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strawbeerossi · 4 months

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Stuffing Stockings

Pairing: Wife!Reader x Husband!Spencer

Description: Spencer and you have been married for ten years with a beautiful six year old daughter. Whenever she gives you her Christmas list, you notice something new on the list and bring it up to your husband.

Content/Warnings: Dad!Spencer, discussions of expanding family, interest in being pregnant/wanting another baby, breeding kink, oral sex (f rec), penetrative sex, mention of failed test and disappointment, happy ending.

Word Count: 3.5K

Merry Christmas, my sweeties! Santa T is giving you a present because of how much I love you all!

“Mama, I have my Christmas list ready!” Matilda announced, a bright smile on her face revealing the front tooth that the tooth fairy had recently come to take. She was a spitting image of Spencer, beautiful honey colored irises and soft brunette curls that framed her face, not to mention her intellect and her determination that no doubt her father had an influence on.

“Your Christmas list? You’re early,” You smiled fondly as you looked over at the flower filled calendar on the wall closest to the stove, your coffee cup held comfortably between your hands. “Let me hear it, come on!” You urge on, an excited grin on your face.

You always loved Christmas, however having Matilda just made the holidays so much better. Nothing compared to seeing her excitement whenever you’d place wrapped gifts under your Christmas tree, or when you’d ask her to help you make Christmas treats that her and Spencer would end up eating just days after they were made.

You wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“Well. I would like an American Girl doll, Rebecca Rubin to be exact.” Not a surprise. She loved dolls, her father spoiling her with any accessory or set she asked for. “And then I would like some light up sneakers, please. Sam has some at school and I think they are so cool!” She continued. The rest of the things she lifted were usual for a little girl. Until she got to the last thing on that list.

“And then I want a little brother or sister.” She concluded, a wide grin on your face. The mere suggestion had you nearly choking on the mouthful of coffee, your eyes widening some. “Uncle Luke and aunt Penny said that I have to write it in my list so it happens!”

Penelope and Luke. Classic.

“A baby brother or sister?” You repeated, watching those beautiful curls bounce as the kindergartner nodded her head. “You do know that they won’t be here in time for Christmas if that happens, right?” You asked, wanting to break it gently to her that even if she got what she wanted, it would be well past Christmas before she got a sibling.

“Oh. I know. Babies grow in mommy’s bellies for nine whole months. Which seems like a long time but I think it’ll go by fast! Oh please, mama?! A baby would be cute and cuddly, even whenever they are cranky!”

The begging was tugging at your heart. She really wanted this, didn’t she? You and Spencer were financially stable enough for you to stay home while he worked with the BAU, not to mention that you both could definitely handle Matilda and a new baby. “You know I have to talk to daddy about this before we make a decision.”

After that, the idea of another baby was stuck in your mind. Your first pregnancy was rough, however you still really did enjoy the process of growing a future scholar who would change the world. Just thinking about it had you reminiscing, especially when it came to being pregnant. You could remember every appointment, the announcement to your friends and families, all the excitement that you and Spencer felt with every heartbeat and every little kick.

Your husband had gotten home relatively early on a Saturday evening after a long case in Tampa, Florida. He was toeing his shoes off by the front door in an effort to surprise you and Matilda, the two of you unaware he was even coming home today. You were in the kitchen making dinner while your shared daughter was at the table, happily coloring in her new coloring book.

It was a blissful sight, the domesticity of it all bringing normalcy to Spencer’s busy and sometimes abnormal feeling life. “You two look peaceful,” He decided to speak up, Matilda quickly turning in her chair to look at her father. With a wide smile and teary eyes, she was quickly leaping from the chair to run into your husband’s expecting arms. “Hi!” He chuckled fondly while kissing her cheek sweetly.

“I missed you!” She whined out, keeping a tight hold on her father. “I thought you weren’t gonna home until after Christmas!” She added on, making Spencer’s heart drop. He loved his job but he hated being away for what could’ve been weeks at a time. That was the hardest part.

“Hey, I’m home now and I’m gonna be here for Christmas. I promise. In fact,” He was picking up Matilda while resting her on his hip. “I need to see your Christmas list!” He grinned while bouncing his daughter. “Mama, where’s the list?” Spencer then asked as he turned his attention to you.

“Oh, mama needs to talk to you about that!” The six year old in his arms perked up, making Spencer look at you with an amused, yet questionable look.

“Talk to me? About what? Don’t tell me that Tilly wants to get a car or something already.” Spencer teased. A car might’ve been easier convincing depending on how he felt about expanding the family.

“Not exactly a car,” You laughed a bit while grabbing the list that had been neatly folded and stuck to the fridge with a magnet. “She wants a new American girl doll, a new accessory set to go with said doll, light up sneakers, a dollhouse,” You paused while reading over the last item. “And a baby brother or sister.”

Spencer felt like the items on the list were easy enough. A doll, some accessories, a dollhouse and sneakers. He could knock that out with just one shopping trip. However whenever he heard the last item, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “A new brother or sister, huh?” He asked slowly, glancing at the little girl who smiled widely.

“I know the baby won’t be here for Christmas, daddy.” Matilda just knew by the look in his eyes that he didn’t wanna break the news she’d have to wait for that. Her reassurance had him taking in a breath of relief though. That little girl was too smart for her own good.

“Well. That’s a big decision. You think you’re ready to be a big sister? Cause babies are a lot of work.” Spencer asked, a smile on his face at her sheer excitement he was entertaining the idea. “They cry a lot. Plus, they always need a lot of attention. That’ll mean that sometimes mama and daddy will be busy with the baby.” He said softly while rubbing her back.

“I know and it’s okay! Babies need more help because they can’t really eat on their own or go potty in the bathroom, so that’s why you and mommy will need to pay extra attention sometimes. But babies are small and cute! And they always want cuddles!” Now that sounded like something Penelope Garcia would say of course she’d gotten to Matilda about the idea. She was just saying at the office that she was wanting another baby around.

You offered a smile. “Well, it sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into it, Tilly! You know that me and dad have to talk about it though, as grownups.” You added, although judging by your husband’s wide smile and the twinkle in his eye, he was already sold on the entire Christmas list. Well, maybe this was easier to convince than a new car.

After dinner and baths were in order, it wasn’t long before you and Spencer were tucking Matilda into bed for the night. Gently closing the door behind you both, Spencer finally turned his attention to you. “A new baby. Wow..” He brought up the idea immediately, his arms gently wrapping around your waist. “How do you feel about the idea?”

You smiled, body leaning back against his as you let out a soft hum of content. “Well, at first I was wary. Then the more I thought about it.. The more I really wanted it.” You said softly, head tilting up to face him more. “I mean, I think we’ve got this parenting thing down. Plus, I miss being pregnant and having a baby around. I feel like it’s going to be a positive change for us. Parents of two.”

That was all Spencer needed to hear to have him sold completely. “I agree. We are pretty good at this.” He chuckled a bit while moving to press a kiss to the top of your head. “It’s always fun trying too, huh? Maybe All our practicing will pay off.” He teased, making you laugh as you were playfully hitting his arm. “Hey! I’m just saying what we are both thinking!” He laughed in return.

The both of you had retired to your bedroom for the night, gently closing the door behind you both. “It’s so good to have you home. I’ve missed you.” You sighed, offering a smile as you were heading over to sit on the edge of your shared bed. “It’s just not the same without you home but I know you have to save the world.” You smiled fondly, watching as your husband was shedding from his clothes.

“I know, honey. I miss being home with you and Tilly more than anything when I have to be gone.” Spencer expressed his own feelings before heading over to you, kneeling in front of you with a soft smile. “But I’m glad to be home now,” He began, pressing kisses to your legs while getting settled between them. His hands were working on the button of your shorts before tugging them down your legs. “Besides, I’m gonna be here for the holidays and I even took the time off to make sure of it.” He hummed, his kisses moving to your inner thighs.

“Working on the list early, I see.” You teased, brushing the mop of brunette curls from your husband’s face as he was playfully nipping on your plush inner thigh, lifting his head.

“Guilty. I feel like this is the most expensive present Tilly is getting.” He teased, the both of you sharing a little giggle before he was going right back to where he started.

Those kisses ended with your hips being tugged close to the end of the bed, his tongue lapping over your clothed clit. “God, I’ve missed you.” He murmured, hands working to tug your panties down your legs. Spencer was absolutely pleased with the sight of your glistening pussy, mouth salivating at the sight. It had been far too long for his liking.

“Pretty girl. You look like you’ve missed me too.” He purred, tongue moving to flick over your throbbing bud, only chuckling as you were already clutching his hair. He didn’t make an effort to tease you long, tongue already delving into the warmth of your cunt as he was so focused on drinking every ounce of your essence, taking whatever you had to give him.

“Spencer, fuck.” You squeaked, legs practically locking around his head to keep him in place as he was too drunk on lapping and sucking at your desperate pussy. The thought of a new baby excited him in more ways than one.

There was the calm and innocent way that just had him thrilled to have a new baby and expand your beautiful family. Then there was the dirty and not so innocent side of him that knew there would be a lot of nights where he was stuffing your pussy just in an effort to get that positive test. Just the thought of his cum dripping down your trembling thighs was enough to have him hard as a rock, his cock begging for attention while he was so focused on giving you all of his.

While his tongue feverishly lapped at your wetness, his hands were gripping your hips just a little tighter. Truth be told, Spencer could get off merely from cunnilingus alone. He fed off of your pleasure, the way you would shove his head more into your weeping cunt for more was enough to make his cock twitch in his boxers right now.

Although even through all the excitement, he was soon pulling away from your pussy much to both of your dissatisfaction. “I feel like I’m gonna cum in my boxers and I’m not wasting what I could be giving you,” He added on, breathing labored as he was quickly getting up to shed his boxers while you were quick to do away with your clothes on your torso, shirt and bra thrown somewhere out of sight and out of mind.

With one hand tugging at his cock, the other was quickly helping you scoot back on your bed, knowing you’d end up flying off if he dared pull you even just an inch closer from your current spot.

“Comfortable?” He asked, watching you simply grab his arm to pull him on top of you. You didn’t even mind the feeling of his body crushing you for a split second, you knew that you needed him, now. Spencer was adjusting himself into a more comfortable position on top of you, his hand sliding between your thighs. He collected some of your arousal on his fingers before holding them up to show them off to you.

You knew what was coming next, your mouth now open as you were waiting for the intrusion of his fingers. He learned it was the easiest way to keep you quiet when you needed to be. As you took the digits in your mouth, you were sucking on his fingers. “There we go.” Spencer praised as he was shifting, now pushing his leaking cock into your pussy with a soft groan.

“I love you.” He breathed, letting his hips slowly snap against yours just to build you up for what was to come. Your face was contorted in pleasure as you muffled an ‘I love you’ around his fingers in return.

The thought of you being pregnant was bringing out an animalistic side of your normal gentle husband. He loved seeing you pregnant with your first, it made him feel like he was finally contributing to society in the aspect of bringing another potential genius into the world who would do amazing things. The way you looked swollen with his child filled him with pride.

It was also a bragging right. Yes, he had your hand in marriage but he also cemented the fact you were his. You were getting filled with his cum, begging him to ravage you the way you deserved. He was the only one who could make you feel good.

The thought of you being pregnant with his second child was enough to make his thrusts get harder and faster. It was the ultimate act of love to carry his child, to raise a family with him. The ultimate act of intimacy of allowing him to know the pleasures of a family and a successful marriage.

You were squirming underneath him, eyes rolling to the back of your head as Spencer was all too focused on the images flooding his mind. “I’m gonna cum.” He panted. “You want me to fill you up? Give you a baby? Fuck.” Cursing was pretty rare for Spencer but just the mere slip of a curse word had your pussy clenching around his cock, signaling you were ready as well.

With a few more sloppy snaps of his thrusts, you could feel the warmth of his spent flooding your cunt, your legs trembling as the sensation was enough to have you reaching your climax. “Fuck.” You panted, your husband’s fingers now being pulled out of your mouth.

His face was flushed, brunette curls plastered to his sweaty forehead as he looked down at you. “You know, I wish we had this idea before. Christmas is coming up so soon, we won’t even be able to get a positive test for her in time for the holiday if we get lucky after this time.”

“I think that Tilly is gonna be happy either way, to be fairly honest. You should’ve seen the way she looked at me when she was asking for a new sibling. She was so excited.” You recalled, smiling in content as you were slowly, but surely, catching your breath.

With soft eyes, Spencer leaned down to press a sweet kiss against your lips. “I’m really happy she brought it up first. I’ve been wanting another baby for a while but I didn’t want you to feel obligated.” The confession had your hand lightly swatting at your husband’s chest.

“Why didn’t you talk to me before?! I never would’ve felt obligated. I’ve always wanted a big family, you know that.”

The reassurance had your husband chuckling fondly. “I know, I know. I promise that for the next little Reid, I’ll get to you before our daughter.” He teased, nose nuzzling into your cheek before he was pushing himself out of bed. “Let’s go get you cleaned up, mama.”

—--

It was currently the third week of January, Matilda freshly back in school for the second semester. It was after you dropped Tilly off at school that you were feeling off. You’d been sick the past week or so, mostly just chalking it up to be a bug Matilda seemingly brought home. The more awful you felt, the more you were worrying. Being pregnant wasn’t a problem at all, however the way you would get your hopes up would be.

You’d pushed the idea back for a while, it wasn’t until you were sick for the fifth time that you figured that the test would be better than nothing. You’d only gotten one negative, however with the brain of your husband and his facts about conception, he still gave you some hope.

The sound of the timer going off in the bathroom snapped you out of your thoughts. It was now or never. As you approached the bathroom, you could feel your heart begin to race. If you were pregnant, that would be the best little surprise for your little family. If not, well, you’d at least get to be heartbroken in peace.

Taking in a deep breath and mustering up all of your courage, you were lifting the test from the sink. You felt like you were going to be sick from a mixture of your ailment as well as the nerves. You exhaled the breath you took in seconds before, eyes fixed on the test.

Pregnant.

You nearly fainted, free hand covering your mouth from the surprise. Pregnant, you’re pregnant. Pregnant!!!!

You were thrilled, the test being tucked away in its box before you were hiding it away. You were going to have to show Spencer and Matilda when they got home. You didn’t have the strength to keep it a huge secret and put a surprise together, they needed to know as soon as possible.

Spencer had gotten to go home early in order to pick up Matilda, something rare that Emily gave him the chance to do considering he was away so much as is. If only those two knew what they were coming home to.

You were just getting finished with a snack for your daughter whenever you heard the sound of keys jingling in the door. It’s now or never!

“We are home!” The little voice called from the living room, the child taking off her coat and backpack before making sure to hang them up.

“Hi you two.” You offered a smile, pressing a kiss to your daughter’s cheek, followed by a quick peck on your husband’s lips. “Tilly, I have you a snack.” She hummed fondly, watching the little brunette hurry to the table. “You might wanna sit down as well,” You informed your husband, who raised an eyebrow.

Without question, he’d approached the table before sitting himself down. “Are we in trouble?” He teased, making you roll your eyes fondly.

“No. I just have something I need to tell you both.” You hummed, grabbing the wrapped box from the counter before placing it on the table. “I found this in the closet. It was addressed to you two, I think we forgot it around Christmas.”

“Forgot it? Mama, we never forget presents.” Matilda spoke around a mouthful of apple slices, although her curiosity was piqued as she leaned against the table. “Open it, daddy!” She urged.

As the colorful wrapping paper was peeled away, the male was opening the box. He knew what it was, however he wanted Matilda to have the first big reaction. The minute that the stick was on the table, you could practically see Matilda’s eyes pop out of their sockets from surprise. “Does that say pregnant?!” She asked, looking at her mother with a wide smile. “There’s a baby?!”

Her excitement made you want to cry your eyes out. “There’s a baby!” You gushed happily. “Now, I still have to go to the doctor because I don’t have specifics just yet,” You began, although your daughter was all too happy to quickly run into your body, arms wrapped around your torso.

“We are gonna have a baby!!!!”

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buy-cash-app-stocks · 2 years

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How to buy stock on Cash App? (Guide 2022)

The low cost of Cash App Investing makes it an excellent option for first-time investors, but it may not suit everyone's needs. Although it lacks advanced investment tools, its extensive information is still helpful to new investors. Here is a quick review of Cash App's advantages and disadvantages. Read on to find out if this is the right platform for you. But first, consider whether it meets your investing needs.

How To Buy Stocks on Cash App?

Cash App is one of the easiest ways to invest in the stock market. You simply sign up using your email address or phone number to get started. From there, you can begin viewing the stocks available to purchase. Once you find one that piques your interest, input the amount you'd like to spend, and then scan your finger to confirm the transaction. You'll be able to see the stocks' prices and charts and their current price.

You can purchase stocks on the Cash App by linking your mobile phone and bank account. Once you've linked both, the app will show you a list of available stocks. Next, you'll need to input the amount you want to invest. To complete the process, you'll have to verify your identity by scanning your fingerprint or entering a PIN. You'll also have to make sure that you own the phone number associated with the account.

What are the best Cash App stocks to buy right now?

While you can find some Cash App penny stocks under $5, they aren't necessarily winners. While they are a convenient and straightforward way to trade, you should exercise caution when buying stocks on Cash App. You will have to do additional research to find the companies you want to invest in, and you shouldn't buy the first stock you see. The investing tab in Cash App will help you find a company worth investing in.

Cash App stock looks like a bargain right now, but that discount is probably just a miscalculation on Wall Street's part. The macro headwinds pulling the shares down are micro-scale, so long-term investors should see price weakness as a great time to add to their positions. Cash App is an excellent example of a stock to buy if you're interested in investing in the rapidly growing e-commerce sector.

Can you make money off of Cash App stocks?

If you have ever invested in the stock market, you may have wondered if you can profit from Cash App. Beginners can use the Cash App's investing account to invest in stocks without worrying about scary graphs. In essence, investing in stocks is buying a part of a company. The "share" is a segment of ownership, and you're hoping it will grow in value. If you successfully sell it for a higher price, you will have profited.

While it's true that Cash App stock trading requires a great deal of expertise and domain knowledge, it is possible to make money with them. This free, easy-to-use app helps you invest in stocks and offers zero-commission stock trades. If you're curious, here's what you need to know. First of all, cash app stocks aren't for everyone.

#How To Buy Stocks on Cash App?#Cash App penny stocks #cash out stocks on cash app #Can you make money off of Cash App stocks?#Cash App stock trading

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astrogre · 6 months

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Money In The Houses 💴

To be precise each house can show you something about money, for an example your 6H can show daily services you subscribe pay for like Netflix or HBO. but there are 4 primary houses that specifically focus on and show us about money these are: The 2nd house, 5th house, 8th house and 11th house. They all show resource accumulation in different ways. 2nd house and 8th house are the main houses to focus on for money astrology, secondary would be 11H and 5H then all the other houses have their own subtler money relevancy.

2nd house, The house of Values and Possessions, it shows:

stored wealth like income, earning potential, salary, savings, assets, possessions (like jewels, cars)

- how you spend

- how you earn

- the kind of assets and possessions that you own

- what you spend on

- how you perceive the value of money

- how you save

- The skills and talents you use to make money for yourself

- the state of your financial stability

- Your attitudes on saving

2nd house is money earned through your own personal efforts, the skills that you have, your blood sweat and tears. Money here is made through you and your efforts alone. It is long lasting assets and the kind that are considered when calculating your net worth.

Look at sign ruling this house and the planet. Do they work well together or contradict each other? E.g a Virgo ruled second house with Uranus inside has two energies that contradict one another, Virgo needing to be picky on purchases VS Uranus being impulsive and purchasing what it wants so when these two energies work in the same building you may even feel bad for purchasing things before doing research on it and get disappointed with your purchase because you just went for it in the moment

Finding where the 2nd house ruler planet is in the chart shows the best topics, best places , best way you can earn money that’s beneficial to you.

Eg. If your 2H was in Virgo, look at 6th house what’s inside of it? And where mercury is in your chart. Mercury (ruled by Virgo) in this case shows you how you can can excel in an industry under the topic of the house it’s in. Whereas the 6th house and The planets that would fall into the 6th house, would indicate industries you’d do well in that are a combination of the planets in there and what kind of work you could do/what planet energies you can emphasise to gain more money on your career based on the 2nd house.

5th house, the house of Gambling and risky investments, it shows:

investments in startup companies ,gambling, investing in penny stocks

- how much you may make from investing, gambling and creative endeavours

- Money made from personal hobbies, creative talents and projects

- how lucky you are at earning money from risky investments

- Your approach to gambling

- How you spend resources on leisure activities and entertainment

- Attitudes on risky spending/gambling

- The outcome of your gambling and risky investments

This would be your trading 212 and creative artist placement. I can imagine people that invested in crypto currency back in 2008 and people that purchased nfts having this house active. 5H placements can make you lucky in the industry you are in, it can give you that boost in industries that require you to need to have luck or attention to make it. This can be entertainment stars, the lottery, entrepreneurship or just being really blessed with income from taking risks for fun. I’ve noticed natives with this house active tend to be successful businesses investors, gamblers, fashion designers, actors and artists, because these industries also require a bit of luck to make it, that’s why it’s also known as thie “star” house for celebrities. If planets here are beneficial native just happens to have the right things happen for them at the right time.

Key figures with 5th house active/stellium: Timothee chalamet, will smith, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Calvin Harris, Mozart, Elon Musk

11th house, the house of tangible material gains:

ready to be spent wealth like, liquid cash, profit, products (clothing, food), promotion from work

- money made from your public image and things your known for (fame)

- Your financial status and social standing

- How you can gain profit and wealth online

- Money made from your ideas, goals and inventions

- How money comes easiest to you

- The type of resources acquired from

- What part of our lives we may live in luxury or can afford to spend more on (E.g 11H sag being luxury travel)

11H is on hand liquid cash, things like stocks , disposable income, the tangible stuff that you can actively spend, it’s pretty unexpected too like 8th house except 8th house income comes from places you didn’t know about but 11H gains come from sources you always knew about but are just suddenly now benefiting you out of nowhere. You know how some people can be famous and still be broke, with a prominent or beneficial 11 house, you automatically get money along with the attention from their public image. This is because 11H is naturally the representative of social connections, networking and communities but also because of derivative astrology

The 10th house represents your career, public image and the 2nd house represents money/finances so you count 2 houses starting from 10 using Derivative Astrology (10 => 11) meaning the 11th house represents money made from our career and public image. This is why this is known as the influencer house.

People tend to use their fame and wealth from this house to start businesses. This house works really well with 8H because it kind of forces other people to acknowledge you. It’s a little different from the 5th house in terms of getting money from your inventions -In the sense that the very concept behind your creations bring you material gain whereas 5th house are blessed for expressing themselves and in risky situations (not strictly exclusive to creative arts, but the art industry is naturally a hit or miss industry). This house is very similar to 2nd house however I’d say 2nd house is more long term but 11H is quick and easy, makes you appear wealthy like rappers and celebrities living a lavish lifestyle but don’t have something to fall on if it runs out. 2nd house is longevity and allows a native to live off their assets if necessary.

8th house, The house of inheritance, joint resources and investments, it shows:

inheritance, debt, taxes,investors, gifts, joint resources,insurance, the money people owe you

- how much resources you receive from other people

- How much assets, money and resources you may share with others and inherit

- The individuals you may inherit from,have joint bank accounts, shared resources with that financially bless you

- where your resources from other people come from

- the kind of people and industries that may invest/donate/give to you

- How you handle and manage your debt and loans

- your ability to adapt to financial challenges and a complete change of class or income, essentially how you handle financial transformations

- How much you may leave for others when you pass away

- Your ability to repay financial obligations like debt and taxes

- The financial downfalls or sudden financial gains that come from unexpected sources or a source you didn’t know about (8th house is a house of secrets and in the dark so you don’t really see it coming)

- Attitudes towards other peoples resources and the concept of debt/loans

- What kind of resources, assets and things you may receive from other people

Honestly 8th house covers a lot in finances, it’s the kind of money you get for literally no reason, like you can just be sitting there and money falls on to your lap, it can be known as the nepotism house, resources gained not as a result of your day to day efforts (unless making aspects to 6H/Saturn), but a thing you get all at once as a “here you go, well done!”. You really don’t see it coming either, having a blessed 8H is good but you also need to maintain your inheritance otherwise you can end up losing it all that’s why it’s important to have a grounded 2nd house. The kind of people that tend to have this house active and beneficial would be people that are blessed with money in their darkest of times, natives put in the will of their family, people that marry into wealth, being involved with financial contracts that benefit the native more than the other.

E.g Uranus here would want it’s independence, Pluto would feel entitled to others finances and therefore native would excel in taking money from others, Jupiter is lucky here so you would just be blessed with inheritances and financial gains from others even though you didn’t plan for it.

Also look at the ruling planets of this house, say if you had an Aries 8th house, locating which house Mars is in your chart can show you which kind of places you can be given money from most, E.g your Aries is in 11th house and your Mars is in 3rd House you would make great financial gains on the topic/themes of networking, social media E.g. online companies giving you their products in hope of you trying them, being recommended for bonus or accolades because someone you vaguely know mentioned you to their boss, whereas Mars (Aries planetary ruler in 3H) could also indicate who you get your money from like siblings, people you share your ideas with etc.

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deaths-accountant · 8 months

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Mole Interest

Mole buy stocks; mole invest

Mole must get her mole interest-

A quick mole-Google and she gets

The foremost trading app.

Countless firms are spread before her

CEOs beseech, implore her

They’ll return the most next quarter

Or else they’ll eat their cap!

Their speeches are long and dreary-

Kindred pitches form one expanse-

She knows efficient market theory

So she’ll pick one out by chance.

Finds a lovely busy Molehill,

Wide and lively with juicy worms,

Workers of the utmost moleskill

Do fair good work with fair good terms.

They’ve got sick pay near the best,

Pensions for old age,

Grievances quickly addressed,

And a living, squirming wage.

Their tunnels meet the latest codes-

They won’t collapse with heavy loads

The bi-annual inspector toads

Are but the meagrest expense.

Mole’s first AGM comes by

And she finds profits just shy

Where next door reports theirs lie.

Lost profits are loss to her sense.

Workers work well chatting without threat

But under the whip work harder yet

Workers’ welfare has no station

In the firm’s profit equation

Even if upon occasion

It distracts them from their grind.

And all the happy friendly chatter

On bottom lines ceases to matter

If she gets less she disinvests-

The CEO has made a mess

“It’s not how many worms I’d get

If maternity pay weren’t so kind”

She has her eye on ROI

Spies where dividends are high

Chase that bright green profit line

To where the tunnels aren’t so kind

The moles here toil, shifting soil

For pennies on the dime.

There is no noise; there are no joys

Or else they’d be chastised

They must not pause their tired claws

They are not unionised.

And in this thrift of pay for shifts

Their CEO is wise.

So money goes where money will:

The higher ROI molehill

And molehills where bosses are kind

Are molehills that get left behind

So management resolves to find

Each last bit of profit.

To compete in the present market

Suboptimality must be quit:

Maternity pay’s out the door

All chattering will be deplored

And toads won’t visit anymore.

The market demands it.

So interest rates equilibrate

If the workers will put up with it it has no moral weight

If you can take it with no fight it must be free.

What you don’t take will seal your fate

Intertemporal allocation in its most efficient state

By values that do not belong to me.

#mole interest #still could do with a lot more refining #any comments are appreciated- positive or negative #and may influence a final version

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snugglyporos · 23 days

Note

NFTs of the art world. I'll see myself out.

// I'll be completely honest here, the idea of NFT's is not the problem. It's entirely down to how they are executed and commodified.

Art, that is worth money, is a commodity. It's value is intrinsic because it is A. not easily replicated (age, difficulty of creation, cost of materials) and B. has some name attached to it, and/or C. is limited in number.

Ergo, a painting by someone like Picasso is intrinsically valuable because it is old, limited in number, from a famous name, and cannot be replicated. We know this, because if you make a print of his work, it is not worth the same amount. Therefore, the value is contained in that individual piece.

This is not something that has yet to be replicated digitally. Digital artists have struggles because any work that they produce in the form of a .tiff or a .jpg or a .png can just be saved on anyone's computer. Anyone can just take a screenshot and then upload it somewhere else. The cost of materials is zero, not including electricity or cost to use a program. Unless you're a big name, your art probably doesn't contain any name recognition. There is thus very little intrinsic value to digital art.

At the very least, excluding costs of labor, a work of art is worth what it cost in materials to make it. A painting is worth the cost of the paints, at minimum. This is similar to the idea that a sculpture is worth as a floor, whatever it's worth in material scrap. Make something out of iron or gold? You're looking at minimum whatever it would cost to scrap it and melt it down.

Art, however, having such value, tends to be forged. A lot. That's why there are entire companies and an industry dedicated to validating that a print from a wood block by Salvador Dalí is in fact from the original print line. In other words, the language of digital art, that of 'theft' is not accurate. Theft implies something was taken and can be given back. What you deal with when you save an image is something akin to forgery, or duplication of something and the claim that it is now that thing.

You will immediately notice that there is no such organization or industry around validating digital art. Because the nature of the internet, that of free images, free access to work, free exposure to new things, is counter to the idea of making people actually own things like pictures. In the same way that it's hard for consumers to own digital products when the company decides they don't anymore, it's hard for artists to actually ensure that their work remains theirs. There exists no mechanism to validate it, or protect it. A physical art, bought by a collector, can be placed in their home for no one but them to see. You can't do that with images online, at least not ones that you post for everyone to see. You might be able to buy a physical print, but that too gives it the intrinsic value of a physical object that a digital one lacks.

In other words, absent the idea of an NFT, any image you post online is no different than a drop in an MMO. It exists, theoretically, you can look at it, but anyone can claim that they have one and there's no mechanism to ensure that the one you posted is the original, and if anyone pays you for it, no one can stop you or anyone else from monetizing it. That's why there's an entire industry around gold farmers and people who are paid to grind.

NFTs, as they actually exist currently, are little more than jpgs attached to penny stocks; they're gambling tokens. This is because there is no actual way to ensure the kind of signed authority of say, a real painting without a centralized authority that people respect enough to say 'yes, this is real and worth this.' You are not seeing people appraising jpegs because they're worth whatever someone will pay for them.

Digital art hasn't even gotten to the point where trading cards are, where there are validating and grading services to prove authenticity. Currently, anyone can claim they are any artist, and there's no way to prove that they're not lying without a great deal of effort.

That, obviously, cannot continue if digital artists are to ever end up in a place that physical artists inhabit. You will never see a digital artist become a great artist in the same way that a painter from the 1950s might have, because their work will never be able to have any intrinsic value so long as it is digital, without the authentication required.

In other words, the thing that allows digital artists to spring up more easily ( access to audiences, lack of material cost, ease of spreading their work ) actually makes their work less valuable in terms of intrinsic cost because anyone can see it and copy it for themselves. To post it online is to make infinite copies of it. And if you made infinite copies of a famous work, it wouldn't be worth anything either.

Eventually, something akin to NFTs will have to exist, in some form, if digital artists are to become as valueable in terms of intrinsic value as meatspace artists.

But what we have now isn't it. What we have now is a casino where people charge artists to gamble with their art.

#ooc

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georgegraphys · 10 days

Text

@grbambi63's theory really made me peek into Daimler's 2018, 2019, and 2023 annual report to see the difference between Zetsche's management to Kallenius' management.

Zetsche's objective:

Kallenius had a similar objective on that too but I won't include it for today because we're not talking about the similarity but... the one thing Kallenius had that Zetsche didn't.

2019 & 2023's Kallenius-term annual report objectives:

Lower cost base. Reduction of (...) costs.

This isn't just some move that Kallenius added just because he loved saving some pennies but it might be due to the chaos that happens in his first year as a CEO. I am going to highlight two major events here.

1) Diesel Emission Scandal

In the beginning of 2018 (Zetsche's term), Daimler was accused of having shit devices on their control software for their US products but they denied this allegations. Then it was reported that the US authorities were investigating them for diesel emission cheating scandals.

In June 2019, Daimler had to recall 60,000 Mercedes diesel powered cars in Germany, the model affected is the Mercedes-Benz GLK 220 SUV produced between 2012 and 2015, the car is fitted with software aimed at distorting emissions tests. And during the same year, Daimler was fined 870 million euros in Germany for "negligent violation of supervisory duties" in relation to not fully complying with emissions regulations. In 2020, they had to pay $2.2B in settlement.

The scandal got serious actually as "The Daimler boss is also putting the german federal government in trouble. It has its back against the wall internationally because of the fraud committed by its flagship industry. US President Donald Trump has targeted Daimler in the trade dispute and threatened that he no longer wants to see Mercedes cars on Fifth Avenue in New York" source

This crisis ironically started at Zetsche's management but the peak of the case was handled during Kallenius' early stage of leadership 💀💀💀 (I FELT BAD FOR HIM NGL LMAOOO)

2) COVID 19

Do you think Kallenius' trials decrease after his first year? No. COVID-19 happens. They still profit as they are THEE Mercedes but sales were slow at one point. Kallenius and other executives had to take pay cuts due to COVID and even before, COVID he also had to struggle with Daimler's stocks dropping drastically while having to deal with the lawsuit and satisfying the investors. He also said this: (source)

Looking at how they have interesting differences as CEO. Kallenius is definitely all about cost efficient and maybe this was due to the crisis he felt in 2021 and as a preparation for Daimler's future ventures in focusing more about EQs

Update: Yeah this confirms that he had a pretty rough start to his management year in 2019 due to diesel scandal (source)

And bold of you to think that Zetsche retired from Mercedes with a bang. No he didn't. (source)

AND THE BEEF THICKENS as some board member reportedly are against his rise to be the chairman of the supervisory board (source)

Just a personal thought from me, but what if the reason Kallenius was pissed at LH in 2021 is caused by all these financial wrecks Mercedes are in during these years? They were hit again and again. To add that, Kallenius is very adamant on his cost efficient and cost reduction objectives after these hardships. And at that time, just after 2020, LH demands a raise. A raise from a company who is literally in the trenches fighting for a surplus and good result from all the legal battles they're in and COVID that caused the board members and employees to get paid cuts. Maybe this was what pissed Kallenius off? Because at that time, Mercedes wasn't doing so well and suddenly, LH asked for pay raise to a guy who is very set and clear about saving every pennies 😭😭 That must've pissed the hell out of him. I'm not saying Lewis is wrong but kinda 💀💀 to think that the butterfly effect from that moment of their contract negotiation in 2021 to what is happening rn in 2024 💀💀.

If that is true then Zetsche is the catalyst for the butterfly effect happening rn:

Zetsche diesel scandal>Him retiring>Kallenius' rise to position>Mercedes financial flopification due to dieselgate and covid>LH demanding more salary>Cost efficient and suffering Kallenius, with his hands full on Zetsche's mess, getting pissed at LH>LH and Mercedes fallout>Kallenius using George as a piece in the contract negotiation>Toto Wolff power decrease in Kallenius' era>George to Mercedes>Another contract negotiation problems>Ambassadorial promise getting yeetus deletus-ed>LH pissed>Ferrari move early>George steps forward as team leader

If this is real. If the butterfly effect is real, then it's crazy.

#corporate talks

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lily-orchard-gossip-blog · 1 year

Text

The Unauthorised Edit of TSR's Chapter 1

Aliana let out a strained groan as she trudged through the sands of Jakku. She hated desert planets with a passion. They were too hot, too devoid of life, and always filled to the brim with opportunistic Hutts.

Unfortunately, Jakku was also the closest place to Odessen with a scrap dealer, something she was finding herself in more need of as her ship continued to age.

She glanced back at the dwindling silhouette of the Fury, a replica of an old Sith Empire ship. Aliana could still see her mother beaming from ear to ear when they first got it. Her quiet voice filled with pride, repeatedly saying "I did it."

Aliana turned her gaze back to the outpost, slogging through the sands, a few flecks scratching up her leg.

She cursed.

You would think that after a thousand years, the designs for emperial ships would have changed, but no. Apparently failed empires enjoy invoking the designs of other failed empires. And now she was forced to walk, lest she invoke panic and hysteria in the locals. All because the republic failed to do it’s only job: to keep the empire from coming back.

Looking at the dunes of sand, sprawling forward like an endless ocean, Aliana couldn’t help but think “I hate my life.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

An hour had passed by the time Aliana made it to Niima Outpost, and the first thing she did was look for someone to refill her water tankard. There was never a shortage of people willing to trade water, but they always wanted something other than the typical Hutt currency.

Currency was flimsy out in the backwater worlds, especially when there was little you could actually buy with it. Even Niima’s own goons traded in ration packs; sealed packages of polystarch and veg-meat that provided a lot of nutrition at a relatively low cost. They were made for soldiers, but for the hungry and desperate living on Jakku, they were worth more than electrum.

Fortunately, she always carried a few ration packs on her. After trading with a local moisture farmer, she made her way to the scrap dealers. She doubted a lot got sold at the outpost, but it looked like a few of them had some sort of stock for sell. Probably catering to the occasional smuggler, hermit or bounty hunter stopping by in hopes of getting universal ship parts for cheap.

Looking around, she decided to take her luck with the seller with the most wares out on his table; a greasy looking man who was sweating over some part or another.

“Excuse me sir…” She began, the man glanced towards her; she could hear him mumbling under his breath, something about exotic woman and his lucky day. He stood up. He was tall, taller the Aliana by a foot. He was also rather large. If it wasn’t for the openly displayed lust on his face, and the punch able grin, he could have been almost considered average.

“Well, hello there darling.” He drawled. “What can I do for a lovely creature such as yourself?”

Aliana suppressed a scowl. “I’m looking for a Hyperdrive.”

“A Hyperdrive?” He whistled, “A big machine for such a small lady.”

“Do you have one or not?” She snapped, this creep was getting on her already frayed nerves.

“No need to get all hostile darling. I may have what you want, but it’ll cost yah.” His gaze landed on her belt, or rather, the lightsaber that dangled on it. She moved her hand to cover it.

It was probably the only thing of true value that Aliana had. She wasn’t surprised that he spotted it, nor that he wanted it. Tourists, Hutts, hell the occasional Jedi fanboy would be more than willing to pay a pretty penny for it. She wavered, slightly. She really needed that Hyperdrive, but… No. Trading it was out of the question, and had her mother even seen her begin to waver, she would have never heard the end of it.

“It’s not for sale.” She stated, rather plainly. “What about ration packs? How many of those?”

“Pfff, you honestly think ration packs can cover the price of a Hyperdrive?”

Aliana scrunched up her face. She had rather hoped that they would.

The man looked her up and down, “Course, I suppose we could make a deal…” His greasy, sausage like hands found their way onto her ass, and gave a little squeeze.

Aliana reacted on instinct.

She grabbed his armed, flipped him around and tossed him onto the desert sand, pinning him in place with a solid foot too his throat. His panicked wheezing filled the silenced.

“You listen to me, and you listen well.” Her was voice dangerously low, foot digging in a little as he squirmed. “I am not some sack of meat you can put your grubby little hands on. You so much a touch me again, and I will take your whole hand off. Are we clear?” The man tried desperately to grasp at her foot. She pressed harder.

“Are.We.Clear?” She growled. “Y-yes, yes… we are! Very clear!”

She removed her foot and he scrambled up, rushing away from her. Curses and swears could be heard as he did so. The other shop owners all threw her a look, and she knew she wouldn’t be getting any more business done with them.

Aliana sighed. Now she did it. She probably lost her best option; all because of her damned pride.

Looking around the grungy outpost, she eyed the scavengers. Maybe she would luck out and one of them would have cabbaged a Hyperdrive. Unlike shop keepers, scavengers where far easier to buy off with ration packs, thought that was in large part because the Hutts made it their business to undersell them at every possible turn. It was also a gamble that a scavenger would have exactly what she needed, and a Hyperdrive? The force itself would have to be with her, and she never felt that the force particularly cared for her kind.

Perhaps the heat really was getting to her, because her mind went back to the only other time she had been on Jakku. This was back when she was still a teenager and her mother was alive. She had met a scavenger girl around her age, struggling to remove parts from a downed speeder. It was one of the few times that Aliana had drawn her lightsaber in a situation other than combat, all to slice off the various parts for the girl. Her mother had given her the largest lecture of her life after that stunt. Still, the girl and Aliana became pretty close. She could still remember tearfully handing her a small plasma knife as they parted ways.

She wondered what became of that girl, if she even still lived.

Shaking her head free of bittersweet nostalgia, Aliana made her way to the concession area, in hopes of good fortune finding her.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two hours into her search, and she couldn’t believe her luck. Aliana was certain that she’d be on Jakku for the better part of the week. Yet, there it was, a Hyperdrive coil, lying innocently in someone’s scrap tray. Looking at the owner, she blinked. The girl looked… familiar. But she couldn’t place why, exactly. As she stared, she couldn’t help but notice her looks.

Covered in dirt, sweat and grime, the girl… well, maybe girl wasn’t the right word, the woman had her soft (at least it looked soft) brown hair tied back in tight buns, and her tunic displayed a rather… toned body, and those arms looked like they could lift a girl up and protect her for days.

Snapping out of her daze, she shook her head to clear it of any inappropriate thoughts. She needed to focus.

She didn’t bother approaching right away. Her mother had taught her to wait for her targets to be offered a meager price, and then swoop in with a much better offer. Ninety percent of the time, it worked.

As predicted, the crolute looked over the woman’s wares, then frowned before offering the lady a half-portion of one measly ration pack for not only the coil, but everything else in her cart.

This was her chance.

“Excuse me?” She called out to the woman, who turned to her with a startled look on her face, causing Aliana to falter. That face… she knew this person!

The woman’s brown eye’s widened in surprise as well, as a realisation seemed to rush over her. “Ali? Is that you?”

“Rey…? No way…” Aliana couldn’t believe her eyes, could barely trust them, and yet… There she was. Alive. “How have you been?! It’s been so long since I last saw you!” Aliana approached her with a bounce in her step, she wanted to hug her, but considering how long it’s been, she wasn’t sure if that was an appropriate greeting.

Rey, however, had no such reservations, and promptly picked her up in a bear like hug, squeezing the air out of her.

‘So she could pick me up.’ Aliana’s thoughts traitorously supplied.

“Ali!” Rey exclaimed, “It’s been way too long!” Placing Aliana down on the ground, she continued “What are you doing here?”

Aliana opened her mouth to speak, only for a loud coughing noise to interrupt.

“As touching as that reunion is, if you aren’t interested in trade…” the crolute wheezed.

Rey looked back at him, pinching her brows together. “Ah, right. Sorry Ali, let me just wrap up here and then we can…”

“Actually…” She quickly interrupted, “I was going to offer you fourteen double-ration packs for that Hyperdrive coil.”

Rey raise an eyebrow at that, “That’s an entire month’s worth of food.”

“I really need that coil.”

Rey grabbed her stuff and moved it out of the way so that the other scavengers could access the booth.

“Ali, that’s a really generous offer, but…”

“I don’t want you thinking I’m playing favorites here. I was going to offer it to anyone who had one.”

“Still…”

“Rey, I’m not giving you special treatment. I didn’t even recognize you until you turned around.” Reassured Ali. If they had been strangers this would have been a simple affair; knowing each other made things just slightly more complicated.

Rey pinched her lips together, clearly thinking it over, before nodding. “Alright. But only if you let me go to your ship and install it.”

Aliana blinked in surprise. “Wha- Are you sure?”

“You’re not some random stranger Ali.” Rey shrugged, “Besides, it’ll give me a chance to practice fixing things for once, instead of tearing them apart.”

“It’s been a few years since we last met, I could be some kidnapper working for the empire now, for all you know.”

Rey snorted. “Right, and I’m certain a would-be kidnapper would totally wear black robes that scream I’m a secret assassin, look at me.”

“I’ll have you know these robes are…”

“A traditional garment that has been in my family for generations.” Parroted Rey, Aliana had to stop herself from puffing her cheeks out like a child.

“Point is, I know you Ali.”

Aliana sighed dramatically, “Fine. If you want to make a stupid decision, then fool of me to stop you.”

Rey smirked, “Where is this ship, anyways?”

“About a mile off.” That earned her a raised eyebrow. “You’ll see why soon enough.”

“I have a speeder,” Rey nodded, slinging her pack and staff over her back.

“Oh, you are my hero,” Aliana laughed as she followed Rey to the outer edge of the outpost, “I was not looking forward to another walk through the desert.”

The two mounted the speeder, Aliana wrapping her hands around Rey’s waist, the fabric doing nothing to hide the feeling of her chiseled abs. Based off of how Rey picked her up earlier, it was safe to say Rey was an incredibly powerful woman. Aliana quickly stopped, or rather tried to stop, her train of thought. Unfortunately, the blush had already crept onto her face. Rey didn’t notice (thank the force) and took off toward the desert.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rey almost couldn’t believe her luck. She thought she was lucky when she found that hyperdrive coil. But not only did she just secure a whole month worth of food, but she also met a dear friend to boot.

Rey threw a glance at Aliana, who was bringing in another tool box.

Just how many did that girl own? Rey wondered.

Aliana changed a lot since they last saw each other, but at the same time, she didn’t change much at all. Her dark brown hair was still a deliberate wavy, curly mess. Her black skin was still littered with freckles, giving her an impish charm and her eyes…

Tearing her eyes away from her friend, Rey looked around the ship. Admittedly, she’d been nervous when she saw the Fury. It resembled far too closely to those used by the First Order, and to anyone with an untrained eye, they may as well be the same. But Rey had dismantled both Imperial and First Order ships before, and this particular design didn’t fit ether of their registries.

While the ship wasn’t ancient by any means, it was poorly maintained. Aliana either wasn’t the kind of person who bothered to properly maintain her ship, or she just didn’t know how to. Considering how often she broke things back in the day, the latter was definitely more likely.

“Where exactly did you get this ship anyway?” Rey asked as she slid under the Hyperdrive generator.

“My mother commissioned it. She said it was to remind us of our heritage.” Aliana said, sitting down on a crate and watching Rey work.

“Must be nice,” Rey said, somewhat bitterly.

“I guess. Though considering the pain this heritage is giving me, I think I would prefer not to have it.” Aliana responded, she was getting a little distracted by Rey’s arms. So firm.

“You don’t mean that. Otherwise you wouldn’t have kept the ship.” Rey responded, twisting a few bolts. Her voice hitched slightly.

Aliana knew that this was a sore spot. For both of them.

“You know… My offer still stands.” Aliana tentatively said.

“Offer? What of-”Rey threw her a look, as realisation dawned on her face. “Oh. You mean that.”

“Would it really be so bad? Learning the force, exploring the galaxy…” Hanging out with me. Aliana added in her mind.

“No. I know you mean well Ali, but my answer hasn’t changed since the first time you brought it up.” Stated Rey, her hand was shaking a little, but she was firm in her answer. Aliana could only respect that. Besides, she was being ridiculous. Who would drop everything they know to travel with someone they barely knew anymore?

“All right.” Twiddling her thumbs, Aliana finally settled on changing the topic to safer things. “How’s scavenging?”

“Fine for the most part, got a lot of good use out of that vibroblade you gave me.” Replied Rey, “Unfortunately, it broke last month.”

“Really? Still, it’s been, what, Eight years since I gave that to you?”

“About that much. I tried to fix it, but there weren’t any parts that seemed to work.”

“I guess I can’t be surprised, it was already pretty old when I gave it to you.”

“I actually still have it. I couldn’t bring myself to toss it.” Rey rolled out from under the drive, giving Aliana a fond smile. “After all, it was a precious gift from a friend.”

Aliana could feel her whole face light up in a blush. Before she could respond, the smell of smoke wafted into the room, causing Aliana’s eyes to bug out.

“Oh no… Dinner!” She cried, rushing out of the room.

Rey blinked, before chuckling lightly. “She hasn’t changed a bit.” She muttered, a fond smile traced her lips as she slid back under the Hyperdrive.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aliana was convinced she was just been given a rare blessing by the force. How else did her day go so well? Rey had somehow not only fixed her ship in record time, but she also went out of her way to clean and fine tune the Hyperdriver for good measure. Meanwhile, Aliana had almost managed to burn dinner. She salvaged it, but that was… embarrassing.

As she set a plate in front of Rey, she scratched her cheek sheepishly. “Sorry about that. I swear I’m usually not that careless in the kitchen.”

Rey chuckled, it was a low, throaty sound that just made Aliana want to hear more. “Don’t worry about it Ali. Besides, it gave me enough time to get washed up. See?”

Rey held up her callous hands, as if to show off how clean they were after working in greasy machine parts all afternoon. Rey seemed proud of it too.

“Are you a youngling?” Aliana teased; she sat down across from Rey.

Rey blushed in embarrassment “Wha- I… No. I just…”

“I’m just teasing.” Chuckled Aliana, she had a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “I’ll have your ration packs ready after we’re done eating.

“Thank you,” Rey nodded, shoveling food into her mouth before freezing in place. Aliana held her breath. It didn’t taste that bad, did it?

Rey didn’t keep her in suspense for long however. “Wow…This is delicious! You made this?"

Before Aliana could respond, a robotic voice chimed in. “Darth Amorosa is quite an experienced chef indeed!”

Aliana whirled around to see 2V-R8; a protocol droid that came with the ship. Her mother had also commissioned him at around the same time as the ship, because she wanted this craft to be as close to the original as possible… And also because they needed someone to help maintain the ship, since both Aliana and her Mother where, at best, technologically inept. Still, after ten years with nobody else around, 2V had become the closest thing to family she had. For all his irritations, she loved the droid.

Rey almost choked on her next mouthful at the droid’s words, “I’m sorry, Darth Amorosa?”

“Is there something wrong with the title?” Inquired Aliana, Rey knew about Aliana’s Sith heritage, so she wasn’t certain why she was surprised by it.

“No, it’s just… Amorosa? Did you pick that?” Rey shot a look at Aliana, and Aliana couldn’t figure out what she was getting at.

“Yes, I did. Why?”

“You went with a title that means loving as your supper intimidating Sith title. Aren’t Sith supposed to be scary and intimidating? Loving isn’t exactly….”

“You’ve been doing research, I see.” Muttered Aliana, slightly embarrassed. It’s true, her Sith name didn’t exactly fit with the other greats of the past. Still, she liked it.

“Well, I was curious. Especially after everything you told me.” Rey paused, then added “I like the name, it’s very you.”

“You see master? The name, is as every bit Sith as you are. Your Mother…”

“Enough 2V-R8!” Hissed Aliana, the droid had a bad habit of bringing up things she didn’t want to talk about.

2V-R8 scurried off without another word, and Rey was thankfully mute on the subject. Internally, Aliana let out a massive sigh of relief. She just wanted to enjoy one dinner where the shadows of her past didn’t try to ruin everything.

“So what do you do?” Rey asked, looking up from her plate.

Aliana jolted as she was pulled from her thoughts and momentarily blanked, “Uh… I do a little bit of everything, really. Mercenary, bounty hunting, deliveries, wetwork, anything I can do to get by, really.”

Rey choked again, dropping her plate onto the seat beside her and pounded her fist against her chest, “Wetwork?!”

Aliana realised that that was one aspect of her life she should have kept quiet about. Mentally cursing, she attempted to salvage the situation.

“All my targets are First Order,” She carefully explained, “Republic SIS has a lot of people out there picking off stormtroopers and officers. They actually have a bounty out on Kylo Ren, but not a lot of people try to take that job.”

“Why not?” Rey asked, sitting forward. She was always interested in news from the galaxy, especially regarding the latest galactic war.

“Ren’s a Dark Jedi,” Aliana explained, “You know how it is; with the Force and a working lightsaber, you’re a dangerous target. And Ren’s in a league of his own.”

“Dark Jedi?” Rey asked, looking puzzled, “Isn’t he a Sith like you?”

“No. Being a Sith, a true Sith, is a matter of blood. I have Sith blood, so I’m a Sith. Kylo Ren does not, so he’s a Dark Jedi.” Explained Aliana neatly, her mother had hammered that particular point into her head quite well.

Rey thought about Aliana’s answer for a moment, then nodded. Was that not how legacies worked? You had to be born into one to be considered somebody.

"So… have you met any Jedi? In your travels?" Rey asked.

Aliana had to resist the urge to bristle at the question. Brushing a strand of thick wavy brown hair out of her face, she put on a face of indifference.

"Can't say I have," she replied. “A lot of them went into hiding when the First Order appeared.”

Rey narrowed her eyes slightly. She sensed that Aliana was hiding something from her.

Aliana felt a slight twinge of guilt at Rey's inquisitive stare. "... Did you… want seconds? Y'know, before you go?"

Rey blinked, and then smiled. "Oh! Yes please, I mean… so long as you're offering. I wouldn't want to impose."

Aliana smiled. "No imposition at all, I'll be right back," she said, making her way back to the kitchen.

When she returned, the two continued to talk as they ate. Topics ranged from funny stories from their time apart, to ways to upgrade the Fury to be a more reliable, modern ship. As they spoke, Aliana couldn’t help but feel comfortable for once. Being around Rey felt… right.

Alina could feel a pang in her chest. It was all she could do to ignore it. It didn’t do well to think of what could have been.

When Rey finally packed up her things to leave, Aliana handed her a container filled with the agreed upon ration packs. Though, and Aliana didn’t tell Rey about this, but she did slip another Vibroblade inside with a note attached. She hoped that this one would last longer than the other one.

They shook hands and Aliana stood on the ramp of the Fury as she watched Rey speed off back into the desert. Aliana remained on the ramp long after Rey had gotten out of sight, mulling over the day. It had been nice to have Rey around for the last few hours, and she quietly hoped that, if she ever came back to Jakku, she would be able to see her again.

Sighing, she turned to go back inside and prep the ship for launch.

Suddenly, a wave of terror, hatred and death washed over her.

Gasping, she clutched her chest as her legs bucked from under her, hitting the ramp with a clang. Then, as quickly as it had come, it vanished.

Aliana recognized it instantly. She had just felt the deaths, no the cries, of so many people in agony. It was coming from the east.

She should ignore it. She should get back into her ship right now and just leave the planet. Go somewhere else. Somewhere where strong arms and charming smiles can’t reach her. Besides, what is she going to do? Play hero?

Aliana had prepped the Fury for launch, before finally swearing under her breath. Hero or not, she wasn’t about to just ignore what she’d felt.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aliana stepped off the Fury and was immediately hit by the smell of burning flesh. Covering her nose, she blinked a few times from the smoke stinging her eyes. Finally, she could see properly, only to be struck cold by what she saw. The village was in ruins. Bodies were scattered everywhere. An X-Wing Fighter burning on the outskirts of the village. The sand stained a horrible reddish brown.

None of the corpses seemed to have any weapons, nor did they appear to be militant. It looked to be a proper one-sided massacre. But worst of all, she could feel the Dark Side of the Force lingering in the air. It was faint, but she knew this was done by a Force User; a powerful one at that.

Taking a deep breath and preparing herself for the worst, Aliana turned on her flashlight and began to make her way into the village. There had to be someone still alive. She scoured the village for any signs of life, or even a clue as to what had happened.

Through her persistence, she finally found it… or rather, someone. An old man curled up in the sand. She hurried over to him, and ever so carefully, she shinned her light towards him so she could see his face. He was clearly fighting to hold on, but he didn’t have long. If she was going to save him, she would have to act fast.

“My ship has a healing bay. I just need you to hold on.” she stated, examining his wounds. A deep smoldering gash could be seen across his chest. The wound was clearly cauterised, and yet blood was gushing out all the same. Aliana had seen such gashes before. It was clear that whoever had done this, did so with a lightsaber

“I-” The old man coughed, eye’s struggling to focus on her, “I- won’t make it…The First Order…”

Aliana frowned. “Don’t say that. I’ve seen people survive such wounds before, I just…”

She felt a feeble hand on her face, “You are…kind… but…” He coughed violently, “No time…”

Aliana closed her eyes. Though she didn’t want to admit it, he was right. His life force was wanning. Her hand tightened around the flash light. If only she had been a little faster.

“They took… Resistance pilot…” the old man heaved, “…They want…Skywalker…”

Aliana’s stomach sunk. Skywalker? That was the last name she wanted to hear. “W-what does the first order want with Sk-sky-… The jedi master?”

“To find…” He coughed, clearly in great pain, “Told the pilot… he knows…”

“The droid… He had… a droid… the plans must be…” the old man heaved, pain laced his every word, “You…only you know… please…help.”

Aliana’s mind went blank. She tried to stay out of the war between the Republic and the First Order beyond a few odd jobs. She wasn’t exactly a desirable ally for the Republic, and she’d decapitate herself before she’d ever consider joining the First Order. She had always tried to help wherever she could, but only by operating from the shadows and usually nothing big. Getting involved and helping in the way that the old man was asking would mean not only stepping into the sunlight, but to help Skywalker.

And that was dangerous.

But, he was dying. Seeing him struggle, hope faint in his eyes… Aliana nodded.

The old man seemed to relax, and his hand slipped from her cheek, “Thank you…”

His head rolled back and his breathing stopped. Aliana knew then, that he had passed away. She looked away from his body and started back towards her ship. She’d just promised to help, but now what was she supposed to do?

Maybe she could pretend that she didn’t just agree to go on a fool’s errand. The man was dead. Nobody would know. Frowning, she knew the ugly truth of it: She knew. And because she knew, she couldn’t ignore it.

Looking around the vast desert sands, she sighed. It looked like her stay on Jakku was going to be a little longer.

#The sith resurgence edit #tsr edit #chapter 1 edit #sith resurgence edit chapter 1

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twopoppies · 2 years

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I thought it was normal practice that the venue gets a cut of the artist's merch income. It's not? https://twitter.com/seaninsound/status/1556701700978868224?s=21&t=_xuHLVcdredBOOVcWXcm9w

Hi sweetheart. That’s not what he’s saying. It is normal these days and many people think it’s wrong that they do it.

His article is long, but it’s very interesting (emphasis below is mine).

Above and beyond the setlists and soundchecks, touring is tough and requires a lot of focus on the pennies and the pounds. Whether we're talking about an eleven album deep doom-metal trio trying to make a living, or newbies who are simply trying to avoid making a loss, touring requires the construction of a web of planning, such as savvily pre-booking Premier Inns on their advance rate or deciding between four or seven hours sleep (knowing the difference is often several hundred pounds saved on cheaper flights).

Whether bands play to 500 people or 50,000, being able to predict the right number of medium-sized T-shirts to print so they don't sell out (or get saddled with hundreds of pounds of left over stock) is boring but more important than ever.

Like any small business, understanding a profit and loss spreadsheet is crucial to live music. If you can’t get cancellation insurance due to COVID and fuel prices are continuing to rocket, every single hoodie and hand to hand record sale counts more than ever. So, aside from knowing how to impress a crowd, being able to set reasonable prices for merchandise to generate maximum sales and a decent profit, is more integral to a successful tour than it has ever been.

[…]

At many grassroots venues there’s an independent owner, who is often also the promoter. When you move up to larger venues, it’s far more likely the venue is being hired by an outside promoter (sometimes from an affiliated subsidiary company, who also seem to take some of the mysterious ‘booking fee’) and every penny from the bouncers to laundering the towels, is on a spreadsheet of show costs. It’s at this level where venues tend to charge a commission to sell merch, which is perhaps understandable when there are ten different merch points dotted around The O2 arena.

It’s not just the platforms raking in vast sums: Lucian Grainge, the head of Universal Music Group (UMG) recently received a "stonking" £123 million bonus. Meanwhile, a recent Guardian investigation discovered that UMG receives a share of Academy Music Group’s (AMG) profits from the sales of merchandise. These sales at O2 Academy venues are outsourced to company trading as Concessions Management International Ltd., which is part of Universal’s Bravado merchandise division. The report found that AMG and UMG take a cut, even if the act whose merch is sold is not signed to UMG.

[…]

She explains the maths of the merch desk: “For example, on a £25 LP sale, our label take £13.20 (fair enough, they are trying to recoup their investment, we have a very artist friendly deal with a great label). The venue take £7.50, they have no responsibility for paying for stock, they are only open to profit, no risk. The band then earn £4.30. Almost half of what the venue takes but the band have all the costs to get to the show plus the years of work that goes into that LP.”

“As for tees. If we sell a tee for £15. We pay £6 to print it. The venue takes £4.50. And we take £4.50. Again the venue profit as much as we do but without any of the liability involved in the design, print or delivery costs.” It all adds up doesn’t it? Of course, if you’re a massive act the economies of scale outlined in this BBC piece mean tees get cheaper and artists can consider fair trade & eco-friendly options like vegan inks, re-milled materials, or take the risk of commissioning multiple designs without passing too much extra cost onto fans.

Read the full article here

Featured Artist Coalition (or FAC for short), whose members span from acts playing their first gigs to stadium stars, have long pursued the issue of venues taking a cut of merch, but in recent months this campaign has ratcheted up, causing many venues agreeing to give 100% of the merch money to artists. Over 350 venues have already signed up to the FAC’s directory

#touring facts #touring costs #harry’s merch #Louis’ merch #cost of touring #merch prices #music industry

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rosethreeart · 9 months

Text

WIP: 5 times Delaware helps his siblings and one time they return the favor

This is the first section (as of now I might reorder them) for the fic I'm working on! I already got 2 one (working on the third rn :D) but wanted to share this one with yall ;)

This one is the one featuring NY!

New York couldn’t sleep. It didn’t matter how many times he tossed and turned. It didn’t matter what noises he played or if he was in absolute silence. Nor did the amount of blankets or pillows or stuffed animals (which he refused to admit he had) he constantly added or removed helped. He could not sleep.

New York could not remember how long it had been since he last got a good night's rest. Was it only 24 hours? Or had it been 48? Was he closing in on 72? The day (days?) had all blurred together at this point for him. He found himself getting easily irritated with paranoia creeping up his neck. It didn’t matter what his siblings would try to say or do for him, he would snap. He even snapped at his mother. He winced at the memory, trying to block out the horridly concealed hurt on her face. He shuddered.

Screaming into his pillow for what felt like the hundredth time that night, New York begrudgingly decided that he would get up. What was that saying again? Early bird gets the worm? If that was a case he was a very early and hopefully worm-filled bird at…3 am. Now that he thought about it being worm-filled did not seem all that pleasant. Being pie filled on the other hand? That sounded great. His stomach rumbled. Or was it cramped? He couldn’t tell.

New York was always a big fan of baked goods; had a sweet-tooth since birth, his mother would say. Perhaps it stemmed from when they were young and sweets and treats were a luxury they could not afford. They typically ended up needing to steal from the local town's bakery. They got in trouble many times however, that, nor any whips to the back or hand, or any other harsh punishments, had stopped them. Perhaps that only solidified his view of it further. That only those who could afford it could enjoy life. Perhaps that was why he strives to be so well off; studying the ways of economics, stocks, politics, trade, and so many more things to get a one-up in this horrid monopoly-like game of life. Call him greedy, or a penny pincher, or a scrooge all you want; he will never let his family end up in such a horrid financial position again. He already failed once when the stock market crashed in 1929. He refused to let that happen again.

Where was he again? What was he doing?

New York looked down at the stairs below. Were they swaying or was that him? Who cares, he needed to go down them.

Slowly, but steadily, a method he was not keen on, he made his way down. With each step he felt a little more undone.

What was that squeak? Was that a mouse? Was there an intruder?

He stilled.

He felt his heart pounding his chest.

Step.

Squeak.

“Motherfucker!” He screamed, practically jumping out his skin.

Shit.

Oh shit he fucked up.

Oh fuck oh fuckufckufckfuckfuck.

He slammed his hands over his mouth and threw his back against the railing. He hardly even breathed, waiting to hear some sort of stir, praying that he wouldn’t have to give an explanation that he was so sleep-deprived he couldn’t recognize the sound of his own feet squeaking on the staircase.

He stayed there for another moment or so, too afraid of his fumbling. New York could practically feel the inside of his body and skin itching to move; he was not one who enjoyed staying still for too long— it was even worse when he went without sleep. So he continued creeping down the stairs, practically giving a sob in relief as he hit the bottom step.

What New York was not prepared for was the feeling of his legs turning to jelly and capsizing him, sending him straight for the floor. If it wasn’t for a pair of lanky arms, his face would have been squashed.

It took him a moment, even after being gently sat on the ground before he realized who had helped him.

It was Delaware.

Of course it was.

Now he had no place to judge others on their sleeping habits, but really, he had no reason to be awake at that moment.

“What are you doing? Why are you still up?” He interrogated.

“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Delaware said, as if he didn’t already know the answer.

“You’re dodging the question.” New York squinted his eyes.

“What is this, a courtroom drama?”

“If you let me wake the Masshole up we can make it one for sure.”

“Amusing.”

“As always,” New York gave a shark tooth like grin; very typical of his usual smile— not the one he reserves for acting or his “faking it till he makes it” attitude.

Delaware took a seat right next to him. Suspicious.

Leaning against his bony-brother, he asked. “Wanna be for real now dude?”

Delaware sighed, “Same issue as you; couldn’t sleep.”

New York just nodded his head.

“Was that you who screamed earlier?’

“Yikes, you heard that?” He winced.

“I’d be surprised if the neighbors didn’t hear,” Delaware laughed.

New York just shoved his head in his hands and groaned.

Delaware gently wrapped his arms around his younger brother, “I got an idea,” New York peaked one eye through his fingers, “Why don’t we go sit on the coach and watch some Brady Bunch? I’ll make you some hot chocolate; how does that sound?”

A tear slipped from his bleary eyes as New York burrowed into Delaware's warm embrace. That was all the confirmation needed.

Now settled nicely on the couch with a warm hot chocolate while watching TV, the two sat in silence. While his stomach was now warm, he still felt a cold pit in his core.

“I’m sorry…” New York said, squirming in his seat.

“Didn’t know you knew how to say that,” Delaware jested.

“Shut up.”

He looked at the half empty cup in his hand; finding it hard to look at his reflection without his stomach wanting to do a flip.

“ I don’t…I don’t mean to…It’s just—” For some reason he found the words stuck in throat, like they were choking him.

Placing the warm beverage on the table in front of him, New York sighed, “ I wish I wasn’t the way I was.” He curled up into a ball, head concealed between his way too long legs.

It was quiet for a moment. New York couldn’t tell if his brother was shocked at the statement, but a small horrid part of him worried it was because he agreed.

“I think,” Delaware said scooting closer to him, “That if that was the case then you wouldn’t be you and…well..we love you.”

New York popped his head out like a groundhog, furrowing his eyebrows.

Delaware’s eyes widened, “What I mean is-Well..I..” He sighed, “Listen, I know it’s hard. It’s just..Sometimes life gives you shit. You either cave in and let the hate and bitterness consume you or you keep going.”

Delaware grabbed his hands, “I need you to keep going.”

New York found it hard to look at his brother through the puddles now forming in his eyes, “I’m trying.”

“I know.”

“I’m scared.”

“I know.”

“I don't want you guys to hate me..”

“Never.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

New York couldn’t control the subsequent sobs that escaped him. Delaware scooped him up to his chest letting his little brother cry his heart out into Delaware’s.

When the sun would rise a few hours later, their mother would come down to see her first and eleventh eldest son cuddled on the couch. The spiky blond would be past out, while his brother would remain awake still.

“Harsh night?” She asked, sitting on the arm of the couch next to her sons.

“Is that so unusual?”

“I suppose not.” She said, kissing him on the forehead, “You need your rest too.”

“Someone needs to keep the monsters under the bed at bay,” Despite Delaware’s joking tone, his mother could sense the real anxiety behind it.

“You know,” She said, pulling him to his chest, “that that’s what your family is for? You can lean on us; especially me. I am your mother after all, my dearest.”

“I know,” He said as he too drifted off the beating of his mother’s heart.

#wip

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