#Simple income strategies

[marketingprofitmedia]

Make 1K Every Day Fast And Simple Income Generating Proven Strategies for Success

To earn $1,000 every day, adopt proven income generating strategies that yield quick, significant returns. Seek out systems with a track record of financial success and user testimonials.

Making money quickly and consistently is a common goal for many, and reaching a target of $1,000 daily is an ambitious yet achievable objective. A multitude of online opportunities claim to offer the secret to financial prosperity, but discerning the legitimate from the too-good-to-be-true is crucial.

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Unlocking The Potential Of Daily Earnings

Unlocking the Potential of Daily Earnings is about turning each day into an opportunity. Imagine adding an extra $1,000 to your bank account daily. Such financial boosts can lead to a significant change in lifestyle and savings. Successful strategies exist. Follow them and you could see your income grow day by day.

Identifying High-profit Niches

Finding the right niche is critical for daily high-income potential. Look for industries with a huge demand but low competition. Do this by:

Researching market trends using tools like Google Trends.

Analyzing profitability through affiliate marketing platforms.

Spotting gaps in markets through customer reviews and forums.

Niches like health, wealth, and technology often promise better returns. Always ensure the niche aligns with your passion and expertise.

The Power Of Compound Earnings

Compound earnings can significantly increase your income over time. The key is to reinvest your earnings. See the power of compounding:

DayInitial Investment ($)Return Rate (%)Total Earnings ($)11,000101,100301,0001017,449

By consistently reinvesting your profits, small gains transform into large sums. Whether in stocks, savings accounts, or reinvestment in your business, compound earnings work.

Strategies That Deliver Results

Want to hit that 1K mark daily? Embrace strategies that work. Focus on tried-and-tested methods to generate income efficiently and effectively. The right strategies convert your efforts into steady earnings. Let’s dive into some powerful avenues for your financial breakthrough.

Leveraging Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing offers a passive income stream. It’s simple: promote products and earn a commission for each sale. Start by choosing a niche you are passionate about. Next, find affiliate programs that fit your niche. These programs give you unique links to share. Share these links on your blog, social media, or email newsletters. When someone buys through your link, you get paid.

Join affiliate networks to find products to promote.

Understand your audience to offer relevant products.

Create high-quality content that adds value and includes your affiliate links.

Creating Digital Products

Digital products have high margins and unlimited potential. Think of ebooks, online courses, and software. They require upfront work but can earn money repeatedly without additional costs. Identify what you’re good at. Develop a product that solves problems or provides knowledge. Market your products online using social media, your website, and other platforms.

Type of Digital ProductDescriptionPotential IncomeEbooksWrite and sell your expertise.HighOnline CoursesTeach skills you’ve mastered.Very HighSoftwareCreate tools that help others.Scalable

Offering Freelance Services

Freelancing lets you capitalize on your skills. Millions outsource tasks and projects daily. Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr connect freelancers with clients. Whether it’s writing, graphic design, or web development, you can offer services worldwide. Set competitive rates. Deliver top-notch work. Build a strong profile. Sustain a client base that trusts your expertise.

Set up profiles on freelancing platforms highlighting your skills.

Build a portfolio showcasing your best work.

Network to nurture client relationships and get repeat business.

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Strengthen Your Online Presence

Want to pocket an extra 1K daily? A powerful online presence is your secret weapon. Dive into strategies that catapult your success. Let’s explore!

Building A Persuasive Social Media Profile

Start with a smart profile picture. It’s your digital handshake. A professional headshot builds trust.

Write a bio that pops. In just a few words, tell your story. Make every word count.

Highlight your skills, what makes you unique.

Update regularly. Keep your achievements fresh.

Engage them. Post content they love. Respond to comments. Keep the conversation lively.

Effective Blogging Techniques

Create compelling headlines. Make them curious. They’ll want to read more.

Know your audience. Write what speaks to them. Solve their problems.

Use short paragraphs. Make it easy to read.

Include images. A picture says a thousand words.

Optimize with keywords. Get found on search engines. But keep it natural.

Call to action. Tell them what to do next. And make it stand out.

Maximizing Passive Income Streams

Earning $1K every day can seem like a dream, but it’s doable with passive income. Passive income streams require upfront effort or investment, but can pay off continuously. They are a key strategy for steady earnings without day-to-day work. Let’s explore some proven methods.

Investing In Dividend Stocks

One powerful revenue source is dividend stocks. Companies pay you just for holding their stock. Here’s how to get started:

Choose established, reliable companies.

Invest in diversified industries for safety.

Reinvest dividends for compounding interest.

Over time, the right portfolio might generate substantial daily income.

For clarity, here’s a simple comparison:

Stock TypeFrequency of PayPotential ReturnsHigh-yieldQuarterlyHigher risk, higher returnsBlue-chipAnnualStable, lower returns

Real Estate Income Opportunities

Real estate is another great way to earn passively. You can earn in two main ways:

Rental properties provide regular monthly income.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) offer stock-like ease with dividends.

Both ways can help in hitting that $1K daily goal.

Here’s a snapshot of real estate income potential:

Property TypeExpected IncomeProperty ManagementSingle-family homeDepends on locationPossible self-managementMulti-family complexHigher potentialOften requires a manager

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Automation And Scaling Up

Embracing the power of automation and scaling your businesses can transform the quest for making 1K every day from a dream into reality. It’s about working smarter, not harder. Leverage these strategies to multiply your revenue streams efficiently.

Incorporating Automation Tools

Time is money, and automation tools save you both. Automate mundane tasks. Discover tools that align with your business goals.

Email marketing software crafts and sends emails while you sleep.

Social media management platforms queue posts for optimal engagement.

Use accounting software for instant invoicing and expense tracking.

Simple integrations bring big impacts on efficiency. Select tools offering comprehensive analytics. This helps you understand what works for your audience.

Expanding Your Income Channels

Expand beyond one revenue stream. Diversify. More channels mean more opportunities to earn.

Start an e-commerce store. Sell goods related to your brand.

Create an online course. Share your expertise.

Explore affiliate marketing. Recommend products and earn commissions.

Each channel should fit your overall strategy. They must also resonate with your target audience. Observe market trends. Adapt and scale these channels as needed.

ChannelPotential EarningsEase of ScalingE-commerceHighMediumOnline CoursesVariesHighAffiliate MarketingLow to HighHigh

Review the performance of each channel. Reinvest profits for further growth. Success in scaling means careful planning and execution.

Adapting For Consistency And Growth

The journey to making 1K every day is an exciting challenge. The key to success lies in adapting for consistency and growth. You must navigate through changes and keep up the momentum. Let’s dive into strategies that can help you stay ahead of the game.

Adaptability In Market Trends

Staying ahead means knowing the market. Adaptability is about making quick changes. Here’s how:

Research — Keep an eye on market shifts.

Learn — Embrace new skills that the market demands.

Innovate — Try different methods to stand out.

Flexibility helps you use new trends to your advantage. It turns challenges into opportunities. Change is constant, and your strategy should be too.

Maintaining Growth Momentum

Growth is essential. Here’s how to maintain the momentum:

StrategyActionSet GoalsHave clear, measurable targets.Analyze DataReview your progress regularly.OptimizeAdjust strategies based on performance.

By setting goals and analyzing data, you make informed decisions. Optimization ensures your tactics stay effective. A strong foundation leads to sustainable earnings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I Make $1000 Daily Online?

Yes, with the right strategies, such as affiliate marketing, freelancing, or e-commerce, earning $1000 daily is possible online.

Q. What Are Fast Income-generating Methods?

Quick income can be made through high-commission affiliate programs, dropshipping, or offering in-demand digital services like web design.

Q. Is Passive Income Achievable Quickly?

Building passive income streams like dividend stocks or rental properties typically takes time, but some digital products can yield faster results.

Q. Are There Proven Strategies To Make Money?

Absolutely, proven money-making strategies include investing in stocks, starting a blog with monetizable content, and creating online courses.

Q. How To Start Earning $1k From Home?

To earn $1K from home, look into remote jobs, begin freelance writing or graphic design, or set up a home-based business online.

Conclusion

Embracing these strategies can unlock the door to consistent financial growth. Forget long hours and complex methods; here’s a path to a simpler yet effective income boost. Start your journey towards earning $1k daily — your potential awaits. Take action, refine your approach, and watch success unfold.

Let’s make prosperity your new normal.

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[howtofightwrite]

I've got a world-building/combat question. I have these two warring nations in my setting, both medieval-ish tech levels. One of them figures out how to make magical flying craft that are basically WWI airplanes. The other country invents dragon riders in response. Since then, they've been at war for ~60 years. I'm trying to figure out how the heck an air force would alter medieval combat strategies. If you've any suggestions, I'd appreciate it

The first, and biggest world building problem is that magic is part of your overall tech level. Ironically, Diskworld is an excellent example of how magical technology can basically function as an alternate path for social and technical development, though, honestly, a lot of high-magic settings tend to have tech leakage from magic.

One of the more common examples that comes to mind are “magical radios.” Either it's an enchanted device that allows person to person communication, or it's direct telepathic communication, but whatever it is, it serves a fundamentally similar role to a handheld radio, or (depending on how it works) a phone. The thing is, it's functionally a magical replacement, and it would affect society in much the same way those technologies have.

This is a long way to say, if your magical combat technology has WWI-grade planes, there is a very real possibility that a lot of your warfare is also going to be at a similar magi-tech level, if not more advanced. Having written that, I'm reminded of The Red Star comic series; though, that has a heavy Soviet aesthetic, and is not-at-all medieval.

Again, it doesn't really matter if you have fully-automatic firearms, or if you have a bolt thrower that conjures and propels crystals at hyper-sonic speeds into your foes. If they have a similar rate of fire, and similar accuracy, the meaningful change is texture. Your characters might see tiny crystal fragments shattered on the floor, or embedded into walls, instead of bullet holes. There may be no smell, or conjuring the crystals might leave a different odor. A handheld lightning projector might leave scorch marks, and a scent of ozone, for instance.

Magic might also factor into armor and defenses. If you can use a magical ward to dispel conjured objects, that might be extremely useful for fortifying specific targets against incoming conjured attacks, but it would likely be wholly ineffective against the lightning projector, or some other kind of directed energy beam weapon.

“Inventing,” dragon riding as a response to someone else making a magical airship, does strike me as an odd cause-and-effect. If dragon riding was that easy, it would seem likely that someone would have militarized them long before that point. Inventing flying objects that could function as a hard counter to dragons feels a little more natural. Or, magical, AA installations. Though, this is something that could probably be finessed, if you're really committed to the setup. It's also worth remembering that air superiority is an extremely potent advantage, even if you're not sure what to do with it, meaning that if one side suddenly had fliers, and the other side couldn't come up with a counter in short order, they'd be picked apart, and the war wouldn't have this 60 year timescale.

If it seems like I went to ranged weapons very quickly, there's a simple reason. You can't joust from a plane. Your options are to either propel objects at people, or drop things on them from above. Dragons also (usually) have the option to breathe fire on them. Now, firearms did exist in the late medieval era. So, that's not that far out of range. I'm less sure of the invention of bombs. At least, of the variety you could deliver to your enemy on the battlefield. Though, it occurs to me, you could probably use a catapult or trebuchet to deliver an explosive payload, if the explosives were stable enough to survive launch, but sensitive enough to detonate on impact. (Of course, if you have some kind of magically primed explosive, that stays stable until it is ejected from the catapult, and then explodes on impact, that would work.)

Looping back to the timescale again, this would require some pretty potent defensive capabilities. A dragon, with the ability to breathe fire, and the capacity for strategic thinking, could easily starve out an entire kingdom, simply by making a habit of torching all the cropland it could find. It doesn't, particularly matter if it gets all the food, so long as it torches a meaningful percentage of the available crops. When you have farmers going hungry, you're going to see food production dipping, exacerbating the problem. When you have soldiers going hungry, they're not going to be able to fight as effectively. When you have the peasantry going hungry, you're going to see civil unrest, and probably rebellions coming for their lord's head. You can't wage a war against a hostile nation under those circumstances. (In fact, there were multiple peasant revolts during the Hundred Years War, which basically stalled out France's ability to fight. England also suffered multiple peasant uprisings at roughly the same time. Though, those were motivated by taxation, which ends in a similar place.)

A related concept that's somewhat hinted above, is that wars are expensive, and both France and England found themselves facing uprisings because of taxation needed to support the ongoing war. (The irony being that both nations encountered this at roughly the same point in history. Roughly 40 years into the war.) A war that's been going for 60 years will likely have ravaged the economies of the involved nations. This isn't necessarily something that your characters would be aware of, unless you expand the context to show non-wartime economies.

The simplest explanation for why this happens is that any money you spend prosecuting the war are products that you never see returning value from. The money itself doesn't leave the economy, but the natural resources, and labor required, are expended non-productively (from the perspective of economic growth.) So, if you have a peacetime merchant, they're moving money around, but they're paying for their goods, and then those goods are going to consumers, who may also be contributing to economic activity with those goods (this even applies for food, you can think of that as a necessary component to any productive activity.) If you're a wartime merchant, selling weapons to the military, you are contributing to economic activity when you buy the weapons, but when they're sold to the crown, that's no longer productive. Those weapons leave the economy and never return. Worse, any soldiers who are permanently wounded, or killed, are also removed from the economy. Over time, this can destroy the most prosperous of nations. (To be clear, this is more advanced economic analysis than anyone in the middle ages would have had. So, the idea that wars are expensive was understood, but the exact reasons it slowed the economy were not.) And, this kind of thinking is another form of technological advancement. Ideas for understanding complex systems have become more intricate and detailed over time. While it's not the concept of, “invention,” that you might be used to, it is a similar form of progress.

So, how would this look in your world? There's a lot of potential consequences, most of which are not contradictory.

An impoverished lower-class is very likely. Whether that includes wounded veterans or not is a little more up in the air, though after 60 years, military pensioners, and those who suffered life-altering injuries on the battlefield are likely to be a common sight, either on the street or in the poverty line. (Especially if the crown is willing to enforce drafts and conscription.) At this point, that might be a very real possibility.

A struggling aristocracy is also likely, with former major power players who've declined into poverty. This might take the form of borderline abandoned estates that have been taken over by the crown or squatters. (Probably not both at the same time.)

Serious inflation is likely (and could be why formerly stable guild members, merchants, and even some of the aristocracy might now find themselves struggling.) I realize this point isn't something most really think of when you're trying to write a fantasy world, but it's worth considering. More likely this will be seen in food prices having increased over time. So the major symptoms you'd likely see would be decaying structures that no one has the resources to maintain, rising food prices, and generalized poverty. Even in a fairly magically advanced setting, a lot of these things would, likely, still happen. Of course, if the dragons have been used to destroy the agricultural base, things would be even worse in that nation. To be clear, food and taxation riots are not off the table there.

This is sort of a non-sequitur, but if you have a setting with classic transmutation (lead, or other base metals, into gold), you would actually see inflation with every batch of transmuted gold hitting the market. It's sort of an amusing note on the fantasy of being able to produce as much money as you want, but ultimately, it's actually harmful from a macroeconomic perspective. (Basically, the same reason counterfeiting is a problem.) Though, it is a possible hook for criminal groups in one of those nations, producing counterfeit gold via transmutation.

There's also a real world example from 2020, where a jewelry company had fabricated “fake,” gold bars as collateral to secure loans. In total, they claimed to have 83 tons of gold used to obtain loans worth over 2.8 billion dollars, from 14 different creditors. Except, when they defaulted on those loans, and were forced to hand over the gold, it was discovered that these were in fact gold plated copper bars.

I realize the question was about the flying forces specifically, but so long as that advantage is dealt with quickly, and neither side is able to monopolize air superiority, that's not going to change nearly as much as having that level of magical advancement would on its own, and of course, the general consequences of having a war that's been going on for long enough that multiple generations have died on the battlefield. That's going to a bigger effect on your world as a whole.

-Starke

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[reasonsforhope]

Toledo City Council just approved a plan to turn $1.6 million in public dollars into as much as $240 million in economic stimulus, targeted at some of the Ohio metro’s most vulnerable residents.

“It’s really going to help people put food on the table, help them pay their rent, help them pay their utilities,” says Toledo City Council Member Michele Grim, who led the way for the measure. “Hopefully we can prevent some evictions.”

The strategy couldn’t be simpler: It works by canceling millions in medical debt.

Working with the New York City-based nonprofit RIP Medical Debt, the City of Toledo and the surrounding Lucas County are chipping in $800,000 each out of their federal COVID-19 recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The combined $1.6 million in funding is enough for RIP Medical Debt to acquire and cancel up to $240 million in medical debt owed by Lucas County households that earn up to 400% of the federal poverty line.

“It could be more than a one-to-100 return on investment of government dollars,” Grim says. “I really can’t think of a more simple program for economic recovery or a better way of using American Rescue Plan dollars, because it’s supposed to rescue Americans.”

How It Works

Under the RIP Medical Debt model, there is no application process to cancel medical debt. The nonprofit negotiates directly with local hospitals or hospital systems one-by-one, purchasing portfolios of debt owed by eligible households and canceling the entire portfolio en masse.

“One day someone will get a letter saying your debt’s been canceled,” Grim says. It’s a simple strategy for economic welfare and recovery.

RIP Medical Debt was founded in 2014 by a pair of former debt collection agents, and since inception it has acquired and canceled more than $7.3 billion in medical debt owed by 4.2 million households — an average of $1,737 per household...

Local Governments Get Involved

The partnership with Toledo and Lucas County is the third instance of the public sector funding RIP Medical Debt to cancel debt portfolios.

Earlier this year, in the largest such example yet, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved a plan to provide $12 million in ARPA funds for RIP Medical Debt to purchase and cancel an estimated $1 billion in medical debt held by hospitals across Cook County, which includes Chicago.

“Governments contract with nonprofits all the time for various social interventions,” Sesso says.

“This isn’t really that far-fetched or different from that. I would say between five and 10 other local governments have reached out just since the Toledo story came out.”

What's the Deal with Medical Debt?

An estimated one in five households across the U.S. have some amount of medical debt, and they are disproportionately Black and Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau...

Acquiring medical debt is relatively cheap: hospitals that sell medical debt portfolios do so for just pennies on the dollar, usually to investors on the secondary market.

The purchase price is so low because hospitals and debt buyers alike know that medical debt is the hardest form to collect...

The amount of debt canceled for any given household has ranged from $25 all the way up to six-figure amounts. Under IRS regulations, debts canceled under RIP Medical Debt’s model do not count as taxable income for households...

Massive Expansion Coming Up

After not one but two donations from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, totaling $80 million, RIP Medical Debt is planning for expansion.

It’s using a portion of those dollars to create an internal revolving line of credit to expand to places where it can find willing sellers before it has found willing funders.

The internal line of credit means the nonprofit now has new, albeit still limited, flexibility to acquire debt portfolios from hospitals first, then begin raising private or public dollars locally to replenish the line of credit later and make those funds available for other locations.

“People often ask, do you only work with nonprofit hospitals, or do you work with for-profit hospitals? And I’m like, I just want to get the debt, regardless of who created the debt. If it’s out there, I want it,” Sesso says.

Fundamentally, they are not solving the issue of medical debt, but easing its pressure from as many lives as possible — while also upping the pressure on lawmakers and the healthcare industry.

“We’re intentionally taking the stories of the individuals whose debt we have resolved, and putting their stories out into the world with intention in a way that tries to push and create more of that pressure to fundamentally solve the problem,” she says.

-via GoodGoodGood, 4/6/23

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[probablyasocialecologist]

A new study shows that economic growth rates make a big difference when it comes to prospects for limiting global warming to 1.5°C, as per the Paris Agreement. A recent study by the Institute for Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) shows that pursuing higher economic growth may jeopardize the Paris goals and leave no viable pathways for humanity to stabilize the climate. On the contrary, slower growth rates make it more feasible to achieve the Paris goals.

[...]

The study demonstrates that global economic growth of 4% per year, which is currently assumed in the mitigation scenarios, is incompatible with the goals of the Paris Agreement even if the most ambitious mitigation plans of any major country were implemented globally. "To reduce global emissions fast enough to limit warming to 1.5°C, we find it is necessary to pursue ambitious mitigation and shift away from growth. Even with highly ambitious mitigation, global economic growth would need to fall below the recent historical trend of ⁓2% per year, with high-income economies transitioning to post-growth," says Aljoša Slameršak, ICTA-UAB researcher and lead author of the study.

[...]

The authors warn that their scenarios provide only a simple global analysis of the climate implications of economic growth. ICTA-UAB researcher Jason Hickel explains that "our scenarios do not account for important differences between higher and lower-income countries when it comes to mitigation responsibilities and development needs. A detailed analysis across these dimensions would mean lower-income nations could reach higher rates of economic growth, while high-income nations would need to pursue post-growth demand reduction strategies." Hickel provides a brief outline of interventions that could pave the way to a post-growth scenario. The objective of post-growth is to prioritize production of what is important for human well-being and environmental sustainability, while reducing less-necessary forms of production and consumption. Key features of such a scenario are reduction of inequalities, universal access to necessary goods and services, and increased public investment for a low-carbon energy transition.

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[animatorweirdo]

When the Dragons Fly (Book 2)

The day to change the course of Middle Earth came near, and Maedhros decided to finally tell you his real identity.

Chapter 14

Warnings: mentions of an incoming battle, mentions of dagor bragollach, Maedhros expexting the worse, mentions of dead people, threat of killing, a soft moment, and mention of the dream.

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

The snow had arrived early on the hills of Himring, blanketing the landscape in a serene white color. Inside his study, Maedhros pondered deeply. He had meticulously outlined the plan to his brothers and allies, persuading them to join his cause despite various obstacles. Three tiring years had been spent preparing and refining his strategy, and now, the moment had arrived to set things in motion.

Yet, for some reason, he could not help but ponder your words inside his head. 

The worst enemy is the one you know least about. 

He held unwavering confidence in his plan to assault Angband, determined to rid the world of Morgoth's evil and reclaim the Silmarils, the cherished heirlooms of his house. Yet, your words resonated with a hint of truth. Maedhros realized he knew little of Morgoth's activities in the past years. The Dark Lord had remained concealed within his fortress until someone daringly infiltrated and pilfered a Silmaril from his crown.

During the siege, no one knew Morgoth had gathered enough forces to overcome most of the Noldor strongholds and then released the flames, causing destruction and death. It was because of a lack of preparation and knowledge that Maedhros and his kin barely survived the war that followed. 

Dagor Bragollach was a devastating battle, so Maedhros could only wonder what kind of dangers he might face during his assault.

There were the Balrogs, as Morgoth had many under his service, and the dragon Glaurung, who had not been seen since his cousin managed to drive the creature back to Angband all those years ago. Could the beast have matured to adulthood in the past years? If so, could Morgoth release the beast upon him and his kin if he showed himself?

A sigh left him as he began to feel certain doubts about his plan. He should have taken the dangers more into consideration before assembling the forces. 

He didn’t want to blame you for anything, but you had unintentionally planted a seed of doubt in his mind. 

Knocks suddenly echoed from his door. 

"Come in," Maedhros called out, and Maglor was the one to open the door and walk in, an uncommon occurrence unless it was about important matters.

"Our soldiers are nearly prepared to march toward Thangorodrim," Maglor started. "All that is left is for us to wait for the dwarves of Belegost and the Easterlings to arrive, and then we will be ready. Our brothers have already settled into their new roles," he explained. "We will have more men joining us once we embark on this journey," he added.

"Good. We will be ready to begin the assault the day after tomorrow," Maedhros stated. 

"I nearly can't believe that we're doing this, but counting the forces we have— we might be able to pull this off," Maglor crossed his arms. 

"Well, you better believe it, brother. It is now or all the years of work that have been in vain," Maedhros stated. 

"I must ask, why did you stall the date when we were originally supposed to embark for a day? Is there something important you must do?" Maglor questioned. 

Maedhros then thought about you. The day of the celebration was on the day when he originally planned to start his assault. Since you invited him, he decided he could indulge you to see you one last time. You seemed eager to see him there, so for your and Aelon's joy, he would come, but most importantly, to tell you the truth about himself.

He knew he shouldn't indulge himself in a simple celebration, especially at such an important time of planning. However, he felt it was the right time to tell you the truth.

For three long years, he had enjoyed your company, training Aelon and finding solace in your presence while unfairly keeping you in the dark about his true identity.

He had no desire to ruin the friendship he had with you. He appreciated your caring nature and calm demeanor. You were an excellent conversationalist and even charming in your own way. However, it was now time you two deserved to know the truth, especially considering that things could change forever.

He held great respect for you and had grown fond of Aelon, but he could no longer withhold the truth. 

"Just some private matters. It will be quick, so do not worry about it," Maedhros answered after a long silence. 

"I guess this has something to do with your special place," Maglor smiled. "I won't pry into it, but I do demand to know who you have been seeing for the past years after this," he added before leaving the study. 

Maedhros thought to himself in silence. Surprisingly, he found himself a little afraid when he would finally tell you the truth. He had never understood his cousin's fascination with humans, but now, having come to know you personally, he finally understood. However, since he and his house did not possess a great reputation, he could not help but fear your reaction upon learning the truth. 

As the autumn leaves began to fall from the trees, you were assisting with the village preparations alongside Aelon. Laughter filled the air as Aelon engaged in mischief with his friends, led by the mischievous Eweniel, who was often the instigator of pranks, with Aelon eagerly joining in her schemes.

Maedhros observed from a distance as he emerged from the forest, accompanied by Bathor, taking in the sight of you smiling and laughing at Aelon's antics. It was a scene he cherished. He could not help but envision a future where you two could live each day with more joy and freedom, unburdened by the looming threat of Morgoth.

You then noticed him and smiled. "Oh, hey! You made it!" you walked up to him. "It's been a while since your last visit. I nearly believed you were not coming at all," 

"Well, since you kindly invited me. I thought it would be rude to miss it out," Maedhros said.

 "Am I too early?" he asked. 

"No, not at all," you assured him with a warm smile. "You're right on time. The celebration will start at sundown. Fair warning, though, since most of the village men are leaving tomorrow to join the incoming battle. They're going to bring out their strongest booze, so it might get wild when the pyres are set on fire," you explained.

Maedhros smiled softly. "I need to ride back home, so I wasn't planning on drinking, but I appreciate the warning," he said, then looked you in the eyes. "There is something I want to talk about after the celebration. Will that be alright with you?" he asked.

"Of course, but let's just enjoy and have fun. Celebrations like these happen rarely," you smiled as Maedhros followed you along.

The night unfolded swiftly. Villagers drank, sang, and danced around the pyres while Aelon and his friends enjoyed snacks and games. You and Maedhros observed from the sidelines, engaging in conversation and savoring the harvested fruits.

Maedhros felt grateful that nobody in the village recognized him, seeing him merely as your peculiar friend from the woods.

The celebration feast was joyous, and midnight arrived sooner than expected. You convinced Aelon to retire after his playtime with friends and helped Helena escort her drunken father and brother home, with Hadar slightly tipsy after winning a drinking contest.

You and Maedhros then walked toward your house after bidding goodnight to Helena and her family. 

“This night has been a lively one,” you said, making him crack a smile. 

“It sure was,” he uttered. 

"And to think most of them will leave tomorrow to join a battle, where some of them might never return," you remarked, prompting Maedhros to pause, contemplating the truth he had been withholding all night.

“(Name)... the thing I wanted to talk about,” he started, making you stop and turn to look at him. 

“Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” you said, and he looked back at you with a curious look. “Then ask away,” he politely allowed you to talk first— curious to hear what you had to ask. 

“Nelyo… is that your real name?” you asked. Maedhros looked back at you with surprise. “I mean no offense, but I had this feeling since the second time we met that… you have been avoiding telling about yourself,” you explained. 

“I can understand if there are some things you want to keep private, but going as far as to avoid telling your real name. Well— it has been bothering me for quite some time,” you waited for his reaction. 

Maedhros released a sigh he had been holding back. “You are sharp as ever, (Name),” he stated. “To think you have been suspicious of me since the beginning,” he then looked into your eyes. 

“Nelyo is partially my name. It’s a shortened nickname from my father’s name, Nelyafinwe,” He explained, then took a deep breath. 

"(Name), I have enjoyed your and Aelon’s company for the past three years. They have been perhaps one of the happiest years of my long life, and I value the friendship we have created," he sighed. "But, as you have suspected, I have not been completely honest with you or Aelon," he said.

“My actual name is Maedhros, the eldest son of Feanor, and I am the one who had called all the people to gather and fight against Morgoth under my union,” he revealed, then looked away from your eyes with shame in his heart. “I hope you can forgive me for keeping my identity hidden like that,” he said and waited for your anger. 

“I forgive you,” You said, making him look back at you. “But I must ask why you felt the need to hide yourself from us?” you asked with your arms crossed. 

“I’m… not entirely sure myself,” Maedhros uttered, having not expected such a calm reaction from you. 

“Perhaps I did not want to scare you away. My house doesn’t— exactly have a well-received reputation around Beleriand,” He said. “But then I began enjoying the normality of my visits to you and Aeon. I didn’t have to worry about the troubles I face every day and finally do something else that doesn’t involve my duties or the oath I had sworn,” he explained before looking at you with guilt. 

“I began to treat you and this place as something where I can escape. I’m sorry. It was unfair of me,” Maedhros bowed his head. 

“Well, I appreciate that you decided to tell me yourself instead of letting us find out,” you said. “And I’m certain Aelon has already forgiven you. He idolizes you. He will most likely ask more questions and want to learn everything about you,” you smiled. 

“You are not truly angry with me for keeping this from you?” Maedhros asked as you two kept walking. 

"No... I can understand it from your point of view," you said thoughtfully. "In truth... we have not been completely honest with you either," you glanced at the elf beside you as he looked at you with confusion in his eyes.

"Our last name, Targaryen… Well, there is more to it than just being a family name. You see— we come from a noble lineage as well. We’re from… House Targaryen,” you said, feeling hesitant to reveal more.

“You would not know about that because the place we’re from is so far away that it does not show on any map of Arda,” you explained.

“And… Aelon doesn’t know this…” you stopped walking, “But the real reason I left our family was to protect him,” you revealed, making Maedhros look at you with a frown.  

“His birth was not meant to happen, and since I was not very popular with the rest of our relatives. I decided to take him and run away. He would have died in his first weeks of life if I had stayed,” you said with sadness as you remembered all the dangers you faced trying to protect Aelon. 

“That’s… horrible. What of your father and mother?” Maedhros asked. 

“My father did fall in a battle, but my mother…” you stopped. “She was too weak after giving birth to Aelon. She didn’t make it,” you added. Maedhros looked at you with sympathy. 

“And the reason why I was not popular with my relatives was because I was filth-blooded in their eyes and because they were afraid of me for the reputation I had,” you explained. 

“My father was a commander, and he raised me to fight alongside him. When he died, I took his place, and to ensure the safety and the power of our house. I… did some horrible things,” you said the last part quietly, remembering the crimes you committed and the blood on your hands. 

“I’m not so innocent as you may think me to be,” you stated. 

“But despite everything I did to keep our house safe from our enemies. It was not enough for my relatives, save for my uncle, who was one of the only ones to treat me with respect and certain familial love,” you remembered your sweet-minded uncle, who might have been too naive and blind to the danger and hatred around him. 

“So, after fleeing with Aelon in my arms, I hoped I could start over and leave my past behind. To lay down the blade and pursue things I enjoy without worrying about their consequences,” you explained.

You glanced at Maedhros, who had been listening intently. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you this before,” you said, now waiting for his reaction.

“I’m not angry at all. I understand that you were in a difficult situation,” Maedhros replied, shaking his head. “And whatever you might have done in the past. I can hardly judge you for it, as I have done terrible things as well,” he said empathetically.

"You might think differently of me if you even knew half of the things I did," you uttered, your hands unconsciously recalling the sensation of blood trickling between your fingers, the blood of the innocent.

“Perhaps we’re more similar than we thought,” Maedhros stated. 

“Maybe… but I was bound by no oath,” you nearly whispered. 

"(Name)," Maedhros gently grasped your hand, the warmth of his touch almost startling you. He held your hand firmly and looked deeply into your eyes.

"You should not let the past hold you back. You've started over and done good things. I might not know what your life was like back then, but from what I have seen, you've changed and seem happy," he said reassuringly.

"I am..." you began.

"And you've done an excellent job raising Aelon to be a good person. Don’t forget that," he continued, smiling warmly.

"It was not easy..." you replied with a smile.

"Raising a younger sibling for the first time is a challenge. And I’ve done it six times," he added, eliciting a giggle from you.

“Thank you, Nelyo— or Maedhros, If I should say,” you smiled at him teasefully. “I didn’t think someone would accept me even after knowing my past and that I have not been a good person,” you said. 

“You are now. And besides, I expected you to scream at me and then throw a shoe at me after learning who I truly am,” Maedhros said, making you grin at the thought. 

“I always preferred to keep a calm head,” you remarked. 

“And that’s one of the things I admire about you,” Maedhros replied. 

“Perhaps our meeting was fate,” you stated. “Maybe, but I am glad that Bathor ran away that day and gave me the chance to meet you,” Maedhros said as you two continued walking toward your home. 

“If I can ask. Since you are behind the upcoming battle, do you really think you could defeat Morgoth?” you asked. 

“I believe so. I’ve gotten this far already, so there’s no turning back,” Maedhros said. “We have enough forces, so it has to work,” he added. 

“You sound… a bit desperate,” you said after listening to his tone. 

“There might be some unknown enemies we may face once we begin marching, but something has to be done, and I have longed for the day when my family could finally reclaim the lost heirloom of our house,” he explained.

“But you know, this might not be just about simply reclaiming what we had lost, but to defeat Morgoth and finally allow the people of Beleriand to live peacefully,” he said. “And perhaps to protect you…” he looked down at you.

“Me?” you questioned. 

“You and Aelon. I want to be rid of Morgoth so you can live in peace, and Aelon never has to fear going through the woods again,” he explained. “He has lived in fear long enough,” he added. 

“That is a noble cause, but… why do I hear hesitation in your voice?” you questioned. 

“I… might be afraid because if this fails, then all is lost,” he said as you two arrived at your house.  

“It’s late. I need to get back. The marching will begin tomorrow,” Maedhros said, then went to retrieve Bathor from the side of your house.

“Will we see you again?” you asked as he climbed upon his horse.

“I do not know. Things might change drastically after this,” he said. “But let's not lose hope. This doesn’t have to be our last meeting,” he added.

“I bid you goodnight,” he bowed his head. 

“Goodnight. I wish you a safe return,” you said. He nodded, clicking his heels and riding into the night. 

You thought about everything as you watched him disappear from your sight. His real identity didn't really come as a shock to you, but now you were bothered by the impending battle and the dream you had seen. His tone gave off too much desperation. One thing you knew from your past as a commander was that a desperate leader hardly ever wins a war.

Taglist: @natchayaphorn​ @kimnamnu@thatrandomidiot182 @springfountain

#silmarillion x reader #silmarillion #tolkien #silm fic #middle earth x reader #when the dragons fly #hotd x reader #hotd #middle earth #silmarillion imagines #various x reader #targaryen reader #silmarillion x targaryen reader #maedhros x reader

[amarynthian-chronicles]

Our Guest Chapter 3 - Part 1

Vampire!Sun, Vampire!Moon, Vampire!Eclipse x Hunter Reader

(You arrive at a sinister and luxurious castle with the innocent intention of checking why its mysterious residents haven't been paying any taxes or utilities for the past several centuries. Very useful excuse for a vampire hunter to have when trying to do some good old infiltrating. The three vampire lords however, fully intend to capture and seduce you, but that is a bit difficult when you keep asking them about their financial books. Will they be able to make you theirs? Are they onto your little schemes and playing along? Will you finally get that plate of cupcakes? We'll find out)

The Grand Duke was graciously guiding you to an area he deemed appropriate for a duel, one of his right hands on your shoulder, his other right hand gently placed on the small of your back.

In your personal opinion, the corridors would have done just fine for such an activity. Eclipse, of course, did not deem them exalted enough and had proclaimed that he would take you to one of the grand halls instead.

We cannot be sufficiently dramatic in a lowly castle corridor, after all.

You had wondered how he would be transporting the heavy chest containing all the weaponry, but he had quickly solved that mystery through another one of his “parlour tricks“, having it dissolve into diamond dust and safely teleport to the desired location in advance.

Practical and stylish, you couldn't deny that.

His remaining arms were elegantly folded behind his back, his stride regal and dignified, perfect balance and seemingly not a single physical weakness for you to exploit. Immaculate composure, absolute control over each movement and gesture. A vampire lord par excellence.

No matter, there was plenty of other useful information for you to deduce.

Rich amber scent, the soft sound of his cloak moving, the faint echo of his steps, almost imperceptible despite his imposing stature. This was very important to memorize for potential encounters in the dark or if any obstacle were to limit your sight. Moreover, with proper concentration and precision, it was possible for you to use a variant of echolocation if necessary. Air movement itself could betray someone's location or if there was an incoming object.

Eclipse had four arms and therefore it was safe to assume skillful ambidexterity, but you were unsure if he would utilize that against you in a “friendly“ duel. You could use his unfair advantage as an argument for potential disqualification if he got too carried away. One should never underestimate the importance of formalities, they could save you even when the cards were stacked against you, all actions of the other party could be declared null and void due to a simple irregularity.

A dull ache in your stomach reminded you that you were still rather hungry, and a more rational part of your mind began to chastise you for agreeing to play around before getting a good meal first, but you couldn't afford to miss out on an opportunity to get to know your foes better. You wondered whether your dinner could simply be delivered to your chambers after you were done with the whole spectacle. Playing with clingy vampires does take a lot of energy.

A clawed finger wrapped around a lock of your hair.

“You are quiet and pensive, my dear. What devilish strategies are going through that lovely head of yours?“

“Oh, nothing, I am just working on a masterplan that will help me steal all the cupcakes from your kitchen. Beware.“

“How dastardly of you. Has this been your plan all along?“

“All is permitted when one's objective is to acquire treats.“

You blushed as he pulled you closer, placing a part of his cloak over your shoulders as if he were sharing a blanket with you. The gesture was intimate and the soft texture of the fabric reminded you that you couldn't wait to finally take a nap after dawn breaks. One couldn't sleep while the vampires were still awake, after all. Even Sun needed a short rest, despite his eternally insomniac ways.

Eclipse continued to play with your hair, combing his fingers through its softness.

“An intriguing statement, morning star. Are we using a narrow or a broad definition of treats?“

“What would be the broad one for you, sir?“

His hand temporarily left your tresses, claws tenderly sliding down your cheek, passing the jawline and finally caressing along the silken skin of your neck. Your pulse was right under his touch, warm and nectarous blood concealed by such a fragile barrier. The most precious parts of a flower had nothing other than delicate petals to protect them, after all.

“For now I will say that it is open to interpretation.“

Electric tingles danced along your spine and you closed your eyes, fully aware of the rather compromising position you were in, having such a vital area exposed to the tender mercies of a vampire. However, the cacophonous chaos of fear and panic were silenced by the symphony of curiosity, wondering how far he would let you go on with your little performance.

“Forgive me for being so bold, my lord, but if an objective bystander were to interpret the way you are looking at me right now, they may assume that I qualify as a treat in your books.“

“I never made an attempt to hide that I consider you a special type of treat that I intend to savour eventually. There is a proper time for everything.“

“Really? In that case, I warmly suggest you head on to the State Intellectual Property Office to inform them that you created a way to have your cake and eat it, too.“

“Oh, do they offer rewards?“

“Licenses, patents, exclusive rights and such.“

He leaned closer, whispering in your ear, completely concealing you in his cloak as he did so. A playful purr came from him, his eyes alight with mirth.

“Exclusive rights to enjoy our treat whenever we please?“

Your cheeks were ablaze from the sudden closeness, his touch offering pleasant sensations to coax you to relax in his arms. Eclipse's presence was indeed a feast for the senses, the strength of his body, the soft fabric of his fine garments, the timbre of his voice, eyes of gold.

Now, now, do not lose your head just yet. You had anticipated his amorous behaviour, nothing out of the ordinary and all according to your calculations. You told yourself to remain focused, no matter the temptation.

Still, you did not push him away yet. Certain concessions had to be given to keep a vampire lord's interest alive, which is why you indulged him and his brothers when it came to their silly courtship shenanigans. Moreover, it was of crucial importance to continue extending the metaphorical olive branch and show no direct hostility. Antagonizing them could only cost you everything in the end.

You cannot lead monsters astray if you get devoured along the way.

“You are free to apply, but make sure to fill out all the forms correctly or they will ask you to do the paperwork all over again. Bureaucracy is a silent killer.“

“The prize is worth the toil. Although, why bother with such administrative nonsense when there is a myriad of other tools at our disposal to help us mark that delicacy as our own? Quick, effective, delicious, a bond stronger than death.“

“Fair warning, sir, I won't be held liable if eating the treat too fast ends up making you feel unwell. You may direct all of your medical complaints to my nonexistent secretary.“

“Cheeky little thing.“

“I only speak the truth.“

“We can handle whatever you have to offer, be it heaven or hell, bitter or sweet, a true gourmet appreciates all that stimulates the palate.“

“Even poison?“

“Give me every last drop of it to study and analyze, allow me to memorize its structure, I shall cherish it like liquid jewels.“

“Such things you say, lord Eclipse.“

“Permit me to keep entertaining you for the rest of eternity, I promise it will be worth your while.“

You closed your eyes as one pair of his hands squeezed your hips, the other pair rubbing at your sides to ease the tension in your body. Honestly, you had half a mind to simply ask him for a massage. After all, Marquis Moon had been pretty good at it, maybe the same talent ran in the whole family. You hummed, showing contentment, and the Grand Duke took it as a sign to keep playing with you.

Ghostly kisses were placed along your neck, your jawline, then his lips finally settled at the sensitive corner of your mouth. He wanted a proper reaction, waited for you to concede and lean closer to form a proper kiss, but you remained perfectly balanced on that fine line between stern professionalism and playful coquetry.

Eclipse reached for your hand and you allowed him to do so. His lips lingered on the sensitive skin of your inner wrist, right above the pulse. A hint of red circles appeared in his golden eyes, desire and thirst providing exquisite torture, the hymn of your blood calling for his primal instincts to awaken. He spoke, voice darker than the night:

“Has anyone else tried to make you theirs?“

“Alas, I am married to my work for the moment.“

“Are you now? Work does not warm your nights nor does it provide a proper appreciation of your charms. My brothers and I would love to offer a solution for such a glaring problem.“

“If you insist, you may submit a written application and I shall review it when I have the time. Possibly right before sleep.“

He continued to nuzzle your inner wrist, almost as if waiting for your radial artery to tell him your secrets.

“Be careful who you allow into your thoughts before slumber. We may follow you to the lovely realm of your dreams, and there is no escape from your own mind.“

“That works both ways, my lord. If I cannot get out, then neither can those that are there with me. We will be sharing one big happy nightmare together.“

It was difficult to determine who was leading the metaphorical dance. By all logic, he was the one that should be granted the role of the hunter and subduer. And yet, there you were, seemingly allowing him to have his way, but simultaneously keeping your distance and messing with him. Will-o'-the-wisp, fairy light, sneaky nymph trying to lead him across a broken bridge and doing your best to convince him that you only had the purest intentions. He wondered how many beings of the night had met their demise by following your siren song right into the light of the sun.

Nevertheless, he was delighted with your nonsense. You were absolutely adorable. Darling Red Riding Hood trying to outsmart the Big Bad Wolf and the Twin Hunters.

Aggressive mimicry was a common thing in Nature, predators pretending to be prey, but he had never seen someone in your profession apply such a tactic before. It was far more common for people in that line of work to focus primarily on making a direct onslaught, quick and sudden attacks, unexpected raids. A somewhat reasonable logic. After all, the objective of an average “totally legitimate tax inspector“ was to accomplish as much as possible in the short amount of time they were given. They were always plagued with a sense of urgency, needing to act before their more potent enemy retaliated.

You, on the other hand, were playing the long game. Entering the belly of the beast, making yourself comfortable, confusing everyone around you and acting as if your presence there was the most normal thing in the world. The risk of death hanging over your head, danger all around you, two wrong words and one wrong move away from being caught in your little scheme, but there you were, at ease in the eye of the storm.

Eclipse had encountered plenty of humans in his long existence, yet none had managed to provide such an interesting object of study. It was pure absurdity, your actions were both calculated and whimsical, you had created a conundrum specifically designed to awaken a vampire's curiosity, giving them a riddle to solve, grains of sand to count. It was the equivalent of handing them a piece of paper that had “turn around“ written on both sides, using their own obsessive nature against them.

Clever tactic, Y/N, wonderful novelty, finally a breath of fresh air on the scene, he applauded your effort. No matter, he would find a way to tangle you in your own web, nicely wrapped up as a gift for all three of them and they would take very good care of you. One may even say that they were saving you from the fate of potentially falling into the hands of the more ferocious members of their kind.

In a world of debauched immortals, a human with blood as sweet-scented as yours would be a priority target. Special little gems like you were rare, akin to very expensive bottles of wine, and undoubtedly many beasts wouldn't miss on the opportunity to get their hands on you. It was not uncommon for various Lords and Masters to bring forth a captive human during banquets to be shared with their esteemed guests. Bleeding a prized prisoner and distributing their blood in crystal glasses was a sign of being a good host.

He couldn't let that happen to you. A star's place was in the sky.

Nevertheless, he had every intention of making it clear to you that you had an obligation to descend from the heavens each time he or his brothers called for you. You needed to be taught some humility and gratitude for their kindness, it was only fair. Respect held the same value as gold.

As for your side of the playing field, dear Y/N, all was going according to your plan. Well, with a few modifications in comparison to the initial version, but things were as they should be and you still had your head attached to your shoulders, so good for you.

Balance mattered most, your modus operandi was simple in its essence. Dance for them, keep them intrigued, enthrall them, but never let them truly claim their prize. Never forget your advantages nor your weaknesses, both were useful tools in their own manner.

Regular vampire hunters were terrified of placing themselves in a passive position and therefore they would lose plenty of opportunities. Error in philosophy. One simply needed a change of perspective.

The dynamic of predator and prey completely shatters into a myriad of mirror shards when the parched predator writhes in agony, while the prey smiles sadistically, just out of reach, just enough for the predator to dream of a feast that will never come. The former becomes the one who begs the latter for mercy, a single drop of blood to keep him from the abyss of starvation. The prey begins to dictate when the predator gets to eat, pulling at the newly made leash as they pleased.

Of course, all of those tidbits of wisdom had come to you after years of practice, intense study and certain other unpleasant situations that had given you a more detailed insight into the inner workings of elite vampire society.

You had been in a very unfavourable position when you had first entered your line of work. Lost, inexperienced, driven only by the strength of a promise and the power of determination. Trial and error had been your initial mentors, holding you by the hand as they introduced you to the more chaotic aspects of the supernatural, assisting you in finding a stable musical rhythm in a dissonant world of death, darkness and deranged tomfoolery.

The brutal world of vampires and hunters was madness incarnate, completely different from the comfortable environment you had known for most of your life. Your home and your family meant everything to you. Playful ghosts and poltergeists, a kind harpy, a supportive werewolf and a gentle bear yeti had done their best to raise you, giving you all of their love ever since you had been left on their doorstep as a child. You had to persist in your endeavours of making the world a safer place for those that wished to live in peace, both humans and benevolent supernatural beings alike.

Undaunted, you had kept marching onward, making your way through the hellish landscape of reality, walking from page to page of the book that was writing itself as you went along.

Still, you had never been truly comfortable in the role of the protagonist, on display for all to see and for all of your foes to know who you were. You desired privacy, the veil of secrecy and the infinite knowledge of the narrator, always present yet never seen. And so, you had adapted accordingly.

Discretion and disguises. Observation and mimicry. The camouflage and wisdom of serpents, the patience and humility of spiders, the continuous flexibility of plants in the wind, ethereal skill of ballet dancers, the silent presence of ghosts, the endurance of ice and the softness of freshly fallen snow, all of it had contributed to the development of your own special philosophy of dealing with powerful opponents.

You were very well aware that you had been blessed with blood far sweeter than that of most humans and therefore you were perfect bait. Your blood had become an important part of your arsenal, on par with blades bathed in holy water, hawthorn stakes, needles, toxins and your trustworthy hand mirror that could create temporary illusions.

Well, even your umbrella that had met its untimely demise in the wind. There had been a small dagger hidden in the handle, and you were rather fond of such a practical weapon. Alas, you would have to procure a new umbrella of that sort. May the old one rest in pieces.

There were many practical ways of dealing with ravenous creatues of the night when desperate times demanded for desperate measures, especially when you needed a quick way of getting a particularly problematic group away from an inhabited area. Weapons were only useful when their target was in range and when one was certain that there would be sufficient success. Confidence was the downfall of the mighty and you had learned that vampires were most confident when they had a bleeding victim in their line of sight.

One time, you had made a few cuts along your forearms, allowing the precious nectar to flow, an invitation to the fountain of life, then you had waited for them to flock. You still remember the sight of glowing eyes in the dark alleys, all of them summoned by your scent, enchanted by the sight of your wounds. You had simply walked away, tricking them into believing that you were on death's doorstep, luring them to follow you to an old underground bunker.

You had stood in one of the dark chambers below ground, hearing them come, hearing them cackle as they thought you were trapped with them. When a sufficient number of vampires had arrived, you had pressed a button on the wall, causing the entrance doors to close, sealing all of you inside, much to the confusion of the entire congregation. Who in their right mind would willingly trap themselves with monsters?

You had been perfectly calm, your eyes colder than death as you struck a match and held it up to activate the fire alarm, sprinklers raining holy water upon every person in the room.

It goes without saying that such a thing had been akin to a rain of acid to them, agony unlike any other, to the point where they barely had the strength to retaliate against you. Sufficiently weakened, they had been powerless against your hawthorn stakes. Problem solved.

Of course, something as simple as that could never work on someone as potent and ancient as a vampire lord. They demanded a completely different treatment altogether and the process would be harrowing. Going against the Celestial Coven was nothing short of insanity and, by the heavens, you were definitely a few cards short of a full deck, Y/N.

Your gracious host noticed that your mind seemed a bit distracted, so he decided to get your attention again.

Eclipse made a swift gesture with his hand, akin to a magician performing a trick. A decorative hair comb appeared in the palm of his hand, adorned with miniature diamond stars and crescent moons. You barely had time to admire its beauty, for he was already positioning it in your hair, adjusting it to stay in place.

“There we go, icing on the cake.“

“I do hope you won't slice me open like one, sir.“

“Preposterous, my dear. You would complain too much and I am just a simple old gentleman that values what is left of his hearing.“

“I'll be taking your word for it. Otherwise I shall be suing you in a civil case for damages and additional compensation for emotional turmoil.“

“You will sue me from beyond the grave?“

“Do not underestimate the power of being petty. Also, you're in pretty good shape for a simple old gentleman, though. What is your secret? Do share.“

“What type of answer do you expect? Macabre rituals, nefarious deeds, unforgivable crimes?“

“Possibly. Unless you wished to say that the key to eternal life is the simple act of getting plenty of fresh air.“

“I would also add the act of surrounding oneself with beautiful company. Therefore, I must thank you for extending my lifespan.“

The whole exchange was absolutely absurd, an immortal flame having a conversation with a whirlwind of snow, one delighted by the whimsy of the other. Two opposite forces, none capable of making the other expire, acid and alkaline, cancelling each other out as their energies meet, dancing in a perfectly neutral zone together.

The mad scientist within him appreciated the way the structures of your souls formed bonds with one another, evolving, changing, approaching a beautiful alchemical transformation.

And yet, each time he tried to fully grasp at the core of your essence, far beyond the area he had been given permission to visit, the soft snow would turn into hard ice, denying him access, refusing to be his playmate. The Night remained incapable of claiming the Morning and Evening for itself, condemned to forever linger on the blurred border where dark blue bleeds into pink and vermilion.

Perhaps a change of tactic was in order.

To your surprise, he moved away, giving you a pat on the head. He then slightly ruffled your hair to tease you. As expected, you had the expression of an offended royal as you tried to get your tresses back in order. You two continued to walk side by side, raindrops making gentle sounds on the glass windows.

Eclipse spoke:

“Do you perchance play chess, morning star?“

“I was never a fan of it, believe it or not.“

“Really? What did that poor innocent game do to you to merit such a low regard?“

“It takes itself too seriously.“

“Do elaborate.“

“One wastes a lot of effort and there is very little payoff. What do we do and what do we gain? Moving a single piece in a limited direction and then having to wait for your foe to do the same thing? Unrewarding. Where is the cost and benefit balance in that? I'd have better results by simply telling the opponent that there is a bomb under his chair and that he should forfeit the game.“

“Morbidly practical. Is there a bomb, though?“

“I am probably bluffing, but he doesn't have to know that.“

“A creative as that is, you would still be avoiding the rules of the initial game, almost as if admitting that you cannot win by ordinary means without cheating. You could put all of that cunning to some good use by figuring out how to capture the enemy king.“

“It is rather unfair that such a stagnant piece decides the game. Catching other pieces is far more fun, they are dynamic and interesting. A challenge. Players are far happier when they capture a rook or a queen. Who would want to go around in circles afterwards to get to the king?“

“I cannot help but notice the mentality of a bounty hunter. Little mercenary on their merry way to collect whichever toys had caught their fancy that day.“

You gave him a rather stern look, your playfulness disappearing, your voice embodying the spirit of Winter.

“I do not appreciate being compared to bounty hunters and mercenaries. They deserve their own circle of eternal damnation. Those who place a price on life know little about its true value.“

You were truthful. You despised your “colleagues“ and you had little empathy for vampire hunters that worked for money. There was nothing more vile than shedding blood for a fee.

You deemed their morals to be as low as that of any other villain. Blood purchased for cash, loss of life placed in proportion to monetary gain, protection given only after a transaction had been made. Unforgivable, deplorable.

Eclipse had sensed a change within you, whimsical snow becoming a downpour of rain, threatening to drown all in its path. He had hit an unexpected sore spot. Interesting. He wanted to know more, he needed that information. For research purposes, of course.

A good alchemist knew when to introduce a proper catalyst and induce a certain reaction. External stimuli held immense power over inner stability, regardless if he was working with inanimate matter, living tissue or spiritual energy. Too bad he didn't have his gold-rimmed workshop goggles with him. Safety measures were important, especially when dealing with a special little star like you.

“Forgive me for being so bold, my dear, but is it not counterintuitive for someone in your specific profession to scoff at monetary value being attached to living beings? Financial inspection is hardly the pinnacle of morality.“

“Potential tax fraud is not really an act of charity, either. Besides, it is important to contribute to the well-being of general society.“

“I would say that my brothers and I are doing an adequate job of keeping worse evils at bay. We are a necessity in the grand mechanism of the universe. Therefore, the cosmic forces permit us a few acts of self-indulgence from time to time.“

“A mountain of lesser evils shall never reach the tower of the greater good, lord Eclipse.“

“Look at you, child of Spring and Winter, all wise and mighty on your high horse. Beware, for the beast's loyalty to the rider is fickle and one day it might rear up and run off, leaving you on the ground with a broken neck.“

“Bold of you to assume I hadn't already survived many falls, sir.“

“And you always get up and pursue the same madness?“

“There is no other route for me.“

“I do hope the Revenue and Audit Bureau values your heroic work. Which bright mind in that fabled insitution had decided to send you, morning star? Are you certain they had your best interests at heart? No good deed goes unpunished, regardless if you are a noble warrior or a mercenary.“

“Does it truly matter? In the end, I act within my discretion and according to my own sense of duty and justice.“

“A tax inspector with a conscience. I suppose I have seen it all now.“

“I lose no sleep, sir. Unlike the others.“

“Such a relief to hear that your slumber remains undisturbed. It would be a shame if dark circles were to appear under those beautiful eyes.“

Fate had a very bad sense of humour for even allowing such a topic to appear in what was supposed to be a casual battle of wits. You had to pull yourself together. You were on a job, you had to keep your mind stable and collected. Nevertheless, the comparison still bothered you. The mere insinuation was enough to cause a miniature storm in your mind.

You had your own reasons for entering the perilous world of hunting monsters and villains. Your actions were born out of necessity and it sickened you that there were scoundrels out there that had turned such a vocation into a lucrative career, having their wealth and glory built upon the bones of others. You had no qualms with going against your own kind in order to protect peaceful communities of supernatural beings from corrupt hunters.

May the heavens have mercy upon such people, for you had none.

You had certainly not given any all of those years ago, when hunters had shamelessly shown up at your house after being tipped off that preternatural creatures were living there. There had been no glory nor honour in that situation. Only a terrified child trying to protect their home and their family, first blood on their hands, tears in their eyes, dead men all around the room, broken vases, torn curtains, shattered mirrors. No winners.

No, no, none of that, you had to keep the balance. Sorrow was a terrible emotion, one that had a corrosive effect on both the joyful mania of Spring and the stern rationality of Winter, dragging them both into the depths of woe, an ocean of overwhelming despair.

Your emotions had momentarily melted some very important protective barriers on the threshold of your mind. Inconvenient timing, especially when there was an obscenely powerful vampiric telepath nearby.

Your luck, Y/N. Tragic.

Focus. You took a deep breath, commanding your inner chaos to freeze in time, each particle of rain suspended in the air, reminiscent of tiny crystals. Not a proper solution, dark clouds were still covering the sky of your mind space and more rain threatened to follow.

Honestly, you truly were blaming your empty stomach at this point. Mood swings and hunger went hand in hand. You sighed, knowing that you had to repair the damage caused by your words. It would be ludicrous to have all of your efforts sink over one moment of emotional weakness.

“I apologize, sir. I was unnecessarily rude and snappy, my anger was not meant to be directed at you. Probably just low blood sugar levels. I will be fine after dinner.“

In your temporary moment of grief, you had failed to notice that Eclipse was far from offended.

The Grand Duke was a scholar and an artisan, gifted with infinite patience, confidently strolling through the darkest forests towards his goals, shadows and monsters bowing with infinite reverence as he passed them by. Master of self, master of all.

Eclipse did not fear setbacks and obstacles, he welcomed and encouraged them, embracing each difficulty as if it were a dear friend. He would then proceed to dissect and disintegrate them, transforming them into something new, all in the name of the eternal cycle of alchemy. One had to place a problem under a microscope, analyze it, extract every particle of new information from its core.

So far he had only been able to read the exterior parts of your soul, the outer courtyard and surrounding areas of your mysterious sanctum. It was a magnificent facade, but he desired to visit the forbidden gardens of your fortified inner castle. Eclipse wanted access to memories, dreams, desires, and the only thing that could truly create such a key, the only substance that could open the cruel gates, was none other than the precious nectar of life that coarsed through your veins and arteries.

The future offered so many possibilities. Your blood on his lips, your blood under a glass lens, something to both savour and study, granting the bliss of a drunken haze where he could grasp at secrets yet uncovered. Exquisite, truly as if observing a star and the many stages of its life in the celestial plain.

He placed a hand on your cheek, his touch unusually tender.

“Morning star, look at me.“

And you did. No matter how brief our grief, human instinct would forever urge us to seek comfort and relief. Even if a monster were the one offering it.

There was something marvellously ironic when it came to the old saying about the eyes being the windows to the soul. It just so happened that vampires were very talented when it came to sneaking through windows and captivating the minds of their victims with their gaze alone.

One single second of eye contact, one glance into the fields of the mindscape, that was all that he needed to latch his claws onto the windowsill of your inner sanctum, crawling within, as if entering the precious chamber of slumbering prey.

When you had first arrived on their doorstep, his initial attempt had failed, your spirit strong enough to banish him from its sacred realm. The keys that had been used to unlock the gates of your mind at that time were Curiosity and Infatuation. Short-lived results. The current key was Sorrow, far more potent, but he was aware that you would eventually command him to leave once more. Therefore, he had to use his time wisely.

A majority of vampires possessed psychic abilities, but none had ever reached Eclipse's level. His true kingdom was the Subconscious. Desires, dreams, memories. The echoes of Self were not merely present in the “head“, but also coursing through the body, dynamic and ever-changing. Our blood remembered each moment of stress, joy, terror, pleasure, it contained the collective experience of each and every cell it had ever paid visit to on its journey.

A few drops of blood were enough for Eclipse to form a bond that could grant him infinite access to the psyche, and what better way to immortalize such a union than by binding the blood to the intricate structure of a glowing jewel?

One may say that Eclipse's magic was an inverted version of Sun's, both being a subset of a vampire's natural telepathic power. However, Sun focused on external illusions, tricks of the eye, visibility and invisibility, colours that existed in the reality around us, controlling the perception of others and making them see what he wanted them to see.

Now, let us resume with the Grand Duke's perspective upon entering the foyer of your mind. Well, the outskirts would be a far better word.

Springtime paradise along the border, gentle dahlia flowers of all shades and hues resting in the labyrinthine gardens, each flower containing a gem in its center, emotions and memories stored within. Dahlias were members of the Asteraceae family, coincidentally once more affirming the astral motif that had been so prominent about you.

Eclipse's cloak billowed in the wind as he walked through the field, the flowers around him turning to ice as soon as he went past. The environment had made it known to him that he was not welcome. Snowy mountains were in the distance, where Winter reigned, the horizon a deep midnight blue, a layer of pink and violet aurora borealis undulating like gauze in the faraway skies.

He kneeled down, wishing to caress the soft petals and inspect the gems residing in each bud. And yet, as soon as his clawed fingers reached for a pink bloom, cruel frost took over, denying him access. Within seconds, the initial vernal bliss was replaced with a realm of crystalline plants.

“My darling doth try to hide behind the frost of wintertide.“

Ominous clouds gathered above, undoubtedly remnants of the storm he had caused earlier. Soft thunder, subdued, yet resolute. Raindrops made their way towards the ground, but suddenly their progress was hindered and they froze mid-fall.

Enchanted by such a display, Eclipse held up his hand, gathering a few icy raindrops that were floating around him. He inspected them. Beautiful, clear, cold, almost akin to a diamond. No, not a good fit, diamonds did not fully encompass your personality. He had never had such difficulty determining the proper jewel for someone.

Frost had begun to gather along the fabric of his cloak, spreading into a myriad of intricate patterns, almost as if trying to entrap him. He grinned, waving his wrist and summoning miniature flames to remove the glistening verglas from his garments. The environment was sentient and it seemed quite offended by his actions, and for a second he could have sworn that he heard an indignant “hmpf“ echo across the fields.

A spectral version of you appeared in front of him, an embodiment of your subconscious mind, subtle annoyance present in the apparition's glowing eyes. Your inner Self commanded the raindrops to condense together and form a blade of ice, swinging it towards Eclipse. Suave as ever, the Grand Duke caught the sharp edge between his fingers as if it were as gentle as a feather, using a minimum of his strength to shatter it into a plethora of crystal shards.

Before your inner Self could properly react, Eclipse grasped their hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss, acting with the ardent reverence of a lover.

“Wonderful security system you have here, my dear. Point already taken, I am not wanted in your kingdom. I shan't be disturbing for long tonight, we have plenty of time to enjoy our happy little nightmare together.“

Blushing and flustered, your inner Self scoffed, disappearing in a gust of smoke. Wrought iron gates materialized from the ground, blocking Eclipse's path from the rest of the area. He was about to turn around and leave, but suddenly he could hear the whispers of the past coming from the other side of the fence.

It was not for his ears, not for his eyes, and he was fully aware of it. Nevertheless, he approached the gates once more, bearing witness to the many shifts and changes of scenery. A quaint old mansion appeared in the distance. It had a sophisticated style, but one could definitely see the signs of Time taking its toll, several parts falling into disrepair.

You, or rather a memory of you, were sitting on a garden bench, reading, an additional pile of books waiting for your attention next to you.

A trio of silly poltergeists with propeller hats appeared above your head, giggling as they snatched your book away. You looked upwards, surprised, slightly irked, but not truly angry. In a way it reminded Eclipse of the same look he would give to his brothers when they were teasingly reminding him of that one time he got stuck in the castle's secret passageways.

You reached for your book, but they merely floated away. Suddenly, a ghost of a fox-like pirate manifested to chastise the poltergeist siblings for their mischief. The trio made a little apology and returned the book to you, after which they all managed to land on your head and read along with you.

A bear yeti with kind eyes and a gentle smile came out of the house after hearing all the commotion. He was accompanied by a stern werewolf lady that was assisting him as he walked, helping him keep balance, his limp indicating an old injury that had never properly healed.

The whole group assembled around you, keeping you company as you began to read out loud for them all. A cheerful harpy joined you soon after, bringing a tray of cupcakes for everyone to enjoy.

Interesting. Very, very interesting.

Eclipse pressed his palm against the cold metal of the gate lock, assessing its strength. Impossible to open, not without the key that only your precious blood could procure for him. Such a mind, playing between two extremes, as enticing as the cogs within a clock, as unfathomable as the power of a nascent star.

The skies began to clear, clouds dissolving into oblivion, replaced by the gentle pink and blue hues entwined in their eternal celestial dance, impossible to tell whether it was early morning or late evening. Nevertheless, the legendary star was visible, watching over all.

Loving memories seemed to serve as a stabilizer for you, a comfort that brought equilibrium. Eclipse's golden eyes looked down at the frozen plants once more, having noticed that a single dahlia flower had freed itself from its glacial prison, tender petals showing off their magenta splendour. The gem in its center reflected the astral majesty in the sky.

Without further ado, the Grand Duke reached to claim his prize, holding the flower and the gem in his clutches with the fervour of an astronomer that had finally discovered a new world.

“Ever-changing star sapphire, pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. Do pardon my intrusion, but I will require your esteemed assistance in the process of reaching your owner's core, I hope you do not mind. Shall we?“

With a silent yet sinister laugh, Eclipse transformed into a shadowy phantom, his spectral form making a final bow to show reverence to your inner kingdom, before disappearing completely.

Mere seconds had passed in the “real“ world and thankfully your conscious self had not even realized he had paid your mind a little visit.

You moved his hand away from your cheek.

“As I said, I will be fine after dinner, no need to worry about me. You seem rather focused, though. Is there something stuck in my eye, sir?“

“Yes, but I scared it away.“

“What?“

“Oh, look. Here it is.“

You tilted your head in confusion, blinking at him as if he were mad. Well, he probably was, but still. Eclipse made a few elegant gestures with his fingers, not unlike earlier when he was conjuring that beautiful decorative comb for you.

An oval star sapphire appeared in the palm of his hand for you to see. Its colours were shifting from pink to blue, forming lovely shades of indigo when blended together, before parting ways once more. As accustomed you had gotten to Eclipse's magic, you would probably never fully get used to it, the sheer limitless absurdity of it.

“I was wondering what stone to use to make a perfect ornament for you and I finally found it. This little treasure represents you in every sense of the term, my love.“

Instinctively, you reached for the jewel, but Eclipse moved his hand out of your grasp.

“No, no, you haven't earned it yet.“

“Wasn't it supposedly mine in the first place, though?“

“Pardon, I should probably change my wording. I meant that you haven't earned it back, yet.“

“And I can earn it back how?“

“Either defeat me in our duel or in a chess party. Here, an additional incentive for you. Another one of our infamous parlour tricks.“

He made a circular motion with his finger, commanding the matter of the gem to morph into whichever shape he desired, going through various forms before settling for the elegant shape of a chess piece. Magic and beauty notwithstanding, you were slightly disappointed with the type of piece he had chosen. Eclipse noticed your displeasure and spoke:

“No need to pout, my dear. It will be all yours, I promise.“

“Why am I a pawn, though?“

“You need to work a little bit to get promoted from pawn to queen.“

“Rude.“

The storm outside had subsided in the meantime, but only for the moment. After all, it had to clear the stage for the tempests that were yet to come.

AO3

#vampire sun #vampire moon #vampire eclipse #sundrop x reader #moondrop x reader #eclipse x reader #sundrop #moondrop #fnaf sun #fnaf moon #fnaf eclipse #vampire au #five nights at freddy's #daycare attendant x reader #daycare attendant #jester's privilege chronicles #amary's chronicles

[pugh-pugh-pugh-pugh]

Alleviate the Pain

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲; 𝑆𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛-𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟-𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑠𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝐼𝑛𝑗𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑥ℎ𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑦, 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑒𝑛-𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟.

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠; 𝐷𝑖𝑐𝑘 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑥 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑠𝑖𝑠 (𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄)

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬; 𝐵𝑎𝑡𝑠𝑖𝑠, 𝐷𝑖𝑐𝑘 𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑠𝑜𝑛, 𝐴𝑙𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑃𝑒𝑛𝑛𝑦𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ, 𝑆𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑠𝑜𝑛

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬; 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑, 𝑖𝑛𝑗𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝑎𝑙𝑐𝑜ℎ𝑜𝑙

To say she was tired would be the understatement of the year. She was very familiar with endless nights filled with keeping trouble-makers at bay and protecting the citizens of Gotham as Spider-Woman, the beloved vigilante.

Unfortunately, tonight wasn't this simple.

For the past few weeks, she was made quite aware of Deathstroke running well-paid errands for some of the most notorious twisted minds of Gotham. They had coincidentally crossed paths a couple times, yet he always found a way to escape both hers and Batman's attempts to capture him and put a stop to the mercenary's plans.

However, that night everything changed as the teen managed to catch him off-guard in the middle of a deal with a local cartel. She had sneakily crawled on one of the beams into the warehouse where the group had sought privacy to negotiate and after figuring out her strategy she had quickly sprang to action.

There were six people in total. Slade, the gang leader and four of his men, fully armed, ready to protect the main guy.

She webbed two of the gang's goons to the wall behind them, causing them to drop their guns in the process, as she jumped down from the ceiling. Landing swiftly on her feet, she immediately started dodging the immediately incoming bullets, very thankful for her spidey senses.

She was doing a wonderful job taking out the other two guards, webbing the gang boss to a pole, so as not to interfere with her fight and was now engaged in intense combat with Slade.

"Oh, hey, Sladey. Fancy seeing you here. Hope I'm not interrupting anything." she taunted, while trying to dodge his swings.

Seeing as he had his blades and she had only her webs and physical strength, she was already in a disadvantage, having already received a variety of punches and stabbing attempts.

She had inflicted some damage herself, managing to disorient and corner him back on the wall with her speed and agility.

"Don't get me wrong, dude, I love meeting up from time to time, but I think we gotta wrap this thing up."

Unfortunately, she didn't have the upper hand for long, as apparently back-up had been called and a dozen of new soldiers stormed into the warehouse, giving Deathstroke the chance to jab the girl on the nose and escape her trap.

"Ow, dude. That hurts!"

Shaking her head, the young adult quickly regained her senses and webbed him on the wall as well. She barely managed to avoid any more damage, unable, however, to stop a couple of wounds from lodging into her right shoulder and grazing her left side.

After a long long fight she had with much effort webbed every single thug to any flat surface she could find, effectively trapping them until the cops arrived.

Heaving for a breath, now utterly worn out both physically and mentally, she noticed one of her traps was slit open and Slade was nowhere to be seen. She frantically scanned around the area, not being able to spot him under the dark and starry sky.

After half an hour of swinging around town in the middle of the night and not finding any traces, she decided the pain and exhaustion she was feeling were too intense for her to continue the wild goose chase and swung back to her home.

Climbing up the outside wall of the manor, she one-handedly opened her window with her less damaged arm, keeping herself on the wall with her legs, and clumsily climbed in, holding on the wound on her side.

After pulling off her mask and gloves, revealing bruises and bloody nose, lips and knuckles, she flopped on her bed, not really caring for staining her covers. By that point the pain was blaring and black spots were appearing in her vision.

Suddenly, there was a gentle knock on the door, the young Wayne groaned in response, causing the door to open, Alfred's head popping through the crack.

"Are you alright, miss Wayne? I heard a thumping sound from downstairs and got worried." expressed the old man, before properly glancing at her form still secured in the now bloodied spider-suit. "I will bring the supplies."

The butler rushed away to bring her one of the medical kits placed around the house, leaving the entrance to her room just ajar enough for the hallway light to softly sign through and just slightly illuminate the room.

Staring at her ceiling, she tried to catch her breath and distract herself from the throbbing pain going through her whole body, due to her various injuries. She was disappointed in herself. Frankly, the combination of her fatigue and Slade once again slipping through her fingers was making her feel horrible, tired. She just wanted to fall asleep, though she knew she couldn't. She had to be taken care of first.

Soon she heard footsteps pudding on the hallway and guessing the person to be the beloved old man, she didn't even bother glancing at the door as it creaked open. However, when her bed dipped slightly near her legs, she tiredly raised her head, her half-lidded eyes meeting a pair of sleepy ocean blue orbs staring at her.

Immediately, a wide tired smile creeped it's way on her face, as she motioned for her little brother to come closer. The ten-year-old crawled towards her face, staying quiet for a moment scanning the bloody cuts and bruises on her face.

"Why are you awake, Dickie?" softly scolded the older girl, trying to stay unmoving so as not to inflict any unnecessary pain. "You've got school tomorrow."

"You do too!" argued the boy, getting comfortable beside her.

"That doesn't answer my question."

"I heard you coming in through the window." he mumbled, laying his head on her left shoulder, looking intensely up at her. "I wanted to see if you're okay."

"Don't worry, Dick. I'm just peachy."

"Sure doesn't look like it." sassed Dick, causing his sister to chuckle half-heartedly, immediately wincing in pain, before they once again fell into a comfortable silence.

"Sorry I woke you up."

"It's fine. I wasn't having any good dreams anyway."

At that moment, being cuddled with her young brother, careful of her injuries, a warm feeling nestling in her chest, immediately feeling like she could just let her guard down and finally relax after these past few excruciating hours.

When Alfred arrived back and he saw the siblings laying in peace he smiled fondly at them and decided not to scold the youngest of the house for not being awake at this hour. He proceeded to place the medical supplies on the bed and the bottle of whiskey he would use for cleaning the wounds on her bedside table.

Immediately, he focused on the major bullet wounds, starting with the one on her side, grabbing the twizzlers to remove the metal trapped in her abdomen. Meanwhile, she took a wet cloth the butler was holding out for hear and started wiping the dried blood off her nose, lips and brows.

Dick sat up scared of doing any damage and, once she was done cleaning her face, he grabbed her left hand and squeezed it, careful of her bloody knuckles, movement which Alfred noticed.

"Master Dick, could you clean your sister's knuckles?" the old man suggested, grabbing the kid's attention, while handing him the bottle of alcohol and another handkerchief, to which the boy immediately nodded, eager to help his sister. "Just pour some alcohol on the cloth and rub it softly over her wound."

Dick hesitantly placed the now wet cloth on his sister's hand, causing her to flinch in pain and flex her fingers while hissing. The boy worriedly looked up at her screwed shut eyes.

"I'm fine. I'm fine, go on." she breathed with a forced smile, trying to convince him she was alright, causing him to return to his task, missing her gritting her teeth, in order not to let out a grunt.

When Alfred was finished with the first wound, he helped the young woman sit up, in order to take care of her shoulder. The girl found this opportunity to softly pull her hand from Dick's smaller palm and grab the bottle of whisky, taking a couple huge gulp of it, before it was grabbed from her by the blue-eyed boy.

"Hey! Don't do that!" he complained, not liking his sister drinking.

Once every injury was taken care of, the older man wished them goodnight and left the two to get some rest, reassuring them he would inform the school that they would not be attending the next day.

Now alone in her room, the two fully cuddled up together, the older sister fondly playing with Dick's hair as he yawned deeply. Something about their embrace made them both feel warmth, comfort and fondness.

Soon, both their eyes started to droop, sleep starting to take over, as they mumbled quietly.

"Goodnight, sis."

"Goodnight, Dickie."

#batsis #dc #dc universe #batfamily #dick grayson #dick grayson x batsis #older batsis #older sister #older sibling #alfred pennyworth #deathstroke #slade wilson #comfort #hurt/comfort #spider woman #angst fluff #angst #fluff #kid!dick grayson #dc imagine

[somethingsomethingwords]

Hello everyone. New year, new story. This one is kind of a niche one. It's a PJO!AU, and also keep in mind the myth of Achilles and Patroclus. I wanted to write about destiny and tragedy, and maybe succeeding in escaping them. As always, comments are more than welcome. Enjoy💜

When Charles enters the room, he knows that this is where his battle starts, still miles away from the actual battlefield.

He gently pushes the door to the infirmary open, and is not surprised to see the other sat on the bed, looking as though he had tried to stand up but failed, with his head in his hands and a bandage already stained with blood on his left thigh.

The blonde looks up, and in his eyes he can see the red hue, but not because of his father's powers. They are bloodshot and puffy.

He'd like to kneel in front of him, rebandage his wounds and comfort him, but he can't. He has to be strong. For the camp, for their friends, for him.

So he just walks until he is in front of Sebastian, gathering enough courage to pose the fatal question.

Everything seems to vibrate with the sound of the incoming tragedy, history repeating itself, never ending sorrow.

"Seb, where is the armour?" That's it, quick, simple, clean.

Many emotions cross his face, and then they all disappear, leaving behind a blank mask.

"No" he says, final.

"Seb, you know I have to. I'm the only one that's left to do it" he can feel the fear starting to make itself known, but he can't let it win, not today.

"Charles, you are not doing it. We'll find somebody else. Hades, I'll do it myself"

Even if his tone is low, his words are firm.

"Seb, there is literally nobody else. It's either me or we lose" And just as he says it, the desperation is starting to feel like something solid.

"I said no. Give me some ambrosia and nectar and I'll deal with it" As he says the words, he pushes on the bed to stand up. It's not even a half step later that his legs give out, and his knees dropping on the wooden floor.

Charles could see it coming, but he did nothing to stop his fall or help him up.

"Sebastian, look at you. You can't even stand, and other ambrosia will kill you, we both know it. Just give it to me, and then..."

"And then what, Charles? I watch you leave camp to never come back? Because you and I both know how this story ends"

"Thanks for the vote of trust" But even as he says it, he knows it's not about trust. It's about prophecies, about destiny, about eternal returns.

But Charles has to raise his temper, so that this will be an angry goodbye, not a sad one.

And, just like he always does, the son of Ares sees through his strategy, and the fury quickly fades.

But without anger, all that's left is shaky voices and wet eyes.

"Charlie, please, listen to me. Stay here, at camp. Defend the children. Let me go" he says as if it's the most logical thing in the world. Or, even if it were, as if Charles is going to listen to logic. He never has. He is not about to.

"Seb, we could fucking see your femur through the beast's slashes like two hours ago. Nectar is not magic. I believe in you more than I've ever believed in them, but even you have your limits. We are still human, Seb" he keeps talking while helping the other on his feet, leaving one of his hands in his and intertwining their fingers.

"So help me put on your armour, then let's go doing what we can to save as many lives as we can" This time he doesn't stop the shaking, doesn't stop the tears, but keeps looking straight into Sebastian's eyes, trying to express all that he can't say through them, trying to impress the colours there into his mind for the last time.

Even as Seb shakes his head, Charles knows he has won. Not because of the power of his words that he will use to rile up every remaining fighter towards the battlefield, but because he can see the despair, hopeless and cruel and inescapable.

He presses his free hand to his cheek, and slowly kisses him as if they have all the time in the world. One last kiss, one last shared breath.

When he pulls back, Seb uses their connected hand to lead him to his cabin, limping slightly.

It's dark and empty, all his siblings guarding the still too young kids.

Gods, they all are still too young for this. But they don't have a choice, it's either this or failure, and failure is not acceptable, for neither of them.

Sebastian's bed is the one nearest to the front. His evident need to always protect makes Charles smile, and it also makes him fall even more in love with Seb.

From beneath it, the blonde takes what looks like the sturdiest armour of all times: the Celestial Bronze culrass shone into the low lights, the helmet with its red crest, the wooden aspis.

Charles accepted all of it, except for the xiphon. He will not leave behind his Bronzen spear, nor his Stygian Iron dagger.

Dressed in Sebastian's armour, with the long cheek guards hiding his face, he knows he can get the other campers to fight. He has to.

Sebastian stares at him, maybe thinking this is the last time they will see each other. But Charles knows it is not. Even if he were to die today, he knows his soul will find Sebastian's. Even in another life, they are predestined.

When he begins to turn, Sebastian gently raises his still tied hand to his lips and he kisses his wrist.

"We will meet again. I swear it on the Styx" he professes in ancient greek.

With a final smile, Charles turns towards the door, towards where all the other campers are bundled.

He isn't Charles Leclerc anymore, Monegasque son of Aphrodite with the most powerful charmspeak of the last 3 centuries.

He now is Sebastian Vettel, German son of Ares, ready to lead his cabin towards the battle, ready to win it.

#charles leclerc #sebastian vettel #sebchal #pjo inspired #Pachilles inspired #the reunion will be written #because that's the actual scene i wanted to write rn #but the need for context and coerence plagues me #don't worry this will have a happy ending idc about the original myth #also could turn into part one of a Greek mythology inspired series #aggressive-sweet dog x retired old man

[theambitiouswoman]

Hello! Do you have tips, advices or any helpful resources on financial independence for beginners? Thankyou in advance!

Of course 💞

Generally, to gain financial independence you need to start by setting a goal. After you set a goal you need to write down your actual scenario as it currently standards. Then you brain map different strategies and actions you can take.

This is probably the easiest time to establish financial independence. It doesn’t matter if you’re 15 or 55, because of all of the tools available to us on the internet.

As a base:

Set a financial goal: Start by setting a specific financial goal that you want to achieve, such as paying off debt, saving for a down payment on a home, or building an emergency fund. Having a clear goal in mind will help you stay focused and motivated.

Create a budget: A budget is a crucial tool for achieving financial independence. Start by tracking your expenses and income, and then create a budget that allocates your income towards your financial goals and expenses. Consider using a budgeting app or spreadsheet to make this process easier.

Mint is budgeting app I use, it helps you track your expenses, set financial goals, and stay on top of your finances.

Reduce expenses: Look for ways to reduce your expenses, such as cutting back on unnecessary subscriptions or finding ways to save on utilities and groceries. This will free up more money to put towards your financial goals. Just like time, people don’t realize how much money they waste. Every bit counts and adds up. Make sure you’re investing your money on things that are absolutely needed- and not simply wasting money you can be using to make more money.

Invest for the future: investing your money in a retirement account or other long-term investment vehicle. Accounts that pay dividends. This can help you build wealth and achieve financial independence over time. This requires some capital and you should have some money saved before you consider starting.

Some authors I recommend would be:

1. Dave Ramsey: The Total Money Makeover

2. Robert Kiyosaki: Rich Dad Poor Dad. His YouTube channel is a gold mine. https://m.youtube.com/@TheRichDadChannel

3. JL Collins: The Simple Path to Wealth

4. Ramit Sethi: I Will Teach You to Be Rich

In order to achieve financial independence, it’s Important to build passive income streams. Passive income requires a smaller budget than what people may believe. If any, in some scenarios.

Passive income can be for example:

Dividend Stocks

Affiliate marketing

Selling digital products

Royalties

Real estate investing

Side hustles can also be passive income steam, and/or have the ability to replace your current main income stream.

I can give you a ton of side hustle ideas. Hundreds. That you can do using your computer. If you give me niches that interest you, I can list recommendations.

The most important aspect however, is mindset. Having a positive mindset when it comes to money and wealth. Your mindset will either drive you to take actions or hold you back. Your thoughts and beliefs about money can have a profound impact on your financial success. Learn how to develop a mindset of abundance and to think creatively about how they can increase their income and build wealth.

[featherstcnes]

@bloodymyhands asked for angst and i delivered

a part of her wished she could say that she knew this was a bad idea from the start. it seemed a simple enough mission, though. a small tactical team ( led by the armorer ) would go in, get what they needed, and get out. bo had trusted the intel given to her by a few other mandalorians -- she'd even done some of her own research. for all she knew, the city that the team was going to was going to be empty. it was supposed to be abandoned, destroyed since the empire had left. and yet the moment she lost contact with the team, she knew that things had turned sideways. there had been consistent check ins. and while she had waited for a response, giving them time in case they were needing to stay quiet, there was a point that bo-katan couldn't sit idle anymore.

and so she found herself on the same planet that the other mandalorians had went to, attempting to be as stealthy as possible with the group she'd brought to save those that she'd lost contact with. " move out, " bo-katan commanded tilting her head down the hallway. they'd cased out the seemingly empty town for a bit before coming up with a strategy. she just had to hope that it ended up working. the seemingly old town was just a facade, as its depths below were remnants from the empire. bo had her blasters in her hands, preparing to defend herself if necessary. there didn't appear to be many heat signatures around -- at least not yet.

careful feet brought her down an empty hall, hearing footsteps from the other mandalorians in the other sections of the labyrinths down here. her eyes immediately focused on the image of the armorer's helmet and furs on the desk near what she assumed were holding cells, but she found only one door closed. her stomach dropped instantly. was she still alive? was this part of her armor just perched on this desk as a warning to bo and her team? a sign that they were next for coming here to save their people?

grabbing the helmet and the furs that the woman donned every day, bo-katan moved further down the hall to the door that she had seen shut. all of the other cells were empty, at least down this hallway. she had to assume that the other mandalorians were held elsewhere. but truthfully? the others were the last thing on her mind at the moment. pressing a button on the pad on the frame of the door, she saw the door quickly slide open, only for her to be met with a sight that had her frozen in place. the unmasked features that her eyes immediately went to, the vision of a woman that her mind wouldn't let her forget even if she'd attempted to. the voices of the men and woman she had brought with her faded around her, and all she found herself able to do was stand in the door frame, staring at the woman that was equally someone she admired and someone she had let herself hate for years.

her fingers tightened on the grip of the woman's helmet in her hand. all this time. all this time, and bo-katan had been blind to the possibility that the armorer was anyone from her past. she should have known, hearing how many times that the woman had spoken of death watch, even if it had just been in passing. rook kast. she would remember that face anywhere. it had been engraved in her mind the moment she'd lost mandalore.

" bo-katan! " she'd heard axe's voice break her out of her trance. " i'm here, " she yelled after a moment, clenching her fists. somehow, she had taken further steps into the cell. she let herself look at the woman again, seeing the blood in her hairline, the shallow breathing that was the only sign she was still alive. the footsteps coming closer down the hall had her making a split second decision to cover the armorer's face with the helmet once more, careful to avoid hurting her any further with the movement. soft brown hair stuck out from the bottom of the helmet, but bo didn't have the time to care to fix it. she couldn't, not now.

when axe rushed in, talking about incoming ships and blaster fire, bo nodded. " is everyone safe? accounted for? " once she received confirmation, she leaned down towards the armorer. " help me get her onto my ship. " she said, axe not hesitating as he moved to one side of her, moving an arm around the woman to help get her up, bo supporting from the other side. there was blaster fire ringing in the air the moment she set foot outside, but bo ignored it as she rushed to get the armorer onto her ship to set the woman down on a seat. she'd have to hope that the trip was gentle enough to get her home safely -- it wasn't as if she had a ship with bunks, with anything useful to help the woman. this would have to be enough.

" go, " axe had said. and she had. the mandalorians were not on the losing side of the battle this time. they would make it home safely, bo-katan knew that.

when she'd arrived back on mandalore, she'd avoided the med bay that part of the tribe had been rebuilding, and she'd immediately went to the forge. to the quarters that the woman in her arms had been building as a place for herself, away from everything else. once she was sure that they were alone, bo took off her helmet, placing the blue metal piece on a table near the door frame before she moved over to the armorer. she grabbed whatever supplies she could around the room, knowing that the woman had to have something that bo could use to at least help clean her up. once she had a few spare pieces of clean cloth, she moved back to the armorer's bedside. before she could tell herself otherwise, bo took off the woman's helmet. she'd already seen her once. and bo wasn't sure what injuries that she had. she was sure that the armorer had plenty of injuries under her clothing. but bo didn't see any rips or too much blood on the fabric, and so she kept her hands away. cursing under her breath, bo used the fabric to brush away at some of the blood on the armorer's head. her touch was firm, yet still gentle as she moved over the other woman.

a part of her felt as if she should feel like she owed the armorer nothing, now that bo knew who she really was. but how could she just let her suffer?

once she had cleaned her up enough to the point where it looked as if the bleeding had stopped, bo cleaned her hands of the woman's blood and took a deep breath. she felt like she barely had processed exactly who was laying in front of her, but at the same time, her mind felt like it couldn't even begin to attempt to. she didn't know what to feel and some quiet part of her was grateful that she didn't have to speak yet. that she didn't have to attempt to put words to how she was feeling. despite the endless thoughts running through her mind, she sat at a chair near the bed, eyes focused on the unconscious woman. her feelings aside ( both good and bad ) , bo knew that she couldn't just leave the woman alone. maybe the armorer would never forgive her for seeing her like this. maybe she would never let bo speak to her again because of it.

she would say she didn't care after the events of the day, but bo-katan knew that would be a lie.

#bloodymyhands #* ⟢ ━━ bo-katan kryze. ( threads ) #listen it's 1.3k words i had to put it under a read more #obviously pls do not make your reply 1.3k words i just had to set the scene #NOW TIME FOR PAIN AND FEELINGS AND TRAUMA YAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dwellordream]

“In the majority of immigrant families and for many working-class families of native-born Americans, the standard middle-class pattern, in which an entire family lived on the income of one man, was completely unachievable. The wages paid to a semi-skilled working man in 1909, for example--between $12 and $15 a week--were simply not enough to sustain a family. In large cities, rent often took between a quarter and a third of the family income and frequently did not include heat or fuel for the stove. Food, purchased daily to avoid spoilage, was relatively expensive. A chicken cost 25 cents, and potatoes were 2 cents a pound. Pennies for the newspaper, nickels for carfare, loaves of bread, and cups of coffee added up fast. Many families had bought their furniture on the installment plan, and many belonged to unions or mutual benefit societies. These payments and dues had to be met monthly.

Working class families adopted a variety of strategies to expand their incomes. In African-American families, where education was prized as a way out of poverty and second-class citizenship, children and teenagers remained in school while their mothers sought work as field hands, domestics, or laundresses. In Northern mill towns, where entire families worked at the textile mill, parents made childcare arrangements with neighbors and relatives for the youngest children so that mothers could work for a share of the family income.

…By far the largest employment sector for young American women, both black and white, was domestic service. In 1900, one-third of all wage-earning women--nearly 2 million of them--worked either as servants in private homes or as waitresses in hotels and restaurants. The great majority of household servants in the North, Midwest, and West were white immigrant women or their daughters, though native-born white women continued to work as domestic servants in country towns and villages. In the south, white middle-class families almost exclusively employed black women as maids, nurses, cooks, and laundresses.

Because the weekly wages of domestic services were comparable to those of factory hands, and room and board were free, domestic service gave immigrant women a chance to save money. Among Irish servants it was common to send money back to relatives in Ireland or to pay ship’s passage for parents and siblings who wanted to immigrate to America. Women from other immigrant groups--Germans, Scandinavians, and Slaves, for example--went into domestic service because they spoke little or no English and were unqualified for many other jobs. For some new arrivals domestic service provided a chance to learn a little English and become familiar with American culture.

…The advent of new machinery and new workforce efficiency techniques, called scientific management, contributed to the “deskilling” of labor, either by eliminating tasks formerly done by hand or by breaking the tasks down into ever-smaller segments. In many factories, for example, no worker completed a whole garment or shoe by himself, and no one needed more than a day’s training to learn the simple, repetitive work. With all these changes in the technology and management of the factory, some men did lose jobs to less-skilled women, who would accept cruelly low wages in order to help their families survive. When working men blamed women for taking their jobs or depressing their wages, they failed to see that it was not the fault of women who needed to work, but the fault of an industrial system organized solely for profit.

Few industrial jobs held any possibility of advancement, and it was not until after World War I that women became job foremen or floor managers to any appreciable extent. Many jobs, like candy making and bookbinding, were subject to seasonal rushes and slack times; women garment makers often found they worked for a 14-hour stretch for three days and then had no work--and no pay--for the rest of the week. Work hours grew shorter, and by 1920, the 54-hour week had become the legal standard in New York and a number of other states.

…For a few years in the 1880s, before it collapsed under its own size and increasing competition from the new American Federation of Labor (AFL), the Knights of Labor had successfully organized hundreds of thousands of skilled and unskilled workers, both men and women, black and white. The AFL, meanwhile, concentrated its energies on organizing unions for skilled male craftsmen. The AFL was not interested in industrial unionism--the organizing of masses of unskilled workers, such as miners or mill workers, by industry rather than by specialized craft. Many Americans, including the AFL leadership, felt that industrial unionism was under the control of revolutionary socialists. They were deeply suspicious of the socialist Industrial Workers of the World, or Wobblies, who were successfully organizing miners and mill workers in the opening years of the 20th century.

The AFL, unlike the Wobblies, ignored African Americans for many years. And, though it did charter a number of women’s local unions between 1890 and 1920, it was heavily biased against women workers. The AFL leadership believed that women should be at home and not in the workplace, and feared that women’s willingness to accept low wages constituted a threat to male jobs and wage levels. The AFL would be very slow to realize that encouraging divisions between men and women workers only retarded the progress of labor unionism as a whole, for women were in the workplace to stay.

..Before 1917, white-collar work was almost exclusively reserved for native-born white women. Immigrants, even second-generation daughters of immigrants who spoke with an accent or had noticeably “foreign” or Jewish names, usually found it impossible to get sales or office jobs. Black women knew that discriminatory hiring practices in both the North and the South made it useless for them even to apply to white-collar office or clerical work in any but black-owned businesses. Increasingly, and mostly in the South, black women were hired to teach black children. By 1910, 22,547 of the nation’s 29,772 black teachers were female.

Similarly, black women entered nursing in growing numbers around 1900, after the founding of a number of black nursing schools in the 1890s. Black nurses worked in the black community and as private nurses; they were denied jobs in white hospitals and in the Army Nurse Corps and the Red Cross. Excluded from membership in the American Nurses Association, they formed their own group in 1908--the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses.

White women who worked in offices occupied an increasing number of specialized positions as typists, stenographers, shipping and receiving clerks, bookkeepers, cashiers, accountants, or office-machine workers. Their jobs had come with the growth of business and industry and technological advances in business machinery. At the same time that the demand for office staff skyrocketed, the spread of public school education, especially high school training, meant that a growing supply of women was available for office work. By 1915, approximately 50 percent of all office workers, and nearly 85 percent of all typists and stenographers, were women.”

- Karen Manners Smith, “Women at Work.” in New Paths to Power: American Women, 1890-1920

#karen manners smith #20th century #1910s #edwardian #gender #class #servants #new paths to power #1900s

[riyagupta0472]

Finding Your Investment Path: A Simple Guide

In the vast ocean of financial opportunities, finding the right investment scheme can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Every individual's financial goal, risk tolerance, and investment horizon are unique, making it crucial to navigate through the diffrent of options available in the market. From fixed income to equity and everything in between, understanding the various investment schemes is key to building a robust and diversified portfolio tailored to your needs.

Fixed Income: Let's begin with the fundamentals. Your investment portfolio's fixed income investments are similar to the consistent beat of a drum. The traditional examples are bonds and certificates of deposit (CDs). They are the best option for people looking for stability because they provide predictable returns at a lower risk. And you can earn average 8-10% return. Managed Portfolios: Do you like someone else to do the grunt work? You may want to consider managed portfolios. These expertly managed funds provide a hands-off approach to investing, catered to your financial objectives and risk tolerance.

Insurance: Although the main goal of insurance is to provide protection, several plans also include investment options. For example, life insurance policies give you coverage and the opportunity to gradually build up cash value; for the astute investor, this is a two-for-one offer. Derivatives: At this point, things become a little more intricate. The value of derivatives is derived from underlying securities or indexes. This group includes swaps, futures, and options. They can be employed speculatively or for hedging, but they're not for the timid. but do not invest in derivatives until and unless you are expert in this field.

Credit Instruments: Now let's talk about credit instruments, which include peer-to-peer lending websites and corporate bonds. With the range of risk and return potential offered by these products, you can tailor your portfolio to your degree of risk tolerance. Equities: Ah, the stock market, the global investor community's playground. Purchasing stock entails obtaining ownership of shares in publicly traded corporations. It's all about dividends and growth potential, but be prepared for market turbulence. Keep it straightforward: align your investments with your time horizon, risk appetite, and goals. To distribute the risk, diversify between several programs. And keep up with market developments at all times. Recall that there isn't a single, universal strategy for investing. Discover what works for you and get to work accumulating wealth!

#invetment #wealth #fixed income #security #risk #return #instrument #financial planning #financial services #low risk high reward

[poiseandprogress]

Poise & Progress: The Game Plan

So in my last blog post (which was also my first might I add) I mentioned that I adore anything relating to leveling up and becoming a femme fatale. And so today I’m choosing to become a part of what I adore. 

Here, I’m laying out my goals and plans on how I will achieve these goals. I’ve decided to categorize them based on the areas of my life that I would like to elevate. I will add that this is neither an original idea or layout. I was inspired by a blog here on tumblr that I’ve been following for a while. (@boujeeceo - they haven’t been active for a while though but you can look through their page of course! I don’t gatekeep.)

Okay, let’s get started with my goals shall we?

One Time Goals:

Save 5k 

Finish my modeling website 

Buy a vlogging camera

Create 3 Sources of income 

Start my social media management/marketing business 

Open my clothing boutique 

Have my own skin care line here in The Bahamas

To Purchase:

Smile direct club 

New bedroom furniture and closet storage (my bedroom needs a SERIOUS makeover)

New Wardrobe essentials (a little difficult considering my personality changes every three months but I think now that I’m laying it all out and building my dream persona it may get easier to manage)

Health & Fitness

Start a workout routine

At home pilates (gyms make me uncomfortable for many reasons)

Daily 30 minute jogs

Healthier diet (wholesome, plant based?)

Intermittent fasting? 

Cut out meat again?

Add more fruits and vegetables to my diet

Create a meal plan and meal prep on Sundays?

Solid Sleep schedule 

Get at least 7 hours of sleep daily (I’m struggling with the idea of this because I feel as though in order to be successful sooner I have to sacrifice some hours of sleep)

Take vitamins daily

Beauty:

Build a solid skincare routine & be consistent with it!

Practice my makeup skills

Learn how to install and style my own wigs

Finances 

Fix my relationship with money!!

SAVE & BUDGET

Increase Income 

Work/Career

Start a side hustle that I can scale into a remote/work from home business that brings in more than my current 9-5 does.  

Relationships:

Making more friends with the same interests as me and ones that have successfully achieved for themselves the lifestyle that I see for myself so that I can learn from them. This also means evaluating my current friendships and putting some distance between me and those that aren’t working on growth. 

Spirituality 

Strengthen relationship with God 

Read 1 chapter of the Bible Daily

Continue to explore my spirituality

Meditate daily

Socials: 

The girlies on every social media platform say that the best way to remain consistent and to be successful when it comes to social media is by niching down. I’ve been working on what my niche could be, based on the type of content that I like to consume and also the type of content that I will be able to post the most given my current location, income, and budget. 

I’m leaning towards: LIFESTYLE | FASHION | BEAUTY

Youtube

Start posting again. It’s that simple, I know it is. 

Hit 500 subscribers by New Years (Currently 292 - All of my past videos are private right now as I’m rebranding)

Meet monetization requirements (500 subscribers, 3 videos within 90 days and 3000 watch hours)

Instagram 

Hit 5k followers by New Year’s Eve (Currently 4,026) 

Create a solid social media strategy & content calendar 

Skills

Complete my social media marketing course 

Learn a new language (currently learning italian seeing that my boyfriend is an old Italian man loll)

Habits: 

Drink a gallon of water daily

Read more books 

Form daily routines 

Hobbies: 

Modeling 

Build my portfolio 

Book more runway stuff 

Travel for modeling

Hobbies that I’d like to start:

Tennis/Golf: I would like to have a physical hobby that can also keep me in shape. And also somewhere that affluent individuals in my community enjoy hanging out.

Traveling: This one feels like a dead giveaway. Of course I want to start traveling more. 

Horseback riding: I used to do it when I was younger and volunteering at a nearby stable. Learning to ride was a requirement but I didn’t stick around long enough to actually get good at it. 

Cooking & Baking (It’s recently become a dream of mine to host a fancy thanksgiving dinner) My family has never really been the baking type and traditional Bahamian meals are great and all but I would like to explore the art of cooking. 

I think for now this is a pretty extensive list of goals and aspirations even though in my head it feels like I’ve only scratched the surface. I’ll be going into more details on different aspects of these things here of course!

#black girl moodboard #black woman in luxury #feminine energy #hypergamy #luxury aesthetic #luxury lifestyle #soft life #leveling up #femme fatale

[billioneera]

Easy and simple strategies to make $8000 online as a beginner

Copy AI can be a useful tool for email marketers looking to improve their email campaigns and potentially increase their earnings. Here are some tips for using Copy AI to write more engaging emails and make $8000:

Use Copy AI to generate email subject lines: The subject line is the first thing your subscribers see, and it can make or break your email open rates. You can use Copy AI to generate subject lines that are catchy, engaging, and relevant to your audience. Simply input your topic or keywords, and the tool will generate multiple subject line options that you can use in your email campaigns.

Use Copy AI to create email content: Once you have your subject line, you can use Copy AI to create the content for your email. Simply input your topic or keywords, and the tool will generate email content that you can edit, customize, and personalize as needed. This can help you to save time and create high-quality email content that resonates with your audience.

Use Copy AI to test your email campaigns: Copy AI also has a feature called "Smart A/B Testing," which can help you to optimize your email campaigns and improve your results. You can use this feature to test different subject lines, email content, and calls to action, and see which ones perform best with your audience. This can help you to improve your email open rates, click-through rates, and ultimately, your conversions.

Skyrocket Your Income with COPYAI for free . Claim free account No credit card required

To potentially make $8000, you can offer your email marketing services to clients on freelance platforms like Upwork or Fiverr. With the help of Copy AI, you can write more engaging emails, improve your results, and increase your earnings. Additionally, you can also use these skills to create your own email campaigns and promote your own products or services.

#fastest way to make money online #make money fast #make money from home #affiliate marketing for beginners #instant way to make money online #earn extra money #make money on youtube #youtube #make money as an affiliate #make money as a mom #how to earn money #earn real money #earn extra cash #earn money #earn free bitcoin #make passive income #passive income ideas #passive income #simple and easy ways to make money #make money online #unlimited money