#also nonverbal communication exists and he's got that down pat

[anoant-haikyuu-dump]

Nekoma 2nd years in their 3rd year braindump

Captain - Fukunaga

Vice Captain - Tora

Despite his quiet nature Fukunaga gets chosen as captain and he's suprisingly good. He has a way of leading without saying much, he just stares at people and they somehow understand what he means. Besides that he's the best option by default, Tora's too quick-to-anger and Kenma would never take a job with that much responsibility. If either of them was in charge they'd fight constantly since Tora would run that shit like the millitary while Kenma would try way too little. Fukunaga's the perfect balance— he's respected by both his third-year peers, keeps the energy fun with his jokes (but still knows when to take things seriously), gets super into the game, and isn't afraid to douse troublemakers with a bucket of water. He also brings snacks.

As vice captain Tora's essentially Fukunaga's personal megaphone. He does 90% of the yelling, scolds first-years who interupt the coach, and is the go-to-guy for gathering up the team for huddles. Initially some of the new players doubt Fukunaga's captain skills and although Fukunaga himself isn't bothered Tora gets super defensive of him. A lot of shouting about respecting your upperclassmen and whatnot. He also has the tendency to rile himself up (the other teams like to provoke him) but Fukunaga knows how to keep him in check

Tora and Fukunaga insist that Kenma is “Honorary Captain” and convince the new members to call him that. Kenma hates it. He tried to stop them but by the first week it had already stuck. Despite his distaste towards the nickname Kenma's a cornerstone of Nekoma's leadership, he's the brain after all! He's still the strategic mastermind of the team and first-years often go to him for advice (much to his dismay). He doesn't love being relied on by so many people but he tries his best for Kuroo's sake (who he calls to rant to at least 4 times a week).

Fukunaga asked Kuroo to teach him the “We are blood” chant so he could continue the tradition, but the first time he tried it in an actual game he burst out laughing before getting through a single line. Then Tora—being way too intense as always—started yelling at him to do it right, which only made him laugh harder. In the end Kenma put aside his embarrasement and did the damn chant, just to get it over with. Tora and Fukunaga were so proud that they tried to hug him right there in the middle of the court. The whole thing was a mess.

On his last day as captain the first-years dump a bucket of water over Fukunaga's head. Karma at last.

[mysterydragon14]

Batim Sanity AU

Context:

A while ago I had a pretty sweet idea for a batim AU that is technically “what would happen if Bendy wasn’t evil”.

Sometimes I just have art-block but not writers-block, so I took one of those days and wrote something for it.

It’s based on the (game)theory that bendy is only evil because he was driven into insanity by the way he was treated in the studio.

So, I thought: what if I introduce an OC that can teach Bendy how to be good?

And that’s the thing in this au: my oc (Theresa) is a character designer/animator/writer working at Drew studios. She found out about the ink machine and immediately fell in love with the idea of bringing cartoon characters to life. Joey then made her toon-supervisor. She should just take care of the toons created. Because she takes her new role very seriously, she fixes a lot of (little) things for the toons (like letting Boris talk) and defends them if needed.

Batim sanity AU

CH1 – creation

The day was here, the day the machine would first be tested.

Thes could barely contain her excitement. Thomas Connor on the other hand seemed to think of this day as just another thing that needed to take place. He apparently didn’t even consider that this might be Bendy’s birthday.

“Welp, here goes nothing…” he said after one of the other workers gave him a thumbs up from behind the machine, signalling that everything was ready.

“Wait! Isn’t Joey coming?” Thes spouted out before Tom could give the signal to start.

“Why should he? This is just a test. I’ll inform him once we know it works.”

Before Thes could protest Tom gave the sign to start and the machine began to pump ink from the big tank on its back. And someone with exceptional hearing could even have made out the purring of a projector at the heart of the mechanism.

Thes wondered for a second if Sammy Lawrence would be able to hear it until a splat-sound brought her attention back into reality. The machine had spat out a large blob of ink from its front pipe, getting ink on everyone standing to close in the process.

At first she assumed it was just to make sure there were no blockages in the pipes or something, like a test before the actual test, but the machine audibly shut off after deploying the blob, signalling that the process was complete.

“Hmm…I get your point now…” Thes started. Joey surely would not have been impressed by this ink-blob and a disappointed Joey Drew was the last thing she wanted to see.

“So now we see what went wrong.” As Tom stepped towards the ink machine,

he caught a movement in the ink.

Tom froze and fixed his eyes on the blob.

“Did it work after all?” Thes peered over Tom’s shoulder. She too had seen something.

Before the mechanic could answer something rose from the ink. Tom took a step back, bumping into Thes who was still standing right behind him. What seemed to lift its ‘head’ out of the ink now did have the iconic demon horns and, once your eyes accepted it as a head, also seemed to carry a toothy grin that a person with a lot of fantasy and good will could recognize from sillyvision’s Bendy posters. Thet’s where the similarities with Bendy, or any living being ended though. Thes had a lot of fantasy, but her good will was tested trying to describe this creature. It consisted entirely of ink. Constantly flowing and dripping it covered the space where Bendy’s eyes would have been. The whole rest of its body resembled a skeleton held together by ink and God-knows-what. As the creature pulled two big white hands from the ink and a white tie became visible on its chest, nervous chuckle escaped Theresa’s libs.

“It’s alive!” she called with only a slight tremble in her voice.

She had been determined to make this joke since the day she had been assigned this task. She hadn’t imagined this moment quite as creepy and awkward as this though.

Tom turned his head and gave the girl a glare that spoke pages about what he thought of her jokes (it could be boiled down to “Is this really the time?”). Thes laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of her head, a move only cartoons can really pull off in a situation like this.

The mechanic turned back to the inky creature.

“Well, we must have done something right…it does move after all…”

“It’s got the gloves and the tie and the horns down too.” Thes was trying to think positive. ‘And that creepy smile from the posters and those plushies as well’ she added in her mind.

This creature was very unsettling for some reason…

Tom sighed and joined the other technicians further from the machine to discuss what to do next, ignoring Theresa’s attempts to lighten the mood.

The inky Bendy turned its attention to her now.

She suddenly felt very left alone with …it.

‘Can it see?’ the creature’s eyes were either covered in ink or non-existent. Curiosity finally won the battel with fear and the young artist stepped closer.

“H-hey there…” could it hear? And if so understand?

Thes cowered down and put her head to the side, another move she picked up from cartoons. It always functioned as a nonverbal question mark so if this creature was conscious-

It tilted its head to the side to mimic her.

Theresa’s face lit up. Communication!

“Can you understand me?” she asked. It nodded. “This is so crazy.” Thes whispered, a big smile creeping across her face. The machine had created conscious life! “Well then,” carefully she put her hand out to pat the inky Bendy’s head

“Welcome to the studio,

Bendy”

[hystericalcherries]

Deafening Silence, A Deaf!Hiro AU [Part 4/4]

Title: Mute Apparatus

Summary: Silence is its own form of communication.

Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4

It isn't often that the Hamada brothers fought.

Argue and bicker? Sometimes. A quick disagreement here and a small tussle there? Sure. Exasperated lectures and annoyed quips? Of course. But an uncensored, unadulterated fight? Rarely.

The fact of the matter is Hiro and Tadashi, by definition, get along. Their Aunt Cass has a great number of stress induced complaints- disassembled drones scattered across the living room floor, Mochi and his rocket boots stuck in a tree monthly, grease stains on her favorite pillow, the toilet seat left up for the third time in a week- but never this. The brothers are thick as thieves, sharing living space and secrets alike with concerning ease. Maybe it has something to do with their situation and the loss of their parents; they cling to each other like it is all they have left, as if a single glance away will result in two dwindling into one.

Which leaves Hiro in quite a predicament where he is now, locked away in their room as Tadashi paces outside, calling through the door in a voice mixed with anger, exhaustion, and worry.

“Hiro…” His brother's voice slips through the cracks of the door, threatening to break the younger’s stubborn resolve. “Let me in- we can talk about this…”

But Hiro doesn't want to make amends, doesn't want his anger and frustration to be soothed by the reasonable words his brother will spin. So he takes out his hearing aids, silencing his brother and the temptation to reconcile.

The resulting silence is deafening, so to speak, and Hiro almost stumbles when he yanks them out of his ears. But he quickly regains his balance and angrily throws the tech, watching it hit, with perfect aim, an old engineering book, bent with age and use, before plopping onto the shelf underneath it. Tension is strung high in his muscles as he crosses and uncrosses his arms, pacing a small portion of his room with quick steps; he no longer hears the sounds he speaks aloud, a jumbled mess they likely are.

In a try at expulsion of the coiled fire that twists his insides, the preteen angrily kicks at his bedpost, only to yelp in pain when the wooden frame stands far firmer than his easily bruised flesh.

He sits down on his bed and nurses his battle wound, massaging his foot. The pain lingers though, pulsing every time Hiro applies too much pressure to the area. Eventually he sets it back on the ground, pointedly ignoring the throbbing. For a while he stares at the limb, gaze eventually drifting to the floor boards and the pattern they run across the room.

He bows his head, forehead resting on his knees as he lets out a deep breath. It’s during this moment, where he doesn’t know what to feel, that he notices it. A prickle of skin, goosebumps rising in response. A tingling sensation at the back of his head and neck, unusual in how it calls for action. Hiro looks up and behind him, only to be greeted with the sight of a large, blinking marshmallow standing across the room from him.

Baymax.

The robot lifts an arm and waves in his usual greeting, automatic voice lost somewhere in the space between him and Hiro's ears. The boy blinks owlishly, both surprised and confused at the robot's sudden appearance. There is a minute where Baymax repeats his little wave and Hiro just stares, uncomprehending.

Baymax blinks.

Hiro blinks back.

Then Baymax is shuffling towards the boy, halting just outside of his comfort zone. Hiro angles his head up to look straight into the robot's face, thinking idly to himself that the looming height would be intimidating if not for the uncanny resemblance to a certain Pillsbury Doughboy.

The robot's upper torso lights up, bringing forth two horizontal rows of emojis with a range of expressions and numbers accordingly. A puddy finger points at the screen as the face looks somehow imploringly at Hiro. And when brown eyes flicker blankly between the screen and the robot’s face, the gesture is repeated. The nursebot doesn't move beyond that, but Hiro has the feeling that he is missing something; another point at the screen concretes the idea and Hiro, with years of experience of public schooling and teachers unfamiliar with his situation, feels that a question is being repeated. The boy shakes his head at that discovery, habitually pointing to his ears.

Baymax cocks his oval head.

For reasons that Hiro can’t even begin to understand, this annoys him. He had finally gotten rid of his brother and now his dumb project was going to be taking his place as residential mother hen. Honestly, he just wanted to be alone. Would Hiro ever catch a break?

In an effort in ignoring his problems, the boy slumps to the floor and scoots across the floor until his back hits the wall between his desk and bed. Though it is all for naught because the robot follows him, curvy exterior pushing obnoxiously against his chair, causing it to roll off towards the door, and blocking out a great deal of the light filtering through the window.

<Go away.> he orders, aiming to kick the tubby stomach. <I’m not in the mood.>

There, there. Baymax’s screen displays just where his heel connect with synthetic covering, the letters rising from the bottom. Undeterred by the abuse, a large, four fingered hand pats him on the head. It will be alright.

Hiro jerks back. <You can understand me?>

I am fluent in many languages, including, but not limited to, those that communicate through nonverbal cues. The robot's inflatable form jiggles as he settles on the floor next to Hiro, somehow finding room in the cramped space while still in a position for Hiro to see his screen and the words that appear there. It is one of the first codes to be uploaded into my system. Though I have since added to it, cataloging what I have observed and gathered from my time activated.

<Tadashi…> The boy pauses, fingers poised up and waiting for the next word. <Did Tadashi really do that?>

Yes. He also programmed an alternative for those who do not know how to read or those who do not wish to. Baymax informs him as the screen splits in two, written words still appearing in time with the robot's on one side while the other brings up a well edited video of familiar hands sighing. If you prefer the second method, I am able t-

<No,> he declares, suddenly angry at seeing Tadashi, even if it's only his hands. He doesn't want the video to zoom out and show his brother's infuriatingly sincere face- a high possibility if certain words and distinctions between are to be signed. <The first one.>

Another quirk of the head. I detect irritation and frustration in your tone. What seems to be the problem? Is there any way I can assist?

He crosses his arms and pushes himself further into the corner, jaw tense as he bitterly mutters, <I don’t want to talk about it.>

But Baymax isn’t someone easily deterred. He’s a robot on a mission. Studies have shown that talking to other individuals about you problems helps relieve stress and eases the mind. A list of statistics pops up on the screen, numbers and charts and graphs color coordinated and organized to a fault. Excess stress and anxiety has been proven to cause a deterioration of health and a shortened lifespan. Talking to me would be in your best interest, especially if you do not wish to consult with a person of a more immediate familial relation.

The statistical display go unnoticed by the boy. Instead he turns his head to the side and down, gazing at where the sheets tuck themselves under the mattress and thinking. It goes like this for a few moments and he picks at his lower lip, hesitant.

I have been programmed to be an efficient and insightful listener. Baymax insists, ever patient.

Hiro almost smiles, but stops before it has the chance of fully forming, and visibly deflates, sighing just as he gives in. <Me and Tadashi got into an argument.> He pauses, waiting for a response, but, true to his word, Baymax doesn’t speak. Merely listens. <It’s stupid, honestly. He had promised to take me to the exhibit on hydraulics that being hosted in the city’s science center, like, forever ago, and now he’s flaking out. Says he’s too tired and that we’ll go another time, but we can’t. It’s only for two more weekends and, ugh, it’s always about school with him. School this and school that. I’m tired of hearing of that lame school and he just… he never has time for me anymore.>

He hasn’t signed so much in a long time and his fingers ache in a pleasant way.

<Wish he would just take a day off and, I don’t know, actually hang out with me. I mean, he hangs out with me anyway, but even that is full of school and his nerd friends and-> Here, the boy makes a particular face. <-saving the world.>

With the words finally communicated, Hiro feels almost empty. The fight is gone and he is left discontent with how the day has gone, maybe even a little regretful.

Hiro, the robot starts in that matter-of-fact way, optical lenses fluttering shut in an almost human gesture of ease. It is by my understanding that you are used to a daily routine in which you have unlimited access to your brother and now that this is no longer the case- of which he has other priorities that aren’t centered around you- you feel abandoned.

The boy scoffs. <That’s ridiculous. I can’t feel abandoned when Tadashi is literally right out the door.>

But Baymax carries on as if he hadn’t spoken. This is quite natural. Many younger siblings experience this when those they look up to start to move on and, as stated in many Best-Selling parental guides across the nation, ‘leave the nest.’ But do not be discouraged, because you must know that your brother loves you and would never intentionally cause you any distress. It based on that care for you that my existence is even possible.

Oh.

When put so eloquently like that, Hiro feels the air around him lighten to something more bearable. Suddenly, he is clambering over his companion, elbows and knees sinking into the robot's form, and reaching for something on the lowest shelf to their left. He lowers himself just as quickly and fiddles with whatever is in his hands; when he's done he settles closely against Baymax's warm side, hearing aids nestled snuggly in his ears.

"There is no need for your auditory aids," Baymax says, both vocally and not. "I am completely capable of continuing my care of you without the use of spoken communication."

Hiro looks down, mumbling, "It... It's fine. I don't mind."

Baymax is silent for a moment, watching as the boy traces imaginary designs on his hand, eliciting a sound as dry skin rubs against vinyl. Then, "If that is what puts you at ease, I will acquiesce. Your health and comfort are my main priority."

Hiro smiles, slight gap in his front teeth on proud display. "Thanks Baymax... you know-" He looks up from under his lashes. "-for everything."

"You are my patient," the nursebot explains simply.

A lollipop is pulled out of thin air, appearing magically between inflated fingers, and offered. Hiro perks up, eyes alight with childish delight, immediately snatching the candy and popping it in his mouth. Boy and robot stretch into a companionable silence, far different (in an exceedingly good way) than the lack of noise the removal of his hearing aids provided.

"Well, now we're also friends, okay." Hiro declares to the robot, propping a leg onto the other's and leaning back comfortably as he sucks on the candy. "Which means that now we have to hang out- like, all the time."

“If that is what will make me a better healthcare companion, I see no reason why I cannot fulfill your request.”

“Awesome,” he says, biting into his treat, “then we can-”

“However, I must insist that you reconcile with Tadashi before any thought of recreation activities can be considered.”

Hiro frowns. “Now?”

“It would be best.”

Still, he balks at the idea. Gosh, where would he even begin? Does he apologize? Does he let Tadashi talk first? And, ugh, he couldn’t even remember half of what Baymax had said concerning the actual issue and his diagnosis of it, and that had been only minutes ago. He gnaws on the candy stick and asks, “You’ll come with me?”

Baymax’s shutters close in an imitation of a smile. “Of course.”

And, well, that’s a start.

[training-blog]

                           5 Things You Must Do Before A Job Interview

Congratulations!  Your CV has finally struck gold. With an interview call letter in your pocket, you have successfully cleared Step 1. But remember this is just a foot in the door; to enter it on your own terms you need to crack the interview.

We presume that if your resume got selected, then you already have all the qualifications down pat – so we won’t go down that road. However, we must mention that work experience and educational qualifications are just one part – albeit an important one – of a much larger process of selection.

You have to assume that everyone invited for the interview would have similar qualifications and with all things being equal hiring managers select the person they LIKE – someone they like as a person and someone they like for the job profile.

So, your job is to convince them that you are not only the right fit work wise but also for the company culture.

Here are some things you must do before your interview

Invest in your appearance You know what they say about first impressions. Right? Well, when you walk into the interview room your appearance will create an impression whether you want it or not – so it’s best to make sure it’s a good one.

Invest time and money in curating a good look for your big day. Your clothes should be professional and smart while showing a hint of your personality. It’s easy to go for boring business attire, but if you can add a dash of something interesting, then you might stand out. The hiring manager will be interviewing several candidates, and your red socks or cool tie might make you more memorable. But this is a tight rope to tread – as you want to be interesting but not weird. If you are confident, you can pull it off then go for it or else play safe.

Tip: Make sure you lay out your entire outfit including shoes and accessories the night before.

Clean up your social media feeds Ideally, you should do this before you even start applying for jobs. Almost every recruiter checks out LinkedIn feeds of their prospective employees. Some even go as far as to stalk you on other social media forums. Make sure you stay professional on LinkedIn and Twitter and keep your other social media feeds private.

Tip: Spend some time sprucing up your LinkedIn profile and add a nice picture. If you are not confident about writing well, then it is a good investment to take tips from a professional career coach or a trusted mentor.

Research the company and the job profile No one likes an unprepared candidate; it just shows how disinterested he/she is! Research the organisation you are applying for and especially consider the job profile you are interested in.

Some questions to consider are – How can you align your existing qualifications and experience with your job profile? What different do you bring to the table? What are the gaps and how can you convince the manager to overlook these?

Tip: If you have time, then reach out to people with similar job profiles in your network and get some inside information that can make you look well-prepared during the interview.

Prepare stock answers and some questions There are some standard questions that you can be sure you will be asked so why not prepare the answers in advance! While you are at it, it is also a great idea to prepare some questions for the hiring manager. It helps to show that you have considered the job profile well and that you are someone proactive who is interested in knowing more details.

Tip: What are your strengths and weaknesses? – is the one stock question almost everyone faces! Have a ready and authentic answer to this one!

Practice! Finally, practice! If you can do a mock interview with a friend or a colleague, then that’s great! If not then your bathroom mirror will suffice. In fact, do both! Not only will you get to practice your stock answers but you will also get to improve your body language and other nonverbal cues.

Tip: Practice several times to perfect your posture, smile, and tone. You can even use your phone to record a practice interview session!

No one can predict what happens in an interview. Some go well and some not so much. However, it’s great to enter a room feeling prepared – it relaxes you and helps you deal with the situation knowing that you have covered all the basics.

Preparing for an interview doesn’t have to be a DIY job. If you feel you need help, then don’t be shy! READ MORE-Leadership Development, Women Empowerment, Communication skills, Personality Development Courses | Soaring Eagles