#investors looking for projects to fund

[naviavu]

Evergreen

PAIRINGS: yandere!alhaitham x reader

TAGS: mild compared to my other works <3, i guess, >:-), obsession, possessive sex, juicy smut, alhaitham is yandere YANDERE, he just wants reader back home :(, sumeru dream team, abuse of power, childhood friends to lovers, kinda, manipulation

WORDS: 4.4k // crossposted on ao3 // my masterlist

NOTES: hope everyone enjoys this dark twist of alhaitham! it's been so long since i wrote for genshin, and i'm not sure how much the tumblr community has changed. regardless, please don't hesitate to drop by my inbox to comment or request! i genuinely missed writing lol <3

You often think that you’re cursed with your work.

(Y/N) of the Akademiya. Graduated early from Vahumana, traveling all over the seven nations to be a teacher and provide impoverished kids with free education. This is the fourth year of your career, and you’re staying in Fontaine– everything is going great.  

Until one day, a messenger approached you.

“What do you mean the stakeholders are withholding funds indefinitely?” A chalk breaks under your grip, powder falling to your skirt. You glance quickly outside the tent, careful to not let your students hear you. “That doesn’t make any sense– the Yorun investors are literally from Sumeru! They’re wealthy enough to fund fancier Akademiya projects! ”

The messenger– Jesse, a gentle Fontainian girl much younger than you– avoids eye contact and fiddles with her sling bag. “They insisted that the abrupt change in the sages and Lesser Lord Kusanali’s rise to power caused their resources to become… limited.”

“Oh, that’s bullshit!” You shout. Jesse trembles. You sigh and pat her head. “Sorry, kid. I didn’t mean to raise my voice. Get home safe, alright?”

(She only nods and places the letter on your desk. Before leaving, she turns back and says, “I’m really sorry, Ma’am (Y/N). I also wish that you continue your work. You’ve done a great deal educating kids in this neighborhood… including my brother.”

You give her a sad smile.)

There was no choice. The next day, you taught one last lesson to your students (eleven children from the back alleys of Fontaine, all no older than twelve) and bid your final goodbyes. When they ask where you’re going, you tell them that you’re on for another long journey, and you don’t know when you’ll be back. They gather around and embrace you, small hands all over your body. One of the kids (Jules, one brilliant in maths but not so much in literature. You’ll miss his toothy smile the most) tell you that they will pray to Focalors for your safety. You pat Oli’s head one last time, telling him to be good for his sister Jesse. 

A carriage picks you up before sunrise. Your journey to Sumeru was uneventful, and every small bump and thud on the way aggravated you further. You settle for burning holes at the empty seat in front of you.

You enter the city with your head down, walking the familiar steps robotically. You think that you recognize the voices of your old acquaintances and neighbors chattering and laughing, but the haze from your mind (and heart) prevents you from doing the bare minimum of greeting them.

The first step to your wooden porch is a bittersweet homecoming. When you open your front door, the hinges still squeak the same tones before you left. 

Your evergreen shrubs haven't grown an inch, as if someone was maintaining them. (You brush off this strange detail.)

Mindlessly staring inside your unkempt house, you decide that if you want to continue your life’s work, you must continue earning money. 

(You failed to notice that your doorknob was dust-free.)

You sat down on your old desk and wrote a lengthy letter to the higher-ups for the cause of your arrival, the reason for the halt of your travels, and that you’re looking for a job. 

For the rest of the day, you unpack your bags, sweep the floor, and pace restlessly in your living room. It’s been many years since you were in contact with your superiors. The last time you saw them was at your graduation, where everyone expected you to stay in Sumeru and be one of the next candidates for the Sage of Vahumana. 

The grip in your broom tightens when you remember as clear as day your professors’ anger and judgment when you declined their offer. Entitled. Ungrateful.

Will they even accept you back? Will they cast you out?

To your surprise, a reply arrived on your doorstep not even a day later. A clean envelope embroidered with green and silver patterns.

You were offered to fill the vacant position of Scribe. 

You tell yourself that you’ll adjust eventually. 

Seeing the piles of papers and books in front of you, your hand aches a phantom throb. You wonder how your friend Lisa could survive this kind of monotony in Mondstadt. It pays better, sure, and your back and legs won’t hurt as much from traversing landscapes– but it’s still nothing compared to seeing the smile on children’s faces when they finally understand the concepts after a bone-deep, exhausting lesson.

As expected, the stick-thin pen felt too soft on your fingers after a few hours. You were more used to holding chalks or markers. Drafting ordinances and reading through academic policies was never your thing. 

Outside your study, you hear the light footsteps of scholars while noisily prattling about one of their newest inventions. You can’t help but compare the plain white-green palette of your office to the brightness and energetic vibrance of the local districts. 

Putting your hands on your head, you exhale deeply. “Fuck me!” 

“--(Y/N). I hope you’re doing well on your first day.” A voice –not too different from years ago, just deeper– enters the room.

Oh god. “Alhaitham!” The silver-haired man closes the door behind him. You didn’t even hear his footsteps outside your office. “Sorry, my… hand cramped from signing all these papers. You know how it is.” 

He raises his eyebrow. “Still not used to your tasks?” Seeing him out of his Haravatat uniform is a new sight. Even from a distance, his stature is much taller, no doubt towering over you.  

“Well, I can’t really complain,” His lack of greeting and deadpan expression doesn’t bother you. If anything, you’re glad that the Alhaitham you knew four years ago is not too different from Alhaitham now. “It’s better than not having a job. I didn’t expect them to accept me so fast, though. I thought they’d be more hung up with my rejection thing years ago. Old people and their grudges, y’know?”

Alhaitham doesn’t respond, used to your chattering. He meanders to the nearby bookshelf and brushes through. Your lips quirk into a small grin. “Thank the Archons that I have my very cute junior, who’s also the Acting Grand Sage and the previous Scribe, to help me adjust with my new work, huh?”

His fingers stop skimming. He glares over his shoulder. “Power tripping me on your first day? I’m calling human resources.”

Your shoulders shake when you laugh. His own kind of humor never ceases to amuse you. “Sorry. It’ll take some time… but I’ll get used to this. I promise.” 

A familiar and comfortable silence settles in the room. A few papers later, he finally picks the book he’s been looking for and turns to you. “Please do everyone a favor by going to Lambad’s Tavern tonight. Kaveh got into an altercation with another customer, and your presence would help tone down his temper. Tighnari and Cyno are also expecting you. Candace also mentioned that she hasn't gotten back to you since you last wrote to her, and she would love to catch up personally.”

Your lips smile at the mention of your old friends. Stretching your arms, you look out the window. The noise outside from Sumeru City barely hangs in the air with your office located so high up in the building. “News goes around real fast, doesn’t it? I’ve been keeping a low profile since last week and didn’t even tell anyone about my arrival. Not Kaveh. Not Cyno, not Tighnari, not Candace.” Your whisper, eyes downcast.

Alhaitham walks to the other side of your desk and crosses his arms. “The lack of funds for your organization wasn’t your fault, (Y/N). Whether it's because of the shift in power from the sages or not, incidents out of your control inevitably happen.”

You don’t ask why he knows the reason why you’re back here. Alhaitham always knew more than what he let on. “Don’t waste time being disappointed with yourself and focus on what you have now.”

You turn away, flustered from the sincere gaze of his bright virescent eyes. You take a sip of your warm coffee to hide your smile. “Thanks, Haitham. This is why you’re the best Acting Grand Sage.”

He rolls his eyes. The brewing tension disappears. “Make sure that I see you in the tavern no later than 10.”

The door softly closes when he leaves. For the first time in forever, this place starts to feel like home.

The lively, alcohol-drenched atmosphere in Lambad’s Tavern never changed. 

Years ago, you’d go day drinking whenever your assignments were returned for their fifth revision. If your whole class was lucky, most of your group mates and colleagues will be with you, equally drowning in their academic-induced sorrows.

The amber-brown colors of the sheets and the patrons who entered remained the same. Before you even reach the counter, someone already picks you up and spins you around in a hug. “Little one! I’ve heard from some patrons that you were back in town. It’s one of those rumors that I hoped to be true!” 

You giggle and embrace Lambad back, grateful for the older man’s warm welcome. 

“(Y/N)!” You’d recognize the forest ranger’s sweet voice anywhere. Tighnari jogs towards you and pulls you into a hug, tail wagging. You notice that he looks better compared to all those years ago when he was still in the Akademiya. “I’m sorry I couldn’t see you sooner. When Cyno told me there seemed to be an occupant in your house, I didn’t expect it to be you! ” 

Bitterness pangs in your heart. “I didn’t expect to be back either,” You say honestly. “Guess everyone needs a little break somehow.”

“Warn us next time, would you?” Cyno emerges behind his friend. “Be thankful that there was other urgent business to take care of. I was ready to… interrogate whoever was staying inside my friend’s house without their permission.”

“Yeah, yeah, got it, boss,” You shake your head and laugh. Three of you walk to a table near the windows. You’re happy to see everyone. And you’re glad to know that they’re also just as happy to see you. 

After a good hour of catching up, you feel your whole body relax and your jaw tense from laughing too hard at Tighnari’s anecdotes. Your emotions unwind like a fresh flower by the streams. 

“That blockhead doesn’t know what he’s talking about...  Where are they? The tavern is too crowded at this hour!” You turn to your left, looking for him. You wave excitedly when you see a tuft of blonde hair. 

His eyes widened. “(Y/N)?”

“Kaveh.”

“(Y/N)!”

“Kaveh!” The architect ran up and enveloped you in a hug. Since college, yours and Kaveh’s stupidity knew no bounds– it was always laughs and jokes between you. You stay in each other’s arms for a few moments, and the familiarity of his scent brings you relaxation. 

The night goes on as great as it started. 

“I can’t wait until I move out!” Kaveh exclaims. Two people from the other table look in his direction. Your other friends groan, used to his antics. 

You notice redness starting to come up on the blonde’s neck. “You’re being really loud for someone I thought didn’t want people knowing you live with him.” 

Cyno places down a card. Tighnari groans. “Don’t engage him. (Y/N). Or he won’t stop.”

“Yes! Yes,” Kaveh starts. All the other customers are busy with their own shouting and chattering. “Don’t get me wrong, I like the place. Alhaitham is a quiet roommate. I just can’t stand his attitude most of the time! If I wanted a lecture, I would’ve gone to the Akademiya and talked to my old professors.”

The blonde crosses his arms. “What about you, (Y/N)? I’m not going to lie, Alhaitham made a great recommendation of you being the Scribe. That’s the only thing I could commend him for this week, at least.” 

“What?” You weren’t aware of that. Your thumbs fiddle with your skirt. “Uh, yeah. I’ll make sure to thank him later.”

“Oh, sweet (Y/N), you’re to kiiiiiind,” He slurs. “I wish you were my roommate instead.”

Your best friend reaches to twirl your hair. In your drunken stupor, you giggle with a light blush painting your cheeks. 

A bottle clangs on the table. “Another one, please.”

A heavy presence sits beside you. You look, and Alhaitham was already downing a shot, throat bobbing. 

In the background, your friends laugh while Kaveh groans. 

Has Haitham always been this beautiful?

The silver-haired man looks at you. “Enjoying Kaveh’s tales?” 

“It’s always a fun story when you’re involved.” You giggle, flushing under his gaze. “Everything about you is so entertaining, Haitham.”

Your flushed face does something to his chest. He gives you another shot. “That’s why your colleagues used to look at you weird. Whenever Kaveh wasn’t around, you’d hang out with me, even when I clearly wanted to be alone,” He laments. 

“Says the one who used to follow me around like a puppy! We were mismatched weirdos,” You don’t notice the blush creep up on his cheeks. You smile at him earnestly, whispering. “I’m glad you didn’t change– oops!”

The chair creaks and you stumble into his arms. You look up, seeing his face and amber eyes close to yours. Heat emanates from the grip on your waist, and your hands feel hot on his chest. Sparks flew to your core. 

“Get a room! You know what, I’m staying in Cyno’s tonight. He never sleeps anyway,” Kaveh’s shouts break the stupor and you push Alhaitham away. He stumbled, and Cyno was on his side in an instant. “You heard him. Kaveh, it’s time for you to clock out. Tighnari, let’s continue this game next time.” 

The three of them exit the tavern. ‘Make Alhaitham pay the tab! He’s so unfair!’ Kaveh says, and Alhaitham begrudgingly does so when both of you have sobered enough to walk home. 

You don’t know if it’s the leftover alcohol in your system, but the night sky swirls above both of you. “Ah… I never knew… howmuchImissedbeinghere,” 

“Easy there,” He catches you again when you stumble. “Where are we going, Haitham?”

“To your place, of course. You’re exhausted from work. You need to rest.”

“What? But I thought…” Your mind goes blank. Alhaitham looks at you with hope in his eyes, but the light is gone in a split second. 

“You thought what?” When you don’t answer, he stops on his tracks. “You thought what, (Y/N)? Tell me.” 

“Nothing.” He looks away. You face him. “But… I think… my place is too far. Can we go to yours instead?” 

You seal your fate with those words.  

The heat from both of your bodies encapsulated the whole room. 

Alhaitham’s hands slowly grip your curves. Passion and lust melted into two souls that yearned for each other for so long. 

“Haitham…” You breathe out, shivering from his fingers ghosting on your skin. You feel like you’re on fire, and his warmth only served to fan your flames higher. 

“I wanted you for so long… you’re so beautiful…” He gasps, fumbling around your blouse buttons. Despite his rough kisses, he handles you gently– like porcelain glass, a gift getting unwrapped for the first time.  

When you finally undressed, Alhaitham almost couldn’t believe his eyes. 

The one woman he had been obsessed with, laid out before him. His for the taking. 

You shiver at his gaze. You hold out your hand, shaking from the cold. And arousal. “C-Come… Haitham… you can do whatever you want with me…”

And so he does. He climbs to your bed like a predator hunting the prey. You lie in wait as you let him take the lead. Kissing all over your breasts, suckling on your nipples, sending shivers to your core. You try to squeeze your legs for relief, but Haitham stops you by putting his knees in between your legs. 

He clicks his tongue. “You’ll only cum on my mouth, fingers, or cock tonight, baby.” 

You shudder at his words. Down he goes, settling himself between your soft thighs. You flush, your cunt surely eager and wet, aching for his touch. He licks a stripe in your pussy, and you moan. “H-haitham!”

He licks more eagerly, like a man starved. Never in a million years you’d ever thought that you would be this vulnerable and intimate. At the hands of your junior, no less. His face on your thighs and his mouth on your clit, sucking like you were his last meal. 

Your head was in the clouds. Your hands move to his head, tugging roughly. 

He growls. “You wanna play rough? I can play rough.”

You sigh. “Keep–going– Haitham…”

He spits on your cunt. He slurps on your mixed juices. “I-I’m close…” 

He stops and you whine. Your legs are pulled to the end of the couch, and you watch him as he fumbles with his clothes. When he finally emerges stark naked in front of you, you notice his large cock, angrily red at the tip. 

That won’t fit inside you. 

“Wait– Haitham!” He positions himself in front of your legs, rubbing his cock on your entrance. “Yes, baby?” 

“You– You might not fit inside me,” You flush deeper when he laughs. “I’m being serious!”

“We’ll never know if we don’t find out.” He enters you, and you moan. You try to cover your mouth from letting such embarrassing sounds come out, but he pins your arms above you. “I want to hear you.” 

He rocks into you, like two bodies connecting with each other have waited for a long time. 

Alhaitham observes your face, sketches it to his memory. The way your eyes glisten, and your mouth opens in pleasure. The curve of your hips and waist, the slope of your nose, the plush of your lips, and the tears in your eyes. You’ve grown into a fine young woman as he expected, and it was a blessing that you came home so unexpectedly. 

Your pussy is heavenly. All his teenage fantasies culminated to this one night– his childhood crush, sprawled out in his bed and legs open like a slut. He’ll make sure that your skin is marked all over. Let everyone know that you’re his, and no one else’s. 

“Haa… Feels so good…” You were equally drenched in sweat and your tears, pleasure overcoming your senses. You feel him suck your nipples again, sending you more pleasure to your core. 

“You’re so fucking tight– that’s it, baby, suck me in,” He groans, as you feel yourself tumbling over the edge. The coil in your stomach tightens and you moan, and it suddenly snaps– “Ah!” 

Your juices make a mess on his stomach, his thighs, and yours. You heave and gasp your breath, shivering. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, I’m here, you’re safe,” Warm arms envelop you, and you close your eyes.

You sleep soundly in Alhaitham’s arms. 

Time goes on, and your passionate meetings with Alhaitham are repeated. 

You gave yourself to him again, and again, and again. At his house, when Kaveh is away with his clients. In his study, when he’s stressed. On his couch, when both of you are drunk and give in to lust before going to the bedroom. For the past month, you can’t count how many times you woke up seeing the lush green of his windows and his warm body curled up around yours. 

His visits became frequent on your own study. He brings you coffee. You spend the whole day drafting and writing, and he reads his book in the corner of your room like a loyal attendant. 

It’s domestic. Sometimes, you often wonder what life will be if you decide to stay. 

(Is there a future with Alhaitham? You ask yourself one afternoon when you see the man sleeping on your mini desk. His silver hair softly flutters in the wind, and on his hand is a document you handed him to put by one of the bookshelves.

It would be good if he could join me in traveling the world. You stamp your last document for the day. 

You walk and place a kiss on his forehead to wake him up. “Work’s done, sweetie.” 

You would miss him terribly.)

One morning, your jolly footsteps alert people in the street. “Haitham!”  You whisper excitedly. The door opens, and you enter before he can even offer for you to come inside. “I got it!” 

He raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure what it is, but I’m proud of you.”

“I’m going back to Fontaine to teach! The stakeholders said there was an error in the calculations; they’re ready to fund my investment again!” You hug him tight. Joy pours out of your body. 

(You don’t notice him freeze.)

“I’m so happy… I honestly thought that this was the end of my life’s purpose…” You trail off. Alhaitham hugs you back. His grip tightens on your waist.

“I can finally come back to the kids in Fontaine…” You trail off when you see him looking far into the distance. 

You frown. You know better than most people that he’s not the most expressive person, but you thought that he would at least crack a smile for you. 

You hastily pull away from your hug. “I’m sorry for bothering you. I just wanted you to know first, since you’re… very special to me,” Your face was red from shame, and from not knowing how to describe your relationship with Alhaitham correctly. “I’ll go tell Tighnari and the others now.”

A beat passes. “(Y/N).” 

You turn around, hand clutching your bag. Alhaitham stands still on the doorway in the same position that you left him. 

Then, he smiles– crooked and ominous, like he was forcing himself.

Perhaps he is. 

A shiver goes down your spine. He speaks, confident and clear– like it wasn’t the most obvious lie. “I’m happy for you.” 

The door closes behind him. This time, your feet fight the urge to get out of this city as soon as possible.

 Your happiness ended as quickly as it came.

The newspaper plastered on the board of Port Ormos sits still despite the rough winds, like it knows how heavy the burden of the message it carries.

Yorun Investors dead on ambush

An Adventurer’s Guild member sighs, discouraged. A businessman– from Sneznhaya, you would assume from his attire– exclaims. “That would mean their investments are also cut off? Drat! Half of my businesses rely on their funding!”

People pile up to see the newsboard, collectively murmuring. You stand still, motionless. Bricks are piled on your hands and your feet. 

You can always find other investors, of course. Just like you did four years ago. 

How long would that take?

You walk home, absentminded. You pass by the Tavern, then the Akademiya. Walking by Alhaitham’s house doesn't even spark excitement inside you. Calling your other friends isn’t a choice, either.

You just want to wake up from this dream. 

When you arrived, Someone was waiting on your doorstep.

“Alhaitham?” Thesman stands up straight. How long was he waiting? “(Y/N), I apologize for how I acted yesterday. I hope you forgive me.” 

When you remain quiet, he continues. “I also heard about what happened. I don’t mean to mock you, (Y/N). I’m truly sorry to hear about it.” 

Tears start falling down your face, which turn into full, ugly sobs. He walks gently, as if you’ll break into pieces if he makes the wrong move. He holds up his arms. 

You bury your face in his chest and cry.

Living with Alhaitham was happier than you’d thought it would be. 

It’s been months since you took his embrace on your front porch. You spent sleepless nights with him, writing letters for every investor or kind soul who’s kind enough to fund your endeavors, even for a penny. 

You were desperate. If the higher ups knew the struggle you’re going through right now, you’re sure that they’re laughing at you. 

(Not that you cared. Alhaitham stayed up writing letters with you, and that’s all the support that you need.)

You waited, waited, and waited. Yet every reply was rejection. Your partner saw you break down, and he’s always there to pick you back up. 

His clothes are strewn all over your house, as if he lives there now. 

“Coffee?” He offers. You nod. A giggle comes out of your mouth when you see a purple hickey on his neck, barely covered by his shirt.

It’s been months since he heard your laugh. He stops stirring the cup he’s prepared for you. Alhaitham looks back, says sincerely, “I’m glad you stayed.” 

An uncomfortable feeling brews once again. You tell yourself that you’ll get used to it. 

You still have hope that one day, your feet will step out again to reach your dreams.

But for now, everything that you need in Sumeru City. The perfect partner, an authentic group of friends, a beautiful community, and a stable (but boring) job.

You’ll never have to venture out again. 

(The evergreen shrubs outside your house starts to grow.)

“She’s settling in well?” 

“Yes, she’s resting,” Alhaitham sits on the makeshift chair. Ghandarva Ville was far, but it’s where less people are around. Besides, no one would dare trespass in Tighnari’s personal home. 

“You owe me a favor,” Cyno crosses his arms. “Finding the investor’s carriage was not difficult. They’re pretty famous. But erasing traces is a piece of work. I’m lucky that no one was within the area. Not that they could catch me, anyway.”

The door opens. Tighnari brushes off dirt from his clothing, having come back from burning the investor’s bloodied clothes. He sees the grey-haired man relaxing by his couch. “Are you smiling? Don’t smile. You look weird. Also everything is done, reduced to ashes. What’s our payment, Acting Grand Sage?”

Alhaitham hums, and everything fades into the background. He thinks of you lounging in your home, watering your plants, and decorating your journal. Just like how it’s supposed to be, in the first place. He even cleaned some parts of your house so that you don’t exhaust yourself too much upon your first day.

Thank the Archons that he has the perfect partner, an authentic group of friends, a beautiful community, and a stable job. 

(Y/N) will never have to venture out again. 

Ever. 

[demilypyro]

When you ignore that it's horrible that things like this can even happen, Elon Musk is honestly a fascinating and funny case study. Here's a man who has built his entire reputation on:

Supposedly being highly intelligent

Never making mistakes due to point 1

If something goes wrong, it's not his fault due to point 2

He's coasted along on this reputation because capitalism has created an endless supply of doofuses who think anyone who has money probably did something to deserve it (he just inherited it) so all he has to do is throw money at projects that seem smart and futury and as long as they make a minor profit or produce something cool, his reputation is reinforced.

It's not truly reinforced, obviously, because anyone with reasonable critical thinking skills can see that he's not actually a scientist, he's at best an investor who got lucky a couple times, and regularly takes the credit for stuff his employees make, but he's got enough of the aforementioned doofuses that he's gotten by so far.

He could've honestly kept out of the spotlight and just made infinite money if he wasn't also an egomaniac who needs constant approval and attention. But then, for clout, he made a statement that he was going to buy Twitter. And Twitter held him to his word. And due to point 2, he can't walk that back, because he never makes mistakes.

So now he's lost 44 billion dollars because he couldn't watch his mouth and cared too much about his reputation to just pay the 1 billion dollar fine to go back on his offer. So, due to point 1, he has to make it look as if he totally was going to really buy Twitter all along, and he totally has real plans for it. But Twitter is losing money, hard. So he starts looking for ways to make his money back. And somehow lands on... monetizing the system which verifies user identities.....?

No, totally a good idea, see point 2. Implementing it right away. People are misusing the new system? Not his fault, see point 3. But Twitter is largely funded by advertising, and advertisers can see what's going on. So they start pulling out, which means Twitter just loses MORE money. Musk just dug himself a deeper hole. And now he's just panicking while trying to convince everyone he's got it under control. Digging deeper and deeper.

He's fucked. He's just totally fucked himself. And he's taking one of the planet's biggest social media platforms down with him. All because he can never admit making a mistake. Fucking hilarious. A cautionary tale of magnificent proportions. Tens of thousands of lives are going to be affected by this, as the platform they use to spread their work goes up in flames, and it's horrible, but as we are suspended in the ennui, we can at least watch this moron blow up into fireworks. Amazing.

[sgiandubh]

A word on Wardpark/Cumbernauld Studios

@docsama left a comment, on S's birthday, under one of my posts and I promised her an answer with more information, as soon as I got the time. Anyway, here goes - and @docsama, sorry for the delay:

Question is: who owns the Wardpark Film and Television Studios?

The answer was quick to find, in the not-so-old specialized media:

The story begins in 2013, with an ambitious Scottish entrepreneur, Terry Thomson - this guy (courtesy of The Herald, https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15984820.analysis-three-projects-pipeline-help-productions-make-big-picture/):

He is the owner of the Thomson Pettie Group, based in Carluke (https://www.thomsonpettie.com/about-us), which has nothing to do with cinema:

You've read that right: they are 'manufacturers of fabricated metal parts and assemblies', primarily for the national automotive industry. Yet, in 2013, Mr. Thomson agreed to rent what he described as 'a dormant industrial property' - a warehouse, to be exact - to Sony, in order to host the filming and production of OL. Thus, he became the CEO of a newly created entity, The Wardpark Film and Television Studios (https://www.hackmancapital.com/scotlands-largest-most-iconic-film-studio-acquired-by-hackman-capital-partners-and-square-mile-capital/).

By 2017, Wardpark was doing so well, that a big expansion plan was announced, with the direct support of the Scottish Government, which invested £4 million via Scottish Enterprise, its business support, advice and funding agency:

And then, in November 2021, the little engine that could was sold to those two big US investors, Hackman Capital Partners (HCP) and Square Mile Capital Management LLC (now globally rebranded as Affinius Capital). In this montage, Hackman Capital Partners brought its own confirmed film studios and media management expertise...

... while Square Mile most probably funded a sizeable portion of the acquisition, simply because this is what they do best:

Perhaps an interesting detail: HCP owns and manages both the Culver City based Sony Pictures Animation Studios' Campus and the legendary Culver Studios, now rebranded by Amazon:

Back to Scotland, Wardpark Studio's sale made just about everyone happy. Mr. Thomson kept his CEO job and look who was more than thrilled about the juicy transaction:

Currently, the studio is operated by HCP's subsidiary, The MBS Group:

That means that MBS probably manages just about everything, as far as daily management is concerned, from business operations, staffing and/or property management, to lighting and grip, trucks and generators' fleet, expendables and props. Unless I could see a contract and have a precise idea, I can just enumerate all the services they offer.

At no point in time did S and C own anything of those studios. As for the Executive Producer part, that is another discussion entirely. I could be coaxed to write something about it, if you really want to know why Those Two are EPs and what does that really, really mean - because once again, I have seen and read a LOT of bullshit in here, especially in the Desperate Housewives Disgruntled Tumblrettes' corner.

Thank you for asking. It was fun to research and write and I hope it brought more clarity to you.

[supershot73199]

Hey everyone here is chapter 4 of my Dawn's Big Daddy story. This is the actual Gala from a few different characters perspectives.

I'll also put it under the read more

Jason Todd usually hated going to galas but tonight might just be the best he's ever been too, and it's all thanks to his baby sisters new paramour. This man who made his sister so happy was attending the Gala in a dress, especially since he looked better in that dress than many of the rich bitches that would try to cause trouble for his sister.

Honestly the two were sickeningly sweet, almost like gomez and morticia and it was hilarious how mad it made the high society stiffs. Jason stifled s laugh as Danny clearly said something that the socialites were offended by and he smiled like the cat who caught the canary.

This continued with the socialites getting more visibly upset and Cass getting more amused until a cheerful laugh came from across the ballroom.

Damian had Dawn standing on his feet while they "Danced" together. Seeing Damian interact with the little girl definitely showed that he was Bruce's kid more than any declaration of being "The Blood Son" ever could.

There was a sudden chill that had Jason turning back towards Cass and Danny their posture had changed from dopey in love to glacial wrath, from the rapidly paling face of one of the more racist leech that exist in Gotham high society they must have said something about Dawn and Damian.

The rich prick quickly rushed off dropping a hastily written check into one of the staffs waiting hands. Cass and Danny watched them go before returning to their Addams family act as they went to the dance floor though Jason could see the icy rage still in their eyes.

Tim was used to galas having been in high society all his life though he doubts he would ever enjoy them. He and Bernard were schmoozing with some of the investors for Wayne Techs newest project when his sister and her boyfriend start dancing.

Tim narrowed his eyes no matter how much he looked he couldn't find any history on Danny or any of his family, it's like he's a ghost. He didn't like his sister being so close with an unknown no matter how nice he seems.

"Stop glaring at your future brother in law. You're being overprotective." Bernard said as he bumped shoulders with Tim.

"I'm not overprotective I just don't like that we don't know anything about him." Tim defended.

"Look babe, we both know that is just an excuse because you don't want to admit you are worried about someone breaking Cass' heart. But look at them he adores her." Bernard gestures to the couple who have their eyes locked on their dance partner adoration clear to see.

"Just because he seems like he adores her doesn't mean he can't hurt her. Besides there are plenty of people with mind control abilities in the world who says he hasn't been brainwashed. That's why I won't give up until i find what he's hiding." Tim responded as Bernard sighed.

"Have you tried asking him?" Tim snorted at that.

"Oh please like that would work."

The night was coming to an end and Barbara was about to hit Dick.

He was moaning and groaning about how "that harlot is corrupting my poor innocent baby sister look at him in that dress hanging off of her" all damn night.

"If you don't stop whining about Cass falling in love I swear to God I won't be the only one who needs a wheelchair!"

She finally snapped.

"I'm sorry Babs but she's my baby sister."

Barbara sighed "I know but look how happy they are. Doesn't Cass deserve someone who makes her smile?"

The two watched the dancing couple for a few more minutes until the song ends. With the songs ending this one particularly annoying trust fund baby approached the couple and asked to cut in. Dick was about to jump up as this particular brat has harassed Cass before. However before he could take more than a step Danny had said of course before taking the man's hand and pulling him into a dance while he had a look of bafflement on his face.

Cass made her way towards the two vigilantes with humor clear on her face.

"I don't think he will bother me again." She said as she reached the table.

"What do you think Danny will do?" Barbara asked.

Cass looked at the two before responding. "He's unnerving him triggering his fear responses without doing anything else. Rich will be paranoid but otherwise will be left alone.

Barbara and Dick looked at each other before looking back to where Danny and Rich were dancing and it seemed like Cass was right about Danny somehow freaking him out if the way his eyes were darting around were any indication.

As the song ended Danny clearly gave an expected farewell while Rich all but ran away looking over his shoulder as he did. Danny after walking over to the table pressed a soft kiss to Cass cheek.

Barbara couldn't help the warm feelings bubbling up in her chest as she struck up a conversation with the pair of lovebirds.

Duke Thomas was many things, the only Meta on the team, the only dayshift hero, Hal Jordan's self proclaimed worst nightmare, etc, but one of his own personal favorites was Cass least likely to be beat up brother if only because he knew how to mind his own damn business. Despite that he couldn't help but be intrigued by the newest additions too her life.

Danny and Dawn looked rather unique to his power granted sight. Dawn was the easiest of the two to figure out her aura strengthening her body and vice versa, while not confirmed he assumes that she's a Meta with some unique energy manipulation power. (Duke would later look back at this and decide it was a pretty close guess.)

Her father though? While initially very similar to Dawn, Danny's power seemed too radiate out of him often covering people around him, if it wasn't for the fact that the energy very clearly does not actually enter anyone Duke would have been worried there might have been mind control involved.

As he watched the happy couple he enjoyed the way Danny's aura seemed to dance around Cass coating her almost like her cape does in her suit. He also looked at the energy that seemed to coat his daughter, resting on her like a warm hug or beloved blanket.

It was then Duke finally realized what the aura was seemingly doing. It was radiating safety in a unique way to each person it touched. The aura around Damian looked almost like what Duke would describe as respectful armor.

Duke gleefully watched and cataloged the way it interacted with people. When he noticed one of the more drunk guests started trying to cop a feel on a waitress. But before he could do more than take a few steps he saw a tendril of aura reach out and cover the girl right as Danny called the drunk out.

Duke only listened to the ensuing verbal smackdown with half an ear much more interested in the way the aura was behaving. It was honestly giving off what Duke could only describe as brotherly protection keeping the bulk of its energy on the side of the waitress that was nearest to any patron.

Duke really hopes Danny comes around more often, this aura show might just be Dukes new favorite use if his power. (OK second favorite cause fucking with Hal Jordan will always come first.

[ayeforscotland]

I'm not a super dedicated gamer these days, but I loved Kerbal Space Program (a game that was more a labour of love than a commercial project) and was super hyped for the much delayed KSP2. When I saw it was releasing as early access (years late) I worried for its hopes of ever seeing completion and held off buying, now after all the other shananigans the entire team have been let go in yet another mass lay-off in the gaming industry. I feel like, a few notable exceptions aside, the big-budget gaming sector has been failing to deliver real quality games for a long time now, with lower-budget indie games more often coming up with gold from much simpler foundations. It seems almost as though developers are being pushed to shoot for unachievably epic games and releasing buggy messes, or vast but hollow worlds when the publishers get impatient or the money runs out. Is there any grain of truth in my feeling that bankrollers' expectations for games is leading to more games failing to live up to the hype as projects spiral out of control and over budget? Would big studios benefit from learning from indie devs and aiming to really nail down a simpler scope but on a scale beyond what the indies can achieve?

Industry-wise there’s a couple of things at play. And apologies for the length of this.

During the pandemic, there was a shitload of investment into the gaming industry as everyone was at home and many started playing games for the first time, so venture capital firms piled money in.

They were looking for a return on their investment, not really aiming to cultivate long-term studio success.

This puts pressure on the studio to get the game out the door quickly. That month or two of QA before launch just becomes overhead while you have a product that could be selling right now.

Chance to earn even more money for shareholders and execs? Welcome to microtransaction hell.

So that’s one side of it, investors/shareholders/execs forcing decisions that make games worse.

Next bit is partly influenced by the shareholder side of things but also a huge cultural side too. Lots of studios complete a project and then layoff staff because the next game isn’t ready to start being developed yet OR layoff staff because they don’t want to pay them OR staff leave to go and do something else (often due to lack of pay, lack of promotion etc)

And what this leads to is a *massive* corporate knowledge gap. People take their skills and knowledge and create voids. Voids that need to be filled by senior staff, which is why big AAA studios are always hiring seniors, and rarely hiring juniors. So all the seniors job-hop from studio to studio and there’s no new skill set being cultivated by new industry talent.

In my experience, these huge studios are also incredibly siloed. It’s something that impacts most industries, siloed teams lead to sluggish development and decision-making.

I think the games industry walks an incredibly fine line between being a creative endeavour and being a tech business. Process management methodologies honestly seem quite alien to the games industry, most of the time to its detriment.

It honestly wouldn’t be that hard to implement but Production as a discipline within games seems to be relegated to ‘staring at JIRA’ particularly in larger studios.

Could write forever about this to be honest.

Worth saying that indie studios also have their own issues. Almost everything is a scramble, and the search for publisher funding is a nightmare.

[batsythoughts]

Alright, the Continued Adventures of Giggles Wayne (without being prompted to write it). First time attending a Gala and the aftermath

About a month had passed since the day that Harley and Ivy had went to Wayne Manor and the agreement for shared custody was made

It was supposed to be the first weekend that Giggles was going to be with them, but it was delayed because Harley had gotten food poisoning

The whole reason Bruce had suggested they watch Giggles for the weekend was a charity gala that was taking place Friday night

All of Gotham had known that he took in the child about the same day Alfred had 'gotten custody' of them

He was simply worried that not everyone was going to be so accepting of the little one given most everyone could tell who the biological father was

Instead of just leaving Giggles at home with Alfred for that night, Bruce decided to bring Giggles along with the rest of the family

He figured the lively personality of the child would potentially make more people generous and could help with the Wayne family's social reach

The night of the gala, Bruce and the boys were putting the finishing touches on their appearances in the foyer when Alfred gently guided Giggles to the family

Put in a outfit that was made of soft fabric, but still with an elegant look, Giggles had their hair put together while doing a small circle for everyone to see

Dick gushes at how lovely they look as he struggled to straighten out his tie in the mirror. Tim smiled while finishing up his third cup of coffee to have energy for the whole socializing. Damian and Jason both give small nods while smoothing out some wrinkles in their jackets.

Bruce came over and kneeled down while picking away a stray thread. His tone kind, but firm, as he explained the importance for the night

"There is going to be many important people at the gathering we are going to. You have to be extremely nice to all of the people there and be on your best behavior. Stay close to me or one of the boys at all times so we know where you are. Okay?"

"Okay Bruce."

The boys all chuckle at the seriousness spoken in Bruce's name

Bruce himself smiles before ushering everyone out the door and into the car

The drive there was full of Bruce reminding everyone of what they needed to do throughout the evening

(Jason's instructions were a simple 'Just don't')

When they finally drove up to the building that was hosting the whole event, Tim got Giggles out of the car seat while Bruce exchanged information with the valet

A few of the guests that were outside glanced over at the group, some holding skeptical looks as most focus on the child with them

Bruce gave them all a nod before going inside to begin his networking before having to make his own donation for the cause this whole thing was for

Giggles took Tim's hand to follow along with him for the first part of the event as everyone else went in different directions

Tim was supposed to talk up a few potential investors for a new project that Wayne Enterprise was about to start once they got said funding

He began his process of convincing them by starting with listening to them babble on about the small things on their mind. Adding certain questions to appear interested so they would feel more comfortable with opening their wallets later

Giggles even asked them a few questions as well to try and understand what they were talking about

The investors each carefully answered for the 4 year old to understand what everyone was saying. Each taking note of how polite Giggles was being when listening to them all speak

One woman let out a small noise of exclamation as she began to rummage through the clutch she was holding. Explaining some conversation she had with Dick about some shop at the last gala and had remembered the name of it days later

She handed a card to Tim while explaining that she wants to give it to Dick, but wouldn't be able to stay around long enough to see him that night

Tim takes the card from her as he goes to tuck it into his pocket while nodding in understanding

"I could take it to... Richard."

Tim and the others look down at Giggles as they looked between Tim and the one lady with wide eyes

The lady smiles at the offer while asking if Giggles would really be willing to do that for her. An eager nod was the answer she needed before looking to Tim to double check

Tim smiles while handing the card over to little hands as he quickly scanned the room. Spotting Dick at the far right end, Tim pointed in the direction that he was in

After being told the name to give to Dick, Giggles carefully walked through the crowd in the direction they were told. Waiting patiently for other to pass and politely asking to be let through

All the guest stop and stare for a moment before going back to their conversations once the child passed

Dick was in a conversation with a couple of business owners over some development of a new building that most of them didn't agree with

He felt a small hand rest on his wrist as he was speaking up on his thoughts for the whole thing

Since he had a drink in one hand, Dick raised his hand to take hold of the smaller one until he could acknowledge them fully

A lull finally did come into the conversation before an elderly man looked down to see the child quietly standing there

He excitedly asked how Giggles was doing and if they were having fun despite all the grown up talk

Giggles nods slowly before looking up at Dick. Bringing the card up and saying that a 'Miss Isabel' wanted to make sure he got it

He smiled while sticking the card in his jacket pocket while introducing Giggles to the people that he was talking to at the moment

The women around coo at the happy 'hello' they were given before being told that they all looked very pretty in their dresses

Everyone around begins to ask questions about Giggles and listened intently to every response that was given

A few minutes go by before Jason comes over to the group and stands on the other side of Giggles. Nursing a glass of hard liquor he managed to get from a waiter after slipping him a couple 20s

He lightly pats his younger sibling on the shoulder while smiling at a few of the socialites around

The questions continue for a few more minutes as Giggles shifted closer to Dick with a shy grin

A waiter comes by to take the old glassed and offer new drinks to the whole group. Even asking if Giggles would want a drink of water when he came back around in a few minutes

After getting a soft 'yes please', the waiter nods his head before gracefully walking away. Winking at Jason while looking at his almost empty glass

The older gentleman in the group begins to talk about his grandchildren and things they were interested in when they were younger

Giggles listens intently as the man rambles, still holding onto Dick's hand

The waiter comes back around and hands a small glass down to the child as Jason quickly switched out his own glass

Giggles takes a few small sips of water as the topic goes onto the family life of each of the group and how everyone was doing

Giggles gently tugged on Dick's sleeve to get his attention. Waiting until he was paying attention before speaking again

"I go back to see Tim, please?"

Dick smiles while pointing to where he could see Tim networking with some other group of investors

Dick and Jason both watch as Giggles carefully begins to walk through the crowd again

Dick begins to turn back around, but stops when Jason grabs his shoulder while staring a bit ahead of Giggles

He looks at Jason in confusion by the sudden change in his demeanor

"That guy just switched his ring hand."

Dick quickly turns his head in an attempt to see who exactly Jason was talking about

Time went by slower as they watched this man swing his hand back and hit Giggles in the face. The force knocking the child to the ground as the glass of water shattered on the marble floor

What made their blood boil was watching the man switch the ring back as everyone looked at the child in shock

Dick and Jason immediately rushed over as the staff cleared everyone away from the glass

Giggles sits up while holding their cheek while beginning to sob from the blow

Dick kneels down to comfort the crying child, trying to convince Giggles to remove their hand so Dick could see the damage

Jason ultimately got into the man's personal space while asking if he enjoyed hurting defenseless children

Bruce and Damian had been on the other end of the room when the incident happened

At first they had just thought someone had simply dropped a glass so they continued their conversation

But when Bruce heard the crying and Jason's voice start to raise, he immediately excuses himself while hastily making his way through the crowd

When Bruce arrived at the area, Dick still hadn't gotten Giggles to calm down as Jason began yelling that him and Dick had both watched him switch his ring back

Bruce raised his voice and asked what had happened while looking between them all

When Giggles hears his voice, they immediately stand up and rushed over to him

They reach up to him with red hands, teary eyes, and their bloody cheek displayed for all those around to see

But that isn't the thing that sets Bruce off the most about the moment

No, what pissed Bruce off the most was the broken and scared cry that came from Giggles while reaching up to him

"Daddy!"

Bruce didn't have high expectations that Giggles would see him as a father, thinking he would be more like an uncle if anything

But the first time he would have wanted to be acknowledged as that should have been a happier moment

Something like spending the day with the whole family or it just casually happening in conversation at dinner. Even if it was just a sleepy mistake while being tucked in for bedtime would have been alright for him

It shouldn't happen because some entitled ass laid their hands on his kid

Everyone got quiet while looking over at Bruce to see how he was going to react to the situation as Giggles continues sobbing

Bruce pulled a handkerchief out of his coat pocket before lifting Giggles into his arms. Gently wiping away the blood as him, Dick, and Jason all stared down the man

He tries saying it was an accident, but Jason grips his arm and lifts up the man's hand for everyone to look at

"You used your right hand to hit the kid. So why the hell is there blood on the ring you have on your left hand?"

All the spectators look at the man for an explanation, but he stumbles over his words while trying to defend himself

Any form of explanation falls on deaf ears as the cries get louder

Bruce took a deep breath as he continued to hold the cloth to Giggles cheek. Forcing a smile as he stared into this man's soul

"I think it would be best that you leave now."

All the guests watched in disgust as he hastily headed towards the exit

Dick and Jason both went up to Bruce as the crowd slowly went back to their own conversations

Dick quietly explained what had happened from Giggles getting to him to when Bruce got there. Jason admitting he should have went to Tim with the little one instead of staying with the group

Bruce said it could still of happened no matter if one of them was there or not and he was just glad they saw what happened

A member of staff came up to them with a first aid kit and asking if Giggles would need a bandage

They went to a quiet corner as the girl gently cleaned the cut before taping a piece of gauze across Giggles's cheek

Bruce used a few wet wipes to clean the blood off his child's hands while thanking the girl before she went back to working

Bruce wiped away the remaining tears while saying that he did have to talk with a few more people before leaving for the night

Giggles mumbled in acknowledgement while leaning further into his chest

Bruce rubbed their back as he explained that they did nothing wrong and the man should have never done what he did

He gets a small whine in response as he begins to walk back into the crowd to quickly meet with the last few people he needed to for the night

Everyone would look at the two as Bruce headed back to where he had left Damian, most sympathetic when they saw the terrified child clinging to Bruce

When he got back to the person they had been talking to, Bruce apologized for the sudden leave as he rests a hand on Damian's shoulder

Damian looked up to his father, stunned to see him holding the family's youngest in his arm

Bruce begins to explain that he would get in contact about the business proposal he was given another time as the family would need to be leaving early

He got an understanding nod and a card with a way to get in contact before he turned away to go and quickly work through the last few people he had to meet with that night

Damian walked beside his father as he carefully reached out to take hold of Giggles' hand

Giggles held his hand tightly while still keeping their head in Bruce's shoulder with a sniffle

As Bruce quickly made his way to talk with the last few people he needed to speak with, the other boys came back around to stick close to Bruce until they would leave

All the boys were still being social with other attendees that were nearby to still maintain appearances with everyone

With each person Bruce crossed off his list to talk to, a handful of concerned guests would walk over to them to check up on Giggles

Everyone one of them saying that they were shocked that it had happened in the first place

A few of them even saying that Giggles was very brave for having to go through the whole thing

They only got small mumbles in response as Bruce quickly explained that it was getting close to bedtime and they would need to leave quickly

As Bruce was finishing up with the last person, Dick went to go get the car ready for them so they could leave immediately

The family was about to walk out the front door when Bruce heard his name be called from behind

He sighed while turning around to see one of his oldest business associates, the elderly man that Dick had been speaking with earlier that evening

When the man got closer, he said how he hadn't expected anything like that to happen at an event like this

Glancing at the child slumped in Bruce's arms, he frowned while saying that it was a shame that nobody was able to stop it before it happened

Looking back at Bruce, the man had a weak smile while mentioning that the person from earlier would be as good as bankrupt come the morning

Bruce smiles while expressing his appreciation for people being so kind to his child through the whole ordeal

With a final goodbye, Bruce went out onto the sidewalk as the boys waited around the car for Bruce to come outside

All the boys get in the car after Bruce gets Giggles buckled into the carseat

The ride was silent for the first few minutes Giggles gives a soft cry while beginning to apologize

Dick, ever the worrier, turned around to look back while asking why Giggles was apologizing to them

It took a few moments to figure out what Giggles was trying to say through the small sobs

Eventually, they were able to decipher that Giggles felt guilty they had to leave early

Bruce tightens his hold on the steering wheel as they listened to the soft whines

When a red light forces Bruce to stop the car, he turns around to face Giggles with a soft expression

"You don't have to be sorry. We were going leave before everyone else anyway. What happened tonight didn't change that. Now just take a deep breath and we'll be home soon."

The rest of the ride goes by quickly as Tim and Damian continue to gently reassure Giggles with plans of what they could do for the weekend

When they finally got back to the manor, the boys quickly went to get a few things quickly set up while Bruce took Giggles upstairs to get changed

Opening the door to Giggles's room, Bruce went to the dresser and pulled out a set of pajamas from the drawer

Getting the child changed into the pajamas, Bruce then guides them into the bathroom

Lifting Giggles onto the the counter, Bruce gets a washcloth and wets it with warm water before wiping the dried tears away

With a deep sigh, Bruce pulled away the gauze away to see the fresh cut from the ring. The whine of pain from Giggles as he recleaned the cut breaking his heart

Putting a new bandage over the cut, Bruce placed a small kiss to Giggles cheek while picking them up and going back downstairs

Dick waits at the bottom of the stairs with a smile while saying that him and the boys had put together a small surprise in the kitchen

Leading the pair to the kitchen, Alfred and Tim are putting together multiple cups of hot chocolate. Meanwhile, Jason and Damian are rinsing different fruits in the sink before putting them on a plate in the center of the counter

Bruce smiled a little at the scene while putting Giggles down on the counter as he gets handed two cups

Giggles carefully takes one mug from his hands to blow on the liquid before taking a sip

Dick goes to the fridge and gets a can of whipped cream. Putting a tiny amount in Giggles' cup before passing it around for everyone else to use

Damian pushed the plate of fruits closer to Giggles as he drank from his own mug

Giggles hesitantly took a piece and eating it with a tired look in their eyes

Jason's mouth turned to a thin line as he shook up the can in his hand. He took out his phone and handed it to Damian as he told him to 'record this'

Putting a small amount of whipped cream in his hand while walking over to Tim

Tim's eyes go wide as he steps behind Alfred while frantically telling Jason to get away from him

Jason smiles as he explains he wasn't going to do anything to Tim as he hands the can to Dick

Bruce is about to tell Jason to stop terrorizing Tim for the night when Jason shoves his hand in Dick's face

The can drops to the ground as Dick stumbled back in shock as he wiped away the whipped cream from his eyes while staring at Jason

Laughter fills the air from both Tim and Giggles as Jason smirked at Dick

Dick immediately smiled back as he reached out for a hug while trying to press his face to Jason's

Jason pushes against Dick while yelling for him to get away from him. Dick just told him to embrace the brotherly love as he fought back

Dick eventually wraps his arms around Jason as he rubs his cheek all over Jason's face

The laughter gets louder as Dick let's go of Jason with his head held high

Both of them shared a tense look before turning their head over to their younger siblings

Tim began stepping back as he told Jason to stay away from him. Dick looked over at Damian with a smile on his face

Before either of the younger boys could react, they were in the hold of their older siblings

Jason has Tim in a light choke hold as he wipes his hand over Tim's face

Dick lifts Damian up and places an obnoxiously long kiss to the younger boy's cheek as Jason's phone gets thrown in an act of defense

Giggles continues laughing while looking between all the boys

Dick quickly sets Damian down and goes over and picks Giggles up to place kisses all over their face

Giggles tries pushing Dick away with a smile while saying that he was 'gross and sticky'

Dick keeps going while saying that it was funny before so why should he stop now

Giggles leaned away while reaching out to Bruce while exclaiming, "Daddy, help!"

Bruce grinned while taking the child into his arms before looking over at Jason and Tim

"Jason, let him breath."

All the boys settled down as Giggles let out a small yawn while leaning towards Bruce

He said it was time for bed, which Giggles said a small goodnight to everyone

Each of them also said goodnight as Bruce walked out of the room to go back upstairs

Making a stop to the bathroom to wipe off the whipped cream before heading straight to the child's bedroom

He placed his child on the bed while picking up the Batman toy and placing it beside Giggles

The toddler can barely keep their eyes open while gently hugging the toy closer

Bruce tucks the two in before placing a soft kiss to their hair with a soft goodnight

Turning the nightlight on and leaving the door slightly open, Bruce began to walk back down the stairs

Alfred waits for him at the bottom with a quirked brow as he asked what happened at the gala that night

Bruce shrugged while saying it wasn't going to really matter come morning

"Oh, that is a shame. Financial troubles or do we need to send condolences for an accident?"

"The agreement from most of the people that attended was bankruptcy."

Jason and Dick come walking by as the begin to loosen the ties and unbutton the top of their shirts

"Actually it's drugs. Apparently the police had a search warrant and went through his house and found large stashes in multiple different rooms."

Bruce looked over at Jason with skeptical eyes as he got an offended look in return

"When would I have done that in the span of three hours? I was with all of you the whole night! I need more time than that to do anything good!"

"Felt like something that would be a you type of thing."

Dick chuckled as he clasped Jason's shoulder

"Look at the brightside. That man is not built to withstand any form of prison life."

[nostalgebraist]

@oakfern replied to your post “it's going to be fun to watch the realization...”:

i feel like this is going to play out very similarly to voice assistants. there was a huge boom in ASR research, the products got a lot of hype, and they actually sold decently (at least alexa did). but 10 years on, they've been a massive failure, costing way more than they ever made back. even if ppl do think chatbot search engines are exciting and cool, it's not going to bring in more users or sell more products, and in the end it will just be a financial loss

​(Responding to this a week late)

I don't know much about the history of voice assistants. Are there any articles you recommend on the topic? Sounds interesting.

ETA: Iater, I found and read this article from Nov 2022, which reports that Alexa and co. still can't turn a profit after many years of trying.

But anyway, yeah... this is why I don't have a strong sense of how widespread/popular these "generative AI" products will be a year or two from now. Or even five years from now.

(Ten years from now? Maybe we can trust the verdict will be in at that point... but the tech landscape of 2033 is going to be so different from ours that the question "did 'generative AI' take off or not?" will no doubt sound quaint and irrelevant.)

Remember when self-driving cars were supposed to be right around the corner? Lots of people took this imminent self-driving future seriously.

And I looked at it, and thought "I don't get it, this problem seems way harder than people are giving it credit for. And these companies show no signs of having discovered some clever proprietary way forward." If people asked me about it, that's what I would say.

But even if I was sure that self-driving cars wouldn't arrive on schedule, that didn't give me much insight into the fate of "self-driving cars," the tech sector meme. It wasn't like there was some specific deadline, and when we crossed it everyone was going to look up and say "oh, I guess that didn't work, time to stop investing."

The influx of capital -- and everything downstream from it, the trusting news stories, the prominence of the "self-driving car future" in the public mind, the seriousness which it was talked about -- these things went on, heedless of anything except their own mysterious internal logic.

They went on until . . . what? The pandemic, probably? I actually still don't know.

Something definitely happened:

In 2018 analysts put the market value of Waymo LLC, then a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., at $175 billion. Its most recent funding round gave the company an estimated valuation of $30 billion, roughly the same as Cruise. Aurora Innovation Inc., a startup co-founded by Chris Urmson, Google’s former autonomous-vehicle chief, has lost more than 85% since last year [i.e. 2021] and is now worth less than $3 billion. This September a leaked memo from Urmson summed up Aurora’s cash-flow struggles and suggested it might have to sell out to a larger company. Many of the industry’s most promising efforts have met the same fate in recent years, including Drive.ai, Voyage, Zoox, and Uber’s self-driving division. “Long term, I think we will have autonomous vehicles that you and I can buy,” says Mike Ramsey, an analyst at market researcher Gartner Inc. “But we’re going to be old.”

Whatever killed the "self-driving car" meme, though, it wasn't some newly definitive article of proof that the underlying ideas were flawed. The ideas never made sense in the first place. The phenomenon was not really about the ideas making sense.

Some investors -- with enough capital, between them, to exert noticable distortionary effects on entire business sectors -- decided that "self-driving cars" were, like, A Thing now. And so they were, for a number of years. Huge numbers of people worked very hard trying to make "self-driving cars" into a viable product. They were paid very well to do. Talent was diverted away from other projects, en masse, into this effort. This went on as long as the investors felt like sustaining it, and they were in no danger of running out of money.

Often the "tech sector" feels less like a product of free-market incentives than it does like a massive, weird, and opaque public works product, orchestrated by eccentrics like Masayoshi Son, and ultimately organized according to the aesthetic proclivities and changing moods of its architects, not for the purpose of "doing business" in the conventional sense.

Gig economy delivery apps (Uber Eats, Doordash, etc.) have been ubiquitous for years, and have reported huge losses in every one of those years.

This entertaining post from 2020 about "pizza arbitrage" asks:

Which brings us to the question - what is the point of all this? These platforms are all losing money. Just think of all the meetings and lines of code and phone calls to make all of these nefarious things happen which just continue to bleed money. Why go through all this trouble?

Grubhub just lost $33 million on $360 million of revenue in Q1.

Doordash reportedly lost an insane $450 million off $900 million in revenue in 2019 (which does make me wonder if my dream of a decentralized network of pizza arbitrageurs does exist).

Uber Eats is Uber's "most profitable division” 😂😂. Uber Eats lost $461 million in Q4 2019 off of revenue of $734 million. Sometimes I need to write this out to remind myself. Uber Eats spent $1.2 billion to make $734 million. In one quarter.

And now, in February 2023?

DoorDash's total orders grew 27% to 467 million in the fourth quarter. That beat Wall Street’s forecast of 459 million, according to analysts polled by FactSet. Fourth quarter revenue jumped 40% to $1.82 billion, also ahead of analysts’ forecast of $1.77 billion.

But profits remain elusive for the 10-year-old company. DoorDash said its net loss widened to $640 million, or $1.65 per share, in the fourth quarter as it expanded into new categories and integrated Wolt into its operations.

Do their investors really believe these companies are going somewhere, and just taking their time to get there? Or is this more like a subsidy? The lost money (a predictable loss in the long term) merely the price paid for a desired good -- for an intoxicating exercise of godlike power, for the chance to reshape reality to one's whims on a large scale -- collapsing the usual boundary between self and outside, dream and reality? "The gig economy is A Thing, now," you say, and wave your hand -- and so it is.

Some people would pay a lot of money to be a god, I would think.

Anyway, "generative AI" is A Thing now. It wasn't A Thing a year ago, but now it is. How long will it remain one? The best I can say is: as long as the gods are feeling it.

[leveloneandup]

Christen Press on potential Angel City sale: ‘It allows the club to continue to professionalize’

Willow Bay and her husband, Disney CEO Bob Iger, are close to purchasing a controlling stake of Angel City FC. There’s no public timeline for when the deal will be done. Still, the new ownership group — and the numbers around their investment, somewhere in the ballpark of $300 million — has reignited discussions about NWSL club valuations and the rapid growth of women’s soccer here in the United States.

Angel City forward Christen Press, who was also the team’s first signing, spoke to The Athletic on her way to training on Wednesday morning. Immediately, she noted she was following the potential sale through media reports herself. Her reaction — and that of her fellow players — was one of excitement.

Press said those numbers shouldn’t be surprising to anyone. Not if you’ve been paying attention, anyway.

“When you start to see valuations as a player, and as someone who has a very vested interest in the business of women’s sports, there’s two things,” she continued. “First thing I think is, ‘Hell yeah.’ This is exactly how it should be, right? On our podcast, we just talked to Ali Krieger about how, as a novice broadcaster, she’s making more money than she did as a player. These types of sales and deals are working towards changing that.”

For her second point, Press said that Angel City has gotten a lot right through the first few years in the league. Whether that’s game day experience, business, or community, all of those things are already working.

“They also have a lot of things that they need to get right, and a sale like this is a lot of money to the club,” Press said. “It allows the club to continue to professionalize and push the envelope in terms of the expectations for women’s sports. I do think Angel City recognizes that they have a lot of room to grow on that end.”

Press called the team a “zero to one project,” but one that needs a different level of funding to go from one to two. That’s along the same lines as what one early investor told the Los Angeles Times in March when the news broke that Angel City was considering selling a controlling stake.

“What’s been built at Angel City in three short years is nothing short of incredible. And in high-growth companies, it is absolutely normal to step back and look at ‘what do we need to continue this growth?’” Sarah Harden, CEO of Hello Sunshine, said. “This board has determined that this is the right time to bring in a new major investor. That’s it. That is the story.”

Of course, Angel City hasn’t been the only NWSL team to explore a sale — though they have the more positive distinction of exploring a move willingly. Also in March, San Diego Wave FC made headlines for setting a new record, with the club’s principal owner Rob Burkle agreeing to sell to the Levine Leichtman family at a total valuation of $120 million. The valuations of NWSL teams are being watched on a global scale as well. For instance, Chelsea has started to explore the idea of selling a minority stake in their women’s team, using Angel City’s previous valuation of $180 million as their benchmark.

“All of the measures of women’s sports right now are growing, and I think the NWSL is at the forefront of a lot of that,” Pete Giorgio, who leads Deloitte’s global and U.S. sports practice, told The Athletic in March. “Those large valuations and these large transactions validate both the foresight, but also the investment that a lot of people made in the first place.”

As women’s soccer analyst Kim McCauley pointed out, Michele Kang received plenty of questions when she seemingly overpaid for the Washington Spirit in 2022. Kang had originally offered $21 million for the controlling stake in the team. She closed the deal at $35 million, which only two years ago seemed like an absurd number.

Seattle Reign FC finally wrapped its sale last month, with the Seattle Sounders and Carlyle Group taking over the club for $58 million (that club’s sale was the result of John Textor’s takeover of Lyon and a sole focus on the men’s team, with Olympique Lyonnais also sold to Kang). Before that, the sales of the Chicago Red Stars — a total bid of $60 million, with $35.5 million as the purchase price — and Portland Thorns FC at $63 million were also finalized, with both of those changes coming following the league’s abuse scandal.

“If you have an ownership group that needs to be out, it’s actually really hard to compartmentalize, and I think we’ve seen that in the Chicagos and the Portlands, how it’s affected the players,” Press said. For her, it’s different in Los Angeles, as she pointed to the regular presence of owners and investors at games. “For this, it’s only positive. We know our ownership group.”

The NWSL is going through an incredible transformation. Even with the positive impact of some of those changes and investments, it’s not hard to understand why some fans and supporters might get a little nervous about this much money coming in and how it might change the sport. Some of those changes are deeply necessary and some will absolutely affect the culture of women’s soccer in America.

Press has been part of what she called “a generation of change”, whether that’s on the USWNT with their fight for equal pay and a new collective bargaining agreement, or her NWSL career, which started in 2014 with the Red Stars. “I can’t even remember what that first field that I played on in Chicago was called, but I was driving out of the city for an hour and a half to get to some turf field.” The Red Stars’ home field was at Benedictine University; in 2014, the team had an average attendance of 2,949.

“I don’t think we want to hang on to those memories,” Press said. “There is absolutely a connection between those of us who have been fighting for improved standards in the league and our fans because the fans have had so much influence in that fight and our success. It really has bonded us with our community in a way that it feels like we’re all doing this together.”

Press isn’t worried about that bond being lost. She believes it’s trending in the right direction, especially as players have a lot less to worry about off the field and can step directly into stardom. Players that turn into superstars have to be supported though, by brands, by teams, through marketing and the media.

“That’s storytelling and that’s investment, so as it continues to grow, there is a huge opportunity for the relationship with the fans to transform. And because we continue to find ourselves in a fight for legitimate valuations and for fair pay and for equality, we’ll be able to maintain such a strong tie to the fans that help us achieve these things.”

There are more immediate goals for Angel City to accomplish, even with the potential sale to the Bay-Iger group in the works. On the pitch deck, acquired by Semafor, the first of the new ownership group’s guiding principles is “Improve team performance, player support and retention,” which also includes the tangible goal of building a new facility that could serve as the team’s HQ and training site.

While Angel City is currently in 11th place in the NWSL, they’re only three points off the playoff line cutoff. They’ll face Gotham FC in their final match before the league takes an extended break for the Olympics.

Press said the team can rely on the existing trust between the players and ownership group to allow the sale process to play out as it should and not have it overshadow the urgent need for three points on the field — at home — this weekend.

“The entire focus of the group is on the game,” she promised.

[lance-space-mommy]

Men Would Do WHAT With A McChicken?

Major BNHA Manga Spoilers Ahead

It was a difficult time after the war for Midoriya. Despite his victory, there was a lot he had to deal with in the aftermath. By the time he graduated, the backlash from the war died down and he was able to enjoy his time as the greatest hero.

Midoriya started a lot of programs for people being discriminated against because of their quirk. He also worked hard to start organizations that protected quirkless people. Even if he’d never be the number one hero, he’d still find ways to save people. The phantom of Shigaraki always reminded him to continue forward at the same rate he had been going.

Interviews were a very common thing for Midoriya. He did interviews more to bring awareness to problems going on rather than to be personally recognized. That was one thing people admired about him. Nonetheless, he was popular, and people were interested in him. There would always be times when he couldn’t necessarily avoid talking about himself.

Many individuals looked up to the hero Deku and some even developed deep parasocial relationships with him. Midoriya, of course, tried not to think about it much. He appreciated all of his fans, but he didn’t believe he was someone people could idolize.

There was a popular company that would make support items for everyday individuals to help them handle their quirk. A lot of quirks go against usual human anatomy making it hard to live normally. For instance, having a quirk where the individual grows drastically every time they eat.

The company worked closely with Midoriya as he funded a lot of their bigger projects to make it cheaper for those who need the gear. It was brought to Midoriya’s attention that they were being sought out by a popular talk show for an interview.

Midoriya was volunteered by the company to be the one to attend.

Not worrying much, as their biggest investor, he happily agreed to attend the interview. It was another chance to talk about the company’s goals and how those in need of help should remember there are always places to go. The pro of being popular was that he could use his platform to do good in the world no matter how big or small the goal.

Class 1-A had been super close, but the war made things rather awkward. There were a lot of unresolved traumas, and a lot of important discussions were avoided. When the class graduated their communication only declined further. A big part of their lack of communication was the tight schedules they were given during their first years as hero interns at big hero agencies.

There was no bad blood, but the lack of communication when serious conversations needed to be held broke the strong bond. Midoriya was the main victim of it. Everyone avoided him, worried he’d tear open the wounds they wanted to hide away.

When they realized that Midoriya had been reaching out for help and not to help, it was already too late. Midoriya finished his schooling to be a hero but never went to an agency or had a career as a pro hero.

Only those who stayed in touch knew he went to college to get a degree in business and education. Aizawa was more than happy to give him a recommendation as well as to vouch for him to be hired. Nezu didn’t have to be convinced to hire Midoriya when everything was said and done.

Who would have thought the first thing they would hear about their old friend for the first time in years would be a crazy news article?

Fuck a McChicken Izuku Midoriya, formerly known as hero Deku, opens up during his recent interview. He describes his relationship with the public and reveals more intimate parts of his life as a public figure. ... Despite the heavy topics throughout the interview things take a hilarious turn of events when talking about the public's perception of him.

Everyone who knew Midoriya in U.A. rushed to watch this recent interview he had. Much to their surprise, he looked amazing. His skin glowed and his style significantly changed. He carried himself with great confidence and remained incredibly welcoming.

Many tried skipping the part that was the most replayed but found that they needed a bit more context and backed up to the beginning of that conversation.

“Moving on to something more lighthearted! Let’s talk about modeling!” began the interviewer, Katagiri Nanao, as she flashed a bright smile.

Midoriya perked up, a bit surprised by the question. “Oh, okay! I’ve never been asked about my modeling gigs before!”

Katagiri nodded, raising a hand to exaggerate her agreement. “Which I have to say is crazy! Those magazines immediately sell out whenever you’re in them!”

“Thank you, I appreciate it. Now, what would you like to know?” questioned Midoriya, leaning back in his seat calmly.

“What was it like to be in the public eye as a model and representative than as a popular hero figure?” inquired Katagiri, her body language and expression signaling she wasn’t eager to get gritty details but rather a bigger picture of who Midoriya is.

Pausing momentarily, the question seemed to only grow louder in Midoriya’s head. “Well, it was strange but incredibly freeing.”

“Why do you say that?” pressed Katagiri, finding Midoriya to be an incredibly interesting person.

“I harbored so many bad memories during my time as a hero. My body has been damaged beyond repair. Through the fight with All for One, I lost my quirk. I lost the respect of many people when the news broke. I didn’t see a point in trying to become a hero anymore. It didn’t seem fulfilling, and people deserve someone better than me. Changing careers was the best decision of my life.”

With his back straight and tall, Midoriya looked directly into the camera with a shameless smile. He wasn’t going to sugarcoat how it had been a hellish experience for him.

Katagiri slowly shook her head, aware of how bad things had been for Midoriya. “I must applaud your perseverance. You were only sixteen years old when the first war broke out and freshly seventeen when the final war occurred. To have the entire world depend on you must have been scary.”

“I believe the scariest part was the lack of empathy I received from the public. It was a scary point in time, but I had grown adults screaming at me and calling me a monster. It was extremely dehumanizing,” confessed Midoriya with a tone that sounded rather distant as the memories rushed back.

“It’s a shame what the world did to you. I’m very happy to know you are in a much better place now,” shared Katagiri, her finger tenderly wrapping around Midoriya's heavily scarred hand.

Midoriya took a deep breath, doing his best not to cry. Giving Katagiri’s hand a quick squeeze he went back to where they left off. “I think being in the public eye is much easier now that they don’t expect anything out of me.”

Katagiri grinned, slapping her hands against the arm of her chair. “I believe it! I don’t think I’ve seen one negative thing said about your appearance in magazines.”

“Oh really? I mean, I purposely avoid seeing anything negative written about me,” meekly admitted Midoriya, scratching the back of his neck.

“This may be a personal question, and you don’t have to answer, but would you say you are an insecure person or are sensitive to hateful comments?” asked Katagiri hesitantly. She did not want to put Midoriya in an awkward position, but she wanted to know if there was a reason he avoided negative comments.

“No, not necessarily. I don’t see much of a point worrying about what people think of my body as much as I care about what they think of my motives,” answered Midoriya fluidly, a calmness returning over both him and Katagiri as the question didn’t offend him.

Katagiri couldn’t help but be surprised to hear that Midoriya didn’t care too much about what others thought about his body. Sure, models appear to be confident, but most people have something they are insecure about or would want to change. If strangers were saying rude things or pointing out the insecurity, Katagiri assumed it would affect anyone including Midoriya.

“Why’s that?” asked Katagiri with amusement in her tone.

Midoriya’s expression surprised everyone watching. A charming smirk spread across his lips and his eyes returned to the screen with a dangerous glint of mischief.

“It's flattering knowing men desire me. But then I remember a man would also have sex with a McChicken. So, I don't let it get to my head.”

It's hard to imagine that that interview was everyone’s reintroduction to Midoriya. Well, at least that was the case for everyone who abandoned and forgot about Midoriya when he left the hero sphere. Nonetheless, people found themselves missing that space Midoriya used to fill. Guilt was quick to accompany that loneliness.

Meanwhile, those who remained close to Midoriya were thriving when they saw the hilarious moment in the serious interview.

Bakugo, one of the few people who remained in contact with Midoriya after they graduated from U.A., laughed uncontrollably. Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone to call the freckled nerd. Todoroki, another one of the few people, smiled at the screen and scooted closer to Bakugo to also get in on the call.

Unaware of how he had just broken the internet, Midoriya quickly picked up the call with a happy greeting. “Kacchan!”

“Hey Izuku. Icy-hot is here too,” warned Bakugo, looking at Todoroki who was creepily smiling at the phone.

“Hi Shoto,” welcomed Midoriya gently, having a soft spot for Todoroki after everything he’d been through.

“Hi Izuku,” replied Todoroki calmly, shoving his head in front of Bakugo’s to get closer to the phone speaker.

Bakugo quickly swung the phone away as he shouted, “Ever heard of personal space Icy-Hot Bastard?”

The duo’s mini fight was cut short by the beautiful laughter emitting from the other end of the call. Midoriya needed that laugh; he missed his lunch break and was in desperate need of comic relief.

“So,” drawled Midoriya from the other end of the call, “not that I mind you calling, but what do you need?”

Bakugo smirked, looking at the captions of the video he had just watched. “Does sex with a McChicken sound familiar?”

Silence was the only response Bakugo got. Midoriya practically melted off his chair and into a puddle on the floor. While he knew that his interviews did reach far and wide, he didn’t think that his friends watched them, let alone Bakugo and Todoroki.

“Izuku?” called out Bakugo, the happy tone prior had been replaced by a concerned one.

Feeling guilty about ruining the mood, Midoriya complained, “I can’t believe you saw that.”

“It’s all over the news, Nerd,” chuckled Bakugo, watching as Todoroki instantly relaxed.

“What!?” Midoriya’s scream nearly caused Bakugo to drop his phone.

“Yeah, everyone is talking about how funny it is you said guys would fuck a McChicken,” pitched Todoroki, feeling proud for helping his friend process the information.

“Oh god… while I am happy this grabbed people’s attention, this is not what I want to be known for,” sighed Midoriya as he ran his fingers through his bangs.

Bakugo rolled his eyes while Todoroki frowned.

“Come on Freckles. Now that people have seen that viral clip there is a chance they’ll watch the whole interview or follow you on social media. One way or another, this is not only funny as hell, but it’s a good business opportunity,” offered Bakugo. He was aware Midoriya was used to unwanted press, but he has never had to worry about people focusing on something that could overshadow his mission.

Midoriya let out a soft huff before focusing on Bakugo’s words. “You’re right! Besides, I didn’t lie. I shouldn’t care about a man’s opinion of my appearance when they would fuck my armpit if I let them.”

Let’s just say Kirishima was highly concerned when he came back to the agency for his lunch break only to see Bakugo and Todoroki knelt over laughing.

[bibibbon]

So, did Ochacko get some investors or did Momo fund her Quirk Counseling project?

This made me realize that the writers never really explored the natural tension between having a child from poverty next to multiple wealthy children.

It's never stated in canon where the money comes from to do the quirk cound project however, logically speaking it would of probably came from hawks who is the leader of the HPSC and probably oversees finances. I do think that maybe some charities were set up here and there to gather awareness for this situation and that some wealthy classmates like iida and momo did chip in.

You're so right!!! Ochakos arc in the beginning was about how she wanted to become a hero to help her family financially and (while I do like the fact that her arc branches out into her wanting to help everyone and become a hero for the heroes themselves) I do wish that a character did keep this idea of financially struggling and doing something for financial gain.

I hate the fact that horikoshi introduced ochakos character arc surrounding family and poverty just for him to make her being poor a throwaway comment and gag. Like look at all of this👇

Personally, I plan on asui being the one that continues the concept of how poverty or struggling financially can be difficult when you're in such an elite school surrounded by such wealthy people and wanting to provide for your family. I think it suits her (I have seen the ask for wasted potential of asui and Iam honestly stuck but I will get something up soon I hope)

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Shelter in place

Shelter is a human necessity and a human right. A successful society is one that safeguards our freedoms and our rights. The decision to turn housing into the major speculative asset class for retail investors and Wall Street has made housing a disaster for people with houses — and a catastrophe for those without.

America has a terrible, accelerating homelessness problem. Many of us share this problem — obviously, people without houses have the worst of it. But no one benefits from mass homelessness — it is a stain on the human soul to live among people who are unsheltered.

However, there is an answer to the problem of people lacking homes, one with a strong evidentiary basis, which costs significantly less than dealing with the crises of homelessness: give homes to people who don’t have them. It’s called Housing First, and it works:

https://endhomelessness.org/resource/housing-first/

But Housing First has a fatal flaw: it merely helps people without homes find them. It does not generate excess profits for a highly concentrated sector. No one profiteers off Housing First, and so there is no well-funded lobby to promote it.

However, there is a highly concentrated industry with sky-high profits and a powerful lobbying arm that has its own proposal for ending homelessness. It’s the private prison industry, and its proposal is to make homelessness illegal and then put all the homeless people in private prisons:

https://invisiblepeople.tv/private-prisons-for-homeless-criminalization/

A wave of laws criminalizing homelessness has come before American statehouses, and behind them is a deep-pocketed astroturf campaign run by The Cicero Institute, a “libertarian” think-tank that has widely shopped model legislation called the “Reducing Street Homelessness Act.”

Under the proposal, anyone caught sleeping on the streets would be liable to imprisonment. Further, homeless people judged to have mental health issues by police officers would be either imprisoned or locked up in mental heath facilities. As Kayla Robbins writes for Invisible People, such a law would substantially raise the stakes for any homeless person seeking help from police or other services — if they decide you look “mentally ill,” they could lock you up indefinitely.

Where will the money for all these new prison beds come from? By diverting budgets currently allocated for permanent housing.

It’s weird that the Cicero Institute would devote so much energy to discrediting Housing First and promoting criminalization (“libertarians” who want to throw millions of people, mostly Black and brown, into prison indefinitely have a highly selective definition of “liberty).

But there’s at least a circumstantial case for why they would undertake this project: their founder is Joe Lonsdale, the billionaire Palantir co-founder whose VC firm 8VC has made sizable investments in private prisons.

Americans without homes are in a terrible place. How about Americans with homes? Well, obviously they have it better — but it’s not as though they’re well-served by market-based housing, either.

Treating a human necessity as a speculative asset has all kinds of negative outcomes — for your house’s value to continue to rise, the plight of tenants has to steadily worsen. The resale price of your home will include the expected returns from renting it out (even if the new owner doesn’t become a landlord, they’re going to have to bid against someone who would), and rental returns go up when tenancy protections go down.

Meanwhile, the spiraling price of housing — driven by the policy requirement to drive up asset prices to please homeowning voters — means that your kids are going to end up (someone else’s) tenants, exposed to the cruelties you promoted to safeguard the family asset.

You’re not even going to be able to pass that asset onto your kids — focusing on asset appreciation, rather than public service provision, means that you will have to liquidate the family home to pay for your eldercare and your kid’s student debts.

Back in 2021, I wrote, “The Rent’s Too Damned High,” about the way that treating housing as an asset rather than a necessity has made everything else worse:

https://gen.medium.com/the-rents-too-damned-high-520f958d5ec5

But here it is, 2022, and it’s even worse. Writing for Bloomberg, Tracy Alloway and Joe Weisenthal describe the enweirdening of the housing market as interest rates rise.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-10/here-s-how-weird-things-are-getting-in-the-housing-market?leadSource=uverify%20wall

Housing is becoming less affordable: with interest rates going up, the cost of a new mortgage is unbearable for many working people. What’s more, banks are tightening up their lending criteria, making it harder to get a mortgage in the first place.

This may feel familiar — it certainly echoes the housing market after the Great Financial Crisis of 2008. But unlike 2008, the people who have houses aren’t losing them in walloping great numbers. Partly that’s because we’re not letting giant banks steal their houses with mortgage fraud:

https://web.archive.org/web/20171005131636/https://www.thenation.com/article/how-americas-biggest-bank-paid-its-fine-for-the-2008-mortgage-crisis-with-phony-mortgages/

But it’s also because banks started requiring larger downpayments after the GFC, so borrowers aren’t saddled with terrible debt-to-equity ratios, and many homeowners were able to refinance at rock-bottom prices during the lockdown. And, unlike 2008, most mortgages today are fixed rate — even though interest rates are rising, your mortgage rate is locked in.

That’s produced a very weird circumstance: no one can afford to buy a house, but prices aren’t going down. For prices to go down, we’d need to see more houses on the market, and no one wants to build a new house in this environment.

With no new houses going up, any additional supply would come from existing homeowners selling their homes. But when you sell your home, you usually have to buy another one, and that means swapping your 2% 2020 mortgage for a a 5% 2022 mortgage — which translates to a six- or seven-figure increase in the overall price of your home.

Has someone offered you a better job in another city or state? Great! Is it worth paying hundreds of thousands of dollars more for your mortgage over the next 20 years? No? Okay, I guess the answer is no.

To recap: treating shelter as a speculative asset means that we’re about to permanently imprison thousands of homeless people at enormous public expense. It means that your kids are doomed to being rent-burdened tenants with no legal rights for their rest of their lives. And it means that you are locked into the house you were in when the music stopped, no matter how many reasons there are to go somewhere else.

Turning housing into an asset doesn’t help you, the person looking for a place to live. But it’s great news for Wall Street and billionaires like Jeff Bezos, who are buying up whole neighborhoods and turning them into high-rent slums:

https://www.benzinga.com/real-estate/22/08/28685878/jeff-bezos-bet-on-housing-slide-his-single-family-rental-play-is-well-timed

sImage: in0_m0x0 (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/marineperez/4698707308/

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

[Image ID: A row of barred prison cells; superimposed over them, in needlepoint font, is the motto 'Home Sweet Home.']

[thursdaygirlmp3]

big day for media business girlies now that watcher is trying to go the dropout route - some thoughts below the cut

>big L on the fact that they don't have first mover advantage as a lot of their audience already has crossover with other paid subscriptions for independent productions (eg. Dropout, Nebula etc) and they still have a fairly young audience who don't have enough purchase power to subscribe to multiple services past a certain point. my sense is that the average viewer will put watcher on the chopping block - their output unfortunately simply isn't high enough to justify it as a good deal for most folks

>I do understand why they would make this move given how high their production quality is. one only has to assume that their 11k patreon supporters were not enough to meet their P&L. i'm assuming an 80% conversion of patreon subscribers to watcher subscribers will probably happen

>they've had 2 rounds of funding from what I remember, I'm sure there was some push from the investors also to meet their profit line so they could see returns. if they drop a few business focused interviews (hoping for a colin and samir episode, they're one of the best in the YouTube business news space) I'll have a little more to work with in terms of understanding why they did the damn thing

>bigger L on putting their back catalogue behind a 50$ paywall - a bad move both in a business and viewer satisfaction sense

>the value for subscription looks? okay? it's not tooo bad. but if I had to make a choice, i probably wouldn't want to dish out the money for this singular service. superfans probably won't mind but as someone who has become a moderate-to-casual fan, it's just not worth it for me, even to access a few comfort episodes of their back catalogue. it's YouTube, someone will have it backed up on a drive link somewhere.

>i'm hoping for the best for them because more independent creators being able to properly fund the work they'd like to do is ultimately a good thing, but media and entertainment is very much an economies of scale business - you need be certain you have a very high and dedicated viewership to undertake large projects which cost a lot of money. if they don't have enough supporters immediately they'll be unable to launch at the scale at which they want to, which also means it'll take longer and harder for new viewers to pour in. it's not company-ending stuff, but it's a tough journey and i wish them the best

will probably reblog this with more thoughts as more details come out

[fleeting-being]

undefined

Video and text ID under break.

Help a trans lesbian make a game!

I don’t need cash, just hard number that show interests in the game. While the trailers on other platforms are more sanitized, this is the place I can actually show what the game is about, having semi-metaphorical lesbian sex with the planet Jupiter.

“Fly the Clouds of Jupiter” can be summarized as Journey x Subnautica in a gas giant, with Outer Wilds style storytelling. I’ve worked on this using my unemployment benefits, but they’ll run out in a year, and the project needs to be funded by then.

You can follow the devlogs on instagram, tiktok, and reddit at @fleeting_being

[Video ID: A 3d-rendered plane flying around orange clouds under a dark blue sky, and fighting against similar looking planes. The planes have while trails and shoot red bullets. In the background, you can see large whales and jellyfishes. The main plane flies in and out of clouds, and shoots down the enemy planes. Video ends with the plane flying high and looking at the horizon. Overlaid on the video is black text with a white outline. ./ End ID]

[Text Id: Do you want to sext the planet Jupiter?

And maybe see some cool clouds and blow up planes playing as an archeological probe built by an hypercapitalistic society that’s also a metaphor for being a trans lesbian or something what do I know

Then buy my game

In like a year when it’s out, it’s gonna take some time but I need to prove I can get an audience to get money from investors I think that’s how it works ./ End ID]

[rabbiteclair]

on one hand I feel like the internet would be a much better place if sites had to earn their money directly from users instead of ad revenue

on the other hand, a lot of tech companies effectively make a big chunk of their money by going to investors every few years with "we need another $2 billion in funding, but don't worry, we're gonna be profitable soon. as soon as we implement [looks at writing on hand] 'blockchain metaverse Internet Of Things'," so it barely matters what their actual business model is sometimes. and a lot of the extant sites that do try to get subscriptions out of users do it in such an irritating manner that I am committed to spiting them.

thus I am growing increasingly fond of option C, 'destroy the ad system anyway and if the internet can't stand without that, then let the cleansing fires return it to its primeval state: a bunch of goofy little passion projects made by profoundly weird people'

[olomaya]

I admit that it looks cute but I'm just not crazy about this painted 2d art style and the personality system looks VERY limiting so this may not be for me but I'm excited for their progress.

But all free expansions? That's just not a smart business model. There's a middle ground between nickel and diming customers with DLC and giving everything away for free. Many games have been doing that for years and only stopped because their investors and shareholders are greedy pigs. Like, I know people are EA/Sims 4 traumatized but charging for expansions/DLC is not inherently exploitative.

I don't know the people behind the game so maybe this is a passion project for them and so they're fine not making any profit and just breaking even and paying staff but are they expecting to fund the development of the expansions through Patreon? Is that reliable? Is that fair? I just checked out their Patreon and they're bringing in $33k a month so that's pretty slim margins for a 12-person team (based on the people in the video on their page). I just wonder what the long game is in terms of monetization beyond base game sales.

[blueiscoool]

Have Researchers Found Amelia Earhart’s Long-Lost Plane?

A new sonar image shows an airplane-shaped object resting on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, not far from where Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, went missing in 1937.

On July 2, 1937, pioneering pilot Amelia Earhart vanished somewhere over the Pacific Ocean near the end of her historic around-the-world flight. For decades, her mysterious disappearance has perplexed explorers, who have spent millions of dollars trying to find her missing Lockheed 10-E Electra plane.

Now, a possible new clue has emerged in the case: A sonar image captured during an expedition last fall shows an airplane-shaped object sitting on the ocean floor, not far from where experts believe Earhart likely crashed, reports the Wall Street Journal’s Nidhi Subbaraman.

The blurred object is far from definitive proof, but Dorothy Cochrane, an aeronautics curator at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, tells Smithsonian magazine it’s “an intriguing image” that warrants a second look.

The expedition was led by Tony Romeo, who is a former intelligence officer with the U.S. Air Force, a pilot and a commercial real estate investor from South Carolina. In 2021, he sold his real estate properties and spent $11 million to fund the trip, including buying high-tech equipment to aid in the search.

“This has been a story that’s always intrigued me, and all the things in my life kind of collided at the right moment,” Romeo tells Business Insider’s Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert and Rebecca Rommen. “I was getting out of real estate and looking for a new project, so even though I really started about 18 months ago, this was something I’ve been thinking and researching for a long time.”

Last September, a team from the exploration company Deep Sea Vision, which Romeo founded, departed from Tarawa, Kiribati, in the South Pacific aboard a research vessel. Working in 36-hour shifts, the 16-person crew used an underwater autonomous vehicle equipped with sonar to scour the sea floor, scanning roughly 5,200 total square miles.

About 90 days into the trip, the team was reviewing sonar images and noticed something unusual in the data from some 60 days prior. The mysterious object looked to be about the same shape and size as an aircraft, and it was identified roughly 100 miles from Howland Island, which is within the region where experts think Earhart’s plane went down. The object is around 16,400 feet below the water’s surface.

By then, however, the crew had determined it was too late to return to the site for a closer look. The camera on the underwater vehicle was also broken, which meant they wouldn’t be able to see anything if they did circle back, reports the Post and Courier’s Tony Bartelme.

But Romeo is undeterred and hopes to revisit the area in the future.

“This is maybe the most exciting thing I’ll ever do in my life,” he tells the Wall Street Journal. “I feel like a 10-year-old going on a treasure hunt.”

In the meantime, the sonar image is not detailed enough for experts to draw any definitive conclusions.

“It definitely appears to be an aircraft of some sort,” David Jourdan, who has searched three times for Earhart’s missing plane and is the co-founder and president of the ocean exploration company Nauticos, tells the Post and Courier. “It has aircraft-like features. But sound is funny. It can mislead you. We can’t say it’s her plane until you put a camera on it.”

To truly identify the object, future missions would ideally capture detailed images that contain the registration number of the plane, says Cochrane. Or, at the very least, they might more clearly show the submerged object’s dimensions and shape to see if it matches the model of Earhart’s vehicle.

“It really requires further research,” says Cochrane. “Finding something that’s really worth investigating further is step one. Verifying it’s the actual craft is step two. And step three becomes: Is it possible to recover this or not, or should it just be left where it is?”

At the time of her disappearance, Earhart was a global celebrity—speaking with the Wall Street Journal, Romeo likens her to Taylor Swift today. In June 1928, Earhart became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean (as a passenger of pilots Wilmer Stultz and Lou Gordon), a feat that propelled her to international stardom.

Nearly four years later, in May 1932, she made history again by becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Later that year, she became the first woman to fly solo across North America and back. And in 1935, she became the first person, regardless of gender, to fly solo from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Oakland, California.

In the summer of 1936, the renowned pilot began to plan her most ambitious trip yet: a circumnavigation of the globe. On May 20, 1937, Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, departed from Oakland for the first leg of the trip. They flew nearly 22,000 miles, making stops in Miami, South America, Africa and India along their eastward route.

By late June, they had made it to Lae, Papua New Guinea. After a few days’ rest, they departed for Howland Island, a small, uninhabited outcrop in the Pacific where a refueling station had been built for their journey. The U.S. Coast Guard had a vessel, the Itasca, stationed nearby to help with the landing.

Operators aboard the Itasca heard Earhart’s radio messages as she got closer and closer to the island. But eventually, they lost contact. Earhart and Noonan were never seen or heard from again.

The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard spent 16 days searching for the missing duo without success. About one and a half years later, on January 5, 1939, Earhart was declared dead.

Theories abound about her mysterious disappearance—some onlookers have speculated that she was a spy or that she was captured by a foreign military. But Cochrane believes the simplest explanation is the most plausible: that Earhart and Noonan ran out of fuel near Howland Island.

“She’s got to be around there somewhere,” she adds.

By Sarah Kuta.