#field service engineering jobs

[easternstaffing]

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[kleopatra45]

Greetings, I had request if you can post careers related to the 10th house/MC from both western and vedic perspective... Thanking you

Careers Related to the 10th House/MC: Western and Vedic Perspectives

The 10th house, often associated with the Midheaven (MC), is a pivotal house in astrology that governs career, public reputation, achievements, and how we strive for success. Both Western and Vedic astrology provide rich insights into the career potential through the analysis of this house, though they approach the interpretation differently.

Western Astrology:

In Western astrology, the 10th house and the Midheaven (MC) reveal the nature of one's career, public image, and long-term aspirations. The sign on the MC, the ruling planet of the MC, and any planets in the 10th house shape the direction of one’s professional life. Below is a breakdown of possible career paths based on the sign on the MC and the planets associated with the 10th house.

Aries MC: Individuals with Aries on the MC are natural leaders, driven by ambition and a pioneering spirit. They thrive in careers that allow them to take charge and lead, such as entrepreneurship, military roles, sports, or any field where quick decision-making and initiative are valued.

Taurus MC: Taurus on the MC suggests a career focused on stability, security, and material success. These individuals are drawn to professions in finance, real estate, agriculture, luxury goods, and any field where their practical nature and aesthetic sensibilities can shine.

Gemini MC: With Gemini on the MC, communication is key. These individuals excel in roles that involve writing, teaching, media, journalism, marketing, or any job that requires adaptability, networking, and intellectual engagement.

Cancer MC: Cancer on the MC often indicates a nurturing career path. These individuals may be drawn to professions related to caregiving, such as nursing, childcare, social work, or real estate, hospitality, and any job where creating a sense of home or emotional security is important.

Leo MC: Leo on the MC is associated with a desire for recognition and creative expression. Careers in entertainment, acting, politics, fashion, and leadership roles are common. These individuals often seek careers where they can stand out, inspire others, and express their creative talents.

Virgo MC: Virgo on the MC points to a meticulous and service-oriented approach to work. These individuals may excel in healthcare, research, editing, service industries, and any career that requires attention to detail, organization, and a focus on improving systems.

Libra MC: Libra on the MC is linked to careers involving beauty, harmony, and relationships. These individuals might be drawn to law, diplomacy, fashion, art, counseling, or any role that involves balancing opposing forces, aesthetics, or creating harmony in social settings.

Scorpio MC: Scorpio on the MC suggests a career involving intensity, transformation, and depth. These individuals may pursue careers in psychology, research, finance, detective work, or any field where they can explore the unknown, deal with crises, or engage in transformative work.

Sagittarius MC: Sagittarius on the MC is associated with careers that involve exploration, education, and the pursuit of knowledge. These individuals may find fulfillment in teaching, travel-related jobs, publishing, philosophy, or any field that allows them to broaden their horizons and share wisdom.

Capricorn MC: Capricorn on the MC is linked to ambition, structure, and long-term goals. These individuals are often drawn to careers in government, management, business, engineering, or any field where discipline, responsibility, and strategic planning are required.

Aquarius MC: Aquarius on the MC indicates a career path that involves innovation, humanitarian work, and social reform. These individuals may excel in technology, science, social causes, or any field where they can contribute to progressive change and work towards a better future for society.

Pisces MC: Pisces on the MC is associated with creativity, compassion, and spirituality. These individuals may be drawn to careers in the arts, healing, spirituality, film, photography, or any field where they can express their imagination and connect with the emotional or spiritual dimensions of life.

Vedic Astrology:

In Vedic astrology, the 10th house, also known as Karma Bhava, represents career, professional success, and one's contributions to society. The planet ruling the 10th house, the condition of Saturn (the natural significator of career), and the placement of planets in the 10th house are crucial in determining one's career path.

Sun in the 10th House: The Sun in the 10th house signifies leadership and authority. Individuals with this placement may pursue careers in government, politics, administration, or any role where they can be in charge. They are often seen in positions of power and influence, where their leadership qualities are recognized.

Moon in the 10th House: The Moon in the 10th house brings a nurturing and emotionally responsive approach to one's career. Individuals with this placement may excel in public relations, hospitality, healthcare, real estate, or any field that involves caring for others and creating a supportive environment. Their careers often involve a connection to the public or dealing with the needs of others.

Mars in the 10th House: Mars in the 10th house indicates a dynamic and action-oriented career. These individuals are likely to be drawn to careers in the military, engineering, sports, law enforcement, or any field that requires courage, determination, and physical energy. They excel in competitive environments and are often seen in roles that involve taking decisive action.

Mercury in the 10th House: Mercury in the 10th house signifies a career involving communication, intellect, and business acumen. Individuals with this placement may excel in writing, teaching, journalism, trade, commerce, or any profession that requires intellectual skills, adaptability, and the ability to convey information effectively.

Jupiter in the 10th House: Jupiter in the 10th house indicates a career in teaching, counseling, law, or finance. These individuals are often drawn to roles that involve guiding others, sharing knowledge, and upholding ethical principles. They may find success in academic fields, religious institutions, or any profession where wisdom and morality are valued.

Venus in the 10th House: Venus in the 10th house suggests a career in the arts, entertainment, fashion, or luxury goods. These individuals are often drawn to professions where beauty, aesthetics, and creativity play a central role. They may also find success in diplomacy, public relations, or any field that requires charm, social skills, and a sense of harmony.

Saturn in the 10th House: Saturn in the 10th house indicates a disciplined and structured approach to one's career. These individuals may pursue careers in politics, engineering, construction, or labor-related jobs. They are often seen in roles that require responsibility, hard work, and long-term commitment. Saturn's influence may also lead to careers involving law, administration, or any field where persistence and patience are key.

Rahu in the 10th House: Rahu in the 10th house signifies unconventional and innovative career paths. These individuals may be drawn to careers in media, technology, foreign jobs, or any field that involves breaking new ground and challenging societal norms. They may also find success in professions that deal with mystery, research, or hidden knowledge.

Ketu in the 10th House: Ketu in the 10th house indicates a career focused on spiritual pursuits, research, or the occult. These individuals may be drawn to roles that involve detachment from material success, such as in astrology, spiritual counseling, or any field where inner wisdom and insight are valued over external recognition. Ketu's influence may also lead to careers in fields that require a deep understanding of the metaphysical or esoteric.

Additionally, the D10 chart (Dasamsa) is used for a deeper analysis of career prospects.

I hope this helps! ♥️

©️kleopatra45

[13lunarstar]

Jyeshtha

The eighteenth nakshatra (18 out of 27)

Degrees: 16°40' to 30°00' in Scorpio zodiac

The ruler of the Nakshatra: Mercury (sanks. Budha), governing intellect, communication, and analytical abilities. Jyeshtha is known for its sharp intellectual capabilities ( depending on the strength and harmony of Mercury in an individual's natal chart)

Deity: Indra, the king of the gods, symbolising strength, leadership, and control over the senses.

Nakshatra's guna: sattva (divine)

Jyeshtha keywords: ambitious, intense, secretive, self-reliant, manipulative, authoritative, resourceful, possessive, intelligent, tormented, determined, ambitious, disciplined, focused, ambitious, insightful, strategic

Symbol: An earring or circular amulet (sometimes also an umbrella) which represents protection, power, and authority.

Career options: roles in leadership, intellectual, and service-oriented fields. E.g., politicians, administrators and managers (including C-level positions), engineers, military leaders; protective roles, such as lifeguards, rescuers; detectives, surgeons, reporters, actors, philosophers, researchers and self-employed professionals.

Nakshstra's strengths: successful, resourceful, generous, self-reliant, wealthy, passionate, reputable, witty, virtuous, creatively gifted, interested in the occult, determined, and goal-achiever

Nakshatra's weaknesses: short-tempered, affected by family problems, too intense, egotistical, secretive, manipulative, irritable, lonely, possessive, dramatizes illnesses for sympathy, many job changes and early life troubles, hypocritical behaviour.

Lagna (Asc) in Jyeshtha: indicates an individual with strong leadership qualities and a determined, intense nature. These people exhibit a strategic mindset and often prefer to work behind the scenes, using subtle tactics to achieve their goals. Family and elder care are significant priorities for them, and they may take on authoritative roles within their familial or professional spheres. With a keen interest in occult knowledge and mysticism, they may delve into these areas for personal growth or professional pursuits. Challenges may include tendencies towards controlling behaviour and the need to balance assertiveness with sensitivity. Careers suited to them typically involve leadership, administration, management, investigative work, and roles requiring strategic planning and responsibility.

Sun in Jyeshtha: is known for its authoritative presence and ability to take charge effectively. People with this placement often exhibit a deep sense of responsibility and desire to achieve their goals with determination and vigour. Their interest in occult and mystical subjects may lead them to explore esoteric knowledge for personal growth and understanding. They thrive in roles that require strategic thinking, planning, and decision-making. With a strong inner strength and courage, they navigate challenges effectively, emerging as influential leaders who advocate for justice and ethical practices. However, they may need to balance their assertiveness with consideration for others' perspectives and feelings.

Moon in Jyeshtha: exhibits profound emotional intensity and a reserved nature. These individuals demonstrate natural leadership qualities, confidently asserting authority while pursuing ambitious goals with determination. Their inclination towards mysticism and occult knowledge often leads them to explore spiritual practices and hidden truths. Challenges include managing intense emotions and striking a balance between their sensitive nature and practicality (due to Mercury's influence). They thrive in roles demanding emotional depth, leadership, strategic planning, and involvement in mystical or spiritual pursuits, such as psychology, counselling, spirituality, or investigative work.

Mercury in Jyeshtha: is characterized by sharp intellect and analytical thinking. Natives excel in problem-solving, delving deeply into complex subjects with precision. Their communication style is authoritative and insightful, making them effective leaders in intellectual and administrative roles. With a natural curiosity for occult knowledge and hidden truths, they often explore diverse fields such as psychology, investigative work, or mystical studies. Challenges may arise from tendencies towards secretive or manipulative communication, creating a need for a balance between their sharp wit and ethical considerations. Mercury in Jyeshtha in general enhances individuals' intellectual abilities, leadership qualities, and interest in profound philosophical and mystical pursuits.

Mars in Jyeshtha: is known for its assertiveness, intensity, and drive. Individuals with this placement possess strong willpower and determination to achieve their goals, often pursuing them with vigour and passion. They are natural leaders who thrive in competitive and challenging environments. They have a strategic and tactical approach to problems, using all their energy and initiative to overcome obstacles. Mars in Jyeshtha individuals may excel in roles that require courage, assertiveness, and a strong sense of justice. However, challenges may include tendencies towards impulsiveness, aggression, or a desire for control, which they need to manage effectively. Mars in Jyeshtha enhances leadership qualities, competitive spirit, and ability to take decisive action in pursuit of ambitions.

Venus in Jyeshtha: embodies such qualities as intense passion and magnetic charm in relationships. These natives possess a deep emotional depth and are drawn to profound connections with others. They value loyalty and commitment in partnerships, often seeking deep emotional and spiritual fulfilment. They have a refined taste and appreciation for beauty, art, and luxury, and may excel in creative or artistic pursuits. Venus in Jyeshtha enhances the ability to navigate complex emotions with a calm mind and grace, fostering harmonious and nurturing relationships. However, challenges may include tendencies towards possessiveness or jealousy in relationships, which they learn to balance with trust and understanding. Overall, Venus in Jyeshtha enhances individuals' capacity for deep love, artistic expression, and emotional fulfilment in both personal and professional spheres.

Jupiter in Jyeshtha: is characterized by profound wisdom, integrity, and expansive vision. These people possess a deep sense of morality and justice, often advocating for fairness and ethical principles. These individuals are natural leaders and mentors, guiding others with optimism and a broad perspective. Jupiter in Jyeshtha enhances spiritual and philosophical interests, leading them to explore profound truths and higher knowledge. They excel in roles that require teaching, counselling, or guiding others towards personal growth and development. Challenges for Jupiter in Jyeshtha natives may include a tendency towards self-righteousness or over-confidence in their beliefs, which they need to temper with humility and openness to different viewpoints. Jupiter in Jyeshtha amplifies leadership qualities, moral integrity, and the ability to inspire others towards greater understanding and enlightenment.

Saturn in Jyeshtha: values tradition, order, and practicality, often excelling in roles that require organizational skills and leadership under pressure. Saturn in Jyeshtha enhances natives' ability to endure challenges and overcome obstacles with patience and maturity. They may have a deep interest in history, tradition, and cultural heritage, and excel in professions that involve long-term planning, governance, authority and protection. Challenges may include tendencies towards rigidity or pessimism, which they learn to balance with adaptability and optimism. Overall, Saturn in Jyeshtha enhances individuals' capacity for enduring success, discipline, and responsible leadership in their chosen endeavours.

Rahu in Jyeshtha: is characterized by intense ambition, a desire for power, and an unconventional approach to achieving goals. These individuals possess a strong drive for success and may be drawn to roles that involve transformation, innovation, or breaking societal norms. These individuals are often strategic and resourceful, using their keen intellect to navigate complex situations and opportunities. Rahu in Jyeshtha enhances their ability to harness hidden talents and pursue unconventional paths towards fulfilment. They may have a fascination with occult knowledge, mysteries, or esoteric practices, and excel in fields that require deep investigation or unconventional thinking. Issues may include tendencies towards obsession, unpredictability, or seeking shortcuts to success, which they need to manage with caution and self-awareness. In general, Rahu in Jyeshtha amplifies a potential for transformative growth, ambition, and exploration of hidden truths in the quest for personal and professional success.

Ketu in Jyeshtha: is known for its introspective nature and spiritual depth, prioritizing inner wisdom over material attachments. Individuals with this placement often seek solitude for self-discovery and enlightenment, embracing unconventional perspectives that challenge societal norms. This placement further enhances the ability to perceive hidden truths and pursue spiritual growth, making people adept at roles requiring deep introspection and unconventional thinking. Problems or obstacles may include tendencies towards isolation and difficulty forming emotional connections, which these people can manage with mindfulness. Overall, Ketu in Jyeshtha emphasises its journey towards spiritual evolution and wisdom, emphasizing detachment from material matters.

[deanswhiskey]

𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭? - 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

⛥ ⛥ ⛥

summary; what happens when your car breaks down and a stranger is there to help?

wc; 2,495

warnings; smuttt!!! (p in v, fingering, cunnulingus), implied consent

authors note; pls lmk how you feel about this. i remember read a steve rogers fic (i think) that was sorta similar, i wish i could rememebr the fic so i could tag it for credit. also this was my first time writing smut in a couple lmk what you think about that too

⛥ ⛥ ⛥

the lonesome sound of your boots skidded along the dry asphalt as you walked up to the road. your care had broken down some miles back, you lost count, and now you're headed up the road to find some sort of civilization.

of course, your car had to break down on some back road in the middle of nowhere with nothing but open fields. your phone had died too before you could call a tow truck service. could this scenario be any more cliché? you thought.

you stopped to take a break. the bottoms of your feet pounded and your legs ached. a thin layer of sweat covered your forehead due to the heat that pounded against your skin.

your black purse hung from your shoulder as you reached in looking for your wallet, just as a check to make sure it was there. after a moment of digging, its not there. it got worse.

groaning, you look around to see if there were any cars. there were none; you sighed and continued up the road. you found a small rock to kick aimlessly to entertain yourself in some sort of way.

this continued for about another mile before you could hear a faint purring of an engine. you snapped your head behind you, forgetting all about the poor rock you'd been kicking.

squinting to look at the car in the distance, you could see a black muscle car making its way towards you. a small smile appeared on your face, maybe this person will choose kindness and help you out.

you waved the car down and you could see the car start to slow its way to you. when it slowed to a stop next to you, you bent down to look at the driver who stopped.

a devilishly handsome man sat with his left hand atop the steering wheel. his green eyes pierced into you, "what's a pretty girl like you doing out here?"

your cheeks heated at him calling you pretty, "well my car broke down a while back and my phones dead and i forgot my wallet, so i'm just walking to the nearest town." you shrugged.

"so that's what that car back there was," the mystery man said. he gave you a small smirk, "why don't you hop in, i'll take you where you need to be."

"really? thank you so much," you gleaned. you opened the passenger door and hopped in.

"i'm dean," the man smirked. he offered his hand out for a shake.

"y/n," you smiled and shook his hand.

deans fingers tapped the wheel in rhythm the the classic rock song softly playing in the background. “so where were you headed, sweetheart?”

“actually,” you look down at your hands, “nowhere in particular, just seeing where the wind takes me.” you smile over at him. “what about you, where are you headed?”

“same as you, sweetheart,” his green eyes stared at you. your cheeks flushing at the nickname again. “i’m actually headed to meet my brother a few towns over, we do this thing together.”

“well that’s nice, what do you guys do?” you asked.

“we hunt monsters,” dean bluntly said. you gave him a confused sort of look.

dean smirked when he saw your face, letting out a small chuckle, “kidding, doll, we used to work for the fbi, now we just travel the country. part time mechanics too, wherever we can find work.”

“you used to work for the fbi?!” you beamed. “what was it like?” your body now faced him, wanting to hear about his fbi journeys.

“ah, sweetheart, i can’t really say.” you frowned. “it was a messy job, though. my brother and i were the best.” he boasted while you let out a small chuckle.

after a moment of silence, dean spoke up again, “did you do anything?”

you just shrugged, “i used to be a writer for some shitty newspaper.”

“cant have been that shitty if you used to write for it,” your face was constantly blushing from all the names and compliments he was giving you.

you just smiled back at him and stared at the road ahead.

after a little while, and some more small talk later, you were finally starting to see some civilization; a bus stop, followed by some small local shops.

you groaned and smiled, “finally, i can get my car fixed.” the auto repairs shop moved closer as the two of you moved up the road.

it started to move further away, your smile and lessened, dean was driving away from it. “let me get you some food first. you need some food in ya’,”

“oh dean,” you glanced over at him, “i cant let you do that, i’m fine.”

“no, no, don’t give me that, i’m buying you some food.” he smiled at you, green eyes flashing in the sunlight.

dean wouldn’t let you put up anymore of a fight. he pulled into the small parking lot of the diner in whatever town you two were in. it looked like a little mom and pop diner.

the two of you sat in a booth far away from other people. you glanced over the menu, settling for a chicken sandwich with a side of fries; dean ordered a burger.

while waiting for your food, you broke the silence between you two, “why do you call me sweetheart, and doll?”

the smile on his face never seemed to leave when he was talking to you, “well, ‘cause you are one, sweetheart.”

“but you don’t know me.”

“you have the beauty for one,” your cheeks flushing again. does this man ever stop, you thought.

the waitress came and dropped your food and drinks off and the two of you dug in. you haven’t eaten since sometime yesterday, and with all the walking your hunger grew. you were very thankful for dean.

the sandwich was damn near perfect; you hardly spoke you were too busy eating.

you finished your last. it’s and wiped a napkin on your face, getting off whatever food may be around your mouth, and threw it in the plate.

the waitress came back and grabbed your plates, “can i get you two any dessert?” she asked sweetly.

you were about to tell her no thank you, since you really needed your car fixed, but dean interjected. “we will have two slices of your finest pie, ma’am,” he smiled at that waitress.

the waitress walked away, “dean, i really need to get my car fixed,” you spoke up.

“sweetheart, it’ll be okay, it’s just a little slice of pie,” those beautiful green eyes enticed you, convincing you to stay and eat the pie.

“okay,” you sighed and smiled, “but that’s it.” your finger pointing out at him, pretending to scold him. dean just chuckled.

the waitress brought out two slices of cherry pie, your favorite, and apparently deans too. the two of you dug into the pies, making small talk again while you ate.

the waitress came back with the check book and receipt, dean immediately snatching it and putting his credit card in there.

“thank you, dean, i don’t know how i’ll ever repay you.”

deans eyes flicker down to your lips, a faint of a smirk on his lips, “i could think of one way.”

the gears in your head clicked, “oh,” you said sheepishly, the heat rising to your cheeks once more.

dean licked his lips in a seductive manner, he grabbed your hand and the two of you made your to the counter where the waitress sat. dean paid and the two of you made your wait to the impala.

“c’mon, let me take you somewhere where you can repay me,” he opened the passenger door.

“are you sure?”

“more than sweetheart,” he leaned in and kissed your cheek.

the two of you eagerly made your way to a motel dean was taking you. your nerves were high but so was your sex drive.

deans hand sat dangerously on your thigh. his thumb stroked circles on the inside of your thigh. heat radiated through your body, you just hoped dean couldn’t feel it.

the car screeched a bit when dean pulled into the motel parking lot. the two of you got out of the car, you started headed towards the check in office.

“what’re you doing, sweetheart?” you look at dean with confusion, all he does is pull out a set of keys you can only assume are keys to a room. you were confused as to why he already had keys, but you quickly brushed it off.

he nodded his head in the direction of the room with a smile on his face. dean held out his hand for you to take as he lead you to the room.

dean turned to you when you both entered the room and the door was shut. his lustful green eyes looked down into your own. you wanted this as much as he did, and he could see it in your eyes.

a hand reached up to move some hair from your face and stayed resting at the side of your head.

there was the smallest bit of hesitation in dean and he started to lean down to kiss you. you took the liberty of meeting him the rest of the way.

your lips meshed together as the two of you kissed. what started out as a gentle kissed turned into a heavier kiss. deans hands cupped your face as yours rested on his chest, grabbing at his shirt.

dean walked you back and your body hit the door behind you; a groan escaping your mouth which caused dean to groan himself.

deans kisses moved from your lips down to your neck leaving you breathless. his lips left little spots that would soon turn into hickeys, then shortly moved back to your lips.

strong masculine hands gripped your waist pulling impossibly closer. soon they traveled, very slowly, down to your ass, gripping harshly before lifting you up. your legs locked around his hips.

dean made his way to the bed, sitting down on it so you were now straddling him, taking what little control you had. your hips rocked once against his, earning a groan from dean which put a smirk on your face. you did it again just to hear that groan, that oh-so-sweet groan; you practically slly giggled at the sound.

“oh really?” dean said pulling away with a mischievous grin on his face. before you could say anything he flipped to two of you over so he was on top.

deans lips moved down to your neck then right onto your chest, he gripped one of your breasts, it was your turn to groan now. he pulled back and looked down at your shirt, gently tugging at the bottom, silently asking to take it off. you nodded and he slid it up over your head. you were now left in a black lace bra.

“lace,” dean paused. “sexy.” smirk never leaving his face. you pulled in the bottom of his shirt, telling him to take his off, which he did. his perfectly sculpted body now lit by the dim lightning of the room. you ran your hands along his ab lines.

dean dipped his head back down and continued kissing along your breasts. slowing making his way down your chest and along your stomach. you squirmed under his gentle kisses, letting out a desperate moan. dean chuckles vibrated against your hot skin, making you want more.

dean reached your heat and looked up through his eyelashes, you simply nodded, needing your shorts off now. he unbuttoned them and slowly pulled them down and discarded them somewhere in the room. all that was left was your matching panties. it’s like you planes this for him, like you knew he would be here.

dean pressed a kiss against your panties then giving a small lick, to tease you. “please dean,” you half-whispered, half-whimpered out. that was all it took for dean to essentially rip of your panties. “you’re already soaked,” he said.

his tongue lapped in all sorts of motions that drove you wild. it swirled around your clit before sucking on it, stars in yours eyes started to appear.

deans hand slowly made its way up your thigh, his finger teasing your entrance. a moan passes your lips and he slips a finger in, pumping it slowly. eventually, he hands another, making you a mess.

the knot in your stomach tightens as dean continues to lick and finger you. “dean, i’m about to-” you don’t finish your sentence because dean interrupts you.

“i know, baby, let it go.” and with that you did, your moans and whimpers echo off the motel walls.

right as you catch your breath, you hear the sound of deans belt unbuckling. you were eager for his cock but you knew you were gonna be sore tomorrow.

with a thud, deans pants and boxers are now discarded. dean pulls out a condom from his wallet and you take the small package from his hand and pull it out. you place the condom on his erection and give it a couple strokes, small grunts escape deans lips and his head is thrown back.

“i wanna feel you dean,” you seductively say looking up at him.

within seconds, you’re pushed back down on the bed, deans lips hungrily attack yours. he pulls back, grabbing his cock and lining himself up with you. he pushes the tip in while you inhale sharply at the feeling; he pushes further until he bottoms out, you moan, his length filling you.

you tighten around his cock and dean groans. he looks at you, silently asking if he can move, you just nod. he starts slowly thrusting into you, leaving you a moaning mess.

he bends back down, kissing you, hard yet gentle. it was sweet, in a way, vulnerable almost. though, you could hardly kiss back.

soon, the knot tightens once more, “dean, i’m close.”

“i know sweetheart,” he grunts, “hold it for my baby, just a little longer.” you whimper in response, desperately needing to release.

deans forehead rests against yours, “come for me, sweetheart,” stars exploded in your vision as you climaxed. you haven’t felt this euphoric in a while.

deans own release followed after. he got up and discarded the condom, body going limp on the bed beside you.

“how was that?” dean asked settling under the motel covers with you.

you were breathing heavy with a smile on your face, “that was fun, baby!”

“i know,” dean started, turning his head to look at you, “who knew role playing could be so fun.”

“we should do that more often,” you smiled, leaning over to kiss to your boyfriend, this time with more passion.

you snuggled into dean, suddenly feeling tired. his arms wrap around as the two of you slowly drift off to sleep.

maybe you and dean should experiment more.

⛥ ⛥ ⛥

[arshipweek]

AR Ship Week - Scorpia Backstory in the Book and the TV Show

This is the last weekly post in the lead up to Alex Rider Ship Week. Only one week left!

This week we have a guest post by @icebluecyanide​ about the differences between Scorpia in the book and TV canons.

Scorpia Backstory in the Book and the TV Show

After two seasons of ominous statements and mystery, series three of the TV show finally dove deeper into the criminal organisation known as Scorpia, and the way their history intertwines with Alex’s. But what is their backstory, and how does it differ from what we see in the books? 

In this meta, I will be diving into some of the changes in how Scorpia is presented in the book (Scorpia) and the TV show. Since this is a rather broad topic, and could potentially lead to me listing every single difference from the book, I will focus specifically on the Scorpia backstory and on the structure of Scorpia as an organisation.

I’ve used book quotes throughout this meta, including page numbers. The page numbers refer to the 2014 Walker Books (UK) edition.

Scorpia 

Let’s start this off by taking a look at how Scorpia is described in both the book and the show. I’ll first give an overview of Scorpia in the book, then move on to the TV show and do a comparison.

Scorpia in the book

Scorpia was all over the world. It had brought down two governments and arranged for a third to be unfairly elected. It had destroyed dozens of businesses, corrupted politicians and civil servants, engineered several major ecological disasters, and killed anyone who got in its way. It was now responsible for a tenth of the world’s terrorism, which it undertook on a contract basis. Scorpia liked to think of itself as the IBM of crime - but in fact, compared to Scorpia, IBM was strictly small-time. (Scorpia, p. 39)

In the book, Scorpia is a criminal organisation that has its roots in the early 1980s, during the last decade of the Cold War. As we learn in Scorpia (2004), it was founded by people who were involved in the Cold War as spies or assassins or secret police for various governments, and who realised that as the Cold War came to an end, they would be able to make more money going into business for themselves.

It was a fanciful name, they all knew it, invented by someone who had probably read too much James Bond. (Scorpia, p. 38)

The name of Scorpia is taken from their four fields of operation: Sabotage, Corruption, Intelligence and Asassination. They will take on any client that is willing to pay them, and don’t care about who gets caught in the crossfire. They’re a powerful organisation, and as Julia Rothman mentions, sometimes even the intelligence agencies make use of their services for jobs that cannot be traced back to them. They operate very much as a business, and they don’t make things personal, but they also are ruthless in getting even and don’t make hollow threats. Scorpia don’t forgive and they don’t forget.

Scorpia is led by an executive board consisting of the original founders. Of the original twelve, only nine remain at the time of the book, including Julia Rothman (the only woman on the board) and Max Grendel (the oldest executive). The executives on the board are equal partners, but for each project one of them is assigned as the leader, in alphabetical order. (It’s unclear how this works for The Australian, who in some editions doesn’t have a name.)

At the time of the book, the project that Scorpia is focused on is Invisible Sword, and the executive in command is Julia Rothman. There is a client, who is offering a great deal of money for Scorpia to break the special relationship between the UK and the US, and most of the Scorpia board seem unconcerned about the principal target of the weapon being children. The only exception to this is Max Grendel, who is old and has grandchildren of the same age, who has enjoyed getting rich working for Scorpia over the years, but who now wants to retire and not be a part of the new project. Sadly, his retirement gift is a suitcase full of deadly scorpions, so his retirement is rather brief.

Scorpia are an international company, with offices and people all over the world. However, Alex first runs into them in Venice, where Mrs Rothman has a large mansion on the grand canal that is referred to as the Widow’s Palace. On the island of Malagosto, near Venice, Scorpia also has a school where they have a training and testing facility for their assassins. This is where John Rider and Yassen Gregorovich were tested and trained, and it’s where Alex also takes part in lessons. 

Scorpia in the show

Blunt: At that time, we already knew that SCORPIA were the single most dangerous emergent threat since the Cold War. (3x07)

At first glance, the Scorpia we meet in the TV show appears to be from a canon divergent AU where the organisation was all but destroyed around the time when Alex was just a baby. This is a fascinating change, and also makes intuitive sense, as of course the third series of the show came out twenty years after Scorpia (2004) did. From the start, we get hints that Scorpia in the show is different from the one in the books. 

We first learn of the name Scorpia at the end of s1, as Mrs Jones and the rest of the Department realise that Yassen Gregorovich was behind Ian’s death, and that he is still alive. Going by the descriptions we are given, Scorpia was as powerful in the past as they were when Alex met them in the book:

Smithers: I know the file, of course. At one point, they were responsible for a tenth of the world’s terrorism. 

Crawley: And political assassinations, personal vendettas. All available to the highest bidder, without remorse or compunction. (1x08)

In 2006, Scorpia was taken down by the Department, in a well-coordinated operation based on the info John Rider was able to gather. Alan Blunt was in command as all over the world, the bases and known locations of Scorpia were raided. In the chaos, some members of Scorpia went missing and managed to escape, such as Julia Rothman and Yassen Gregorovich, but when they failed to resurface in the five years that followed, their files were closed and they were assumed to be dead.

After this, Scorpia seem to have retreated to the shadows, and operated almost entirely in secret. While they no longer have the same presence in the world, they still have both funds and technology to continue their work. They have no problem spending several millions to fake the payment for the assassination of the US president in season 2 at Yassen’s request, and they have a system set in place with a phone line that can be reached only with a specifically assigned code, or else the number will be disconnected, as we see when the Department pretend to call as Martin Wilby to determine who he got his orders from. In the first two seasons, Scorpia took jobs such as helping with Dr Greif’s plan at Point Blanc, and Damian Cray’s Eagle Strike plan, and they still appear as ruthless as in the book, not caring about the deaths those plans would cause.

At first, we mostly encounter Scorpia in the scenes with the Department, where Scorpia (through Yassen) have turned Martin Wilby to pass on information about the Department and got him to lure Ian Rider to his death at Yassen’s hand. Interestingly, Ian appears to be the only person still looking for Scorpia:

Crawley: I don’t think they ever went away. I think they just got better at hiding. And we were so confident we’d finished them. Only Ian was still looking, of course. (1x08)

Ian seems to have been aware of Yassen’s survival, and presumably who he works for (“Oh Martin, you have no idea who you’re working for.” - 1x01), but none of the rest of the Department have any idea until Alex mentions having seen Yassen at Point Blanc:

Blunt: Scorpia.Mrs Jones: It explains everything. The sophistication, the global reach, and Wilby. Given our history, of course they would target us.Crawley: But we finished them.Blunt: Well, clearly not. (1x08)

In season three, we see Alex (together with Tom and Kyra) actively looking for Scorpia by visiting old locations mentioned in the files on Smither’s phone (that Kyra stole). These include Berlin and Venice, where presumably Julia Rothman had her Palace like in the book. They end up finding Julia in Malta, where she is from. This is a change from the books, where she is Welsh. We meet Nile, her apparent second-in-command, and Max Grendel, who apparently also survived the takedown.

As Alex is pulled into Scorpia, we also learn that they are planning an operation called Invisible Sword. Unlike in the book, this is not a job they took on for a client, but something Julia Rothman came up with personally. As the season goes on, we discover that while she explained it as a way to demonstrate Scorpia’s power and boost their reputation, the real objective was to take revenge against the Department for the blow they dealt Scorpia seventeen years ago.

Scorpia Leadership

Let’s narrow in further for a moment on the question of who is in charge in Scorpia. There do appear to be some changes in the leadership of Scorpia in the TV show, and part of these can be explained by the canon divergence, while others suggest that perhaps this has always been a different Scorpia. Firstly, it’s good to note that instead of talking about an executive board, the leadership are referred to as council members:

Nile: I wondered if perhaps one of the other council members decided to push their luck. (3x01) 

In general, the show appears to have less of a ‘business’ vibe compared to the book. It may be that this is a change that only came with the new Scorpia, but this may also always have been different in this universe. Similarly, we hear that Julia Rothman was elected as leader, which suggests that also the way of picking a leader isn’t the rotated schedule from the books. It appears that Julia Rothman has been elected after the failed jobs with Dr Greif and Damian Cray, in an attempt to bring Scorpia back to prominence.

Razim: We elected you because you promised to restore our influence globally. And so far, we have seen nothing. (3x01)

Speaking of Razim, we get another change from the book. The name Razim is a reference to one of the new board members brought on in Scorpia Rising in the books, and he wasn’t present in the original Scorpia book. It makes sense that with most of the organisation taken down years ago, they will have filled their ranks with new members. However, there is some suggestion that perhaps Razim was actually part of Scorpia leadership before Julia:

Julia: Razim’s always resented me. He thinks when Nicolai died, inherited my place at the table. (3x01)

Julia Rothman

Max: And besides, we both know you earned your place. (3x01)

It appears that unlike in the books, Julia Rothman was not a founding member of Scorpia in the show. This also matches up with what we learn about her from the Department file on her, where it states she ‘possesses broad knowledge of Scorpia Operational Structure and is being groomed for command’. She was most likely part of the inner circle through her husband Nicolai, given the comment about inheriting her place.

Nicolai Rothman/Mrs Rothman’s husband definitely appears to have been alive and married to her for longer in the TV show than in the book, although in both she is eventually known as the Widow.:

Mrs Rothman’s multimillionaire husband had fallen to his death from a seventeenth-storey window. It had happened just two days after their marriage. (Scorpia, p. 45)

Also an amusing detail is that in the book Nicolai Rothman is a multimillionaire, while in the TV show he’s referred to as a billionaire. Julia Rothman is canonically richer in the TV show!

Malagosto

Let’s take a moment also to look at the differences in how Malagosto is portrayed in the two canons. In both the show and the book, Malagosto is a training facility for Scorpia operatives, but that appears to be where the similarities end. The location is different in the two canons, with it being on an island near Venice in the book, and on Malta in the show. Specifically, we discover that there is a Scorpia base located underground in an old Cold War listening post on Malta. It might be that the original location had to be abandoned after Scorpia was raided, but the fact that The Department show no recognition to the name later suggests that they have never heard of it before. Definitely, the base in Malta was not known before. 

This raises some questions about whether John Rider actually trained at Malagosto in the show as he did in the book. We do have the following quote from Julia Rothman, which if taken literally suggests that he was on Malta with Alex:

Julia: Twenty years ago, your father stood where you are now. Ready to join Scorpia. (3x04)

However, if John trained at Malagosto, it is strange that this location wasn’t known to the Department or raided in the operation to take down Scorpia. So perhaps the quote should be taken metaphorically, with Alex being about to join Scorpia as his dad was, and perhaps John never trained with Scorpia. After all, in the book, he was likely only tested rather than trained, so he may have been tested elsewhere and simply put to work.

THE STUDENTS

Another difference related to Malagosto concerns the students or recruits who are present when Alex is there. In the book, d’Arc (the principal or headmaster of the school) mentions that there are usually around ten to fifteen students. Most of them appear to be people who were either part of the intelligence world or soldiers who have defected:

Alex knew all of them by now. There was Klaus, a German mercenary who had trained with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Walker, who had spent five years with the CIA in Washington before deciding he could earn more working for the other side. (Scorpia, p. 174)

They are people similar to John Rider, who already have had training of some sort that makes them suitable for Scorpia. In this sense, the school is firstly a testing facility, where Scorpia checks if people have the right skills to become part of Scorpia. Alex himself is an exception due to his age, but as d’Arc and Mrs Rothman discuss, he already has experience from both his missions and his uncle’s and MI6’s training. The other students are all older, but treat Alex surprisingly well and are friendly to him.

In the show, the recruits are all orphans and likely closer in age to Alex himself. There is no indication that Alex himself is an outlier in terms of his age. The other recruits also don’t appear to have had prior training if we take Alyona and Oleg as examples. They seem to have been children without families, either taken from orphanages or similar. Some, like Oleg, may have shown a propensity for violence which drew Scorpia’s interest, but they were not the trained soldiers or intelligence agents we see in the books.

This change could perhaps have been a result of Scorpia needing to operate from the shadows. While in the books they could recruit rather blatantly and without worrying about being noticed, they have tried to keep a low profile in the show. Perhaps they have shifted to training teenagers into operatives instead, as they have ‘No baggage, no background. It helps.’ (3x04).

It’s also noteworthy that there are only four other students aside from Alex present at Malagosto. Again, this is easily explained by Scorpia having shrunk in size and operating in more secrecy, and no doubt it made it easier for them to make the commitment of training teenagers. Sadly for Alex, they are not as nice as in the book, and he gets beaten up for being seen as weak on his first day there.

THE BUILDINGS

Another change seems to be in the buildings themselves. As mentioned, Malagosto in the show is located in an old listening post dating back to the Cold War, and that’s reflected in the lack of natural light and the bare, metallic and industrial vibes of the interior. The listening post also appears to be on a remote part of the island, but all that’s visible on the surface is a few abandoned buildings, and Scorpia seem to keep their presence low-key. 

In the book, we see the same outside appearance of abandoned buildings, as Scorpia has retrofitted an old monastery for their needs. The appearance is deceptive, however, as the insides have been modernised and Alex’s own room is much more luxurious than the one he gets in the show:

They left the main building and walked over to the nearest apartment block that Alex had seen from the boat. Again, the building looked dilapidated from the outside but it was elegant and modern inside. Jet showed Alex to an air-conditioned room on the second floor. It was on two levels, with a king-sized bed overlooking a large living space with sofas and a desk. There were french windows with a balcony and a sea view. (Scorpia, p. 164)

Alex was left alone. He sat down on one of the sofas, noticing that the room had a fridge, a television and even a PlayStation 2 - presumably put in for his benefit. (Scorpia, p. 165)

The other buildings are similarly updated, and students can train outside as the island is sheltered by trees and away from the mainland. It makes sense that in the show this is less of an option, because Scorpia are much more motivated to keep their presence hidden from the authorities. In the book, they have a legal reason to be there, as they bought the island on a lease from the Italian government, but in a world where Scorpia is assumed to be destroyed, they would need to be more careful. This explains why we only see the students go outside once for training, and that was during a night incursion exercise.

THE TEACHERS

Malagosto is a training facility, and a training facility needs instructors. This plays a larger role in the book, where we are introduced to several of the teachers at Malagosto in Alex’s time there. There is Gordon Ross, the technical specialist who teaches about weapons and explosives, Professor Yermalov, who teaches martial arts and practical skills, and Ejijit “Jet” Binnag, who teaches Botany (focused on poisonous plants). There are classrooms and textbooks and lessons as if it were a real school, but also more practical lessons such as diving and gun practice.

In the show, it’s a bit unclear who normally teaches at Malagosto. We only see two people acting as instructor – Nile and Yassen – and Yassen appears to have been assigned to Alex as a tutor rather than having general teaching duties. Nile appears to take on the role of instructor, but we also see him running around taking care of things for Julia Rothman outside, so he can’t be a full-time teacher. Perhaps we simply don’t see other instructors (much like how we don’t see the catering at Malagosto), or the training is handled more informally, with students working on their skill individually as we saw Syl doing in her first appearance.

One other thing related to the teaching at Malagosto is that in the book, John Rider is mentioned to have been an instructor there. During this time, he was also in charge of Yassen’s training for a while. This isn’t mentioned in the show, and while we get Alex asking if John trained with Yassen, we never get an answer. As Malagosto wasn’t known to the Department, as mentioned before, John was probably not a teacher in this universe.

Since we already touched on him briefly, let now take a look at John Rider and his mission to dive deeper into some of the changes.

John’s mission

Blunt: The intelligence John gathered during that time enabled us to strike at the very heart of Scorpia. Within months, we’d dismantled their entire operation. (3x07)

Based on what we are told, John’s mission is largely the same in both the book and the series. We learn that John was a decorated soldier who was in the Parachute Regiment and had seen combat before (in Afghanistan and Iraq in the show, Northern Ireland, Gambia, and the Falklands in the book). But everything seemed to go wrong for him when he killed a man in a bar fight, and was sentenced for manslaughter. 

He goes to jail for two years in the show, while in the book Mrs Rothman claims he was there for less than one, and there is some ambiguity about whether he went to jail at all:

“Everything Julia Rothman thought she knew about your father was a lie.” Mrs Jones sighed. “It’s true that he had been in the army, that he had a distinguished career with the Parachute Regiment and that he was decorated for his part in the Falklands War. But the rest of it — the fight with the taxi driver, the prison sentence and all that — we made up. It’s called deep cover, Alex. We wanted John Rider to be recruited by Scorpia. He was the bait and they took him.” (Scorpia, p. 347)

Scorpia took the bait, and John was recruited by Scorpia. In the show, we learn that John spent three years embedded in Scorpia, learning names and details about the organisation, including their long term goals and ambitions. In the book, the timeline is fuzzier, but we know he spent several months in the field as an assassin before working as an instructor at Malagosto. We are simply told that he ‘had told [MI6] as much as [they] needed to know about Scorpia’ (Scorpia, p. 348).

The reasons for breaking off the mission were similar then in both the show and the book. The risks were increasing, John had discovered most of what he set out to discover, and Helen was pregnant with Alex and John wanted to be with his family. In the book, we also specifically learn that there was a risk due to Julia Rothman, who had fallen in love with him. 

This is a point where the canons seem to deviate slightly, because the show is more explicit about John being asked to get close to Julia Rothman. The file on the Widow (Julia Rothman’s codename) mentions that a Department operative Hunter (John Rider) was assigned to develop a relationship. Julia Rothman herself told Alex that his dad was a ‘very close friend’ of hers, and showed him what are clearly love letters describing John’s feelings for her (3x03). 

Now, some of this is also in the book. Julia Rothman tells Alex she was very attracted to his father, and that he was a handsome man. And one of the letters from the show is taken straight from the book: 

My dearest Julia, A dreary time without you. Can’t wait to be at the Widow’s Palace with you again. John R. (Scorpia, p. 151)

Interestingly, we do see that Julia apparently went by her code name despite the fact that she and John became close enough over the years that she passed him information about Scorpia. John himself was known as Hunter to the Department rather than this being his Scorpia code name like in the book (although the code name isn’t mentioned in Scorpia itself). He signs the letter with his initials JR in the show, and she clearly knew him as John Rider.

It’s well possible given the way Julia Rothman doesn’t mention Alex’s mother in her initial story to Alex about John, that she was not aware at the time that he was married or that John was already with Helen. In the book, she specifically mentions that while she was attracted to him, he was married to Alex’s mother, suggesting that they never acted on the attraction.

The story of John’s capture is roughly the same, there is a trap set for him (on Malta in the book), and he is captured. A few weeks later, Scorpia kidnap a senior British civil servant (or his son, in the book) and MI6/The Department make them an offer to return John Rider to them in an exchange. This takes place on Albert Bridge in the book, while in the show it’s on another bridge somewhere. John’s death is faked, and the idea is that he will be given a new identity along with Helen and Alex so they can live quietly and without Scorpia knowing he was actually a spy.

This is the point where we get the biggest divergence in the backstory, as in the show the information gathered by John’s mission is enough to take down most of Scorpia. The operation is largely orchestrated by Alan Blunt, which is part of why Julia Rothman’s plot in the show is also aimed at him:

Mrs Jones: I’ve been looking at how we brought down SCORPIA 17 years ago. Really was an astonishing operation. Dozens of agents. Coordinates across three continents. Forty-seven key figures, dead or arrested. The entire SCORPIA hierarchy decimated overnight. You waged a private war against Scorpia, made it your mission. (3x06)

It’s not specified whether the take down of Scorpia happened before or after John and Helen’s plane was blown up by a bomb. Blunt tells Alex that ‘within months’ they were able to dismantle Scorpia’s entire operation, while Julia Rothman took six months to track John down. It seems more likely that Scorpia was taken down first, as this would give the Department an extra reason not to suspect Julia Rothman as being behind the bomb on the plane. Blunt’s reaction to Alex’s suggestion that it was Julia Rothman suggests that they didn’t have a clear suspect for all those years, which makes sense if Scorpia were believed to be defeated and not heard from again (aside from the bombing of the plane itself). WIth Scorpia gone, it also makes sense that perhaps someone became too careless in hiding the fact that John Rider is alive, as there would have been less reason to worry. 

In the book, we are first told merely that there was a bomb on the plane, which exploded and killed John and Helen and the pilots instantly. Mrs Jones and Alan Blunt seem to have no doubt about it being Julia Rothman, who had discovered the truth, although they are not clear on how she learned about it. MI6 learned valuable information about Scorpia through John’s time as an undercover spy, but they either don’t know enough to take Scorpia down for good or they don’t act on their information. 

In a way, the book takes a more cynical approach to the relationship between Scorpia and MI6. Scorpia are too large to take down completely, and any half-hearted effort to destroy them will lead Scorpia to seek revenge. And if you can’t beat them… As Julia Rothman herself points out, the secret services may nominally oppose Scorpia, but they are not above making use of their services:

The secret services can’t do anything about us. We’re too big and they’ve left it too late. Anyway, occasionally some of them make use of us. They pay us to do their dirty work for them. We’ve learnt to live side by side! (Scorpia, p. 132) 

Wrapping it all up

So what does it all add up to? As we’ve seen, the show’s portrayal of Scorpia shows an organisation that was nearly brought down seventeen years ago, and that has been operating in secrecy ever since. This single divergence explains most of the differences that we see in the present day structure of Scorpia, from younger recruits to the new leadership. However, we also saw that some aspects have always been different in this universe. The code names for both Julia Rothman and John, as well as the fact that John never mentioned Malagosto show that the backstory in the show was different even before Scorpia was taken down.

In the end, Scorpia is a different organisation in the book and the show, but in many ways it is also still the same. They are a group of people who are ruthless in their pursuit of power and money, who have no compunction about killing and even enjoy it. Scorpia may have been brought to the brink of destruction in the show, but even while hidden from the world, they have been able to keep up their activity for seventeen years. 

Until they encountered Alex Rider, that is… :) 

[mariacallous]

More US workers will soon be free to leave their employers to work for rivals, thanks to a new federal rule that will block the long-standing practice of locking in workers with noncompete agreements.

The US Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday issued a final rule that bans most noncompetes nationwide. The agency estimated that by allowing people more freedom, the change would lead to the creation of 8,500 new businesses annually, an average annual pay increase of $524 for workers, lower health care costs, and as many as 29,000 more patents each year for the next decade.

The FTC says about one in five US workers are bound by contract clauses that prevent them from taking new jobs from a competitor, or starting their own competing businesses, for some period of time. The agreements can trap workers and slow career advancement and wage increases—two things workers often achieve by hopping jobs.

The agreements also disproportionately affect workers in tech and certain other roles: 36 percent of engineers and architects work under noncompetes, as do 35 percent of workers in computer and math fields, according to research from the Universities of Maryland and Michigan.

Under the FTC’s new rule, “tech workers will probably experience a rise in the outside opportunities that they face,” says Evan Starr, an associate professor of business at the University of Maryland who worked on the research. “They’ll have more freedom to work where they want; they will be more likely to be paid higher wages.”

Opponents of noncompetes say they hurt workers by keeping them in lower-waged jobs and also stifle innovation, preventing people from starting their own businesses or putting innovative ideas into practice. Noncompete supporters argue that the arrangements encourage investment in staff and protect trade secrets. But recent research from Starr indicates that banning noncompetes hasn’t led to an increase in trade secret litigation.

The new FTC rule has a carve-out to keep existing noncompetes for senior executives in place. But it blocks companies from creating new noncompetes for these high-level workers. The rule is due to take effect in about four months, but it’s expected to face challenges. Two commissioners who voted against the rule saw it as overstepping the FTC’s power. The US Chamber of Commerce quickly announced after the rule passed that it will sue to try to block it.

Several states, including tech hub California, have already banned enforcement of noncompetes. But a recent tidal shift has seen the issue resonate in dozens of states. In the 2023 legislative session, 38 states introduced 81 bills that sought to ban or restrict enforcement of noncompetes. California’s long-established law is seen as part of the reason Silicon Valley became a hub for innovation, while Massachusetts’s once-similar tech corridor didn’t soar in the same way.

Tech executive Daniel Powers has battled noncompetes twice in his career. In 2010, IBM tried to delay his move from New York to Seattle to work for Amazon Web Services, the online retailer’s cloud division, by a year. The parties settled on Powers taking six months off. Fortunately for Powers, Amazon agreed to pay him even while he couldn’t work.

Two years later, the tables turned. When Powers attempted to take a job with Google Cloud, Amazon sued him, saying he had agreed not to work for one of its competitors within 18 months of leaving. The incident drew headlines as the first noncompete case Amazon had brought against someone inside fast-growing AWS, Powers recalls.

Powers had to move to California—where noncompetes aren’t legal—for the new gig, and his attorney told him to get there as soon as possible. By living in a different state, the lawsuit could be tried in federal court, where his attorney felt Amazon had less of an advantage compared to Washington state court. A federal judge ended up siding with Powers, and he lost only about three months of work at Google while the case played out.

Amazon, IBM, and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Had Powers not received discounted legal help over the years, he says, he could have easily spent over $100,000 battling noncompetes. “It’s just not fair to the employees,” says Powers, who now runs cloud advisory firm What's Next Consulting. “When I won, I got hundreds of emails and texts from Amazon employees thanking me for beating them.”

People in Washington state who want to leave one of the tech giants often must have difficult conversations with their families, advisers, and potential new employer about the risks of litigation and potentially being without a paycheck for a long stretch. Powers estimates that he has aided over 200 former Amazon and IBM colleagues in the process. California workers have no such concerns. “It’s just, ‘OK, goodbye,’” Powers says. “There’s nothing companies can do about it.”

If the new FTC rule ends up in front of the US Supreme Court, he says, his message to the justices will be simple. “Taking away a person’s ability to work in an industry they are trained in, have skills in, and have been in is a massive disservice to the employee,” Powers says. “It’s not the right thing to do to have these agreements.”

[sunlightmurdock]

Operation Apollo | 1.3 | Jake Seresin x Reader AU

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Synopsis: After a threat is made against her life, the President’s grown up daughter gets her security tripled. Her long term detail is about to retire and needs replacing, only — she isn’t the easiest to work with. Ex-Navy and current Secret Service, Jake Seresin is devoted to being the best at everything he does. He isn’t going to let a bratty little girl cost him this job.

Warnings: age gap, power imbalance, enemies to lovers, danger and angst, smut, unprotected pinv

…

“Okay, turn.” Jake points. “Turn. Turn. You have to turn the wheel!”

You frown, “I am turning it! The steering on this is thing is garbage!”

Jake grabs the wheel, “So brake!”

You slam your foot on the break, the truck jolts and the engine stalls. Jake hits the seat behind him and turns his head to look at you. You can’t tell if he’s going to laugh or yell at you.

“Who the fuck gave you a license?” He breathes out, eyes wide.

It’s hot, it’s the middle of a July afternoon in the middle of Texas, the air conditioning on this truck hasn’t worked since you were in diapers and you’ve been at this for an hour.

You frown at him, “I told you I’ve never driven a stick-shift before.”

“I know, I just wasn’t expecting your steering to be the problem,” He mumbles, running his fingers through his hair. He sits back and lets out a heavy breath, “Alright. Let’s try that again.”

“I think you should drive.” You sigh, adjusting the seat belt uncomfortably from where it had pressed into your chest after stalling.

“No, no - you almost had it.” Jake nods for you to continue, he rolls down his window and lets out a breath. He takes a moment to prepare himself.

You whine in complaint and turn the keys. The engine splutters. You turn your head and look at him, eyes wide. Jake doesn’t seem surprised by the mishap. He isn’t, this happens all the time - he’s already pretty sure he knows what the problem is.

He groans, pulling open the door on his side and stepping out.

“It’s not my fault, I didn’t break it!” You call out to him. Jake almost scoffs, shaking his head as he walks around to the front of the truck. He lifts the hood. It’s exactly what he thought it would be. He gets back into the truck and shuts the door.

“Engine overheated.” He shrugs.

“So, what do we do?” You frown. Maybe your naivety is showing, but you’ve never had to deal with car troubles by yourself before. You’ve never been in a rust bucket like this before.

“We wait.” Jake answers you calmly.

“For how long?” Your brows furrow, growing urgent.

Jake shrugs again, calm, “Thirty minutes or so.”

You whine in frustration, looking around you at the empty surroundings. You had warned him that this was a bad idea. Allen never could’ve talked you into this - Manny either. You sigh, “We could walk back to the house and come back later?”

“Yeah, we could do that,” Jake agrees, turning his head towards you. His lips quirk up into a calm smirk. “Or, we could stay here.”

“Why would we stay here?” You frown, scrunching up your face as you look around you. You’re in the middle of an empty field, about a twenty minute walk from the house, pointed towards a stream at the bottom of the field.

That’s what Jake had been trying to get you to steer clear of.

You turn back to look at him, confused by his silence. Jake raises his eyebrows slightly as he waits for you to catch on. He sits back against the bench, parting his knees further, his arm stretched along the back of the seat.

“Oh.”

Jake jerks his head for you to come over. You unbuckle your seatbelt and push yourself onto your knees. Jake smiles as he guides you over, pulling you to straddle his waist.

His lips are on you in an instant. His hands on your hips, against your back, in your hair. Your fingers work open the buttons on his shirt as his tongue caresses yours.

Jake knows what he’s doing. He’s a good kisser, his mouth moves against yours like he knows how you’re going to react before you do. You’re reminded of his experience. Of the women that came before, of the woman he loved.

Jake’s hands skim under your dress, pushing the fabric up around your hips.

Fighting to stay right there in the moment with him, you grab at the sides of your underwear and lift your hips to pull them down.

Jake stops you.

He’s reminded briefly of the girl from his senior year that accidentally left her underwear in the passenger side footwell. The colossal shitstorm that came after her boyfriend found them when Jake was giving him a ride home from school the next day.

As far as Jake’s concerned, there’s a science to hooking up out in the open like this - and he’s an expert.

“It’s like you’ve never done this before.” Jake taunts, knowing that you haven’t. You open your mouth to argue, words catching in your throat as you’re met with intoxicating green eyes.

His eyes lock onto yours as he trails his fingers along the outside of your underwear, rubbing slow, firm circles over your clit through the fabric.

You hold onto his shoulder, lips parted, watching his face. You sit perfectly still for him, not squirming or asking for more just yet. Jake lifts his other hand and swipes his thumb tenderly over your cheek, then lifts your chin.

“That feel good?” Jake murmurs. His voice gets a little deeper when he’s talking softly to you like this, and being here around his family, his accent slips through a little more. If he wasn’t between them, you would press your thighs together. Jake feels your thighs hug his.

You nod softly at him.

He slides his hand down from your chin, fingers cupping your throat, moving down until they curl around your hip.

“Am I talking to myself?” Jake’s fingers still between your legs. Your brows knot slightly closer together, you frown slightly at him.

“No.” You whine, fingers pressing into the muscle of his shoulder. “Feels good.”

“There we go,” Jake hums, circling his fingers again, his touch light enough to make you press harder against him. You reach between the two of you and cup him through his shorts, leaning forwards to kiss him. Jake leans his head back, just out of reach, “You want it, sweetheart?”

You narrow your eyes at him, scowling just slightly, “I’m not going to beg.”

“No?” Jake teases, raising an eyebrow at you. You stare back at him. Your poker face is good, but he knows you’re considering it. His lips quirk, impressed. “I’m not gonna make you beg, honey.”

Your hands rest against his shoulders, feeling softly at the muscle as his own squeeze softly at your ass under your dress. Jake kisses you softly, your lips and then your jaw, nudging your chin back with the bridge of his nose so that he can kiss your neck.

This isn’t the first time that Jake has had sex in this truck, you know that. It plays on your mind that he might’ve been here with her. Your brows furrow slightly.

Jake rolls his hips slightly, grinding himself against you as he peppers open-mouthed kisses to your neck. He curls one hand into your roots and tugs softly, making you moan. His other hand squeezes at your hip.

Jake lifts his hips and pops open the button to his jeans, shoving the denim and his boxers down to his knees. You work with him, pushing his button up off of his shoulders and his t-shirt up his chest.

It’s a rush, he’s out of his shirt and his hands are all over you.

One of his hands slides from your ass, moving between your bodies, lining himself up with your core. He groans softly, lips on your throat as you rock yourself against the head of his cock. His eyes meet yours as you rock yourself against his tip.

You slowly sink down on him, taking in his tip. A soft squeak slips your lips. Jake tugs softly at your hair once more, turning your head and kissing your mouth.

He lifts his hips just slightly, pressing himself deeper into you. You mewl quietly against his mouth, fingers pressing into his shoulder.

“I’ve got you.” Jake murmurs. He kisses your cheekbone, then your temple. He grabs your hips with both hands, holding you still. You push against his hold, taking a deep breath as you press down until he’s buried in you completely. “God damn.”

His hands grip hard at your ass, pulling you towards him as he squeezes your cheeks between his fingers. He growls lowly, shifting his hips, changing the angle. You grab onto his bare shoulders, lowering your head and kissing his neck tenderly as you lift your hips and lower yourself onto him.

Jake lets you set the pace, leaning his head back, eyes closing. You build up slowly until he’s leaving fingermarks in your skin, rocking his hips up against you. Your desperate moans fill the air, mixed with each of his soft grunts.

Jake sits up, lips parted as he watches you. His brows knot together, he looks down between your bodies and groans softly. He smacks your ass, half-playfully, leaning forwards and attaching his mouth to your skin like he’s desperate to get a taste of you.

He kisses the sweat off of your skin, grinding himself up to meet you each time you come down on him. You cry out, then gasp in. Jake takes his lip between his teeth, his mouth quirking up at the sides.

His hands grab at your hips, squeezing firmly. He interrupts your rhythm, making you whine. You gasp, digging your fingers into his bicep as he bucks his hips upwards.

He’s all that you can focus on, guiding you as you bounce on his cock, his eyes on your face as you ride him.

“Shit, that’s it,” Jake nods his head, watching as your lips part and your head drops back. “Good girl, honey. Just like that.”

He grabs a handful of your hair and tugs softly, pressing his mouth to your throat as his other arm tucks around your waist and keeps you steady as he pounds into you. His soft groans in your ear as he fucks you through the most intense orgasm you’ve ever had.

Jake’s thumb strokes at your throat as he sits forwards, slipping his tongue into your mouth. You moan against his lips, breathing hard as he moves back to observe you again.

He kisses you tenderly, a surprisingly delicate motion, gripping your hips so tightly it feels like he might crush them. Jake groans against your throat as he comes undone, wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you impossibly close against him and driving himself as deep as he can go.

He holds you there for just a moment, leaving lazy kisses against the curve of your neck, then lets out a deep breath. Jake’s arm tightens around you, he kisses your temple tenderly.

“Ready to finish your lesson, sweetheart?” He asks, lifting his free hand and tipping your chin up so that you’re looking at him. You shove playfully at his chest, whining as you lift off of him and fix your underwear. He pulls his jeans back up his legs and slips his t-shirt over his head.

“Alright, alright - I’ll drive.” Jake relents as you swing your leg off of his hips, scooting into the passenger side. He turns his attention towards you, resting his hand on your knee.

You scoot across the bench and rest against his side. Jake turns his head, kissing the top of your hair. He drives back to the house and parks the truck back by the old shed.

You walk back into the house together. Manny’s preoccupied with a work call, too busy arguing with Allen to notice the way you rush for the shower. Jake heads for the kitchen and grabs a beer from the fridge.

Michelle squints at her younger brother, “Jacob Michael… is that a hickey?”

Jake scoffs, “No? - What?” He leans forwards and checks his reflection in the chrome over the sink. There is absolutely a soft reddish mark on the left hand side of his neck. He shrugs, “Probably a bug bite.”

“Big bug.” Michelle replies, shaking her head as she looks back down at her work laptop. Jake smiles, then shrugs his shoulders like he doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

You sit across from him at the dinner table. Michelle looks knowingly between the two of you.

“Your dad wants to talk to you tomorrow about heading up to D.C. again.” Manny explains, fiddling with his fork. Jake frowns.

“Before she even goes home?” He asks.

“There’s a couple events he wants her at - makes sense with all the extra security up there, the house is still a threat - eh, I’ll let him explain it.” Manny explains. They discuss your plans like you aren’t sitting there with them. You ignore them either way.

You stare at Jake, not listening to a word he says. As it grows later, you find yourself thinking about the box under his bed more and more. In fact, you can’t think about anything else.

Jake lays awake in his bed, waiting for you to show up and creep through his door like you have for the past couple of nights. He tosses and turns, trying to stay awake long enough for you to show up.

He turns onto his side and stares at the alarm clock until it passes one in the morning. He sighs, throwing the covers back and standing up. You close your eyes as you hear footsteps in the hall, turning onto your side and closing your eyes.

Jake steps into the room, closing the door behind him and slipping into bed beside you. He leans forwards and decides that you’re sleeping. Your heart races in your chest, worried that he’s onto you.

He settles down onto his back, closing his eyes. He listens to the soft sound of your breathing and matches it with his own. He tries to rationalise sneaking in here with you - not being able to spend a night on his own. You’re safer with him here.

“Jake?” You croak out quietly.

He lifts his head, brows furrowing, surprised. “You’re awake.”

You turn to face him and sit up. Jake stares at you. Even in the dark, he can see the sheepish look on your face and knows that you’ve done something bad. He frowns, sitting up to look at you properly.

“I found the box under your bed.”

…

@alanadetigy @thedroneranger @momc95 @basicchelsea @perpetuelledaydreaming @cherrycola27 @eviesaurusrex @xoxabs88xox @desert-fern @fuckyeahhangman @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @khaylin27 @cowboybarbie @the-mouse27 @someinsanefangirl @marchingicenotes7 @marantha @lgg5989 @herladyshipxx @chaoticweirdogeek @mak-32 @obiwankenobis-lap @diamond-3 @wolvesofthewinter @shawnsblue @itsmytimetoodream

[winterspiderpurrs]

Clicking onto the link to go over the conference itinerary for trip out to San Francisco, Stephen took a sip of his hot tea. After scrolling through the presenters he pauses, and scrolls back up at a name he thought he recognized. Selecting the bio of the presenter confirms it for him. His old roommate was presenting.

Peter Parker. Actually Doctor Peter Parker with degrees is Biochemistry, Biophysics, Chemical Engineering.

Huh.

Its been years since they have seen each other. Stephen was in his 3rd year of his fellowship specializing his field when his roommate at the time moved across the country to finish up with a program out there. They subleased their part of the rent. Enter Sophomore Peter Parker.

Peter was only his roommate for the 2nd half of the school year, til the lease was up in June. By then, Stephen got his own penthouse. But for those 6 months, he has gotten close to Peter. Who was sassy, funny, shy at times, and overall kind.

They, of course butted heads the first month, but then they got along. Became friends even, despite the age gap between them, with Stephen being 12 years older. Stephen also thinks about the almost kiss they had one night. And the outings that now looking back felt more like dates.

He still recalls the disappointed look at Peter's face when he said he wasn't going to renew the lease. He got his own place, and he had a job offer to work at Metro General Hospital. They kept in touch off and on for the 1st year after that, but then, like everything else, life got busy.

Pulling his cell phone out, he scrolls through the contacts and sees Peter's name. Should he? They would just be old friends catching up. Far as he knows Peter is probably in a relationship. So, he sends a text to his phone, asking if this is still his number and if so, to let him know.

He received 4 quick texts back, shaking his head. Very much a Peter response. He lets him know that he will be at the conference as well, and if he had time, would he like to have coffee at some point or dinner. He was flying in on Saturday, and the conference didn't start til Monday.

A week later arrives and before he knows it, him and Peter had a coffee together at the hotel that the conference is being hosted at. Peter managers to wrangle him into some sight seeing. They ended up doing two days worth of sight seeing, having dinner together, laughing, having a good time like it hadn't been years since they last hung out.

Monday morning, Stephen was getting ready for the day, room service was on the way with his breakfast when he gets a phone call from Peter.

" Stephen! Your awake! I'm glad I didn't wake you. I am so so sorry about this."

Blinking, Stephen looked at the phone before holding it back up to his ear.

" What are you talking about?"

Someone knocked on the door, the muffled ' Room Service' was heard, Stephen opened the door, allowing them to roll in the cart before slipping them a tip.

" Oh no.. you haven't seen it yet. I... Well.. I guess its better to hear from me. "

" Hear what from you? I'm confused with what's going on. And you know I don't like being confused. Spit it out."

" We were photographed out together and its such a huge invasion of privacy, I can't believe I didn't think about how it would look. I am so so sorry for dragging you into this."

" We were photographed? Why would someone do that and even publish it? I know I'm big in medical circles, I assume you are too in your area but..."

Stephen was opening the newspaper he ordered and right there on the front, were two photos of him and Peter.

The large headline read as "Tony Stark's Ex finally moves on with New man"

"Stephen?"

" You dated Tony Stark?"

" Oh god, you saw the paper? I mean... Yes? Kinda? Look it was... a bit ago. We went our separate ways romantically at least. But... Look I love Tony, I do. But we haven't been together in two years now almost three. He is a great man, and one I consider a friend. Its just... Tony is protective of those he considers his."

"So he is an egotistical asshole who doesn't want you seeing anyone else?"

"No! But " he can hear Peter sigh on the other side of the line.

" Tony is much more then what the media says, and while it didn't work out between us, Tony still wants to look at for me and ANYONE really that he includes in his circle. Imagine Christine in this situation"

And Stephen could understand that, he loves Christine and probably always will. He would definitely defend her always.

There was another knock on the door, thinking maybe room service forgot something he opened the door and then just stares at the person on the other side of the door as Peter continues to talk.

" Either way, I'm sorry about the photos. I'll get in touch with my lawyers and maybe even Tony's since they brought his name up to see what they can do. Damage is kinda done though, and I apologize about that."

"And in your wording of Stark being over protective. He isn't prone to violence is he?"

"What? NO! I mean... He did punch a guy one time while we were out cause they called me a gold digger but no? Why? Did you already get a threatening text from him?!"

"No, he is at my door right now"

" TONY! oh my god just uh lemme finish getting dressed and I will be at your room as soon as possible."

Stephen hangs up the phone, tossing it onto the bed behind him before crossing his arms.

There, in the open doorway, was Tony Stark, cleaning his sunglasses as if he hadn't a care in the world.

[air-exec]

What life is like on a troop train...

(Life Magazine - November 13, 1943)

What life is like on a troop train… speeding over the Water Level Route

This is "Main 100"… a twelve car troop train…identified on railroad orders only by its code number.

A few hours ago, no one at New York Central knew this train would be needed. Yet here it is, assembled, scheduled and speeding to its secret destination.

Sometimes "Main 100" is all Pullman, sometimes all coach, sometimes a mixture of passenger cars, baggage cars, and freight cars for equipment. But whatever its make up, its job is the same…to move its share of the 2,000,000 members of the armed forces carried on duty each month by the railroads of America.

Visualize the thousands of cars and engines required for this task. Add on the large number of accommodations needed for fighters on furlough. You'll see then why train space for civilian travel is often "sold out"…why trains are sometimes unavoidably delayed…and why civilians should travel only on urgent and essential business.

"Main 100" must have the right of way.

Field Kitchen The Mess Sergeant, an Army Cooking School grafuate, sets up his field kitchen in a baggage car to serve 3 or 4 troop cars. That's what many baggage cars are doing. So if you must travel, travel light!

Mess Call Men eat at their seats. On some trains they file up to the kitchen to be served; on others, food is brought to them. Meals are tops and plentiful. One reason why your home and our diners are rationed.

First Aid In one of the washrooms, the Army Surgeon sets up a "field hospital" for minor accidents or ills. His prompt care of scratches and colds keeps our fighters among world's fittest

G.H.Q. on Wheels From these "headquarters," the Train Commander orders the time for reveille and taps…the posting of guards…all the details of this traveling Army camp, of which he alone knows the final destination.

Railroad Liaison A New York Central Passenger Agents acts as "Train Escort" to assist the Train Commander with transportation matter…procure extra supplies…arrange for stops…handle mail…and perform may other services en route.

Music By The Mile The soldier with a portable radio competes with the local "live talent." Barrack room ballads and current hits share honors with "Sweet Adeline" and other old close-harmony favorites by the company quartet.

Preparing For Taps Men are usually allowed later hours en route than in camp. At the time set by the Train Commander, the Porter makes up the berths…as carefully as he would for the most generous traveler on a limited train.

V-Mail Soldiers long for letters, and write many to get answers. For secrecy's sake, none many be mailed en route…except through the Train Escort who posts them only at points permitted by the Train Commander.

39 Men To A Car Soldiers sleep two in a lower berth, one in an upper. Even with such full cars, today's military movement needs half of the Pullman's, a third of the coaches. One reasons you may find train space hard to get.

Seeing America Soldiers spend much time at car windows. They are moved an average of six times for special training…seeing the Hudson River and Great Lakes one trip, perhaps the Rockies or California next.

BUY MORE WAR BONDS

New York Central ONE OF AMERICA'S RAILROADS - ALL UNITED FOR VICTORY!

[crazycurly-77]

Hey, Ms. Secret Service! - Chapter 11

You left the office and went directly to the briefing. You became a new identity, Samantha Fuller, and your plane was a DeHavilland Beaver. So far, so good. 

The job was simple, but dangerous. Flying to Colombia, meeting your contact, then loading the boxes and flying back. Then hopefully staying alive after the landing. That was possibly the hardest part of the mission, because the former pilots were obviously shot directly after the landing. 

So you drove to the little airport, boarded the plane and the mission began. After taking a deep breath you started the engine, rolled to the runway and flew to a little field in the bush of Colombia. 

Since you left the bureau, the atmosphere there became tense and everyone looked expectantly up at Jenny, when she showed herself. But she only shook her head no, which meant no news from you. 

As you landet in Colombia, your contact was already awaiting you “Hey Sam, there you are. I'm your contact, Aaron Sanders. Flight was good?” 

“Yeah, but here's a little hot for me.”

“So let's get in the Jeep and drive to my house.”

“Okay, let's go.” 

He lived nearby the landing field, so the drive was really short. When you arrived, you got in through the backdoor, so that hopefully nobody saw you. 

“Beer?” Aaron asked. 

You smiled “Yeah, thank you. I really need a cold drink.” 

“So you are the new pilot. Have you ever done something like that before?”

“Yes, but not in connection with drugs. So how's the plan?”

“We will get the shipment in 3 days. Then you will fly back to the States and I will hide myself with the evidence in the back of the plane. I will inform my boss when we will get back, so he and the others can arrest them. Hopefully before we get shot.”

“Good.”

The next 2 days nothing happened in Colombia and in Washington, too. 

You and Aaron waited and your colleagues waited, too. 

The atmosphere in the office becomes more tense with each passing day. Jenny and Gibbs exchanged meaningful, increasingly desperate glances several times a day which meant 

“Have you heard from her?”

“No, unfortunately not”

So the waiting and the uncertainty was going on. 

On the third day that you were waiting in the heat of Colombia, you became news, but not good ones. The flight back will be delayed for 4 days, because there will be a passenger too, which you had to smuggle across the border. That was not good at all, because that will likely be a member of the drug dealers. But you couldn't refuse to not destroy your cover. So you had to go through this. 

While Aaron and you were still waiting, threw Gibbs himself into the next best case that came along, just to be distracted. 

But despite that, he only thought about you and hoped very much to see you again. 

Then, after a week without news, Kate comes up to Gibbs in the evening “what do you think about spending the evening together, so you can think about something else?”

Unbeknownst to them, Jackson arrived at this exact moment in the bullpen. Hearing what Kate said to Jethro and seeing his look, which spoke of needed privacy, he turned back towards the elevator to visit Ducky. 

Gibbs took a heavy breath and said “Kate...you are a good agent and a good colleague...please leave it at that.”

“I thought we were on the same page and maybe you want more.”

He looked down and sighed deeply “yes, I want more. I want much more, but with Y/N. And I realize that more and more with every day, that I have to fear to never seeing her again and losing her forever.”

Kate hung her head and just stated “you love her.”

He smiled warmly at that “yes, with everything I am.”

She then smiled back at him and said “then I hope even more, that she comes back to you safe and sound and wish you two all the happiness in the world.

And as for us... friends?”

Gibbs laughed and nodded “friends.”

With that everything between them was settled. 

Kate then left the office for the evening and he went to the autopsy to search for his father. As he arrived there, the two old men drank whiskey and were talking and laughing.

Seeing Jethro entering, Ducky poured him a glass, too and Jackson said

“and? Were you able to sort everything out with Kate?

“Yes. We'll stay friends and she wishes us all the best.”

That irritated Ducky a little bit, so he asked “us?”

“He means Y/N and himself” Jackson explained and turning to his son, he queried “what did you tell her?”

“The truth.”

“And that would be?” wanted Ducky to know. 

Gibbs rolled his eyes at this and asked him “do I really have to say that?”

Immediately both Jackson and Ducky said “yes!” 

Jethro laughed slightly, sighed and said “that I wish that we could stay friends, but that I love Y/N with all of my heart.”

Jackson nodded highly content “very good, my son, I'm proud of you. But does Y/N know it too?”

At that Gibbs lowered his head “no, not yet. But she'll find out as soon as she comes back to me, because I've given her enough reason to fight for her life and for us.”

Ducky tried to comfort him “whatever that means, I really hope she makes it. Especially for the both of you.”

“Me too, because losing her would destroy me” they heard Jethro murmur and then he drank the liquor in his glass with one big gulp.

(To be continued...)

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Here you will find the other chapters of this story and the other stories I've written to date.

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Tags: @ilovemark1951

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[bleue-flora]

Ok sooo, I can’t stop thinking about the line from this post [here] by @swordfright , “Sam is a builder and dream is the ultimate engineering project: challenging (psychologically taxing to guard), important (to the stability of the server), rewarding (on those sporadic occasions when dream obeys him without question), and ceaseless (because the ideal prisoner always needs a warden to keep them in line.)” Because the idea that Dream is Sam’s “ultimate engineering project” really got me thinking about the definition of the duties of an engineer as per the Code of Ethics, which I studied in college.

As an engineer it is basically our responsibility to maintain sustainable development, which The National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) defines [here] in the Code of Ethics as, “meeting human needs for natural resources, industrial products, energy, food, transportation, shelter, and effective waste management while conserving and protecting environmental quality and the natural resource base essential for future development.” Even further, as a civil engineer (which I am and Sam is as a primary builder) it is our job to help provide the infrastructure and necessities to life, (shelter, water and by extension food +) with civil engineering encompassing the engineering fields of Structural (bridges, buildings, dams… etc), Utilities (power, gas, water, waste water… etc), Geotechnical (analyze and maintain that the ground can support projects), Environmental (protecting the stability of the environment like for example protecting the habitat of an endangered species), Transportation (roads for cars, train tracks, airplane runways… etc). Pretty much the necessities of civilization (lol hence civil). And I found this interesting because it is Sam’s job as the warden to provide the fundamental and basic necessities of Dream’s life in every way. So, in this way Dream would actually be the society Sam’s engineering is meant to benefit from and depends on (which he obviously denies and uses to abuse.)

But on the other side, interestingly a 2004 definition, [found here] of civil engineering based on Thomas Tredgold’s 1828 original is, “the art of working with the great sources of power in nature for the use and benefit of society”. And oh, the use of power here could very well be a good representation of Dream, making him actually the engineering project. Further, The NSPE Code of Ethics states, “Engineering has a direct and vital impact on the quality of life for all people. Accordingly, the services provided by engineers require honesty, impartiality, fairness, and equity, and must be dedicated to the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare.” In this sense, Sam’s position as the warden was dedicated to the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare, which by keeping Dream locked up, weakening him physically and mentally he was in essence trying to protect the server as well as working to strip the sources of power Dream had over everyone. And when his methods didn’t work, he let Quackity in, which funnily enough goes along with one of the The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISS)’s summarizing stated [here] fundamental canons, “Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.” And clearly Sam was not competent in getting the book from Dream, so he teams up with Quackity, his contractor, to finish the project as is typical in the engineering industry.

All this to say, that Sam as an engineer, while not sworn to follow a defined code of ethics, still followed the general defined duties of engineering and strived to work for the betterment of the server. A personality and behavior, that Dream saw in him as they grew as friends and worked to build the prison - Sam’s passion for helping, to provide for and develop the necessities of society. His passion for wanting to use his skills to improve the world and help people. His strong principles of dependability, efficiency, justice, work ethic. If Sam was given a job to help people he was going to see it through to the best of his ability. He would not abandon his post, he would protect and serve the common good. - His strong engineering attitude made him a good choice in Dream’s mind for the warden, because of these qualities, which makes sense. What Dream did not realize is that he was not included in the society and all people Sam felt obligated to serve and provide for.

Instead, Dream was but a resource of power - the revival book - needing to be made efficient and accessible, so that everyone could benefit and share that power. Dream thought he’d be provided for and taken care of, but he was the project instead. Sam’s “ultimate engineering project” he deemed too damaged like a bumpy road or crumbling building that wasn’t worthy of patching and filling in the cracks or reinforcing, that’s too eroded to be fixed and preserved. So, Sam strived to tear him down to the bedrock so he could remake, remold, and reengineer Dream according to his design for the common safety, public health and well-fair. He was such a good engineer just like Dream knew he would be, he just forgot the whole teeny weeny ethics part of being an engineer that kind of comes with the job description… Oh well. ;)

[stuffforthestash]

Modern Academic AU pt3

All this because I couldn't stop thinking about what kinds of classes Professor Raphael would teach... He's laughing up at me from hell, I just know it.

part 1 and part 2

------------------------------

Kagha (by request!) - Environmental Science. Will only teach courses about political lobbying and activism. She's also a militant vegan and active member of PETA, and won't shut up about it.

Dammon - College of Engineering. Teaches "Advanced Manufacturing Processes" and "Finite Element Analysis", and runs the machining shop. Also teaches a metal sculpture class when there's room in the Art School's budget. He's one of the faculty liaisons for several LGBTQA+ orgs on campus as well, and is completely oblivious to the fact he has a fan club (which is for the best, really)

Zevlor - Campus Security. A retired Green Beret who refuses to talk about his time in the service, he's well liked by most faculty and known to be a bit of an old school charmer. LOTS of rumors and speculation about what kind of injury got him discharged, and how he got it.

Barcus - College of Engineering. He teaches classes on Thermodynamics and Process Design & Safety. Has no idea how popular and well-liked he is by both students and staff.

Wulbren - Chemical Engineering Dep't Chair. He's brilliant, but also an asshole, and is constantly trying to weasel more grant money for his research into ethically questionable chemical compound modifications. Also makes his TAs teach all his classes for him.

Lorroakan - English Dep't Chair. Thinks he's hot shit for it but really no one else wanted the job. He makes his TAs teach all his classes AND do all his admin work, so he can spend all his time (and the department's money) on schmoozing with alumni and donors.

Blurg - Environmental Science. Isn't that great of a teacher but it's required for keeping the research grants coming in. Thankfully his passion and enthusiasm for topics like Sustainability in Agriculture make up for his shortcomings.

Omeluum - They're actually Bluurg's research partner and not technically a member of faculty, though they also act as his unofficial TA because otherwise Bluurg's course work interferes with their research timelines.

Nine-Fingers Keene (by request) - School of Business. Her classes are all advanced level and titled things like "Gaining The Competitive Edge". She also runs an entrepreneurial outreach program for young women seeking to start their own businesses.

Dame Aylin - VP of Diversity and Inclusion. She's very passionate about her job and a VERY vocal advocate for social justice issues like inclusivity, diversity, and accessibility. Completely incapable of keeping her personal life separate from her professional one, as she's a devout believer in leading by example.

Isobel - School RN. Is fiercely protective of students right to medical privacy and access to judgment free care, but is much better known on campus for being Dame Aylin's wife.

The Emperor - Board of Trustees. Outwardly just an ordinary Trustee, generally pleasant to interact with and actually rather good at rubbing elbows with students, faculty, and admin alike. There's just something off about them, enough that they've had multiple audits and inquests over the years despite nobody ever being able to find any actual signs of misconduct.

------------------------------

Sorry this set took a bit longer to figure out. A bunch of these characters were a real challenge to fit into roles that actually exist in reality, and I had to do a bit of research to find out wtf kinds of classes or departments certain fields of study even have. Ah, the things we do for the blorbos, amirite?

[leoslosttoolbelt]

What I think the demigods would major as and why

these are personal head canons dont take them too seriously :)

Percy: Education. I know that we usually hc as a Marin biology kinda guy but I genuinely think that he wouldn't be too fond of the workload but instead want to work towards being a teacher and being the kind of teacher he needed as a kid, y'know? Alternatively, I can see him being into something like baking and pastry art to take over Sally's shop.

Annabeth: Architecture. I really don't think I need to explain this one to y'all but yeah she's an architecture girly. But if we want to branch out I can also see her studying law and working in the area of Child Protection.

Leo: Astrophysics. I have this head canon of him panicking because of the sheer amount of choices that he's presented with and choosing the first one of the alphabetical list. Lucky for him, he's insanely good at it AND it'll pay well in the future. He minors in mechanical engineering and realises that although he has all the practical knowledge because of his father, his theoretical knowledge isn't as strong lol.

Piper: Food Science. I'm trying to be unique here because yeah, she could do environmental studies but I also think it would be super cool to see her learning about food and developing new vegetarian versions of food because it's something she's visibly passionate about in the books.

Nico: I can see him getting a history / philosophy related degree for his bachelors just for him to get a  doctor of philosophy (Ph. D.) in mythology or folklore. His hyperfixation runs deep and he sure as hell is going to fuel it as much as he can.

Jason: Doesn't go to college!! Is severely burnt out <3. No but like idk man I think he'd legitimately want to take it chill if that makes sense? Maybe he'd do a business major just so that he can get a job somewhere but I can't think of somewhere he'd fit in nicely. Jason does have a lot of part time jobs though!!

Frank: Nurse! Nursing school! Despite being the son of Mars I can see him being in the medical field because he wants to help people in need. It's a long journey with lots of ups and downs but finally getting his degree makes it all worth it.

Hazel: Geology because rocks. And also women in STEM!! This one directly correlates to her powers in the books as well as both of her parents! On the other hand, I can see definitely see Hazel studying in the field of archeology with the goal of being an archeologist and then eventually a museum curator :)

Reyna: Psychology!! Listen, I know this seems out of the blue but Reyna gives me the right vibes. Everyone is skeptical at first because they don't think she'd fit the mold of a clinical psychologist but that's okay because Reyna wants to further herself in research! She studies Neuropsychology and becomes a prominent researcher in her field! Please tell me you see the vision.

Will: From what I can see in the books, Emergency Medical Services degree seems like the right field for him. He's already basically a paramedic at Camp Half Blood so he knows it's naturally the right step for him. On the other hand, for something a little different - he seems like the kind of guy who might be interested in studying cinematography or art history maybe.

Travis: He studies Economics because he's so fucking convinced that he can become the next Elon Musk if he studies this. Alternatively, he studies music because he wants to travel the world and like sing with the wind and all that shit.

Connor: he's a communications major because he's a really popular youtube and technically doesn't really need to go to college but oh well he can study communications.

Drew: She goes to cosmetology school as the first step to start her own makeup and skincare empire. She's super nice to all of her clients and helps out all of the other students when they're having trouble with something! I will not tolerate any Drew slander let my girl breathe.

Pollux: Chemical Engineering. He got influenced by watching breaking bad and somehow landed himself a degree in chemical engineering. He doesn't know how he survived that degree but it doesn't matter because he decides to not give a fuck and open a coffee shop that becomes really popular because all the drinks are to die for.

Thalia: I don't really know the right terminology but she has an art related degree / tattoo apprentice so that she can work as a tattoo artist!! It fits with the thalis vision and also she is the eldest daughter who loses it lowkey so she doesn't follow your usual education route. Tattoo artist Thalia for the win!!

[astrogayatreevallabh]

You will be successful in the matters related to the house where Atmakaraka is placed:

Atmakaraka in Angular houses (1,4,7,10) & Trines (1,5,9) without malefic influence gives smooth life.

Atmakaraka in 6th, 8th, 12th houses gives lots of trouble in life if your career isn't connected with those houses significations.

Atmakaraka in the Ascendant is very good combination. It makes you intelligent. You will be successful either in intellectual field or in politics or in any field where cleverness is required.

Atmakaraka in the first house (Ascendant) gives you good leadership qualities.

Atmakaraka in the second house gives success in financial field. You can also be successful in the religious fields like studying Vedic literatures.

Atmakaraka in the 3rd house gives success in communication field, leadership, writing, and artistic or creative fields. This also makes you highly courageous, intelligent and curious.

Atmakaraka in the third house can also make you traveller or player (sportsman). This combination makes you adventurous.

Atmakaraka in third house is very good combination for online related job or business. You can also be good at higher order logic, software engineering etc.

Atmakaraka in the 4th house gives success in real estate, teaching, agriculture, horticulture, botanical field, construction field, industrial field etc.

Atmakaraka in 5th house makes you highly intelligent and creative. It gives you success in whatever field you choose. This is the most auspicious placement for Atmakaraka.

Atmakaraka in 5th house can also make you good writer. You can also be good at mantra sadhana. You can be able to manifest things through mantra chanting or meditation.

Atmakaraka in 6th house gives success in foreign land, or in healing or medical field, foreign trade etc. You can also be priest. You will face huge trouble in life if your career isn't connected with foreigners/foreigner or any other significations of 6th house.

Atmakaraka in 6th house can also make you successful in social service sector. Any connections with INGO's will be fruitful. Remember, you are servant to this world. So service oriented job or business will be good for you.

Atmakaraka in 7th house can make you good businessman or entrepreneur. You are good at dealing with strangers, mass, foreigners and clients.

Atmakaraka in 8th house can make you astrologer, healer, historian, geologist, archaeologist, psychologist, scientist, philosopher etc. You can acquire huge esoteric knowledge. You can be mystical to others.

Atmakaraka in 8th house can also make you successful in the foreign land. You can also be spy.

Atmakaraka in 8th house can also make you expert in anything related to ocean.

Atmakaraka in 9th house can make you good author, healer, preacher, philosopher, academician etc. It is good combination for success in any field.

Atmakaraka in 10th house can make you tantric, minister, CEO in reputed company, or you can be successful entrepreneur too. This combination gives success in any other fields too.

Atmakaraka in 11th house can make you successful in spiritual and occult field, astrology, social networking, or in any financial field. This placement is also auspicious for any other fields you choose.

Atmakaraka in the 12th house suggests you either to stay in the foreign land or to work in medical or healing field. This makes you spiritualist too. You can be a good healer. You may also go to uninhabited place for research. You can be employed in jail or in asylum.

Putrakaraka and Amatyakaraka in the 6th, 8th, 12th placement from Atmakaraka gives trouble in life.

Atmakaraka conjunct Putrakaraka or Amatyakaraka is considered Rajayoga or success giving combination.

[letsberealgenz]

this weird obsession of mine

What kind of obsession is this where I can’t see anything else other than books, writings, journals, scriptures and everything related to knowledge seeking?

Is this weird for someone who spent almost 1/4 of her life graduating with an engineering honor and now to be in another field (in another part of the world) where somehow you can’t seem to find any sort of lingering connection between these fields?

From an engineer to a writer, is this even realistic they say?

“Weirdo!”

It’s this magic that chose you among all the souls that exists out here. It’s this magic that wants you to risk almost everything in your life to pursue an “unrealistic” career they say. It’s this magic that sets the path for you where sometimes nothing even makes sense. It’s this magic that brings out the best in you — something that even you did not know you could be this good for the art that you’re creating. It’s this magic that leads you to fulfilling days, nights where you can finally rest on your bed smiling at the choices that saved you from these soul-sucking jobs that exists out here!

But not going to lie, it’s so much easier to be said than done but I always know this; if you believe in something so deep enough — eventually it becomes your reality. The good side is, you can always chose for this reality of yours.

Isn’t it funny, how all of this began with a weird obsession of yours? If you’d ask me, would I be willing to risk it all again for this “unrealistic” dream of mine?

To be honest, I’d do it again and again just to feed my soul. I’d write as long as I breathe. I’d express as long as I live. I’d be of service as long as I feel. Just for a weird obsession of mine, to be a writer, to be an author and to be a poet.