling the blanket tight over you, but his jaw dropped when he looked at your face again. "Sugar? Why do you look so hurt?"

"Stay." You blurted out, fighting off tears as you reached out to grab his wrists. "Just for tonight, you don't have to be here in the morning… just please Seonghwa- I don't want to be alone after this."

He melted under your pleas, bringing your hand to his lips. "Of course Sugar, I'll take care of you any way you need tonight."

Despite knowing it was just for tonight, just as he said, relief flooded you. Your hand went lax in his grip as you relaxed into the pillows, nodded.

He didn't join you right away, instead leaving to fetch his clothes first. When he came back his underwear was back on but he set his folded suit on your corner chair, then thankfully slid into bed opposite you.

Hesitant at first, you watched him, only to squirm into his arms when he motioned you into them. He held you close, pressing kisses to your forehead and temple until you were putty in his arms.

Sleep didn't elude you for long, what a godsend a warm embrace could do for the tired soul.

"If I'm lucky enough to have you again, I hope I can prove to you how lovable you are, Sugar. In fact I might be a little desperate to do so."

You almost mistook his words for a dream in your half-asleep state, but the soft way he whispered your name against your brow and his warm hold were proof it wasn't.

You truly felt loved as sleep pulled you under.

If you want to join the taglist, comment or ask <3 thank you!

Current taglist: Red means I couldn't tag @justhere4kpop   /  @warpedspirit /  @candypop1611   /  @spooo00oky @sanniessnails  / @gugggu6gvai / @starillusion13 / @tunaasan / @lavishloving / @h-nji / @tearfulsparks78 / @minkysmilk / @certifiedmoa / /

[elliespectacular]

Any tips on how to correctly credit clips used in YTP? I'm very lost when it comes to finding copyright info and stuff like that.

The stakes are pretty low for YouTube Poop and crediting clips in the video/description is not standard practice - but it's a good thing to do! That said I am not an authority on this and even my method has some blind spots. These are just some generally good ideas for being a slightly-more-courteous-than-average shitposter.

The acknowledgement is the most important part, stating outright what the names of the sources are. Pay attention to the official titles of what you use and try to trace them to their original form - for example in The Price is Rice COMPLETE I wanted to credit the gamer-themed Dust-Off commercial I used in The Price is Rice Jr. Usually ads are more difficult to track down than other kinds of televised media, so often "___ TV Spot" does the job, but a quick peek at the official YouTube channel reveals that the ad's actual name was How to properly clean your gaming computer.

Then there's an acknowledgement of the owner. I try to list composers for music, directors for film, and of course artists for art. You aren't required to give an exhaustive list of every single contributor to the art you've sampled, but make sure you credit the person/company it belongs to at the very least. Going back to the Dust-Off example, the YouTube video contained a link to dust-off . com which now redirects to falconsafety . com - I lucked out because the top of the page indicates clearly that Dust-Off is a product owned by Falcon Safety Products Inc. but this info is often in the About section of a website or at the bottom of the page.

I like to throw the year on each YTP credit as well. Academic citations usually require a more precise publication date if available. Among other benefits it helps distinguish between things with the same name/owner that were rebooted later - for example there are multiple games called Sonic the Hedgehog owned by SEGA from different years (In fact in this example there are two games from 1991 so it's also important to note what system the game is for!) Generally your source credits should communicate to a viewer where to start looking for a specific thing or who to ask.

You can use Wikipedia to orient yourself if you need a lead on where to start tracking down copyright information for popular media, but make sure you cross-reference what's there with other sources. For Movies/TV I usually just look at the very end of their credits which usually has the copyright info. For music I use Discogs. Sometimes for more obscure or less-documented things I have to do some search-engine sleuthing.

If you're stuck, ask a friend for help! It can be fun and rewarding to track down something that isn't answered by a quick google search, and like most things turning it into a collaborative effort makes it less of a slog.

Copyright acknowledgement is tricky to do correctly and not every Best Practice applies to each situation. There may come a day when MLA-style citations become normal or required even for shitposts and your due diligence will become greater. Do your best, give credit where it's due, and you'll be fine :)

[l1brarian1999]

Trading Tips

Warframe is unique in that you can genuinely buy almost everything without spending a penny.

Because Bought Platinum can be traded to players, it means you can make platinum by just playing the game more.

But trading is a complicated thing - you gotta deal with people.

So first and foremost, warframe.market Trade chat in game is... Fine but its fast, hard to deal with, and its hard to compare prices. So you need to be able to see what everyone's paying, what everyone's pricing. Warframe.market is a website where you can create an account, list your 'assets', and compare prices with a bunch of people to get an accurate and fair price (in most cases).

There's also the rather obvious tip - work on your Mastery Rank. More rank means more trades per day. When you're only able to do one or two trades in a day, you're more likely to go for big ticket items like weapons and such.

Here's a big one - find a market that works for you. For example, I can't stand selling Prime parts for some reason? I don't like hunting for that one piece to get a full set together, I don't like how the price tanked for everything ever since the Key-to-Relic change, and I don't like the two part grind of getting the relics, and then cracking them, but also needing to Radiant them. I do like selling mods though, since I find those by accident and it makes Transmutation worth a damn. I don't like selling Arcanes either, finicky.

If you wanna get the most out of trading, you gotta learn about Supply and Demand.

Some Primes are not actively available at all times, meaning there are times when the Supply is Limited, meaning you'll see the price raise.

Sometimes Warframes will get buffs or reworks and people might wanna give them a try, demand will go up, and the price will rise.

Sometimes the Developers (DE) will give out a Prime Warframe for completely free, the demand will plummet.

Remember the trade tax - Primed Mods need 1,000,000 credits to buy, for the trade tax. Each 'platinum' / legendary arcane needs 100,000 per rank.

When you're buying anything in a set, always check to see if its cheaper to buy the pieces individually rather than a full set - and vice versa, if buying a set is cheaper than buying individual pieces (especially with Arcanes)

Knowing what to sell is a difficulty in and of itself, and while the usual logic of 'whatever grind you like the most', that might not work for some folks. If all else fails, I recommend Prime Parts & Baro Ki'teer:

Crack Relics as much as possible, this is generally good advice as you'll be able to stock up on Forma Blueprints, and Prime Parts

Build Prime items you need first and foremost

Check any items worth 45 or 100 ducats on warframe.market, see if its worth plat. Use your own judgement here, I personally don't sell Prime Parts unless they're worth 10 plat or more.

Anything you don't use or sell, take to a relay and melt for Ducats. When Baro Ki'teer comes to town every other Friday, check for Mods first (i'll do a separate post about Baro). Mods tend to be the cheapest to buy and certain Primed Mods are big benefits to your collection. Once you've got an item for yourself, if you have leftover ducats and credits, you can buy a duplicate item to sell.

Say you somehow stocked up ludicrous credits and ducats, don't buy lots of the same item - diversify.

And here's the special sauce - hold onto that duplicate, don't sell right away. Once Baro Ki'teer leaves, the supply of those items becomes limited, and will steadily start trending upwards. Even if Baro comes back, because his stock cycles it might still be trending up, and will generally only go down once Baro brings it back. I like waiting a week before I put it up on .market.

If you're using warframe.market, and you know you're not trading / you've set your status as Offline, but someone messages you anyway asking to buy an item - don't sell. Usually people only message offline traders if the trader has a lower price than the online traders. I usually just say to them "Sorry, I'm not trading at the minute" and then block them.

If you're using warframe.market, people usually send a message that .market produces automatically, however, some sneaky folks may try to change the price there, hoping you won't notice. Per .market's T&Cs, you have five minutes to respond (not that most folks will wait that long) so check your profile and make sure that the price is right. If they've changed the price, that is proactively a violation of warframe.market's T&Cs and can - and should - be reported. They are not supposed to change or edit the message in any way, any negotiations should happen after they've sent the message.

Eventually, you'll get to a stage where you're getting plenty of duplicates, maybe a lot of rare mods. Its important to note that just because a mod is 'Rare' doesn't mean its 'rare'. If its easy for you to get, its easy for everyone else to get.

Remember Transmutation. Transmutation is where you take four mods, and trade them for a random mod. The Rarer the mods you put in, the more likely it is to be a Rare mod. So say if you've got 12 Power Throws, you can transmutate 3 times and you might get a mod back that is actually worth something. I get a fair bit of my plat this way because it allows me to get mods that would otherwise be annoying to get. I don't know which mods, and I usually get common mods that aren't worth much, but way I see it I'm trading Endo and Credits into Plat at an extremely bad rate, but that's fine because I have plenty of both of those, and always want more plat.

I'll add more here if I think of them.

[boringkate]

embarrassing question: i went to buy something from "manyvids.com" and when i went to chekcout it took me to "rocketgate.com" for me to pay, i, maybe stupidly, put in my card info but then it said "transaction declined" i defo have the money. i know you use manyvids, is that the right payment processor? i dont really care that it got denied ive just only ever bought porn through onlyfans and im suddenly a little worried that i am gonna get stolen from because i accidentally clicked the wrong link or something. sorry for asking you this boringkate but i dont know where else to turn.

That's their main payment processor. ManyVids is a popular site and if people were getting credit card frauded (is frauded a word?) just by using it then it would be well known by now and nobody would use it anymore.

You might have entered your card number wrong. Or it might be incompatible in some way (which is probably more likely if you're not in the united states). Credit cards can just be weird sometimes. My card has inexplicably ONLY worked with transferwise (the service I use to pay for unregulated girl pills lol) for the past like year.

If you can't get it working (and still want the scene) then ManyVids alternately accepts crypto.

All of my ManyVids scenes are also on APClips.

Most of my ManyVids scenes are available for purchase on OnlyFans too, but things over there aren't downloadable (just streamable) and sometimes OnlyFans takes down videos that it feels have violated the rules, so it wouldn't be my first choice.

Some of my purchasable ManyVids scenes are also just included with the $10 subscription over on OnlyFans and Fansly, but it varies from scene to scene.

[late-to-the-party-81]

Finders Keepers - Chapter Three

AN: I hope you enjoyed the last part and the delve into your main characters' pasts. Please note that in this chapter our Reader is physically violated by the removal of her prosthetic without her consent. This is an assault on her body autonomy. Please do not read this chapter if this will trigger you - I will place a summary at the end so you can get the gist of what happens

Unbeta'd chapter

Dividers by @firefly-graphics and moodboard by me.

Bingo Fills - @buckybarnesbingo Square B4 - Deja Vu

Join my tag list here

Master list | BBB Master list 

Chapter Two

Relationship: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Chapter word count: 3.3k

Chapter CW: Physical assault, kidnapping, non-consensual body modification, violation of body autonomy, threats of rape, implied threat of murder, non-consensual kiss, Hydra.

Chapter Three - Violation

It was like a twisted version of deja vu. Most of this scenario felt so familiar - the taste of dirt in your mouth, the aches from hitting the ground at high speed and, most of all, the embarrassment at being taken down so easily. What was different though, was the face of the man standing over you. You didn’t recognise him at all, but as your eyes roamed over him as he stared down at you, smug and predatory, you did recognise the red octopus patch on his jacket. You pushed yourself up onto your elbows.

“Hydra boys? What are you guys doing around here?” You knew from talking to your neighbours that Hydra had had a strong foothold in this area until about five or six years ago, when they’d suddenly moved territories. 

They did what you and Bucky did, but were far more organised and far less scrupulous. The worst thing you did was steal from piles of unclaimed junk in Bucky’s area, but apparently Hydra weren’t above outright thievery if it was required - there was a rumour of a grav-train heist gone wrong. And whilst they did offer credit, folk who took them up on that offer very soon regretted that decision. Even with the advanced medical procedures now available, it was still hard to earn a wage if you were nursing freshly repaired knee-caps, plus the fact that paying for said repairs would automatically put you in more debt.

The man staring down at you took a few steps closer and you fought the urge to scoot away. He obviously wanted you to stay put as well, as he planted a heavy boot on your chest and pressed part of his weight onto you. You gritted your teeth and swallowed down a moan of discomfort, just continuing to glare at his scarred visage.

“Decided it was time to take back our territory, sweetheart. And the best way to start is to bring Barnes back into the fold.”

“What do you mean? Barnes is a loner. Through and through.” You were confused about what he was talking about, but luckily he seemed to like the sound of his own voice and was more than happy to explain.

“He might be now, but he was once one of us. We parted ways on bad terms a few years back, but the boss thinks it’s high-time he rejoins us. Especially as he didn’t actually ask to leave. Just walked away and left us, which isn’t really how we do things.”

You furrowed your brows as he spoke. Had Bucky really been a part of the mean and vicious Hydra gang. Yes he was an asshole towards you, but his reputation with others didn’t match up with the picture this goon was painting.

“Nice story, but I fail to see what it has to do with me and why you decided I should eat dirt. Sounds like a you and Bucky issue.” You really wished he’d take his foot off of you. Your ribs were starting to ache like anything.

“Well he might need a bit of persuading - he can be a stubborn ass a lot of the time - and what better way to persuade him than to have his girl on our side.”

If your ribs, and therefore your lungs, weren’t so constricted you’d have laughed at the man’s statement. As it was, the best you could do was snort derisively. “Good luck with that!”

The man chuckled. “You don’t want to join us, toots? You’re breaking my heart.”

“Well, obviously I don’t want to join you - I have some standards. But it’s more that I’m not Barnes’ girl. He doesn’t give a shit what I do, as long as it isn’t stealing from him. We barely tolerate each other, and in fact he took all of my latest fee off me, not fifteen minutes ago.”

The hazel eyes looking at you narrowed and he suddenly removed his foot from your chest. You sucked in a deep breath, unable to stop your reaction, but didn’t have any time to get your breathing back to normal as he suddenly wrapped his fist into the front of your jacket, hoisted you back to your feet and slammed you back into the closest wall.

“Stop playing games. We know he lets you Find on his turf and we know he keeps an eye on you. Even if you’re not his girl in the traditional sense, Barnes definitely has a soft spot for you. Therefore, I reckon that if you’re with us, and it doesn’t matter to me if that’s willingly or unwillingly, sweetheart, he’ll definitely come after you.” He looked you up and down, as if only really assessing you for the first time. You felt like a piece of meat hung up in a butcher’s window. “If you’re not his girl, what about being mine? I could show you a good time.” He ran the back of his free hand down your face in caress and you repressed a disgusted shudder.

“Not fucking likely”, you ground out, and then made your move. You kicked him in the shin with your right foot. Hard. At the same time you wrapped both your hands around his wrist and twisted it. He shouted out in a combination of shock and pain and let go of you. You set off, sprinting down the alley, however you’d momentarily forgotten that he wasn’t alone. Several sets of feet set off after you and you jumped, midstride, as a stunner shot connected with the wall beside you, leaving a scorch mark and an acrid smell in its wake.

You quickened your pace, willing your flesh leg to keep up with your metallic one, but your wish was in vain. You stumbled and at the same time a stunner shot caught your arm, sending you spinning. Pain flared up your limb and a small voice in your head unhelpfully pointed out that this was beginning to feel like a pattern as you crashed back into the ground. 

You groaned, unable to move as footsteps approached, and once again your tormentor leaned over you.

“I realised, sweetheart,” he drawled. “I never introduced myself. The name’s Brock. Brock Rumlow. Remember it so you know what to scream later.”

Your eyes widened as he aimed a stunner at your chest. You heard the whine it gave off and then…

Nothing.

Your head was pounding and your tongue felt thick in your mouth as you woke up. You hadn’t been shot with a stunner many times, but you didn’t need to in order to know the feeling of a stun-hangover. You blinked your eyes open and you were glad that wherever you were, it wasn’t too bright.

It appeared to be some kind of empty warehouse, and you were the only occupant, sitting in a chair, your wrists tied to the arms and your legs….

Horror swept over you, along with a feeling of utter violation. Your left leg was tied to the chair by the ankle, but your right leg wasn’t tied at all, because the lower half of it was missing, your pants leg shredded to gain quick access. Bile rose in your throat and choked it back. Any thought that’d you’d had to play this cool in hopes of lulling Rumlow and his goons into a false sense of security went straight out of the window.

“You sick fucks!” You screamed across the space, your voice echoing off the bare walls and you started to struggle against your bonds. They’d regret this. As soon as you got free you were going to rain hell down upon them. The ropes rubbed painfully against your wrists and left ankle, but you were a woman possessed.

Suddenly, a large hand clamped down on the back of your neck menacingly, and you stilled, teeth gritted. Rage filled you were, stupid you were not.

“Did wonder when you were going to wake up, sweetheart” Brock bent down, his face appearing in your peripheral vision and his breath hot on your cheek. You wrinkled your nose at the stench.

“Give me back my leg,” you growled, your rage bubbling white hot inside you.

“And give you another chance to kick me? That shit hurt. Nah. Leg privileges are earned.” His other hand landed on your right thigh, and he gave a light squeeze of it through your ruined pants.

“Its a fucking part of me, jerk. I’d ask how you’d like it if I took your dick off you, but I doubt anyone, least of all you, would notice.”

He wrenched your head back in anger, and although it hurt you couldn’t help but grin up at him and how easy it was to push his buttons. Like any bully.

“I don’t know how you haven’t realised this yet, bitch, but you aren’t in charge here - I am. And if you’re nice to me I’ll be nice to you. However, if you continue like this…” Brock shrugged as his words tailed off and shoved your head back forward before releasing it. You continued to glower at him as he walked around the chair to stand in front of you, his thick arms crossed over his equally broad chest.

“What am I supposed to do if I need to piss or crap?” you questioned, hoping that the question would gross him out. Unfortunately he seemed unfazed.

“Ask me or one one of the boys nicely and we’ll carry you to the bathroom.”

“I’d rather hop, asshole.” The thought of any of them touching you made your skin crawl.

“If you prefer. It’s a long way from this room, princess.”

It was your turn to shrug in reply. 

A silence fell between you, but Brock just continued to stare as if you were an insect he was studying under a microscope. You squirmed beneath his gaze and bit your tongue until you couldn’t take it any longer.

“What now? We stay here staring at each other, hoping Barnes turns up at some point? I hate to break it to you - he’s not coming. I’m nothing to him.”

Brock smiled then and it made you more afraid than any of his macho posturing had. “You’d best hope you’re wrong, toots. Because if you’re right, and he doesn’t come for you then I’ve got no use for you.” He crouched down into your personal space, his large hands resting on both your thighs this time. “Well, no long term use. Short term on the other hand…” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to yours.

You pulled at your bonds again and wrenched your head away. “Ugh, you’re such an animal.” Brock just chuckled and stood up, nonplussed by your reaction.

“Sticks and stones, sweetheart. I’ll come and check on you later, see if your mood has improved at all. Don’t forget to shout loudly if you need the toilet - you’ll want us to hear you then.” He then turned away from you without a second glance and you were left alone in the dull light once more.

A few hours later and despite your resolve you were forced to call out. It was the most humiliating thing you’d ever had to do. You also hadn’t quite contemplated how hard it was to hop with a full bladder, but you’d be damned if you’d let any of them assist you. The nameless Hydra thug who accompanied you smirked and sniggered the whole time, but you did your best to ignore him. At least he didn’t come into the tiny, disgusting bathroom with you, so you had a few minutes to mentally pull yourself together again and inspect the marks on your wrists from being tied up. 

However, what you weren’t expecting once you’d finished was that you weren’t returned to the chair in the large, echoey space, your guard turning in another direction instead. He didn’t offer to help you and nor did you ask. Thankfully it wasn’t too far, but you had to stop several times and lean on the wall to catch your breath. When you finally reached your destination, the goon just gestured for you to go through the aperture he’d stopped in front of. You were wary but also intrigued. So far, aside from the violation of having your leg removed from you, none had perpetrated any violence upon you, apart from Brock’s kiss and unsubtle threats.

The room you entered was a small cell, and ironically it was bigger than your living space back at the apartment block. The only thing in it, though, was a bed. At least you’d be able to rest. When the forcefield buzzed into life behind you, you signed in resignation. You listened as the footsteps of your minder echoed away back down the corridor, leaving you in blessed solitude, and you allowed yourself to relax a little.

Manoeuvring yourself over to the small bed, you sat down. To stop yourself immediately lapsing in maudlin state, you decided to do something about your tattered pant’s leg. It had been cut twice, all the way up to mid thigh, by whichever complete bastard had done this to you - your money was on Brock - which at least meant you could tied the two flaps together and tuck the ends in so they wouldn’t get in your way or snag on anything. That didn’t take much time, so when that was done you lay down on the bed to rest - there wasn’t really much else to do unless you wanted to count the rivets on the wall.

You shuffled around for a few moments, trying to get comfortable, before realising that something in your jacket pocket was digging into you. You slid your hand in, and as soon as your fingers curled around the object you couldn’t help but grin. Brock and his cronies may have been clever enough to take your leg, but they obviously hadn’t done a proper search of your person. You still had your field disruptor.

Now all you had to do was wait for the right time.

In the end, you decided you weren’t going to wait too long. You knew Bucky wasn’t coming for you - you doubt he’d even realised you were missing, probably assuming any absence was because you were licking your wounds after your last encounter. However, if he wasn’t coming, then eventually Rumlow would realise that as well and you would become a nuisance or worse. A plaything. You had no desire to see how long his patience would last before it snapped and he took his frustrations out on you. Just the thought of him touching you made you want to wretch.

After you’d been placed in your cell you’d been left alone for another few hours, another guard only appearing to place some ration packs in with you. He didn’t speak to you and you acted as though he wasn’t there for the brief amount of time he was present. However, as soon as he’d gone, you devoured the food and drink, needing the energy, and then sat down by the edge of the field, so you could get a good look up and down the corridor.

There was a camera on the opposite wall, part way down, and you’d just have to hope that it wasn’t being monitored too well. You gave it a little wave anyway, listening out for the tell-tale whir of it refocusing. It didn’t make a sound, which didn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t being monitored, but you could hope.

Time started to lose meaning - you weren’t sure how long you’d been locked up here - but you did notice when the sky began to darken outside and then start to glow with the reflection of thousands of neon lights. The corridor remained empty and the sounds of people moving around in other parts of the warehouse lessened. You looked up at the camera. It still hadn’t moved. Did you dare risk it?

You slid your hand into your pocket again, gripping your field disruptor, balanced on the edge of your decision. Waiting for a sign.

The power light on the camera went out.

You blinked at it, disbelieving, then in the next second pushed yourself into action. Your disruptor was out in front of you, powered on, and you were scanning for the correct frequency. Your head jerked up when you heard a loud thud coming from way down the corridor and the whine of a stunner discharging.

“Come on, come on,” you muttered under your breath as you turned the dial by increments and then let out a small shout of success as you saw your device start to work. You willed it to work faster as the noises of a confrontation along from you became louder.

As soon as there was a gap for you to crawl through you did so as fast as you could. You powered off the disruptor and shoved it back into your pocket and then pulled yourself upright. Which way should you go? It seemed to you that the exit was more likely to be in the direction of the commotion, but without your full mobility or any kind of weapon it didn’t seem like it would be a good idea to go that way. Maybe you should find somewhere to hide and then try to sneak out when it all quietened down?

A pained shout from the direction of the apparent confrontation made your decision for you, and you started to move as fast as you could away from it. Panic consumed you, your mind making up all sorts of scenarios about what was happening behind you - there was no way whatever it was would be good for you. Was it another rival gang taking out Hydra? Or was the beast turning on itself? Rumlow had mentioned a boss after all - maybe he was unhappy with how the scarred man had handled things?

You clung to the wall, using each crevice as a hand hold so you could move faster. There was more stunner fire, but also the sound of phase pistols. Some folk weren’t messing around, apparently. Then most of the sounds diminished. One didn’t, however. The sound of a pair of heavy footsteps. Footsteps that quickened in pace and seemed to be getting closer to you.  You didn’t dare look around, your focus firmly on the doorway you could see up ahead. The desperation to get to it and its perceived safety was overwhelming.

This time when you fell, it wasn’t because someone threw something at you or tripped you. It was because you were fatigued. You tumbled to the ground, arms outstretched to try and stop your face meeting the hard floor. You let out a sound, half pain, half frustration and tears started to run down your face unbidden. The footsteps came to a halt behind you. You didn’t even have the energy to look up. You were beaten, well and truly and you waited for your next tormentor. The next humiliation. The next violation.

“We’ve gotta stop meeting like this, doll. I’m getting a sense of deja vu.”

For a moment you thought that your panicked brain was making stuff up, but you turned your head, and there he was, larger than life. More tears, ones of relief now, flowed from your eyes, and as he knelt to the floor and gathered you in his arms you hugged him back. Your face pressed into the stiff leather of his jacket and you inhaled the scent of it. The scent of him.

“You came for me?” Your voice was small, so unlike the normal you, especially the you around Bucky. However, it appeared you weren’t the only one behaving uncharacteristically, because you felt his arms tighten around you and what felt like a kiss to the top of your head.

“Always, doll. I’ll always come for you.”

Chapter Four

Chapter Summary: Reader is confronted by Brock Rumlow and Hydra goons who think they can use her to leverage Bucky into returning to them. She kicks Brock with her prosthetic leg and tries to escape, but is caught and shot unconscious. When she wakes she is bound to a chair in a warehouse, her prosthetic removed. Brock taunts her with threats of sexual and physical violence. Later she is transferred to a cell. She realises that despite her missing leg she still has her field disruptor and decides she needs to try to escape before Brock gets frustrated at Bucky’s failure to show. When  trying to decide when to make her move the security camera suddenly disables and the sounds of a fight reach her. She makes her move and escapes her cell but decides to try and hide rather than make her way through the confrontation to the exit. Whilst she is moving along she hears someone coming up behind her and she panics and falls. She expects some further horrors, but it is in fact Bucky, who scoops her into his embrace.

Tag list: @christywrites, @alexakeyloveloki, @wolfsmom1, @doasyoudesireandlive, @sonatabee-blog, @goldylions, @galactusdevourerofworlds, @apenny4thots, @km-ffluv @wheezy-stucky @mrs-illyrian-baby

[plumbob-boy]

RetailSims Satanic Set

So I noticed RetailSims.com is gone now. It's likely due to internet decay and most likely permanently gone, so I have taken the liberty to reupload the Satanism Set from that site, which is pictured below.

The set comes with 16 objects, some of which have recolors. The objects are bundled in a collection you can see in residential or community lots. The Lady on Red and recolors have a dependency on CEP, the rest are standalone.

All items are from retailsims.com and are unaltered. If the original uploader, HChangeri from Retail Sims, wishes these to be taken down, please send me a message and let me know. Again, I take no credit for these items and am only reuploading to maintain community access because I love these cc items and can't live without them!!

Download (google drive) (simfileshare)

Edit: I guess I'm a few years late to the party and some awesome people already archived everything from retailsims. that's awesome! but……. I'm just gonna go ahead keep this up just because I already made the post :p

Description and pictures of each item and recolor below the cut:

The Great Book

Object with 8 recolors

This book isn't just good, it's grrrrrreat (and damn old). Mesh created by Maxis. Recolored and edited by HChangeri. www.retailsims.com

Inverted Pentagram End Table

Object with 4 recolors

This table sports not one but TWO inverted pentagrams for twice the evil. Created by HChangeri. www.retailsims.com.

Decorative Inverted Pentagrams

3 separate objects each with 2 recolors

Large

Hang this around your evil lair just enhance the evilness and scare idiots away. Created by HChangeri. www.retailsims.com

Medium

Slide a table under this inverted pentagram using the "moveobjects on" cheat for a wickedly evil altar adornment. Created by HChangeri. www.retailsims.com

Small

A little piece of evilness for your darkest decorating needs. Created by HChangeri. www.retailsims.com

Altar and Shelves of the Abyss

3 separate objects with no recolors

2-Tier Shelves

Shelves with that "just stepped out of hell" look to them. Created by HChangeri. www.retailsims.com.

Table

An altar with that "just stepped out of hell" look. Perfect for Satanic Ritual, Necromancy, or for the uber goth look. Created by HChangeri. www.retailsims.com.

1-Tier Floor Shelf

Shelves with that "just stepped out of hell" look to them. Created by HChangeri. www.retailsims.com.

Lady on Red Recolors

6 Recolors of a Maxis base game object

No description available

Note: Likely requires CEP which can be downloaded from MTS

Seal of Baphomet

Object with 5 recolors

"1. Stupidity—The top of the list for Satanic Sins. The Cardinal Sin of Satanism. It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful. Ignorance is one thing, but our society thrives increasingly on stupidity. It depends on people going along with whatever they are told. The media promotes a cultivated stupidity as a posture that is not only acceptable but laudable. Satanists must learn to see through the tricks and cannot afford to be stupid." - The #1 Cardinal Sin in Satanism according to Anton Szandor LeVey (c) 1987 www.churchofsatan.com

Altar Candle

Object with no recolors

Pay homage to Old Nick the proper way with this Satanic Altar Candle modeled after one used by a Satanic High Priest (www.churchofsatan.com). Created by HChangeri. www.retailsims.com

Double Candle

Object with no recolors

When you put two evil things together you get……twice the evil (duh!) Created by HChangeri. www.retailsims.com

Large Banner

Object with no recolors

Celebrate the black mass properly with this banner depicting Baphomet and an inverted cross. Created by HChangeri. www.retailsims.com.

Large Banner

Object with no recolors

Celebrate the black mass properly with this banner depicting an inverted cross. Created by HChangeri. www.retailsims.com.

The Satanic Rituals

Object with no recolors

Every Satanic ritual altar needs a copy of The Satanic Rituals by Anton Szandor LaVey....so here you are. Created by HChangeri. www.retailsims.com

Note: Place the altar table first, then objects on both slots (candles are recommended), then with moveobjects cheat enabled, place the Satanic Rituals book in the center of the altar table.

Magick Ritual Tools

Object with no recolors

Includes Book of Shadows, Wand, Chalice, Athame, Bell, and Candles.

Note: A duplicate floating version of the object intended for use with the moveobjects cheat enabled is also included for more customizable placement options.

Collection

The collection file includes all items described above, as pictured.

[alarajrogers]

The fucking writers

For this to make sense, you must understand that my husband and I have a running joke, a semi-belief we don't quite take seriously, that we are the stars of some kind of fifth-dimensional TV show and the twists and turns of our lives are governed by writers trying to make things dramatic.

Lengthy story under cut.

So after six fucking months of searching I finally get a job. It starts next Monday. Paid semi-monthly. So I do not get paid until the first week of March.

I figure, I cannot put in unemployment after I have actually started work, but I can until I report to work, right?

No. "Benefits exhausted." What does this mean? Was I erroneously reported as working already? They're doing a background check now after I formally signed the offer, and my credit is shit, is this going to be a problem?

I call unemployment. They hang up instantly.

I call unemployment again. They hang up instantly again.

This repeats about five times until I call with my Teams number rather than my cell. (My cell is a Maryland number. I live in Maryland. The agency I am trying to reach is in Maryland. Why the fuck are they hanging up?)

This dumps me into a voice tree horror. "You can interact with this system using your voice. Tell us why you're calling so we can direct you to the correct agent." "I want to know why my claim has been closed." "I'm sorry, I don't understand. Tell us why you're calling so we can direct you to the correct agent." "Claims closure." "I'm sorry" blah blah blah. "Agent." "I need some information so I can direct you to the correct agent" blah blah. "Representative." Hangs up.

I try the other number, the one for putting in your claim. Five times it tells me to call the first number while I'm trying to navigate the phone tree and while I'm on hold. Then it hangs up on me.

Try the cell phone on the first number, again. Hangs up on me.

Rinse, repeat. At one point I think I've gotten somewhere -- I used my Teams phone and I got to the prompt after "existing or recently closed claim" and so I ask about my closed claim. "I'm sorry, we can't help you at this time. Goodbye." WHAT???

So, to make an incredibly tediously long story just a tiny bit shorter, eventually I get through after working on this for two hours. And I am told "yeah, your benefits ran out. Your claim is exhausted." I do the math, something I should have done a long time ago, and what do you know. My "maximum benefit" is in fact 26 weeks of unemployment.

Any way to extend it? Just for the two weeks of February that I was not, and will not be, employed?

"A thirteen week extension is available during times of high unemployment through a Federal program. We will let you know if this is available and you are eligible for this." Well, fuck. Federal program. Everyone in Maryland could be literally out of a job and the current Federal government would just laugh maniacally like Lex Luthor with Superman chained to a green kryptonite crystal in front of him.

So. By great vast coincidence, I land a job just as my benefits run out, but it doesn't start until they're out for two weeks, and it doesn't pay until two weeks after that, so I have to get through the entire month of February on what I have. Which, just to be clear, is one-fifth of what I was making when I last had a job. Which was not quite enough for our expenses then.

Now, here's the additional wrinkle to this story.

For fifteen years, I had a small business. Since 2019, most of our money has come from selling Microsoft licenses. Since 2022, all of it has. We have been losing customers through natural attrition, and not getting any back, and frankly nobody here feels good enough about Microsoft to even want to sell these licenses to anyone anyway. So we made the decision to wind the company down. But in March 2022, Microsoft started this program called NCE, where they would fuck you over on their price increases just a little bit less if you signed on for a year. Therefore, we cannot actually release yearly customers until March 2025, and if we don't do it then, we're stuck with them (and they with us) until March 2026.

I have already billed, received and spent almost all of Febaruary invoices. March invoices can only be billed against customers that are staying through March. We'd wanted to divest most of the portfolio, but if we do, then we literally have no money coming in in February, not even what we need to keep the services turned on that the customers we have until the end of February require. Because my job search managed to finally succeed and land something just about a month too late to successfully wind things down with the business without my unemployment money coming in, which it's not, because it just ran out.

This is not a plea for money. I have a lot of privileges most people on this site do not have, such as a dad who managed to retire with a lot of money (but, not like 1% money; he was a well-paid IT professional with IBM and spent the last ten years working as a consultant. He's not exactly a millionnaire, but he's got more than most people's dads. Unfortunately his consulting business with IBM just ended due to a corporate decision to no longer employ consultants, and I have a disabled brother and another one who makes "I'm a photographer" money, so I really do not want to have to ask him for more than I already have. But, it does remain an option.) I will find some way to survive the next month. Probably have to change my plans regarding the business and not shut down just yet.

But I've already bitched about this to everyone in real life I can safely bitch about it to, and I really really need to bitch about this.

[luthwhore]

i am buying a house, and (maybe) you can too!

so... you want to buy a house, but you don't make a lot of money and you have no way to save up the recommended 10% recommended downpayment on a mortgage, which means you're basically going to be stuck renting forever, right?

well... actually, maybe not!

this post is going to be very US-centric, so i cannot speak to the homebuying experience in other countries, but if you live in the united states... you might be able to buy a house for much less up front than you might think!

this is gonna get long, but the main things you'll need are:

a credit score in the low- to mid-600s. this can vary by program, but most down payment assistance programs require somewhere between a 620 and 660. (i might make a second post at some point about credit scores bc fixing my credit score was a long and arduous process.)

enough in savings to cover a few up-front expenses. there are a couple of things that the down payment assistance programs won't cover. for me, we ended up having to pay ~$1500 up front total, which - to put it in perspective - is less than the deposit and move-in fees were going to be at most apartments in our area.

that's basically it! if you can do those two things, you might be able to buy a house!

let's talk about the details.

programs vary by state, but most states have down payment assistance programs of one kind or another. there's also a federal USDA loan program which is $0 down as well, but is only available in rural areas.

these programs WILL usually require you to have a certain credit score, usually somewhere in the 600s. (the particular program my housemates and i are using requires a minimum 640, but some require a higher or lower credit score than that.)

usually your first step is speak to a mortgage lender. the mortgage lender i'm working with is only available in the state of tennessee and not all mortgage companies accept all down payment assistance options, so i would research options in your state and then check to see if the programs have a list of preferred lenders and/or loan officers.

this sounds scary, but my loan officer has been a life-saver during this process. generally your loan officer wants to help you succeed, particularly when they know you're a first time home owner. tell your loan officer that you're going to be a first time home owner and you're interested in a $0 down payment program. they can run the numbers and see if you qualify, and if so, how much you can qualify for.

you can have multiple people on the mortgage with you, but everyone on the mortgage has to meet the credit score requirement.

if you do qualify, also talk to your loan officer about how much you can pay per month for a mortgage, too, since this might also impact what price range you're shopping in.

you'll also want a real estate agent. (trust me on this. you want a real estate agent.) my loan officer recommended a real estate agent to me and we quite literally could not have done this without him. your real estate agent does a lot more than just help you find houses to look at. they will also point out things that you might not know to look for and will also help negotiate with the seller for you.

when you talk to your real estate agent, tell them you are using a down payment assistance program and that you will need the seller to cover your closing costs. closing costs, for reference, are a bunch of small expenses that are paid when you officially sign the mortgage. typically both the buyer and the seller have separate closing costs, but it's fairly normal for buyers to ask the seller to pay for their closing costs for them in the current market. your real estate agent can then negotiate for this for you.

if the seller covers your closing costs and you can get approved for down payment assistance, there are only three things you will probably have to pay for out of pocket:

"earnest money." this is a small sum of money you pay to hold the house after the seller accepts your bid. (in our case, we paid $500 for our earnest money.)

the home inspection. our home inspection was also about $500, though the price of this could vary based on where you live.

the home appraisal. for us this was also about $500, though again, this could vary based on where you live.

and that's basically it! obviously talk with your loan officer and real estate agent about the cost of these things bc they might not be the same cost for you as they were for me, but for us, this ended up actually being cheaper than moving into a new apartment!

[classicquid]

Short Term Loans UK Low-Interest: Variations in Lender Terms and Conditions

People may need to look through a large number of company names before they find one when they finally put in the effort to find a direct bank that offers short term loans UK. For people that prioritize working with loan specialists, have previously worked with one, or have heard positive things about a certain company, their search is quite straightforward. In order to obtain the greatest credit practices, some people could go directly to their bank. You might end up using your bank or finding a reputable short term loans UK direct lender expert with cheap interest rates, depending on how you appear.

Should you reach the end of your loan term and find that you do not have sufficient funds in your account to reimburse the short term loans UK, you will face several challenges. If the assets aren't available, your bank will charge you an overdraft fee. The advance firm will try to swap the assets from your record. At that point, the creditor will charge you a fee for failing to pay the advance and carry it over to the following pay period. Your debt will continue to grow as a result of the high interest rates that will continue to be applied to the credit.

Family finances have been managed by people for a long time with limited or nonexistent charge card use. Some folks don't require a debit card; they just appreciate making payments with short term cash loans. Some persons were unable to use credit because they misused it or made mistakes with the obligation partition. Credit-tested people approach quite a bit of what the credit customers of the world have had easily accessible, since the majority of bank platinum cards may also be used as Master Cards. There's no sense of accumulated intrigue or fear of obligations. Charge cards directly deduct payment from your account balance. You will be responsible for overdraft fees and dealer non-funding fees if you are unable to make the installment payment.

You may require something as simple as basic supplies suddenly running out, or you may need something more substantial like extra money to pay for a wedding band or a big festival. Even though you may be certain that you can pay back any platinum card advances by your next paycheck, these advances come with a lot of risks. The repayment period for these short term loans UK direct lender is typically fourteen days, and the interest rate is typically between fifteen and thirty percent over that period. Though translated into an annual percentage rate (APR), that is an incredible 390 percent to 780 percent - far, absolutely more than the most over the top Visa charges. That may not appear like much more than charge card financing fees.

Since you can now compare loans online, getting turned down by your bank doesn't mean the end of the world. Classic Quid is one of many lenders that could be able to provide you with a short term loans direct lenders even if your credit score isn't the best. Because we recognize that your past financial performance may not accurately reflect your current circumstances, lenders will consider your current financial status when determining whether you will likely be able to repay a £1,000 loan if you have poor credit.

https://classicquid.co.uk/

[gynotai]

X-DAY

HAPPY 30TH ANNIVERSARY TO X-DAY!!!!!

X-DAY, a game with 3 seperate versions (all lost), released on January 1st 1994, according to this pdf mentioning the games that Namco no longer supported service for as of July 2015. It's a combination of a quiz and fortune game that determines when you will die using your answers to questions and reaction time. This game is much more famous for its thankfully available sequel X-DAY2 and the remix X-DAY2000 in the Taiko No Tatsujin series. Despite the fairly high popularity of 2 and the release of soundtrack CDs for both games, the first X-DAY game remains lost, alongside its Web conversion (while the site is available via Wayback Machine, the game itself is seemingly inaccessible) and i-Mode port (old phone games like this aren't preserved very well generally, Namco had a bunch of these that are now lost). There are no gameplay videos of any version online, as far as I can tell, and I have yet to find actual cabinet photos either...

The X-DAY series is fairly known for its soundtracks, with both 1 and 2 having Namco Game Sound Express CDs, which are both heavily 90s Dance influenced and have a pretty intense sound to them, which seems to throw people off for a fortune game. The first game's in-game music was all done by Ayako Saso, but the arrange tracks on the album were by Ayako Saso, Shinji Hosoe and Nobuyoshi Sano. The second game was seemingly all done by Akihiko Ishikawa, with credits for the previous game's composer and arrangers as multiple songs in 2 were sequenced conversions of 1's arrange tracks. Ishikawa converted the remixes from 1 and also created the new FOX-day and FIX-day tracks.

I've never seen an image of an X-DAY 1 cabinet that isn't the same promotional one, sadly, as it seems most of them were converted into 2 cabinets. If you pay attention to images of X-DAY 2 cabinets, you can see that some look a bit different in their casing, having the physical features of a 1 cabinet. There are very few screenshots and the only ones I have ever found are from official promotional media and the CD. The machine also printed receipts showcasing your results, at least there are plenty of images of those around.

[This post is more focusing on X-DAY1 but just a fun fact about 2: it's actually surprisingly really progressive for a fortune game of the time (1996), featuring the ability to have gay relationships and also even having options for trans players! Funnily enough, relationships get referred to officially by the game as "Super" if one member is trans, and "Ultra" if both members are trans, which explains the song names "FOX-day - Ultra gay edit" and "FOX-day - Super les edit". Another bonus fact, there's a doujin X68000 game based on 1 called Super X-DAY X.]

Also thanks to X-DAY for getting me into this whole obscure arcade thing in general! The music led me down a rabbit hole.

[tractorforeveryone]

When it comes to purchasing a tractor for agricultural use, financing is often necessary. Tractor loans are an effective way to make your equipment purchase more affordable, but understanding interest rates is crucial to ensuring you get the best deal. The interest rate will significantly affect your monthly payments and the total amount you’ll pay over the life of the loan. Here’s how to compare tractor loan interest rates and find the most favorable options.

1. Understand How Interest Rates Work

Interest rates are the cost of borrowing money, expressed as a percentage of the loan amount. For example, if you borrow $50,000 with an interest rate of 5%, you'll pay $2,500 in interest over one year. The rate can vary based on several factors:

Type of loan (e.g., government-backed loans, bank loans, dealer financing)

Loan term (shorter terms usually have lower rates)

Your credit score (higher scores typically lead to lower rates)

Down payment (larger down payments may help secure better rates)

2. Compare Loan Options

There are multiple financing options available for tractor loans, and interest rates can vary widely depending on the source. To find the best deal, you need to compare rates across these options:

Dealership Financing: Many tractor dealerships offer in-house financing with competitive interest rates, especially if you're buying new equipment. Sometimes they offer promotional deals with low or 0% interest for the first year. However, these offers may come with restrictions or higher prices on the tractor itself, so be sure to check the overall cost.

Banks and Credit Unions: Traditional banks and credit unions often offer tractor loans with competitive interest rates, particularly if you have an existing relationship with the institution. Credit unions may offer better rates and more flexible terms than banks, but approval might take longer.

Government-Backed Loans: Some government programs, such as those from the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), offer low-interest loans or loan guarantees specifically for farmers and agricultural businesses. These loans typically have the lowest interest rates but may come with more eligibility requirements.

Online Lenders: Many online lenders specialize in agricultural loans, offering competitive rates and quick approval processes. Make sure to research online lenders thoroughly, as some may have hidden fees or less favorable terms compared to traditional institutions.

3. Shop Around and Get Multiple Quotes

The key to finding the best interest rate is to shop around. Just as you would compare tractor prices, you should also compare loan rates from different lenders. Make sure to get quotes from multiple sources, including dealers, banks, credit unions, and online lenders. Some lenders may offer lower rates for farmers with excellent credit, while others may offer special promotions for certain types of equipment.

4. Consider Loan Terms and Fees

Interest rates are just one component of the total loan cost. The loan term (the duration for repayment) and additional fees can significantly affect the overall cost of the loan. When comparing rates, take these factors into account:

Loan Term: Shorter terms typically result in higher monthly payments but less overall interest paid. Longer terms lower your monthly payments but increase the total interest you’ll pay. Decide what works best for your farm’s cash flow.

Prepayment Penalties: Some loans include penalties for early repayment. If you plan to pay off the loan early, look for loans that don’t penalize you for doing so.

Origination or Processing Fees: Some lenders charge additional fees for processing the loan, which can increase your total borrowing cost. Always factor these fees into your decision.

Down Payment: A larger down payment reduces the amount you need to borrow, which can lower the interest paid over the life of the loan.

5. Understand Fixed vs. Variable Rates

Interest rates can either be fixed or variable. Here’s what you need to know about both:

Fixed Rates: With a fixed interest rate, your rate stays the same throughout the loan term. This offers predictability in your monthly payments and ensures you’ll never face rate increases during the life of the loan. Fixed rates are often preferred by borrowers who want stable payments.

Variable Rates: With a variable rate, the interest rate can change over time based on market conditions. While variable rates may start lower than fixed rates, they come with the risk of increasing rates and higher payments in the future.

If you prefer stability and predictability, go for a fixed-rate loan. If you believe interest rates may decrease or remain stable, a variable rate might offer a lower initial rate.

6. Review Your Credit Score

Your credit score plays a significant role in determining the interest rate you’ll receive. Higher credit scores (typically 700 or above) usually result in lower interest rates. If your credit score is lower, lenders may charge higher rates to offset the risk. It’s a good idea to check your credit score before applying for a loan and work on improving it if necessary. Additionally, consider speaking with the lender about options for those with lower credit scores.

7. Take Advantage of Discounts or Promotions

Many lenders offer special promotions or discounts for tractor loans, especially for first-time borrowers or specific types of equipment. Look for:

Seasonal deals: Some dealerships or lenders offer reduced rates during certain times of the year.

Loyalty discounts: If you’re already a customer of a bank or credit union, you might qualify for a loyalty discount.

Government grants or subsidies: Some government programs offer reduced rates for farmers who meet certain criteria.

8. Evaluate the Total Cost of the Loan

While it’s tempting to focus solely on interest rates, remember to consider the total cost of the loan. This includes:

The principal (the amount you’re borrowing)

The interest charges over the life of the loan

Additional fees

The length of the loan

By considering the overall cost, you can make an informed decision that will save you money in the long term.

[solisparkenergy]

Affordable Solar Panel Installation: A Smart, Sustainable Choice for Your Home

In a universe in which energy prices keep increasing and going green is more important than ever, solar power has become the ultimate game-changer. Yet when everyone imagines solar power, they think it's something beyond their means because it costs too much to have installed. The reality is, there is no longer a pipe dream of affordable solar panel installation—it's a viable, eco-friendly choice for homeowners who want to lower their electric bill and their carbon footprint.

If you've been eyeing going solar but didn't know how affordable it was going to be, here's the good news: cheap solar panel installation is well within the affordability range for a lot of homeowners. In this blog, we'll discuss the reasons why the time is absolutely right to convert to solar energy, how to get the rewards without having to break the bank, and the reasons why to go with an established company which can assist in making it attainable.

Why Should You Go Solar?

Let's step back and examine the larger picture before we explore how to make solar power cost-effective. Why is everyone discussing solar energy lately?

1. Lower Electricity Bills

We’ve all felt the sting of a high electricity bill, especially during the summer months. Solar panels can drastically reduce, or even eliminate, your electricity costs by harnessing the power of the sun. Once your solar system is set up, you’ll be generating your own energy—sometimes even selling excess power back to the grid. Talk about a win-win!

2. A Greener Future

Using solar energy reduces your dependence on fossil fuels and cuts down on harmful greenhouse gas emissions. By making the switch, you’re doing your part to protect the planet, ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations.

3. Increased Home Value

Solar panels are more than a utility upgrade—there's actually a chance that they can add value to your home. Research indicates that houses with solar panels sell for higher prices and remain on the market for shorter periods. Prospective buyers notice the long-term cost savings and green aspects as a big plus.

4. Long-Term Investment

Sure, there’s an initial investment, but solar panels have a lifespan of 25–30 years. After you’ve paid off the system, the energy they generate is essentially free. Over time, that initial cost pays for itself through savings on your energy bill, making solar a wise long-term investment.

The Truth about Affordable Solar Panel Installation

You may be asking yourself, "Is solar panel installation really in my budget?" Let's dispel that question. With increasingly available financing, government incentives, and technological innovations, solar panel installation is more affordable than ever.

1. Government Incentives and Tax Credits

One of the best ways to reduce the cost of solar installation is by taking advantage of government incentives. In many places, the federal government offers a tax credit that can cover a substantial portion of the installation costs. This means that you’re not just paying for solar panels—you’re getting a major discount through these incentives.

In addition to that, states and local governments tend to provide rebates and incentives, which again reduce the cost. So, don't let these chances slip away!

2. Flexible Financing Options

Concerned about the initial expense? Don't be. Due to the increase in financing alternatives such as solar loans, leases, and power purchase agreements (PPAs), it is now more affordable to install solar panels. These alternatives enable you to pay over time, meaning you don't have to pay the entire amount at once. And most of these financing options have low-interest rates and favorable terms.

3. Technology Has Come a Long Way

Solar technology has come a long way since its inception. Modern solar panels are more durable, efficient, and affordable than ever before. The reduction in costs has been driven by advances in manufacturing and the installation of solar panels. Solar power has become an even more viable option for budget-friendly homeowners.

4. Local, Reliable Installers Keep Costs Low

Opting for a local, budget-friendly solar panel installation company can save you a bundle. A reliable, seasoned installer understands the trade inside and out, is well-versed in local government rebates, and will provide competitive rates—without compromising on quality. And when you choose a company dedicated to affordability, you'll receive personalized service and professional guidance, making you an educated choice for your home.

The Advantages of Cheap Solar Panel Installation

1. Savings Right Away: Begin saving money the instant your solar system is switched on. Reduced utility bills equate to more cash in your pocket every month.

2. Low Maintenance: Solar panels are extremely low-maintenance. They need very little maintenance once installed—merely an occasional clean to keep them running at optimum performance.

3. Energy Independence: Forget about paying through the nose for energy price increases or even losing electricity. Solar panels provide you with more control of your energy supply and less dependence on the grid.

4. Environmental Impact: By going solar, you're contributing to a reduction in the demand for fossil fuels and the harm caused by traditional energy sources. It's a simple change with an enormous good effect.

5. Long-Term Financial Savings: Once you've paid off your system, you'll be basically producing free electricity for the next several decades. Your investment breaks even in the long run, enabling you to reap almost free energy in the long term.

Why Choose Us for Low-Cost Solar Panel Installation?

At Solispark Energy Pvt Ltd, we are of the opinion that everyone should be able to enjoy the power of solar energy. We aim at offering affordable solar panel installation that empowers you to harness the sun's energy without spending an arm and a leg. Here's why we stand out for your solar journey:

• Professional Installation: Our skilled technicians guarantee your solar system gets installed safely, effectively, and by the industry's highest standards.

• Personalized Solutions: Every home and business is unique to us. Therefore, we provide personalized solar solutions according to your specific energy requirements.

• Affordable Pricing: We strive to ensure our prices remain affordable and fair, providing reasonable solutions without impacting quality.

• Around-the-Clock Support: Right from the initial consultation to several years after the installation, we're available to provide support, answer queries, and assist you in maintaining the system for highest performance.

Switch Now?

If you’re ready to start saving money, reducing your carbon footprint, and investing in your home’s future, then affordable solar panel installation is the way to go. At Solispark Energy Pvt Ltd, we’re dedicated to making solar energy a reality for everyone. Contact us today for a free consultation, and let’s work together to bring the power of the sun to your home. Go and visit our website now for more details- https://www.solisparkenergy.com/

[supremeiptvservice]

Get endless entertainment by subscribing to Kemo IPTV

Streaming refers to one media content that is live or recorded – delivered to computers as well as mobile devices by the use of the internet and played back in actual time. Streaming Services are really in trend these days as most of the people are using streaming services throughout the world rather than the satellite or cable services.

Kemo IPTV service is definitely the wonderful choice. Of course, as is ordinary with most IPTV services. This IPTV streaming service is one of the new entrants in the IPTV business and they’ve rapidly made a mark on the sight.

Anyone who’s given it an attempt has been admiring the service for its excellence and dependability. Looking at how this is a new entrant, the on the whole quality and constancy is definitely up to par with some of the oldest players in the business.

The good thing about IPTV so far is that it hardly ever goes down, so you get to stream your most wanted channels almost all the time. Best of all, they consent to 4-connections so you can stream the IPTV channels on up to 4 devices at the similar time. So, if you want to stream the IPTV on several devices then you can simply do so on up to 4 devices, but according to their client support, all devices must be on the similar IP; on the other hand.

When it comes to content, there are a variety of channels obtainable from all around the globe. The most well-liked UK, US, and CA channels are all obtainable along with a broad variety of international channels from diverse countries like UAE, Turkey, Denmark, Germany, and more. Kemo TV in USA is most demandable these days. There are your common Entertainment channels, Music, Kids’ shows, Sports, and more. In calculation to all of that, they also offer a vast VoD section which works perfectly on their app.

Enhance Your Watching Experience with Kemo TV

• HD Quality • Completely secured • 24 Hours Free Trial • Easy To Pay • 24/7 Customer Support • Huge Library • Server Constancy

Benefits of Kemo IPTV

Server Stability- Servers are motorized by highly regarded developers, guaranteeing uptime 99%. You will not be facing any kind of issue while using this service all that is required for fluent working of this service is high-speed of internet to avoid any sort of buffering.

4K Picture Quality- Due to this feature you will be experiencing best HD quality in this IPTV service while watching the content; this is the chief feature of best TV service that is liked by a lot of customers. What else can be so satisfying that all you get to watch the content in HD quality at low price.

Pay Easily- You can pay normally using expense by PayPal and Credit Card so you can start streaming your IPTV.

Free 24 hrs Trial: Here you can try to reassure, without paying any amount, prior to making a conclusion to get your hands on a monthly or yearly service of our IPTV subscription. This is just because so that you can plan whether our services are suitable for you or not.

Live HD Sports: Here you can stream all of your favorite sports channels. You are in fact not going to discover any other improved quality of spots than this at such a despicable rate. We make available sporting events throughout the world in crystal clear HD.

Conclusion

Kemo IPTV subscribers can watch live TV or on-demand content on several devices with an internet connection, including TVs, computers, smartphones, as well as tablets. This gives them more elasticity to watch their favorite shows along with movies wherever they are. This can take in features such as the capability to make custom channel lineups, record shows to stream later, and get recommendations for the latest content based on your viewing history. This IPTV can be a more affordable option than any traditional cable or satellite TV, as you just pay for the channels and content that you wish for. This technology supports interactive TV with bi-directional abilities. Features such as pause TV, weather information, start-over TV, music on demand, video recorders, media players, and internet browsers are also available.

Contact Our Team

Payments will be taken through a secure gateway and there aren’t any concealed fees. If you have any questions about your payment, please do not hesitate to contact us. You will come to know about our subscription plans by visiting our official website.

Call - +1-530 418 8110

E-mail- info@supremeiptvservice.com