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saintmurd0ck · 2 years

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held together by fate | matt murdock x f!reader | part one

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Summary: Moving to New York City was a daunting step for you, but meeting Matt Murdock makes things a little easier.

Warnings: None for this chapter!

A/N: This is the first fic I’ve ever (EVER) released to the world, and I have been sitting on it for weeks, so please be kind! I’ve also never been to New York so I tried my best writing, but I am so in love with the story, I hope you like it too :)

This is a multi-part story, so if you like this, please let me know and I’ll release more! Also, it doesn’t really relate to any specific timeline in the show or MCU.

*Originally I wrote this story with myself in mind, but I decided to change it so it wasn’t as personal. I was inspired to not use y/n in place by @pedrito-friskito (please check out their amazing MM fic as well, it is incredible!)

Adjusting my scarf a little tighter around my neck, I breathed in New York City for the first time. It felt strangely familiar, as if I’d lived here my entire life. Somehow, between the rumble of the subway below, the smell of corner bodegas and even the sheer number of people on the street made me feel like I was home. As much as I wanted to immerse myself in the city and explore its every nook and cranny, nothing else made sense except the thought of a long nap in my new apartment. Sure, the energy of the place was electric, and I knew something as momentous as this occasion called for a celebration, but I didn’t know anyone, and I felt the jet-lag set deep in my bones.

In typical me fashion, the daydream of my mattress swallowing me whole was quickly interrupted. Invasive pigeons don’t really exist in Brisbane… but here? Here, they aren’t afraid. Thankfully, no one around me blinked an eye as I swung my handbag at the dastardly creature, sending it away in a flurry of mottled feathers. I let out a sigh of relief as it left me alone, reaching down to fix my coat. I was convinced the action was over, but as I quickened my pace towards my apartment, I felt my hand collide against cool metal, sending a cane clattering to the footpath.

My cheeks burned with embarrassment as invasive thoughts infiltrated my mind. Great. It’s your first day here, and you’ve screwed up already? What happened to making a good impression in a new city? I bent down to pick up the cane for the poor soul I knocked it away from, my lip curling as I realised it belonged to a blind person. Nice going.

“S’okay, pigeons can be scary for first timers,” said a male voice above me.

I glanced up, feeling the colour returning to my cheeks. Holy shit. He was the most gorgeous man I’d ever laid eyes upon. Dark hair, the hint of a 5 o’clock shadow, impeccably dressed in a dark suit, and what I thought where hazel eyes hidden beneath a pair of red sunglasses.

“Oh, um, I-I’m so sorry,” I mumbled, intoxicated, as I stared at him, my mouth slightly parted open.

It took a second before I registered what he’d said. “How did you know it was my first time here? And how did you…” I trailed off, confusion flooding my face.

The man chuckled, the sound almost ethereal. “I’ve lived here my whole life. And don’t worry, it’s fine,” he replied with a smile, reaching for his cane in my hand.

His fingers brushed against mine, static electricity sending a jolt down my spine. A faint smirk flashed across his face, as if he could read my mind.

“Okay, well… that’s great to hear! See you around!” I exclaimed, a little too loud, speed-walking away as my knuckles turned white from death-gripping my handbag.

I almost slapped myself in the face. What the hell was that? See you around?! What happened to the sexy, confident version of myself? This city is so big, how would you even find him again?

My cheeks flushed, yet again, as I turned the corner on West 44th St. A tall brick building towered before me, its façade well-worn. My head felt giddy as I pushed open the building’s front door, its frosted glass dimpled under my fingers. This is real. You live in New York City. A large set of wooden stairs graced my left as an empty hallway greeted me, complete with a single flickering lightbulb on the ground floor. I groaned, realising my apartment was on the sixth. You got this.

As I climbed the last few stairs to the 6th floor, I took a moment to catch my breath. I was pretty fit, but after almost twenty-four hours of non-stop travel, I felt every step reverberate into my body, sending shockwaves that could collapse me at any time. Composing myself, I looked around. It was clear that this building had been neglected for a good amount of time. I was surprised at just how quiet it was — not even the smallest gust of wind sounded through the halls, as if no-one else lived in this building but me. Only two apartments made up the sixth floor: 6A and 6B; both doors coated in chipped green and white paint. Fishing around in my handbag for the keys I picked up from the realtor’s office earlier, I could’ve sworn I saw flecks of blood on 6A’s door. I dared not to think about it. I turned my key in the door, gently nudging it open.

I drew in my breath as I entered, noticing the aroma of vanilla and citrus from strategically placed reed diffusers. I marvelled at the apartment’s dark wooden floors and large arched windows, making a mental note to thank the real estate agent — both for recommending and decorating the apartment. Dropping my keys, handbag and coat on my console table, I kicked my shoes off, trudging up the steps to the already made bed. A drowsy smile crossed my face as I flopped onto it, sleep immediately taking over.

In my dreams, I saw that stranger’s smile over and over again. I felt his soft touch on my hand, and I longed for more. It seemed impossible, like there was no way anyone could feel a connection of this calibre with a mere stranger, but I knew it was real. It was a fleeting encounter — hell, I didn’t even know his name -- but I swore to myself. I will find you again.

—

My eyes flew open. I grimaced, trying my best to roll over and sit up. I was still wearing the same clothes as I was 24 hours ago, scarf and all, and I desperately needed a shower. My phone screen was unresponsive as I tried to check the time, but lucky for me, I remembered to pick up an American adaptor for my charger at the airport. As my phone recharged, so did I, feeling my hot shower cleansing me from head to toe.

I wanted to head out to explore my new city, but my lack of energy indicated that maybe tonight wasn’t the night. Food, I thought. I could really use some food. I nodded to myself, changing into a comfy pair of grey sweatpants and a white crop top. It didn’t seem particularly cold outside earlier, but I decided to bring along a sweater, just in case. My phone screen lit up with dozens of notifications, and the time. 8.23 PM. Grabbing my phone, purse and keys, and deciding I’d reply to my friends later, I headed off into the night.

As I walked down West 44th St, I felt the cool air of Hell’s Kitchen brush my face. Even as the seemingly endless sound of sirens rang out in the background, I couldn’t help but feel elated to be here.

The sound of loud rock music and boisterous laughter filled the air as I neared the corner of 44th and 11th. I squinted my eyes at a neon red sign, looming before me. JOSIE’S BAR, it read. It was packed full of people — some playing pool in the back, a couple getting handsy near the jukebox, and many lining up at the bar. The atmosphere tempted me to go inside for a drink, but I was severely underdressed and frankly, incredibly hungry.

I was about to walk past when I saw him.

Sitting up at the bar, with a blonde, long-haired man also dressed in a suit, was the mystery man from earlier, red sunglasses and all. I had no doubt it was him. He seemed to be having a good time, as he and his friend drank beers and laughed, I’m assuming from whatever they each got up to today. Goosebumps laced my flesh as I reminisced our earlier encounter, my pupils dilating as I tried to burn his image in my memory. I bit my lip, hesitating for the door handle. I shook my head. As much as I wanted to go up to him, I felt that maybe tonight, just tonight, we both had better things to do.

What I failed to see, when I eventually crossed the street, was my mystery man, looking directly at me.

—

By the time I finished my food, stopped by the corner store for essentials, and FaceTimed my sister, it was 11.30 PM. I wasn’t really sure how safe this area was at night, and my gut instincts were screaming at me for being out this late, but I was in New York. As every cliche goes, the city comes alive at night! I watched as various Josie’s Bar patrons came and went, some hailing cabs, some simply stumbling home. Suddenly, being in New York dawned on me, home feeling so minute and far away compared to this. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around how big this city was just yet, but I was going to try, starting right here in Hell’s Kitchen. As I walked past Josie’s, I glanced up at the bar. Only a few people remained; the rest gathered around pool tables as bets flew and shots were poured. My heart fluttered with disappointment, a small sigh escaping my lips. He’s not there. I found myself picturing him in my head, trying to piece together the smell of his aftershave and the way his shoulders moved beneath his suit jacket.

“You know, it really makes you stand out when you stop in the street like that,” called out a voice behind me.

I spun around, heart pounding a million miles an hour. “Are you following me?” I replied, looking directly at my mystery man. I couldn’t help the smile that lit up my face as I saw the grin blossoming on his.

“I could ask you the same question.”

“How did you see me looking at you?” I shot back, more confused than anything.

“Oh, so you admit to looking at me, huh?” He walked up beside me, cane in hand. “My name’s Matt.”

The butterflies in my stomach made my head spin. “Nice to finally meet you, Matt.” I blushed as I told him my name.

Matt smiled at me, taking my hand in his. “It’s nice to meet you too.” He chuckled, repeating my name.

Don’t let him get away. Ask him to do something. “So Matt, what would someone like you be up to on a Friday night?”

Matt tilted his chin at me. I knew he wasn’t able to see, but I felt his gaze, lingering. “Ah well, normally my friend Foggy and I would go to Josie’s, get a drink, but he had to uh… run off tonight,” said Matt, gripping his cane. Foggy, that must’ve been the blonde guy I saw earlier.

“Okay, well, I don’t normally do this, but it’s my first night in New York and I was hoping to do something to celebrate, if you were interested? But I am really underdressed right now and I’m not-“

“Uhh, I live around the corner, I have beers and there’s no dress code needed?” Matt interjected, squeezing his cane tighter.

My cheeks flushed bright pink. “You’re not a serial killer are you?”

“Depends on what you count as serial killing,” Matt replied, a smile melting on his lips. I laughed, shaking my head. “Okay, let’s do that”.

Matt and I turned the corner, both heading towards my building. I looked up at him. “You live here?”

“Yeah, I’ve been here a long time,” Matt said, pointing his cane in the building’s direction.

“Huh, I moved in here today!”

“There’s not a chance you’re on the si-“

“Sixth floor?” Matt and I said at the same time. “You’re in 6A?” I chimed in disbelief.

What in the Wattpad was this?

“6B?” His eyebrows were raised. I nodded in response, then realising Matt couldn’t see it. “Yes,” I replied, a somewhat euphoric feeling coursing through my veins.

Matt held the door open for me as we stepped inside. Climbing the six flights of stairs together, I wanted to get to know him more. “So, you said you’ve lived here your whole life, have you been anywhere else?” I asked.

“Nope, I’ve never been more north of 59th or more south of 34th,” he said, fixing his glasses.

“That’s crazy! It’s weird to hear someone say that, that they grew up in New York City. People back home would freak out if they heard that,” I replied, thinking of my friends and family.

“Where’s home for you?” asked Matt, as we neared the sixth floor.

“Well, here, I hope, but I’m from a little city in Australia called Brisbane. It is absolutely tiny compared to this.” Maybe we could visit together, I thought, biting back the idea of saying it out loud. Jesus, keep it together.

Matt pulled his keys out from his pocket, inserting them into 6A’s door lock. I glimpsed behind me at my own door, wondering if this was a good idea, but I shook the thought out from my head and followed him inside.

Matt’s apartment was impossibly larger than mine; a penthouse loft with an entry hallway, open plan living and those large arched windows. His apartment was pitch black, save for a blinding billboard outside that cast a glow of a thousand colours.

“Oh yeah, that? Went up a year ago. I told the co-op, they nearly rioted… some oversight from the development agreement,” chimed Matt from his kitchen, grabbing beers out of the fridge.

I turned around to face a small console stand with a record player and vinyls. “Upside is, nobody wanted it and I got a corner apartment at a hell of a discount,” he finished, handing me a beer.

I slowly thumbed my way through his stack of records, finding one that read 90s Top 40. “Do you mind if I put this on?” I asked him, thanking him for the drink.

“Yeah, sure, go ahead.” He paused, taking off his glasses, setting them down on his coffee table. “I’ll be right back.”

The sounds of soft 90s rock started to play, and Matt emerged from his bedroom, wearing a dark shirt and grey sweatpants. The back of my neck burned a little, picturing things that made my toes curl.

Sitting down on opposite sides of the coffee table, we raised our beers towards each other. “To new beginnings,” I said.

“To new beginnings,” echoed Matt, clinking his bottle against mine.

Both taking a sip, we listened as the music played, sirens interjecting every now and then. For a brief moment, I wondered if Matt was going to say something. From the way he sat forwards on the couch and the way his mouth was slightly open... but I realised he was deep in thought. I gazed at his lips, swallowing a mouthful of beer to distract myself from the impure thoughts that filled my head.

“Could I ask you something personal?” The words caught in my throat.

I watched as Matt’s entire demeanour shifted instantly, his head tilting towards me. “I haven’t always been blind,” he stated, a soft grin blossoming. I sat back on the couch.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think—“ My heart ached for him.

“I was nine. Car accident.” I noticed his whole body tense, and immediately I felt awful even asking him.

“I’m really sorry… I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like for you.” Matt shifted on his couch, prompting me to get up. “Can I…?” He nodded in agreement.

I sat next to Matt, facing him. “I don’t know you at all, but I just know…,” I trailed off, placing my hand in my lap.

“Know what?” asked Matt, finishing his sentence with my name in earnest. He turned to face me.

I placed a finger on his heart, murmuring my words. “I know that whoever you are, I get the sense that you are so incredibly strong. For that, I’m proud.”

Matt’s lips formed a bittersweet smile, but his expression was distant, as if there were something else he wanted to say. I continued. “I don’t know how to say this differently, but, I feel…” I paused. “Connected. I feel connected to you. And I feel obliged to tell you that I’m here for you. You know where I live now, anyway.”

Matt laughed tenderly. “Y’know, I’m supposed to say I don’t miss seeing things - that’s what they teach you in trauma recovery. Define yourself by what you have, value the difference, make no apologies for what you lack… and it’s all true, for the most part…” I watched his expression shift, filling with a sort of longing I had never seen before. “Doesn’t change the fact that I’d give anything to see the sky one more time.”

I swore under my breath, looking into his unfocused eyes. I want to kiss him. Should I just—

I wanted to. I wanted to, so badly, but I was more than exhausted. A little part of me wanted to stay forever, but I knew it was time to leave. “I really enjoyed tonight, Matt. Thank you for this, and for being so open with me.” I set my empty beer bottle on his coffee table.

Matt’s eyebrows furrowed, hand reaching out as if to say stay. In the same instant, he put his hand back down, smiling at me gingerly. “Thank you too.”

I got up, walking to his console table to put my shoes back on. “If you’d like, tomorrow night… or tonight,” he paused, chuckling, “We’ll be at Josie’s. There’s always room for another,” said Matt, leaning on his wall, his hand rubbing the back of his head.

The grin on my face answered his question, although I felt sad that he couldn’t see it. “I’d love to.” As I opened his door to go back to my apartment, I turned. “Goodnight, Matt.”

“Goodnight,” he replied with my name, sounding more and more familiar as it tumbled out of his mouth. I left, his words echoing in my head and my heart.

—

That night, as I laid in bed, I thought about him. I didn’t care that we’d just met; I didn’t care that I was falling for a stranger. All I could feel, in that moment, was the way his presence made my arms tingle, and the way his name rolled off my tongue.

I giggled, repeating his name. “Matt,” I breathed softly. “Matt. Matthew.”

“Matt who?” I asked, looking up at the ceiling.

As I drifted off to sleep, Matt lay awake in his bed. “Murdock,” he whispered, answering my question.

#matt murdock #daredevil #matt murdock fanfic #daredevil fanfic #matt murdock smut #daredevil smut #matt murdock x reader #matt murdock x you #matt murdock x y/n #daredevil x reader #daredevil x you #daredevil x y/n #rhi writes 💻#held together by fate #x reader

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starlitheaven · 3 years

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gods & monsters: one

series masterlist | pairing: satoru gojo x fem!reader

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series summary. you’ve been a high-end escort for ten months and are already one of the best. you follow the strict rules of your agency and have had fun ruining a few men within those limits. Gojo Satoru is your newest and highest paying client, but he’s fickle and unpredictable. all you want is to do your job, survive, indulge in luxuries, and maybe plan some revenge.

summary. you meet your new client. on your first call with him, you realize you aren’t all that prepared and are exposed to a world of the entitled executives who look down on your job.

tags. escort!reader, alcohol consumption, cursing, misogyny, implied classism, sex work shaming.

notes. word count 4k+. btw, Rikugan is supposed to translate to Limitless because I have no creativity. the narrative will have a lot of cursing, don’t read it too seriously!

song rec. just a stranger / kali uchis (ft. steve lacy)

A week after you accepted Utahime’s favor, you were waiting for your client in the reception lobby of the escort agency. You now sit with your back straight, shoulders relaxed, legs angled (this was important apparently) and ankles crossed delicately. Your hands rested on your thighs, never allowing yourself to fidget. Sitting like this, as unnecessary as it felt, came naturally to you now.

Several aspects of your job were easy to learn and adapt to, but sitting dainty and proper was not one of them. You had assumed you knew how to sit properly as long as you didn’t sit like you did in your own home. Absolutely wrong, Utahime gently chastised when she first asked you to sit for her.

Without having to check your phone, you know your client is late. As nice as it’d be to get paid while you continue to wait in the comfortable reception seat, you’re pessimistic. It wouldn’t surprise you if this guy tries to get a partial refund for this hour due to his tardiness. It wouldn’t be the first time.

At least the dress he’s lending you for the night is not only lovely but also not too tight, unlike most clothes your clients have you wear. The champagne satin cocktail dress was dropped off at the agency this morning for tonight and was to be returned tomorrow morning.

“Miss Sayuri?”

You looked up to see an anxious looking dark haired man approach you. Was this your client? You could’ve sworn Utahime said he was your age, and this guy didn’t look 26. This had to be a 40 year old man, tops. Adding to that, he looked utterly exhausted. Just exhausted with life overall.

The man either didn’t notice your lack of reply or he didn’t care because he bowed his head politely. “My name is Ijichi, I’m here to escort you to the car.”

Oh.

Getting yourself together and over your brief surprise, you took his offered hand with a polite smile. “Thank you, Ijichi. You’re such a gentleman,” you complimented warmly, taking his hand softly and giving it a shake. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

As you two walked out of the building, he predictably stumbled right before opening the car door for you, stuttering a timid thanks as you slid into the backseat. You were aware of how your appearance affected others, and you felt bad for flustering this nice guy.

The man sitting inside was definitely your client. Just as Yuki had said, he was tall based on how his long legs stretched out. Only his side profile was visible to you, but there was no doubt he was handsome. Fuck, that jawline and cheekbones. His black suit jacket was sitting in between you two, so your eyes subtly gazed over how well fitting his white button up was. He looked like a beacon in the dark car with his white hair.

He was speaking on the phone, sounding annoyed. His brows were furrowed in a scowl as he listened before cutting off whoever was on the other line. They didn’t even get the chance to finish their response before your client abruptly hung up. Ijichi was now in the driver's seat and slowly pulled off the agency driveway as soon as his boss hung up the phone.

As tempting as it was to look out the window while you waited for your client to acknowledge you, you remained facing forward patiently. Your face remained relaxed and unbothered. Sitting pretty.

A few seconds passed when your client let out an irked huff. Only then you expectantly turned to him. Like a switch was flipped, he gave you an easygoing grin and extended his hand. His crystal blue eyes were stunning. Arresting. In a good and bad way if you had to be honest. Along with his white hair, there was no denying how good looking he was. The soft colors of his hair and eyes contrasted well with his sharper features.

“Satoru Gojo. Suki, right?”

Taking his hand, you gave him a courteous smile. “I’m sorry, but it’s Sayuri. Nice to meet you.” There was absolutely no reason for you to apologize when he was the one that got your escort name wrong. Even so, it’s what you had to do.

Gojo shrugged and looked ahead. “My bad. That’s not your real name though, so does it really matter?” he asked, letting out a lighthearted chuckle. He began to spin around his phone in his hand like he hadn’t just been rude to you.

what the hell?

“You’re right,” you acquiesced with a laugh. “So, how’s your--”

buzz. buzz.

You both looked down at the phone flashing with a call coming in. It rang for a few seconds before Gojo clicked his phone to silence the call. You had no idea who was calling him. The contact name was simply Old Fucker.

Sensing his irritation coming back, you placed your hand lightly on his upper arm. You’ve learned that men liked attention and unprompted physical contact even more so. For some reason. “Are you okay?” you asked, faking concern. He turned to you with a little frown and hum, as if he hadn’t expected you to ask. “Do you want to talk about it? It might help.”

You honestly did not give a fuck what problems this guy had. The ideal situation is that he’s a closed book and only needs a date to his event, but that’s not exactly what your job is for. You’re providing company, and with that comes more than one would think. Even with just your ten month experience, you’ve been a therapist and marriage counselor to wealthy men.

“Nah, they’re not worth it. Thanks though,” he replied after a beat. You pretended not to notice how he had briefly faltered, as if he considered actually venting to you. He then tilted his head slightly in a way that should’ve looked innocent. His smile and the mirth in his eyes were anything but polite. “It’s about business and my board of directors being up my ass with logistics. Would you even understand what I’d be venting about?”

The absolute audacity of this guy, you thought. Condescending motherfucker.

Another part of your job was having to hear how people felt about sex work, when no one fucking asked. Sometimes it’s people you meet outside of work, but the narrow-mindedness comes mainly from your clients. As insulting as it was at first and continued to be, you’ve learned that it’s best to remain underestimated. You’ve ruined men like this in your short time, and their downfall always stems from the power trip of having an escort. In the end, their prejudice against your job is what prevents them from realizing you were to blame.

Your expression remained unfazed and your smile civil. If he thought picking on Utahime for her reactions was funny, you’d give him nothing. Professionally. You were good at that anyway. Yet, before you could answer, Gojo spoke again.

“I’ll tell you what’ll help me. Crepes!” he exclaimed. You saw how Ijichi slightly flinched upon hearing this. Clapping his hands, Gojo raised his voice to get his drivers’ attention. “Ijichi, we’re going to Henri Charpentier.”

“G-Ginza? Sir, we’re supposed to be going to--”

“Yeah yeah, I know. I want crepes first though,” Gojo stated, uncaring for Ijichi’s growing nerves. He turned to you, ignoring Ijichi’s insistence that they couldn’t be late to the event. “Have you been there?”

You’ve had some clients take you to Ginza, but the area was still new to you as a patron and not a passerby. You shook your head. Was this guy really treating a business event like this?

“Ijichi, look at Sayuri’s cute face and deny her then! Go, do it!” Gojo provoked, waving his hand in your direction. He then snapped his fingers, like something just occurred to him. “Or are you just mad cause you think I won’t get you anything? I’m treating you too, of course!”

You couldn’t help but feel deep sympathy for Gojo’s poor driver. You figured he answered to others besides your client based on how nervous he was at Gojo’s impudence towards this event.

“Gakuganji explicitly told you to not be late--”

“Okay. Since you’re telling me how to do my job, why don’t you go in my place then, hm?” Gojo’s playful tone immediately dropped. A heavy chill fell over the car.

You bit the inside of your cheek to keep your face impassive. Better to look innocently docile while you observe. Subtly peeking at your client, you saw Gojo crossing his arms as he leaned back into his seat. “I’ll go enjoy my night with Sayuri while you go talk to all the executives. Think you can handle it?” he scoffed.

The car then made a turn and headed into the direction of Ginza.

It became clear to you as the night went on how Utahime got pushed to the point of giving up large amounts of money.

Not only was he occasionally rude and bold, but Satoru Gojo was proving to be hard to predict. From your initial impression of him inside the car, you assumed he’d be a condescending asshole the entire time. Yet, as soon as you two arrived at the dessert restaurant, he was much friendlier. He had even asked Ijichi if he wanted to join, but the driver predictably insisted he’d wait for you both in the car. Gojo’s change in demeanor towards him didn’t affect him, but it left Ijichi tense.

He specifically wanted a crepe and told you to get whatever you wanted. He even helped you decide what to get by listing off everything he’s had (which was almost everything) and gave his honest opinion. Once you decided, you spent the rest of your time there asking him about himself. He answered all your questions easily while sneaking glances at the chef making his crepe.

Gojo was 26, a Sagittarius (you couldn’t believe Yuki didn’t mention this), and apparently the CFO of Rikugan. He laughed at you when you accidentally bit your tongue mid-chew from shock. You were blinded by the money and didn’t think to ask your friends for concrete info like you should’ve! The agency definitely couldn’t lose him as a client. The CFO of a whole ass conglomerate was about to eat a crepe right beside you.

“My dads the CEO so it’s not that impressive. Just nepotism,” he grinned before taking a bite of the crepe. The chef must know who he is because you noticed Gojo’s crepe was very carefully made. “When I was about to graduate business school I told him I’d work for the company only if I could travel or go on business trips often. He said no! So I started looking into becoming a pilot. Then he said yes!”

Which brought him to telling you why he began using Mei’s agency. He’s either traveling for business, at the office, or going to required company events. Gojo told you that he likes having new people around, but doesn’t have the time to pick them up the normal way.

Unsurprisingly, he didn’t ask you anything about yourself. On a normal date that would’ve annoyed you, but you don’t mind while you’re working. You had a made up bland upbringing that you had for clients when they asked, and you weren’t too fond of it. Gojo was interesting and funny, so you didn’t mind learning more about him. Also, if he chose to call for you again, any information is vital to take advantage of.

Your time at the restaurant was taking longer than you thought, and you wondered how Ijichi was feeling. That only reminded you that Gojo paid for only 3 hours and you were nearing 2 and a half. If this guy tried to sneak out extra time from you for free…

When you inquired about it, his response was predictable.

“Really?” Gojo asked with a frown, looking miffed. “You’re worrying over petty stuff like that?”

It was almost applaudable, if you had to be honest. His expression, tone, and wording all pointed to making you look like the strange one for thinking of stolen time. It was embarrassing to ask that in the middle of a date, actually. Gojo wasn’t the first to count on and exploit that in order to get extra time for free. Almost all your clients had well paying jobs, and your current client was a CFO. They could clearly afford to pay additional time for you, so why did they pull this shit? Some sort of power they wanted to exude over a sex worker who needed that money. Like dangling food over someone who’s starving. It felt that dehumanizing at times.

It’s not uncommon for some clients to cut a date short if an escort brings up paying for extra time and ruining their mood, only to not call for that escort again. Ironically, this only happened with wealthy men, not those with average paying jobs. A lot of the girls have talked about this, and most would rather not say anything in order to keep their client. Yet, stolen time is not allowed and Mei Mei is very strict about the contracts, so she doesn’t know about this unless a client comes with a complaint.

“I’m not exactly worried, Gojo,” you explained pleasantly. Thankfully the chef left as soon as you two began eating because you didn’t want him to be uncomfortable. Setting your fork down, you turned to him and leaned closer to him. At the sudden closeness, you saw how his pretty white lashes blinked down in surprise. Pouty and coy, you glanced down at his lips before answering. “I’d like to spend more time with you, but I can’t break the agency’s rules. You understand, don’t you?” More like, you won’t break the rules. You don’t budge when it comes to your money. Not giving this man what he wanted was a risk, but you’d deal with the consequences of losing him as a client from the agency.

Acting flirtatious wasn’t exactly pulling teeth when it’s with someone as good looking as Gojo. You even enjoyed being close enough to smell his alluring cologne. God, this guy was unbelievably attractive. Physically, at least. You knew you had him when his gaze lingered on your lips and neck.

“Alright babe,” he relented nonchalantly, booping your nose. He laughed when the gesture startled you. “Let me send the money for two more hours and we can go. I’ve kept those old bags waiting enough. They’re for sure pissed.” Which was exactly what he wanted apparently, if the mischievous glint in his eye said anything.

Almost 400,000 yen in one night. Tucking your hand into Gojo’s arm, your mind spun at the money you’re currently making. In your head, you’re already purchasing those Valentino sunnies and vintage YSL clutch you’ve been eyeing online. Gojo pissed you off one more time on the way to the hotel, but you barely registered it this time. Vintage YSL clutch!

50% goes to you and 50% to the agency. Which is something that most don’t know about being an escort under an agency. Yet the protection and security provided by the agency is definitely worth it.

After quickly freshening up in the bathroom and then fixing your clients silk black tie, you and Gojo walked into the top floor of the hotel. You were met with 360 windows and the smell of wealth. Mainly, inherited wealth and entitlement. An air of judgement steeped in there, stiff and dangerous. The dim lighting created a soft glow as if to counter this.

You and your client didn’t make it far into the room before he was flooded with several people. For the next half hour, you were met with several responses to your client.

“Indulge in your...woman outside of your duties to this company, Satoru. Business before pleasure and beauty.” This older man then proceeded to greet you and kissed the back of your hand, his lips lingering. Thankfully you had your white lace gloves on for tonight because gross. This wouldn’t be the last person that night that would openly belittle sex work and leer at you in the same breath.

“Just because your father is overseas doesn’t mean you can do as you like!” Yet he did.

“Satoru! You’re over an hour late! You think your insolence will go unpunished?” It did go unpunished, apparently. For every old company executive attempting to lecture your client, there were twice more delighted to see and speak with him. While Gojo openly showed disrespect to the ones scolding him, others were kissing his ass. He was obviously revered.

This was apparently a sort of soiree alongside a charity event amongst the biggest companies in Tokyo. You remained by Gojo’s side; polite, charming, and pretty. You’re here to be eye candy. A trophy at your client’s side. To provide him company and entertain him. This was the biggest event you had been to for a date, so you stayed quiet at first to observe. Sadly, you were not disappointed in your expectations.

You hid your disgust and resentment well when men would come up to your client and talk about you as if you weren’t right beside Gojo.

She’s gorgeous, what agency?

Gojo, you’re young so you may not know. But whatever price you’ve paid tonight could have been negotiated with these women.

Ah, Mei Mei. She has a way of making call girls look high class.

You were curious as to how Gojo would react to demeaning words towards you. He barely reacted to the insults thrown your way and went along to change the subject to what he was really there for: making connections with investors. It stung, considering how friendly he’s been in between his rude moments. Not too much though. Your client didn’t agree or disagree, instead stepping in front of you to hide you and change the subject. It annoyed you, but you didn’t care for these strangers’ opinions.

After this, if anyone tried to make conversation with you, you chose to talk about the charity. Just to see how they felt about it. Most gave you a vague answer without having clear knowledge of who it’d benefit. Some said the needy should just be thankful for the help they get, even though they’re lazy. As you thought, this was just a front.

A dick measuring contest for potential investors here, Gojo murmured in your ear at one point.

“And is yours the biggest?” you playfully asked, keeping your tone innocent.

Why don't you find out, babe?

As you two laughed at his corny response, a server approached you two. She had several drinks perched on a serving plate. In a professional voice, she listed the glasses off as wine, champagne, water, and cider. Gojo swiped a glass of pink wine while you took cider, thanking her.

With a hand placed at the small of your back, Gojo led you to a vacant standing high table to set your drinks down. While your client took a swig of his wine, you reached over to fix his collar that had been messed up when some woman gave him a tight squeezing hug.

Gojo looked down at you, pleased at your action. He held out his glass to press softly at your lips. The closeness allowed you to smell the sweet wine. “You should try this, it’s really good.”

You leaned away from him and placed your hand over his to push the wine glass back. “Thank you, but I can’t drink on the job.” you explained, faking remorse.

“Huh? Some of the girls said that before, but it didn’t mean anything. It's just a sip.” Gojo urged. This time you couldn’t tell if he was purposely trying to push your boundaries placed by your contract, or if he was being genuine. “Utahime drank all the time!”

Of course she did. Anything to keep her sane around you, you thought as you tried to hold back a smile. You could picture your friend gritting her teeth in irritation and taking swigs of her drink, instead of the little sips you’re supposed to. After going to see Megumi to give him his gift, you'd treat Yuki and Utahime to a short getaway in Hokkaido.

You were saved from responding to Gojo when he looked over you, eyes suddenly lighting up at having spotted someone.

“Nanami!” your client called out, uncaring for disrupting the soft chatter of the people around you. You were sure no one would say anything, save for his own board of directors. “Come say hi!”

It wouldn’t surprise you if this Nanami only came over to avoid Gojo continuing to draw attention to everything around him. With a delicate touch at your elbow, Gojo pulled you closer to his side to make room at the table. You looked up at who was coming your way.

A tall and handsome blonde man in a three piece suit, wearing a stern expression. Beside him, overpowering the blonde man was…

Sukuna?!

When his eyes landed on you, Sukuna’s eyebrows slightly raised in mutual surprise. That was the only indication that his expression changed. You would’ve missed it if you’d blinked at that second. He still had that same resting face that brought unease to people around him. He’s always been imposing and exuded danger, but his brazen confidence was palpable now.

As soon as Gojo finished greeting Nanami, he turned his cheshire grin to the tall man. “Sukuna, look at you! So scary without little Yuuji around.”

“What do you want?” Sukuna asked, voice deep and menacing. Clearly not one to put up with Gojo’s shit. This didn’t surprise you. What surprised you is what Sukuna was doing here.

Gojo raised his hands in mock surrender. “So mean,” he tutted. “Where are your manners? Didn’t anyone teach them to you, I wonder?”

“Bad manners? Fuck off.”

No, not really. You knew Sukuna basically raised himself. You just wondered how much Gojo or anyone here knew…

A large hand extended out to you. “Ryomen Sukuna.” Taking his hand into your much smaller one, you looked up and up at Sukuna’s deep brown eyes. Honestly, they were almost red. But— Ryomen, not Itadori? You immediately understood that something has happened in your time apart. You decided to let him know you got it and that he shouldn’t refer to you as who he knew.

“I’m Sayuri. It’s nice to meet you, Ryomen.” you replied, shaking his hand and smiling sweetly.

You had previously thought Gojo would be the tallest here, but Sukuna easily beat that. He must be 3 or 4 inches taller than Gojo’s 6’2 with twice the body mass. Wide shoulders, arms thick with muscle, upper body just as broad and burly. He’s always been imposing, but the raw power he had now left you astounded. He looked incredibly handsome too, standing out in his all black three piece suit. The only splash of color was his blood red tie.

After Nanami Kento introduced himself, you sipped on your cider while they spoke. Mainly Gojo to Nanami, with Gojo occasionally adding little quips towards Sukuna, who was clearly unfazed and bit back harder.

“So, Nanami,” Gojo began, finishing off his wine. You took his empty glass and gave it to a passing server. Without looking away from the blonde, Gojo casually wrapped his arm around your waist in response. Maybe the wine is what’s made him touchy? “Done any overtime for Sukuna lately? I’ve been hearing how hardworking you are from Mahi--.”

Sukuna and Nanami cut in at the same time.

“Shut your mouth.”

“Let’s talk over there, Gojo.”

Nodding, Gojo put his hands in his pockets. Nonchalant. “Sure,” he grinned, turning his gaze over to Sukuna. “I’m leaving my lovely date to you, hope you don’t mind. She’s pretty cute, so I bet you won't.”

“Is there anything you’d like from the bar?” you asked your client, because you’re still on the job despite your curiosity at the sudden change in conversation. Also to ease Sukuna’s clear antagonism at Gojo, which you understood completely. At least now you have a chance to talk to Sukuna.

“Some of that cider,” Gojo responded, jerking his chin in the direction of your half-empty cider. He leaned down to place a soft peck on your cheekbone, giving you a teasing wink. “Thanks, angel.”

As you watched the two walk out the room, you suddenly smelled Sukuna’s sandalwood cologne. Intimate. He stood behind you, leaning to murmur into your ear.

“Let’s go get a drink, angel,” he mocked. He was still infuriating. And it was still endearing to you.

#this was longer than I expected honestly I'm so sorry #gojo x reader #gojo x y/n #gojo x you #jjk #jujutsu kaisen #gojo satoru #ryomen sukuna #gojo headcanons #gojo satoru x reader #gojo satoru x y/n #gojo satoru x you #satoru gojo x reader #satoru gojo x y/n #Satoru Gojo x you #jjk imagines #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader

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professorrw · 3 years

Text

To Have a Heart

Chapter One

Series Warnings: swearing, smut, fluff, two endings (one sad one happy), crimes, alcoholism, drinking, slight angst, mentions of violence, some violence

The edges of your cloak were scraping across the ground. It normally wouldn’t bother you but now that the leaves have fallen from the trees it makes an awful crinkling sound. You're walking just a few feet in front of your personal knight, Sir Keieran. When you first started sneaking out of the castle he wasn’t even aware. Then one night he called out to you and didn’t get a response so he opened the door to your room and you were gone.

When you arrived back at your windowsill hours later he was sitting at your vanity with his legs and arms crossed. “Where were you?” he asked.

“I was strolling about town if you must know Keieran.” You unfastened your cloak and tossed it over your divan.

He sighed and rubbed a gloved hand across his face. “Y/N please do me a favor and at least tell me where you’re going.”

You dropped onto your plush bed and untied the curtains that surrounded it. “The tavern.”

“The tavern?” he asked in astonishment. “Of all places, the tavern? What does a princess such as yourself see in a grubby tavern?”

You let your head fall onto your pillows. You gazed up at the mural on your ceiling. In the dim light of dark the tiny cherubs couldn’t be seen but you knew they were there, flying to the divine woman in the middle. When you were younger you always wished to be as lovely as her, her silky gold locks flowing into the clouds and her face serene as she held her children.

“It’s lively and there’s fascinating people, nothing like the people that come here. The drinks aren’t anything to scoff about either. Better than the frilly things they serve at mother’s tea parties.”

The knight was shaking his head. “The only thing fascinating about those people is that they’re low lives, criminals a lot of them. If you dare even call that ‘fascinating.’ I can see that you’re trying to hide your identity.” He motioned to the peasant clothes you were still wearing.

“You don’t like them? I made a trip to the local seamstress and had her make them. She found it quite odd but I gave her extra silver as a means to keep quiet about it. They’re very comfortable. I see the appeal.” You swayed your arms back and forth and the big cotton sleeves swung too.

“Princess, you're dressed like a man. Even down to the shoes. I’m sure I have a pair lying around my quarters.” Sir Keieran was downright astounded by your behavior. He understood how bored you were but to go to such great lengths was beyond him. He enjoyed his life as a knight and thought it was an honorable job. You however were tired of the repetitive routine that was living in the castle.

“It’s all part of my disguise. Surely you thought I was an intruder when I climbed through my window,” you spoke in a velvety voice. At this point you were sitting up now, engaged in this impromptu conversation.

“If I did not know you the way I do then yes, I suppose.” Sir Keieran was like a brother to you. He was the son of the commander of the guard and grew up with you and your brothers. They were devilish little things, all four of you were. You, your younger brother Gabriel, and Keieran straightened out eventually but your older brother Lawrence had taken to drinking in his adult years.

“Well it’s settled then. I shall continue to make these excursions and you will not tell a soul.” Before your knight could get out another word you smirked and flipped over in your bed. He knew that this was a battle he wasn’t going to win. You were always persistent and unending in your search for adventure.

“We’ll discuss this to-morrow,” he grumbled.

That exchange led to the arrangement that when you snuck out of the castle Keieran was to come with you. He promised not to inform anyone, and you trusted his word. Even though Keieran was faithful to your father he was still your childhood friend. That’s why he continued to allow you to leave.

It eased his nerves to keep an eye on you and he even dressed the part, wearing normal clothes just like you during your trips. He didn’t complain one bit. You guessed it was because he was tired of being in the castle all day too. So every few nights, sometimes even multiple nights in a row, when your household fell asleep you and Keieran would adorn your peasant clothes and sneak out the window. It wasn’t the most practical way to escape but you thought it was daring and bold, something out of a child’s fairytale.

Leaves crunched beneath your boots. It was that time of year again. The warm weather had passed and it was soon to get very cold. The sun had gone down and there was a chill in the air. A perfect night for drinking and singing by the tavern fire.

You approached the familiar building. Vines were growing on its sides and the stones were old and discolored. The sign that read, ‘The Maiden’s Inn’ creaked from its post. You pushed open the heavy oak door and were hit with the smell of mead and smoke. Keieran was close behind you, nearly on your heels.

“Back off would you?” you whispered fervently.

“Your safety is my first priority Y/N. I wish you would let me go in first so I could make sure there’s nothing- or no one- that is of danger to you.” You turned your head and saw him wearing a brooding expression. Unfortunately as you matured Keieran became very serious due to his knight training. Not much could break him of that attitude, you knew from personal experience.

“Cheer up my dear friend, tonight is the knife tossing tournament.” A group of scruff men formed a semi-circle around a wooden board that had been nailed to the wall. Paint was smeared in a rough red circle in the center with blue rings around it.

“How delightful. I imagine you’ll be joining?” He crossed his arms and looked over at you.

“Yes, I will be. Are you? I would enjoy some competition.” You had a devilish grin on your face as you looked up at Keieran.

“No I shall not. Though it’s rather tempting to beat the princess, I wouldn’t dare hurt your pride.” The corner of his mouth tugged up in a small smile.

“Oh Keieran you wound me. But I believe I’m better at throwing knives than you.” Leaving without another word you make your way to the crowd of gentlemen.

“Could I give it a go?” you ask.

“Sure lass.” The man nearest you hands the knife over and steps aside to give you a clear shot.

You aim the knife as you learned to from your brothers and threw it. It hit just off center, but still in the red circle, with a resounding thud. Every man’s eyebrows shoot up in astonishment, they never expected a woman to have such precise aim.

“Hoho, well done missy. It seems you win,” said the man who handed you the knife.

You were about to respond when someone new approached the group and spoke. “Actually may I have a try? I believe myself quite skilled in this regard.”

You take a look at the challenger. You surely hadn’t seen him before, if you had you would surely remember. He had raven hair and a tall yet lean frame. His blue eyes had a twinkle of mischief in them that enticed you beyond comparison. Noticing your stare the mysterious man looked your way and gave you a once over. Once he had finished he flashed you a smile that would make any maiden swoon.

Out of all the men in the tavern he had to be the most handsome. You couldn’t help but feel a tug of intrigue towards him. You backed off though to give your challenger room. He angled his arm back, took a step forward, and threw. You look in disbelief at the perfect bullseye he hits.

He glances at you and smirks at your parted lips and eyes that are still gazing at the board. He turns away from you and begins to talk to the organizer of the knife throwing competition. You walk over to Keieran who had taken his place at a table in the corner of the room.

When you’re close enough to see his expression you scowl at him. A small smirk is displayed on his face. “I didn’t even have to enter for you to lose. Though I am curious what that scoundrel does for a living.”

You frown as you take your seat. “How can you know that he’s a scoundrel?”

The knight gives you a skeptical look as he speaks, “How do you know he’s not? If he’s coming here then he must be.”

“We’re here and we aren’t scoundrels.”

“We just as well may be for leaving the safety of the castle and returning to such a place so often.”

“Oh you just don’t know what it’s like to thirst for adventure. You’re a knight after all. You get to slay beasts and the kingdom's enemies as your job. That’s an adventure. You may not be aware of this but I rather envy you, Keieran.”

The knight’s smirk drops and is replaced by knitted brows. “Why ever would you be envious of me? I’m positive every maiden in this country would like to be in your place.”

You and Lawrence were never keen on palace life. You were tired of being stuck there and Lawrence was tired of being expected to fill his father’s shoes and one day become king. Not many knew of your displeasure, not even your parents. Your little brother knew and it was a god send that he loved the castle and everything about it.

Growing up you were always wanting to leave the castle and do something. There was nothing wrong with mother’s tea parties. There was nothing wrong with painting, stitching, or playing piano in the parlor, other than you did it every day. You were stuck in a loop of familiarity, and you wanted to get out. You wanted to see the world and all it had to offer; the good and the bad.

“You know perfectly well why Keieran. And don’t mistake my desire for ungratefulness. I know how much privilege I have. I know there are people that have much less than me. I know perfectly well that I’m fortuitous. I cannot help that I’m…”

“Unable to do as you please,” Keieran finished. “Yes, Y/N, I know. I really truly feel for you. If it makes you feel better I pray that you’re reborn as a pirate in your next life.”

“That would be nice, wouldn’t it? It would be much more fitting to my personality. Drinking all night, sailing the seven seas… Speaking of drinking, I’m going to order some ale, would you like something?” You got up from your seat and pushed in the heavy wooden chair, which scraped across the already scuffed floor.

“Get me an ale and a pie.”

You walked to the counter and told the innkeeper your order. You took a seat on a stool as your drinks and Keieran’s pie was made. Someone slid into the spot next to yours and you glanced over to find it was the man that won the knife throwing contest. He smiled when you looked at him.

“You have very sharp skills princess,” he said coolly.

Series Taglist: @sxsalvatore

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businessbusy-love · 4 years

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Reason why you need to manufacture your products yourself

we're going to discuss why you need to manufacture your products yourself now I know I've been talking a lot about manufacturing in the previous videos any advantages of how much money you can make by yourself and that you don't need anybody else in this day and age but Want to go into a little detail here so let's say you do have a simple plastic product that you want to make you don't make it yourself what you do is you design it yourself and then you farm out all the injection molding processes you're not going to bring in some giant injection molding machine to get start edit's a waste of time you don't have the space. You have to know the business current affairs to be success.

Those machinesare really expensive they take a lot of skill to run you need to make the moldsand it goes on and on and on the electric bill the employees you don'twant all that you're an inventor looking to make good money in the simplest waypossible I call people lazy for coming up with their ideas and then not doingaging with them other than trying to sell them to other people but the reality of it is we also don't want to work too hard either we want to work efficiently for the maximum amount of money and we do that by manufacturingthem ourselves think about this even a 30 $40 item through business news.

If you can make $10 on eachitem after you've shipped it out the door to your distributor reseller oreven retail imagine how much money you can make simply just selling you know to300 units to 300 units at a $10 profit each is two to three thousand dollarsfor very little effort if all you're doing is slapping labels on and you needa bedroom or a basement or a garage somewhere just to store a few of them asthey arrive from whoever's manufacturing them for you this is a win win it shouldbe a dream come true for you guys.

It's the way I started when I first started Iwas making a hundred pieces out of aluminum at a time I had a bunch oflittle aluminum parts I would have a made at the machine shop take them overto the anodized pick him up from there bring him homeand my wife and I would sit at a table in my garage and we'd put them togetherit really it was just a weekend and part time job but here's a thing about whenyou price your products correctly now those products of mine were sellingfor two three four hundred dollars apiecethey took me about 10 15 minutes to assemble but I was doubling triplingquadrupling what it was actually costing me to make them so when I was sellingthem at a few hundred dollars and only selling twenty thirty of them a week Iwas making thousands of dollars I mean literally out the gate.

I started makingfifty a hundred thousand dollars with my first it was one product that I didn'tspun off to two products to raise the revenue a little bit more that went tothree then went to four five six products and then that was it and I didthat for god I think five six seven years by the time I was done with thatsimple product that only cost me a few thousand dollars for that initial run ofa hundred pieces I made close to a million dollars in the life of that oneseries of product that was it that was a five year run and a million dollars overfive years is pretty darn good when you consider.

I was working fulltime in the movie industry and then coming home and just doing that as aside thing instead of watching TV those products they took me two days to makein my garage the original prototypes and then a fewhours to drill out the parts and also go over to the machine shop and talk withthem but once the machine shop had it in her hands they did all the workit was easy it was just me picking up the parts when they were done takingthem to the anodized ER waiting a few days getting the colored parts back andyou've seen anodizing in the previous videos I talked about it but you cangoogle it or look here on YouTube if you're not sure what I mean it's ahardening colouring process that they use onaluminum and some other materials it's actually a ceramic coating which isinteresting in fact aluminum becomes non conductive after you anodized it whichis really interesting because of the coating it's a process that you justdrop the parts off you wait you wait for them to be done you pick them up youtake everything home you buy your screws whatever else you need you keep them inbags on a shelf and you assemble them as you go it's kind of a no-brainer but nowyou can control your destiny with your products and here's the other thing weneed to talk about this.

And I'm not gonna go just pro-america here I'm gonnatalk about America and I'm gonna talk about Europe and I'm even gonna talk tomy Indian friends because I seem to have a lot of like 5% of the people on hereare from India and I know they're coming from croire and that's one of the othervideos that I showed you on how you can use Quora to attract video views so Iknow that about 5% is Indian you guys have the opportunity in India with allyour little manufacturing facilities around you to make anything you wantcheaply and then put them on eBay and sell them worldwide and then us inAmerica forget about what they have available to them we have everythingavailable to us in every state I will be surprised if you guys in any state inthe United States cannot find a machine shop and an anodized er I guarantee youcan find both and if you need screws and all that other stuff you order it onlineit's you know that everything's right there it comes in the mail here.

If Iorder from McMaster Claire in the morning my screws are here within fourhours so you have no excuse in America everything is available to you in aninstant it's really convenient and great for you to grow your business now allyou need is a small space in your apartment or house realistically couldbe a closet I mean my wife you know she didn't mind the garage but as thebusiness started to grow it took over the house so she would complain aboutthat but so I did have to move beyond thehouse pretty quickly but it was easy for years just to stock boxes on the shelvesand ship them after about five years of doing that I was looking for the biggeryou know the bigger revenue and that's when I came up with the product attractstick the last one I was talking about was hobby camp and that's no longeraround so I really didn't mention it but track stick you can go to the websitewhen I started thinking about track stick it was a couple years after 9/11and I knew there was some concern in the world about terrorism so that's whatgave me the idea for track stick it was a product that I designed completelyhands-off when I made track stick I knew I wanted it to be big and there wereonly two ways I could do that one way would have been to invest in equipmentlike you see here but this isn't even really high speed equipment this is justfor me to do small batch runs when we're talking high speed thousands of boardsyou need much bigger pick-and-place machines and I didn't want to get intoall that I'm in California I didn't want the rent the electricity to theemployees all the insurance all the retirement expenses the medical and itgoes on and on and on I was young I was like got 32 years old.

I wanted to stillbe able to have fun travel the world it's what you want to do it's up to youif you want that responsibility I know a lot of guys that just drive off of thatI didn't want that I didn't want the risk of going out of business I didn'twant the risk of not being able to pay the rent those types of things but Icould tell you one thing I learned if you do it you will figure out a way topay the bills no matter how much more they are than the bills you have nowit's an amazing thing I've been saying I'm worried about the rent or themortgages or all the other costs for 20 years now I haven't gone bankrupt yetin fact I've done quite well I may not have you know the huge facilities likeyou see on some of these youtube channels with the manufacturing but mostof them aren't in California where real estate is really expensive and there area few like one of the guys I love is Titan C&C look him up he talks aboutmanufacturing in in America I could not take the pressureof his responsibilities he's actually talked about how he's going bankrupt afew time his credit is bad he's nearly lost his businesses I I would I wouldlose my hair that.

I love it would all turn gray first and that's not what I'mlooking to do it's up to you if you have the money if you have the balls to beable to put up with that go for it I don't have it and I'm not ashamed toadmit that I don't have that kind of risk taking ability I tend to just do itlittle baby steps at the time and as I make profits pay my taxes that's anotherthing when you make money taxes are coming so don't forget that I can't tellyou how many Kickstarter projects I've seen go under not because they didn'tship a product but because of the taxes you and you're an inventor you're abusinessman too this is another thing we will talk about it in the future but notonly are there responsibilities for bills the taxes can be hugeand in California believe me they come knocking they come looking for youso you need to think about that that as you become successful you are a targetfor the taxman so prepare for it and these are the realities of manufacturingand it's really not manufacturing we're talking about in most cases here we'retalking about micro manufacturing we're talking about 100 200 500 pieces at atime we're talking about not big investments for you guys I know theprices if you do all aluminum products if you do injection molded parts you canmany times get in depending on your product to three to five thousanddollars at the most for your first product I think that's a good risktolerance and then as you grow you take on a little more maybe a fifteenthousand dollar product here's another hint so my most successful products andthis has been pretty consistent I have products that have cost meanywhere from $2,000 to make up to a quarter of a millionand I will tell you a little secret my most successful products this is true mymost successful products have cost me anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 to makenow I have made hundreds of thousands of dollars in mistakes along the way takingthose $3,000 products to market I don't have to make those mistakes anymore butI did in the beginning I mean my track stick technically cost me less than$10,000 to invent but I blew twenty thousand dollars of my own money makingmy first mold that was useless because I wound up hiring people that had nevermade molds before and they were like two thousand miles away and here's thekicker so I blew twenty thousand dollars on that mold and I was so upset about itand I started googling there was a mold maker within walking distance of myhouse in California then.

I wound up hiring and I think he did my first moldit was about 15,000 I told him I went broke for 20 grand could he please makemy next fold for 15 and I promised that I would give him more business which Idid I made about 10 molds with the guy it was just incredible the learningexperience and how much I could have saved if I knew ahead of time but that'slife and that's why we talked about you need to get out there and you need tostart talking to these people and learning the processes so you don't makethe same mistakes that I made in the beginning and if you are learningsomething from these videos I hope you're subscribing you're leavingcomments below you're giving me a thumbs up because I want to help I also want togrow this channel and you know I want to be here for you guys because it'sexciting as you guys are making things and talking to me it really encouragesme to keep going even when I have such a low view countright now thanks to YouTube and its new algorithms but we'll getthat if you just keep on leaving me comments so that I know were punchingthrough the slow views I don't care how many people are viewing this what I careabout is that the ones that are viewing this channel are learning something andimplementing it that's what you need to do because if you just start doing somemicro manufacturing invest a few thousand maybe and I know this in Indiayou guys are probably investing a few hundred the equivalent of a few hundreddollars with your friends and they're making you product so anybody can dothis in America it's gonna cost us a little more because we do have differentlaws and restrictions that don't allow us to be that cheap Europe the same wayEurope's going to be a little more expensive for manufacturing than inAmerica and definitely more than it's gonna cost in Asia but it doesn't matterit depends on what your interests are where you want to make your productswhat your commitment is I am like 100 percent make it in America butunfortunately in California because of all the environmental laws and all theother restrictions most of the time I get prices that are three times the costof what they are to make in Asia so you know if they can't compete you can'tjust say oh okay.

I'll pay three times more that three timesrepresents the entire cost of my product which means that they've raised theprice by three times at the same C shops my retail is going to double my cost tothe distributors is probably going to triple I'm gonna price myself right outof the market so when it comes to manufacturing you'regonna have to pick all different places if you know something's cheap to makearound the corner do it around the corner don't send it to Asia you know doit locally but at the same time if you're good if you have a part that'smachined and let's say it'll cost you 75 dollars to make in the US but China willsell to you for $30 a piece in a quantity of 100 where do you think youhave to go you're going to have to go to Asia toChina and I'm going to mention Titan C&C again because I'm watching his videosthis guy gets me pumped up I mean he's different he's differentjust like I'm different big guy big strong guy I'll put a link down belowand he he's a genius I know a genius when I see one this guy's so smart andthe way he looks he may not even realize how smart he is because he talks aboutmachining like I've never heard it talked about before and I know machinisthe has beautiful shops Titan C&C has shops that you could eat off the floorseverything is pristine when I look at his machines they shine there's no chipsthere's no oil they're beautiful and it's not because he's not using them andthey're brand new this guy loves what he's doing and he's pumping me upbecause I gotta say he's making stuff in the US I'm saying make stuff in the USwe're both doing it and you can too and if you're in Asia make it in Asia ifyou're in Europe make it in Europe make your commitment to the people around youthat's all that's important it's not about nationalism it's aboutmanufacturing because manufacturing is what made America great we all need tomanufacture if we want to see our countries do well so look at Titan andwhat he says the only way that America is going to compete in the world is ifthe machines make the parts quicker we already know that especially inCalifornia labor is expensive and the liability that goes with itit is prohibitive for companies.

it does create a burden for companies so what hesays is you hire less people but you make the machines run quicker you buynewer machines you program so they're fastyou make efficient ways to manufacture so you can get more product out the doornow I should listen to this advice because the stuff that I run on thesemachines many times gets back ordered by days by weeks it's frustrating for mebecause I can never predict the amount of sales that I'm going to get and nomatter what I put on the Shelf it seems to sell out so you can actually and thisis a weird thing about business even though my profits on purpose are high Ican actually put myself out of business by making too much product yes I knowthat people are going to buy it but at what cost to me in terms of stocking iton the shelves Titan talked about this too we're a company said we need to stopour orders but he kept going and these were expensive millions of dollars inparts it was actually a hundred million dollar contract you can look at hisvideo he just said you know what they're gonna come back and they're gonna ordermore so I'll just start keep making them for weeks maybe months he went on and hemade all these parts they never came back for them so when you do this yougot to watch how many you put on yourself manufacturing is a game youjuggle how many do I make versus how many I think are going to sell not howmany are actually selling because remember there's a delay after orderparts from Asia I order parts from down the street they all take time to come inthen there's processes like anodizing painting whatever processes you add tothat they all take time and god forbid one of those manufacturers get busybecause then the time that you normally get them in becomes longer so when itcomes to manufacturing start thinking of a plan because that's how you're gonnamake your money you.

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