I prefer spite to positivity, really keeps a person going and motivated.
Not at all, hoarding gold would be just sitting on it. There's no point in that, it's not even accumulating more wealth or opportunity. Investing the gold into current and future business ventures however is just practical.
Haven't you heard? There's nothing good in me, I sold that a long time ago to make a better deal.
[Kaz Brekker not only offers to buy out indentured servant contracts for everyone in Ketterdam, but he provides tenant housing that's actually well-made and affordable, and zero children are on his streets hungry or selling drugs. He's been the one that fell through the cracks and while he won't brag about it or feel the need to defend himself, his business ventures speak for themselves. He's no saint, but he doesn't swindle people like he was.]
That's not what I've heard about you. There are so many stories, it's a complicated thing to piece together.
[And few of them mention the good. Though she did have a student on scholarship who lived in one of those flats; it was the first time she heard one of her students mention him.]
[And sometimes that will bother people she is close to. Watching themselves age while she doesn't.]
But I'm not an enemy. One of my students lives in one of your flats, she was telling someone how it's the only place her mom could afford, but that it's nice.
[It doesn't really bother him. While not quite as long-lived as Stella, Grisha can live for centuries. He's gotten used to the idea that Nina and Jesper might age much slower than him going into adulthood. He also doesn't really see himself living to old age given his lifestyle, but that's a topic he tends to avoid.]
Ah. Remind me to put a clause in my housing contracts against outside compliments.
[He's not serious.]
I'm no hero, Stella, and I don't want to be. Meeting needs and providing people opportunities inspires loyalty. It's just good business sense.
[She always suspects it's more than just business. There are plenty of people doing truly heinous things in the name of business, and then there is Kaz having affordable housing.]
I have too. There were times when women weren't allowed to rent or buy on their own. And times when I didn't want to live with anyone.
[She knows how rough it can be on the streets. Between artists she could sometimes find herself with nowhere to go.]
No defensiveness, just an honest answer. I'm sure it would have been rougher, if I couldn't take care of myself. But I could, so it's fine. I'm not really one to wallow in the past.
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Date: 2023-10-10 06:29 pm (UTC)Ok, what about a treasury with actual money in it?
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Date: 2023-10-10 09:59 pm (UTC)If anyone helped me, they'd get a cut of it. The rest would go into current and new business enterprises.
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Date: 2023-10-10 10:07 pm (UTC)[Get him some motivational posters, everyone loves those.]
You want to become a gold hoarding dragon basically.
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Date: 2023-10-10 10:53 pm (UTC)Not at all, hoarding gold would be just sitting on it. There's no point in that, it's not even accumulating more wealth or opportunity. Investing the gold into current and future business ventures however is just practical.
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Date: 2023-10-10 11:01 pm (UTC)But would you do anything good with the money? Like feeding hungry kids or something?
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Date: 2023-10-10 11:10 pm (UTC)Haven't you heard? There's nothing good in me, I sold that a long time ago to make a better deal.
[Kaz Brekker not only offers to buy out indentured servant contracts for everyone in Ketterdam, but he provides tenant housing that's actually well-made and affordable, and zero children are on his streets hungry or selling drugs. He's been the one that fell through the cracks and while he won't brag about it or feel the need to defend himself, his business ventures speak for themselves. He's no saint, but he doesn't swindle people like he was.]
no subject
Date: 2023-10-10 11:14 pm (UTC)That's not what I've heard about you. There are so many stories, it's a complicated thing to piece together.
[And few of them mention the good. Though she did have a student on scholarship who lived in one of those flats; it was the first time she heard one of her students mention him.]
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Date: 2023-10-10 11:26 pm (UTC)I won't pretend that's not by design. The more stories swirling around, the harder you are to pin down by your enemies.
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Date: 2023-10-10 11:32 pm (UTC)[And sometimes that will bother people she is close to. Watching themselves age while she doesn't.]
But I'm not an enemy. One of my students lives in one of your flats, she was telling someone how it's the only place her mom could afford, but that it's nice.
no subject
Date: 2023-10-10 11:40 pm (UTC)[It doesn't really bother him. While not quite as long-lived as Stella, Grisha can live for centuries. He's gotten used to the idea that Nina and Jesper might age much slower than him going into adulthood. He also doesn't really see himself living to old age given his lifestyle, but that's a topic he tends to avoid.]
Ah. Remind me to put a clause in my housing contracts against outside compliments.
[He's not serious.]
I'm no hero, Stella, and I don't want to be. Meeting needs and providing people opportunities inspires loyalty. It's just good business sense.
... and I've been homeless.
no subject
Date: 2023-10-10 11:47 pm (UTC)[She always suspects it's more than just business. There are plenty of people doing truly heinous things in the name of business, and then there is Kaz having affordable housing.]
I have too. There were times when women weren't allowed to rent or buy on their own. And times when I didn't want to live with anyone.
[She knows how rough it can be on the streets. Between artists she could sometimes find herself with nowhere to go.]
no subject
Date: 2023-10-10 11:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-10 11:56 pm (UTC)And I probably could have just gone running home, maybe I should have, but I didn't feel like I belonged there anymore.
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Date: 2023-10-11 11:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-11 12:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-11 09:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-11 10:12 pm (UTC)I'm not saying you can't take care of yourself. You don't need to be so defensive with me, you know I'm not going anywhere.
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Date: 2023-10-11 10:36 pm (UTC)No defensiveness, just an honest answer. I'm sure it would have been rougher, if I couldn't take care of myself. But I could, so it's fine. I'm not really one to wallow in the past.
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Date: 2023-10-11 10:41 pm (UTC)Yes, I've noticed. You're barely one to acknowledge it. Which is fine, everyone deals with things differently.
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Date: 2023-10-11 10:49 pm (UTC)Indeed. Many musicians bank their entire careers upon putting their torrid lives to a lively beat.
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Date: 2023-10-11 10:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-11 11:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-11 11:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-12 12:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-10-12 12:19 am (UTC)How do you put up with my and my incessant desire to get to know you?
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