#DISC Quadrants

[saipushpalearner]

The DISC Quadrants: A Workplace Game-Changer

The DISC Quadrants framework is a powerful tool for understanding human behavior and fostering productive workplace dynamics. Dividing personality traits into Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C), this model offers actionable insights that help organizations enhance communication, collaboration, and leadership. By leveraging the DISC Quadrants, individuals and teams can unlock their potential for exceptional performance and synergy.

The Origins of DISC Quadrants

The DISC Quadrants trace their origins to the 1920s when psychologist William Moulton Marston sought to categorize human emotions and behavioral tendencies. Unlike intelligence or aptitude tests, DISC focuses on personality traits that influence interpersonal interactions. Over the decades, it has evolved into a cornerstone of organizational development, empowering leaders, teams, and individuals to achieve better cohesion and understanding.

Marston’s vision was not to label individuals but to create a framework that fosters self-awareness and mutual respect. Today, DISC continues to be integral in leadership training, team-building exercises, and personal development programs. Its relevance has only grown as workplaces become more diverse and dynamic, emphasizing the need for tailored approaches to communication and collaboration.

Unpacking the DISC Quadrants

Each quadrant in the DISC model represents a distinct behavioral style. Understanding these styles is crucial for improving workplace dynamics and achieving organizational goals.

Dominance (D): The Visionary Leader

Individuals with a Dominance style are characterized by assertiveness, ambition, and a focus on results. They excel in leadership roles that require quick decision-making and a bold approach to challenges. However, their directness can sometimes be perceived as overly forceful, necessitating a balance between assertiveness and empathy.

Influence (I): The Energetic Optimist

The Influence style radiates enthusiasm, charisma, and positivity. People with this style thrive in roles requiring interpersonal skills, such as sales, marketing, or team leadership. Their ability to inspire others is invaluable, but they may need to work on organization and follow-through to maximize their impact.

Steadiness (S): The Reliable Supporter

Steadiness represents stability, patience, and loyalty. These individuals are the glue that holds teams together, ensuring harmony and consistency. Their collaborative nature makes them ideal for roles requiring teamwork and conflict resolution. However, their aversion to change can be a challenge in fast-paced environments.

Conscientiousness (C): The Analytical Thinker

Conscientious individuals are meticulous, detail-oriented, and focused on quality. They excel in roles demanding precision, such as finance, engineering, or research. While their analytical nature ensures data-driven decisions, they may benefit from developing adaptability to thrive in unpredictable scenarios.

Leveraging DISC in the Workplace

Improving Communication

Understanding DISC styles allows teams to tailor their communication strategies. For example:

Dominance: Use direct, concise communication.

Influence: Foster engaging, enthusiastic discussions.

Steadiness: Offer reassurance and clear explanations.

Conscientiousness: Provide detailed, fact-based information.

By adapting communication styles, organizations can reduce misunderstandings and build stronger relationships.

Enhancing Leadership

DISC empowers leaders to recognize their own strengths and development areas while adapting their approach to meet team needs. For instance, a Dominance-style leader might focus on results but can benefit from incorporating empathy to connect with Steadiness-style team members. Similarly, an Influence-style leader can leverage their charisma to motivate Conscientiousness-style employees by aligning tasks with their strengths.

Resolving Conflicts

Conflicts often arise from misaligned communication or expectations. DISC provides a framework to identify and address these differences constructively. For example, a Steadiness-style employee may feel overwhelmed by a Dominance-style manager’s assertiveness. Recognizing this dynamic allows both parties to adjust their behavior for a more harmonious interaction.

Common Misconceptions About DISC

Rigid Categorization

One of the biggest misconceptions is that DISC categorizes individuals into fixed boxes. In reality, people exhibit a blend of styles that can vary depending on the context. The key is to view DISC as a guide for understanding tendencies rather than a definitive label.

Universal Applicability

While DISC is highly versatile, it is most effective when used as part of a broader organizational strategy. Pairing DISC insights with other tools, such as emotional intelligence assessments, enhances its impact and applicability.

Future of DISC: Technology and Personalization

The DISC Quadrants continue to evolve alongside technological advancements. Digital platforms now offer tailored assessments, real-time feedback, and virtual team-building exercises. These innovations make DISC more accessible and relevant, especially for remote teams. Additionally, integrating DISC with artificial intelligence can provide personalized development plans, further enhancing its value in modern workplaces.

Practical Tips for Applying DISC

Promote Open Dialogue: Encourage team members to share their DISC styles and discuss how they prefer to communicate and collaborate.

Tailor Training Programs: Use DISC insights to customize training initiatives that address specific team dynamics.

Develop Actionable Plans: Create strategies to leverage each style’s strengths while addressing potential challenges.

Encourage Continuous Learning: Regularly revisit DISC assessments to track growth and adapt strategies as needed.

Conclusion

The DISC Quadrants offer invaluable insights into human behavior, making them a cornerstone of effective workplace communication, leadership, and collaboration. By embracing the complexities of each personality style, organizations can navigate challenges with greater ease and foster environments where individuals and teams thrive. As technology and workplace dynamics continue to evolve, the DISC framework remains a timeless tool for building stronger, more cohesive teams.

[autumnalhappiness]

The DiSC model describes four main styles: D, i, S, and C. D is for Dominance, i is for Influence, S is for Steadiness, and C is for Conscientiousness. Everyone is a mixture of each style, but most people tend to fall into one or two main DiSC style quadrants. Source. You can find the free test online.

Yep I did the test! I got clarity. What did you get, Suo?

Thank you for the information on this personality test, @tigreblvnc !

I found a free test online which didn't require personal information: https://www.truity.com/test/disc-personality-test

[union-combine]

Greetings citizens of the Union and beings from beyond. Welcome to Union News Central, I'm your host Bluglakkag Flublabbak. And I'm afraid I have sad news...

A Union Research Vessel "The Observant" has gone missing! The ship and its crew set out not long ago to begin a five year mission beyond fringes of explored space in the south of the Eastern Quadrant, in the Outer Disc. They only just began yet their surveys yielded wonderful results and their team shows much promise.

The Ministry of Communications has shared some records. They reported that The Observant was entering the space near the @thylakindustrial on a routine survey mission. And a day later, the MoC received a broken transmission. Only a small piece of the transmission could be cleared up, and here it is.

It's clearly a hostile vessel firing on The Observant, but the ship remains unidentified. This transmission fragment prompted the IDA and the CBI to take over investigations and after a few days of failed attempts to contact The Observant, they contacted the Thylak government. Believing The Observant's comms were damaged and weakened, they hoped that the Thylaks might pick up The Observant's broadcasts. Unfortunately, our Thylak friends have been unable to contact them either.

While IDA and CBI investigations are still ongoing, we citizens can make our own effort to help. The following is the bridge crew of the Observant, and their pet "Blob".

The details for the rest of the ship's crew will be attached, but there are approximately fifty Union citizens missing in unexplored space. Citizens, if you see their crew turn up on a border outpost, or you're somewhere out there and you ping The Observant, please inform the IDA and the CBI.

I'm afraid that's all we have for now, I'm going to keep The Observant and its crew in my thoughts. This is Bluglakkag Flublabbak saying thanks for tuning in to our signal here at UNC and please keep an eye out for our lost friends. Be sure to bookmark our wavelength for future updates on this and other issues...

Solace in the Union.

[miloscat]

[Review] Panzer Dragoon Saga (Sat)

Maybe they should have stuck to rail shooters...

My perfectly sensible journey through the Panzer Dragoon series: Mini, then Orta and the OG, then Gamera 2000, Remake, Zwei, and now finally this, the one that's not actually a rail shooter. Apparently development on Zwei and Saga both started at the same time but being an RPG spread over four Saturn discs, Saga took a few more years to cook. It's also one of the more pricey games in existence due to its release right when the Saturn was imploding and overall poor sales; its reputation as a rare and expensive title comes with a vaunted hidden gem status, but the reality... well...

Saga (or as it's known in Japan, Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG) certainly is experimental. Like the monsters that populate the world's wastelands and forests, it's a mutant creation, a strange hybrid of Panzer Dragoon mechanics in an RPG framework. Or if not mechanics then surface trappings: four-quadrant perspectives in battle, aiming a lock-on cursor, three-dimensional dragon flight... but the gameplay experience is nothing at all like the arcadey rail-shooters that constitute the rest of the series. Saga is very much a departure, and I don't think that works in its favour.

The world of Panzer Dragoon was always so evocative, the unknowable but hostile technology of a lost era (with its cool techno-organic designs) littering a devastated landscape, folk struggling to eke out an existence while empires battle overhead. Digging into the setting seems like something the series was crying out for... yet somehow, by nailing things down in Saga you do end up losing some of the mystique. Sure I understood the lore more clearly from in-game texts and characters pontificating, but is that what the series really needed? Maybe they explain too much, and since this is a Japanese RPG you of course end up travelling through space and time to kill God. Ho hum.

Panzer Dragoon has always had cinematic moments, but again Saga goes to excess by having all dialogue be fully voiced, with mocapped cutscenes and long conversations. (The VA is all in Japanese as well, even in the international releases, with the series' trademark made-up language only used for the intro and outro cutscenes; another choice that removes a layer of mystery from this world.) It really slows the pace down, which is a theme for the on-foot sections, battle animations, and the speed of the overall plot.

After the inciting incident where Edge the bland protag-kun meets the dragon who befriends him for no reason, almost nothing happens to advance the plot for two whole discs. Although Edge is a defined character with a voice and backstory, he was designed to take a backseat to the eponymous Azel in story terms. Congratulations Team Andromeda, you created another boring RPG protagonist. Azel herself has potential to be interesting and has her moments but ends up underdeveloped, as often a plot device as a character, and literally not present for maybe half the game.

Although four discs sounds big, each one has just a handful of areas, and there's only two and a half towns in the game world. As an RPG and a story the scale is relatively small which works just fine for Panzer Dragoon, and the inhabited areas you do explore are dense and lively, with a day/night cycle and lots of interaction with the blocky Saturn people who live there. Controlling Edge in these areas is kind of clunky and slow, with the lock-on cursor being an odd way to interact and observe the world, but it results in lots of flavour text for background details even if a lot of it feels like filler.

When on the dragon, the world is understandably scaled back. An overworld map takes you between discrete zones, which are usually big open spaces broken up by tight corridors, or dungeons absolutely riddled with repetitive hallways and lifts. The dragon movement mechanics seem impressive but feel ultimately shallow and limiting, the technology and dev realities clearly not fulfilling the ambitions of open-roaming dragon-flying exploration. There's only a couple of occasions like the assault on a flying warship or the stealthy infiltration of an Imperial facility where these sections actually approach compelling gameplay; most of the time it's just busywork flying around and locking onto things to interact with them.

Finally, the battles. There are random and set encounters in the flying zones which take you to the battle screen, your dragon occupying one of four cardinal positions around the enemy. You or they can choose to move, which affects the ATB gauges that determine your actions but more importantly your relative positions put you in safe or danger zones from enemy attacks, and likewise enemy weak points are only revealed in certain spots. This positioning mechanic gives battles a unique feel, and turns most encounters into puzzle battles as you figure out how to respond to certain enemies. Your actions include the traditional PD single-target gun shot, a multi-target homing laser, and Zwei's Berserk technique is now the magic spell system. It's an amusing way to convert PD conventions into RPG ideas but it works well enough in theory. The problem is it felt to me that battles eventually became just slow and punishing until you learn the trick to them, at which point they're easy and time-wasting.

Saga is full of little secrets and such, the sort that compelled me to follow a guide so I didn't miss any obscure sidequest or missable treasures. One interaction requires you to talk to an NPC twenty-six times for crying out loud! Many of these rewards are relatively inconsequential but if you want your dragon to reach its final form there's a few hoops to jump through. By the end I found my inventory full of unused items and unspent money, so maybe I was too thorough. I also followed the guide's advice to seek out rare enemies to grind levels on, which may have reduced the difficulty but I'd rather that than the tedium of getting destroyed in late-game battles and having to replay sections. Saga is old-school in that way but it is from 1998 after all.

Panzer Dragoon Saga is such an unconventional RPG that I can't help but admire it, but at the same time it's clearly held back by the technology of the time and development pressures that result in it feeling messy and clumsy. There's no denying it has atmosphere and ideas and ambition, but it just didn't translate to the transcendent masterpiece that it's been built up as for me. Moreover, as a Panzer Dragoon game, it has almost nothing of what I really want out of a series that is otherwise stylish and inventive rail shooters. If telling a deeper story is what you want, then Orta was much more successful at it just by having a little more cutscene between levels! Even the rich world and visual design of the series is compromised rather than enhanced here as a result of the combination of gameplay styles/scales. I'm glad I played it but it's firmly the black sheep of the series as far as I'm concerned.

[randomvarious]

Today's mix:

Global Underground 016: Cape Town by Dave Seaman 2000 Progressive House / Progressive Trance

Back on my Global Underground grind this week to check out this turn-of-the-millennium double-disc mix from the one and only Dave Seaman, the guy who, among other things, managed to transform UK publication Mixmag from a DJ newsletter into a biblical monthly electronic music magazine, while also becoming one of the world's most revered DJs. Simply put, you can credit a significant portion of electronic dance music's growth and spread to him.

But, just like with Seaman's Buenos Aires set, I think that I might have an unpopular opinion about this one too, which represents Global Underground's first ever dispatch from Africa. See, something that I seem to keep running into with these showcases of super popular DJs (which is a corny concept on its face, to be honest 🙄) is overall inconsistency. One disc will range from pretty great to excellent, and the other will be pretty lackluster, in comparison. But to me, Seaman's discs serve as exceptions; they are neither pretty great, nor are they lackluster; they're just steadily good. And most of the reviews I've read for both this Cape Town release and the Buenos Aires one don't happen to express that opinion; the majority of them seem to think that Buenos Aires is fantastic, and this one is a tick or two below it.

Now, while, overall, I think the darker disc 1 is the stronger affair here, this release's greatest moments still seem to come in the second disc, with a totally sublime three-song run on its back half, starting with short-lived trio Nerva's "Modo VII (Santo Nerva de Mercia Mix)," followed by back-to-back tracks from duo Way Out West, of which the great Nick Warren—who himself put out the most spellbinding GU disc I've ever heard: the second one from his Brazil installment—is a member. First, Way Out West deliver "The Fall," which, personally, hit me *really* hard, because it samples the vocals that were used in one of my most favorite ambient tunes of all time, Mixmaster Morris' pretty legendary remix of Coldcut's "Autumn Leaves;" and then Seaman follows that up with a terrific Way Out West remix of James Holden's "Horizons." I'm basically an enormous sucker for a trance tune that incorporates rich and classy piano stabs, and a song like that one serves as a prime example of it (Max Graham's "Bar None" is another one that immediately comes to mind too, by the way, although it's not on this mix 😌).

And there's some great songs on the first disc too, but none of them really beat Bill Hamel's "Quadrant Dub" remix of Inertia's "Vellum." That one makes for a pretty transcendent, densely-packed climber in its first half. Plus, the "Futureshock Instrumental" of Moby's "Porcelain" is really cool too, as the duo takes the original's iconic strings and chops off their ends in order to meld them with a chugging mid-90s-type of house drumbeat 😎.

So, not fully bowled over by either of these discs, but definitely not disappointed with them either. Not the best GU mix I've ever come across, but also definitely not the worst. Just a steady-Eddie stream of good dance tunes, pretty much the whole way through.

Listen to CD1 here. Listen to CD2 here.

Highlights:

CD1:

Rui Da Silva Presents The Four Elements - "Earth" Moby - "Porcelain (Futureshock Instrumental)" Ian Wilkie - "Guten Morgen" The Ananda Project - "Cascades of Colour (Saffron Mix)" Inertia - "Vellum (Hamel's Quadrant Dub)" Gloat - "Wuarp" Above - "New Day Dawning (Above's Dub)" Breeder - "Tyrantanic (Slacker's Kingdom Come Mix)"

CD2:

Nerva - "Modo VII (Santo Nerva de Mercia Mix)" Way Out West - "The Fall" James Holden - "Horizons (Way Out West Remix)"

[contentgreenearth]

STUDY NOTES POST #8: RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SOJT AND THE ENNEAGRAM, ATTIDUINAL PSYCHE AND PSYCHOSOPHY PART 5

Finally, we've made it. Now we are to the myth busters section! This is probably the part those of you who are not part of the Personality Database fan club have been waiting for. Here's the Personality Database and Tik Tok myths I have debunked , as well as thinks Afansayev, Rob Zeke and others believed, that my experiment proved are not the case. Mind you, a lot of typology creators do not have good knowledge of other typology systems, and have their biases and make mistakes.

Even, as much as I've talked about them, Marston and Jung both made mistakes. Marston thought that S and I, and D and C were conscious/unconscious pairs; but Jung's theory disproves that, and proves that the conscious/unconscious pairs are actually S and D, and I and C. Jung believed that some traits were associated with introversion/extroversion; but Marston's theory disproves that, and proves Jung should have been associating those traits with the 4 functions instead.

So now that I'm laying that out there, don't get mad if I say your favorite typology system creator was wrong about something.

>Myth #1: all those gatekept MBTI/Enneagram combos you see. I'm just going to let you read this, for that myth. I think it shows sufficiently that the gatekept combinations are a myth:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Enneagram/comments/1558xxi/what_they_say_on_personality_database_vs_what/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=2&utm_content=1

You will have to copy and paste the link into your browser. Tumblr doesn't like it, for some reason 🙄

>Myth #2: Enneagram to Psychosohpy correlations

This is wrong in 2 ways. First, as I found in my experiment, Enneagram has very little to do with Psychosophy. Also, they say that Psychotypes can have varying dominant instinctual variants, when my experiment proved that Psychotypes can only have 1 dominant instinctual variant per type, however the core can vary

>Myth #3: "The Volition aspect represents extroversion in Psychosophy "

Apparently, this was something Afansayev said, but once again, remember how I said that a lot of the typology creators don't know too much about other typology systems. He obviously didn't know much about Jung's theory, because my experiment showed that the Volition aspect represents Jung's intuition function; not his extroverted attitude

>Myth #4: " Attiduinal Psyche is a watered down version of Psychosophy "

My experiment proved that Attiduinal Psyche is only slightly looser than Psychosophy; that's so that Attiduinal Psyche will type everybody, not just a few. For most types, Attiduinal Psyche only included the Psychotype, plus 1 to 3 other SOJT types that were closely related to the SOJT type of the people with the Psychotype; in my experiment. The only types that expanded beyond 4 SOJT types were the ones where the representative of the Psychotype in Afansayev's book had an ambiverted SOJT type, in which case, the Psychotypes cast a wider net to begin with.

>Myth #5: "VELF is a versatile type that can be any Enneagram or MBTI type"

This is because Rob Zeke has a bias toward the type VELF. In my experiment I found that VELF, just like all but 6 of the 24 AP types, has a very specific set of types that make up over 90% of the cases. MBTI types: ISFJ, ISFP, INFJ and INFP; Enneagram cores: 4, 5, 6 and 9; were nearly 100% of the statistics. Needless to say those MBTI types are part of the S quadrant of DISC, which contains 40% of the human population. *That's* probably why it's so common, not versatility.

By contrast, in my experiment, the 6 Psychotypes represented by ambiverts were the most versatile. Half of them could be 9 of the 17 SOJT type families in the experiment, and most Enneagram cores, as a result. Those were EFLV, FEVL and LFEV. The other 3 could be any of the 17 SOJT type families, or have any of the 9 Enneagram cores. They were: VFEL, FVEL and FELV. Those are the 3 most flexible types in AP, right there, and VELF is not one of them.

>Myth #6: "If you're having trouble typing someone, they're probably VELF"

Once again, this is Rob Zeke's VELF bias. The reality is, in the experiment I did, I had many people who were hard to type, but none of them were VELF. These were the usual hard-to-type outcomes:

The person was in the "Undifferentiated Attitude " type family, and had an obviously extroverted or obviously introverted AP type

The person had an obviously extroverted or introverted SOJT type, and an ambiverted AP type

The person did not have the stereotypical version of the type, and looked different because of subtypes, other typology systems, etc.

Well, that's it. I'm now going to get back to my Typing In Practice Posts. I hope to complete them all before my wedding, which looks like it will be happening before the year is out.

[petermorwood]

No power steering, no power brakes, no disc brakes, no synchromesh gearbox, no seatbelts, no airbags, no crumple zones, a 40-foot / 12 metre turning circle...

The photos in this post aren't the same car as Crowley's 1933 3½ litre Bentley in "Good Omens", but they're Bentleys of the same vintage. All have the same basic layout, bought from the factory as a "rolling chassis"...

...then passed to a coachbuilder for whatever custom bodywork the new owner had ordered. These coachbuilders often rejoiced in wonderful names like Park Ward, Vanden Plas, Gurney Nutting, H.J. Mulliner or Thrupp & Maberley, sounding like escapees from a P. G. Wodehouse story.

Handbrake and gearstick are both on the right-hand side...

...so to avoid a poke in the knees it's often easier, depending on layout, to enter on the passenger side and slide across.

Once behind the wheel, you'll encounter all this gubbins attached to it.

The horn button is in the middle, but the other levers - depending on the chosen interior design layout - do stuff like operate the headlamps (full or dim), adjust the suspension (hard or soft), advance or retard the spark (more spark in cold weather, less in warm) and alter the fuel-air mixture (full rich when starting, lean when running).

*****

And then there's getting it started.

At least there's no need in these models to go round to the front with a hand-crank, though you could if you had to. That hand-crank option remained on cars right into the 1960s, as shown here at upper and lower ends of the market.

First, on a Rover P4 suitable for a bank manager or, as I suggested elsewhere, Adam's dad...

...and next on a Morris Minor, suitable for a bank clerk.

Crowley's Bentley (currently called Mary) has a hand-crank socket too - not that he would ever need to use such a thing - but in keeping with the car's superior status there's a neat chromed cap over it, and the actual engine connection is hidden behind the radiator slats.

(Mary's bodywork, incidentally, is by one of those splendidly named coachbuilders, Messers Thrupp & Maberley.)

Even without using a hand-crank, starting a 1930s Bentley (or any other car of the period) is still not a simple process. Turning that key between the toggles is just the first step since, IIRC, it only switches on the battery circuit.

Once the power is flowing, actual start-up routine can begin. I'll let Classic Car Club explain it:

Switch on the ignition by turning the right hand lever on the switchbox to I & C.

If starting from cold, set the mixture control, located around the horn button to Start.

Manually retard the ignition about one-quarter of its quadrant which is also located around the horn button.

Depress the starter and the engine comes to life.

Move the mixture control from Start to Run.

I prefer just turning a key.

Alternately you could just want the engine to be running as you get in - but to pull off that particular trick it helps to be a louche and lazy demon... ;->

Hey Neil,

Me and my best mate have a plan, we're going to move out and get a flat together, I'll help her with her auditions and learning lines, and she'll edit my writing. Part of our plan was that we'd save up for a motorbike, but after watching Good Omens she's decided she'd rather have a Bentley. I think we might be saving for a while....

According to people who have had to drive the Bentley, including Michael and David, you do not want to drive a vintage Bentley.

[laejoh]

I first became interested in the the problem of cutting onions in a way to reduce the variance of the volumes of the slices at a gathering with friends...

First, we model the onion as half of a disc of radius one, with its center at the origin and existing entirely in the first two quadrants in a rectangular (Cartesian) coordinate system. This ignores a dimension, and perhaps also some geometry of actual onions (are cross sections actually circles?) but makes the problem tractable and is still a good approximation...

0.5573066929856644788510930591459271808320003020727327593398292131946981351272104586975295563488927792384215157297641443660261449855854165046873271472618959107816152780606384065758548635804885244580180000739444280590673621405484408743288174143897178500658897679049099235460450539966379793582365697832234771908624791276216076862484729083731336235000704236891376747519710815301807822317779086701048122723023915093054323298702150340065450327186756623642052156098646912508581593702205375240220768344875026631985363470644632525528856220691258227307037720900190873707797080215945078389222941122441664099620992665469305266348508835318836823451849946341751553954012216070423374355399193069992187951842347509926071534835419058678494025712006870992663407278202945110198402208378584410140122892631419360798953694134222761038423480438048889054739124583187162972867878589998414926409519790844390232917730134252343064728228633559834886507214553757974736357343027167265972675903577598983959532796594227162648681839040…

[error-on-line413]

[QUIRK MASKING]: personally i think if humans were to have grumblr, they would probably have to invent some imaginary topics to care about, since the majority of posts on here are culling discourse. Since culling is the most extreme thing that can happen to a troll, I would imagine the same should hold true for humans. Traditionally, they’re presented as overly fixated on harm done to them due to weaker bodies, and misunderstanding relationships due to only having one quadrant. As such:

[QUIRK MASKING]: Human grumblr should post “true crime” and “shipping discourse.”

[ ] This is the best take I've ever seen. I want t[ ] live in the w[ ]rld y[ ]u're making - In fact, I'll summ[ ]n humans int[ ] existence just t[ ] make s[ ]me [ ]f these p[ ]sts a reality. [ ]

[ ] I bet we can c[ ]mbine this by having the humans p[ ]st ab[ ]ut wanting t[ ] ship vi[ ]lent pe[ ]ple t[ ]gether. [ ]

[ ] S[ ] I p[ ]se my new human character, Vicky, wh[ ] is a human woman that sh[ ]ved her first l[ ]ve interest [ ]ff a cliff, blinded her sec[ ]nd [ ]ne, c[ ]mmits war crimes with the third, and is punched by the f[ ]urth [ ]ne. There will be a secret fifth l[ ]ve interest but she's a jackass t[ ] him, t[ ][ ]. Every[ ]ne will be screaming [ ]ver Vicky Disc[ ]urse, Visc[ ]rse, if y[ ]u will, and her lack [ ]f g[ ][ ]d l[ ]ve interests despite having s[ ] many. [ ]

[kiranapassionategamer]

A Comprehensive Guide to the Most Popular Board Games in India

For millennia, board games have been an essential aspect of Indian culture, providing benefits beyond just amusement. India has made a significant and varied contribution to this industry, from classic games enjoyed by royalty to contemporary strategy games played worldwide. This thorough guide examines popular board games in India, including all the must-play games—classics, contemporary favourites, and new releases, and the many advantages of playing these strategic, entertaining games.

1. Traditional Indian Board Games

Ludo (Pachisi): Originating from the Pachisi game, Ludo is an ancient game that dates back to the sixth century. Ludo, a game that belongs to the monopoly game type and was first played on a cross-shaped board with tiny pawns and dice, has undergone numerous modifications and adaptations, including digital versions. Squares, tokens, dice, dice, start, and finish are all part of the game's rules, but despite their simplicity, the strategy is sound enough to keep players of all ages interested. However, for the sake of die-heart fans, these days you play Ludo with real money India online and win real cash.

Snakes and Ladders: Originally called Moksha Patam, Snakes and Ladders was created in ancient India to teach people moral principles and appropriate behaviour. The snakes stand for vices, whereas the ladders are designated as virtues. The game uses the tried-and-true dice-rolling mechanic to entertain players while imparting moral values to younger players.

Carrom: Carrom is an indoor game played on a 66x66 cm wooden board with rounded corners and holes in each quadrant. It is comparable to table tennis and table football. Having a striker used to shoot discs into these pockets is the goal. It requires intricate planning and strong and targeted striking patterns and is a mainstay of practice in both informal and competitive forms.

Chess (Chaturanga): This strategic game, which originated in India as the original Chaturanga and evolved into chess, is revolutionizing international competitive sports. In this game, two players take turns managing an army of pieces with the goal of "checkmating" the other player's monarch. World-class chess players that compete in all the major international chess competitions are still being produced in India.

Ashtapada: It is an ancient board game that is less well-known yet significant because it uses the same 8 by 8 box playing board as Chaturanga. However, the game that relies on mobility rather than capture is incredibly profound and basic, providing insight into the Indian board game market. 

2. Modern Popular Board Games in India

Scrabble: This word-building game is viral due to its content, gameplay, and the value of the presented vocabulary. In the game board, there are letters, and players have to make words to gain a point, making it an informative game that also exercises the brain's language.

Monopoly: Controlling and never hesitating to be aggressive in real estate and business strategy, Monopoly has different editions related to other Indian cultures and cities. It is still popular because of the high level of bargaining, trade and financial simulation involved in the game.

Ticket to Ride: A bit newer, this is a game in which players pick train cards to create train routes on a continent represented on the playing board. Thanks to simple-to-learn rules and complex strategies, Ticket to Ride is gaining popularity among Indians, especially families that enjoy this game.

Catan: In Catan, players gather cards to throw resources off the island to build roads, settlements, and cities. This game is best known for being a large-scale resource management game with negotiation components, which are a huge plus to players who like making a lot of pre-preparations.

Pandemic: The pandemic, which has found a sad relevance in the recent period, is a cooperating game where players struggle to treat diseases around the globe, accumulating resources for curing them. Due to this characteristic of forming cooperative work, it is especially popular in India as a way to develop teamwork and a problem-solving orientation.

3. Emerging Trends in Indian Board Gaming

The Indian board gaming scene is experiencing a renaissance with the rise of board game cafes and community gatherings, which provide a venue for enthusiasts to meet and engage over their favorite games. Digital versions and online platforms have also made it easier to learn and play, broadening access to these games. Moreover, there's an increasing interest in games that require strategic thinking and cooperative play, reflecting a shift towards more intellectually engaging entertainment forms.

4. Benefits of Playing Board Games

Playing board games offers numerous cognitive benefits, such as improved problem-solving skills, enhanced memory, and better concentration. They also offer significant social and emotional advantages; they foster communication and patience, reduce stress, and can improve mental health. Furthermore, board games are an excellent tool for family bonding, as they bring people together in a cooperative or competitive framework to share meaningful interaction away from screens.

Conclusion

India has a wide and varied selection of board games. Board games in India have something for everyone, from classic ludo real cash games that impart moral values to contemporary strategy games that test mental faculties. The fundamental qualities of board gaming—bringing people together and offering rewarding experiences—remain constant as this culture changes, carrying on a long-standing custom.

[wwwquickpakinccom]

Arch Strapping Machine Service & Repair

Regular maintenance can help a strapping machine run smoothly and extend its lifespan.

The longer your strapping machine is down, the more it costs you – so it is essential to get it back up and running as soon as possible.

Broken strapping machines can be costly for your business. Here are some of the most common problems with strapping machines – and how to fix them.

Your Strapping Machine Will Not Start:  If your strapping machine will not start, there are a couple of things to look at. Check the fuse in the power supply cable, and the fuse in the machine itself. Often, this is located next to the motor run timer.

It sounds simple, but it’s always worth double-checking that the machine is turned on – both on the machine and at the wall.

The Strap Keeps Breaking:  If the strap keeps breaking, splitting, or bending, your machine might be applying too much tension. Reducing the tension on your machine will solve this problem.

It Makes a Loud Noise:  If your machine is making an unusual, loud noise, it is a sign something is wrong. Check that your strapping is running in the right direction. If the machine fails to strap, the tensioning sensor might be faulty.

For semi-automatic machines, ensure the strap is threaded through the roller of the brake lever. You should also check if the strap is trapped between the coil and the retaining disc.

Smoke Is Coming from The Machine:  Smoke coming from your machine is an obvious sign of fault. You should check your machine’s ventilation – ensure it is free from debris to allow air to pass through.  If the ventilation system on your machine has failed, you may need to install a replacement part.

The Strap Cannot Be Threaded to the Tabletop:  The strap chute can become blocked, preventing you from threading the strap through to the tabletop of your machine. With the machine off, inspect the chute to ensure there are no blockages and adjust the quadrant strap width to ensure the strapping is aligned correctly.

If you are unable to fix your strapping machine yourself, it is time to call in the experts. At Quick Pak Inc, our team of professional engineers aim to repair the fault on their first visit to your site to reduce downtime.  Or you have the option to drop the machine off at the service center for repair. 

Contact us today @ 813 242 6995 or reach out to sales@quickpakinc.com to request a repair.

[saipushpalearner]

DISC Quadrants 

Build thriving teams and insightful leaders with The DISC Quadrants, a robust tool for understanding workplace behavior.

[random2908]

I sprained my ankle badly in 10th grade. I missed a step between the kitchen and the dining room, and caught my foot in a heavy oak chair on my way down. When I tried to stand up again, the moment I put my toe to the floor--no weight on it--I found myself on the floor again with no memory of having fallen. I spent the rest of the day crawling, and got up early the next morning to practice leaning on walls while hopping so I’d be able to go to school. It was about three or four days before I could use that foot for balance, and over two weeks until I could walk without a limp. But, as far as I could tell at the time, after about three weeks it was completely better--no doctor’s visits needed.

I’m having long-term foot problems now, mostly on the side that I sprained but a little on both sides because having a bad side puts more stress onto the good side. From my reading, although many factors had to contribute to causing this particular issue--which, at its core, is mainly an RSI from having a standing job--one of the prerequisites is weak ankles.

I threw out my back when I was 26. Surprising at that age, but, well, my family has a history of bad backs--my sister had already ruptured two discs at 21. In my case it was a sacroilliac strain-sprain, and that kind of injury--right at your pelvis--tends to be more on one side than the other. Guess which side. I didn’t even make the connection of course--but the physical therapist said with these sorts of injuries her patients always report that all their more minor injuries also tend to be in that same “quadrant”--it’s one arm or one leg specifically that always gives someone trouble. And often it can be traced back to a childhood injury.

And I don't know, but it's very possible that if I'd done something different in 10th grade--if I'd gone to the doctor and had my ankle wrapped, and been put on crutches--maybe these later injuries wouldn't have happened. Or at least wouldn't have been as bad.

If I could give one piece of life advice to my fellow humans, it would be this highly specific little chestnut: "If you ever sprain your ankle, get medical care."

One of the most common things I've heard from older people than myself is, "Oh yeah, I twisted my ankle in (insert grade of school here) and it's never been the same." Or, "I have a bad ankle. I can't tell you how many times I've sprained it." And one of the most common things I've heard from younger people is some variation on, "Yeah, I think I just twisted my ankle. I think I have some old crutches from high school at my parents' house. I'll just use those for a few days."

I didn't learn this until after I sprained my ankle last year, but 20% of ankle sprains lead to chronic ankle instability, which was grimly defined by my doctor as, "an unending cycle of ankle sprains."

Another thing I didn't fully understand is that "sprain" is an umbrella term for any of those ligament injuries. Yeah, you could simply stretch the ligament-- twist it. Or you could tear it. Or you could completely sever it, and those are all sprains. If you're not a doctor, it's likely hard to tell what degree of sprain you have. The worse the sprain, the higher the chance of it healing weird and becoming unstable. If you are having trouble putting weight on your ankle and it's not feeling better the next day, please get it checked out!

I know medical care is expensive and many of us don't have health insurance, but it might cost you more in the long run if you don't get care for a hurt ankle. Otherwise you might spend a lifetime of having to get MORE ankle injuries checked out, missing work or social opportunities due to ankle injury, having to limit exercise, surgeries later in life, and more.

When I hurt my ankle and foot last year, I assumed the broken foot bone would be the bigger concern, but my treatment plan was almost entirely centered around the ankle ligament tear. My doctor said that was the more serious injury and the more finicky bit to heal. I worry when I hear a friend mention they sprained their ankle and were just treating it at home, 'trying to stay off it as much as I can.' That usually means a few days, but I had to stay completely off mine for 4 weeks, followed by a walking boot, a brace, and months of physical therapy. It was intense!

Ankles are annoying because they support your entire darn body and you don't realize how much you need them until you hurt one. So that is the one nugget of wisdom I hope to leave all of you with!

[windy-trickster]

👀 So who *are* your trolls with open quadrants

-@alternias-madness

I have. A lot. If there's someone [or someones] you're specifically interested in knowing about. You can always DM on Tumblr [Or Disc for those who have me on there]

[indianleadershipacademy]

Disc Assessment - Indian Leadership Academy

Indian Leadership Academy uses DISC psychometric assessment which is one of the most popular personality types. This Behavioural assessment can be performed in a work setting and has four main facets that are Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance. One of the most popular tools to measure is DISC.

The DISC-based on behavioral assessment provides individuals with insights about their personalities, behaviors tendencies, and competencies when interacting in a professional setting. The main goal of this type of evaluation is to find out how an individual might behave in a certain situation so that he or she can act accordingly in order to reach their desired outcome.

As an assessment tool, the DISC questionnaire provides an individual with the chance to learn more about their natural and adapted behaviours, as well as the behaviours of others, by applying the ‘four-quadrant’ approach. There is no doubt that many organizations, both large and small, use this tool to improve communication skills and increase self-awareness among their employees and staff. There are a number of cases in which DISC is used to create a more unified culture within an organization as a whole. Many organizations also use it for leadership development too.

[wishfulstargazer]

Main Character Customer Support Ep 3

as always, thank you @f0xywrites for helping with the concept, and thank you @miss-mouse for being first reader

For those new to the series, this is a set of stories about a universe where authors are the biggest celebrities on the planet--but they don't design their own main characters. MCs are purchased from one of two mega corporations: Plots, Inc. and FluffCorp.

Here are the two previous stories:

“Fran, it’s so lovely to meet you in person,” Keiko greeted the older woman warmly. She was surprised and touched when she was enfolded in warm, spontaneous hug.

“Keiko!” The woman took a step back. “You’re just as lovely and professional looking in the flesh as over vid chat. Watch out or I’ll ask you to model for my next main character prototype.” She winked. “I won’t give you a Justin, though, he’s far too much trouble.” She tilted her head speculatively. “Maybe make you a veteran with ptsd who is convinced love isn’t for her and pair you with a sweet guy who just wants to make your life easy and adore you. A pilot, maybe? No, he might be away too much. Oh, I have it, a ski instructor! Perhaps a retired Olympic athlete. Or would you rather a veterinarian! That would be perfect! A small town vet for a Gulf War vet!”

Keiko was overwhelmed. “I’d be very honored,” she said. “But my dad was a veterinarian and that might be a little weird. I do like the idea of a small town for my doppelganger, though. It would let me escape from the big grungy city once–if only virtually.” Keiko had read every single one of Francesca Alders’s books, and some more than once. She had already been a fan before she received the assignment to work as the author’s personal Tier one rep, and she had made it a point to reread her entire oeuvre. Fran could tell an amazing story. The thought of being the model for a character made her blush. “I won’t hold you to that, though!”

“My dear, just try to dissuade me! Of course, I’d make sure that you received the typical fee and royalties for character appearance work, I’m not expecting anything for free. But it would also only be right for you to earn your regular commission on yourself.” She winked. “May as well double dip against the corporate overlords, right?”

Keiko couldn’t think of an answer to that which wouldn’t get her fired, so she settled for clearing her throat. “Today, though, we’re here to talk about Justin, right? She pulled out her lit up pad and checked her notes. I actually had a thought after we chatted. I’d still like to conference him in, though. Just to confirm my suspicion.” She indicated a couple of armchairs, and both of them seated themselves, Fran crossing her legs under her long magenta peasant skirt. 

“Absolutely, dear,” Fran said, pulling out the luminous pearlescent 2D character disc. It wouldn’t turn into a full bubble until the work Justin appeared in was published or otherwise made available to the public. She handed it to Keiko.

Well, here goes–please don’t let me screw this up, Keiko thought, careful to keep her expression neutral. Never let the client see you sweat. She tapped the upper right quadrant to open the menu for the factory defaults, then reached into her pocket for the round .exe key that Gennie in tech had reluctantly given her; the one that would allow her to override the system safeguards. She then very carefully adjusted only the settings that Gennie had indicated. She didn’t want to accidentally reformat the panel and undo any work that Fran had already put into the character’s plotline or erase his custom backstory. 

Technically authors could consult directly with their characters themselves, but the process had been designed to make it as difficult for them to do so as possible, so that they would continue to purchase the company’s aftermarket support packages. Also because many, many otherwise upstanding characters turned into unreliable narrators when the topic was themselves.  “Don’t ask the cocaine addict what he needs more of–his answer will always be coke,” was the conventional wisdom on interviewing characters about their own issues. Somewhere Keiko even had it printed on a mug–every consultant had received one with their last quarterly bonus check.

But nothing else had worked, and Tier One consultants had almost unlimited leeway to resolve their highest profile client’s character performance issues. Anything a consultant did for an author like Fran was forgivable–as long as it worked. 

If it didn’t, well, Keiko might very well end up back in school learning to be a plumber or a gardener or an accountant, because she certainly wouldn’t be employed by FluffCorp after this meeting. She swallowed nervously and hoped Fran was serious about wanting her to receive a modeling fee.

She spoke awkwardly to the panel, never having done this before. “Justin, do you hear me?”

A miniature person appeared in head to toe profile. He turned toward her. Keiko saw that he was wearing slate gray power suit with a sapphire blue tie. His dark blond hair was neatly tied back but probably fell to around his shoulders when down, and piercing eyes the same color as the suit peered intelligently out at her. 

“I do,” he answered. “Are you Fran? You’re not at all what I pictured.”

Keiko laughed. “No, I’m not. I’m Keiko. Fran is here though!” and she passed the panel over to the novelist, pulling her chair closer so that they could both view the miniature screen.

Justin’s gray eyes coolly assessed Fran with her salt-and-pepper hair, wide cat’s eye glasses, and colorful clothes. Then he bowed, formally but not at all subserviently. This was a character who knew his own worth. Not surprising given his background. “A pleasure, Fran, forgive me, I didn’t expect for us to meet like this.” He straightened his tie before slipping his long-fingered hands into his suit pockets.

Fran chuckled delightedly. “I’m sure you didn’t, Justin. I’m sorry for just barging in. I would certainly have called ahead, except–I wouldn’t have the faintest idea how to do that.”

He smiled. “Nor would I, I’m afraid. Well, this is certainly an unusual conversation, and I must admit to being fascinated. What brings you here? Or am I there?” he shrugged. “I don’t really understand how this is happening. I see you and Keiko, but nothing else, and I don’t see my own surroundings any more either–it’s like I’m locked in a multi-colored cloud with just the three of us.”

“Interesting,” Keiko murmured. “It seems that you are coming to us, then, at least sort of.” She gestured around her. “Our environment is still very much present.”

His expression turned wry. “Probably a perk of being real.” He gave a resigned shrug. “Well, I have quite a lot of business to conduct today–how can I be of service?”

Fran’s expression turned thoughtful. Keiko hoped that Fran was remembering not to reveal too much of her intended story to the character. A character with the strength of mind of a Justin could only be invited to his destiny, not forced. And sometimes they would have a contrary streak in them. “You can tell me about you and Julia,” she said. “You two seem to enjoy each other’s company, and I know you had an incredible time in bed together. What do you think of her?”

“Think of her?” Justin seemed baffled. “I think she’s great. We always have a good time together. I enjoy her.”

“Well, that’s nice to hear,” Fran beamed. “Would you enjoy getting to know her better?”

“Better?” If anything Justin seemed even more puzzled. “What else is there to know?”

Fran’s smile disappeared. “Well, surely you don’t think you know everything there is to know about her already?”

“Well, no, but…” Justin’s voice trailed off. “We’ve been on six dates now. I know her favorite restaurant–she loves Korean food but isn’t above eating a hot dog, and her birthday is May 12. Her hot dog condiments are just mustard, relish, and onions–only if the onions are fresh enough to still have a little crunch to them. She claims to be into astrology and is a Taurus, but she’s too sensible to take it all that seriously. She just talks about it to tease me. Says I’m a Capricorn with a Virgo moon or something. She prefers movies to live theater, doesn’t mind subtitles, has a ridiculous affection for that toxic chemical cinemas call butter on her popcorn, and loves my boat and being near the water in general. Her favorite flower is daisies. She looks incredible in and out of her clothes. She has a great sense of style and, more than that, she’s funny and kind. She always overtips her cabbie. Shockingly so. I’ve been thinking of getting her a car service because I’m concerned she’ll blow her grocery money for the month on meeting me when it’s too far for her to walk.”

Fran seemed appeased. “Well, that’s certainly a fair amount. You seem to like her.”

“I do, very much.”

Keiko intervened. “I think Fran’s concern was that perhaps you two might want to spend more time together.” She checked her notes. “It looks as though you had two very rapid dates at the beginning of your time together and now have fallen into a ‘Saturday date night’ routine–maybe even a bit of a rut?”

Justin looked offended. “A rut? Has she said something? Complained? We do different things every week. This week I found a foreign film festival out of town. We’re leaving Saturday morning, watching movies all day, eating at a great taco cart and staying over at a charming bed and breakfast. They make a great mushroom omelet that I know she’ll love.”

“Yes, dear, and that sounds like a great date,” Fran tried to calm him down. “In fact, it sounds a lot like the date you took,” she pulled out a notepad and flipped through a few pages. (Not an electronic one with a stylus, an old-school paper one with an actual pen, Keiko observed with interest.) “--Elaine on in the prequel, your sister’s story.”

“Well, that was superhero movies, but I suppose so,” Justin admitted. “Is there a problem with two similar dates?”

“Well, don’t you want something a bit more special for Julia? Or to see her during the week? Don’t you miss her?”

“Miss her?” Justin shook his head. “No. I’m a busy person.”

Fran sighed deeply. She looked over at Keiko. “This isn’t going to work, is it?”

“What isn’t going to work?” Justin asked, looking concerned.

Keiko closed her eyes and recited every single rule she knew about character/client interaction and her role as a consultant. Then, biting her lower lip and sending a quiet prayer toward any gods that might be sympathetic to character consultants, she opened her eyes–and broke every rule.

“Fran was thinking that you and Julie might be destined for each other,” she explained. “But if you don’t miss her when she’s not around, it’s not a fit. In reviewing Fran’s notes, though, I did have another idea.” She picked up her stylus and circled a name on her electronic notepad. “Tell me what you think of Chloe.”

*****

“Hello this is FluffCorp where your teeth may rot but your stories never will? This is Jaime, how may I help you today?”

“Hi, Jaime, I want to file a complaint about my character.”

Jaime sighed internally. Of course you do, he thought. “I’m listening and ready to assist in anyway I can.”

“This character is for a romantic lead–and you all gave him a stutter! There must be some mistake!”

“I’m very sorry that you’re dissatisfied, sir or ma’am, may I please get your name and character barcode?”

“It’s sir! One second…” a dog barked in the background. “Down, girl! Hey, put that down, now. NOW. Good dog….um, okay I have it: FLF64729-M38.”

Original FluffCorp manufacturing number, thirty-eight year old male, Jaime thought. Okay, that will make this easier… “Sir, I show that you stated you wanted your character to have something that he had overcome to be successful. The stutter was suggested and approved by you–”

“What?”

“Sir, may I please get your name?”

“No, you may not!” And the caller hung up.

Jaime shrugged and hit a button on his phone. “Hi, this Jaime in CS–I need to report a case of fraud and perhaps even theft? Character barcode FLF64729-M38. Originally ordered by a Dolores Benson who authorized a stutter for her MC in her new series with RomantInk? I just received a call from someone requesting to be called “sir” complaining about the stutter and refusing to give his name.”

“Got it,” Kim in Fraud typed furiously. “Am deactivating the character until we hear from the author herself. Confirmation number Zed, Alpha, Foxtrot, Six, Echo, Seven, Three.”

“Thanks, Kim,” Jaime said. “I’ll reach out to Ms. Benson myself.”

“That’s why you’re still my favorite, Jaime,” Kim replied. “Drinks on me next time.”

*****

“Chloe?” Justin looked, if anything, even more baffled. “She’s an excellent business partner, as Fran would be able to tell you. Hardworking, dedicated, more creative than I am. If it weren’t for her, JustClo Industries wouldn’t be where we are today. It was her coming to me with her new  business plan that took us from a million dollar outfit to a billion dollar outfit. She knew green tech was the future. She’s got an incredible mind and ability to multi-task–she’s not only retained her 25% ownership in our venture, she’s got her thumb in dozens more.”

The expresion on his face could only be described as proud, but Keiko had a feeling that he didn't even notice it himself. A quick glance at Fran showed her that the other women definitely had though, and Keiko smiled privately, as they listened to Justin listing all of Chloe's characteristics just as if Fran didn't know them already. 

“She seems to have an instinctive feel for when to intervene because an entrepreneur with a new business is out of their depth or when to sit back and let them lead. Again, something that I personally struggle with as I prefer to be in control. On the other hand, she’s chronically late, can never find her keys, and her desk looks like an office supply store had an avalanche. We balance each other’s weaknesses with strengths.”

Keiko nodded. This was enlightening. “Go on,” she encouraged.

“Even if she insists upon doing the newspaper word puzzles every morning over her coffee and pushing our morning meetings back to 9 am, I’m willing to wait for her. She gets the cutest little wrinkle in her nose when she’s stuck on a solution. I put up with her weekly meetings with her psychic and her ridiculously long fingernails. I finally got her some word recognition software when I couldn’t stand any more typos in her emails.”

Fran twinkled at him. “Anything else you dislike?”

“Oh, her taste in food is abominable! She eats like a six year old on holiday. If I never sit through another meal where she eats chicken nuggets and ketchup I can die a happy man, but I know I won’t get that lucky. Half the reason I started dating again was so that I could get a decent meal on the days that I don’t see Chloe…”

He trailed off. “I’m sorry, but I don’t see how any of this is helping my relationship with Julia.”

“It’s not,” Fran said. “But it’s certainly suggestive.”

Justin frowned. “Suggestive of what?”

Keiko decided to intervene again. She wasn’t willing to risk blowing up a second relationship in a single session–particularly not one that sounded like it might actually work. “Suggests that if Julia’s attraction for you is based primarily around the fact you can take her to more sophisticated restaurants, she’s not going to be the one.”

“The one WHAT?”

“Why, the one you marry, dear,” Fran said, her eyes dancing mischievously behind her glasses. “Don’t you think it’s time you settled down?”

Justin looked, if anything, appalled. “I don’t, no. I’m at the office five or six days a week until almost midnight, and I frequently dial in remotely when I’m not there. I worked for twelve days straight to carve out this Saturday and Sunday morning for a date. The only person I want to see every day is Chloe, talking about cost-effective ways to make the office more environmentally friendly and the long term direction of our stock!”

Fran looked, if anything, even more satisfied. “Noted, dear. Julia, though, wants to settle down. I think this weekend may be your last date with her. I’ll see what I can do.”

“It’s not that I don’t like Julia–”

The author nodded. “I know. No explanations needed. I’ll let you get back to work now. Thank you for your time, Justin.”

He snorted. “Not that I had an option, but–it’s been interesting, anyway.” He glanced up at her hopefully. “I don’t suppose you could write in for that empty space on our top floor to be taken by a French restaurant, could you? French food is literally the only adult cuisine Chloe will eat and it would save me from a lot of fast food dinners with her.”

Fran giggled delightedly. “Absolutely! It would be my pleasure.”

“Thank you,” he nodded at each of them, and then Keiko brought up the menu and returned him to his own fictional space.

“Well!” Fran said, grinning from ear to ear. “THAT was certainly revealing. And inspired on your behalf. How did you happen to think of it?”

“Well, I’ve read all of your books of course,” Keiko said, blushing a little. “And I was thinking that in the prequel to this, the one with Justin’s sister, Ronnie?”

“Yes, Veronica and Preston,” Fran sighed nostalgically. “They didn’t give me half as much trouble as Justin.” 

“Well, neither of them had his volition stats, either,” Keiko reminded her. “He was never going to be an easy character to wrangle, which is why I didn’t want to directly suggest he pursue Chloe. But he was taking her to all the family events during Roses For Ronnie, and so I reread it this weekend. Their banter was so affectionate and effective…it made me think that there might be something more there…”

“Well, you were clearly correct there, Keiko. So now the only question is, how much will it be for a rush job on a new male Main Character? I need to get Julia out of this tangle before she falls further for Justin, who is clearly unavailable. I’d prefer that the MC still be related somehow as this book has been touted as a sequel. Then I can upgrade Chloe to MC status and pair her with Justin as the grand finale.” She sighed happily. “Nothing makes a publisher excited like a duology suddenly morphing into a trilogy!” 

“Oh, wow, sure,” Keiko murmured, reaching for her electronic notepad. “When would you need the character by?” 

“End of this week at the very, very latest, dear.”

“What if we make him an old college friend of Ronnie’s? Justin can cancel their weekend away due to work and Julia can decide she’s done with him and Ronnie can offer to set her up with someone to go with her?” Keiko suggested.

“Perfect! Please get me the profile ASAP. Someone very different from Justin. Julia is stubborn as well and I expect she’ll feel sour on high powered executives right now.”

Keiko queried Character Development about a rush job for a Tier One client. The prompt response astonished her at the turnaround time…and the price. She whistled under her breath. 

“Looks like we can actually get you a professional surfer by tomorrow, if that’s acceptable to you,” she said. “He’d have a bit of an unfortunate childhood and a few commitment issues, though.”

“Lovely,” Fran enthused. “I can work with that, and he will certainly appeal to Julia’s tender heart. The fee?”

Keiko just passed her the pad, trying not to visibly swallow. The commission this could bring her–

“Done!” Fran agreed instantly. “And please have your senior associate call me. I want to make sure that you are my rep for any and all future appointments. Thank you, Keiko, it’s been a great pleasure.”

“Thank you, Fran,” Keiko tried to smile but her face felt frozen–in stunned disbelief. “The pleasure was definitely all mine.”