#Answer all the points in the company expectations doc

[th3-c0ll3ct3r]

I was given an assignment 6 weeks ago and I've been doing the allocated time plan for the last 6 weeks.

Turns out you actually need 2 whole months to do the assignment as stated by the exam board and my college just decided that, "Fuck it they can do it"

It's now 12:42am and I've typing for last 5 hours.

It's due tomorrow. AND WHAT EVEN WORSE IS THAT 5 HOURS AGO WHEN I WAS GOOGLE THIS INFORMATION I FOUND OUT IT'S ONLY WORTH 17% OF THE FRICKING GRADE!

What is this? Some sadistic educational torture? This is my first 5 min break in an hour and 30 minutes. And I've still gotta write the evaluation and test plan. I'm so I've this.

UPDATE: 2am and done.

[ohtobeleah]

Bruises // Jake Seresin

Chapter One: [Happily Ever Afters Don’t Exist]

Summary: A certain naval aviator shows up on your front doorstep right on cue. Because when the nightmares are too hard to handle on their own? You and Jake find solace in one another’s presence.

Word Count: 2.5k

Series Warnings: Heavy themes of violence, sexual assault, torture. 18+ content. Minors DNI. Mature themes. Being held in captivity. Hostage style situation. Main character death! Whump, Angst. Conversations that discuss antisocial & antisemitism views.

Author Note: THIS SERIES IS CONFRONTING, FICTIONAL, AND DEPICTS IMAGES OF TORTURE. DO NOT READ PAST THIS POINT IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS SERIES WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO YOUR MENTAL STABILITY. CURATE YOUR OWN TIMELINE.

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

Sunday- August 13th 2023. Present Day 

We all remember the bedtime stories of our childhoods. The shoe that fits Cinderella, the frog that turns into a prince, Sleeping Beauty is awakened with a kiss. Once upon a time and then they lived happily ever after. 

Fairy tales—the stuff of dreams. The problem is, fairy tales don’t come true. It’s the other stories, the ones that begin with dark and stormy nights, and end in the unspeakable. It’s the nightmares that always seem to become reality. 

You shot up from your spot in your bed trying to regulate your breathing from yet another nightmare, the nightmares you already lived through that your mind, body and soul couldn’t let go of, the overwhelming fear had triggered yet another panic induced asthma attack. Your inhaler sat close by on your bedside table. 

You came to quickly realise after all that you’d been through that the person that invented the phrase ‘Happily Ever After’ Should have his ass kicked and kicked hard. Because ‘Happily Ever After’ Didn’t exist. 

Sleep didn't come easy anymore, especially at night. Since you’d been on mandated medical leave you did your best to sleep during the day and stay awake all night, just to keep the voices in your head silent. It did little to curve the nightmares though, the sounds of tortuous screams that would send you into a dizzying fit of terrors until you realised you were safe. That you were home and that you were in your own bed, not on some dirty cell floor a million miles away with no hope of ever seeing your loved ones again. 

A knock at your front door in the middle of the night would usually have your heart racing. People don't knock on peoples doors in the middle of the night, and if they do? Your mother always taught you not to answer unless you were expecting company. 

As you padded over to your front door with a warm cup of peppermint tea in your hand, you had to wonder what one it was this time that brought the wounded soul to your doorstep. You opened your front door to reveal the very person you had actually been expecting for all the wrong reasons. He stood with his shoulders slumped in his grey sweats and an old longhorns T-shirt that looked worse than he did. Sad emerald green eyes met yours as he ran a nervous hand through his sandy locks, hell, this never got any easier. 

Jake Seresin showing up on your doorstep at one in the morning had become a thing. On the nights he wasn't dragging his tail up your three porch steps, you were banging against his courtyard gate. Both as desperate for company as each other. Yet neither of you would admit you were struggling. But the unspoken was as loud as silence could ever be. 

You’d both witnessed and experienced the unthinkable, unspeakable acts of violence that should have killed you both. But yet here you were, making him peppermint tea at one in the morning, trying to hide the fact whenever you looked at him all you saw was the way his body bled and bruised. 

“What one was it this time?” You asked as you handed Jake the tea you'd made for him, having expected him any minute now. He still had bruises that littered his cheeks and eye socket. Doctors had reassured you that his broken jaw would heal in time, for someone with the gift of the gap not talking though was a difficult task. But being in an induced coma for the first week since being admitted helped the swelling a lot. He looked more like himself now. 

Lieutenant Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin. The very embodiment of a human ken doll. He looked like the Jake you knew before the mission that nearly killed you both. Everyday that passed he looked less and less like the version of himself that would have said or done anything to keep you alive. That had done everything he could have. 

“The one where they made me hurt you.” Jake mumbled as he stepped past the threshold of your humble abode and accepted the cup of warm peppermint tea you had made for him. He appreciated the warm sensation, it grounded him. “I get that one alot, whenever I close my eyes–” Jake paused as he drank in the sight of you. You looked healthier now. Brighter. Your eyes weren't so full of fear and your lip wasn't as split anymore. “All I see is you and how I couldn’t save you.” 

You and Jake had shared all your darkest nightmares with one another, he was the only person who understood what you were going through, what you sounded like while your skin was cut and your bones were broken. He was the only one who understood when you told him your body didn’t feel like yours anymore. And you were the only one who understood what it was like to want to die just to feel peace. To escape hell. You’d seen the limits each other could tolerate, and you'd seen each other's breaking points. Neither of you could escape the burning guilt you held for each other. It was a bond that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy. 

With all the love you held for each other you’d both agreed now just wasn’t the right time. A relationship seemed like the worst thing to jump head first into after experiencing hell on earth. But with that mutual understanding came a deep hesitation to believe any of it was ever real to begin with. 

“Well, you did.” You reminded Jake as his eyes wandered down to where your hand and wrist still remained in a cast. He could still remember the way you screamed out in utter agony when the hammer smashed your bones, how you looked when infection took over. “I’m here because of you.” He didn’t reply straight away as he took a sip of the warm peppermint tea you’d made for him. He watched silently as you closed your front door—making sure to lock it and switch off the patio light. It was the middle of the night after all. 

Jake Seresin was a wreck, you knew that much. The people who knew him better than most would often tell you he was a shell of his former cocky, egomaniacal self. They all missed that version of Jake—the one who could give anyone a headache just by his charm alone, but was present and aware. 

But the Jake you knew was just as scared and bruised as you. Even if he wouldn’t admit it, the mutual midnight visits were enough of an explanation, and you didn’t push. He didn’t push either. The two of you just existed, trying to navigate through the trauma of the situation the two of you found yourselves in. Marked confidential and sealed indefinitely. Plagued with the sounds of each other’s tortuous screams. 

“You were there because of me too.” Jake finally replied, his voice was soft and barely audible. “You were my responsibility.” He bowed his head in shame, regret had followed him everywhere since the two of you had gone down. “I failed you.” 

It was your turn to listen and take in the heaviness of Jake's admission. An admission you’d heard a hundred times before and would surely hear a thousand times more. It was Jake's truth, his version of reality. 

“You didn’t fail me, Seresin.” You sighed softly as you walked your way around to stand before him. Jake looked at you with so much guilt, so much anguish in his eyes. Those deep green emerald eyes. “Because we’re home, we’re safe, you’re standing here drinking my peppermint tea and I’m about to reach up and kiss you—“ You placed your hand on the back of Jake's neck, slowly, tentatively. “Because you didn’t fail me, you saved me.” Jake knew that was true to some extent, you were holding on for dear life when rescue came. Without them, without Jake begging you to stay, you probably wouldn’t have. 

“Please—“ Jake whispered as tears fell from his lash line. “Just one.” You did. It wasn’t hard touching Jake, or loving him or kissing him or doing anything that made you feel connected. If it were anyone else you’d struggle. But not with Hangman. 

It was the softest of kisses, the most fleeting of things, but you did what you said you were going to do and reached up to kiss Jake's lips. 

Jake raised his eyebrows in reaction to your softness but soon closed his eyes knowing he was safe and pulled you closer by the small of your waist with just one hand. He still held the peppermint tea in the other. Savouring every single moment, every fleeting touch you were willing to give him. 

“You didn’t fail me Jake, I’m standing right here, because you kept me going—you kept me alive.” You knew exactly what Jake needed to hear as he let his forehead rest against yours. You cupped his cheeks to catch the tears that had begun to fall down his slightly bruised cheeks. You caught Jake's tears with the pads of your thumbs, just like you’d done when he was covered in his own blood. 

“You gave me hope and we’re okay Jake, we’re okay.” All Jake did was nod with closed eyes. He needed your gentle touch to ground him, keep him from falling into the dark depths of the hole he was standing on the edge of. 

“We’re okay.” The same hole that you had teetered on the edge of. “We’re okay.” Jake repeated a few times as he kept his eyes closed. He was afraid that when he opened his eyes you’d be gone. “We’re okay.” He whispered just one more time before he opened his eyes, you were still there, his weapon’s system office, his responsibility, his one and only guiding light. “Thanks.” 

“Not a problem.” You pressed your lips together in a fine line before you stepped away. Heading towards the kitchen where you’d left your own cup of tea. “I’m glad you’re here actually.” You sheepishly admitted. “I was going to try and get some rest but couldn’t fall asleep alone.” Jake knew what you were asking of him—he’d asked you a fair few times himself. But again, it was all coded. 

“I’m pretty tired, could use an hour or two.” He replied with half a smile that only graced half his face. Jake followed you over to the hallway he knew led down to your bedroom. Completely lit so that not an ounce of darkness could shroud your recovery process. “I’ll stay.” 

“Thanks.” You looked up at Jake as he looked at you, both as broken as each other. He still saw the uncertainty in your eyes, the fear that your time had left you with. Jake could argue you had it worse than he did, but you’d say it wasn’t a competition. “I think I sleep easier with you here than when you’re not.” 

“If I wasn’t so haunted by your screams Hollywood, I’d be flattered.” Jake teased as he took a sip of his tea. The tea you’d made just for him in the mug you knew he liked. It was easy to joke about small details, it’s how you and Jake got by, but the sad reality was it was all true. There was a time where Jake Seresin would have taken that compliment and turned it into something more sexually explicit. But now? Even when the two of you did embark on showing one another what it was like to touch the stars and all Jake saw was you in that cell screaming for those men to stop. In his nightmares as he’d lay beside you he felt like one of them. 

Jake caught himself falling into a k-hole of thoughts as he took another sip of his tea to bring him back down to earth. “But yeah, I sleep better with you by my side too.” 

It was weird going from being so sure of every word Jake spoke in the time you were held together, to all these ‘Thinks’ and ‘Pretty Sures.’ But you knew the ‘I love yous’ shared and the admiration admitted were all just tactics to keep each other alive. At least on Jake’s behalf you assumed. For you? Every word of it was real. Every plea for Jake to keep his eyes open was real. Every cry of mercy for them to stop beating him was real. Every ‘take me’ every ‘I love you’ every ‘don’t you dare die on me, not now.’ Was real. Every ‘when we make it home, I’ll never let you go.’ Was real. 

“Good.” You yawned, exhausted from all the sleepless nights and half ass attempts during the day. “Because I’m exhausted.” 

“Feels like we’re on a train that’s going like two hundred miles an hour without any breaks.” Jake began walking with you towards your bedroom. A bedroom he’d become so familiar in he knew where you kept your socks and what corner you favoured for dirty laundry. “And as much as you wanna stop that train we can’t get off, for some fucking reason we just can’t get off.” He continued as you pushed your door open, still lit from almost every light you owned. “Wouldn’t it though—wouldn’t it just be so nice to step off onto the platform for a minute?” Jake asked as you took his tea and placed it up on the dresser beside yours. Coaxing him forward and towards your bed by his hand. 

“It would be nice.” You tried not to cry.” “It would be so nice.” You knew what Jake meant, what the platform was a metaphor for. You couldn’t say you hadn’t thought about it—the sweet release death would bring. “But I’m not quitting on you now Hangman.” You held back tears as you kissed Jake again, this time with more passion and fire in your intention and this time he kissed you back. 

The back of your knees hit the side of your bed and you were down, with Jake falling with you. It was the closest to love the pair of you would get. Relearning what gentle romance was. Relearning to understand that not every touch was rough. 

“So you don’t get to quit on me.” You reminded him sternly. It was just the trauma talking. You’d give anything to go back to the way things were before, when the two of you hardly spoke. When the pair of you bickered and argued and didn’t engage in pity sex out of an existential obligation to one another just to feel something besides hopelessness and pain. “Because we made it out, we got out and we survived—“ You cried into his mouth as tears of his own dripped off his cheeks down onto yours. “And we’ll survive whatever else is left to come, okay, you and me?” 

Jake didn’t give you an answer, but he nodded silently before he took your lips hostage again. His hands were gentle against you—afraid that he’d hurt healing wounds. But he could never. He could never hurt you as much as they did. 

“Just you and me Hollywood."

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

Tags 🏷️ @americaarse @blindedbythelightt @tayl0rhuynh @athenabarnes @imaginecrushes @whyareallnamesgone @mjmaximoffbarnes @amiets2 @mads-weasley @gabbyella @ephemeralninon @xoxabs88xox @pedrohoe04 @starkleila @je-suis-prest-rachel @clancycucumber230 @maisie-rebloging-blog @callsign-barbell @obiwankenobis-lap @some-lovely-day @paperbag333 @callsign-magnolia @jhiddles03 @hardballoonlove @shanimallina87 @seitmai @abaker74 @missemrose @starset21 @kmc1989

[sasster]

Comfort

Here’s a continuation of the lover’s quarrel going on over here.

[Docs] —

All of the air leaves the room when Benjin storms out in his rage, leaving Mallum to throw himself on the couch, deflated. The minute exchange of looks between Veylin and Zurven tells him which quad he will be responsible for looking after.

Veylin follows on the heels of her moirail.

Silence quickly settles between the two that remain in the living room, a silence that Zurven very quickly decides that he does not like. It would be his first time experiencing this sort of heavy silence while in the company of this particular partner.

He prefers his useful boisterous demeanor.

It isn’t as though his own anger for the situation doesn’t weigh heavily on his chest, as if he didn’t have half a mind to swallow back all of the trust he’d poured into him and hole himself in the room until Ben and Vey get back. It’s second nature to run from problems, and ridiculously easy.

But that wouldn’t be fair.

He sighs and sits on the couch next to Mallum, now sitting with his own head in his hands.

“Mal,” Zurven says softly, softer than he expected.

Now worried that he might lose the nerve to talk about it, he fixes his attention on the wall across from them instead. When Mallum doesn’t answer, he sighs again.

“I was… I am so vulnerable with you. I haven’t kept anything from you in a long time.” Suddenly realizing his own hands are too idle, he begins to tap them rhymically on his thighs. “I wish you would do the same.”

There is more silence and Zurven finds the fear that they’ve already lost Mallum constricting around his throat, burning his lungs.  This can’t be what kills the trust, that idea tightens and becomes a ball in his stomach.

No way.

“I don’t like getting my news the way that Orfuse did.” He chokes out the second the thought enters his mind. The vision left a bad taste in his mouth, Zerkev’s wrath burned through him white hot. He flexes his fingers as the memory of the trident lingers between them.

At least it wasn’t Harlan. The smug satisfaction might have been enough to kill him.

Zurven blinks the dredges of the vision out of his mind and turns his head to finally look at Mallum again.

Mallum sits there, staring at his own hands, with tears spilling out of his eyes. The seadweller makes no sound, the cry is a silent one.

“It isn’t like that,” he whispers in a voice smaller than he’d ever been. “It isn’t about being vulnerable,” and it almost sounds like he is trying to convince himself of that more than Zurven.

There is silence again, but Zurven cannot stand to let it settle and instead turns to take Mallum’s hand in his. He leans his head on his tear-eyed partner’s shoulder.

“You’ve been good to us, Mal. And Lopard used to tell me that something like that can’t be one way,” he squeezes his hand. “Even if we need it at different times, or if it’s very different things, it doesn’t work if it’s one way. Will you let us be good to you?”

Mallum says nothing, then hesitates before turning to grasp desperately at Zurven’s arm and folding himself into the smaller troll as much as he can. Zurven wastes no time in wrapping his arms around him and holding him so tightly that anyone would be forgiven if they assumed that the position was the only thing keeping the pair from falling apart.

Mallum chokes out a sob that sounds nearly like an apology, Zurven shakes his head and moves to smooth out his hair.

“When he let us go we didn’t have anything. I had, uhm, I had the least of us all. No life to return to…” He hesitates as he speaks, letting his hand drift over and around Mallums fins in order to ground himself. Vulnerability about this point in his life never comes easy. “Even when Harlan took me, I didn’t care if I died because everything at that point was just… People were good to me, but it wasn’t mine.”

Now it is Mallum’s turn to squeeze, but he still says nothing.

“If I can’t be good to you guys, if you think I can’t hold your bad news for you, then what’s the point?”

Mallum’s shoulders shake in time with his sbos, but beyond that another silence falls over them. This time, Zurven gives him the time to collect himself before speaking again.

He is satisfied with the knowledge that Mallum knows what his safety and comfort means to him, that he understands it was no less important than his own, Vey, or Bens.

He kisses the top of Mallum’s head and mumbles into his hair, “I love you. Can you say something? About anything. You’ve never been this quiet before.”

A second passes before he responds.

“I’ve ruined you, you can’t live without me now.” He says with a small laugh, muffled into Zurven’s shoulder.

Then he pauses and reaches to lace their fingers together and very softly whispers, “I love you too.”

[mayimkjs]

Mikoto's Notable T2 Timeline Convos (EN Ver)

Taken from the FOOL's MATE research doc

T1 EN

T1 JP

T2 EN

T2 JP

1) 2022/10/06, Mikoto's birthday

Sakurai Haruka Mikoto-san. Um, are you ok……? Kayano Mikoto Ah, Haru-kun. It’s been a while since we last talked, huh. Yeah, I’m fine. Are you doing ok……? Sakurai Haruka Ah, I’m fine. I’ve been enjoying myself, a lot. Um, I’m sorry, for avoiding you.  I was a bit scared. Of you, honestly…… Kayano Mikoto Ahhh, yeah. I’ve been lashing out whenever I go to sleep, right? ……it’s fine. Even I think you’re right to be scared. You know, I kinda just hate that I don’t even know what’s going on myself…… haha. Kayano Mikoto Ah, but despite all that you still came and talked to me because it’s my birthday, right? Thank you, you’ve grown into a good man.

Mikoto has cast himself away.

His relationship with Haruka is completely different as he's now scared of Mikoto.

Mikoto is understanding of his fear and thinks Haruka is in the right.

He has no idea what's been going on and thanks Haruka for the birthday wishes.

2) 2022/12/15, Kotoko's birthday

Kayano Mikoto Ah, Koto-chan. It's been a while. We were isolated for some time but, how are you doing? Lots of things happened, but for now let's get along. Here, it's your birthday right? I figured that no one would come celebrate it for you, so I came to wish you a happy birthday. Yuzuriha Kotoko ...What a carefree person you are.  Someone as atrocious as you won't be forgiven next time too, surely.  When that time comes, it'll be your last. Next time, I'll kill you. Kayano John Haah? Why don't you try it then, you lunatic.  I'll crush anyone who tries to harm me....  I'll make sure to thoroughly beat you at your own game...!! Yuzuriha Kotoko Hmph. The boundaries have gotten more blurred, it seems.  Your existence itself is a crime. I will give you your punishment.  This is MILGRAM's, Es', and also my own decision.

Mikoto and Kotoko were separated for some time. He still wants to get along with everyone and wishes her a happy birthday.

Kotoko then threatens Mikoto

John fronts and threatens her back.

3) 2023/10/06, Mikoto's birthday

Kayano Mikoto Is it true… There’s really another me? These tattered clothes, and scaring everyone, it’s all because of him.  They say I'm a murderer... Isn't it unreasonable to expect me to believe that? Kayano Mikoto Can you hear me talking like this?  If you can hear me, then answer me.  Why are you doing such horrible things? Hey. It's your fault things have become like this. ……Answer me!! Kayano John Ah, ahhh!! Because, I did it for your sake...!  Because you would break apart!! Kayano Mikoto - - What am I doing...?  There's no way you'll conveniently give me an answer. I should just stop thinking about everything already...I'm tired......

Mikoto has completely isolated himself at this point.

He’s trying to communicate with John but is unsuccessful. Even though John responds, Mikoto can’t hear him.

4) 2024/08/05, Kazui's Birthday

Kayano Mikoto Well, you know... I appreciate your feelings, but... I don't know what I might do, even I'm not sure myself. So I think it's best if we're not together for a while. Besides... haha, aren't you scared, Kazu-san? Mukuhara Kazui Hmm, due to my job, I'm used to dealing with troubles youth. You must have your reasons. I don't feel like prying. Well, come over if you feel like it. Staying alone all the time will make you feel down. I can keep you company if you need to relieve some stress. Kayano Mikoto Yeah... I'm not really used to relying on others, you know. How should I put it, I feel like I'm being a bother. I can't bear that feeling of being pathetic... I guess I'm being very Japanese about this, haha... Mukuhara Kazui Hmm... well, that's fine. If that's easier for you, I won't force you. But you know, people in their 20s are still kids. It's admirable that you're hard on yourself, but I think it's okay to cause a bit of trouble for others. After all, I'm nearly 40 and I'm still a kid at heart.

He’s starting to confide in others more.

He still thinks he’s a monster and that other’s shouldn’t be near him. 

Kazui is offering to help Mikoto out by listening to him when he needs it.

He’s admitting that he has a problem about bothering others.

[alica-tech]

a guide on behavioral interviews💼

ok i've got a behavioral interview coming up so decided to make this quick guide on how i prepare for these if it helps anyone else trying to land internships or full-time jobs in the tech industry!

the process

1. ⭐ Introduction (10-15 min)

The interviewer wants to know more about you, your career goals, skills, and how you align w/ the company's mission.

Like a compelling essay, you want a strong hook or opening statement. The first question asked is often "Tell me about yourself" and this should be a brief elevator pitch (30 seconds) that highlights your current status (student, major, study area), your relevant experience, why you're interested in the company/why you're a good fit for the company, and what you're looking for (in a job). Practice this in front of a mirror if you have to!

Doing company research is really important for the whole interview! You want to look informed and interested. You can use sites such as:

Twitter Linkedin Glassdoor company website (blogs/news/about/careers page) any press releases/news articles to find info about what the company is focused on or what they care about most.

Find things that are genuinely interesting to *you* and write it down on a separate notepad to remember it

Review the job posting you applied to and review where you meet their expectations (your strengths) and be aware of your weaknesses (be ready to answer like "I'm working on improving my..." or "I hope this company can give me more experience in..")

Top questions: Tell me about yourself, why do you want to work for us, what are your strengths? Why should we hire you?

2. ⭐ Situational Questions (15-30 min)

This is where you use the STAR method to craft your responses to questions about your communication, work ethic, and collaboration style

STAR: Situation, Task, Action, Result

Here's a guide + sample questions that you can encounter in any type of interview!

Also, prepare 5-6 solid situations that you can use to anchor your STAR responses. These can come from your resume, where each project can be something you can tie back to another soft/technical skill the company is looking for.

For example, for my hackathon experiences, i can relate it to any collaboration / communication / time crunch / meeting deadlines question. for my research experience, i can relate it to analytical skills / experimental / problem-solving questions.

For me, I put all my projects/experiences on a google doc, and then I write additional bullet points on things I did, problems I solved, challenges, skills I gained, etc. It's kind of like a super expanded resume. It's a great reference at a glance! Reflecting on your experiences/projects is very important as well, whether large or small.

3. ⭐ Closing (5 - 10 min)

This is your opportunity to end on a strong note, re-iterating what makes you a good fit for the company and asking questions that show you've done your research on the role/company!

What are good questions? Questions that aren't easily answerable on the company site, questions that will help YOU make a decision if you want to work for them

Here's some good ones: What is your current work from home / hybrid / in-person policies? What are the most exciting challenges facing your company in the next 6 months? What's the next step in the interview process / when can I expect follow-up? Is there support for junior / entry-level developers (such as mentorship)? How does the company support work-life balance? Can you share any recent projects / initiatives the company has taken on that you're excited about?

Here's some to AVOID: Avoid asking about salary / benefits unless you absolutely need this information before moving forward, Avoid asking questions you can google easily or know by reading the job description, avoid questions that are clearly outside of your interviewers area of expertise

phew, maybe i shouldve broken this into multiple posts, for now this is a quick overview, hope this helps!

----

additional (free) resources:

interviewbit - variety of questions listed for behaviorals

tech interview handbook - more details on preparing for STAR and example responses

handshake blog post - list of questions you can ask at the end of any interview

exponent's blog post - FAANG interviewing, focusing on company values, finding peer-to-peer mock interviews

pramp.com - practice mock interviews with peers

[featherlumina]

8, 12 and 17 for the ask game 😁

Thank you so much @duttfisch! Apologies for the Genesis spam below, haha. XD

8. Common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about.

GENESIS BEING INCLUDED IN THE NIBELHEIM INCIDENT. People treat this like some unholy retcon, the greatest narrative sin Square Enix could've committed via the Compilation. And I for one think that's a complete over-reaction.

Seriously. Sure, Sephiroth's definitely not in a good mental headspace by now, but having Genesis water the freshly planted seeds in Seph's mind in the reactor only serves to drive him further down in a really believable way. I always found it a little odd how quickly Seph seemed to spiral in the OG (admittedly Rebirth handled it better), so I think the addition of Genesis makes the scene more fleshed out and raises even more questions for Sephiroth to investigate in the manor.

And a fun one for good measure that's been disproven by Nomura himself - the fact that everyone is like 'hurr durr Genesis can't come back cause Gackt says no / Square won't pay for his likeness'. Admittedly less people are using this as a 'ew no Genesis is icky he can't come back' now, but it was SUPER annoying for like a decade up till this point.

12. The unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them.

Feel like I should be putting my clown makeup on at this point because yep, my answer's Genesis! Again! XD Between the rest of the awesome peeps / moots on Tumblr who've argued for why Gen actually is or has the potential to be really interesting, I think it's fairly obvious why, but I'll summarise my view.

Basically, Genesis suffered from poor writing. Between that and the intense LOVELESS quoting making up the majority of his dialogue, I can see why it frustrated people. But if you look beyond that you'll discover some really neat stuff:

Having Genesis (and by extension, Angeal) as prototypes to Sephiroth actually makes boatloads of sense scientifically. You can't expect ShinRa to pop out Sephiroth on the first try, can you?

Genesis can basically go toe-to-toe with Sephiroth for an extended period of time, which is just... insane, when you think about it. Cloud and Zack have both reached similar heights but Sephiroth is just on a whole other level, so the fact there are a select few who can last against him is just really neat.

Bro had his world shattered and understandably lashed out at the company that shaped and controlled his entire existence. We're on Zack's side for Crisis Core, but it's pretty clear the real world-destroyers are ShinRa, and I think Crisis Core could've done a better job at helping us see Gen's perspective a bit more.

His aesthetic is just gorgeous, let's be honest here. That red coat is iconic and I want it. Superb character design (bless you Gackt for choosing red over black or white.)

Canonically he was well-liked and respected by the majority of SOLDIER, given that he convinced so many SOLDIERs to leave with him. People don't just follow you to the ends of the earth willy-nilly. Also, despite being an 'introvert' and averse to large people groups, he displayed kindness and gentleness with his younger comrades. Gillian called him 'such a good boy' for a reason, damn it!

...and I probably have more, but my hands are tired. XD

17. There should be more of this type of fic/art.

Honestly, I'm a sucker for hurt/injured/degrading Genesis and him both going through trauma and then being comforted and cared for by his loved ones. It's a major part of why I started Thing With Feathers after all. XD

I also love seeing how people explore Genesis' relationship with his changing body/his wing. I could read stuff about that for days.

Also would love to see more written redemption arcs for Genesis, whether it's through 'what-if' AUs or post DoC.

Lastly, I'm not hugely into overly sexual stuff, so any of the above fics without anything explicit is just *chef's kiss*. Of course I understand that many folks love the spicy stuff on its own or mixed into a plot, and that's okay! Just not my cup of tea is all.

[necronatural]

Project Moon Discourse part 3: DCInside meeting

There's a lot of misinfo about the DCInsiders who went to the office; they did not "storm" the place or "break in". They self-reported as being very polite and cordial, which explains why, when they were allowed a meeting, they were pissed off that PM didn't treat them politely. They repeatedly act like making them wait was an affront. Dude, you showed up at their offices to demand an impromptu meeting with the CEO. Did you expect a red carpet?

And yet, they were still allowed a meeting. A twitter user has, to the best of their ability, translated the transcript.

Here is the doc.

Things to note:

As some have pointed out, DCInside believes male gamers are being listened to less than female players, so they actually spend a lot of time talking about the bungled numbers in the game meta.

They leverage their status as fans to pressure PM.

pizzo-ass "If you don't give us a concrete statement on feminism, some people might interpret it to mean you're feminist".

They repeatedly use this manipulation tactic and it is easily defeated by "we can't make an official statement in an unofficial meeting [this interaction is equal to you emailing support IRL]" every single time to the point they start getting pissed off. pretty funny

Project Moon was already composing their statement on firing Vellmori before these guys showed up. It is not that they caved to pressure a mere 4 hours after the arrival of DCInside users, but that they were already almost done their statement at the time.

Important to note The Project Moon Twitter announcement was a 2-part thread, with a majority of the update being about the screwed data with nerfs/buffs. It was also very rushed and Korean-only. Based on the transcript, we can assume they put it all together in order to answer all of DCInside's complaints and appear attentive to their feelings, without thinking about, say, the misogynistic social climate that is extreme by the standards of the remainder of your playerbase.

Not in the doc but they did in fact go in full cosplay.

In summary.

Also notable is that they came to the office with a manifesto. You can see the Yi Sang image they ended up going with for "proof" that the artist is affiliated with radfem group Megalia (the 🤏 being the logo of this community that shut down a year before the retweets. lol)

Imagine bringing this to a company office.

[footprintsinthesxnd]

Lucky Strikes

Pairings: George Luz x Carwood Lipton(platonic) Warnings: description of war, injury, shell shock, ptsd, cold weather.

So I actually wrote this a little while ago and completely forgot to post it but this fic all stemmed from a conversation @georgieluz and I were having and the idea was born. This fic links to the moodboard it made for Band of Brothers Appreciation week so if you’ve seen it before that it why. Anyway I hope you guys enjoy.

George Luz would often be referred to as the clown of Easy Company, he was the comic relief, the joyful sidekick to the main character of the story. He was witty, insightful and had the heart of a young boy, pure and full of nothing but kindness. In fact, George could probably count on his hands the number of times he’d been rendered speechless, on D-Day when he’d seen a young paratrooper strung up in a tree, when he’d discovered a family hiding in amongst the rubble in Carentan and now standing in front of his friends as he watched their blood seep into the crisp snow, deep crimson dying the pure white carpet.

The scene rendered him speechless, words forming on his lips fell silent in his throat, his mouth dry, chest heaving with each breath as if he’d been crushed by a Sherman. He’d seen the horrors of war plenty of times before but nothing compared to this.

George stood frozen as he watched Doc Roe working on his friends, watched Bill crack jokes about getting home to the States, watched as his friends were carried off by fellow paratroopers. He couldn’t bring himself to utter a single word. He could hear Lipton talking to him, face hazy and his voice muffled by George’s mind. George found himself pointing towards Buck, surprising himself that he’d heard and understood Lipton despite his obvious lack of consciousness.

He watched, his heart heavy, as Lip walked cautiously towards Buck, kneeling beside the shaking man. To see Buck Compton now, shoulders shaking as he sobbed into Lip’s shoulder was more than George could bear. He turned away, his body stiff, joints moving like an abandoned rusted machine as he plodded through the snow, head hanging low, shoulders slumped. His foxhole wasn’t too far from the scene and he slowly sank onto the icy floor, no longer concerned by the snow that has piled into the hole and the tree branches and debris that lay across one end, that would be tomorrow's problem.

George had always felt like he needed to bring people joy, it was his meaning in life but sat shivering and lonely as he mourned the loss of his friends all George wanted to do was cry, to let out all the pain and heartache but he couldn’t bring himself to let the tears flow, couldn’t bring himself to break. “If I break then they’ll be no one to make anyone laugh,” he’d told himself time and time again, it felt like a burden really, being the light in the darkness and despite everything someone expected you to crack a joke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lipton’s warm breath fans across his face against the icy wind as he searched the foxholes, checking on each man but specifically seeking out one. George Luz. Lip recalled the horror and agony in his usually energetic brown eyes as he’d fled the scene, too consumed with grief to help Roe and Malarky. Lipton asked around for George but no one seemed to know, each giving another vague answer. It wasn’t until Lipton journeyed back to his own foxhole that he found him, tucked up beneath Lipton’s blanket, his knuckles pure white as his fingers desperately gripped the scratchy army-issued blanket. Lipton spoke softly to him, crouching down and watching as George’s eyes flickered wildly, moving but unseeing.

“George?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having been too consumed in his sorrow he hadn’t heard Lipton approaching, calling his name or even the large warm weight appearing beside him. It wasn’t until Lipton lay a hand on his shoulder that George jumped abruptly. His brown eyes followed the arm up, meeting the sympathetic face of none other than Carwood Lipton.

He gave George a small crooked smile before nestling down further beside him, his hand still on George’s shoulder. George couldn’t bring himself to meet Lip’s eyes, turning his head away and burying it deeper into his scarf.

“George? Are you alright?” Lip asked, his voice laced with worry, he brushed George’s long brown locks off his forehead revealing the face of a small frightened boy. George shuddered, shaking his head silently. Lipton watched in horror as George’s face morphed into an agonising silent sob, tears began to trickle down his dirty cheeks, leaving silver trails highlighted in the moonlight, illuminating the dark shadows of his face.

Lipton lurched forward, cradling the boy against his chest, whispering to him as he let out all the anger, the pain, the frustration that had been building since D-Day. Lipton had held many a man while they cried, comforted them as they died in his arms, and cooled them down when their anger erupted but not George. Not George. He’d never once seen him exploded with anger, cry after an artillery barrage, he’d not even seen him pray before a jump. Lipton could feel the boy's chest rising and falling in uneven, shaky breaths, knuckles fisting the front of his uniform and his legs wrapping around Lipton’s outstretched ones. He resembled a baby Lemur that Lipton had once seen in a National Geographic book, clinging onto its mother.

“George?” Lipton asked, pulling back from him slightly to watch his eyes silently begging him to stay. Lipton only nodded, giving George a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

With shaking hands George pulled the packet of Lucky Strikes from his breast pocket, lighting one and inhaling slowly before lip plucking the cigarette from his mouth taking a long drag and exhaling deeply. Both men watched as the small clouds of smoke drifted up silently into the dark sky, their eyes aglow from the stars above them.

“Thank you,” George whispered, titling his head upwards to glance at the Sergeant. Lipton nodded and without uttering a word they both knew what hadn’t been said was understood by the other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tags: @georgieluz @iceman-kazansky @yeahcurrahhe-e @lieutenant-speirs @sharpshootershifty @liberteuniteegalite @msmercury84 @shadowsintheknight @callsign-phoenix @desert-fern @mayhem24-7forever @not-havingthetimeofmylife @floralfloyd @dustyjumpwjngs @theflyingfin @jump-wings

[etheirysnoir]

contacts wanted — yiuno.

[ lore / writing / answers / gpose / aesthetics ] — Updated 2024.09.14

An adventurer by day, and an assassin by night—Yiuno Reine is an enigmatic Viera who walks along the blurred line of light and darkness. From the politically righteous Grand Companies to the unknown depths of the Eorzean underworld, Yiuno will work for anyone for the right price, especially if the job aligns with his personal agendas. However, the dangerous secrets that have slept within him for so long will become the key to the fate of the world… once more.

Shrouded in deep mystery with a rich backstory, there are plenty in store for you to develop and forge a bond with him. His complex characterization does not deter my freedom to play him in a wide array of settings; rather, the possibilities are almost endless, and meeting new people is a part and parcel of his long life.

LFRP STATUS: CLOSED.

For a limited time, I am open to only 1-2 players interested in creating intricate stories with Yiuno.

I am no longer seeking roleplay contacts; all my partner slots are currently full. However, you are still free to send me writing prompts or approach me to chat about your blorbos. I love reading about everyone’s characters and learning something new about them.

before you jump onto the bandwagon…

Please read this section very carefully as it contains important things you should know before you approach me to RP with my character(s).

18+ ONLY, NO MINORS.

Yiuno’s lore contains very dark and mature themes, and these are crucial in his characterization and development as a person. On the same note, I’m not keen to work with adults who are sensitive to various triggers, to err on the side of safety. I’m a very busy person, and my empathy for others is fairly limited after a long and stressful work day.

NO IN-GAME RP.

I have a demanding full-time job and I live in the JST (GMT+9) timezone. Aside from schedule restrictions, I mainly play on Japan DCs due to latency issues. It’s difficult for me to arrange in-game meetups, and I’m too busy with real life to manage alts on other data centers. I’m also uncomfortable with many aspects of in-game roleplaying, which I find them too stressful and not fun to deal with.

NOVEL-STYLE WRITING.

Google Docs is most preferred. Also open to other long-form writing platforms suggestions and I’m happy to give them a try. That being said…

I don’t expect my partners to be a bookworm as much as I am, but please have the basic courtesy to provide enough content in your IC replies to keep the story moving. Neither Yiuno nor I can read minds; metagaming is frowned upon in roleplays, and I’m sure we both want the collaboration to be a fun and fruitful experience.

PATIENCE IS A MUST.

I am unable to respond immediately due to timezone differences. Your active time is my working or sleeping hours, and vice versa. Real-life commitments take priority over a shared hobby, which is a rule I will respect you for and expect the same in return. I’d need some time to come up with quality replies, too.

DO NOT MIX IC & OOC.

While I’m willing to impart bits and pieces of Yiuno’s backstory for the purpose of planning ahead in OOC discussions, it should be universally understood that you should never mix OOC knowledge with IC development without my explicit permission. Always keep communication channels open—not only to make sure everyone is on the same page with the RP, but also to build good rapport along the way.

possible starting points.

I’m mainly looking for serious, long-term roleplays with a good dose of plot and character development. If none of the hooks below can tickle your fancy, we can discuss further in OOC to brainstorm more ideas.

SHARLAYAN.

Krile Baldesion. One of Yiuno’s regular clients, who often calls upon his expertise as a treasure hunter and curse breaker both, to handle jobs deem too dangerous for any gleaners to tackle. In exchange for his assistance, Yiuno exploits Krile’s position as an esteemed Sharlayan scholar to gain access to the Noumenon, where he can conduct his own research for the information he seeks. The question is: what is he looking for amongst the dusty, ancient grimoires of forgotten past?

ARCANE HUNTER.

Yayake Yake. Though a dutiful receptionist who works at the Thaumaturges’ Guild, this seemingly polite Dunesfolk has a sharp sense for those with great potential for arcane arts. She has tried and failed to recruit Yiuno to join the guild on countless occasions, with only requests in reclaiming artifacts of the black to seduce the unwilling man back to Ul’dah each time. While this seems like an inconspicuous relationship, there is definitely more than meets the eye. Why does Yayake single out Yiuno from amongst the promising candidates of black magic? Why does she have such high regards for his talent and skill? What else does she know about this brooding Viera—and what is she hiding about him?

ANCIENT CITIES.

Remnants of the Great Flood. Though Yiuno would often introduce himself as a mere treasure hunter when prompted on his martial prowess, if one is observant enough to pick up the signs, they would notice that some things just don’t add up. Majority of Yiuno’s regular clients have affiliations with guilds of the arcane arts. He’s usually tasked to find and reclaim ancient artifacts from fallen civilizations known for their knowledge in magic. He has a curious familiarity with the three factions in the Magi War: the Floating City of Nym, the Weeping City of Mhach, and the Lost City of Amdapor. Just what kind of connections did Yiuno have with the Sixth Umbral Calamity?

DUALITY.

An enigma of many faces. Many adventurers would’ve dipped a toe or two into the Eozean underworld during their long journeys; those enticed by the promise to fulfill their desires would exchange their virtues for riches, sinking themselves into the violent hellscape beneath the façade of peace and prosperity. Toxic masculinity ruled this chaotic world with brute strength, while they exploit femininity to charge their own libido. However, not all women are willing to bow down to such prejudiced savagery—Yiune Rei is an assassin who seduces her male targets with her beauty before she seals their fate in the silence of the night (or so the rumors say). Very few would live to learn about the shocking truth of this graceful lady of death… for “she” is actually a man under the glamorous mask. What compels him to exact his own brand of justice in such an unorthodox way? Is there more to this curious killing spree under the bleeding moon of Etheirys?

looking for…

To reiterate on the importance of OOC discussions: both parties should have basic respect for all characters in the roleplay. Pre-established connections or no, I expect the player(s) to keep communication channels open—talk things out and come to an agreement first before throwing any drastic plot twist in each other’s face, especially one that can drastically change the course of the RP development for both sides.

TRAVELING COMPANIONS.

A wanderer at heart, Yiuno often flits around Eorzea and beyond, never staying in one spot for long. Sometimes due to work calls, other times purely on a whim—while he is fairly knowledgeable on the geography of Etheirys, he doesn’t seem to have a place he’d call home. Deep down, Yiuno knows that he doesn’t belong anywhere: his immortality forces him to constantly move from town to town, keeping a low profile lest someone finds out the secrets to his eternal youth.

Do you share his plight of not having a place to feel home? Or are you seeking for the thrill of leaving your home and explore the uncharted waters beyond your comfort zone? Yiuno’s experience with traveling might just be what you need for the long journey ahead.

FRIENDS & ALLIES.

Regardless of Yiuno’s hermit lifestyle, even he understands that people are generally social beings who thrive on interactions with anything and everything around them. Yiuno knows that he can’t stay incognito forever—he’s getting weary of all the running, hiding, and lying. He wants a shoulder to lean on when the world comes crashing down upon him, or to be in a group of his caliber that can bring out his real talents.

Are you looking for a veteran to join your team and perform great heists like the one in the TV series, Leverage? Or are you the same as Yiuno, seeking a partner with great chemistry to make the world tremble under your unstoppable efficiency? Yiuno might just be that unlikely friend you need to make your ambitions come true.

REGULAR CLIENTS.

Perhaps your only goal is to hire someone for the job, and you’re content to keep the relationship professional. Or you’re already taken and eternally bound by oath, preferring to employ someone who will respect your boundaries. Yiuno has been in this job for a very long time, and he knows where to draw the clear line to get the work done.

However, having a personal network of contacts does have its own merits—the gil and rewards grow with the trust and reputation built from the result of every completion. Of course, the danger and tension will come along with the riches, and perhaps this is the thrill you seek beyond the façade of your seemingly peaceful life.

RIVALS OR ENEMIES.

Perhaps he’s an infinite darkness you want to reach and conquer. Or maybe you hate him just because. Whatever your reasons are, you’ll never see eye to eye with him: you communicate with fists and blades, and every meeting is a fight to kill.

Whether Yiuno is an assassin you aim to erase from the world, or his very existence threatens yours, how will this rivalry or enmity end…? Or a different kind of dynamics might be born from the final clash?

WHAT ABOUT SHIPS?

I’m selective towards romantic relationships with other player characters. Slow-burn is most preferred to create a meaningful development between our characters, and also reveal the truth behind Yiuno’s complex characterization in the most organic way, layer by layer. Though he’s no stranger to one-night stands due to the nature of his job, Yiuno’s a demiromantic asexual in the RP verse—mere physical pleasures with randoms aren’t enough to win him over, and instead more than likely to send you into Death’s sweet embrace.

getting in touch.

Did I manage to pique your interest? Tumblr DM is open to curious souls who wants to learn more about this mysterious Viera, to unravel the dark secrets this man is hiding… and more. Discord handler will be shared only with those who have shown genuine interest to take the risk and step into Yiuno’s world of lies and deception.

If you need more information to get a better feel of Yiuno’s character, feel free to check out the following tags:

noir; database. — lore notes and meta.

noir; chronicle. — writing; ex. canons, au.

noir; faq. — ask answers.

noir; gallery. — gposes.

noir; academia. — aesthetics; ex. quotes, moodboards.

[quinloki]

A Light Touch

Fem Reader x Eustass Kid

CW: language, assault, violence, sexual themes and situations, implications of non-con, loss of limbs, blood. 18+ Only.

Chapter 1 - Table of Consent -

Chapter 25: Heavy Hand

"Where's Kid?" You ask, walking away as Decken lays in the mud behind you. Law looks at you as he walks by and heads over to Decken. To look after him or bury him you're not sure, and you're too distracted at this point to care.

"Good," Killer says over the comms as a flare goes into the air. "Just stuck. He barricaded himself and then got buried by the mud and plaster. His earpiece works, but his mic overloaded cause of his devil fruit. He's banging on the metal to communicate with us."

"I'm on my way."

"Hey... is he?" Killer prompts.

You look over your shoulder and see Law keeping your sword away from Decken. "He's alive despite his wishes. The doc's keeping him company for now."

"You really gonna keep him like that?"

"Handless and alive? Yeah. Well, I mean, I can't stop him from deciding to bite his tongue off or something, but I don't think he should get what he wants." You admit. You can feel apathy and exhaustion sinking into your body. "Killer... is there something wrong with me?"

"Huh?"

"... I should feel bad, shouldn't I?" You're trudging closer to the others as you speak, but it's slow going, and some of that is the fear that everyone will look at you like an abomination.

"Who's to say?" Killer answers. "How you feel is how you feel, and what's more important than that is how you cope with it going forward. I – we – can all sit here and tell you it's okay, but you're going to have to sort that out on your own for yourself."

"Yeah... that makes sense." You admit dragging yourself the rest of the way over to them in silence.

It wasn't long after you reached the others that they managed to find the beginnings of Eustass' metal barrier. Killer kicked the metal hard enough to dent it, and after a couple heavy kicks it split enough to allow light from Hip's phone to give Kid some light. Once he knew where the safe place was to shift things the mound of mud and plaster shifted as the shell opened enough for him to get out.

Aside from a few scrapes, bruises and some mud, Kid was unharmed.

He took off the communication collar and earpiece as he walked over to you. He just stood in front of you looking at you for a minute before you removed your comms and earpiece as well.

"How're you feeling, Mouse?" He asks. There's something in his expression that twists your heart, and it's the first thing you've felt since you walked away from Decken.

Your hot rage is gone, it stomped Decken into the mud while you screamed. There's no cold anger, it held your stomach in place as you removed his hands. There's no fear left in you, the hands that clawed at your nightmares are decomposing in the mud. There's no compassion left in you, it healed a man you never wanted to touch again.

There was no relief left in you, Eustass was alive and unharmed. Everything was okay. You survived, and he survived, and the crew survived, and no one died because of your problem. No one died. Everything was okay. You're okay. You have to be okay, it's over, everyone's safe, you're okay.

You just need to say it.

"I..." Hot biting tears sting your eyes and constrict your throat. You look at your hands as though you expect them to be covered in blood, or bugs, or something revolting. How could you reach out to him like this? "I..." You can't force the words out, you're not even sure what words there are to speak, but the red hot tears cut deep lines in your face.

Deeper lines in your heart.

Eustass kneels in the mud, and you want to tell him to stop or he'll get dirty too, and you can't say the words fast enough before one strong, trembling, warm arm wraps around you and pulls you close. The gesture makes you choke on the heavy tears, but the soft voice in your ear causes you to cling to him and wail into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

. . . . . .

You were sitting in Eustass' workshop, cross-legged in an oversized chair and sipping some tea while you watched him work.

You'd cried yourself voiceless at the end of the raid, and the whole time Kid just held you. He didn't try and calm your tears, he didn't say or do anything else for the long moments you bawled into his shoulder. He just held you with his right arm quietly, and eventually carried you off the hilltop while everyone else did whatever else they were supposed to do.

At some point you must've fallen asleep, and when you woke up you found yourself bundled up in blankets and set on pillows. You were like a little bird in a nest curled up in the oversized chair you were now sitting in. You had been cleaned up and dressed in fresh clothes, a set of unisex scrubs from the clean room process.

Eustass had been working on stuff when you woke up, just as he was now. He had stopped long enough to help you get comfortable sitting upright, and had handed you a breakfast bar and the cup of tea before he ruffled your hair and turned back to what he had been working on. His expression had been fairly neutral, but he didn't look angry or irritated.

If anything, it looked like he was trying to give you space without leaving you alone.

After a few more moments, you set the teacup down and got out of the oversized chair. You're surprised to realize that your bare feet are touching the concrete floor, and looking around a little you realize the shop is even cleaner than usual. You don't see your shoes anywhere nearby, and so you continued over to Eustass. You climbed onto the bench seat, putting your arms on the work table and resting your head on your arms. The whole set up was customized for Kid, so it was a bit big for you, but you weren't uncomfortable.

"Hey." You say softly, looking up at him.

Eustass' head turns toward you. His eyes and smile are gentle, and his voice is almost as soft as yours. "Hey."

"Whatcha doin'?" You ask as he turns back to what he's working on.

"Woodworking." He answers, moving in a way that keeps your view blocked from what he's working on.

"Super secret project?" You question, a small smile playing at the edges of your lips.

"Super secret." He replies with a small grin.

"You can tell me, I won't tell Killer you're making him a gift." You say as your hand reaches for him. You stop short of touching him, but he notices the motion.

Kid shuffles some stuff around and you realize he's tucking things away on the work bench. After he's done he slouches on the bench a little and reaches his right hand out to you, twisting at his waist enough to reach where your hand had been a moment earlier.

You look at his hands, rough fingers covered in bits of wood, tips red from what he was working on. Light freckles dappled his pale skin, they were almost invisible from any other distance. Fine, fire red hairs, so close to the color of flames that it was almost impossible to see them, danced up his arm. Small details, but important ones – beautiful ones.

You ran your fingers over his arm, watching the barely-there fiery hairs shift beneath your finger tips as you moved toward his hand, your head still resting on your left arm. You started to move your fingers away, but after a moment's hesitation, you stretched your fingers out and ran your fingers over his knuckles softly.

The warmth from the light touch was almost too much. You didn't realize how cold you felt until then.

Eustass looks at his hand and yours, and then looks to your eyes until your gaze shifts up to meet his.

"Feel better?"

You nod, letting the weight of your hand rest on his, tangling your fingers through his. Tears start to well up in your eyes again, but you shake your head and wipe them away.

"Little cold, honestly."

"Gonna let me warm you up?" He asks, dipping his head down a little to catch your gaze again. There's that soft expression, a little bit of a worry, an unsure smile, and a lot of love a little further back.

"I'm... I mean..." You bite your bottom lip and swallow back the emotions. "Can I – can I still say that I love you?"

"Do you still?" He asks, and you nod, even though you're struggling to look at him. "Then you can say it. Much as you need to, Mouse."

A laugh slips from your lips, but it's hardly happy. "Am I still? I mean... what I did..."

Eustass turns toward you more, "C'mere." He says softly, pulling you into his lap and cradling you against his chest. "You can't stain me, Mouse." He says softly, running his fingers through your hair. "You can't get me dirty, or bloody. If people stayed dirty for the hard decisions they've made I would've choked on my own choices and died before I met you."

"You didn't want me to go."

"I didn't."

"Be-because-."

"I didn't want you to know, Mouse." He says, cutting you off and holding you almost desperately. "I didn't want you to see yourself that way. I didn't want you to think about what was on your hands and then wonder what was on mine."

He leans you back enough to catch your gaze. "I ain't so nice as to let someone live with their poor choices, hands or no."

"... What I did was nice?" You ask, obviously confused.

"Nah. Nice, kind, none of that matters. You did what you felt you had to." He says, leaning down and kissing your forehead. "Right or wrong, honorable or not, those're just pretty words for pretty people who can't look at their own ugly choices and own 'em. You gave what you got. This world and its Justice didn't do you any favors. You cleaned up your own problem."

"I'm sorry."

Kid flinches and groans before looking back down at you. "What're sorry for?"

"During the raid, I scared you. I'm sorry."

Kid's eyes go wide for a moment. "... That." He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. "Fuckin' hells. That's what you're apologizing for?"

You nod. "I misunderstood you and ran out into things too soon. You sounded-."

"Fine, I sounded perfectly fine." Eustass growls, and you can see his face turning pink even as he grits his teeth at you with a strained grin.

You can't stop the smile, and from there you giggle. The look on Kid's face breaks the giggle and you manage a full laugh before you're apologizing. "S-sorry. Ye-yes you sound fine - sounded fine." You manage with a crooked grin. "Look fine too."

"Startin' to feel better, I see." Kid grumbles, looking away as his ears go red.

"I... I think it's going to take me some time to feel better, but... I mean." You felt heat rising in your face and you weren't sure how else to say what you were thinking. "I want to stay."

"... Did you think we were gonna kick you out?"

"Decken's – I mean, I don't know!" You admit, hiding your face entirely behind your hands. "Look I was afraid to touch you earlier 'cause I thought I had done some kind of unforgivable twisted thing and that I should've just killed him and that that would've been less than what I did and that you'd say I was some kind of little rage freak and kick me to the curb and I don't even know if I have a job and I certainly don't have the one that pink fucker had offered waiting for me, and I don't want to leave not just because I don't want to leave you, but I like it here and I want to stay, so I PANICKED."

By the end of your rant you had grabbed his collar and were shaking him a little before the end of it. Realization starts to dawn on you as Kid's trying desperately to not laugh at you.

"I just..." You let go of his collar and start to scramble out of his lap when he grabs you. "Oh-my-gods-no lemme go Eustass!" You plead, squirming even as you're lifted fully off the ground.

"Nope."

"I need to go die somewhere in peace." You're mock crying, but your face hurts from how red it is.

"Denied."

"Please." You bury your face in his chest, at this point you couldn't get away if you wanted to. "I am horrified."

"You're cute."

"... That does not disclude being horrified."

"Don't you mean exclude?"

"I said what I said." You pout.

Even as you huff you relax into his chest and let your head lean against him. He's warm.

"You're warm." You say softly. "I've thought so since you helped me down from Beast for breakfast that one day. The world is cold, but you're warm. Hmph."

"What was that for?"

"The first time I thought that, I was thinking almost literally. Like, temperatures." You explain. "But now... I mean it's embarrassing to say... but you're warm."

You nuzzle into him a little more aggressively and you're sure he can feel the heat radiating off your face.

"So it doesn't matter what the world is."

"You can't stay there for forever." He says, even as his arms were holding you in place.

"... Things are going to get even more dangerous, aren't they?"

"Yeah. Not right away, we'll have time to train you up and let you work through this." He says reassuringly. "Ready to hear about how last night went?"

"Eh? I... I know, right?" You lean back to look up at him. "I was there... right?"

"More happened after we left."

"... I..."

"You don't have to hear it right now, Mouse." Kid says. "Hell, you don't have to hear it at all if you don't want to."

"N-no, you – I mean, I can hear it now. I," you snuggle back into his chest, "would like to hear it while I am right here."

You can feel Eustass chuckle a little before he starts talking. "With some help from that freak doctor, the crew got the hilltop back in order. Killer says it's almost impossible to tell there was a fight there, and certainly not one that was as crazy as things had gotten. The only surveillance that was set up was closed-circuit, so Boogie and Hip have erased all the tapes."

All of this was good news. It was a matter of time before news of you and your ability – your full ability – got out into the wider world, but the more it could be delayed the more time you had to be ready for it. Kid and the crew still wanted to fly under the radar for a little while longer as well, so it was good news all around.

"Trafalgar took Decken."

"Huh? But... why?"

Kid shrugs. "Killer said he said something about making sure your wishes were honored, and not to worry about it having a cost or anything, and then vanished like the little creepy emo freak he is."

"That's uh..."

"Yeah," Kid grunts. "Creepy. C'mon Mouse, it's almost time to eat, and you need a proper rest after."

You start to slide out of Kid's lap when he lifts you up and puts you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Uh?"

"You don't have any shoes, Mouse."

"I – that's not my fault."

"Regardless, you're not walking around my shop in your bare feet."

"But, earlier -."

"That was that, this is this."

"... That's a little mean, don'tcha think?"

"You complaining about your Captain's decision, Mouse?"

You laugh and squirm around, trying to at least shift down enough to kiss his cheek, but Eustass' grip was too strong. "Let me kiss you, dammit!"

"Awful demanding for a little mouse," Kid teases, shifting you into the big hydraulic arm.

"Hafta be," you grin. "I'm your mouse, after all." You say as you grab his face and kiss him forcefully. You feel Kid's entire body tense, and even the heavy prosthetic arm jerks as your tongue pushes into his mouth.

His warm hand is against your back as your hands slip past his ears and twirl through his hair. There's a pleased hum that rumbles in his chest and practically purrs against your body. You break the kiss to catch your breath, and enjoy Kid's flushed face and half-lidded eyes for a moment before you smile and kiss the tip of his nose.

He walks the two of you out of the workshop and to the main house, and you let your mind wander over all the things that had led to this.

In a quarter of a year your entire life had changed. Some of it had been from a light touch, some of it from a heavy hand. No matter the reason, things wouldn't ever be quite the same.

~ Fin ~

A Light Touch: Emperors is Coming Soon!

[milesonthenet]

Wish (The things it did wrong, and the things it did right)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Welcome back to the House of Milesverse, our place for comic book and fiction talk. Today we are taking a slight detour to Disney's animated catalog.

2023 was an explosion of Disney hype and joy, due to celebrating 100 years since the company's inception. It was a year full of laughs, and shared memories. On top of this, a short film was produced to commemorate the franchise's anniverary.

Today we will be talking about Wish, an animated film that released in November of that year. The movie focused on a young girl wanting to set loose the wishes of her kingdom, kept captive by an evil king. She's joined by her plucky goat, and a hyperactive star that can grant wishes.

Wish was written off by many people, and considered an animation blunder by Disney fans. It failed to live up to the hype of people that expected differently than Disney's usual service. Some people however have found the film to be a fun, but far more average, experience.

Today we will go over the things Wish did right, and the things Wish did wrong.

The things it did right:

Right from the start, there's some key points to address in what Wish did right. Of the two opinions I mentioned, I agree with the latter choice. Wish is not a terrible film, but it is just a mildly okay one. What it has is genuinely good material that hits well.

Star plays well as a typical mascot:

The bright and speedy Star is our mascot (or one of two) for the film. He arrives in a blur to answer Asha's troubles. His arrival, however, is what kickstarts much of the film's conflict. The main antagonist, King Magnifico, wants Star for his power.

He's your typical Disney mascot character whose built for the audience to like him. Think Olaf from Frozen, a cute snowman whose made many a fan. Star plays into that exact demographic with his adorable, bright design.

I find Star's appearance to be infectious because of this. I could not help but laugh at some of his actions throughout the film. Plus he's an expert at granting wishes. Think of him like the silly Genie from Aladdin, but without Robin Williams' sheer charisma.

Asha dreams of adventure:

Our main protagonist is the kind and wishful (pun intended) Asha, voiced by Ariana DeBose. At first, Asha desires for the king to grant her grandfather's wish for his 100th birthday. However after it is declined, Asha's new goal becomes setting the captive wishes free.

I like Asha's motivations, because of how they are rooted in the idea of wishes. She just wants the best for everyone, and for them to experience it on their own. Asha fits into the Disney heroine mold, due to her compassion, bravery, and the driving force behind her goals.

It was a common misconception before release that Asha should have been the villain. People believed that her goals made her evil, or just plain irresponsible. She wanted to set all the wishes free, even including the 'dangerous' ones. Luckily, the film skips over these ideas completely, and for good reason, too.

The Teens are a reference that works well:

Moving on from our starry-eyed protagonist is her large cast of friends. Collectively known as the 'Seven Teens', they get up to funny shenanigans. Their antics and personalities never feel dry during the movie's run.

Beyond comedy relief, the seven teens are all distinct are distinct in a way. They are one of the few references from Disney media that I think actually work. The teens are, obviously, all based off of one of the Seven Dwarves. This callback from Disney's first real 'princess' film to its current one acts as a solid reference.

In addition, the teens also have a stake in the plot and offer tension to the story. They help their friend out, even when she's been ratted out as a traitor. Their personalities all shine through during the final act of the film.

Overall, the Seven Teens each have a counterpart in one of the Dwarves. These include:

Dahlia (Doc)

Simon (Sleepy)

Hal (Happy)

Gabo (Grumpy)

Bazeema (Bashful)

Dario (Dopey)

The things it did wrong:

Magnifico falls short as a villain:

Brought to life by Chris Pine, King Magnifico is the main antagonist of the film. As mentioned before, he is the tyrannical ruler of Rosas, who harbors the wishes of its people for his own power. Magnifico is a narcissist who is only willing to grant wishes if he can benefit from it.

Magnifico's entire concept was meant to play toward the 'old' Disney villains. People have long enjoyed villains like Jafar from Aladdin, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, Scar from the Lion King, and more. Magnifico's personality, his lust for power, and even his green magic all call to mind traits associated with old Disney villains.

However, our untrustworthy king falls short in many ways. As a villain, Magnifico's transition to evil can come off as rushed. Much less time is spent on who he was before gaining his position. He spends a good deal of the plot hounding Star for its cosmic power.

You can say this for other villains in the franchise as well. However, I find that Magnifico suffers the most from this. He already has an interesting background set up in the story, but nothing is done with it.

In the past, Magnifico came from a loving family. He lived in peaceful lands until greedy thieves attacked. They killed his family and traumatized him. He wanted to learn magic so that he could use it to defend himself, and others.

Magnifico's worst qualities are always seen upfront throughout the movie. There is no lie that he's the 'bad guy' of the series. There's also nothing wrong with him being the main antagonist. However, Magnifico could benefit from gaining more sympathetic traits to better round out his character.

This is not me asking that he be a fully 'sympathetic villain' who was never evil to begin with. Instead, I believe that Disney had the option to still make him more complex. More than that, it would also make his transition to evil less jarring for some viewers.

Asha is another victim of the 'adorkable' trope:

Over the years we have seen heroines from Disney evolve. Starting with Rapunzel in 2013, most of them were much quirkier. This is what many refer to as the 'adorkable' trope. Characters who are socially awkward or unappealing but in a cute way.

Rapunzel, Mirabel, Moana, and Anna are all characters who use this idea in one way or another. They are put in awkward or quirky situations which also leads to easy laughs. I think it's worth noting that all of them use it well, at least.

With Rapunzel, she had never seen the outside world since she was a child. Mirabel's awkwardness came from her own feelings relating to her family. Both Moana and Anna are adorkable in their own ways, but neither of them is overwhelmed by the trope.

Asha feels like she is always on the verge of it. She's clumsy, nervous, and also awkward at times. I think this is a scenario where Asha didn't need these 'traits'. As adorkable as she can be, she already has a great narrative. Asha is compassionate, and you can feel how much she cares for her people.

The story hinges too much on the past:

This is my own personal issue with Wish itself. Wish is a good story on its own, but it also relies on references from the past. The story is full of references to Disney media.

Some references worked in the story, however. The Seven Teens for example, were integrated well into the world. Asha's basic 'cloak' is a reference to the Fairy Godmother's garb, and it blends so well into her design. Magnifico's magic is green, calling to mind past Disney sorcerors and villains.

These are references that feel natural to the story because of how they are positioned. Everything else just feels like it's for the sake of being there. The references are there to feed you, meal after meal. However, like any person eating the same meal, you eventually just get tired of it.

The Music:

Wish's music is my favorite part of the film. Every sequence in the movie is loaded with loving tunes. I just can't help but smile whenever I hear the opening of "This Wish" or "This is The Thanks I Get?".

The songs partway carry the film for me because of how bombastic they are. The visuals help hammer in the Disney magic that you are used to. Each tune is filled with so many amazing sequences that you just won't get tired of seeing it.

The credit for this lies in musician Julia Michaels, and Benjamin Rice. Joined by JP Saxe, they helped create Asha's powerful anthem. The score of the movie was meanwhile composed by Disney's notable orchestrator, David Metzger. Metzger had also done work on other films such as Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph, Moana, and Tarzan.

Overall consensus: Wish is a movie that tried. And failed. But maybe that's okay?

Wish is a film that tries to do too much, and that only hinders it. It's a movie that tries to be a large, huge spectacle. It is Disney's celebration of the fans with all these easter eggs and hidden catches. That aspect is where Disney loses its magic, and it is what hurts the film.

Wish is so caught up in being the ultimate milestone celebration that it forgets to be a movie. Everything about Wish, when it is focused on its own story, adds charm and substance. The concept of how Wishes work, as aspects of real people, is brilliant.

The nature of the film alone created a lot of hype for fans. People were expecting a much bigger ordeal than what they got from the film. Because of this, it was guaranteed to create dismayed reactions from those same fans.

This is not to say the film is terrible or that it has no purpose. Wish is a beautiful-looking film that is just alright. That on its own, is what makes the film entertaining to me.

Wish is a flawed film, but one that I enjoyed nonetheless. It is a movie carried by its bright cast. I would recommend that you see the movie for yourself, instead of listening to other people. That way, you can form your own opinion on the movie.

[effervescentdragon]

Same anon as yesterday..

Thank you for your answer, I really didn't want to put pressure on you, it's just that there are so many good works incomplete and it really would be a shame in your case. Just wanted to let you know this.

From the first 2 chapters I really liked the way you developed carlos and charles' relationship. Starting from being almost jealous of each other, not trusting the other and maybe not being so happy about the fusion of their "companies", to being completely inseparable, working amazingly together and starting to have feelings. The slow burn it's very good.

I also liked a lot the scene in the car where Carlos is angry at Charles for almost being killed. The tension from that scene and the smut one are really dense.

About the next chapter, I guess someone is gonna kidnap Charles (maybe someone from Max's Gang or Lando's…) with Carlos going to rescue him and having their little weekend with a little more movement than predicted, but ending together anyway in a way or the other…

Honestly I don't know, I'm dying to know what you will do about it, so I'll try to wait patiently…😅

Have a great day. 🥰

Hi anon! I have my coffee again and im forcing myself to take a break before i tackle a hundred little things i have to do, and this is the thing that had me grinning in the middle of the street as i was walking home.

I know you didnt mean anything bad. I absolutely understand that. The issue wasnt you, it is just this general entitled attitude some people have, where i write a 15k+ chapter alongside everything i have going on in real life (and its a LOT), and all i get is "i wish youd update soon", without any context, or anything relevant to what i just bloody wrote. It grates on my brain and my nerves honestly, because it feels like im not perceived as a person, but a writing machine. I dont expect everyone to go into detailed analysis of the fics and chapters, but some comments just come off so unnapreciative of and entitled to my writing. Again, this is not about you personally, the tone of your message was very much in line what you wrote in your first paragraph now, and that really means a lot. Telling me what you liked means a lot, too, because just as i was reading it now i got struck by an idea of a parallel i can use in ch3, and i opened my google docs in the middle of the street to note down a bullet point to develop. Thats what reviews do to a writer, they inspire us, make us feel appreciated and make us want to write more, to make people happy. And again, its not that i expect every comment to be an analysis, not at all! But for example, this comment of yours had me giggling and plotting, because you gave me a perfect idea of how to resolve a thing that i knew i want to happen, but couldn't figure out how to naturally resolve it. And knowing you like the fic so much also makes me want to sit down and write it, because it feels good, when my writing makes people happy. If i could, id sit down now and write the whole fic, but sadly neither my brain nor life work that way.

What im trying to say is - thank you for both your asks. You gave me an opportunity to say some things that i know im not the only one annoyed about, you listened, and you gave me your thoughts and with them the inspiration for when i next have time to sit down and indulge in writing about our ferrari boys. I appreciate it a lot ❤️ have a wonderful weekend!! 🥰

[beetroot-merchant]

ID: A Twitter thread by user @/TheRealDoctorT, display name Sayed Taabatabai, MD:

"Why do you want to be a doctor?"

I answer without hesitation, "I want to help people."

"There are many ways to help people."

"I want to save lives."

"There are many ways to do that too. So I'll ask you again, why do you want to be a doctor?"

"Because I believe in it." 1/

I think about that exchange now and then, some times more than others.

Why do we do the things we do?

What do we really believe in?

My next clinic patient is one I've known for many years. He is visiting me today via Zoom.

I always look forward to talking to him. 2/

As soon as the visit begins, I notice that his camera is angled off-center so I can't get a clear look at his face.

I ask if he can adjust it, but he says he's having technical issues.

No problem. I can adapt.

It isn't just the camera though.

Something feels off today. 3/

Almost immediately I can tell that he sounds subdued. He isn't cracking his usual jokes.

I'm comfortable with silence, even in the heart of a busy clinc day.

Silence is often where the healing happens.

After asking how he's doing, I let the silence between us grow. 4/

The question, when he asks it, is one I don't expect.

"Doc, which kills you faster? Blood pressure you don't control, or blood sugar you don't control?"

The surprise on my face must register, because he explains further.

"I just can't afford all these medications anymore." 5/

He continues.

The way I see it, doc, I only need to stick around 4 or 5 more years. That's how long my pet dog has left, then I ain't got no more family and it's me all on my own. So I figure maybe take the diabetes ones and skip the blood pressure? Or every other day? 6/

As I review his meds and start discussing our options with him, he adds one last remark.

"And I'm real sorry doc. I know we go back a ways, but I can't afford my co-pay. I'll pay you later. Promise."

And just like that, I understand why his camera is angled. 7/

And just like that, I'm again struck by the cruel illusion of what I do.

The system I'm part of.

This patient did everything right; got insurance, paid his taxes. And he still has to barter years of his life.

And he can't bring himself to look me in the eyes as he does so. 8/

Our healthcare system is too often unethical, immoral, unsustainable.

The insurance paradigm is focused on revenue generation. It strips the basic human dignity from patients, to the point where they can't even make eye contact anymore.

I know that I'm part of this system. 9/

He's old enough to be my father. Some part of me imagines that he is my father. Tears threaten my vision, as a hot anger floods me.

Now I wish I could angle my camera away.

I ask him if I can write about him. Because people need to know.

His response lingers with me. 10/

"Sure you can doc. But people already know. Lots of people deal with this. It ain't that people don't know. It's just that nobody cares. Nobody gives enough of a damn to change anything. Nobody... cares."

The visit ends.

My Zoom window closes.

His window closes too. 11/

I feel it.

There's something insidious here.

A casual cruelty we're all complicit in.

"I can't go to rehab, insurance won't cover it."

"Insurance won't pay for that medication."

"I can't afford any of this."

"I'm uninsured."

This isn't right. None of this is right. 12/

Twenty years ago, I gave a medical school interview.

I wore my best suit. I sat up straight.

I said I believed in medicine. I meant it.

Some part of me once burned brightly, but that fire is down to flickering embers.

Our lives mean more than this.

More than this.

The second image is a Tweet by verified user @/AlbertLee2020, display name Albert Lee:

In America, you and your doctor can both agree that you need a surgery but you have to get permission from a third-party for-profit insurance company or it can't be paid for. It's called freedom.

/End ID.

Our system is broken.  It is cruel.  It is dehumanizing, degrading, and it’s vile nature is so, so unnecessary.

We need universal healthcare today in America.  We needed it 40 years ago.  It’s cheaper, it’s simpler, it’s more efficient, it’s more effective and it is so, so, so much less cruel than what we have.

Additional sources/references:

Universal Healthcare Cost in America would be cheaper by trillions of dollars

The US has worse life expectancies than socialized healthcare countries

We have worse generalized healthcare results

We have the most expensive care

Our system is so cruel and unique that doctors from other countries literally can’t believe what happens here

I can’t tell you where or how to activate to help solve this.  There are politicians, groups, and activists pushing for this in so many ways.  I can tell you when, though.

Now.

[hasufin]

In media res

Some rules about being brought into an ongoing project:

The last person to do your current job was either Perfect In Every Way or Absolutely And Completely Incompetent. There is no middle ground.

Whenever you ask about anything, you will be dismissively pointed to "the repository" or "the master doc" or some other vague concept of what might contain information. It is never referred to by anything like a formal title, even if there's a company-wide or industry standard name for it.

it will take about a week before anyone gives you a direct answer to what this document repository is, where you can find it, and gods forbid how you can access it.

There is one person in the entire organization who can set up your account and give you access. They are on vacation and are expected back in roughly two weeks after your next deliverable. They typically take 4-6 weeks to reply to emails. (They are, however, remarkably fast to reply if you message them on Discord, or via smoke signals - but absolutely nothing which allows you to easily express what you need.)

That document repository? It will looks like it was looted for spare words. required fields will be filled in with single characters just to make the system stop complaining.

Actual information will be in the absolute most obscure and obtuse places possible. There will be files which seem empty but actually have 200 lines of metadata, which you can only view one line at a time, containing information.

No one else in the project will think this is weird at all and will profess absolute confusion that you think this is a problem. If you attempt to nudge them toward an approach which is actually possible for other people to comprehend, they will complain you are not a "team player".

There is a company-wide standard OS and software build. No one in the project uses it.

They will all decide to eschew Enterprise level tools for which the company pays millions of dollars and has a support contract in favor of open source tools which they are very possibly using illegally and which have less than 1% of the functionality of the company tools.

The majority of your time will be spent trying to get these tools to replicate an additional 1% of the functionality you need.

No one knows why the decisions were made to use these tools. They just are.

No one knows what any of the terms and acronyms they use in the project mean. They just are.

If you are in a customer-facing position, no one has any idea how the product works. That's an engineering question.

If you are in engineering, no one knows how the customer will interact with the product. That's a sales and marketing question.

You will never be quite sure who is actually running the project. You have your direct manager, the project lead, the project manager, the project manager's assistant, and that one person who actually runs the meetings and makes the schedules. These people will all seem incredibly busy, and no one is clear who is responsible for what.

[advancetoclassesandmaterials]

AdvanceTo Legal and Corporate MS Office Training - Filling In The Gaps…

AdvanceTo Training and Consulting is one of the very few companies that train MS Office (MS Word, Excel and Power Point), Adobe Pro/Nuance and Outlook using the methods that are used in top-tier law firms. If you know these methods, you will be comfortable working in any legal or corporate firm down to the single practitioner.

We are from the top-tier of the legal industry and have functioned as Lead Operators, IT Help Desk, Coordinators as well as Corporate Trainers for over 20 years. We gladly share our experience and knowledge with you. Most firms (large or small), do not have the time and/or the budget to pass along the amount of nuanced material as we do.

We have the ability to take you from basic through advanced within a short period of time at an affordable price. Most firms on the other hand, have to settle on a “show them on a need to know” basis. Our advantage, is that we do not have any constraints on how much material we impart or what we show, so you end up with a deep level of understanding.

In a competitive era, it is worth it to you to keep your skill level at the highest possible level. For those who wish to enter the legal or corporate support staff sector, you want to be very comfortable with the software used. This will make a big difference in your day to day work. It is stressful when you don’t know the software but nevertheless, your boss needs something done.

AdvanceTo has a number of great classes for you to choose from depending on where you are career or knowledge wise. They are the following:

Basic-Advanced

We do a thorough Basic - Advanced MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe Pro/Nuance set of classes. These classes comfortably and substantially raise your awareness level and place you within the top 10% of the knowledge base.

For legal firms this means your documentation looks better and the efficiency of the staff goes way up!

Specialty Class

We also offer Specialty Classes such as Litigation vs. Corporate, Merge and Fillable Forms, Doc Comparison/Track Changes, Power Point shows (music and narration) and many more.

Tailored Class

Our Tailored Classes allow you to mix and match so that you get the blend of material that suits your needs across the spectrum of possible topics and procedures. We do Tailored Classes for legal firms as well as individuals.

Video on Demand

Finally we do video on demand for any particular subject matter. Just let us know what subjects you need and we will produce that for you.

Summary of Perks:

1. Basic through advanced MS Word, Excel Power Point, Adobe Pro/Nuance and Outlook. Each class is thorough and high value.

2. Homework follows every class. This gives us the chance to chart your progress and for you to know how you are coming along.

3. You decide when to move on to the next class.

4. Agency and law firm test preparation. This way you know what to expect.

5. Placement Assistance when done.

6. LinkedIn group and other blogs filled with high level how-to's going back to 2010.

7. One of a kind Teacher Connected books and Video. You can ask us questions pertaining to any book or video and you will get a thorough answer.

Works Shops spanning from working in a word processing center to merge, fillable forms and adobe/nuance PDF Editing.

www.awalkinthecenter.com for details!

We can train at your office, or we do phone class as well as Zoom on-line.

For Individuals: Full Courses or 1 by 1

Phone and Zoom are $175.00 per class. Discounts are available for the purchase of 2 or more classes. All groups are discounted. Full courses involving MS Word, Excel, Power Point and Adobe Pro/Nuance are discounted.

LinkedIn Group: AdvanceTo Legal and Corporate Word Processing Training Forum.

Give Yourself The Edge Over Others In The Industry. The more you know, the more opportunities will come your way.

https://advancetoffice.com/

www.awalkinthecenter.com

888-422-0692 Ext. 1 and 2

Email:

louis@advanceto.com

Students@advanceto.com

[phantomtutor]

SOLUTION AT Academic Writers Bay Need 800-1000 words DOC B is the only resource you may use and cited, do not use any other resource Force on answer the question, Be sure to thoroughly answer the question asked. directly addressed the question The red question is more important than other questions, but all question is imported Do not share this work to anyone or upload this work in any website Read Doc first , do not miss anything or details. If you have any question or need anything please let me know All work is needed write in right format and no errors in grammar,punctuation, word choice, spelling. Do not use any real name or real company name, for all work you can use “A company” without a name (No need to introduce the company in detail) or use I have Internship in this company. Do not use too many other resources, use your own words to finish this or change and rewrite it, do not share this work or upload it to any website, and it has to be your original work. Post A A. In the summary of It’s all Politics, how is politics defined? (This question is exempt from the scoring anchors below; it is expected this answer will not require multiple sentences.) [up to 20 points] B. The summary discusses five key areas of political development (i.e., intuition, insight, persuasion, power, and courage) and offers suggestions for how to improve each of these skills. Choose one of the skills that you believe to be the most important to develop for your own growth as an employee or manager, and thoroughly discuss why you chose the particular skill and how you can use it in your work life. If you do not agree with any of these skills (which is fine), discuss why and your thoughts against these skills. Side note: Be sure to reflect upon the “Political Power: Courage Versus Suicide” section before attempting to use any of these skills and tactics. [up to 50 points] C. How does this reading relate to the Power reading? Thoroughly discuss. [up to 30 points] Need 800-1000 words Grade Determination • • The starting point value associated with each question component is provided in brackets after the question component. Grading anchors for each question component are as follows: o full credit (100%): Very thorough, in-depth discussion reflecting strong critical thinking (requires a minimum of at least four substantive sentences); answers the question asked o partial credit (90%): Thorough, in-depth discussion reflecting strong critical thinking (requires a minimum of at least four substantive sentences); answers the question asked o partial credit (80%): Somewhat thorough, in-depth discussion reflecting moderate critical thinking (requires a minimum of at least three substantive sentences); answers the question asked o partial credit (70%): Minimally thorough discussion; answers question but reflects little critical thinking (requires a minimum of at least three substantive sentences); answers the question asked o partial credit (60%): Surface-level discussion; no depth to response/discussion reflecting very little critical thinking; answers the question asked o no credit (0%): No answer or does not answer the question asked Deductions to starting score: o Use of outside sources (unless otherwise noted in question and/or instructions): automatic zero o Not writing in complete sentences: 10-point deduction per occurrence o Grammatical/typographical errors: ▪ 0-2: no deduction ▪ 3-5: 10-point deduction ▪ more than 6: 30-point deduction Bennis.ffirs 3/26/08 9:03 AM Page iii Warren Bennis Daniel Goleman James O’Toole with Patricia Ward Biederman TRANSPARENCY How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor Bennis.ffirs 3/26/08 9:03 AM Page ii Bennis.ffirs 3/26/08 9:03 AM Page i TRANSPARENCY Bennis.ffirs 3/26/08 9:03 AM Page ii Bennis.ffirs 3/26/08 9:03 AM Page iii Warren Bennis Daniel Goleman James O’Toole with Patricia Ward Biederman TRANSPARENCY How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor Bennis.ffirs 3/26/08 9:03 AM Page iv Copyright © 2008 by Warren Bennis,

Daniel Goleman, and James O’Toole Published by Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint 989 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-1741—www.josseybass.com No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, or online at www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Readers should be aware that Internet Web sites offered as citations and/or sources for further information may have changed or disappeared between the time this was written and when it is read. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. Jossey-Bass books and products are available through most bookstores. To contact Jossey-Bass directly call our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-956-7739, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3986, or fax 317-572-4002. Jossey-Bass also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bennis, Warren G. Transparency : how leaders create a culture of candor / Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman, James O’Toole ; with Patricia Ward Biederman.—1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-0-470-27876-5 (cloth) 1. Disclosure of information. 2. Corporate governance. 3. Organizational culture. I. Goleman, Daniel. II. O’Toole, James. III. Title. HD2741.B386 2008 658.4’038—dc22 2008007570 Printed in the United States of America first edition HB Printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Bennis.ftoc 3/26/08 9:04 AM Page v CONTENTS vii preface Warren Bennis 1 2 3 creating a culture of candor 1 Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman, and Patricia Ward Biederman speaking truth to power 45 James O’Toole the new transparency 93 Warren Bennis notes 123 the authors 129 v Bennis.ftoc 3/26/08 9:04 AM Page vi Bennis.fpref 3/26/08 9:04 AM Page vii Warren Bennis PREFACE Certain issues leap to the fore across institutions and start to enter almost all our conversations about organizations, business, public life, and our personal realities. Transparency is one of those urgent, increasingly prominent issues. As someone who has devoted much of his life to the study of leaders, I find myself talking about transparency—and thus about trust as well—whenever I talk about leadership. Transparency is a central issue whether the subject is global business, corporate governance, national and international politics, or how the media deal with the tidal wave of information that slams into us each day. An inclusive and appealing word, transparency encompasses candor, integrity, honesty, ethics, clarity, full disclosure, legal compliance, and a host of other things that allow us to deal fairly with each other.

In a networked universe, where competition is global and reputations can be shattered by the click of a mouse, transparency is often a matter of survival. As stakeholders in many different organizations, we increasingly clamor for transparency, but what are we truly asking vii Bennis.fpref 3/26/08 9:04 AM Page viii for? What is the promise of transparency? And what are its very real risks? How should leaders and organizations think about transparency—and why is it essential that leaders understand it? In this book, I join with fellow authors and veteran students of organizational life Dan Goleman, James O’Toole, and my longtime collaborator Patricia Ward Biederman to explore what it means to be a transparent leader, create a transparent organization, and live in an ever-more-transparent world culture. This book makes no claims to be the last word on this complex subject. But we believe these three interconnected essays offer insights that will help leaders think more clearly and act more thoughtfully in matters relating to transparency, an issue that becomes ever more important as this fascinating, difficult era unfolds. Trust and transparency are always linked. Without transparency, people don’t believe what their leaders say. In the United States, many of us have lived with the sense that the government has been keeping things from us, and many mistrust the explanation that our leaders must do so because the truth would empower our enemies. Many of us believe the lack of transparency is the real enemy. Transparency is so urgent an issue in large part because of the emergence in the last decade of ubiquitous digital technology that makes transparency all but inevitable. We live in an era when communication has never been easier, nor more relentless. More and more of our experience is being stored electronically, and powerful search engines allow this swelling archive to be mined in a matter of seconds by anyone with Internet access. viii PREFACE Bennis.fpref 3/26/08 9:04 AM Page ix This new technology is literally emancipating millions of people who once lived in isolation within the confines of their villages, and it offers all of us endless new possibilities. At the same time, the new technology has ramped up the ambient level of anxiety in daily life as we increasingly live roped to our personal digital assistants, cell phones, and other beeping, glowing devices. Paradoxically, greater transparency has brought bewilderment as well as enlightenment, confusion as well as clarity. Each new revelation, much as we long for it, reminds us that the ground is not solid beneath our feet. We are uneasily aware that the present has no shelf life. Although we know more than ever, we often feel less in control. Our world seems simultaneously more anarchic and more Orwellian, more and less free. These three essays look at transparency from three different vantage points—within and between organizations, in terms of personal responsibility, and finally in the context of the new digital reality—all with an emphasis on how these relate to leaders and leadership. In the first essay Dan Goleman, Pat Ward Biederman, and I explore an urgent dilemma for every contemporary leader: how to create a culture of candor. We argue that the unimpeded flow of information is essential to organizational health. Best known for his work on emotional intelligence, Dan has been doing research for decades on how information flow shapes organizations. He has a longstanding interest in selfdeception and how it skews decision making. And he is fascinated by the role “vital lies” play in keeping essential truths from surfacing, first in families and later in businesses and other organizations. For my part, I have long considered candor essential PREFACE ix Bennis.fpref 3/26/08 9:04 AM Page x for personal and organizational health; denying the truth harms us immeasurably. Organizations need candor the way the heart needs oxygen. Ironically, the more corporate and political leaders fight transparency, the less successful they are.

The reason for this is not, unfortunately, the inevitable triumph of good over evil but the reality-shifting power of the new technology. Whether leaders like it or not, thanks to YouTube, there is no place to hide. Jim O’Toole’s essay has the provocative title “Speaking Truth to Power,” a prerequisite for transparency and a responsibility we too often fail to fulfill. An author, consultant, and professor of business and ethics with a passion for philosophy as well as a degree in social anthropology, Jim brings an expansive frame of reference to bear on this critical topic. Citing Sophocles, Shakespeare, sociobiology, and General Shinseki, he includes a provocative analysis of Aristotle’s belief that virtue requires becoming angry at the things that warrant anger. Jim also describes his unforgettable encounter with Donald Rumsfeld at an Aspen Institute seminar. My final essay explores what I call “the new transparency.” It shows how digital technology is making the entire world more transparent. Because of technology, leaders are losing their monopoly on power, and this has positive impacts—notably the democratization of power—as well as some negative ones. In the following pages, we talk about whistleblowers and Second Life, groupthink, and blogging as an act of resistance. We show how digital technology is driving the new transparency, one that is paradoxically both more and less dependent on the x PREFACE Bennis.fpref 3/26/08 9:04 AM Page xi will of the individual. But ultimately this is not a book about technology. It is about the things that have mattered since the new technology was the flint and the longbow—courage, integrity, candor, responsibility. Technologies change. Human nature doesn’t. It is our hope that what you read here will help you embrace transparency, a good thing but rarely an easy one. Combining theory and experience, our book offers both a long view of transparency and practical advice. We hope you will find ideas in each essay to make you a better follower, a better leader. Santa Monica, California Warren Bennis March 2008 PREFACE xi Bennis.fpref 3/26/08 9:04 AM Page xii Bennis.fpref 3/26/08 9:04 AM Page xiii TRANSPARENCY Bennis.fpref 3/26/08 9:04 AM Page xiv Bennis.c01 3/26/08 9:05 AM Page 1 1 Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman, and Patricia Ward Biederman CREATING A CULTURE OF CANDOR In the spring of 2007 something unprecedented happened in the southern Chinese city of Xiamen. In a nation notorious for keeping citizens in the dark, word got out that a petrochemical plant was to be built near the center of the lovely port city. The factory would have produced toxic paraxylene, and residents who learned of the plans were understandably alarmed. A decade ago, concerned Chinese citizens could have done little to stop the plant’s construction. But this is a new age, not just in China but throughout the world. Via e-mail, blogs, and text messages, word of the plan spread and a protest was organized against it. As the Wall Street Journal reported, hundreds, perhaps thousands of protesters gathered at Xiamen’s city hall to 1 Bennis.c01 3/26/08 9:05 AM Page 2 oppose the plant.1 Chinese officials refused to acknowledge the protest and shut down Web sites that opposed the plant. But using today’s ubiquitous communication technology protestors were able to circumvent the official silence. Participants took photos of the protest with their cell phones and posted them on the Web. Much to the chagrin of Chinese officials, some photos were transmitted straight to sympathetic media. The result was a victory of electronics-driven light over official darkness. City officials have postponed construction of the plant until a new study of its environmental impact is completed. Today the word transparency pops up in stories about everything from corporate governance to the activities of the U.S. Justice Department. In the mouths of those in power, its meaning tends to be fuzzy, although, as New York Times essayist John Schwartz writes,

when officials say they are being transparent, “what they really mean is ‘not lying’ and ‘not hiding what we’re really doing.’ But that doesn’t sound as nice or vague, does it?”2 The vagueness is understandable, however. As we all know, claiming to be transparent is not the same as actually being transparent. Even as many heads of corporations and even of states boast about their commitment to transparency, the containment of truth continues to be a dearly held value of many organizations. Sadly, you can say you believe in transparency without practicing it or even aspiring to it. While opacity is far less of a problem in the United States than in some other nations, it continues to characterize many, if not most, American organizations. And lack of transparency is usually no accident. It is often systematically built into the 2 T R A N S PA R E N C Y Bennis.c01 3/26/08 9:05 AM Page 3 very structure of an organization. In the following pages, we look at the forces that conspire against an organizational culture of candor and transparency, and the often disastrous results when those qualities are lacking. We also show that the effort to withhold information from the public has become an all-but-impossible task because of profound changes in the global culture. Most important of these is the emergence of electronic technology that facilitates sunlight, and the rise, over the last decade, of the blogosphere—a development that has made transparency all but inevitable. In today’s gotcha culture, no men’s room tryst is sure to remain secret, no racial slur goes unrecorded, no corporate wrongdoing can be safely entombed forever in a company’s locked file cabinets. A decade ago, secrets often remained buried until a professional journalist could be persuaded to reveal them. Today anyone with a cell phone and access to a computer has the power to bring down a billiondollar corporation or even a government. what is a culture of candor? When we speak of transparency and creating a culture of candor, we are really talking about the free flow of information within an organization and between the organization and its many stakeholders, including the public. For any institution, the flow of information is akin to a central nervous system: the organization’s effectiveness depends on it. An organization’s capacity to compete, solve problems, innovate, meet challenges, C R E AT I N G A C U LT U R E O F C A N D O R 3 Bennis.c01 3/26/08 9:05 AM Page 4 and achieve goals—its intelligence, if you will—varies to the degree that information flow remains healthy. That is particularly true when the information in question consists of crucial but hard-to-take facts, the information that leaders may bristle at hearing—and that subordinates too often, and understandably, play down, disguise, or ignore. For information to flow freely within an institution, followers must feel free to speak openly, and leaders must welcome such openness. No matter the official line, true transparency is rare. Many organizations pay lip service to values of openness and candor, even writing their commitment into mission statements. Too often these are hollow, if not Orwellian, documents that fail to describe the organization’s real mission and inspire frustration, even cynicism, in followers all too aware of a very different organizational reality. When we talk about information flow, we are not talking about some mysterious process. It simply means that critical information gets to the right person at the right time and for the right reason. Although the successful flow of information is not automatic and often re… CLICK HERE TO GET A PROFESSIONAL WRITER TO WORK ON THIS PAPER AND OTHER SIMILAR PAPERS CLICK THE BUTTON TO MAKE YOUR ORDER