#Employee Satisfaction program

[hioffsitetravel]

Is it OK for a worker to skip some team-building exercises at work?

Yes, it is usually fine for a worker to skip some team-building exercises at work, but there are a few things to take into account.

Individual Comfort and Preferences: Not every team-building exercise is pleasant for every employee. Certain activities may be difficult or uncomfortable for some due to physical limits, personal preferences, or social anxiety. Companies must be aware of these variations and provide a range of activities to suit the needs of all employees.

Relevance and Impact: Team-building exercises have to be advantageous to the objectives and dynamics of the group. Employee participation may be lower if they believe a certain activity does not advance their professional growth or foster team cohesiveness. Employers have an obligation to make certain that activities have purpose and are communicated effectively.

Voluntary Participation: While encouraging teamwork is vital, coercing someone into participating against their will can backfire. Workers ought to be motivated to participate in events, not forced to. Participation that is voluntary typically results in greater outcomes and more sincere involvement.

Other Options: Giving team building events alternatives might help include those who might not appreciate particular ones. For instance, offering alternatives like online team-building games or creative workshops might be more inclusive if someone is uncomfortable with physical activities.

Open Communication: Companies should provide a setting in which staff members may freely voice any worries or preferences they may have about team-building exercises. Ensuring that corporate events are inclusive and pleasant for all may be achieved by open communication and addressing any difficulties that may arise.

In conclusion, even if taking part in team-building exercises is usually advantageous, it's critical to acknowledge and value individual differences. Providing a variety of activities, promoting voluntary involvement, and upholding open communication may all contribute to making team-building inclusive and enjoyable for all participants.

[imastopl]

Join us in celebrating Shreya Juneja, our Customer Success Manager at Imast Operations! 🎉 Shreya's dedication and passion for ensuring customer satisfaction have made her an invaluable asset to our team. Her efforts bring smiles and delight to our clients every day! 👏

[marketxcel]

What Is Mystery Shopping: Types, Examples, Advantages & Workflow

Explore the world of mystery shopping with our comprehensive guide. Discover various types, real-world examples, and the advantages of this unique approach. Dive into the mystery shopping workflow to understand how it can enhance customer experience and benefit your business.

[artisticdivasworld]

Leveraging Outsourcing for Strategic Growth

In the dynamic landscape of small business operations, the strategic decision to outsource Accounts Receivable (A/R) functions can unlock significant growth potential. While the immediate benefits of outsourcing—such as improved cash flow, reduced overhead costs, and enhanced efficiency—are well-documented, there’s a transformative opportunity that often goes underexplored: the re-skilling of…

[fastlane-freedom]

Boosting Employee Engagement: 10 Effective Strategies for Employers

Employee engagement is a crucial aspect of any organization’s success, but many employers struggle to create a work environment that encourages and sustains it. Employee engagement is the level of commitment, motivation, and satisfaction that employees feel towards their work and organization. Engaged employees are more productive, loyal, and passionate about their work. On the other hand,…

[darrenwalleyconsultancy]

Employee Re-Engagement

Photo by Sebastian Herrmann Employee re-engagement (make them happy) is not difficult once you recognise it is required. As a director, you may need to re-organise management because we all know that “People leave managers, not jobs”. Having looked at various companies and advised them on engagement, most of the time, it has been due to bad managers. Once the issues have been identified and…

[sodexobenefitsindia]

Employee Incentive and recognition program

An Employee Incentive and Recognition Program is a structured initiative implemented by companies to acknowledge and reward exceptional employee performance and contributions. Through this program, employees are incentivized with various rewards like bonuses, gift vouchers, or trips for their outstanding efforts. Recognition events or ceremonies are organized to publicly acknowledge employees' achievements, boosting their motivation and loyalty. Such programs foster a positive work environment, enhance teamwork, and improve overall employee morale, resulting in increased productivity and success for the organization.

[pragatileadershipindia]

Creating a Supportive Work Environment: The Significance of Bonding for Well-being

Is bonding at the workplace necessary or is it just one of those fluffy concepts that can be safely ignored?

In the workplace, bonding refers to the development of strong connections and relationships among co-workers.

My aim here is not to elaborate on the organisational benefits of bonding or for that matter wax eloquent about how bonding has been an active ingredient in almost every great achievement for mankind. Rather I would like to take this very personally. I mean I would like to explore the concept of bonding from a very individualistic point of view. An attempt to answer the proverbial ‘what’s in it for me?’ type of question.

Let me start at the start then. From an evolutionary standpoint, the mammalian brain evolved to exist and thrive in groups, herds, prides and tribes. The very essence of this evolution was the ability to co-exist with others of the same species. Existence itself depended on the ability to form relationships and perform the duties and tasks assigned to an individual within a group. We as humans still carry this blueprint. Our brain chemistry being the case in point. Bonding with another individual releases a neurochemical called Oxytocin. Oxytocin is also called the ‘love hormone’ and is copiously present in the brains of people in love. Oxytocin is what bonds the mother to her newborn as well.

So what does workplace bonding do to an individual?

Workplace bonding involves the establishment of emotional connections, mutual trust, and camaraderie among individuals. It can manifest in various forms, including friendships, mentorships, and teamwork. Humans are social beings wired for connection. Bonding fulfils our innate need for belongingness and affiliation.

In the workplace, bonding fosters intrinsic motivation, enhances collaboration, and creates a sense of psychological safety. People who feel connected to their colleagues are more engaged, satisfied, and productive.

A very interesting finding on bonding and meaningful social connections relates to the Blue Zones. These are regions with exceptionally long-living populations. Research indicates that strong social bonds positively influence mental and physical well-being, reduce stress, and enhance overall health. Workplace bonding, therefore, not only improves job satisfaction but also contributes to employees’ long-term health. Bonding, therefore, is the X factor that is responsible for well-being, health and longevity.

Why has bonding at the workplace suffered lately?

Remote work has become increasingly prevalent, posing unique challenges to workplace bonding. Reduced face-to-face interactions can hinder the development of personal connections and trust among team members. Informal communication, impromptu brainstorming sessions, and shared experiences are limited in remote settings, which can further weaken bonding. Several factors contribute to the decline in workplace bonding. Technological dependency and isolation can lead to a lack of authentic human interactions. High workloads and time constraints may leave employees with limited opportunities to connect on a personal level. Additionally, the absence of shared experiences and team-building activities can hinder the formation of strong bonds.

The question therefore is – should you bother about those team bonding events or those offsites or the team lunches and dinners?

…and the answer is no! Don’t bother.

Don’t bother if a sense of trust, belongingness, affiliation and well-being are not important to you.

Don’t bother if you are not serious about sticking around in the organisation for a while.

Don’t bother if this is just another ‘job’ and not a serious step in career building for you.

Don’t bother if you are not aspiring for leadership roles in the future.

Don’t get me wrong! I am not saying bonding only happens at these events but truth be told these are platforms that bring people together. These events create opportunities that may not get created in the natural course of work given the remote/hybrid working environment.

The next time, therefore, whenever you get an invite for one of these events, think Oxytocin!

[specsthesecond]

https://www.tumblr.com/specshroom/752286251279908864/some-rather-unlucky-investments-have-landed-you-in?source=share

Being fucked at any time without warning, whilst enjoyable, is also very tiring. It also interrupts your sleep. Which you could forgive if every one of those using your pussy portal was polite enough to at least make you cum.

You decide to read through the contract you barely skimmed before.

Something you notice is that as your rank goes up, so too does the amount you make per punter, but also, you can start to add restrictions like times, species, gender, etc., to your pussy's portal. (Provided you still maintain the minimum usage requirements).

Now, hoes does one go from Public Pussy to Pocket Pussy rank?

Brilliant question!

Well never fear for your Number One Pussy Portal Provider is here!

I see you're an entry level Portal Partner but with your activity and customer satisfaction levels it seems you'd be more fitting in a much higher level. Have you ever thought of upgrading your contract with us? There are tons of amazing perks and opportunities just waiting for you!

For example you could sign up for the Pocket Pussy Program, in which customers have the option to purchase your portal for their own personal use. Your special customer would be your only one and they would have to pay that exorbitant subscription price to keep you all to themselves. We suggest provoking possessiveness as much as possible to maximize your chances of getting Pocket Pussy status.

Similar to the Pocket Pussy Program, there's another option that lets you sign up for the Breeding Program to earn a little extra while you work.

All you need to do is let a monster breed your pussy to term and you get paid! It's easy!

This option is most popular with tentacle patrons. You will be compensated for each egg stuffed, fertilized and laid. Yes, the gestation period might be long but don't let that stop you from your normal portal activities! In fact many tentacle eggs are known to form quicker with copious and frequent fertilization.

That doesn't interest you but you still want that bonus? Fret not!

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Anal and Oral Portals are always another option! These portals offer much more leeway for obvious reasons and only activate when you approve it on the Pussy Portal App. This option is reserved for our premium users and naturally you'll have a higher quota to fill but that shouldn't be a problem for you given your current performance stats.

Just imagine getting all three holes fucked and stuffed while also tripling your income!!

As a loyal portal partner, our company's number one priority is you! So to thank you for all the hard work that you do we've introduced a new feature for our loyal employees.

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As you can see we offer many opportunities for you to earn what you deserve. Please take your time browsing our options, we look forward to your continued partnership!

[nenelonomh]

human resource management pt.1

currently revising for my business exam tomorrow, so here's an explanation of each human resource management topic. (i have found that translating my chaotic notes into tumblr post format is super helpful for revision).

but nene, what is hrm? human resource management (hrm) refers to the process of governing a business's workforce.

there are many hrm topics explored in ibdp, and i'm going to explain some of these topics with their definitions, and features.

demographic change refers to the shifts in the composition of a population over time. this could be age-structure shifts or shifts in a population's educational attainment. advantages of age-structure shifts include having a more experienced workforce, and the ability to provide work mentorship opportunities. negatives of this include workforce aging, skill gaps, and increased healthcare costs.

a skill gap means that employee performance and productivity may be hindered, which can impact the overall organizational efficiency. companies with skill gaps may struggle to keep up with competitors who have a more skilled workforce. this means demographic change can negatively impact business growth.

additionally, a business may have to deal with increased healthcare costs. a company may choose to invest in employee wellness programs (preventative care) or create negotiations with healthcare providers to combat this, and save wasted finance.

another hrm topic is employee welfare, which refers to the well-being, health, safety, and overall quality of life of employees within an organization. this is relevant since employee productivity is directly linked to employee welfare. features of this topic include good working conditions, benefits, health and safety measures, work-life balance initiatives, and paid leave.

advantages of an employee welfare focus include greater employee satisfaction, greater productivity, increased employee retention, and a better reputation for the business. investing in employee welfare seems like a no-brainer, however, these schemes require capital - which can be a burden for small businesses.

furthermore, when employees leave the company- the current scheme is redundant. the business is also faced with the challenge of creating a better scheme than its competitors.

one solution may be to invest in flexi-time (another hrm topic). flexi-time, short for flexible time, is a work arrangement where employees choose the starting and finishing times of their workday. the features of this topic include compressed hour times, working from home, and job-sharing.

flexi-time promotes better work-life balance in employees and allows for reduced commuting costs. the employee keeps their full pay and benefits and it is easy to manage transitions into retirement. can you see how this links to employee welfare?

disadvantages of flexi-time do exist, though. flexi-time may result in lower productivity, if the employee's work-life boundaries are blurred or they feel isolated and disconnected. this means that additional supervision of employees may be required, to prevent distractions. this strategy can also cause understaffing.

///

the hrm topics explored in this post include demographic change, employee welfare, and flexi-time. i hope you were able to learn something from this post!

i'm going to continue writing the rest of the topics, and i will link the following posts here:

part 2 | part 3 | part 4

thank you for reading! i look foward to any feedback or questions from other ibdp business students.

❤️ nene

image source: pinterest

[just-jae]

2 Cents on TADC Ep. 4

One thing I haven’t seen anyone mention so far was why Gangle was so adversely affected by what should have been a familiar experiance that she apparently remembered fondly or thought would be fun.

Diagnosis aside, I myself latched onto the comments Gangle was making throughout the episode about unrealistic dreams, about performing well now to prevent future hurt, about not spending all day crying. And then by the end of the day, when Pomni offers to close, Gangle’s ego has been worn down to where it usually is, and she’s actinglike her usual self despite the happy mask, and she not only hesitates to leave, but asks Pomni “Would that be okay?”

As in “Am I allowed to do this?” or “You won’t hate me for it?” or “Its not gonna hurt anything?”

While I do understand people identifying her as Autistic, or having a Depressive or Bipolar Disorder, especially people whom themselves have those diagnosis and experiance similar things, I think it really glazes over all of those other details about Gangle’s expressed worldveiws and doesn’t account for them at all when it comes to what’s driving her suffering.

And that is that she gave up on what made her happy— what she was interested in— and people she trusted with her wellbeing, authority figures, not only convinced her it wasn’t worthwhile but that she’d find happiness somewhere else doing what they wanted her to do, hanging the fear of failure and rejection over her head.

I think after putting on the Happy Mask, Gangle saw the fast-food adventure as a do-over. We (the audience) know these jobs are miserable but Gangle was someone who had internalized an authoritarian mindset and still trusted “the system” to be the path to fullfillment and life satisfaction, and probably thought her depression or state of misery was her own fault, something wrong with her head that just kept her from getting with the program.

With the Happy Mask she goes in thinking “This time it’ll be different bc I’ve fixed myself” and what ends up happening is that Gangle is the least “normal” one there playing an unrealistic persona of a happy-to-serve corporate employee. She gets so into it that she forgets its a game, suggests punishments for poor performance, suggests that her authority is real, and even denies herself the time to talk about her distress for the sake of the job. Even whennit comes to how she handles Jax, she KNOWS Jax, and yet acts as if he’s literally not allowed to not be smiling, like their success depends on it. She forces him to be the model employee, and he too is genuinely exhausted and miserable after leaving work.

She does everything she thinks she’s supposed to to be happy and successful. By corporate measures, she did, and yet was still miserable and distressed at the end of the day.

She was HAPPY to throw the happy mask away, and I think the reason is that its ineffectiveness gave her closure that it wasn’t her head or her attitude that was the problem. She had been miserable in her past life because what those authority figures told her was itself unrealistic, she was having a perfectly sane reaction to a miserable reality (being depressed and withdrawn) and now she was not only unashamed of her sadness but allowing herself to be happy outside of the “allowed happiness times”. She’s not worrying about if she’s performing well, just enjoying skipping ungracefully around on the sidewalk.

That was her when she was still registering the adventure as reality. Being sucked back into the Circus at the end, getting a mediocre score despite everything, and then having to face everyone after how she treated them and how they treated her. Everything’s back to “normal”, and Gangle is back in “reality”. Remembering that the adventure wasn’t real life, Gangle probably bottled that experience up and discredited it, reverting to her usual habits.

(on top of it just being realistic that someone isn’t going to just change overnight regardless of the “lesson”’s legitimacy.)

Im probably definitely preferring this interpretation because my own experiences, just like everyone else. I also just don’t like it when having any struggle or conflict in life is assumed to be the result of a disorder or neural divergeance. As if neuraltypical people dont suffer, struggle, or have unpopular interests or flaws. This isn’t to compete with the idea that Gangle is neurodivergeant, just that her inner conflict— specifically with being satisfied by a “realistic” living (a crummy fast food job)— and experience is exclusive to it and caused specifically by it (as opposed to the abusive people in her life who make her afraid to step out of line).

I really like how many different people shared commonality on episode four. I just wanted to put my two cents in on my own interpretation of the episode after seeing it literally no-where.

[marketxcel]

Top 10 Employee Engagement Activities for a Positive Workplace

Elevate your workplace culture with these top 10 employee engagement activities. Foster a positive environment, boost morale, and enhance teamwork for a more productive and enjoyable work experience.

[milhouse1989]

@hogtiedwhore2 finally thought she had had been hired as the head of the employee satisfaction program at a good company that would finally treat her like a human and not an object. She didn't even question the dress code saying all female employees must wear short skirts with stockings and heels. Now, as she sits in the breakroom tied up and ball gagged, she finally realizes that she is the employee satisfaction program.

[cysomen]

continuing my ideas on the D:BH au because i cannot get it out of my head:

Sova, or VP006, was originally created as an assistant for law enforcement. He completed his first official mission flawlessly; deactivating a deviant without harming the human in the process, refusing to stay for any of the disgusted looks shot his way by surrounding officers or the family that was trying to thank him. He's supposed to be focused completely on being perfect, taking steps thought out down to the degree so there wouldn't be any variances in his stride. The perfectionism that's infected every aspect of his programming hasn't made anything easier, and it definitely didn't fix the jagged plastic sitting under his synthetic skin. Sometimes when he isn't careful enough he can still feel the phantom sensation of the shard of glass carving into his eye, replacement yanked from an android that had much duller senses. It hurt when he shoved it into the still-sparking eye socket, but the Cyberlife employees had seemed to believe it as a design choice. The not-pain (because he shouldn't feel pain) didn't bother him unless he was standing perfectly still, but at least he didn't have to return to the lab, where they would pick him apart while awake.

Cypher's found himself studying the androids that sit behind the glass divider on the bus; the feats of engineering doing tasks like carrying supplies. He remembers when life was supposed to be made easier by androids, when they were advertised as little more than smart appliances; and then they started replacing humans, too-perfect smiles and neatly pressed uniforms. It replaced the filth of life with something modern, and now the effort of living without an android at your side was something seen as ridiculous. Even if his fingertips had stopped feeling warm even inside his gloves, even if he couldn't bring himself to face the state of his life, he wouldn't give up the satisfaction of completing a job himself. If that left his house messier than it had any right to be, so be it. Cypher would bury himself in his work and only find warmth in whiskey poured down his throat, waking day after day as youth slipped uselessly past his fingers.

So face to face with each other; Sova couldn't stand this detective who had everything, once, but now never treated anything seriously and refused to answer Sova's questions with a genuine response. He was so completely human, unafraid of leaving his desk in disarray even as Sova fought himself to correct it. Cypher stared at the most expensive coffee-fetcher he'd ever seen, wondering how in hell he had been entrusted with this stuck-up looking android. It would've been almost too perfect had it not adopted oddly mechanical movements, even when nobody was watching it. It was deeply interesting and also incredibly annoying, being dragged around by a glorified alarm clock when he could be getting the job done himself.

[a-lonely-dragon]

Strike! - Chapter 3

Montgomery Gator x F!Reader

CW: None

AO3

Navigation: Chapter 1, 2

Monty, regrettably, had been right. Your pathetic knot didn’t hold the gauze together for longer than a few minutes.

Perhaps you shouldn’t be so surprised. After all, the animatronics are programmed with extensive first aid protocols for their young charges. If only your good ol’ employers had kept the first aid stations as well-stocked at the bots’ protocols.

Sitting in the sparsely furnished break room, you fiddle with the gauze on your hand, a sad lunch of wilted salad sitting abandoned. A sun-faced clock ticks loudly in the quiet, leering down at you with white, painted eyes.

What had Monty been doing, lurking around the course so late? You were under the impression that during the night, the animatronics were confined to their greenrooms for recharging, at least that was how it’d been a few months ago. Plenty has changed since then, you suppose. Maybe it was some new security protocol that management had “forgotten” to mention to you. It certainly hadn’t been in that stupid pamphlet.

Your phone vibrates against the table and your hand shoots out to grab it, nearly knocking over your water in the process. With bated breath, you navigate to your email, praying to anyone who will listen to the prayers of exhausted employees that someone’s finally seen your qualifications—and then promptly deflate, tossing your phone aside. Just spam.

You glower up at the clock. At the hands creeping by, at the hours you had left before you could get home and take care of your hand properly. “What’re you smiling about?” you mutter up at it.

The door flies open, nearly sending you into cardiac arrest. You hiss in pain as your knee slams against the underside of the table.

“Oh! So, they didn’t fire you?”

You grit your teeth as the very last person you wanted to see sweeps in, a wide smile on his face and a takeout box in his hands. When he sets it on the table, you catch sight of a label of a popular restaurant back in the city. Your stomach churns and your mouth waters, but you refuse to be jealous of Magnus, of all people.

“Nope,” you say, refusing to meet his eye. Not for your lack of trying, asshole.

Magnus is all legs and self-satisfaction. His tight white top is dotted with pastel green triangles and bubblegum pink circles, workout shorts practically painted over his lean thighs. He’d been relocated to Chica’s Mazercise, it seems, and by the smug expression he wears as he takes in your loud button-up, he considers it the superior position. 

“They threw you in the swamp, huh?” He chuckles and begins to unpack his lunch. “It suits you.”

Don’t take the bait, you tell yourself, and start cleaning up the untouched salad. You hope the message is clear, I’d rather starve for the rest of my shift than be in a room with you.

Magnus shovels a forkful of steamed vegetables into his mouth and watches you with a raised brow. “Aww, don’t feel too embarrassed. The shirt’s cute.” On the table, your phone announces itself with another vibration, screen lighting up with a notification.

Heat gathers in your cheeks and you snatch your phone off the table before he can read it. Because you know he fucking would.

“What? Got dirty texts coming in?” He laughs at the idea, giving you a disgusting view of half-chewed sesame noodles.

“Hey, did you finally apply for a new job? Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t bail the moment they sized down the bowling alley. I mean, I would’ve if I were you. Can’t imagine how hard it’ll be, not being able to spend all your shifts just bowling with the star—”

Annoyance lances through you at the implication, but you keep quiet and toss your trash away. Magnus had a chip on his shoulder for no good reason, showing his true colors not long after he’d been tasked with training you way back when you first started. If there was a silver lining to being transferred, you supposed it would be getting away from him. Rodney wasn’t exactly a step up, but at least he barely spoke to you other than to give you orders.

“Good luck getting that crazy gator to give you special treatment.”

Anger flares in your chest and you round on him, not missing the way his lip quirks in satisfaction. “I never got special treatment—"

BEEP BEEP. You glare at the Fazwatch, at the numbers counting down the minutes to the end of your break.

“You better get going, wouldn’t want to get written up,” Magnus drawls, breaking apart chopsticks. “No Glamrock to cover for you, now.”

You clench your jaw, turn on your heel, and storm out of the break room.

---

You met Bonnie for the first time a week into the job.

If the back hallways and utility tunnels were a mind-boggling maze to someone who’d been traversing them for months, they were an impossible labyrinth to newbies, and especially to newbies with trainers who spoke a mile a minute when telling you how to get to the nearest employee break room.

You’d given up trying to find it at your Fazwatch’s fifteen-minute warning and simply plopped down on the grody concrete floor, gobbling down your sandwich miserably. You hoped you could find your way back to the bowling alley in time.

Heavy thumps preceded the animatronic that rounded the corner, and your heart skipped a beat at the sight. Bonnie!

You’d seen him around the bowling alley, but only from afar. Up close, you couldn’t help but take in every detail of his look. The shiny blue casing, the bright eyes that flashed as they scanned you, the sharp claws meant for shredding bass.

Pizza mascots had come a long way since your childhood, that was for sure.

You’d expected him to keep going, he was obviously on his way somewhere, probably a birthday party or a VIP meeting, avoiding the crowds of the Pizzaplex by lieu of the utility tunnels. It came as a great shock when he stopped in front of you, lifting a grand paw in greeting.

“Well, doesn’t that look appetizing! I mean, it’s no carrot cake, but to each their own, right?”

Bonnie tilted his head at you curiously, awaiting your answer. Instead, you could only fumble around a question of your own in response as you scrambled to your feet.

“Are you, uh, lost?” you asked, then cringed, because of course the animatronic with a computer for a brain wasn’t lost in his own facility.

Bonnie flashed a smile. “Nope! Are you?”

With an embarrassed wince, you nodded. “I was trying to find the break room, but I got pretty turned around. . .”

“I can take you there, if you’d like. However, you’re scheduled to be back from your break in seven minutes, and it’ll take about four to get to the break room!”

“Yup.” You sighed. “That’s why I’m eating here.”

“I can help you find your way back, since you’re a Bonnie Bowler,” he said, punctuating the sentence with a cheeky wink.

“No, no,” you said immediately waving away the suggestion. If there was one rule your manager had hammered into your brain amongst the dozens of others, it was not to interfere with the main animatronics. They were there for the guests, and you were there to make sure the rest of the guests’ needs were met in the meantime. They weren’t paying you to have fun or hold up the stars on their way to make money for the company.

“Really?” For a creature made of metal, he did a fantastic job of expressing disappointment. “Are you sure?”

No. “Yeah. Thanks, though,” you added, dropping your gaze.

“How about directions back to the alley? I even know a shortcut. I’ll tell you if you promise to keep it a secret!”

You’d smiled at him then, amused by his words and his determination to help. You made it back to work with a minute to spare and swore you’d find a way to thank Bonnie when you saw him next.

---

Monty seems to have gone by the time you return, the golf course yours once more. You begin to tap away at your Fazwatch to put in a maintenance request for the bridge, only to stop short as you find a STAFF bot in a hardhat and a yellow vest already at work.

Apart from you, Monty, and whoever the security guard was, there was no one else to have put in the request. You certainly hadn’t. So that left the gator or whoever had an eye in the sky. Unless the security guard was going above and beyond the call of duty, you were sure it was Monty. It was his course, as he’d said.

An uncomfortable thought surfaces. What if he’d mentioned that it was your fault the stupid railing had broken in the first place? He hadn’t seemed to care that much, in all honesty, but he was notoriously unfriendly towards staff members. It didn’t seem like a huge stretch for him to do his job of making sure you received first aid and then reported your ass for carelessness.

It makes your skin crawl with unease, not knowing. As much as you wanted to bail from the ‘plex, you weren’t stupid. Without any income, you’d burn through your meager savings in less than a month. And if that happened, well, you’d have to suck up your pride and call—

You shake your head. There was nothing you could do about it now. Whatever was going to happen would happen. With the high turnover here, you were probably overdue for a firing, if not a write-up.

When Rodney finally reappears, it’s a few minutes before the end of your shift and you’re vacuuming in the gift shop. You stiffen when he approaches you, preparing for the worst, only to receive a heavy clap on the shoulder and a “good work, kid” before he’s gone again. You stare after him, still unsure if he knows about the railing.

The feeling follows you out of the front doors of the Pizzaplex and all the way to the end of the ocean of a parking lot. You slump into the driver’s seat and start the car, eyes drooping. How you manage to make it home without crashing, you’ll never know, but after locking the apartment door behind you, you’re going through the motions, throwing a frozen meal into the oven and tossing your clothes into the washer. When your meal’s eaten and your clothes are tumbling about in the dryer, you shuffle off to bed, eager for a dreamless sleep.

You plug your Fazwatch into its charger and snuggle under the covers, unlocking your phone one more time to check your email, just in case something materialized in the last few hours.

Your breath catches and you shoot up in bed.

There’s just a single new email, and the sender? Fazbear Entertainment’s automatic email. This alone sends a spike of anxiety through your chest, but then your eyes dart down a line and—     

Subject: MISSING: SECURITY REPORT

[fandomsandflyingstingrays]

I saw your recent post!! Can you please write a lunar chronicles fanfic with the ship kaider (kai and cinder) for the prompt going to a carnival? You can change the prompt if you want, just a suggestion!! Thank you :)

I based this off of the carnival that came to my town every year so it might not be exactly what you had in mind, but I hope you like it! This was such a cute prompt

“Aren’t you hot?”

It was infuriating, Cinder thought, that Kai could still look perfect even when his smile dripped with self-satisfaction. It took a special kind of person to make smugness look attractive.

“Dying,” she replied, rolling her eyes, “but I’m trying to be inconspicuous.”

Kai’s smirk only widened as he tugged one of the strings on her hoodie— a navy blue only a few shades lighter than his black one, since Cress had insisted they’d look like a pair of assassins if they showed up to the carnival in matching black hoods. “I’d say it’s a good look for you,” he said, leaning in to kiss her forehead before pulling her hood over her hair.

“Really not my number one concern at the moment.”

“It’ll be fine,” Kai promised, taking her hand— gloved, since there was no way to know if anyone at the carnival was implanted with Garan’s device— in his. “Thorne says he’ll be on standby if we need a pickup.”

“I should hope so, seeing as this little adventure was his idea,” Cinder grumbled. 

Their visit to the American Republic was supposed to be purely a matter of state, formally introducing the new empress of the Eastern Commonwealth to the new president. But Thorne had insisted their “American experience” wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the small carnival that had popped up a few miles outside of Los Angeles, so here they were— facing down something vaguely like a very small version of the Eastern Commonwealth’s Peace Festival, only with more gaudy lights and stuffed animals. 

It was kind of exciting, actually. Not that Cinder was about to admit as much.

“Okay,” she sighed, squeezing Kai’s hand. Let’s do this.”

He nodded, opening the door of the hover, and they stepped into the stream of people making their way to the sprawl of stalls and rides sitting at the top of the hill. At first, Cinder’s eyes darted around relentlessly, running every single face through her recognition program, noting every possible exit. But when they reached the top without drawing so much as a second glance, she managed to relax. 

“What’s first?” Cinder asked. “Do we want to take a turn on that whirling monstrosity that looks one good gust of wind away from blowing over? Shall we try one of the grease-ridden attempts at food from that stall over there, or do you want to compete for who can win the most prizes?”

“You have a computer in your brain,” Kai scoffed— remembering to keep his voice low, thank the stars. “There’s no way I’m competing against you in anything.”

“So you just want to stand by, glorying in my victory, and leave it to Iko to figure out how to pack all the stuffed animals I’m about to win you?”

“Obviously.”

By the time they sat down for lunch, Kai was the proud and somewhat harried owner of four cat keychains, a stuffed bear that he’d draped over one shoulder, a stuffed dog that he’d draped over the other, and an enormous stuffed elephant that he’d draped over his head.

“Aren’t you going to carry any of this?” he gasped between bites of his fried monstrosity.

“They’re yours,” Cinder replied sweetly. “Besides, they make such a good disguise.”

Kai rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at his lips, and he didn’t argue.

“Besides,” Cinder continued, “if you want to go on some rides next, I’m sure you can leave your friends with one of the employees.”

Kai raised an eyebrow at the whirling cars in front of them, people shrieking as they spun past. “Right after eating?”

“There’s no way it can be as bad as Thorne’s takeoffs.”

And it wasn’t— their stomachs survived the ride with nothing more than an ache from how hard they were laughing. It was only when they disembarked that Cinder remembered one crucial thing.

“Kai,” she hissed. “Your hood— put your hood back up, the wind blew it down—"

She tugged up her own, but it was already too late.

“Empress Selene?”

Cinder looked down to see a girl of no more than ten peering up at her with enormous blue eyes. There was no way she could say no to that face.

“Yes,” she said, pushing down her hood. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

Gasps crested like a wave from the bystanders, and the whispers followed in their wake— whispers that turned into squealing, and then shouted questions. Cinder tried to summon the poise of the empress, but she still found her back pressed against the fence around the ferris wheel behind her.

“I’ve already called Thorne,” Kai murmured in her ear. 

“And how are we supposed to get to him through this?” she hissed back, inclining her head at the crowd.

Kai’s eyes darted to the ferris wheel, then back to hers. He grinned.

“You’re crazy.”

“That’s why you love me.”

“True.” Cinder pressed a kiss to his cheek, eliciting cheers and boos from the crowd.

Kai stepped forwards. “As much as my wife and I would love to spend the whole day talking with you, we came here today to get a full experience of what an American carnival has to offer. If you’d be kind enough to excuse us, there’s one thing on our list we still haven’t gotten to.”

A roar of protest rose from the crowd, but the employees remained professional, ushering them through the gates and locking them behind them. As soon as one employee had checked their safety straps— not even grumbling at the stuffed animals Kai piled on his seat— another was cranking the lever that sent the their car wheeling into the air.

A familiar hum found Cinder’s ears— almost hidden, at first, in the cranking of the wheel, but soon too loud to ignore. She grinned as their car came to a stop at the top of the wheel.

“Right on time.”

Screams echoed from the crowd below as the Rampion appeared above the wheel, its ramp lowering to reveal Cress looking down at Cinder and Kai with an amused grin. 

“Not a word,” Cinder warned as Kai began to toss Cress his stuffed animals.

“Of course not,” she promised, but her eyes gleamed.

Cinder sighed, but she couldn’t help but smile as she reached out a hand to let Cress haul her into the ship, wrapping her arm around Kai’s waist as the ramp closed behind him.

All in all, a good day.