#Vulnerability Gap

[550-leadership]

Bridging the Vulnerability Gap: Ethical Leadership in Everyday Situations

Ethical leadership is often tested in the smallest moments—those seemingly trivial interactions that challenge our sense of right and wrong. Picture this: You’re at the supermarket, and the cashier accidentally gives you an extra $10 change. Do you return it immediately, or does the temptation make you hesitate? The period between realizing a moral choice and taking the right action is known as…

[whumpingandsmilinglikeanidiot]

Talented but arrogant,

perfect and a show-off,

dominates the stage every time they show up.

is one my favorite kind of whumpees ever; when something went wrong a long, long time ago and they've been trying to hide it.

All the subtle cues that something is wrong - disappearing randomly for a few minutes, strange responses to everyday things, bruises appearing out of nowhere, >>>>things they always did that looked like childish swagger but actually it was for different reasons<<<<

There whumpee stays nonchalant and sticks their chin high up in the air while important things are given up, they're worn and tired, and the insides of their life turns into an absolute mess, yet things just keep getting worse and worse

And everything slowly swings out of control and whumpee is desperately trying to pull themselves back together and despite caretaker begging them to let it go - arrogant, stubborn whumpee refuses

So when everything finally falls apart in the worst way possible - when they faint in the middle of their job performance, when they crack and start shouting, when they're caught coughing blood on national TV, when voice recordings of their torment get sent to their family and friends

my god it's perfect

[xxplastic-cubexx]

need a hardened respectful fujo to sit down with james mcavoy and discuss cherik with him insteada this peanut gallery cause if i have to hear people laugh about a gay ship one more time i just might eat rocks

[kingofthering]

FCO AU. Inspired by @moonshynecybin's answer and her tags here. Marc was photographed on dates with another man during the winter break (well, the press assumed it was romantic dates anyway and so did Valentino).

This is set up I think during one of the testing sessions, either Sepang (always Sepang, right) or Phillip Island (literally happened two weeks later), first time where Marc and Valentino see each other since they've "broken up" a couple of weeks after Valencia.

Don't ask me why they're in Marc's motorhome but they are. I didn't have it in me to write the whole thing (wasn't even supposed to get that long to begin with) but Valentino says something about Marc's "new boyfriend" and they start arguing and that's when Valentino clearly expose that he was told he didn't have to pretend with Marc and he could have left Marc alone to deal with the aftermath of the photos.

Essentially :

—

"Why are you only telling me now?" Marc eventually breaks his silence. He's not looking at Valentino, his eyes firmly planted on the poster on the adjacent wall.

"What?"

"It's been a whole fucking year," Marc turns to him then, the line of his jaw set, his face adorning an expression Valentino doesn't know how to decipher. Too rigid. "An entire year since it began and months since it's been over and you decide to tell me now? Like it's some kind of weapon you've been keeping in your pockets to use when you needed the upper hand in an argument with me? Like this is an immunity totem supposed to give you the higher moral ground? Actually no Marc, I can't do no wrong because one time, I decided to not be a selfish person to help you."

Now, when Marc put things out like that it did sound bad but that wasn't— "You're misinterpreting things."

And if eyes could kill, someone would have to find Valentino's dead body lying at the bottom of the couch of Marc's motorhome the next day.

Right. Not the way you prove to someone that you're hearing them. Maybe they should send him back to Communications 101. Maybe they should have sent Marc and him to fucking couple therapy while they were at it last season.

"Then tell me why," Marc says. His voice is still hard even though his volume has dimmed compared to his previous words. "Why now?"

"Because you deserve to know."

"Bullshit," Marc shakes his head. "By doing it today you're only making yourself feel better. If it's even true, why now and not on one of the billion occasions you had last year? "

When Marc starts questioning the veracity of the fact, Valentino's heart goes heavy, pulsing too fast like he's just received an unwarranted jolt of electricity.

Valentino swallows. This might be the most confident he's ever seen Marc when he's not mounting his bike or wearing the armor that his leathers are.

Valentino's aware that the past year changed Marc, changed them. He thinks about the stone cold expression on Marc's face when he tried to confront him after Phillip Island, the way Marc wouldn't even look at him, let alone answer Valentino back.

Maybe a proper fight then would have prevented a lot of things. They'll never get to know.

"You didn't need to know. Everything went fine with that configuration of things, didn't it?"

Marc looks at him unimpressed and Valentino knows it was the wrong thing to say.

He's stalling. He's not answering Marc's question. He's proving him right on the stupid "higher morality point" thing, which means Valentino has two options. He can let Marc believe that he was right (and he probably was just a little because at the end of the day, Valentino is still an asshole who refuse to lose an argument) or—

He's had over 3 decades of racing to teach him that you don't obtain much if you're not willing to take risks.

"Sorry," Valentino breathes. His right thumb goes to his left hand, playing with the rings there. "I just— I'm not sure what you want me to tell you about it. I didn't lie. Yamaha did tell me it would be easier to deny that it was me. They even asked me if I thought you could be okay with that."

The question had thrown Valentino around for a loop, the burn in his stomach spreading while a treacherous part of his brain was whispering "yes, of course he would, it's silly to even doubt that".

Valentino risks a look up to Marc. Face still unreadable but seemingly focused on Valentino, the arms crossed in front of him a clear demonstration of self-protection. No proper reaction yet, still waiting Valentino out.

"I said I wanted to be in the meeting with you and I came in not sure of what I wanted to do and I listened and I looked at you and I don't know, I had to say yes, had to push for that solution."

"Just a spur of the moment decision, really?" Marc asks and Valentino can't tell if he's unimpressed or non-believing.

Valentino shrugs. "I guess."

"Right, I should have known. It’s your thing after all, no? You look at me and you forget how to think? How inconvenient."

"Yeah, well, you’re the only person who does that to me so you can blame yourself if you want."

Maybe blaming Marc was once again not a smart move but it said a lot, considering the amount of great rivals Valentino had had in his career. None of them had ever managed to get under his skin the way Marc had.

None of them had ever made Valentino feel so much for them, whether it was admiration or hatred or things he still wasn’t sure how to name.

"And yes Sepang was shitty, both the press con and what I said after and what happened in the race. And then the photos happened and I watched you in that stupid office and you looked scared and everything was wrong and maybe I forced your hand into this but I still believe that was the right thing to do. For once."

And maybe it stroked his ego a little in the beginning because telling himself he was doing it because he was a good person was much easier than facing out the real why. Especially with everyone in on the secret telling him this didn't make sense after the events of the previous months.

"I'm not saying this is the way I envisioned to come out and if I have to do one more couples interview game I might kill a journalist or two but in the end, if I look at last season, I'm not mad for that one impulse."

Valentino looks at Marc, watching for his micro-expressions, anything indicating that he's processing what Valentino has just poured out into the air between them.

He thought this was supposed to make him feel better, lighter, but the more the seconds go, the more Valentino thinks he's going to be sick.

Unexpectedly, Marc walks towards the couch, slouching down on it but keeping a good meter of distance between them, his elbows on his knees, head resting against his knuckles.

Valentino tries to wait him out. He's never been good with silence and his anxiety gets the better of him.

"Of course if we try to add the good and the bad points I probably have a really shitty score but it's not like we have to stop the game now, do we?"

He cringes at his choice of analogy the second he's done with his sentence. It does get Marc to laugh. The first real laugh that Valentino has heard coming out of his mouth in months.

Valentino watches him use the palm of his hands to press against his eyes and when Marc finally looks at it, his eyes look red. Not really angry anymore, though.

"Fuck, you've given me a headache."

"Sorry? Do you want me to get you some water?" Valentino asks, a little stunned.

Marc chuckles again, shaking his head no. Valentino tries a small smile for himself, not realizing how tense he's been too. He was still mad at Marc just a handful of minutes ago but the anger has gone now, poured into his words and diffused in the air on its own.

Valentino feels tired, likes he's lost too much blood when he was busy pouring his heart out.

Marc lets his left arm fall to the couch, his palm open in the space between them, back of his hand against the cushion.

"Okay," Valentino nods, gathering himself because if they stay in silence for too long, things are just going to be more awkward than he can handle. "I should go then."

"Stay."

Valentino can't tell if it's a question or a demand. An order or a plea.

Marc's palm is still an open invitation between them.

The truth is, there are lot more things that Valentino wants to tell Marc and a bunch of stuff he needs Marc to own up to or else Valentino will just use them as ammunition during their next fight and he would rather not.

He's too drained for any of that to happen tonight, though.

Stupidly, Valentino thinks, maybe if they sleep with the curtains open, photos will get taken and they will have to start this whole charade all over again.

Valentino is the one who takes care of closing the blinds when Marc is brushing his teeth and getting himself ready to bed.

He accepts Marc's hand when it's being offered to him to slide under the cover together. And if Valentino thinks that he's go too much to ponder over before being able to fall asleep, the emotions of the day are here to prove him wrong, taking him out mere seconds after he's pressed a kiss good night to Marc's nape.

[itspileofgoodthings]

my mom told me I needed to just rest in the fact that I am a good teacher and I don’t need to be constantly on the lookout for improvement at every single second. it really helped tbh.

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

i could talk for hours abt the differences between itafushikugi and sashisu but ultimately it comes down to the former being the cutest little bunnies and the latter being dirty raccoons you find in a trash can outside of your apartment complex

[shocked-collar]

fun fact Age Gap means like, a 20 yr old dating a 40 yr old. it does not mean FUCKING PEDOPHILIA. that already has a word.

PEDOPHILIA.

any relationship consisting of someone over the age of 18, and someone under the age of 18, is a pedophilic relationship. stop using special terms and phrases to dance around it because it's a kink you have.

[pokeberry5]

It’s been a bit but how are Rita and Fyodor ?? I miss them they were so cool i wanna know why Rita had to move up north </3

my babies resulting from my period of feverishly devouring romfan manhwa <3

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST i wish i had more art to show you but alas

i touched on this obliquely in the original lore dump, but rita's childhood friend is currently being suspected of moving against the current (asshole) king and her father has ties to the former prime minister, who was also known to have an antagonistic relationship with the king. rita herself had a reputation as someone skilled at moving through the noble circle (before she arranged her marriage and despite her barreness). so staying in the capital would have inevitably drawn attention to her as a potential anti-royalist (which. she would be but she's tired and most of the people she immediately cares about are out of the king's reach.) PLUS the skeeve who tried to arrange for her hand when she was a kid would have been inescapable in the capital.

this would all come to a head though because things have been getting worse in the capital and spreading out from there and then her childhood friend (who she mayyyy have been collecting information for) shows up at her husband's door asking for the North's aid.

[thebirdandhersong]

Okay y'all it is over it is done the conversation has been had he knows I love him we are still friends I have cried my eyes out properly I have laughed again my heart will keep on hurting for a while but it is FINISHED

[snekdood]

i mean i should probably stop saying shit just to be mean

[wlwaerith]

hating orin’s armour for feminist reasons but also loving it for lesbian reasons

[demigodpolls]

what are your thoughts on jasico (jason x nico)? love your blog its so much fun!!!

hope you guys don't mind if I redirect you over to my main blog for questions like this! I'm happy to provide my input on this blog regarding things like the PJO fandom, the poll results, and the books themselves, but for my personal opinions on characters/ships, I think it's best they're reserved for my own blog. I'm so happy that you enjoy the polls, though!! - demigodpolls

[elainemorisi]

like, the only true whopper in lo these two seasons has been Armand's credit-claiming for the (onstage) lifesaving, right. which was allowed to persist for not even the duration of a full episode. I don't think I'm forgetting anything here, right?

anyway, would be nice if more theorizing noticed that lol

[lightblueminecraftorchid]

it’s not fair that so much of my memory and cognitive function is tied up in something I cannot control or reasonably prevent

[spaghett-onaplate]

ok im aware this is a very unoriginal and uninspiring metaphor but talking to my mum about her experiences with my father and slowly unpacking decades of abuse she was entirely unaware of feels like. wandering down a deep dark tunnel with a torch and working to get a better light. but instead of illuminating the path and showing the end, it just shows how the tunnel stretches on further and further and further and does not end

[autumnoakes]

one of the hardest lessons i've had to learn - and am still learning - is how to trust myself when i say something's wrong.

we talk about imposter syndrome and internalized ableism a lot, but not a lot about what it really means. i've had to tell myself no, i'm not overreacting, i'm in pain. or that the sounds and lights irritate me to the point i'm about to start screaming. or that i do have problems handwriting because my hand cramps up.

it took me a long time to start asking for and accepting help because i would always tell myself i didn't deserve it. i was just overreacting or being dramatic and i didn't really need it. i can get by fine without it after all!

but then i stopped being able to get by without help. suddenly it wasn't an option to go without help. i needed to ask for it, and i needed to go through the proper channels to get the support i need. it stopped being an option and started being a necessity.

i'm not saying it's easy. it's not. i still have days where i'm ashamed to be caught doing certain things. i still feel self conscious when i walk onto the bus and i'm using my cane as a visibly young person. i still put it away as fast as i can because i can walk without it, it just hurts more, and i get tired faster. i still hate being caught doing certain stims in public, and i still lie awake at night analyzing every conversation i had and where i went wrong (even if nothing went wrong). it's not easy. but sometimes it really comes down to having to choose between two bad things.