#i think all of these characters need to know what a proper workplace behavior is like wtf

[witchzvamp]

the trainee reminds me of a boss and a babe and yes it's because every ep has me thinking where the fuck is the hr department in this fucking company?

[nvzblgrrl]

Every time I see Moffat and Chibnall hate that goes on about 'pointless characters without an arc only there for a joke', 'only knows how to write one kind of woman', 'kills off characters for shock value', 'uses Ex Deus Machinas to resolve their poorly thought out plots', 'did their best at ruining the show', and other shit like that rooted in 'well, I didn't watch it but someone else told me it was like that' and 'I just watched enough to make a bad faith reading', I would like everyone to be reminded that, unlike all of the other Revival Showrunners, RTD did all of that and more for real.

(Beneath the cut: complaining, specific examples, talk of sexual misconduct, talk of non-sexual misconduct)

Ah, like how Jack Harkness's main thing is 'hits on everyone'. How Mickey's entire presence in any given story is mostly there to make the Doctor look better or be the chew toy for any given joke/misfortune.

Or how there's actually exactly two flavors of women - 'young one that's unhappy with her boring Earth life which only the Doctor can fix because Not Loving The Doctor Means You're Wrong' and 'Horrible Mother Who Hates Everything You Do'.

Or maybe it's the fact that Rose had a fake-out death (dead but not really), Donna had a 'well might as well be death' memory wipe (character development dead), and only a schedule conflict with Freema kept Martha from getting actually killed off in Torchwood. 'Well that wasn't Proper Death so it doesn't count' (misinformative, found out over half a year after this post and had believed it for almost 2 years before disproven) - you see me pointing at Clara and Bill then? Or even Amy and Rory, who literally had full lives off-screen. As for Ex Deus Machinas, let's see... literally Bad Wolf, literally Tinker Belle Jesus Doctor, magic revival ritual to bring the Master back when he was needed again for drama, weird prophecy thing between the Doctor and the Master that was only relevant for like half an episode... And let's not forget moments like 'hey we're about to hand off to the next Doctor, let's make Ten's last line infinitely wankable to the point where every Doctor after has to make an acceptance of Death speech/story because the fandom behaved Just That Badly over four words.' (and then y'all have the audacity to complain about the speeches.)

Oh and this is before we even get to the real life behind the scenes stuff. Like how all the sex misconduct tied to the revival only seem to have manifested around people who were on the RTD 1.0 run. I mean, seriously, I see people passing around some of John Barrowman's 'adventures in workplace sexual harassment' as cute little things instead of creeptacular behavior that should have been addressed first off instead of 'eh, so what? It's just a surprise penis, he thinks it's funny'. Not to mention that Noel Clark was also doing the same things and made a point of trying to ruin one of his victims' career after she refused his advances.

And I doubt that this covers other accounts of mistreatment of workers behind the camera. Or was it not supposed to be telling that, of all the Doctors that won't come back for whatever reason, Christopher Eccleston is the only one that has cited the work environment and three people - not one, not two, THREE - at the top of said-environment as the reason rather than more mundane concerns like other career opportunities or not distracting from other Doctors?

Or that after he decided not to continue as the Doctor, a false quote from him was presented as part of a press release, claiming that he was 'afraid of being typecast' and 'tired from the grueling filming schedule', which they then had to retract because of, y'know, being lies that would have definitely impacted Chris's career if they'd gone unaddressed.

And then somebody had the brilliant idea to make one of 10's first actions as the Doctor being ruining someone's career by asking someone if she looked tired. Yeah, definitely the actions of a Good And Saintly Showrunner That Can Do No Wrong. 'But,' you might say, 'it's been years since then! Maybe RTD made some mistakes, but he'll do better now -'

Are you sure about that? Are you absolutely sure? Because I at least have evidence here, unlike to the self-propagating, bad-faith reading sustained Moffat/Chibnall Hate Parades.

[wromwood]

Heyyy, it’s been a while, but we’re back with a new episode of CBS Ghosts. Let’s hear what mysteries may be explained in “Trevor’s Pants.”

- We open in the New York Financial District in the year 2000. Trevor’s got a new suit and is showing it off. He gives this young looking guy in the office, Pinkus, (how did he earn that name?) a bottle of something called Chekhov Chill and everyone makes him chug it. How is this proper workplace behavior? (I know that this type of Wall Street workplace is common in media, but COME ON)

I wonder if the drink will be a Chekhov’s gun. It’s named and set up so obviously.

- Huh. Trevor takes them to Woodstone because his family is in Europe, so it’s available. This must establish that he is part of the Woodstone family, even though his last name isn’t Woodstone. (I believe it’s Lefkowitz, which also implies he’s Jewish, which would fit his casual use of Yiddish words.)

- Hey, we finally get some word back from that watch they took off Hettie’s husband’s corpse. I forget that this didn’t immediately get resolved. They STILL need to make a “deal” on it.

- Thor had an emotional therapy session (through Sam) the other day. The therapist thinks he should tell Flower how he feels, but he’s scared. I am so glad we’re revisiting this, and that these events are having effects on the characters. Good continuity.

- Ari, the person buying the watch arrives. He actually appears familiar to the ghosts, and Trevor reveals he’s Ari Cantor, one of his workplace buddies. They were like best friends, and he was there the night Trevor died. I like how this show is good at tying the ghosts’ pasts to the present situations. I don’t remember it ever feeling contrived. Or if it ever did, I never minded.

- Apparently, David Woodstone, Hettie’s great great great grandson, owned the house when Trevor was alive. He was also Sam’s uncle.

- OK, so it looks like the rules of the Chekhov Chills include this: you have to surprise people with Chekhov Chills, which forces them to chug it. However, if you call the surprise, the person who sets it up has to chug it.

- Oh no, they’re gonna make Pinkus go through some kinda hazing because of his promotion. Trevor actually questions the hazing and suggests not doing it, but the others pressure him into not questioning and breaking the “bro code.” Trevor quickly takes it back and is the first to take drugs from the drug drawer, which is full of dangerously colorful pills.

Man, I’m actually retroactively forgiving the show for setting up Trevor like they did in the first episodes. He was insufferable to start with because he only acted like the sleazy horny Wall Street bro, but the show is revealing that he actually has a heart, and that it may have been his peers and social life that brought out the bad behavior. It doesn’t EXCUSE everything he’s said and done, but it shows that there’s legit a good guy in him.

Anyway, they all take drugs and two hours later, Trevor’s heart explodes. Trevor says he doesn’t have pants on because he had sex with a hot limo driver and died 15 minutes afterwards.

- Thor confronts Flower about the moment she confessed her feelings for him and then retracted it. Flower says she’s used to always having a “buffer” to keep things not intense. She was always in throuples when she was alive. Thor suggests that they get a buffer. But who will be the third? Shenanigans ensue! Fortunately, the shenanigans are fun and don’t take too much time away from the A plot.

- Trevor asks Sam to bring him up in conversation with Ari. Ari is actually reluctant to mention Trevor, and acts like he can’t really remember him. Sam brings up the Pinkus promotion party, and Ari gets antsy and leaves to make a phone call. Man, this show has definitely gotten me invested in these characters, because I’m legit excited about this mystery.

- Hamilton pretended not to know Isaac at a party once, then got his name wrong for years after.

- Thor and Flower interview all the other ghosts to see if they’d be a good third. These are pretty fun, as Thor and Flower don’t reveal why these interviews are happening. Sasappis catches on that it’s a sex thing and says “I’m out”. Pete, of course, shows that he would be a perfect third because he’s super caring and giving. Which I think is cute.

- Hettie and Alberta listen in on Ari’s phone call and see that he’s freaking out about getting grilled about Trevor. He specifically asks the other person if they “snitched” about that night. Trevor, of course, doesn’t know what Ari means. Trevor only knows that he took some bad pills, had sex, then died.

Sasappis then reveals that Ari betrayed him and broke the bro code. Trevor had just died and was a confused ghost. Ari and the others start shouting that Trevor’s dead, so the ghosts leave the room to explain things to Trevor. Sasappis, however, stayed behind to watch the livings deal with this. The "bros” didn’t even TRY to help Trevor or call 911 because they were FULL of drugs. Ari is the one who suggested weighing the body and dumping it in the lake.

Even though Trevor was already dead at this point, this is so sad to see, especially since Trevor’s good side was glimpsed earlier. It’s obvious how much Trevor holds his bros in high regard, and this only becomes clearer later on.

- Trevor is reluctant to be mad at his bros because he says he would’ve done the same. But Sasappis says he wouldn’t have, because he also knows the TRUE story of how he lost his pants. Trevor never even had SEX with the limo driver.

Pinkus had to do the “Run of Fun”, which involves going into the city with only a T shirt on and no money. The other bros merely laugh at him and joke that he might catch hypothermia. Trevor, however, takes pity on him. He follows Pinkus to the kitchen, gives him his money clip for a cab, then gives him his new pants and boxers. Trevor says he’ll make up a brilliant excuse, hence the cab driver lie.

Just like Hettie and Sam, I’m surprised and proud at how good of a person Trevor has revealed himself to be. I’m especially happy because Trevor had gone through this hazing himself. He mentions having gone through the “Run of Fun” back when he got promoted. And yet he STILL suggested stopping the hazing earlier, and he still helps Pinkus out. As someone who detests the idea of hazing with all my heart, Trevor might have just entirely won me over in this episode alone.

- Trevor is devastated to think he never had any bros at all. Maybe his whole life is a lie. However, he still doesn’t want to ruin the bros’ lives. That’s how much they mean to him, and that’s how much he empathizes with them, having been a part of that social circle. He’s got those complicated feelings, showing he’s more than a 2D Wall Street stereotype. So proud of him.

- Anyway, Pete rejects his new position as the third. Flower later suggests a compromise: Crash’s body! (The headless ghost body that we haven’t seen in what feels like YEARS) She says it’s a two-and-a-half solution.

Thor is not fine with this, as he realizes that Flower needs more time to be comfortable, and he can wait for that. He only met Flower 50 years ago, but he’s already lived for thousands of years. Flower is worth the wait, no matter how long it takes.

HELL YEAH CHARACTER DYNAMICS. CBS is bringing its A game now.

- Aw, Isaac has a cute line. Trevor is surrounded by most of the other ghosts, who comfort him, and Isaac says “You have bros, and we are they.”

- Sasappis thinks up a properly douchey way to get back at Ari. Ari goes to check the secret drug drawer. There, waiting for him, is a bottle of Chekhov Chills and a note that says “I know what you did. - T-Money”.

Ari is frightened and Trevor is thrilled. Finally, Trevor gets to shout “You just got chilled. Boom!” Trevor even watches Ari chug the bottle and cheers “Chug! Chug! Chug!” alongside the other ghosts.

- Ari agrees to pay double what Sam and Jay are asking for the watch, and they’ll never speak of it again. So money trouble is officially solved! ... For now, at least.

And that was “Trevor’s Pants”! Man, we’re really coming back from the break strong. Now to wait two weeks for an episode that apparently has ANOTHER new ghost at Woodstone Manor. They’re really coming out of the woodwork here at Woodstone, aren’t they?

[laurelleghuleh]

𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 | 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢 𝐒𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: fluff, one-shot

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 6.7k

𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐨𝐧: Ao3, Wattpad

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: post-time skip, aged-up characters, implied/referenced sex, sensitive topics(?)

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: This is a kind of “interactive” one-shot. At some point, you’ll find the link for the playlist I’ve created for the story. It’s not mandatory, of course. The songs are mentioned and their lyrics are quoted anyways.

I tried to keep the reader as gender-neutral as possible, I hope it works.

To be honest, I wrote the first half of this one-shot at 3 am after a very deep conversation with a friend of mine about struggling with self-love as “young adults”. It wasn’t meant to be public but I felt like sharing it. I hope this will help or at least cheer you up as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Lastly, italics when Daichi sings/for the lyrics and English is not my first language, sorry for any mistakes!

Thanks for reading this, Laurelle.

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

Taxes, laundry, rent, bills, grocery shopping, bank accounts, job interviews. These were just some of the things whose thought alone made you already shiver. Adulthood and the multiple responsibilities that had come with it scared the shit out of you, at times it completely fucked up your sleep schedule, and put your sanity at stake, but at least you weren’t alone in this. At least, you had Daichi.

You two had faced college together, one at each other’s side, and now you were again together in that new chapter of your life called adulthood.

By then, you two had been living in that little, yet cozy apartment for a few months. The Karasuno team had lent you a hand by making the move less hard, unpacking boxes and decorating the empty shelves with an unnecessary amount of frames, random objects, and souvenirs from their trips. All of this as Daichi was training at your hometown’s Police Department and as you were trying to find your place in the world, between part-time jobs and “real” job interviews.

The new routine was dull, draining, at times even overwhelming. The closer you were getting to make your dream life come true, the more your daily life felt like a nightmare. The more you felt tired, unmotivated, ultimately empty. And you couldn't help but wonder if that was really worth it anymore.

You started to slowly give up on your hobbies and passions, to spend your free time on the new couch, just spacing out, and to eventually forget about yourself. You didn’t want to sound too pathetic but life seemed to have lost its flavor. At that point, it just tasted like disinfectants and instant noodles.

Those fucking instant noodles … You thought as you looked at yourself in the mirror that evening. None of your planned outfits for that night fitted anymore, none, and at the sudden realization, that familiar smell of instant noodles rose inside your nostrils. But instant noodles weren’t really the point. Your outfits not fitting anymore wasn’t the point either. That you in that mirror was the point. That stranger. That empty shell.

The familiar boomy sound of keys twisting inside the front door’s lock, a click, and Daichi was finally home.

“I’m baaack” You heard him say - almost yell - and then saw him coming inside the kitchen to greet you.

“May I have a kiss?” He shyly asked, placing his hand on the small of your back, drawing little circles to get your attention.

“Sure,” You turned your head for a quick, soft peck on his lips, then got back to your chore.

“Still in your PJs, babe?” He commented, his voice small, clearly weakened by his long, draining day at work.

By that time, you were supposed to be ready to head out, but something in the process went wrong. On the other side of the city, a nice restaurant - highly suggested by Michimiya sometime before - was waiting for you and Daichi to arrive in twenty minutes.

“Yeah… I have to finish cooking these for tomorrow before we head out…” You murmured as your words fell down to the pot beneath you.

That wasn’t a lie, but in all fairness, you were only trying to avoid the truth. Little did you know you were about to experience what living with a future detective really meant.

Besides his professional deformation, when it came to you, Daichi never failed to sense when something was off. Even just from a slight change of your tone. He was so used to your voice that the most insignificant variation of its sound seemed to conceal a tiny, secret message only for him to decipher.

Anyways, you kept looking down, your mind somewhere else, your eyes still lost in the little fog coming from the pot. You still didn’t dare to look at him, which was rather unusual. Strange. Kind of suspicious.

Daichi rocked his head in your direction, trying to find other tangible clues for that particular case he wasn’t expecting to face once at home. Yet nothing was really out of place, except that gloomy aura all around you. Therefore, he decided to just play it cool for the moment and let you be.

Maybe he was overthinking. Maybe he was just being paranoid. The only thing that really mattered was that night to be perfect for both of you.

It wasn’t a special occasion or else, just Daichi’s first free evening after a whole month of night shifts. And in addition to that, that dinner had been meticulously planned the previous week. Nothing could have ruined it. Nothing.

Yeah, he was just being paranoid, for sure. Nothing to worry about.

Daichi moved away from you and walked towards the front door again. Then, he plugged his phone on the little speaker at the entrance and played the playlist you two loved to blast whenever you were at home, cleaning the house, or just swinging from a room to another.

And that was when everything got even more suspicious in Daichi’s perspective.

The first song came on (“Come Through and Chill” by Miguel, J.Cole, Salaam Remi ), the little bass drums slowly filling the room, vibrating from wall to wall, gradually reaching your feet through that old wooden pavement. And yet, you stayed completely still.

Suspicious .

“Everything ok?” He casually asked you from a distance, putting the phone back down on top of the speaker.

“Yeah, good, good. You?” You mumbled, trying to hide your words under the rhythm.

Even more suspicious .

It wasn’t only your voice, but your posture, your face, just your aura that seemed so… Different. Even though you two hadn’t been living together for long at that point, he could simply tell what looked ordinary and what not. You knew each other and dated since college, which at that point meant years of studying the other up close, not only as partners but firstly - and mainly -  as friends. Two best friends always looking out for one another. Those had been years of sincere trust and affection.

Funny thing was that neither of you could imagine that a casual encounter in a cafè would have taken that turn. But Suga knew. And Asahi too. Everybody knew, except you two.

One morning, the vending machine of your department was out of order, and that was just the tenth curveball of that day. It’s not even thirty past eight and I already want to go back to sleep , you sighed, walking outside the campus, looking for a cafè or something.

As fate would have it, the tiny, little-known coffee shop you found right behind the corner was Asahi’s workplace, which brought both Suga and Daichi to have their breakfast there every single morning.

Your first time there, your order was mistaken with Daichi’s, one thing led to another, and after a while, you two started hanging out frequently. Then even more consistently. Then no Asahi or Suga around. No coffee shop. Study sessions at his place. Then at your place. A movie night that actually looked and felt like a proper date. And eventually, that friendship blossomed into something else, something pretty serious.

You didn’t even realize when or how that happened, it just felt right. You two didn’t even have a real “date” for when your relationship had begun. For the sake of simplicity, you both used to count from your first kiss, both aware that whatever you two shared had started even before that, even that morning in that tiny, little-known coffee shop.

That was the type of love that comes easily, without warning, silently tiptoeing into your life.

Back in your apartment, once freed from his jacket, Daichi made again his appearance at your side, now wearing a playful look and about to hit his favorite line of the lyrics. He almost made you startle.

“Hello, stranger… It's been a minute since we last kicked it” He sang and swung around you, positioning himself right behind you to wrap you in a warm hug. Then, gingerly nestling his head in the curve of your neck, he breathed against your skin, “Now that I’m home, I’m all good… ”

Bear hugs were Daichi’s thing and also your not-so-secret Achilles’ heel, for sure. So, you just leaned in his embrace and welcomed his familiar, calming scent. But still, you didn’t have the courage to face him.

Very, very suspicious .

Your oddly detached behaviors made his brow pinch and his mind wander as he left soft pecks all over your jaw and neck. No reaction , Daichi thought, taking mental notes of your actions.

At that point, he gave you one last, gentle kiss, this time on your shoulder, right where the hem of your shirt met your skin, and then silently made a step back. Daichi’s first thought was to temporarily let you be. A quick shower and a change of clothes were very much needed after that long day. He thought he still got time to unravel your mood.

Still focused on the pot, you heard him tell you, before disappearing in your bedroom, “I’ve been thinking about tonight all day, love. I literally can’t wait to try this restaurant!”

You felt a knot in your stomach.

Why was it so hard for you to simply tell him? To simply put into words how you felt? You knew he would have understood, you knew how sensitive Daichi was, especially when it came to you. But to look so needy, so lost in his eyes made you feel just weak. Not vulnerable, not emotional, just a weak person in need. And the last thing you wanted was to look or feel like a burden to Daichi. You knew how stressed and overworked he was. That was a pretty tough period for you both and you felt like you had no right to complain. Daichi never did, and all you wanted was to be as strong as he was.

It didn’t take much for Daichi to be ready, all cleaned up and dressed for the occasion. Nothing too elegant or pretentious, he was a very casual type of guy even when it came to clothes, but that was still your night. A little more effort won’t hurt , he thought as he picked his outfit, preferring a classic, white, button-up shirt to his favorite sweater - his safe choice whenever he didn’t know what to wear.

He just wanted to look good that night, to look good for your eyes only.

Right when “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee started, Daichi’s unmistakable cologne stood above the food’s thick smell coming from the pot. You immediately turned around.

He looked handsome, as always. The view made your belly twitch again.

“Hey hon, remember that time we went to see Spiderman with Suga, Asahi, and Kyoko?” He started to speak, crossing the room with slow strides in your direction.

“You fell in love with this song on the spot. Oh my god, I think you blasted it in the car at least ten times on our way back...” He said wrapping his arms around your waist again, making you turn and trying to initiate a slow dance with you.

“I know you’re scared of the unknown, you don’t wanna be alone” He sang, “I know I always come and go,” The lyrics hitting way too close to home, “But it’s out of my control”

At that point, he held you tight, roaming his big, callous hands all over your back as he glanced at the pot from above your shoulder.

“That looks delicious, babe. Can’t wait to eat it tomorrow. I just know it tastes as good as it looks…”

There he was again, being all supportive and loving no matter what. So damn cheesy, he could have made someone sick. But not you.

You weren’t much of a chef yourself and you knew it, but you tried your best. And Daichi appreciated it a lot. He was so proud of you, always so blindly proud. He was undoubtedly a better chef than you were, but he still left you space to experiment and try out new things.

You never thought you could enjoy cooking that much, but probably Daichi being a foodie played a role in that. A foodie, well, possibly the biggest foodie you knew. The thought alone of food could make him insane, let’s say slightly irrational like he wasn’t functioning normally.

That was at the beginning when you both had all the time in the world to even plan a food competition and invite all your friends over to eat and vote for your plates. In the beginning, when that apartment’s walls were still white and bare, when the only furniture you owned was an old red couch and several boxes with all your things still packed inside. In the beginning, when there were way fewer things to care about in your daily routine.

“It’s ready, I guess. I should turn off the stove… ” You mumbled against his chest, then turned around still sweetly trapped in his embrace.

“Then you’re left in the dust… mhmhIdon’trememberthewordsmm” He kept singing behind your back, “ You’re the sunflower, I think your love would be too-”

When the little flame disappeared under the pot, a sharp sigh accidentally left your mouth.

“Daichi…” You breathed, squeezing his right hand still gently pressed on your belly.

Daichi .

You rarely called him by his first name. You’d usually go with “love” or “babe” or whatever sweet name came into your mind at that specific moment. Daichi . “Daichi” was something like a safeword, a code for “I’m dead serious right now”, “Your mum is calling” or, like this time, “Something is wrong”.

At that signal, the Karasuno’s former captain knew exactly what to do as if a ball had just flown past an invisible volleyball net right in front of him. That was just the confirmation he needed to make his move.

Living together, making a long-term relationship works, sticking together regardless, all of these for you both were based on the little things you started to learn about one another. Most of the time failing but never giving up on the other person. And this, this was one of those “little things”.

Daichi .

Wordlessly, he went straight to his phone and turned down the music at its lowest, the songs just a light, almost unperceivable background. You turned in his direction, watching him attentively, in silence, until he beckoned you to follow him.

You did as told and walked with him towards the living room, where he guided you to sit on the couch, your right hand gently secured in his.

He sat down on his heels, right in front of you, and waited, waited for you to say something, giving you all the time you needed to process your thoughts.

Minutes passed, the music still softly playing in the background.

Spendin' all my nights alone, waitin' for you to call me

You're the only one I want by my side when I fall asleep

Tell me what I'm waitin' for

Tell me what I'm waitin' for

I know it's hard but we need each other

(“SUGAR” by BROCKHAMPTON)

When you lifted your gaze to meet his sweet eyes, like two big, dark chocolate nuggets, you still didn’t know what to say. Automatically, his lips parted to catch your attention.

“Love,” His voice so tender it literally broke your heart to keep that facade any longer.

Your lips puckered, your nostrils widened, your eyes got unexpectedly watery until the first of many tears started to run down your face. When your head fell forwards, hiding between your hands, Daichi immediately got you. His arms circled your frame, welcoming you against his chest as you kept weeping noisily.

Daichi stayed silent, his head pressed against your shoulder, moving in sync with each of your sobs.

“Let it out, babe, don’t hold it back.”

At those words, your weeps only seemed to get worse to the point you didn’t know anymore why you were crying in the first place. Maybe you just needed to let it out, to rest, and let yourself get lost in Daichi’s embrace. His warmth felt like home and it was so comforting that after a while you finally cooled down. Nothing was wrong anymore, you were safe and sound.

“When you’re ready, I’m here to listen.” He whispered.

You nodded against his skin, then drew back, revealing your puffed and reddish face. He immediately stood up and walked towards the kitchen. Once back, he kneeled again in front of you and handed you tissues and a glass of water.

“Thanks,” You murmured and then blew your nose.

Daichi just stared at you, his eyes wandering all over your figure as you shrugged and sighed. You opened your mouth only to close it a second later. You didn’t even know where to start. Your bottom lip quivered, you felt like you’re about to cry again.

“What’s going on, love?” His voice small and tender.

You sighed again and gave a quick look to the clock behind him. It was almost time to leave. Actually, at that point, you were already late. Your eyes found his again and a thought occurred to you. He looked so happy until a moment before, singing and dancing, all dressed up, ready to leave and try that restaurant. But now there he was, all worried for you, down on his knees, not caring if that position was messing and creasing his shirt.

“It’s really nothing. Just had a bad day. I should go get-” You tried to stand up, but Daichi’s hands stopped you right there, pinning you down again.

“Are you sure, that’s just it?”

You couldn’t physically bring yourself to lie to Daichi. Not even for the smallest things. Not even for a white lie.

“To be honest, I don’t really feel like going out tonight…”

His eyebrows twitched. First clue unlocked.

“That’s fine. Let me just give them a call-”

“No, no. There’s no need. We should go anyway. It’s really nothing.”

Daichi was never really fond of you being difficult, he’d rather prefer you being straightforward. But sometimes, your pride overtook you. Nevertheless, that was not the right time to point out you were being too stubborn, so he just reassured you, saying,

“Listen, it’s up to you, babe. Your wish is my command, you know that, right?”

Daichi was always so kind. From time to time, you even believed he was way too good for you. Too good, it’s almost unfair , you thought.

“Really, it’s nothing… I’ve been thinking about tonight all day too. I couldn’t wait to finally spend some time with you…”

He giggled, your sweet tone instantly reassured him, “You know we can always stay at home and just watch a movie, right? Just tell me if you don’t feel like going out and I’ll call the restaurant right away.”

“Well, it’s not that… I… I…” You sighed. You really were being too difficult that time. “To be honest, I don’t know what-” Your voice cracked, “I really don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Daichi leaned closer and kissed your forehead, then stood up and grabbed his phone. From a distance you clearly heard him talk to someone, apologizing and saying something else you didn’t quite catch. The restaurant , you thought. You instantly walked towards him and tried to oppose, but Daichi politely hushed you and just hung up.

“Why did you do that?” You asked him.

“Cause it seems like you can’t decide right now. The restaurant can wait, really, but whatever is going on with you cannot. And now, if you want to tell me more about it I’m here, if not I’ll just let you be, or if-”

You grabbed his hands, stopping him. Your head swung from side to side as you collected your thoughts.

“It’s just that… I don’t know where to start.” You said and plopped yourself down on the couch.

He softly asked you when that started, if you remembered what little event had possibly triggered your current mood, and suddenly the right words found their way out of your mouth.

It had just been one of those everything-goes-wrong kinds of days, no rest, and too many things to do that eventually you found yourself already in front of the closet without even realizing it. Your eyes were drained and unfocused after all those hours in front of your laptop, working, sending emails, and stuff like that. Your stomach was aching and bloating after eating the previous night’s leftovers. Your legs were sore. Your mind was blank, empty, and at the same time also full of imprecise thoughts about work, what you needed to do before heading out, the dinner, the clothes, that mirror right in front of you.

You described to him this confused overwhelming sensation you had been experiencing for the previous months and all along Daichi was carefully listening to you, nodding and humming. From time to time he tried to comfort you, saying that it was quite understandable since you both started a new, complicated chapter of your lives since there were so many things to be settled and done, etc. He even apologized if he had accidentally neglected you in some way. He was so stressed and focused on work, he barely noticed what was going on with you. But you didn’t seem to listen to his words. Every single time you just replied with the same anxious thoughts you had already said before.

At some point, Daichi interrupted you, saying, “Babe, look at me and be honest,” then grabbed your hands and looked straight into your still reddish eyes, “Do you want me to listen … Or do you want some advice ?”

That was a thing Daichi had learned with time, not only from you but also from his experience as a captain. Sometimes people just need to vent, some other times to be taken by the hand and helped, but there are also other times when people may even need both.

You sighed. “Both I guess?”

He hummed and kept listening at other incoherent stuff you mumbled next about yourself, your image, your perception of yourself, “And that damn outfit! I’ve been thinking about it all day! It was my only option and it didn’t work! I looked terrible, I could barely stand my reflection in the mirror… Why do I have to feel so miserable about a damn outfit?! And then I put my PJ back on and I thought I looked like a fucking cartoon! I wanted to hide under a blanket and just disappear… I must sound delusional right now…”

New clues unlocked.

“No, absolutely, you’re not delusional, love. But... Let me ask you this. What is really bothering you? How you look or how you feel ?”

You tilted your head and pondered his question. At that moment you realized you had never thought about it that way before. How I look or how I feel… , you kept thinking for a while.

However, you still weren’t able to unravel that truth, therefore you just kept rumbling about those stupid clothes not fitting you anymore for another solid couple of minutes.

Daichi chuckled.

“That just means you need to do more shopping, babe,” He pointed out and leaned in to pepper your neck with soft kisses. You couldn’t help but giggle as his kisses alternated with random names of your favorite shops where you two could have gone to the next day to buy something. But eventually, you lightly pushed him away, not because you really wanted to but... Something wasn’t still quite right and you didn’t know what it was. That made you feel ultimately uneasy.

Daichi drew back on his heels, his hands still on your sides, sweetly caressing your hips. He stayed there and just contemplated you as your mind spun around and other vague thoughts piled up in your head.

“So, is there something else?” He softly asked.

“I guess so… It’s not about the clothes. I think it’s me. I look so different and I feel so different, I can barely recognize myself.”

“Love, you have so many things to do, I know it’s hard to find time for you to eat clean or be active. Maybe I should propose less pizza and stuff—”

“No, no, babe, it’s not you... I just feel awful about myself.”

“You feel , but you’re definitely not. I guarantee you that.” Daichi immediately comforted you.

“You know the saying, love is blind…” You tried to joke around.

“It sure is. I could love you with my eyes closed, but even with my eyes wide open, I can’t see anything wrong with you.”

Daichi’s love confessions were sappy at their core, but his voice was always so direct and honest they always sounded like facts. And they never failed to catch you off guard. Daichi used to be shy and awkward in the beginning of your relationship. He was constantly blushing hard and messing with his sentences whenever it came to talk to you. However, with time, his affection and ways started to be so sincere and straightforward you didn’t even know how to contradict him or how to even say anything back.

“I wish you could see yourself through my eyes…” His tone suddenly painted with melancholy, “Then you could see how beautiful you are, how precious, how…” He felt it too. He felt he was getting too emotional, so he tried to take the edge off, coming back to his goofy side. “No, no. Rewind. You might end up dumping me. Nah nah, not gonna happen!” He muffled, hiding his head against your belly, curling up with his torso over your lap.

You couldn’t help but laugh. You loved him so much.

“Jokes aside,” He said, lifting his head and looking up at you. “Tell me, babe, is this really such a big deal? Because if it bothers you to this point, you should think about it more carefully... Can I help you in some way?”

“Honestly, I-I don’t know how you could help me,” You confessed, “I feel like I’m not taking care of myself, but I also lack motivation to actually do something about it. It’s a dog chasing its own tail, you know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I get it… Well, I could encourage you, first. But then I could also help you and try to do things with you, like…” He thought about it for a couple of seconds. “What if I call Tanaka? He's a personal trainer but he also knows a lot about nutrition. He may suggest something delicious but fast and healthy for us to cook. It could be beneficial for both of us. We have been literally eating our stress away recently. You know what, I feel bloated too…” Daichi added and then proceeded to touch his tummy.

You lightly pushed him again and started to shower him with compliments. You couldn’t wrap your mind around the fact that Daichi could ever possibly be insecure about himself. He was… Daichi. He was just perfect.

He smirked at your reaction and got closer to shut your mouth with a sudden, deep kiss.

“Can I tell you a secret?” He whispered, just an inch away from your lips.

“Sure, what is it?” You said almost laughing. A secret?

“Ok, look at my pants,” Daichi said, drawing back until he stood up, right in front of you.

“Yeah, I’m looking at them and they look really good on you-” You started to say and tried to make him spin around to point out how good he looked in those dark pants. That was actually your favorite pair, you loved the way they highlighted his muscular legs, how- But he stopped you right there.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ok, thanks, but have you noticed that I’m not wearing any belt? And actually haven’t worn one in a while?”

You frowned. Where is he getting at?

“And you know why? I don’t really need one anymore. These pants stay up regardless,” Daichi confessed, giggling, “What I mean is… Look, you still like how they fit me. I still like how they fit me. I just know that you would like them even in another size. I would like them as well.”

You just stared at him, quietly pondering his words.

“Anyways, the pants are not the real point. These are just pants. Those things that didn’t fit you aren’t the real point either. You see what I’m trying to tell you?”

You did. You got what he meant, but you were still doubting yourself somehow. Because, in your mind, not fitting your old clothes was just the result of something that slipped out of your hands as you struggled to take care of anything else, except yourself. It wasn’t about your weight or the clothes, it was about losing track of yourself in the process.

“You think I’m perfect while I may, well, I am certainly not. Same goes for you. None of us is perfect, never been, never will. We are just us,” He got closer and sweetly brushed your hair behind your ears, “But for me, in my eyes, you are. And apparently, I’m too in yours. And that’s all that matters.”

Again, just straight facts.

Also, whenever he gave you one of his motivational speeches, he really looked like a captain. You could vividly picture the scene in your head, his teammates carefully listening to him, hanging off his words, right before an important match or even just a regular training session.

“I know it’s extremely cheesy to hear, but it’s also the truth. You’re perfect just the way you are and you’ll always be to me…” His voice small as he kneeled again in front of you. “Even now. Even if you feel lost. The you you’re looking for is still there, it’s not going anywhere. You just need some time and patience to find yourself again.”

You immediately cupped his face, about to tell him something, but before you could spell a single word, he whispered,

“But… But if this is a problem, something you want to change or improve, something you need some help with, then let’s do it, let’s do it together. No. Better. Let’s do it right now!”

Daichi immediately stood up and ran back to the kitchen, where you used to keep your little notebook. Once back, armed with a pen and unmovable willpower, he sat down again and opened the agenda on your lap. Going through your schedule, he noticed how packed it was, pages and pages filled with appointments and notes, but that didn’t scare him.

“Mmm… So, here’s the plan. Our lunch breaks on Monday and Friday look pretty long. We could… Meet at the park. You know, the one right after the supermarket, down the street-”

You nodded, showing him you were following him.

“We could jog a little and then eat something together! That way we’d see each other, have some fun and do something good for our health too… I know jogging doesn’t actually sound much fun, but I swear we’ll have a good time, babe. What do you think?”

Your lips curled upwards into a soft, little half-moon. You couldn’t say no to that.

“Sounds like a plan…” You simply commented.

He looked relieved and then added, “Also, remember that lunch at my mum’s next Sunday? Why don’t we just skip it and go somewhere fancy, like a spa-”

“But we promised-” You tried to object.

“Babe, I know, I know, but we can go some other time. She’ll understand.”

“Okay…”

“It’ll be beneficial for both of us, for real. To be honest, I think I’m this close to a breakdown too,” He laughed.

“You’re right, we should definitely go… You know, I was also thinking about joining some sort of club. I feel like I don't have a hobby or a passion anymore. It’s always work, work, work, the apartment, work, work, work. I feel so… Arid? Mentally. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah… Me too, I was thinking the same exact thing this morning actually… Maybe I should join a volleyball team again. Nothing serious but like a team to play with, just once in a while-”

Your eyes widened, “Oh God! Yes! Absolutely! You should definitely do that, love!”

Daichi nervously chuckled. He wasn’t expecting such an enthusiastic and energetic reaction from you, not after having seen you so blue and distant since he had come back home.

You loved seeing him playing volleyball. You still remembered vividly the times you used to sneak a peek at his practice and matches during college. The first time you saw him playing, all sweat and absorbed in the game, you did a double-take. He looked so hot.

“Alrighty, I’ll definitely think about it… Don’t worry, love, we’ll figure something out.”

“As we always did…” You added, shyly smiling at him.

That situation made you wonder. Life could be hard at times, but if you had the right people around you to rely on, to fight with, or simply talk to, it didn’t seem like that tough anymore.

“Yeah…” He smiled back and instinctively leaned forward to hug you tightly as you welcomed his frame against your chest.

After a few silent minutes, you muffled against his shoulder, “Thank you… I don’t even know how to tell you how thankful I am right now… ”

And in all fairness, there wasn’t much else to add.

“You could start by being less hard on yourself, love,” Daichi said, still pressed against you, “You’re doing so great…”

“You’re way too good to me.” You murmured back, your voice slightly above a whisper.

At your words, he brushed his head from side to side against your shoulder, silently disagreeing with your affirmation. He was just as good to you as you deserved.

Right at that moment, “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R. came on and Daichi thought that there couldn't have been a better time than that for that specific song to start.

He drew back from your hug and guided you to stand up with him, then walked backward to reach the center of the living room, his eyes still fixed on you.

“Siri, turn up the volume!” He ordered his phone to do as he took you in his arms.

You simply stared at him and followed his actions, like a puppet under his spell. His arms welcomed your figure and your fingers locked, your two bodies perfectly molded one against the other as you slow-danced to the rhythm, allowing yourself to utterly enjoy that moment.

A strange feeling warmed your belly, like an overwhelming wave of happiness was overtaking all your senses. Your mouth instinctively opened to shower Daichi with random compliments, words of gratitude, and all sorts of sweet nothings. He loved to be praised by you but after a while he tried to playfully hush you, holding you even tighter and whispered next to your ear a line of that song that seemed to be written right for you. Better, right for him to sing it for you.

“I just wanna see how beautiful you are, you know that I see it, I know you're a star.  Where you go I follow, no matter how far. If life is a movie, oh you're the best part…”

The music eventually faded and an hour later you and Daichi were once again in your bed, curled up in your sheets, as you leafed through Netflix’s catalog, fruitlessly. In the end, you just end up cuddling and ultimately dozing off. Nothing special had happened that night, but you felt so restored, at peace, as if everything was completely fine again.

When you woke up the morning after, Daichi was already gone. You were used to this too. No night shifts meant early shifts. But this also had its perks, like the tiny heart-shaped post-it notes he liked to leave in the bathroom for you to read them as you washed your face or brushed your teeth. The breakfast? Ready on the kitchen counter, another post-it note on top of it. And then another one, on the front door, “I can’t wait to see you at lunch <3”

At noon, you two met up at the park as planned. A little warm-up under Daichi’s careful instructions and then you were ready to start. Just a casual jog, nothing too demanding, as you enjoyed the fresh air and the good company of that day.

During the whole run, Daichi kept encouraging you like a real captain and a loyal partner would do, saying that you were doing great, that you looked very good in those leggings, that you were half done at that point, and then that you could do it, you were almost at the end at that point.

“The last lap, babe! We’re almost done!” Daichi shouted, turned his head in your direction, and gave you a wide, shining smile.

“I-I think I’m done for today…” You panted as you struggled to keep up with his pace.

“Six more minutes and we’re done! C’mon! Don’t give up!” He incited but you soon waved the white flag, signaling him your surrender.

Daichi halted and got closer to you. A strange, gloomy aura suddenly spread all around him. A mischievous grin appeared on his face right when he whispered, an inch away from your sweaty face,

“Quitters don’t get their prize, you know that?”

Your breath almost failed you, when you told him, “Yeah, yeah, you can eat my lunch, I don’t want it anymore…”

But apparently, Daichi had another prize in his mind, another type of meal .

“Mmmh, that’s not the reward I was planning to give you…” His voice sounded dangerously seductive for the location you two were at the moment. Your eyes widened at the sudden realization.

His hands slowly roamed from your hands to your shoulders, then cupped your cheeks. His tone got back to normal when he playfully squeezed your face and said, “Six minutes!”

Six minutes passed and the jog was finally over. A little picnic at the park, a quick shower together at home, and then you were good to go. Your afternoon’s tasks awaited you.

That evening Tanaka and Kyoko joined you for dinner. They were both more than happy to give you some advice, to recommend easy and healthy recipes, and to see how the apartment had changed since their last visit.

Later that night, you and Daichi were again in your bed, tired but definitely satisfied. Your back was pressed against his broad chest, your body secured in his warm embrace, your thoughts were quiet, both your body and mind at peace.

You had worked, you had jogged, you had had some fun with Daichi at the park, you had also found some time to finish that book you had forgotten on your desk. Well, actually, Daichi had been texting you during the whole afternoon to remind you to take some breaks from time to time, to have a snack or read something. The dinner with Tanaka and Kyoko had cheered you up more than planned and that full, yet satisfying day was finally over.

You were still lost in your thoughts when you felt Daichi snuggle up, holding you even tighter than before. His left arm was wrapped around your figure while the right one was on top of yours, his fingers gently rubbing your hand, then your wrist and forearm, drawing imaginary patterns all over your skin. As he got closer, ultimately closing that tiny gap between you two, his head found the crook of your neck and gently nestled in it. Then he asked you, his voice hoarse with weariness,

“So? About the jog, did you like it?”

“Weeeell, let’s say that I liked it but mainly because we did it together.” You confessed, “Would I do it alone? I don’t know… Maybe?”

“Fair enough,” He replied and placed a sloppy kiss on your shoulder, his fingers still loosely tracing your arm. Then there was silence, the room was from time to time filled only with the muffled sound of those soft pecks he kept on leaving on your skin.

“You know,” Daichi whispered at some point, between a kiss and another, “Jogging is not the only option…” He paused to clear his throat, “There are other types of activities that we could do…” Another kiss, his breath warm against your neck, his tone husky with desire when he added, “That we could do indoor…”

[withastolenlantern]

The brown fields of the western midlands sped by in a near blur as the train left the Birmingham conurbation and passed into rural Herefordshire. It was mid-autumn now, and the harvests completed. The apple orchards had all been picked clean of their fall fruits and sent off to market or crushed and juiced into seasonal ciders. Small herds of sheep meandered in their pastures, grazing at grass now browned as the weather cooled towards winter, their coats grown out to guard against the chill.

The one thing she didn’t see much of was people. Britain proper was prosperous, of course; the pound sterling still traded at the world’s highest exchange rates. The UK parliament had balked at the prospect of a unified currency, and so the rand and various dollars had remained, although pegged at a fixed rate relative to the central denomination. But in due course, the farmers and farriers had all migrated away from the rural midlands and taken up new employment as merchants and marketers in the more urban centers. The land was still fertile here, for some time at least, but now it belonged to the machines. The drone tractors and tillers and threshers were all idled now under barn roofs or lean-tos, their summer works finished, as if resting before taking up winter duty as plows or salt-trucks come the snows. Prayers to Demeter or Aine had been replaced with swears at Deere and AGCO, although they often carried the same futility. Even the bees had been replaced, after the great dying; their tiny buzzing wings now traded for the low hum of rotors as their simulacra flitted about carrying pollen and confusing predatory birds.

As they passed Gloucester and into Wales, the River Severn emptied into Bristol Channel and she could see all the way out to the Atlantic. The seas had risen here too, of course, as no effort of man could yet hold back them back, but Britain was largely immune from the worst. London had been bulwarked for a thousand years against the flooding of the Thames, and the port cities all braced or barricaded against the advancing surf. Wind and tidal generators dotted the horizon all around the coast, turning Nature’s fury into man’s gain. Britannia rule the waves, indeed. Some seaside properties had moved; the poorer communities had to relocate inland, and the new littoral real estate was gobbled up and repurposed into pricy condominiums or resorts for upper class holidays. The ports, again as vital to commerce as ever in earlier centuries, had multiplied, their piers expanding out over the breakers like the long fingers of industry stretching over a swirled tumbler of gin.

The train pulled into Cardiff station and Chatham exited into the station, grabbing some take-away kebab and sitting down at a wrought-iron table to take stock of her situation. The meeting with her superiors had not gone well, and she replayed the events in her head as she considered her options.

DCI Ratnayaka was supportive, at least, but they were joined in his office by a liaison from the Home Office. Whoever he was, he’d been introduced by both name and title, but she couldn't be bothered. They were all interchangeable, the bureaucrats, at least in her experience. She'd been to Westminster once to receive her Military Cross; it reminded her of a giant ant colony in both form and function, and that was before she'd been paraded around like a prized crumb stolen from Grandmama’s biscuit cupboard. The fellow might as well have been Undersecretary for the Ministry of Peace for all it would matter to her; she wouldn’t waste the effort, and anyway she was sure the relevant details had already been transmitted to her mobile. Much like those ants, she was apt to find the bureaucracy exactly where she least wanted it.

She’d recounted the details as best she could recall, and explained her concerns given the situation she’d found below deck and the deadly potential. Clearly further investigation was needed, and the Lord Swansea should be called before a HeRMES inquiry panel.

The government’s man was unswayed. It was a time of great economic distress, his counter-argument had gone, and the Government was leaning heavily on major players like the Ross Consortium to assist them in navigating the increasingly new fiscal reality. Besides, His Majesty had a personal stake in the Ross board, and it would not do for Him to be associated with untoward activities, especially of a potentially terrorist nature. The tabloids would have a field day. No, MI5 could control the message via the social networks; better to leave it alone, and stick to the cover story, than risk what might become an… indelicate investigation.

“What about the lives of the men in the skiffs?” she asked, barely masking her contempt. “Or does their indelicacy not rate investigation?”

“The pirates and smugglers? Hardly,” the Home Office man replied. “Good riddance to bad rubbish.”

“And you’re not at all concerned about the fact that we found some kind of uncontrolled toxin in Ross crates?” she said.

“My concern, Detective,” he said, chewing on her title as if it were a crisp, “is that you and Leftenant Ayobe disabled terrorists carrying weapons and illicit drugs. The world is an increasingly dangerous place, but your brave actions represent the type of inter-service collaboration that His Majesty’s father envisioned when the Union was formed, God rest his soul.”

“Yes, and I’m sure The Old Ginger would be thrilled to know his progeny was using it for political gain.”

“Detective!” her superior snapped. “Decorum, please.”

Home Office waved him off. “Your concerns are not without merit. DCI Ratnayaka argued strongly for your character and your experience in certain… high profile investigations. Given that input, the Government will allow you to continue your investigation as it relates to stolen, and,” he paused for dramatic effect, “potentially hazardous Ross goods.”

Chatham started to object, but her governor raised an eyebrow from across the desk, beckoning her to remain seated.

“You will not mention terrorism to any party. You will forward any findings outside of your jurisdiction, which includes only crimes against His Majesty’s Government or its Citizens, directly to myself and MI6. And above all, you will be discrete,” the Government’s man said with finality, rising to leave the office.

“We’ve arranged for you to meet with Lord Swansea at the Ross headquarters tomorrow,” Ratnayaka said, hoping to defuse the situation.

“And one more thing, Detective – you and Leftenant Ayobe are to be honored for your service at a ceremony at the Ministry of Defense,” Home Office continued, “on the week-end. Obviously you will be on your best behavior,” he cautioned, before closing the office door behind him.

“Fokken idioot,” Chatham swore breathlessly towards the door. She blushed as she realized her superior was still sitting at his desk, glaring. “Sorry, sir.”

“What am I going to do with you?” he asked quietly, sighing.

“The same thing you’ve always done,” the detective replied, flashing a faux-smile.

“Be careful with this one, Detective. I’d advise you not cross the powers that be, but I know you likely won’t listen. I don’t know what it is that drives you to this disrespect for authority that you cultivate, but mark my words, one day it will get you into trouble that neither I nor your record will get you out of. I just pray it’s not the kind that comes staring down the barrel of a gun,” the chief inspector cautioned.

“I’ve been shot before, gov,” she scoffed. “Can’t say I’d much like to relive that experience, either.” She gathered her things and stood to leave the office, offering her superior a firm nod as she left, but hesitated in the doorway before exiting. “Will Home Office be there at this dog and pony show at the Ministry?” she asked.

“I should think so,” her superior responded, confused.

“Fuck,” she swore, decorum be damned, and walked out.

She’d boarded the train then, straight away, to return back to Cardiff, where it had all begun. She still had no idea who had called in the tip about the gun-runners, but HeRMES had been investigating arms trafficking into the Subcontinent for several months, and when the informant had mentioned there’d been a possible theft of Ross property, her governors saw a fortuitous opportunity. She’d been stationed in Wales since mustering out of the SBS; having made her peace with her father’s untimely demise, she felt she owed it to him and herself to return to the other half of her ancestral homeland.

Her Welsh was terrible but she found the climate more amenable to her complexion, and the pace of life significantly slower than the crowded streets of Cape Town. HeRMES was happy to oblige, as they’d needed someone to take up the Welsh region; the office still carried a reputation as a “backwater” even though its economy had been carried forward with the rest of the Union’s. The British crown had claimed the Welsh marshes for nearly as long as it had existed, and even though they’d mined out all the coal years ago, the Union’s industrial backbone still ran through the Brecon Beacons, whether Westminster remembered it or not.

She missed her mother, some days, but the SAR was only a holo away, and she hadn’t left behind any real friends when she’d left. Not that she’d made any here, or in university, or the service. There’d been colleagues and workplace proximate acquaintances; of course she would have, and in fact had, taken a bullet for any of her fellow soldiers. Along the way there’d even been brief affairs and lovers, men and women and whatever in between, but none so serious as to tether her in time or space. No, she was alone here, just herself and the spectre of her father, when she let herself acknowledge it, and that was how she liked it.

Can’t be disappointed if there’s no one to disappoint you, she thought to herself, huddling in the doorway of the station as a light, cold rain fell onto the streets outside. Tightening her coat around her shoulders, she stepped out into the drizzle long enough to jump into the first empty black cab she saw. The detective spoke aloud the address and the cab sped off toward her flat, throwing gentle splashes across the pedestrian walks as it rumbled through the late afternoon storm.

She sat in the car and composed herself after the long day, smoothing the strands of her hair that had come free in the rain and loosening the tie on her uniform. The route from the station took the cab down the A432 passed the dockyards, and she could see several tall Ross crates and containers, the crimson R stenciled prominently, being maneuvered throughout the gantries by the drone lifts, and it gave her an idea. She paged through the contacts list on her mobile, laughing quietly to herself as a particular name scrolled past. Opening a text dialogue, she typed out a message of exactly the type Ratnayaka had cautioned her against. “Flynn: I need a favor.”

[hopeless-weakness]

2022 Books I’ve Read

80/150

Two for Boarding by Lasairiona McMaster

(Snow Pirates book 4)

(I received an ARC for this book)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Trigger Warnings include:

spousal abuse, gaslighting, a D/s relationship, acts on page

As someone who dabbles within the community, books involving a D/s relationship (or anything within the community) is a touchy ground to walk on. (We’ve all seen the disputes over Fifty Shades.) Two for Boarding did something I rarely see in books involving the subject. Above all, it was educational. It wasn’t just “here’s a Dom finding an inexperienced sub”, and then tossing her to the wolves to further the story. Any sign of naivety, there was a moment of explanation. There was no blindsiding, for the characters or the readers. So I genuinely want to thank the author for taking the time to be respectful, thoughtful, and educational.

Now, to Austin and Kenzie! Because I’ve got a whole lot to say about them! I’m trying to get this review written, but thinking about Austin makes my brain short-circuit. This book ticks all the right boxes. And I mean all. Even the boxes I added while I was reading it! Kenz is the physiotherapist for the local college hockey team. So yes, this is a reverse age gap in all its glory! Every time they cross paths before becoming an item, there’s undeniable chemistry, even through the tension! I instantly fell in love with Kenz and everything southern about her! (I genuinely saw a lot of myself in her.) She’s carrying a secret, one that I could not have prepared my heart for. Austin plays hockey, is a black belt in Krav Maga, his first language is French, and is a proper respectful gentleman. Can he go on my Christmas list?! Austin wanted to be in Kenz’s orbit, he wanted to know everything there was to know about her. It was hard for either of them to ignore the attraction between them. There’s a beautiful mutual respect between them, which grows into something so much more. Because of her “vanilla by nature” lifestyle, she’s concerned about whether she’s enough for Austin. But he never hesitates to make sure she hears him loud and clear that SHE is what he wants. In every way. The aftercare scenes are just as hot as the sex marathon scenes! There’s a letter involved…so ya’ll know I got emotional! And as I knew I would, I loved visiting with Finn again!

Good girl: 20

Sprinkles: 11

Love: 26

My Favorite Quotes:

• “I take pleasure in many things. I choose not to feel guilty about it.”

• “Inappropriate workplace behavior would be if I bent you over your desk and inserted it myself.”

• “I need you to not make yourself small, or hide yourself and your desires and feelings out of an attempt to please me.”

• “That’s certainly one way to make my palm tingle.”

• “I am worthy. I am beautiful. I am enough.”

• “I want to see it. All of it. Not just see it. I want to touch it, lick it, suck it, kiss it, pleasure it…”

• “We are all vanilla, until we aren’t.”

• “Hearing your girlfriend be so wet and ready for you is the biggest compliment of all.”

• “When you hold your breath it makes me want to curl my hand around your throat to control your breathing.”

• “It will not fix you because you are not broken. You do not need fixing.”

• “Don’t stop. Give me everything.”

• “I can’t help you if I do not know what we are fighting.”

• “Green. Now for the love of f!cking God smack me.”

• “She’d presented him with the precious gift of a signed contract, and he felt like signing it with her cum.”

7/10 Age Gap

8/10 D/s

10/10 Dirty Birdy

7/10 Sports Romance

7/10 Workplace Romance

8/10 Series

goodreads account

click here for my reading playlist! 🎧📖

click here for my reading playlist on spotify! 🎧📖

[blogsureshus]

Language Translation Service

Our ancestors were very good at wandering places and searching for new things. Since man found how to make pictures with color or ink on any surface, he has conveyed himself with unique patterns and pictures, etc. As our ancestors who drew with different things like charcoal on stone or cut in wood. Later when languages were made, we started communicating with short messages printed by hand or by an instrument. But still, there are so many languages now that you can’t count on your fingers. Therefore the invention of the language translation service comes in our rescue. Language Translator is a job for people who are comfortable speaking up in a foreign environment, who can understand people very easily and correctly. Because of the main responsibility of the

Back then they had many sign languages but not many verbal languages which made it easier for them to work and live all around. but now is the time when people do not stop themselves from going out from their native places just because they don’t know foreign languages.

Numerous individuals new to interpretation and limitation are in some cases confounded by the language. This blog entry will assist clear with increasing the perplexity with the frequently tradable terms “interpretation” and “limitation” just as other phrasing related to the interpretation business.

Language Translation Service is also a part of marketing. It can be looked at as an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, delivering and communicating value to customers, and managing customer relationships in ways that also benefit the organization and its shareholders. Marketing is the science of choosing target markets through market analysis and market segmentation, as well as understanding consumer buying behavior and providing superior customer value.

I will not talk much about marketing as I already have a fully focused article on it if you wish to read it Click Here.

We are talking so much about Language Translation Service you must be wondering…..

What is Language Translation Service?

Interpretation is a type of limitation. It includes the interpretation of names, manuals, preparing recordings, advertisements, and sites into nearby dialects. To spare costs, a few organizations build up their manuals and preparing materials in different dialects, including English, Mandarin, Hindi, French, Spanish and Arabic. Corporate sites must be interpreted, particularly the oftentimes utilized web-based business and help areas. Moving administrators ought to figure out how to impart in the neighborhood language or possibly see a portion of the subtleties of nonverbal correspondence. Senior administration ought to think about the utilization of synchronous interpreters in gatherings with their worldwide accomplices, particularly if some of them are not open to convey in English.

“Language Service Providers” or “LSP’s” have been around for quite a long time. All the more normally in the US, LSP’s are known as Translation Agencies. The term LSP is increasingly regular in Europe yet is presently being heard here in the US all the more frequently.

Types of Language Translation Services:-

Language Service Providers (LSP) are organizations that offer to change degrees of interpretation, elucidation, limitation, language and social training arrangements. LSP’s commonly offer the accompanying administrations:

Interpretation “spoken”-

Language translation is the helping of verbal or communication through signing collaboration, either simultaneously or over and again, between individuals talking in various ‘dialects’. There are a few different ways of translation including back to back and concurrent. Back to back Interpretation – This is the point at which the speaker (for instance an educator, teacher or a court judge) represents a couple of moments and afterward breaks, enabling the translator to interpret the information exchanged into the other language. At the point when the mediator is done translating the speaker proceeds with where he/she left off.

Localization-

Localization is the adjustment of item configuration, bundling and showcasing capacities to suit nearby markets. Item changes might be important to represent social contrasts and neighborhood guidelines. For instance, a café franchiser may need to change its menu for a nation that limits the clearance of particular sorts of meat. Notwithstanding interpretation from English to the neighborhood language on item names, organizations may need to change the substance or the size of their items to agree to nearby guidelines. Advertising efforts may require changes to regard social contrasts. For instance, specific sorts of outfits or open presentations of love may not be proper in certain nations, albeit a business highlighting polar bears skiing down mountain slants with refreshments in their grasp would work anyplace.

Telephonic Translation-

Telephone translation is the communication between individuals through a telephone who don’t communicate in a similar language. The translator encourages the two gatherings to speak with one another.

Simultaneous Translation-

Understanding is the point at which the speaker/moderator doesn’t stop, however, he continues talking at a characteristic speed. Regularly this kind of deciphering happens during gatherings or enormous gatherings. During gatherings, the translators (of different dialects) as a rule are altogether situated in a deciphering stall. The mediator hears what the speaker is stating through a headset and afterward deciphers into an amplifier. The target group of the understanding hears what the translator is stating through their earphones.

It is most basic when your home office needs to prop the discussion up with branch workplaces in different nations. TrueLanguage can combine you with local speakers in whatever target markets you have to reach over the worldwide commercial center. We can deal with interpreters for occasions went to by gatherings of any size or multi-day meetings for many members.

Localization and interpretation administrations ought to appreciate solid interest outside of their borders. Organizations may confront rivalry for qualified interpreters who are capable of different dialects. Agency should begin with a website design that can deal with various languages and character sets from day one.

3 Ways Translation Service can Benefit your Business?

Helps your Business to connect Emotionally- Clients who are sincerely associated with an item are progressively gainful. What’s more, if you need to associate with your clients on a passionate level, you should know their first language.

It helps you to rank on SEO- Website optimization, which is great to work together on the web. Ensuring that your site arrives at the highest point of web search. Powerful correspondence is improved when clients can peruse your site in their language; helpful data is accessible to a more extensive crowd; having a bigger site (another page for every language).

Makes your Business accessible with Transcription- Numerous online advertising efforts incorporate the utilization of online recordings. Sound digital broadcasts ought to have a translation accessible for the hard of hearing. However, it additionally enlarges your group of spectator’s reach, improves brand dependability, and lifts SEO. There are products motivation to remember interpretation for any sound or video content your business produces.

6 Methods to accelerate your Business through Language Translation Service

So your business is doing incredible and you wish to grow it further internationally? Worldwide presentation is conceivable just on the off chance that you prepare it for it. Business correspondence with numerous nations requests skill and accuracy. Regardless of whether you have a place with open or private division, you need proficient language interpretation administrations for reasons multiple. Peruse on.

Better correspondence with clients:

If your business calls for discussing straightforwardly with your clients then you must’ve confronted many individuals who don’t communicate in English. You can showcase your items to a lot more extensive range of a group of spectators if you could address them in their language.

Upgrade brand permeability: An organization’s image potential is tried based on a ton of capacities. Connecting with an ever-increasing number of individuals is one of them. You have to cross the boundary of language to fabricate a picture in the worldwide market and that is conceivable just with proficient interpretation administrations.

Maintain a strategic distance from terrible notoriety:

You will be stunned to gain proficiency with a portion of the significant showcasing slip-offs of enormous undertakings. KFC got their celebrated slogan “Finger-Lickin’ Good” interpreted in China and it signified “We’ll eat your finger off”. Pepsi got its slogan “Wake up with Pepsi” meant “Pepsi can bring progenitors resurrected!” in China. The American Dairy Association’s unique slogan “Got milk?” was mocked in Mexico as the interpretation signified “Are you lactating?” Numerous such comparative cases welcomed a great deal of fire from individuals over the globe. You can avoid the projectile and upkeep your image notoriety by getting your promoting procedures checked or composed by the experts before it’s past the point of no return.

The social insurance industry is tremendously profited:

Healthcare units need to manage plenty of patients originating from different nations. Likewise, there are a ton of specialists over the globe occupied with inquiring about. Language ought to never be a hindrance to medicinal research or a patient’s treatment. Proficient restorative mediators and interpreters play their aces in deciphering the medicinal reports that will help the specialists who are progressively agreeable in contemplating in the language they pick.

More opportunities for work:

many individuals are enthusiastic about learning various dialects. Nothing can be better if they can learn and gain simultaneously. Any industry, little or large, procures interpreters and mediators to not just facilitate their business correspondence with different nations yet in addition to advertising and venture coordination.

Drafting authoritative documents:

Understanding authoritative reports itself is a tough assignment and on the off chance that it’s in an alternate language, at that point it gets even more convoluted. One sneak off and the importance of the sentence changes totally. Proficient interpreters guarantee precise and simple translation of authoritative records adjusted to the expert needs of legal counselors, court stenographers, lawyers, judges, and other legitimate experts.

Why Language Translation Service is important to your Business?

Interpretation is fundamentally critical to any association needing to catch universal markets.

Proficient interpreters with experience and training will help you with speaking with individuals from different nations. They will work in their first language to create writings that will precisely repeat your image’s message and style of the first content, while simultaneously perusing fluidly in the goal language.

With the best possible instruments, interpretation can surrender you a leg against your rivals, help make purchasers progressively OK with your image, and eventually construct solid notoriety in another market, all of which will guarantee long haul achievement.

Is Language Translation Service is for you?

If you are familiar with more than one language and can productively make an interpretation of starting with one language then onto the next, a speaker giving interpretation administrations could be the ideal independent company for you. Here is the thing that you have to know before you choose if this business thought is an ideal choice for you.

The Pros of Starting a Translation Services BusinessA portion of the advantages you may be understanding on the off chance that you start an interpretation administration include:

Startup costs are low.

It’s an extraordinary locally established business, particularly because you can work utilizing the Internet.

Overhead expenses are low, and you can make critical benefits.

You have an extremely wide target advertise, including legitimate, business, restorative, specialized altering, translation and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

There is a developing interest in interpreters in our worldwide network.

You can work solo, or deal with a gathering of interpreters, regardless of whether you are not an interpreter yourself.

The Cons of Starting a Translation Services BusinessA portion of the potential difficulties of beginning an interpretation business include:

You should have total and exhaustive order of whatever dialects you intend to offer interpretation administrations for.

Among your opposition might be modernized interpretation projects and voice acknowledgment innovation.

It can require some investment to build up the business, contingent upon your area.

You might need to get guaranteed before offering your administrations.

You need standard office hardware, incorporating a PC with an Internet association and conceivably interpretation gear if you will do sound interpretation from tapes.

Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Language Translator?1. Concentrate your source language widely.

To begin with, you should choose a language and study it widely.

There’s interpretation work accessible for almost any living language, and there’s a contention to be made for adapting essentially any language you can name. Normally, there are additionally interpreting work accessible for the most widely recognized dialects. In any case, since more individuals know these dialects, there’s additionally more challenge for work. While there might be fewer occupations for less regular dialects, realizing one could make you stand apart from the group and give you access to employments that fewer individuals can perform.

To pick a language, you should think about exploring what occupations are out there.

2. Get particular preparing.

The truth of the matter is that regardless of whether you’re familiar with a language, it doesn’t mean you have what it takes to decipher.

Having the option to give clear, effective interpretation frequently requires specific preparing notwithstanding language study. Here are a few alternatives to consider:

3. Get ensured.

the most effective method to turn into an interpreter

An affirmation in interpretation is a simple method to show you have what it takes important to take the necessary steps.

Something else to consider is getting non-language-related accreditations in a field in which you’re keen on interpreting. For example, turning into a guaranteed paralegal could assist you with getting deciphering work in the legitimate field by indicating that you comprehend the business. Thus, being an affirmed attendant may assist you with getting restorative interpretation work.

4. Focus on a particular industry and learn industry-explicit terms.

When you’re familiar with a language, you’ll additionally need to target industry-explicit terms for anything that field you’re keen on working in.

Only being familiar doesn’t generally give the pertinent wording you’ll have to interpret, so you’ll have to place some extra concentration into industry-explicit phrasing.

For example, you should think about considering words that are especially vital in medication, business, government or training. There are a few different ways to do this.

5. Sharpen your Computer aptitudes.

A great deal of deciphering requires utilizing explicit computer programs. This is intended to make the interpretation procedure faster and increasingly productive. Normal projects utilized by proficient interpreters that you should acquaint yourself with include:

6. Get some understanding.

One of the unfeeling incongruities of deciphering and most other professional fields is that to land most positions, you as of now need work involvement with the field, leaving you with a problem—how would you get that involvement with the primary spot?

the most effective method to turn into an interpreter

The appropriate response is more straightforward than you may suspect. Agreement or independent work is a simple method to get some understanding to add to your resume. Your initial barely any gigs probably won’t pay just as you’d like, however, once you get more understanding added to your repertoire, you can typically get increasingly more pay for your administrations.

7. To additionally develop your profession, adapt more dialects.

If you need to make yourself significantly progressively attractive, you should procure more dialects that you can interpret between to grow your scope of contributions.

For example, suppose you’re completely conversant in Chinese and can interpret among Chinese and English. Nonetheless, consider the possibility that you likewise figured out how to add Spanish to your scope of contributions. Presently, you could interpret from Spanish to English or Chinese to English. In the end, it’s conceivable that you may even have the option to convert into Chinese or potentially Spanish, in this way increasing your potential interpretation choices and making yourself progressively employable. How’s that for vocation development?

Following is all that you have to think about a vocation as a mediator and interpreter with heaps of subtleties. As an initial step, investigate a portion of the accompanying occupations, which are genuine occupations with genuine bosses. You will have the option to see the genuine activity vocation necessities for bosses who are effectively enlisting.

Go live your dream of connecting people by giving them the words

Do tell us in the comment section below what’s the surprising part about the Language Translation Service in this blog?

More than 19 Years of experience in Designing, Printing and Advertising sector. I own an Enterprises named “Shivani Enterprises”. It’s a commercial Designing, Printing and Advertising Company. Deals in complete designing, printing, advertising, corporate gifting, business collateral material services solutions (designing, offset, digital, screen printing, signage printing, corporate gifting material, event material printing, etc.). We are an exporter of printing and publishing materials. Write a blog on printing tech, tricks and strategy is my passion. We are suited at 249/2, opposite Vasant Vihar Bus Depot, Munirka New Delhi -110067, near Indira Gandhi International Airport, India. We provide our services in Pan India and all major countries in the World.

[zoraydas-domain]

Oh you're going to regret having so many characters! Can we get... 10, 29, 33 and 41 for Jasttor, 7, 12, 18 and 35 for Helmi, 10, 20 and 31 for Integrity, 6, 22 and 24 for Quilana? Aaaaaaaaaaand 9, 19, 23 and 24 for Ilweth!

Jasttor

10. What energizes and drains them the most?

Jasttor really likes exploring new places. He wants to see all of it and he’ll go climb on the damn rocks like a crazy person to check it all out. It also gives him the best view if he’s trying to sketch out a map, when he does it. He’s also super energized by any form of contest, whether it be a great spar or game with a clear winner.What’s draining for Jasttor is having to sit still for long amounts of time. He can do it, and he has, but he doesn’t like it. He likes to be up and around instead of listening to, say, a long speech or lecture or something. He’ll be inexplicably tired after having his brain “turned on” without moving for so long.

29. What kind of activities, interests, and hobbies do they have? What significance and impact do these have in their lives, both positive and negative?

Jasttor, like I’ve mentioned a few times, likes drawing maps. Especially of new places. It’s kind of like taking a picture of a place you’ve been and looking back on it later, remembering all the stuff you did there. This makes him really good at exploring, and he has a knack for finding his way around places. He rarely gets lost. However, he doesn’t do his cartography much anymore, seeing it as a time sink when he should be doing more important things. He also has a deep-seated interest in the lore behind old dragonborn tales and the stories and legends of Bahamut. He tries to reflect their values and actions, which can be really good at some times, and leaves him at a loss in other situations.

33.  How do they learn about the world–what is their preferred learning style? Hands-on learning with trial and error? Research, reading, and note-taking? Observation or rote memorization? Inductive or deductive reasoning? Seeking patterns and organization? Taking things apart and putting them back together? Creative processing via discussing, writing about, or dramatizing things?

He’s not exactly the type to love learning in an environment dedicated to it, but when he’s in a new city or a landmark he’s never been to before, he wants to know everything about it. Like I mentioned before, he likes to see it, be in it, have it all around him. Jasttor learns by experience and observation more than anything–basically any environment that doesn’t feel like “learning”. Also, when he gets into his creative process, it’s not manic or anything like that–he’s slow and deliberate and keeps going until he finishes what he’s doing. The only reason anything is left unfinished is because something else more important took over and gave him no time for what he considers a less important hobby.

41.  What associations do they bring to mind? Words or phrases, images, metaphors or motifs? Why?

Morning sun over the ocean, nimbus clouds, steady, youth, strength hiding weakness

Jasttor’s young and therefore still a little impulsive, but he’s a strong and steady presence for most. He’s reliable and loyal, but his strength does hide some fear and insecurity. He still has a lot of hope for the future and feels like… light, I guess? He’s also a bronze dragonborn, naturally attuned to the sea and always crackling with electricity. Another thing the sun versus storm could represent: He’s definitely a spiritual person, believing that having faith is important–in your deity, in people, in the future. It makes him a bit naive at times, and can lead to a harder emotional fall and bitterness that runs deep when something bad happens.

Helmi

7. How do they physically engage with other people, inanimate objects, and their environment? What causes the differences between these?

Helmi is a very touchy person. They must touch everything. Now, they know that not all people are comfortable with this so they have gotten better at reading people before tackling them with hugs and affection, so it’s not too much anymore. They’re very hands-on with the environment, but they are very particular about cleaning up after they’re done. During the building and experimenting process, their workplace is a mess, but they’re constantly cleaning it and it’s spotless at night. First lesson in building: keep your workplace organized!

12. How are they bodily expressive? How do they use nonverbal cues such as their posture, stance, eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and hands?

Gosh. Imagine a cartoon. That’s Helmi. They’re just very all over the place, bouncy, and extroverted–even though they’re holed up in the lab all the time. Anytime Helmi gets out of there to interact with people, they are generally the center of attention. If happy, there’s a literal bounce in their step. If they’re angry, pouty lips, brows drawn low, crossed arms. If you’re a friend, you get a big smile and probably a hug.

18. What kind of person could they become in the future? What are some developmental paths that they could take, (best, worst, most likely?) what would cause them to come to pass, and what consequences might they have? What paths would you especially like to see, and why?

They eventually want to go back home, or live somewhere near their father again, and continue in the tradition of gnomes building amazing things and teaching each other the things they’ve learned. The most likely thing that will happen, barring bad Tiamat stuff, is that they go home or close to it and do just that. The worst is that they ultimately fail in learning anything useful, feel like a useless person, and go off to find somewhere to try and fervently find something that makes them worthy. I would like to see Helmi do the former, but perhaps find some friends and form bonds with people and continue to be a presence in their lives.

35. How and why do they internalize knowledge? What effect has that had on them?

Helmi absorbs information like a sponge. They’ve always been very observant and clever, deducting and inferring information and having excellent questions. Knowledge they keep around is usually about how something moves or functions, whether it be mechanical or biological. Things in motions fascinate them, and it’s inspired a lot of ideas. Sure, they really like making weapons, but shit that moves autonomously is what they really like.

Integrity

10. What energizes and drains them most?

Not… much truly energizes Integrity in the way she once was anymore. She has bouts of more fire when an emergency happens and she snaps to, taking control of the situation. She also gets a little more energized when people need her. She has to feel needed. Otherwise, activity is draining. Thinking is draining. This is why alcohol helps–less thinking.

20. What kind of individual relationships do they have with others, and how do they behave in them? How are they different between intimate relationships like friends, family, and lovers versus more impersonal relationships?

She mothers people in her own way. She likes to take care of people, even if she can be blunt or a bit intimidating. With the average person she feels nothing for, she doesn’t change all that much. She still tells them what to do and is her usual self, uncaring of others’ opinions for her. She doesn’t really have any intimate relationships right now, so knowing how she acts in them is a bit difficult to discern.

31. Is there anything that counts as a “dealbreaker” for them, positively or negatively? What makes things go smoothly, and what spoils an activity or ruins their day? Why?

Positively, she really likes when people stick up for the “little guys”. Minorities, someone who can’t defend themselves, someone being bullied–she appreciates when others stand against the crowd for them. She really liked Havine for that reason, even if she didn’t get to know her all that well. Disloyalty is a quick way to get Integrity to hate you forever. Betray her or the people you trust, and not only will she hold a grudge, but she’ll make certain to make your life miserable any way she can.In general, Integrity considers it a really good day when nobody gets hurt or when she’s made a positive difference where she can. It’s bad when someone dies under her care, even if it’s not her fault.

Qilana

6. What are they like in motion–in different environments, and in different activities? What causes the differences between these?

Qilana is most often teaching others. She has a proper, professional demeanor here, with crisp movements and a way of speech that seems sure even if it’s entirely rehearsed and practiced to push past her natural shyness. If she doesn’t have “material” or anything to help her know what to do, she’s a lot more mousy and closed in on herself, but still very cordial and polite. She just isn’t all that sure of herself in general and has a naturally quiet and often-overlooked personality.

22. How do people respond to them, and why might these responses differ?

In general, people assume she’s helpless or shy because of her behavior. When she does magic, people are shocked because she’s actually quite talented–not just because of her natural sorcery, but because she knows it in a way that she can manipulate it to her will. She’s also very intelligent, possibly even more so than Helmi–at least in the booksmart sort of way. She’s always surprising people with the things she can do.

24. How do they present themselves socially? What distinguishes their “persona” from their “true self”, and what causes that difference?

Like I mentioned, she’s painfully quiet and shy. She’s easily intimidated by social situations and seems unsure most of the time. When relaxed, she is still fairly quiet, and listens more than she speaks, but she’s obviously much more easygoing and has lengthy discussions about whatever interests her.

Ilweth

9. How do they manifest energy, exhaustion, tension, or other strong emotions?

Energy is manifested through excited words, touching things, and big smiles. Exhaustion is something she tries not to show outwardly, but she’ll get quiet and miss opportunities to try and snap at people. Tension is manifested by her being particularly nasty, her body closes in on itself by folding her arms, and she avoid direct eye contact unless trying to make a point. When she’s truly happy and at ease, she’s quiet, but it’s not tense, and she seems relaxed. If greatly upset… well, let’s hope that doesn’t happen to this poor thing.

19. How do they behave within a group? What role(s) do they take? Does this differ if they know and trust the group, versus finding themselves in a group of strangers? Why?

She’s basically the sarcastic asshole. In the New Dawn, as prisoner, she was just the bitter brat making scathing remarks constantly and trying to impose some power over them in her weakened position. If she was a part of a trusted group of people, she would be the smart mage, scoffing at the idiots in the group and teaching them better so she can be less embarrassed in their presence. In a group of strangers, she’s much more hostile, revealing nothing about herself and hiding her power in case she needs to use it against them.

23. How do they respond to difficult social moments? What makes them consider a social situation difficult?

Difficult social moments are ones she can’t conquer or dominate over. Ilweth demands control over every social situation as a display of power and for her own comfort–if she controls the flow of conversation, nothing unexpected will happen and she won’t reveal anything she doesn’t want to. Anything she isn’t controlling makes her uncomfortable, and she eventually shuts down to say nothing at all.

24. How do they present themselves socially? What distinguishes their “persona” from their “true self”, and what causes that difference?

Ilweth is stuck-up and sarcastic, prickly with everyone new until they prove themselves to be worthy of her presence. This haughty behavior is picked up from the cult she was a part of, where her superiors were hard and unforgiving, and her peers competed and fought at every turn about every little thing. So she has a front of toughness and anger that drives people away from even trying to be social with her. Her true self hasn’t really appeared yet, but we’ve seen little pieces with Kitrick. She’s actually really funny, and can be thoughtful and sweet if she really tries or has the desire to.

[confrontingbabble-on]

Immoral political leaders...who need a silent compliant populace to getaway with their oppression...are the enablers that fundamentalist religion needed to first get established*...and still needs today...

So don’t give it to them...!

“Malignant narcissism is a personality disorder, characterized by a flagrant disregard for the rights of others. Narcissistic individuals abuse those around them...they typically select one person(or group!) at a time for an extreme and intense form of emotional warfare. Social scientists call this "narcissistic abuse."

They are consummate and skillful liars. By spreading false stories about their target, they are able to win people to their camp.

One characteristic of this personality disorder is apparent lack of conscience or remorse.

Narcissists also have a difficult time with accountability — if they are confronted about their behavior, they will generally fly into a rage.

Psychologists believe that narcissism is a permanent, incurable condition.

The Role of the Enablers

There'd be no such thing as narcissistic abuse if it weren't for the enablers. These are the folks who sit on the sidelines and watch someone else being whipped. They could step in and demand that it stop. They have the power to do so. All it takes is for one or two courageous souls to say "No, this is not okay."

But, for various reasons, enablers elect to remain "neutral."

The narcissist depends upon these weak-willed comrades. Abusing someone isn't any fun if it's only a party of two. With a crowd, there's unlimited potential for drama. The narcissist can pull a lot more strings that way.

If it were just the abuser and her target, it wouldn't be worth it to carry out a full-fledged hate campaign. So, the narcissist works to get others to turn on the target. The collective betrayal, which comes from the camp of these enablers, is even more devastating than the primary source of abuse.

Targets...watch as the people they thought were their friends slink away as the battle intensifies.

Not taking a stand to stop someone from being hurt doesn't absolve you of guilt. On the contrary, you become an active participant...

Some enablers even take it a step beyond, by switching from idling in neutral to all-out support of the morally disordered person. They may even turn into "flying monkeys" who carry out small attacks in order to stay on the bully's good side.

* When Christianity first got into bed with immoral, murderous Roman Emperors...agreeing to be its bitch (the Book of Revelation in the Bible called the early institutionalized church “the Whore of Babylon”...”the Mother of Prostitutes and Abominations of the Earth"), in exchange for political empowerment, wealth, self-aggrandizement, and the freedom to persecute others...

Why People Become Enablers

Most enablers likely act out of weakness rather than malice. However, this doesn't excuse them. That's because enablers have a lot of power. The abuser relies upon them not to back up the target. Before any attacks begin, a morally disordered person will carefully plan the battle. This can take months to even years before direct hits are launched.

Warfare begins only if it's clear that there's an excellent chance of decimating a target. If there's a solid support system, the abuser won't make a move. This means the enablers are the variable, which can either make or break a plan. The narcissist knows this, which is why so much effort is put into creating chaos and confusion. This makes it easier for the enablers to rationalize their position. They may even begin to believe the target is getting the treatment she deserves, and that she did something to warrant the narcissist's extreme reaction.

Motivated by Self Interest

Enablers are guided by self interest. So, they choose not to help the victim.

In a social setting, such as in a neighborhood full of young mothers, a woman might worry about her own social standing. She doesn't want to be the next victim. She also wants to ensure her children aren't ostracized.

Narcissists are serial abusers. Once they eliminate one person, they find someone else to kick around. This is the unspoken threat that keeps enablers in line. The fear of ending up as a target is palpable and overriding.

In the Workplace

A lot of emotional abuse among adults takes place at work. It seems as if every office now has a resident bully. Bully behavior is what narcissists excel at. Undoubtedly, a lot of these folks suffer from malignant narcissism, or a related personality disorder. Here is how it carries out:

The target receives no help. When an attack is carried out at work, it's a very rare individual who'll risk their job to defend a target. However, this is understandable considering that livelihoods are at stake. Although we are still called to do the right thing, putting up resistance could get you into trouble, while not doing anything can also be hazardous to your job.

The target ends up leaving. Workplace bullies attack with the aim of driving their target into the unemployment line. Usually they succeed. About 75 percent of the time, someone who's bullied at work moves on. This happens either because they are fired, due to trumped up charges, or they voluntarily resign.

Then, the attacker moves on to the next. Workplace bullies operate on a similar principle as serial killers — they are angry, bloodthirsty creatures who need fresh prey. Once the target leaves, they start hunting for another. This person is often chosen from their pool of enablers. In an especially ironic twist, a "flying monkey" may even find herself on the receiving end of a narcissist's wrath.

Why People Fall for the Lies

Some enablers don't help because they have swallowed the stories concocted by the narcissist. But this doesn't entirely let them off the hook, because we're not supposed to listen to gossip in the first place. If someone is painted in an unflattering light, we should stop the conversation and insert a kind word on that person's behalf. It appears as if an enabler neglects this important step. Instead, they listen to the falsehoods being spread.

The fact that some people believe these tales says little about your character, but volumes about theirs. First, because they listen to gossip, they encourage this vice. They provide a comfortable ear for the tale-bearer. They also suspend their ability to think critically, and to form their own opinions about someone. This is why enablers are not so innocent. They've made a choice to support the abuse, even if they don't see it that way.

In my personal experience with narcissistic abuse, I've found that education is my best weapon. This is why I often recommend that targets read all they can about this disorder.

The book Narcissists Exposed is an excellent introduction to the warped mind of a malicious personality. It clues you in to the game played by disordered people. Once you understand how they operate, you're not nearly as vulnerable to their attacks. After a while, with proper distance, it may even become amusing.”

Read in full... https://healdove.com/mental-health/Enablers-Help-the-Narcissist-Get-Away-With-It

* When Christianity first got into bed with immoral, murderous Roman Emperors...agreeing to be its bitch (the Book of Revelation in the Bible called the early institutionalized church “the Whore of Babylon”...”the Mother of Prostitutes and Abominations of the Earth"), in exchange for political empowerment, wealth, self-aggrandizement, and the freedom to persecute others...

[adhdyosafire]

  it took a fuckin while to draw these but alas here she is. i would have put her basic info DRAWN there 2 but the PAIN of lacking a pentab & using nothing but MOUSE is terrible but u kno ,,,, nya! both canon & variant verse will be explained below B”) just 4give my poor ass drawing skills

    basically her full name is kyana fletcher d.(aiki) mellington. she’s a british-japanese ( though she’s lived more in england rather than japan , thus was more used to their culture and language. she has visited her mother’s hometown several times though , but not as often. her accent is ever so slightly similar to bl/izzard’s tra/cer  ) . she’s about 23 y/o born on 05/26/19XX , about 6′5″ in height though originally 6′2″. her heels made her taller.  fluent in japanese and knows a little bit of french. she’s an IT engineer at mu/rkoff , yet also a web developer/designer and was responsible for several unsolved crimes. she uses a golden revolver to commit these crimes.

     she has undiagnosed psychopathy mainly because she rarely gave a shit about her mental health ( and highly doubts that she is sick in the first place , even believes in the contrary that she sees better than anyone else. smth like that. ) .

     her character , basically , is the villain in most stories who’s aware that they’re the villain and even lives up to it. think lor/d dom’s i’m the bad guy or sa/l just being the little shit he is. maybe less worse. or worse. you decide. she’s an antagonist and isn’t exactly the nicest girl around.

      PRE/BACKSTORY

            kyana grew up in a rather wealthy family with parents that loved her so. she’s a spoiled brat to say at the least , since her parents always gave her what she wanted and tried to make reason to her incorrect behavior . in school , she was typically a ‘’queen bee’’ but rarely had any friends despite her intimidating personality. it’s not like she cared too much though , what more she liked being an intimidating figure.  needless to say , she grew up in a life that was near to ‘ perfect ‘ but shit hit the fan eventually .

          her parents weren’t too young when they gave birth , thus they died of old age when kyana was around her teens. this distressed her , of course , but unlike most was quick to move on. her parents’ wealth was promised to be given to her when she was 18 but was first given to the hands of her aunt whom she moved in with. her aunt didn’t necessarily pay attention to her too much unlike her parents , and kyana wasn’t used to such treatment. she felt neglected for this state of her childhood but tried to not let it bother her too much . she had to move schools too eventually , and therefore lost her ‘popularity’ . she always got into several arguments and refused to be proven wrong even with evidence that she in fact was. her pride was something she never gave up . she eventually learned to become manipulative and put up a personality that was liked by many so her popularity once again increased and just like before , she was loved by many. but she uses this to her advantage to bully/bring down those who’ve disliked her at first , up to the point where they’ve chosen to leave the school / other terrible stuff. she never felt remorse for this however , only pure satisfaction. basically the same shit until she grew up to have a job. college was where she learned to toy with other’s hearts/feelings just for the sake of her amusement/sexual satisfaction for both men and women . her charms/good looks became a heavy advantage for her on this , along with her ability to flirt wisely though all deceived. ‘ falling in love ‘ was never a state kyana felt in her life because she couldn’t care less for romance .

       another thing about her personality as she grew up was she despised rules. she did not see the point in them , be it the commandments or laws in general. she has her own belief in where rules always rendered useless because  ‘ life’s short  , so ‘m gonna do whatever the fuck i wanna do ‘ . she finds it boring to follow such commands like robots being obliged to do tasks they’re programmed to do. this leads her to do some crimes for , again , the sake of her amusement or needs. be it greed for money or wrath / wanting revenge on some prick who’s pissed her off. she’s that petty. she was very power hungry too , which lead her to abandon her catholicism and worship herself instead.

      CANON

          kyana was still her ever so bitchy self in mount m/assive. of course she fucked with the other employees in more ways than one , and made sure she had a likable figure there as well. though she was aware of how terrible the shit they do in her workplace , it’s not like she could care less because ‘’ helping them nor pitying them would not be my benefit. perhaps , if i did , i’d achieve ‘justice’ as most would say , but it’s still an equivalence to golden rings to me. they’re both useless to me , hun. ‘’  so she continues on with her work.  the variants always piqued her interest though , and so ‘’playing’’ with them didn’t seem bad aka she wouldn’t really mind taking a trip inside the asylum herself ( AND BOY OH BOY WAS SHE WRONG ) 

          another thing she liked doing though was purely teasing with everyone else. think constantly bullying wa/ylon despite his size/timidness/reluctance to go ‘’rebel’’ with her ( and truthfully she does pity those who liked to follow rules , saying that they’re missing one hell of a life and just hopelessly becoming slaves to some dumb text printed on some paper  ) . she would literally cross the boundaries and even tease her boss as well since she didn’t enjoy being ‘bossed’ around or having someone more dominant/powerful than she is. ( lit tho she’d place a gun against his head n threaten him all she was n 5 seconds later lol bitch it’s a watergun i cant BELIEVE u peed urself!! )

     VARIANT

        in which her dream becomes true. this one’s still pretty much a huge wip but she generally takes the same path as wa/ylon , except she was either thrown in there w/o having to go to the morphogenic engine for either 1) angering jere/my and him just wantin 2 get petty revenge idk 2) kyana wasn’t mentally healthy in the first place and her little ‘gun’ incident made them throw her there , god im so unsure or 3) her just. getting in.  bc why not. ( i was supposed 2 add abt her following after way’s paths but that’s a WHOLE DIFF STORY OOPS ) 

       she unfortunately gets in unarmed though and loses her gun in the process. though she’s (thicc) physically capable of handling herself , her combat skills were not as great w/o the usage of weapons. thus in the path of meeting fra/nk she unfortunately gets her left breast cut off ( bc it was ‘’’meaty’’’ and thus more delicious yum YUM ) and manages to escape him . she’s slightly TERRIFIED at this point but not as much. the other variants didn’t matter to her nor did they have a large effect on her , what more they annoyed her with their stares/w/e im too lazy to explain it at this moment it’d be pretty obvious since she was a female wandering in the male ward

        much like both protagonists , traveling around the asylum made her sanity DROP further than it already was originally.  it’s basically the same or at least ALMOST the same torture as wa/ylon went through ( in which i’ll talk about in a more detailed way #soon(tm) ) . the gown , obviously , came from ed/die in attempts of making her into one of his brides ( and since she was presumbably the first female he’s come across with he’d be glad to finally found someone who was already PHYSICALLY acceptable for him so all he did was shove her in that damn dress ) but at this point she’s already snapped . she’d play for a while , but moments later had fought back and eventually killing the other inmate in the process , but not without saying ‘ thanks for the dress though , darlin~ ‘ in the process of murder. much like her previous criminal acts , she found slaughter amusing and p much did it to the other variants she’d come across w/ and called it an act of ‘mercy’ since it was so much better to die than let murkoff use them for experiments. think chris’ except his intentions were more linked to the wal/rider , in where kyana talked about the entire asylum in general.

      the guts were a faux flowercrown . since she still had to look pretty even in a godforsaken place , which should hint/show her VERY obvious narcissism .

       she has either stayed in the asylum as a wandering female variant in the male ward or if we’re following/making her path in the whistl/eblower story , she’d end up killing even jerem/y rather than miles’ wa/lrider doing it. same w/ waylo/n but AGAIN , that’s a different story(tm) that i’ll post abt soon

ONCE AGAIN NON FILTER FOR PROPER COLORS...

[alltimebestbooks]

Top 10 Books I Read

1. Rich Dad Poor Dad

Written by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter in 1997, Rich Dad Poor Dad is based mostly on Kiyosaki's young days spent in Hawaii. Enriched by Kiyosaki’s personal experience and the teachings he received from his rich dad and poor dad, the book highlights different attitudes towards money, work and life.

Framed around six main teachings and lessons, the book is mostly a self-reflection. Apart from the financial benefits, the book also describes and highlights the teachings he got from his poor dad, i.e., empathy and responsibility towards society.

Described as a personal finance book, it has not only challenged, but has also changed the way people think about money. The book talks about Kiyosaki’s background, his business ventures and investments and variation between possessions and liabilities and what importance they both have in terms of starting and owning a business. It also sheds light on the teachings given by rich to their kids, which is usually missed by poor as well as the middle class parents and why it is important to have financial literacy over and above all.

It also provides impetus on doing work for learning and not for earning and teaches the importance of investing and building business. This path-breaking book also showcase how one must be prepared to take action and risk and communicates the idea of how one’s primary residence is a liability and not an asset. It communicates the importance of intelligence and literacy in terms of finance and how financial and entrepreneurial skills play a vital role in the success. How to use power and prosper with the help of investment skills and why it is important to possess investment skills are also written in clear and crisp words in this book.

The book also talks of the importance of investment and free enterprise and urges the prospective investors and businessmen to learn from others, especially from rich people and generate new ideas to excel and succeed in life.

2. The Secret

Regarded as a life-changing read by many readers, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is a self-help book that embarks to motivate the reader about a universal paradigm about success that can be achieved though it remains hidden for most people. The book explores about unveiling this little secret which may transform how people look at things and lead them on to the road of success and true happiness.

According to the author, the book makes proper use of the 'law of attraction’ and shows how positive thinking can open treasure trove of bountiful happiness, health and wealth. The book posits the law of attraction as a primeval law that completes the law of the universe (as well of our lives) through the process 'like attracts like’. The author is also of the view that as people think-and-feel, so do they send a corresponding frequency to the universe that in turn attracts events and circumstances of the same frequency. Hence, if one is always able to think positive and think right, naturally, one will obtain the best results always. In all this argument however, there is no scientific basis for the views expressed as to how such 'attraction' affect the biological and physical processes of the body.

In propounding these provocative views, the book highlights visualization and gratitude as the two major powerful processes that help people manifest their dreams and desires. Although hailed by many as the secret to good life and better living, the book has also attracted some serious criticism, with many claiming it to be a 'highly controversial’ book.

Despite the controversy, in 2006 a film by the same name as the book was released. The Secret has sold over 19 million copies in less than a year’s span and has been translated into 46 languages. And, even after a decade of its first publication, it is still regarded as a path-breaking work in the field of inspirational writings.

3. The Magic

Learn the ideal way to approach Life

We all fail to realize the purpose of our life. We do live and fulfil most of our dreams, yet feel something missing within us. This feeling of being lost and wandering around often comes without any answers which can get frustrating and draining. This is exactly why we all need some 'magic' in our life to help us out. This is where Rhonda Byrne’s 'The Magic' enters the fray.

The ideal journey to a better living:

Gratitude is the greatest gifts of mankind. And this is exactly what the author, Rhonda Byrne focuses on. In a very subtle yet profound manner, Rhonda Byrne introduces her readers about the power and miracles of gratitude and its rewarding implementation in our lives.

There have been occurrences and instances when a single thought has changed the life of many individuals. The author, Rhonda Byrne in her book 'The Magic' aims at influencing and motivating her readers to realize how they can make things happen for themselves. Her book opens answers to various questions as to how one can live and grow from a simple idea.

The Magic is a sequel to the author’s second book, The Power. Like all other previous books of the author, this one too is a life altering book which takes you on a self-help journey to spiritual

4. The Six Pillars of Self Estreem

Nathaniel Branden's book is the culmination of a lifetime of clinical practice and study, already hailed in its hardcover edition as a classic and the most significant work on the topic. Immense in scope and vision and filled with insight into human motivation and behavior, The Six Pillars Of Self-Esteem is essential reading for anyone with a personal or professional interest in self-esteem. The book demonstrates compellingly why self-esteem is basic to psychological health, achievement, personal happiness, and positive relationships. Branden introduces the six pillars-six action-based practices for daily living that provide the foundation for self-esteem-and explores the central importance of self-esteem in five areas: the workplace, parenting, education, psychotherapy, and the culture at large. The work provides concrete guidelines for teachers, parents, managers, and therapists who are responsible for developing the self-esteem of others. And it shows why-in today's chaotic and competitive world-self-esteem is fundamental to our personal and professional power.

5. The Richest Man in Babylon

If you have a lean purse and are looking for financial wisdom, you’ve picked the perfect book! “A PART OF ALL YOU EARN IS YOURS TO KEEP.” From the importance of savings to the essentials on how to become wealthy, this collection of famous Babylonian parables imparts timeless financial wisdom. It offers insights on how to become wealthy and how to attract good luck and discusses the five laws of gold. A perfect guide to understanding finances and a powerhouse of time-tested principles to gain and retain personal wealth, The Richest Man in Babylon has been inspiring readers for generations. It continues to remain a classic bestseller.

6. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

It is rightly said that habits make or break a man. If you want to know why you are not doing something right, sometimes all you need is to perform an analysis of your habits and consider altering them. Because sometimes it’s not about what you do, but more about how you do it! And that’s where your habits play a very important role.

'The 7 habits of Highly Effective People' is a book that aims at providing its readers with the importance of character ethics and personality ethics. The author talks about the values of integrity, courage, a sense of justice and most importantly, honesty. The book is a discussion about the seven most essential habits that every individual must adopt to in order to live a life which is more fulfilling.

Content of the book:

The author continues to take the readers through the journey of character development. He elaborates how the development of the character of a being ranges from the time of his birth to the years until he grows independent. The first three habits demark the development one goes from dependence to independence. The next three habits describe in detail about interdependence while the final seventh habit deals with the new self, that is renewal.

The book is highly recommended for people of all ages. It also holds a record of having over 25 million copies sold in about as many as 40 languages all over the world.

7. How to Win Friends and Influencear People

'How to win friends and influence people’ is a self-help book which is the pioneer of this genre. Written by Dale Carnegie and published in 1936, it has sold over 30 million copies. It has been edited and re-printed several times. This is the 2004 edition of this book. It was on the Time magazine’s 100 most influential books list in 2011. This book is a guide in improving a person's aura in the world. It is about changing how the world views and treats you by changing your own behaviour. That means that if you change the kind of energy that you emit, what comes back to you is also different. This is one of the most influential business and communication skills guide. This book teaches you how to market yourself and generate more clients. This book has been acclaimed by many known figures around the world. This book tries to get you out of a mental hell and provides you with ambition and goals. It enables you to be friendlier and seem a positive person to others, it helps you become a popular person who is liked by the majority and in business terms, it enables you to win new clients. it increases your earning power by helping you use your potential to the fullest and it helps you to become a better public speaker and to be liked by mass audience. If you read the book carefully and follow majority of the tips, you can learn to be friendlier and more presentable as a person. You can become a person who emits the positivity that is inside the heart. You can become a person people trust and want to be associated with. As long as you have good friends and good business associations, you will probably stay strong in personal as well as professional life.

8. You Can Win

An easy-to-read, practical, common-sense guide that will take you from ancient wisdom to modern-day thinking, You Can Win helps you establish new goals, develop a new sense of purpose, and generate new ideas about yourself and your future. It guarantees, as the title suggests, a lifetime of success. The book enables you to translate positive thinking into attitude, ambition and action to give you the winning edge.

This book will help you to: · Build confidence by mastering the seven steps to positive thinking · Be successful by turning weaknesses into strengths · Gain credibility by doing the right things for the right reasons · Take charge by controlling things instead of letting them control you · Build trust by developing mutual respect with people around you · Accomplish more by removing the barriers to effectiveness.

9. The Magic of Thinking Big

More than 6 million readers around the world have improved their lives by reading The Magic of Thinking Big.

First published in 1959, David J Schwartz's classic teachings are as powerful today as they were then. Practical, empowering and hugely engaging, this book will not only inspire you, it will give you the tools to change your life for the better - starting from now. His step-by-step approach will show you how to:

- Defeat disbelief and the negative power it creates - Make your mind produce positive thoughts - Plan a concrete success-building programme - Do more and do it better by turning on your creative power - Capitalise on the power of NOW

Updated for the 21st century, this is your go-to guide to a better life, starting with the way you think

10. Life is Amazing Secret

Stop going through life, Start growing through life!

While navigating their way through Mumbai's horrendous traffic, Gaur Gopal Das and his wealthy young friend Harry get talking, delving into concepts ranging from the human condition to finding one's purpose in life and the key to lasting happiness.

Whether you are looking at strengthening your relationships, discovering your true potential, understanding how to do well at work or even how you can give back to the world, Gaur Gopal Das takes us on an unforgettable journey with his precious insights on these areas of life.

Das is one of the most popular and sought-after monks and life coaches in the world, having shared his wisdom with millions. His debut book, Life's Amazing Secrets, distils his experiences and lessons about life into a light-hearted, thought-provoking book that will help you align yourself with the life you want to live.

[saifsamejo]

Why Believe Women?

Why Believe Women?

By Saif Samejo

Throughout the period of her advocacy for sexual assault survivors, Tarana Burke being the founder of #Metoo movement has repeatedly mentioned how any particular case being taken forward doesn’t bring her personal joy. She reminds us again & again how this is not what the movement is about. It is about the healing of the survivors. She is not delusional with the idea that sexual harassment will disappear from the world in the next decade, but she believes a shift in narratives – how we talk about it, is possible till the next decade.

Globally, with the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard domestic violence case, the discussion of believing women or not is resurfacing. “Believe women” is a political slogan arising out of the MeToo Movement which refers to the perceived necessity of accepting women’s allegations of sexual harassment or sexual assault at face value. Sady Doyle, writing for Elle, argues that the phrase means, “Don’t assume women as a gender are especially deceptive or vindictive, and recognize that false allegations are less common than real ones.”

The movement speaks for all survivors regardless of their gender.

Now let’s go back up and bring the “Believe Women” slogan in current context of Pakistani society. When the conversation of MeToo movement started in our country: We failed the victims with a) our silence, b) the defamation case easily working in the favor of the alleged accused harassers who were already powerful, c) the toxic cyber bullying and reporting turning such a grave issue into a mere professional fight between two celebrities, and d) either ignoring or personally targeting all young survivors of harassment by the same alleged accused harassers to such an extent that it forced victims to take their tweets down to protect their lives.

This took a more twisted turn when an uncontested Music Icon of the Generation award was given to the same alleged accused harasser whose case is still going on in the Lahore High Court while his survivor is asked to zip up. We as a society, have not only accepted but also encouraged this predatory behavior to continue.

Many alleged harassers & rapists in the industry are still continuing the work without being questioned in the same way we effortlessly question the victims. Even though in this particular on-going case, people who read and published the story to give one victim a louder voice didn’t accuse anyone, a director still filed a defamation case against his fellow film director for merely reading an anonymous letter at Lahooti Melo 2019, which didn’t even mention any names. While the audience wonders who will win this case, I wonder, does it even matter? What if the director who filed the case wins it and proves that it really is about him? But what then? Whose victory is that and what importance does it hold?

A huge part of initiating proper dialogue on sexual harassment specifically in the industry is the responsibility of our celebrities. However, making the allies of alleged accused sexual predators accountable for their actions by demanding not to see them working with the alleged person is still the work of the whole society until the accused comes clean.

There are so many people still silent on the matter showing no morals or conscience & so many who continue to work with these accused harassers in their films, music videos, and documentaries. Most just get away with misogynistic remarks insulting victims of sexual misconduct.

Does this mean, we have accepted harassment and rape as a common practice in the industry? If not, then have we even appropriately schooled our senior and respected media professionals on their irresponsible opinions on the Me Too movement? No one should be allowed to hide where they stand on such an important subject & the burden of proof must be shifted from the victims to the accused harassers.

As far as coming clean is concerned, it could be done by alleged accused harassers in a lot of ways other than using lengthy procedures of court to buy time, hiring PR agencies to do their work because in most cases the victims are already too powerless to answer them this way, or pretending to have stepped down from they position in their own organization while they are secretly still benefiting from it.

An example of a step from one of the other ways of coming clean I mean above: Varun Grover’s Open Letter To Find Closure

“And would I still say, “Believe All Women”?

Yes.

But please bring in the checks to differentiate it from “Believe All Screenshots”. – Varun Grover

We need to recognize that is a social fight. These women are already an easy target for us to blame and rid ourselves of the responsibility to do something for them.

‘“Believe women” does not actually come into conflict with fact-checking sources; there’s a difference between engaging with sexual assault claims in good faith and having the legal grounding to print those claims, and even passionately feminist reporters understand that journalism has to adhere to the second standard.” –Sady Doyle

In Pakistan, we are far from listening to the survivors, let alone believing them. We don’t even have social consciousness of the fact that women are subjected to harassment and abuse the most in our country. In fact, we are in denial. We deny it when it is protested in Auratmarch and close our eyes when it happens in our own homes too. Every day we read news of domestic violence, hear stories of workplace harassment; know how common marital rape is and how most of the victims are women. Yet, instead of listening, the first things we do are arguing and questioning the credibility, identity and character of survivors.

When we don’t know who the survivor or the abuser is, instead of focusing on the message of the survivor, we just curiously gossip about the identity of the survivor. The next time you read an anonymous account of rape or harassment and want to know the identity of the victim instead of the alleged accused harasser, ask the women in your home. Ask them and see if you have personally built a space safe enough for them to talk about their sexual harassment experiences and then think about the kind of society we have created with our own hands for our girls.

In such circumstances how can we expect women being abused by their own teachers/religious scholars, whom we hand over such a big responsibility, will come forward with their stories others don’t have to go through the hell they went through? What about the underage girls being forcefully converted and married off and what about women repeatedly getting raped by their own uncles, husbands, sons, brothers, and fathers whom they are supposed to trust with all their heart? Can you imagine a mother sharing her experience of harassment, abuse or rape with her son? What about young boys and trans-people?

It’s been months raising awareness against sexual predators and beyond individuals addressing a bigger canvas of such behavior, listening, sharing stories of victims and survivors, feeling their courage and witnessing their process of healing which isn’t very easy. It all haunts my friends and me.

In the process I personally spoke to some people who were actually justifying alleged accused predators some or other way. They could be their allies, beneficiaries, or they are themselves terrified of something; but one shift is very interesting and important I feel to share with you here.

An alleged accused predator exploits women/girls, assaults or harasses them and when your hands reach to his neck he hides behind women/girls too, like he will say he has a daughter and wife so it’s impossible for him to do that. He can also say you have to think about his daughter or wife, how society will think about them if he is exposed like this?

Some will say that they’ve known him for decades; he can be a jerk, harami, and exploiter but can’t be a rapist since he has children.

They will question why girls went to him, claim that maybe girls wanted some work in film or video and they weren’t given so they are accusing him or they can say may be they themselves offered him to get some work and he didn’t miss opportunity but this doesn’t make him a bad man.

Most of them consider rape and assault a norm, saying, “aisa tou hota hai.”

They will continuously throw around quotes like “Innocent until proven guilty”.

They threaten you by saying, “A story written by girls can be written against you but does it mean you are predator too?”

They will say, “Let the girls come to court and prove.”

You will be given such choices and that’s where you have to be wise enough to seek answer because you too have a daughter, sister or friend you care about and you have a responsibility to build a safe, inclusive, and just society for them.

I am learning that the battle isn’t simple because such men have so much to hide behind, they will hide behind films, songs, contacts and connections, departments, women, religion and there’s a huge ideological world in our mind behind which they hide. The trick has worked for them in the past making it reasonable for them to think it will continue to work for them now.

At some stage all they need is your sympathy and that’s where you have identify them and their allies.

Knowingly or unknowingly, the people who should be the role models for young girls have enabled and encouraged the harassers by staying silent on the matter or by using seemingly unaware, illogical, and apathetic statements.

It is about time to have some shame and try to find out how we can help encourage women to come forward with their stories so we can do something before they are killed or take their own lives.

What fear holds us back from creating a safe environment where the survivors can come forward?

The fear that women will lie and that will destroy men’s reputations, careers, and status.

This fear is being prioritized over, actual damage to women’s reputations, security, careers, status, health, bodies, and lives. Does it sound fair?

The account of sexual harassment read in Lahooti Melo has become a new ray of hope for survivors to heal and even come forward so they can protect others.

Sexual predators live, breathe, and work like leeches in every industry. But I believe we are taking steps towards a reckoning. A new industry is taking birth and it has to, a clean industry where young and true talent will rise and the wave will wash away all parasites, sexual predators, and their supporters. Time is here. It’s taking roots and this plant will become a tree soon.

It’s a long way and it’s getting green and colorful and the cloud of darkness has to fade.

No more abuse of power positions to use young helpless girls and boys can be allowed. We have to prioritize the lives, healing, wellbeing, and security of these young survivors over the careers of alleged accused predators.

Once we succeed in doing this, only then we can gain the capacity to concern ourselves with the right medical or legal treatment for habitual predators.

This is our moment to stand on the right side of history. We owe this respect to our women and all survivors os sexual harassment who watch their abusers go back to their normal lives when the hype wears off in the media, while they themselves can never go back to their old lives. Let’s believe women & girls, especially those who gather the courage to speak up and trust us alone in the world so we can work towards healing. #iBelieveHer

Saif Samejo’s contemporary folk band The Sketches has withdrawn all four of their nominations from LSA 2019 in support of survivors of sexual harassment. Read their full statement.

[fashiontrendin-blog]

The Conversation I Wish We Had After Aziz Ansari

http://fashion-trendin.com/the-conversation-i-wish-we-had-after-aziz-ansari/

The Conversation I Wish We Had After Aziz Ansari

One night in September 2017, a woman we know as “Grace” went on a date with actor and writer Aziz Ansari. The evening has been rehashed and disputed many times over since it took place; now, in the quiet that follows, what can we say we’ve learned? What we know for certain is that if Ansari weren’t famous, if Babe.net hadn’t gone after Grace’s story, and if we weren’t living through the public reckoning that is the #MeToo movement, this simply would have been another bad date in the litany of bad dates women have endured for years, with Grace’s pleasure disregarded and consent assumed due to the fact that she agreed to the date and let him pay.

“Apparently there is a whole country full of young women who don’t know how to call a cab,” wrote Caitlin Flanagan for The Atlantic, whose “hot take” — though it’s one I fundamentally disagree with — illustrates an opinion shared by many, which is that #MeToo has now crossed the threshold into hysteria, with women equating Ansari’s aggressive sexual overtures with the repeated, systemic, and career-destroying sexual assaults perpetrated by people like Harvey Weinstein. The argument was a red herring that pulled many into a semantic argument. As Samantha Bee put it: “We know the difference between a rapist, a workplace harasser and an Aziz Ansari, but that doesn’t mean we have to be happy about any of them.”

So the conversation following Babe.net’s story, which could have centered on the nuances of consent, became a debate about what does and doesn’t constitute a sexual crime. But there are other parts of this worth digging into, like the intricacies of gender power dynamics, the unbalanced ways we teach and talk about pleasure and consent, the experiences — from confusing to dehumanizing to traumatizing — we’ve tucked away as a result of our sexually illiterate culture, and our collective language that defines “bad sex” for men as “sex in which my orgasm did not arrive at the proper time or with the most pleasing velocity.” “Bad sex” for women, meanwhile, is defined as sex that ranges from an indifferent partner to one who systematically hacks away at their defenses until they’re too exhausted to do anything but submit.

The #MeToo movement was founded by Tarana Burke to empower and give voice to the survivors of sexual crimes. Thankfully, and unsurprisingly, it has incited a broader cultural conversation. That conversation has launched an overdue reckoning, one that means coming to grips not only with the terrifying pervasiveness of sexual assault, but also the kind of sex we have to steel ourselves through — the kind we’d never call assault but would also rather forget — and all the toxic mechanisms that make that kind of sex universal. In addition to discussing the legal trespassing of our bodies, we are also now addressing the emotional trespassing — what Rebecca Traister defined as “a vast expanse of bad sex — joyless, exploitative encounters that reflect a persistently sexist culture and can be hard to acknowledge without sounding prudish,” sex that leaves young women “wondering why they feel so fucked by fucking.”

But as the counterproductive noise following Grace’s story has proven, now is the moment we need to ask: what is the best way to talk about bad sex?

Don’t Call it a “Gray Area”

Our need to create some sort of “continuum of trauma” is understandable — giving a thing a name is one of the ways we try to understand our world — but our fumbling attempts to “grade” sexual assault could actually be contributing to the problem.

“I think it is incredibly important to keep the idea of what we’re talking about broad,” says Gina Scaramella, executive director of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC). “Calling [Ansari’s reported behavior] a ‘gray area’ minimizes it, rather than calling it what it is: manipulative, coercive and aggressive.”

Our tendency to play down sexually coercive behavior contributes to a culture in which survivors end up shouldering the blame. “So many of the people who call our hotline feel the need to apologize,” Scaramella says, “to say that what they experienced wasn’t that bad. Survivors feel like they didn’t do enough, weren’t smart enough, that because what they went through wasn’t ‘rape’ as they understand it, they should have been able to fight back. This language just serves the status quo, and it is a mask for problematic behavior that needs to get addressed if we want to develop a better understanding of sexual dynamics.”

Consent Is Complicated

That said, when it comes to consent specifically, acknowledging supposed “gray areas” — or, better put, the spectrum across which unwanted sexual behavior exists — might help the law catch up. Sexual assault laws vary from state to state. The most progressive, like the “Yes Means Yes” law in California, look for “affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity,” while in Mississippi, a claim of sexual battery requires proof that the perpetrator was intending to rape; indeed “rape” itself is still defined as the intent to “forcibly ravish any female of previously chaste character.” Jeannie Suk Gersen, the John H. Watson Jr. professor of law at Harvard Law School, says consent is becoming more of a touchstone in legal assessments: “The idea that someone needs to be physically forced has been de-emphasized when considering whether [an encounter] was an assault,” she says.

Using consent (as opposed to force) as the litmus test is certainly a more nuanced way of looking at sexual assault; it isn’t, however, necessarily more straightforward.

“What the courts are grappling with now is how we define consent,” says Gersen. “Some of those definitions are veering toward the idea that someone has to say or indicate ‘no,’ and others veer more toward a positive agreement, which could be verbal or nonverbal. Some statutes for college campuses require verbal consent given at every stage, but even that is difficult to resolve. Does one kiss count? The second kiss? Touching an arm?”

Subjectivity complicates matters further: What is coercive to one party may have seemed consensual to the other. “The internal feeling of coercion may not actually mean that the other person is trying to coerce,” says Gersen, “especially in cases where there is an imbalance of power. The law recognizes that two people can have very different subjective experiences, so the debate becomes whose subjectivity to recognize.” And while this is blisteringly difficult to negotiate, it is necessary — anyone who cares about due process understands that intention has to matter in a court of law. “If you hit someone with your car,” says Gersen, “it matters to our legal system if you intended to kill or if you were just being negligent. And it should.”

But the legal system is not currently designed to empower victims of sexual assault, nor is it entirely reliable. According to RAINN, six out of 100 rape cases will result in jail time. “It’s a false narrative, this idea that if it was ‘real’ rape, serious and forcible, then it will be punished,” says Scaramella. “Even if you have physical evidence and the victim is the ‘perfect’ victim and the offender is the ‘perfect’ offender, these cases rarely result in a conviction.”

The More Conversation, the Better

What the pundits and critics who rail against the excesses of the #MeToo movement don’t seem to realize is that when it comes to issues of sexual consent, any conversation is good conversation. BARCC has reported a 34% increase in hotline volume, an indication that more individuals are comfortable coming forward. “Our job is to say [all claims of assault] are worthy,” says Scaramella. “It’s all part of the same risk areas, areas of social change and social norms that need to get addressed, advancements around equality that need to get talked about.”

Gersen agrees. “What we’ve got now is the perfect storm of controversy on a really, really important social issue that we need to get more savvy about. The tools are there for us to put something together that reflects our social conscience about what is proper and fair — it’s just a matter of us working it out. It’s going to be a painful process, but it is a process.”

The Value of Talking About Bad Sex

When I think about “bad sex,” I think about the five years I spent single in New York, the men I met and went home with. I think about the moments I realized that our expectations of the night had diverged and that the effort required to extract myself seemed exhausting, risking violence at worst, annoyance at best. Allowing the act to take place would be easier, making whatever noises and contortions would get him off fastest. It’s a strange kind of detachment, unsettling and sad, to look up at a man and realize he has no idea you’re there. It was sex that looked nothing like what I wanted, but I didn’t know how to ask for what I did want or how to say no. It is not an experience I would wish on anyone, and yet it was what I came to think of as ordinary.

Sure, sexual violence may not be eliminated by a more nuanced and open conversation around consent, power and pleasure, but that doesn’t mean the conversation isn’t critically important. There’s no reason to wait for more Graces to tell their stories or more famous men to fall. This conversation is long overdue. As Emma Gray wrote in The Huffington Post, “[Bad sex] is a kind of sex that is not only worth talking about, but necessary to talk about. Behavior need not fall under the legal definition of sexual assault or rape to be wrong or violating or upsetting. And when nearly every woman I’ve spoken to about the Aziz Ansari story follows up our conversation with a similar story of her own, it’s worth thinking about why that is.”

Collages by Louisiana Mei Gelpi. Photos by Fairfax Media via Getty Images

[pearlvanraalte6-blog]

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[duanecbrooks]

The Return Of Girls Gone Write     Further unmistakable evidence that women, by and large, are the superior writers: the former George W. Bush press secretary and current Fox News host Dana Perino's my-life-with-my-dog-Jasper memoir Let Me Tell You About Jasper...: How My Best Friend Became America's Dog and the large-screen sprite Anna Kendrick's personal/professional memoir Scrappy Little Nobody. These two books are, frankly, flat-out joys to read, the former being a frequently warmhearted, often humorous, always heartfelt telling of her life and experiences with her pet dog Jasper, who, as she convincingly claims, has become the real and true star of the Perino family; the latter being an engaging, sprightly, consistently witty literary self-examination of one of the modern-day American cinema's most succulent and most appealing chicks. To partake of these tomes consecutively, both from beginning to end, is to spend quality time with a pair of delightfully quirky, keenly aware, firmly articulate she-babes who, each in her own way, have a marvelous sense of proportion, a marvelous refusal to see themselves as having any kind of Greatness.             Before getting into just exactly why these superb books are superb, allow me to go into how I first became aware of Kendrick (If you'll remember, Perino first came into my life via her first-rate within-the-George W. Bush-administration memoir And The Good News Is...: Lessons and Advice from the Bright Side). Kendrick caught my attention, as do many other other folks and things these days, via YouTube. Specifically, first, during a compilation of Kathie Lee/Hoda's "best" Today "celebrity moments," wherein, when Kendrick was asked whether or not she'd like to play a game, she facetiously mimicked Nader and replied mock-earnestly: "No! I hate games! I hate fun, I hate laughing!" (Later, she was shown doing some mock-dirty dancing with said girls); second, during a trailer for one of Kendrick's more recent theatrical films, namely Get A Job, the aforementioned trailer's two highlights, for me, being 1) this scene where Kendrick's filmic character, Jillian by name, is sitting on the floor lamenting the fact that she spent almost all of the money she had on a BITCHIIN' pair of shoes, while clad in a pair of equally bangin' black toreador pants that, given her sitting position, magnificently show off her magnificently long, lean legs and her magnificently-proportioned bare feet; and 2) a long shot of Kendrick adorned in a man's white shirt and tie and black high heels and again displaying those stylishly long, lean legs. Thus I was already primed, due to being previously turned on by Kendrick, to favor her tome.             It's here where I'll deal with the highlights of both books, the places where our memoirists especially grab ahold of and, simultaneously, charm and delight us.               .Perino, on the vast network of fans/friends that has developed due to her having Jasper: "It is a bit wonderful that through television and social media, Jasper and I became friends with so many people across the country. I enjoy interacting with my followers and fans, and I really feel that we have modern-day friendships--people I've never met, but that I've come to know over time through short digital interactions. It has widened my circle of people I talk to, and it's deepened my appreciation for people from all walks of life. I now get a chance to communicate with people I wouldn't have ever known; the Internet has given us a way to connect and network that didn't exist before. We're all neighbors now (with the proper amount of fencing to keep things friendly).               "Often this new group of people has cheered me up or warmed my heart just when I needed it. Working in politics and live cable television can be stressful, and switching off at the end of the day isn't always easy. Jasper's following has actually given me a way to set aside the work portion of my day and exchange some messages with my electronic friends, which helps me keep grounded and cheerful."                 .Kendrick, on her brother Mike: "My brother is my hero. I've idolized him since the day I was born and I still do. He's responsible for at least sixty percent of my personality, for better or worse. I'm told that if you're an only child, you grow up thinking you're the center of the universe, and if you have tons of siblings you grow up with a healthy perspective on how small you are in the grand scheme of things. I'd like to think that my brother told me I was a worthless brat often enough that I got the same effect...     "Mike's main interests [when we were kids] were watching Star Wars, playing Magic: The Gathering, and avoiding his annoying little sister. The only time he happily included me was when he wanted to play 'Pro Wrestling Champions,' as I was an ideal partner on which to inflict moderate injury."           .Perino, on Jasper's television debut: "Jasper made his debut on The Five [Perino's Fox News political talk show] as a sleepy puppy at just two months old, and a star was born. I brought him on set and when we were back from commercial break, I showed him off for the camera. He looked right into the lens with his deep blue eyes (a Vizsla [Jasper's breed] is born with blue eyes that eventually turn amber). He snuggled into me. Hearts melted.             "Jasper has tons of personality and is as photogenic as any dog I've known. On Jasper's birthday, my [The Five] producer lets him come on the show and he sits on a chair, for the most part, wearing a bow tie collar, and you would think he knows exactly what he's doing when he looks into the teleprompter. He's certainly better behaved than [Five co-host Greg] Gutfield."             .Kendrick, on her early period as an actor: "Starting in theater gave me a basic work ethic that I may not have gotten if I started in film and television. I worked six days a week, eight shows a week (two shows on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Mondays off). It wasn't so much the schedule--I worked in accordance with child labor laws--it was that I was held accountable for my work.             "Once, during rehearsals, our director was playing with the shape of a musical number that involved most of the cast--which jokes should stay, where they should go, etc. He decided to try reinstituting a small joke I'd had in a previous draft, and we started the number again from the top. I lost where we were in the music and I opened my mouth to say the line, a measure too late. He was already shaking his head and signaling the pianist to stop.             "'Anna just lost a line. Let's go back to how it was before and start again.'"         .Perino, on her period as W.'s press secretary: "[B]ecoming the White House press secretary was the best thing that ever happened to my career. I learned so much--about policy, world affairs, management, and politics.             "But the most important lesson I learned working for President Bush was about character and how to conduct myself under stress and attack. I found out how to be productive despite obstacles, and appreciated how a communicator can help calm a situation, advance a negotiation, or lead to a solution.               "The press secretary is the pinnacle for a public relations professional--it was the opportunity of a lifetime.                 "But having worked in politics for so many years, I'd built up a fairly tough exterior. The daily battles can wear a person out, and in some ways, I became edgier and harder than I'd ever been.         "It was also a lofty position, and the surest way you can lose your way in Washington, D.C., is to let any of that power or prestige go to your head.             "Throughout those years [first dog] Henry kept me from losing sight of what was important in life: appreciation and gratitude for my health and blessings, and the love I shared with [hubby] Peter and our dog."     .Kendrick, on her early life as a struggling actor: "The next pilot season [for television series] was starting up, which meant I was usually sent on one to four auditions a day. I discovered MapQuest and wrote down directions by hand since I didn't have a printer. Between that and my growing knowledge of the city, I was only getting lost, like, six times a day. Pilot season is grim because you're sent in for everything, no matter how wrong you are for it. I kept a mountain of clothes and accessories in my trunk so I could go from the fourteen-year-old goth daughter on a TNT drama to the spoiled twenty-two-year-old receptionist on a workplace comedy. It's obvious now that splitting my focus made it responsible for me to do well on any of them, but I was in no position to turn down auditions.               "How do I describe my personal life during this time? I met funny, interesting people. I went to art galleries downtown, I performed a one-woman show for free on the street corner. Except none of that's true. I spent most of my time trying to find ways to occupy myself without spending money or ingesting calories."                     .Perino, on what she terms Jasper's "protest pee": "When I wrote And the Good News Is... I received a lot of gifts for Jasper, including an embroidered quilt with the Great Seal of the United States. It is beautiful and functional. [Peter and I] take it with us to our friends' homes if we are invited to stay the night, because, well, you try telling Jasper he can't sleep on the bed. With the quilt, we're covered. Literally and figuratively.                   "When we're at our place in South Carolina, leaving him in the house is even more stressful. For a while, whenever we'd go out, we'd come home and find that he'd peed on the floor. As soon as we'd walk in, we'd know something happened, because Jasper would grab a toy as he always does, but instead of frantic joy and butt wagging, his tail would be down and he'd look guilty. It was hard to discipline him because you're supposed to catch them in the act. [Hubby] Peter would get pretty made at Jasper, and I'd feel terrible.                 "'He's so scared to be left alone,' I'd say.           "'No, he's being a brat,' Peter responded."                   .Kendrick, on behavior at showbiz events: "There's a campaign called #AskHerMore, which was started by some thoughtful, intelligent females (Lena Dunham, Reese Witherspoon, Shondra Rimes, etc.). It aims to ensure that when women attend events, they are asked about more than their dresses. Men don't answer questions about their clothes; why should we [women]? A simple and understandable request.                 "However, if people could ask me less, that would be great. I would love it if we could limit my red carpet topics to my favorite colors, what sound a duck makes, and my thoughts on McDonald's All-Day Breakfast--blessing or curse?"                 Also: Nearly the final half of Perino's book consists of various @FiveFanPhotoshops pictures that very humorously show Jasper in a collection of quite colorful poses--Jasper painting a portrait of Perino's former boss, W.; Jasper as a race-car driver; Jasper and Perino involved in the Kentucky Derby with the latter on top of the former, et al. And Kendrick's tome closes with a "Bonus Reading Group Guide," wherein there are "a few questions to help you get the most out of your reading experience."(As an addend, Kendrick wittily 1] apologizes for the "fact" that her "Guide" offers no red meat for those of us who "happen to run a trashy celebrity news blog that requires you to peruse the content of privileged cretins like me"; and 2] gives us permission to "use these questions [in the "Guide"] as a template for creating misleading but juicy headlines." She winds up by, also wittily, summing up what she, so she claims, is conveying: "[F]amous white girls are really fun to be mad at") Among the queries asked in the "Guide":                                        .."Though every page of Scrappy Little Nobody is perfect in every                           way, which part is your favorite? Make a list (it can be a Post-it that                           says, 'Every part is my favorite') and tape it to your chest for the rest                                 of the day."                                        .."When Anna compares Zac Efron to Charles Manson, is she making                                 a joke or trying to warn us about a potential murderous mastermind?"                                .."In the sections about Alexa Chung and Olivia Palermo, the author                           viciously maligns two innocent and very fashionable girls. Is Anna a                           shady, basic bitch, or the shadiest, basic-est bitch?"                                       .."Anna makes a lot of bad decisions. Can you think of a time when                                 you've made a bad decision? Oh wow, really? We're gonna pretend                                   you can't think of a single example? YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER                             THAN ME?!"             And thus there are the books of Dana Perino and Anna Kendrick, the former being a greatly stylish, consistently witty, always loving paean to a dog who is not only a beloved pet but, as Perino very convincingly limns, one of the most well-known and well-regarded personalities in America (easily, happily, well above and beyond any yammering about "animal rights"); the latter being an engagingly lively, undeniably honest, unrelievedly funny self-portrait of a celebrity gal who is obviously on the sides of life and living, whose unflinchingly upbeat, never-say-die attitude comes through in literally every paragraph.                 In the much-lauded theatrical film The Magic of Belle Isle, the single Mom Charlotte O'Neill (Virginia Madsen), during an evening dinner with her daughters and that evening's guest, the renowned Western novelist Monte Wildhorn (Morgan Freeman), asserted: "I've always felt that a book does something no friend could: Stay quiet when you want to think." To partake of the Perino and Kendrick tomes as they "[s]tay quiet" is to have you "wanting to think" about them--always favorably and, very often, with unsheathed laughter.

[universeinform-blog]

Want Big Talent?: Here Are 5 Employee-Recruiting Tips for Small Companies

New Post has been published on https://universeinform.com/2017/03/15/want-big-talent-here-are-5-employee-recruiting-tips-for-small-companies/

Want Big Talent?: Here Are 5 Employee-Recruiting Tips for Small Companies

Ante Barisic labored for a huge telecommunications enterprise for almost years. He enjoyed “all of the blessings of operating for a large player,” then jumped ship for a smaller organization. No person in Barisic’s circle of relatives could recognize why he’d made that pass.

Related: 3 Methods to Be Continuously Recruiting Celebrity Skills Via Social Media

However, in a post titled “Switching jobs: Why I left a massive company to sign up for a smaller one?” Barisic defined why. “[I received] bonuses, 25 days of paid vacation, paid sports activities and top-notch hospital therapy,” he started out. “So, why did I go away?”

The cause, Barisic stated, answering the apparent question, become he didn’t like the sluggish motion of his large organization. He hated the workplace politics. And he desired credit score for his paintings. He seemed to make plans for some weeks at a time as a “waste of time.” He additionally believed that doing paintings for a huge organization without a visibility “turns into an even greater chance to your career.”

He wasn’t by myself in his sentiments. In Gallup’s 2017 Country of the yank place of work study, fifty-two percentage of U.S. personnel surveyed said they have been actively looking for a new job. One cause appears to be that Americans have emerged as more optimistic of their capability to paintings some place else: In 2012, most effective 19 percentage of Americans said it become a terrific time to discover the best task; by way of mid-2016, that range had grown to forty-two percent.

Owners of small businesses, then, are in a higher position than they have been for years. As employees like Barisic look to depart larger organizations for smaller ones, the latter have a risk of attracting the proficient A-listers they need to their groups.

Here’s how smaller organizations can use their particular strengths within the employee-recruiting sweepstakes for massive Talent:

 Offer better blessings. It can be hard for small corporations to compete with the salaries of larger agencies, However, they do have a few leverage. Thinking about that the 2017 Gallup record found that millennials had the best price of underemployment, that phase would possibly sense particularly undervalued.

What is more, ninety-three percent of the 13, three hundred millennials surveyed in LinkedIn’s 2016 Expertise Developments record stated they have been interested listening to about process opportunities. And 30 percentage stated they may forsee themselves best running less than a year at their current businesses.

It is in which smaller companies can step in. Those groups can Offer a much wider variety of blessings extra in music with specific worker groups. For instance, they may be capable of match only the median salary for a function, However they are able to Provide bendy blessings, consisting of agency laptops, cellular telephones and far off working opportunities.

Small groups can also give personnel the choice to pick what matters to them. When dealing with a smaller, greater intimate group, employers can survey to decide which blessings and perks are definitely maximum engaging.

Associated: Ask Those 24 Interview Inquiries to discover a Advertising Rock Big name

Starting a Recruiting Employer

If you are interested in Beginning a recruiting Corporation of your own, beneath is a primary introduction that will get you commenced down the proper course.

The first element you will need is a stable know-how of just what that entails. What does Beginning a recruiting Employer mean and what are the steps you will want to take to get there?

If you are Beginning a recruiting Organization, it virtually method you are an Impartial Recruiter (that is someone who finds “employees” for “employers”) and you figure for your self (in preference to being a recruiter for a specific enterprise or Business enterprise – which would be a company recruiter or perhaps a military recruiter). As an Independent Recruiter, you may pick out up you own customers (employers) and discover applicants (employees) for the ones customers who want assist filling their job openings.

There are many blessings (and some dangers) to Starting a recruiting Employer and being an Independent Recruiter. On the advantage side, you are self-hired so you could make extra cash and work while you need to. At the disadvantage aspect, you’re self-hired so that you can pay extra taxes and you’ll work extra hours even when you do not need too, so that you can make extra cash. In other words, the positives may be poor and the opposite is also real relying on the way you take a look at it.

Beginning a recruiting Company and being an Unbiased Recruiter is not a “get rich brief” scheme. Despite the fact that the system is reasonably easy, it does require several hours of labor every day and, as with most things, the greater effort and time you positioned into it, the more success you’ll have. However, for folks that are inclined to “do the time”, being a Recruiter can be very worthwhile both financially and individually. There’s not anything higher then understanding you helped someone land their dream job while at the identical time making $10,000 $20,000 or maybe $30,000 greenbacks in cash. No, that is not an exaggeration

Small Organizations: Weather the Vacations

Except you are a Seasonal or Retail primarily based business, it is no mystery that enterprise will sluggish down around the holiday season. Right round October is in which you can see a large drop in sales. Those Vacation months may be tough on small Agencies, so How do you maintain your employer’s boom into the Vacations? If you agree that there may not be any customers to promote to in the course of this time, what do you do with the extra time?

It’s important to now not become idle and complacent at some stage in this Excursion season. As a commercial enterprise proprietor, there may be continually matters to be stepped forward on and not hustling via the holiday season can permit competitors to close in on your marketplace. No matter what industry you’re in, there is continually challenges that need to be addressed. The harsh reality is – Organizations fall victim to the holiday sluggish season and end up remaining doors.

Hustle-Paintings-Holidays

Stay beforehand of opposition and prepare for the Holidays. At the same time as others gradual down and sit down around, get the edge with These four suggestions.

Follow up on overdue Invoices

If you’re a small business, there may be a excessive danger that there is top notch invoices that haven’t been paid. With the additional downtime, make the effort to cash in on These invoices. Every now and then it is as clean as invoices that you forgot about. Other times, it is greater tough instances that want to be despatched to collections – either manner, you shouldn’t depart money at the desk. Any money coming in is beneficial in your books.

Ensure to hold word of why invoices are tremendous. Later, you can improve your billing procedure this way to make sure no extra leaks.

Trim fat via cutting prices

it’s clean to permit month-to-month prices to get out of control. While business is doing well, you don’t word the small issue. However You don’t must wait till urgent times to do a overview of your business prices. there is constantly approaches to cut back. in which to start? Attempt Asking your employees. As an example: you could reduce your advertising and marketing expenses in case your personnel recognise that the ROI might not be suitable or you can ask for e-mail subscription/advertising services to be suspended a month. Finding approaches to trim your prices will provide you with extra money flow into the new 12 months.

Worker or Impartial Contractor

Normally, business growth is followed via a higher head rely, which in flip is accompanied via developing tax and Worker benefit challenges. Many business owners may be tempted to reduce the effect of these challenges by classifying employees as Impartial contractors in place of employees. But, it’s far critical that enterprise proprietors correctly decide the individuals providing offerings are personnel or Independent contractors.

enterprise proprietors have various statutory responsibilities arising from wages, including the duty for withholding profits taxes, withhold and pay Social Protection and Medicare taxes, pay unemployment taxes on wages paid to personnel together with numerous payroll reporting and submitting requirements. In contrast, the statutory responsibility applicable to Unbiased contractors is very limited and includes the annual preparation and submitting of form 1099.

A key factor inside the determination of whether or not an character imparting services is an Worker or Unbiased contractor, is the difficulty of manage; therefore all data that offers proof of the degree of manipulate and independence must be taken into consideration. According to the Internal Sales Carrier (“IRS”), the information that provide proof of the diploma of control and independence fall into 3 classes: (1) behavioral – the employer control or have the right to manipulate what the employee does and the way the employee does his or her job; (2) economic – the commercial enterprise elements of the employee’s activity, together with how the employee is paid, whether fees are reimbursed, and possession of the elements, equipment and device, are controlled by using the payer and (three) the kind of relationship – whilst the form of paintings finished via the employee represents a key factor of the payers’ enterprise; and the employee offers services exclusively to the payer; it is much more likely than now not the employee is an Employee.