#scope of event management

[rutujat313]

Event Planning as a Career: Roles, Opportunities, and Salary Expectations

Discover the dynamic world of event planning. Learn about the various roles, opportunities, and salary expectations in this exciting field. Whether you're planning weddings, corporate events, or festivals, this guide provides essential insights for a successful career in event management. Explore now at NIEM India. Visit here to know more about this blog - https://www.niemindia.com/blog/event-planning-as-a-career-roles-opportunities-and-salary-expectations/

[ansuljha]

Event Management Ethics: A Student’s Guide 

Event management is an exciting and dynamic field in Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad that involves planning and organizing various types of events, ranging from conferences and trade shows to weddings and music festivals. As aspiring event management professionals and with a vast scope of event management, it is essential for students to understand the importance of ethics in this industry. Hence, we will explore the significance of event management ethics and provide a comprehensive guide for students before entering in an event management institute in Mumbai, Pune or Ahmedabad.

[sysig]

maybe you should doodle however many or few starcon/helix/damned characters as you like (in human or alien form) in cute halloween costumes! imagine... ZEX dressed up as Ariel thelittlemermaid...

Day 26 - "I hadn't realized humans also had aquatic subcultures!" "Oh, well, uhm..."

[lacewing-if]

Not my dumbass thinking up a new school location even though the game has already strayed so far from the “short and sweet” vision.

[aaftacademy]

This blog throws light on the multifaceted shades of event planning, unveiling the roles, responsibilities, and pathways to success in this dynamic career. From exploring educational options and salary potential to highlighting key skills and specialization opportunities, it equips aspiring planners with the knowledge to navigate their journey.

[poguelandiarafe]

unspoken truths | rafe cameron

pairing - rafe cameron x female reader

warnings - none, just some angst and fluff

summary - during a 'networking event' with your family and rafe's, you discover he's denying your relationship while you've been proudly showing it off. this sparks an argument where rafe admits his true feelings and vulnerabilities.

masterlist

--------

all night, a polite smile has been plastered on your face as you make conversation with people you hardly know. you don't want to be here, but your parents and the camerons, who are co-hosting the party at tanneyhill insist all the kids make an appearance. a united front to keep up appearances as the 'perfect families' of figure eight.

the party, or 'networking' event, as your parents put it, is far more formal than what you're used to. you're used to parties on the beach or some random kook's house, wearing a bikini or mini dress while drinking as much alcohol as you can—not a floor-length dress, sipping on champagne, and only speaking when you're spoken to.

you've been seeing rafe for a few months now, and though there's no official label on it, you know in your heart it's real. the late-night phone calls, the way he always manages to scope you out in a room full of people and never lets his attention stray from you, the stolen kisses in the corner of whatever room you're both in. which is why you see no problem with telling people you're together when your parent's nosy friends ask if you have a boyfriend.

a woman who you recognise as your dad's friend comes over to you, starting a polite conversation before asking, "so, any boyfriend yet?"

a coy smile tugs at your lips as you answer, "yeah actually."

"can i ask who?" she asks, eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"uh-rafe, rafe cameron."

her eyebrows lift and she scans the room, looking for him. you follow her gaze, unable to stop your cheeks from flushing when he smirks at you from across the room. see, he always finds you.

"oh, he's handsome. you're a lucky girl." she laughs before being dragged into another conversation, offering you a small wave which you return.

as the night goes on, you're asked if you're seeing someone by several other people, and each time you respond with rafe's name. what you don't know is that, on the other side of the room, he's in a conversation with people telling them the exact opposite.

"y/n? no, we're not together why?" rafe asks.

"oh, uh- she told us before you guys were. but i must've misheard." the businessman says, coughing awkwardly.

"yeah, you probably misheard her. we're just friends." he replies, his tone indifferent as he sips his beer.

unaware of this, you continue going around as if everything is fine, glowing from the compliments people are giving you. you don't understand how fake the compliments are until later, when you're standing by the bar and overhear a hushed conversation about you and rafe.

"rafe said they're just friends. i kind of feel bad for her, i mean, going around telling everyone you're together when you're not. it's embarrassing." someone whispers.

you freeze, your grip tightening on the glass in your hand. without a second thought, you scan the room looking for him, eventually spotting him laughing with a group of guys as if nothing's wrong. you're fuming, the sight making your blood boil.

marching through the crowd, you stalk over to him until he locks eyes with you, giving you a smile. normally you love his smile, but this time it makes you even angrier. the group of men around him sense the oncoming storm you'll inevitably bring and leave the two of you alone.

"hey, sorry i've barely seen you toni-" he starts but you cut him off, anger flooding through you.

"what is your problem?" you snap, crossing your arms over your chest that he can't help but sneak a look at, "just friends, huh?"

his brows furrow in confusion, "what are you going on about?"

"don't play dumb with me rafe. you've been going around all night telling people we're just friends."

"so?" he shrugs, casually sipping his beer.

"so?" you laugh bitterly, but your voice is laced with hurt, "i've been going around calling you my boyfriend. do you have any idea how humiliating this is?"

suddenly aware of the growing crowd, rafe steps closer to you, "i'm not doing this here y/n, come with me."

but when he tries to grab your hand, you pull it back, "don't touch me."

he knows you'll only argue with him more if he tries to grab you, so instead he walks away, knowing you'll most likely follow him. he's right, the clicking of your heels against the hardwood floor gives you away.

"rafe cameron, you do not walk away from me!" you shout, trailing after him until the door to his bedroom clicks shut behind you both.

you're standing in the middle of his room now, arms crossed and chest heaving in frustration as you glare at him. his beer bottle is still in his hand, bringing it up to his lips to take a swig before setting it down on the dresser. he brushes past you, opting to sit on the edge of his bed instead. the air between you both is tense, full of anger and confusion.

"you finished?" he asks, tone sharp.

"no, i am not finished," you fume, starting to pace up and down, "you humiliated me rafe. i was calling you my boyfriend like i was some delusional girl who's desperately in love with you. people pitied me when you denied us being together. do the past four months mean fucking nothing to you?"

he leans forward, elbows resting on his knees, stare locked on the floor. a ringed hand runs over his buzzed head and he lets out a frustrated sigh. all the things he wants to say are swimming around his head, but the words get stuck, like the wall he's built up over time is refusing to let them out.

"of course they mean something to me." he says, voice softer than you're expecting, "but i've got my reasons y/n."

you stop pacing now, turning to face him, "so tell me. because right now you're just making excuses and i don't deserve that. i've been nothing but kind and caring and loving to you. i deserve to know rafe."

when he finally looks up from the floor, you're surprised to see his eyes full of tears, on the verge of spilling onto his cheeks. stepping forward, you cautiously place a hand on each of his knees, parting them until there's enough space for you to stand between them.

"please." you whisper, his hands coming up to rest on your hips.

"i don't know how to do this. i don't know how to love someone and not screw it up. i... i'm a disappointment to everyone and i don't want to be a disappointment to you. i don't want to screw this up." he admits, voice trembling.

"rafe, look at me," you softly demand, cupping his face to brush away the tears that escaped, "you're not a disappointment, okay? you won't screw this up either, but i need you to try. i'm not going anywhere anytime soon but it's not fair for me to put all my effort into us if you don't want this."

"i do want this," the words spill out in a rush, "i want this more than anything, i'm just scared. wanna protect you from all the shit i come with."

your heart aches at how vulnerable he's being. you've never seen him like this, always used to him being his confident, cocky self. leaning forward, you press a soft kiss to his forehead, then his lips.

"you don't think i knew what i was getting myself into? i can handle it, just like i have been. just want you to talk to me, okay? be honest with me." you murmur.

he nods, resting his head on your stomach and tugging you closer to him. for the first time all night, you feel him relax. his shoulders drop and it's almost like you can feel his wall crumbling, wanting to let you further in.

"come on, let's go to bed. i sure as hell don't wanna go back down there."

"okay." he mumbles, "can you stay here tonight?"

"wasn't going anywhere else." you promise.

you let your nails scratch at his scalp for a few seconds before trailing down to his tie, carefully tugging at it until it becomes loose. undoing it properly, you let it fall to the floor. reaching for the buttons of his shirt next, you begin undoing them one by one.

"you don't have to." he starts, but you simply shake your head, pressing a kiss to his lips.

"i want to," you reply softly, "let me take care of you."

your fingers gently brush his skin as you finish undoing the buttons, pushing the material off his shoulders and letting him shrug it off his body. the tension continues to leave his body the more your hands stroke up and down his arms. his hands, once gripping your hips, now trail up your back until they're tugging down the zipper of your dress.

once you're both undressed, you climb into the bed, pulling the covers back to invite rafe in, who's still standing at the side of the bed. letting out a shaky breath, he climbs in after you, instantly pulling you closer and resting his head on your chest. his warm breath tickles your skin as he nuzzles further into you, arms wrapping around your waist to anchor himself. your fingers run over his bare back, tracing patterns while his breathing evens out.

"you're not alone you know? i'm here for you, always will be." you murmur.

his arms tighten around you like he's scared you'll slip away, "i know. sometimes it's just too much. i don't want it to become too much for you."

you lean down, leaving a kiss on the top of his head, "it won't. and if it ever does we'll get through it together, because i told you i'm not going anywhere."

he doesn't say anything in response, but he doesn't have to. feeling how his hand finds yours and laces your fingers together, squeezing them is enough.

a few minutes of silence pass, and when you look down you see that his eyes are closed and his lips are pouting ever so slightly. he's fallen asleep. sleep that's much needed. you glance toward your phone on the nightstand, debating whether to text your parents or let them worry about your absence until morning. you're not in the mood for a fight though, so you quickly send them a message explaining you'd be spending the night at tanneyhill.

as you set your phone on the nightstand, the bedroom door creaks open, and a figure you recognise as ward obstructs the light from the hallway. his eyes scan the room looking for rafe before noticing he's mostly covered by the bedsheets, his head resting on your chest as you gently scratch at his scalp. ward clears his throat, attempting to catch his son's attention, but rafe's in a deep sleep, not even stirring at the sound. the door opens further and he steps fully into the room.

"hey, can i speak to rafe?" he asks, voice quiet but firm.

you shake your head, "not right now, just... leave him alone tonight ward. he's had a long day. he can't deal with anything else right now."

"it'll only take a minute y/n." he insists, eyes narrowing slightly in annoyance.

you don't waver, "no, just leave it. deal with it tomorrow."

with a reluctant nod, ward quietly leaves, shutting the door behind him. the room is left in complete darkness apart from the moonlight shining through the window, and rafe mumbles a sleepy 'thank you' against your skin.

"of course," you whisper, "i love you, rafe."

you feel him smile against you before mumbling, "i love you."

[peterstamatin]

we're finally announcing the upcoming release of the next chapter of Pathologic — the Bachelor's version of events. It is scheduled for release in the middle of 2025.

This is a standalone game, comparable in scope to the previous one. Bachelor Dankovsky is not like the Haruspex Burakh: he has a different story, a different mindset, a different status — and therefore different capabilities. The most important of these: the ability to constructively anticipate and recall, and the ability to skilfully analyse and give orders.

Move through time to correct mistakes and make new ones. Examine patients, make diagnoses, prescribe treatment. Manage the city in an epidemic. And don't get burnt to a crisp in the process.

[moonsaver]

The isekai trope is burning my brain. Pls have this yan!alhaitham with isekai'd reader who actually tells him the deal.

---

What if you got isekai'd into genshin? (specifically sumeru for my taste of scenario)

And alhaitham actually got to know? Maybe you don't even hide it while he's talking to you and writing down whatever you're saying while you're half dazed, sitting up on the stretcher, mentioning an entirely different world. Investigations show no result for it, meaning you really must have come from a different world – which isn't entirely impossible. But it seems yours is a slightly different case.

Regardless, alhaitham still doesn't want trouble. Leaves you be with the matra to discuss and sort out your own situation for the most part.

And then you get assigned to work at the Akademiya.

Its temporary, just until you gain your bearings. And the higher-ups (ahem, Nahida), determine he's appropriate to look after you for a period of time. He's a pretty well-adjusted guy, doesn't bother much, and simple enough to not complicate things (you may protest regarding the kinds of books he reads, but to his standard, it is simple. Just don't bother with that.)

Regardless, he's now in charge of you.

He teaches you the main language Teyvat currently uses, or at least the main language talked in major parts of Sumeru. Stays with you after work hours from time to time to help you learn – but only in exchange for knowledge about your own world. He studies you – or rather your subjects, your culture, your languages. If he's teaching you, you have to appeal something to him, and of equal magnitude aswell. So for the most part, your time is spent trying to piece together how to get you back to your world, or simple cultural and linguistic discussions. Unless that isn't your thing; but you both can find a common ground even then, considering Alhaitham doesn't shy away from different areas of study.

It's only natural your bond progresses. You both go from "somewhere between acquaintances and strangers" to "might occasionally greet while passing by". It's not soon before some of the other higher ups approach you to help get a task done from him, since it always seems like he manages to evade them, going who knows where during his working hours. Maybe it's an important task that can't simply be left on his desk. But you're a bit of a special case - Alhaitham doesn't mind sharing a few details with you; as long as you can appropriately determine what is and isnt worth his time. So you somehow manage to find him and get things done.

Its a bit strange. There's only a few ever constants in his life when it comes to people, and doesn't expect much in return. But having you around is different. Having you around feels.. strangely understanding. Although he doesn't mind the solitude, a part of him has always felt secluded from the masses. And you seem to be stuck in a similar situation. It's only natural you two seem to stick together. It's natural. That's what he tells himself.

And then you start to fizzle out from his grasp.

You make new friends. Newer people who may or may not know about where you really might be from. You learn newer things, far beyond Alhaitham's scope (or rather, just his scope of teaching), you get involved with many, many, people, even get invited to events he doesn't. It hurts a bit when he sits silently at your usual table at the library, cozily tucked away from most prying eyes, sitting across where you should have been, but aren't. but he won't admit it. You did mention you're busy and might not be able to come. But something inside him twists the slightest bit.

And he will admit it– only to himself. He has no grasp on his judgement nor principle when he decides to destroy all your documents, leaving you to hopelessly and despairingly run around to somehow, someway, recover them, trying to revive all the information you earnestly gathered.

He begrudgingly gets up to attend the door in the middle of the night, almost regretting not having worn his headphones, when he stops thinking for a moment. Its you. Of course it is. The corner of his mouth threatens to twitch up, but he resists. He invites your shaking, teary form inside with silence and serves you some tea, before sitting down in front of you. It's almost funny how familiar the scene is – except this time you're alone much later at night with him, and this time you're so distressed you can barely get the words out before you break down.

And he takes care of you, silently. His large, warm hand soothingly rubs your back as he gives you space to cry and blubber out all your stresses, humming to let you know he's listening, tapping the saucer of the tea cup when you're sobbing a bit too heavy and need a break. It's enough to make you realize just who you really need to stick by. None of your friends would really care for you, would they? They're simply fascinated by the strange things you say. Alhaitham and you have a deeper connection, don't you think? Maybe if you're a bit of a romantic thinker yourself, he can twist his words just right enough to even imply you both must have been meant by fate to meet.

In the end, it all settles when you decide to sleep over, cancel your plans for the next day as you get ready to sort out your information with Alhaitham all over again. And this time, he can study you closely.

-

[choslut]

˖ ࣪ ، ◞ せ ⌇ DRESS UP DOLL. featuring s. gojo.

↻ satoru gojo loves two things ; money, and playing dress up with his favourite girl.

tags : lingerie, daddy kink, light praise, creampie, possessive behaviour, spanking, light choking, hickeys, overstimulation (if you squint) // wc. 0.8k

author’s note : the first event work !! thank you for all the love you gave to the masterlist post, and i really hope n pray none of these works disappoint. love you all, notes n reblogs are appreciated <3

this work is NSFW. minors and ageless blogs DO NOT INTERACT.

GOJO loves playing dress up. he has a whole wardrobe in his penthouse apartment filled to the brim with pretty dresses and matching designer purses, along with classy two piece suits and a shoe collection costing a decade’s worth of the minimum wage salary.

he’s proud of his clothing collection, but he’s more proud of the beautiful girl who gets to experience this lush and lavish collection of expensive designer clothing, his own dress up doll who he makes sure looks nice and pretty just for him.

tonight, he’s decided he won’t take you out for a date in the city. he could’ve called his driver, had you dressed in his favourite silk bodycon and sat in a tri-michelin star restaurant in under an hour, but satoru gojo doesn’t feel like sharing his special doll with the eyes of the commonfolk. no, tonight, he’s had you stay in, and he’s still managed to play dress up all the same, but this particular outfit is reserved for his eyes only.

“turn around for me, doll. wanna see that cute little ass of yours in that thong.” you turn yourself on his king size bed and bend over forwards, teeth digging into your bottom lip as he runs a slender finger just along the hem of your lace panties and under the elastic garter. “you like this set?”

“yes, daddy,” you respond, back arching and hips swaying when he snaps the elastic back onto your thigh. “it’s my favourite.”

gojo smiles. “you said this about the one I bought you last week, angel. maybe you just like spending my money.” he doesn’t take offence to the fact that so much of his funds are spent on you. in fact, he’s happy that he’s the one that gets to spoil you rotten, because no other common guy out there could give you even half of what he has.

“i want you to keep this on, okay?” his voice lowers to a soft croon, his large hands scoping the planes of your soft flesh before coming down hard, leaving slightly reddened palm marks against your skin. you nod shakily, and he smiles, toying with the belt on his pants before finally pulling them down to his thighs, along with his boxers to reveal his erect length.

even as he pushes the seat of your panties aside and teases your dripping hole with his tip, gojo can’t help but lament on how god damn pretty you are. your face being buried in the pillows causes your back to arch deliciously, and the way you groan when he slides all the way in has him fighting the urge to cum right then and there.

“you’re killin’ me, doll,” he groans, large hands moving from your ass to your hips, pulling you back on his length. “so fuckin’ pretty, and all mine, right?” you nod helplessly, fingers curling in the sheets when you feel his tip press up against your cervix.

“ ‘n you look so gorgeous in this set, doll. almost like it was made for me to buy it for you, huh?” he wants to ruin you. he wants to tear the lace right off of your back, leave it in tatters on the floor like a child tossing away wrapping paper on christmas day. but he won’t, because it cost him a sweet buck, and he actually likes the way you look in it.

from his position behind you, gojo drinks in the view of the bra clasp straining against your back, and the sight of your breasts pressing against the mattress through the lace, no doubt providing your nipples with delicious friction. his hand slides up to your shoulder and around your neck, pulling you up against his chest.

“mine,” he borderline growls in your ear, hips snapping brutally against your ass repeatedly. “you’re mine, doll. who do you belong to?”

“you, daddy!” tears stream from your eyes as his lips latch onto your neck, teeth grazing your pulse as you feel an all too familiar warm fluid being pumped into your spent cunt. your walls tighten, and suddenly you’re falling over the edge too, twitching in gojo’s grasp as you finally find your climax.

in your lust-drunken haze, you flop back onto the mattress, ass still up and folds leaking with cum as you huff into the pillows. gojo finally slides out, a low whistle sounding from his lips at the sight of you, still clad in your expensive lace as his release drips between your thighs. before it can reach the garter strap, he swipes it up with his fingers and pushes it back inside, smiling when he feels you begin to tremble.

“don’t worry, doll. i just wanted to make sure we don’t get my new favourite set dirty.”

PREVIOUS : N/A NEXT : SHARING IS CARING ft. toji fushiguro + shiu kong

liked that? check out the WE’RE SO BACK main masterlist.

© choslut — do not copy, repost or translate my works without permission.

[thosewickedlovelies]

A guide to writing fics set in museums / with a museum worker character

Hey hi hello it’s your local museum worker here, offering you some insight and tips to writing museum-related fics! This is primarily organized as a list of different jobs you could have in a museum and what their duties entail. This post might also be useful to you if you’re considering working in museums and want to know What Goes On In There. Let’s go!

For simplicity/fic-writing purposes, I would divide museums into 2 very rough groups: large national or city museums that Have Money (think the Smithsonian or British Museums, or the Chicago Field Museum or the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds); and smaller local museums. These could be local industry and culture/history-of-our town museums, historic houses, or  really niche subject museums run by One Person With A Passion.

Big national museums have a fuckton of staff and money (museums can never have enough money. But these places are very well-off compared to somewhere small that might always be hustling and writing grant applications). If you work here you’re likely to have a specific role in a particular department, and you probably won’t do much outside this role (ex., if you work in collections management, you probably won’t also design exhibits)

The smaller the museum, the more varied your workload will be/the more likely you are to be doing a little bit of everything. You’re probably organizing collections storage, manning the front desk, and desperately running fundraising efforts, all at once. 

To this end, smaller museums are more likely to be closed one or two days a week- you’ll be there, probably cleaning displays or managing storage, but visitors won’t be.

A lot of (most?) universities also have museums, so a college town setting is also doable. But the same big vs small museum disparity is still possible! At Penn State University, for example, the Palmer Art Museum is its own (recently redone iirc) building in the center of campus with a lovely plaza out front, while the Matson Museum of Anthropology is uhhhhh a couple classrooms in the Anthropology Department (which they’re currently rebuilding tbf, so we’ll see what they’ve done with it in 2025).

Types of Jobs

Curator

The one museum job that everyone can name. Nominally the person in charge. Probably laments that their job is way more admin than fun hands-on stuff now.

Actually this is the role I have the least knowledge of, but I think that’s partially because this job might vary the most from place to place? Structural organization can vary a lot between institutions, but I think the higher up you get in any field, the more your job tends to consist of meetings/overseeing, designating, and ~liaising~

A list of things a curator might do:

Planning or approving events and fundraisers, schmoozing with donors and members at said events, approving or designing a schedule of exhibits, publish outreach/advertising or research materials, oversee hiring, approve new object acquisitions (or de-acquisitions), generally make sure that the museum is working within the scope of its mission and if necessary, change or refine their mission

The curator might not necessarily control a museum’s funds; in this case they’ll liaise with the people who do, likely a Board of Executives or Board of Trustees. Once they get the money from these people, though, they could potentially redistribute it as they see fit.

 If you work in a fuckoff museum like the BM, you could also be the curator of a specific department, arranged by overarching subject, geographic area, time period, or even object type (eg Curator of Archaeobotany, Curator of Korean Collections, curator of coins from the medieval period). These categories can be more or less specific depending on what kind of holdings your museum has. I think these types of curators would still be able to do interesting things, as they aren’t the ones who Oversee The Whole Place.

You can also be an assistant or associate curator, like being an assistant manager.

Education/Engagement

These are the people who design fun extra activities (esp for kids) in the galleries or relevant events/workshops/lectures the public can attend. They might be called Engagement/Education Officer or Events Manager or anything similar

Again, the bigger the museum you work at, the more specific your role is likely to be. You might focus on web content/outreach and social media, manage the ‘friends/members of the museum’ program, or engage with shareholders, etc

Or you might do things like develop content and events to engage adult audiences. Workshops or lectures connected to new exhibits, after-hours visits. These people are also probably the ones with an eye on accessibility- you’ve probably seen advertisements for museums’ early or late hours for older visitors, or ‘quiet hours’ for people who might be overstimulated by normal museum hubbub, or tactile workshops designed for visually impaired folks.

I think most places would try to have someone specific for kids activities at the very least. They’ll be designing little activities or dress-up stations for the galleries, kiddie mascots or scavenger hunt trail kind of things, as well as, potentially, activities for any digital elements in the museum. They probably also coordinate school visits and act as a tour guide for classes, and will lead the kids in specific workshops or lessons in classrooms attached to the museum.

As a note on technology- some people would probably say that integrating digital elements into exhibits is the ~next big thing~, that museums have to get with the times in this regard, but opinions vary. Big science and technology museums are the most likely to have the most digital and techy elements in their exhibits, so if this is your setting, your character could also be a generic “tech person”. I would go so far as to say the smaller/more local the museum, the less technology you’re likely to have, but smaller museums are able to get grants, some of them potentially for specifically this type of thing, so it’s totally possibly that they have a few tablets with integrated activities, or some other Digital/Screen Thing.

Engagement Officers are probably the most likely people to be drafted for out-of-hours events, so that’s a potentially fun thing for your character to do. Some museums, particularly bigger ones, have event spaces attached that anybody can rent out, for weddings, galas, markets, etc, so they might also take care of these bookings as well.

Exhibit Design

This role has a lot of nebulous terms: exhibit coordinator, design constructor, exhibit programmer- but these are the people who design the exhibits. They’ll come up with a theme or narrative, a design scheme, choose the objects, write the text. They’ll probably come up with some marketing material as well, that matches the design scheme, or they’ll liaise with the marketing people who will.

These people might not be as familiar with the collections as the collections management folk (below), depending on how strictly divided your roles are, so they’ll likely consult with the collections people on choosing objects for a particular exhibit or theme (they say that good exhibit design builds an exhibit from the objects up, but I digress).

These people will also direct and participate in the install and deinstall (the actual terms) of exhibits- putting the objects on the right plinths/stands and arranging everything just so in the cases. Genuinely there’s a lot of psychology behind exhibit design- colors, lighting, the way you might design an exhibit to be navigated vs the path people will actually take through the gallery, people’s sight lines and where their eyes go first, how the display of any given object affects people’s perception of the importance of that object. Fascinating stuff, many books on the subject. 

There are also a lot of accessibility concerns to be considered here- how bright is the gallery, how large is your display text, at what height is the central eyeline of your cases?

Museums often loan objects to and from each other’s collections, so if you’re building an exhibit and you’d really like to include X type of object but your museum doesn’t have any, you can borrow some from another museum (this isn’t necessarily a guarantee- museums are allowed to say no to these requests, but I think manners would dictate that they should have a good reason)

Museums sometimes tour whole exhibitions as well- the objects, the text placards, maybe even the stands for super special or fragile items- and exhibit coordinator people are the ones who would handle those arrangements.

Potentially good opportunities for angst stories here- wow things come to life at your museum, you fall in love with a statue but oh no it’s only at your museum for three months

Collections Care

People who work in Collections Management have the most direct contact with the museum objects themselves. You probably work here if you prefer objects to people. When a museum gets new material, these are the people involved. They might not always initiate acquisitions, and the final approval is probably down to the relevant curator, but 98% of the time they’d be consulted (I hope).

A mind-boggling statistic is that most museums only have like 10% of their collections on display at any given time. Yeah. Forreal lol. But collections folk will know where the other 90% is and what’s in it (particularly the longer they’ve been there). 

There’s usually a head Collections Manager. Other workers might be a Collection Assistant/Associate, Collections Officer (we like calling people Officers for some reason), Registrar, or some variant of these depending on the specific flavor of your duties. 

Main job duties can be divided amongst documentation and database work, organization and storage of objects, and lite conservation. Just how much/how technical the conservation work depends on your own training, but also on the size/funding of your museum. The more money, the more likely your museum is to have its own lab with people specifically trained as conservators. More on them later. 

Here’s what happens when a museum gets new stuff!:

Ideally, it goes to a ‘quarantine zone’ first. This is a separate space or room where the objects can relax for a few weeks to a few months (ultimate best practice is actually a year, but, you know. that’s a long time) to ensure that they’re not harboring anything icky (bugs, mold, etc) that will infect the rest of the collections. It’s ideally super-sealed and climate-controlled, but the primary feature should be that it’s away from the main collections store.

Collections folk do the paperwork. They’ll give each individual object a unique number (following their preexisting system that will allow it to be identified distinct from all the other objects in the collection). They’ll create a ‘collections record’ for the object- documentation containing any and all information about the object. This includes the accession paperwork (everything that says ‘we legally own this now’); provenance info (all previous owners and everywhere else the object has been in its life); measurements and description (in painful detail); and conservation history and concerns (ie ‘there’s a crack in the side so pick up with care’, ‘this was repaired in the 70s so that glue is gonna fall apart any day now’).

(I'll say as a fic writer that this would be an great time to wax poetic over a beautiful statue or painting; you can’t write “This golden crown deserved to be worn by a great king, or maybe by that broody Roman general in the painting in Gallery B” in the collections paperwork, but you can think it.)

For fiction’s sake, your collections records could be either paper or digital, but in an ideal world a museum would have both setups, for security’s sake. So you’d fill out some long forms and/or input all the information to the digital collections management system (‘the CMS’, or referred to by your specific software’s name, as there are many out there). The CMS is not a static archive, but rather a living register that’s updated every time an object is interacted with. The object records also include where an object is at any given time (‘normally in Case E in the Fancypants Gallery, currently in Conservation Lab A for repairs’).

Once the objects are done in quarantine, they’ll go to storage. If they’re being displayed immediately, they’ll probably go to some interim storage space/shelf with other objects for the same exhibit and in that case only get a temporary setting. Every object will get labeled with their object number (directly on them, with a special pen that’s safe for this. Or if it’s really tiny, like a coin or jewelry, then their own tiny box will get the label). Small or fragile items, or items grouped together, will go in their own boxes (made of acid- and lignin-free cardboard or polyethylene plastic, like Rubbermaid totes; lined with polyethylene foam and then acid-free tissue paper). Stable ceramic vessels might sit directly on lined shelving, particularly if they’re very large or heavy, like many stone objects.

Listen, every type of object has a particular way(s) of storing that’s best for them, you’re gonna have to look that up yourself or consult someone if you need that level of detail

Ideally, before being stored away, objects are also photographed. This could be part of the Collection Officer’s duty, and/or your museum could have a photographer on staff. (say it with me:) This is more likely if your museum is really huge and/or has a backlog of unphotographed collections and has hired someone specifically, even if temporarily, to improve its collections documentation.

I would say a collections person, or anyone with a museum studies degree, should have some minimum amount of conservation knowledge that includes basic storage standards for different object materials, how to spot potential preservation problems (like if your bronze axe head is actively oxidizing or if that green spot looks the same as it always has since starting and pausing decaying), and maybe how to give objects a basic clean or deal with certain types of problems. But the nitty-gritty science is more the realm of Conservators, someone with a degree that ends in -Sci or who’s done some other certification course.

The general collections store should always be dark, slightly too cool for prolonged human comfort, and labeled to high heaven. Objects will most likely be grouped by material- ceramics/pottery, metals, precious metals and stones (jewelry or beads), stone, glass, wood, bone/ivory/other organic material like feathers or teeth or anything that can be decorative, textiles, paintings. A museum often has some paper material/documents, usually part of or related to a group of objects they acquired, but generally paper and photographic material is the realm of archives and archivists. Yet again, the bigger/more well-funded the museum, the more likely it to have a separate archive department, so your character could also work as an archivist in a museum.

Another thing the collections care folk probably do is ship objects. Remember how I said that  museums loan objects and exhibitions to each other? The stuff’s gotta travel somehow! If things are being shipped internationally, they’ll go in big wooden crates, with specifically dimensioned partitions inside. Then it will be lined with our favorite foam and tissue paper, cut so the objects sit snugly inside. I haven’t personally worked anywhere with a possibility of local shipments, so I can’t say where the threshold might be as to when a museum would just pay an employee to drive the objects over vs ship them with a shipping company. But the preparations would be similar, minus the big wooden crate but with extra-careful packing (and paperwork and insurance etc)

Conservation

Conservators are the people who work in labs with fancy equipment. Not every museum will have a formal conservator or a lab of any kind; sometimes the collections care person fills this role, or if something urgently needs care beyond the abilities of the museum’s equipment, they might send it away to a lab elsewhere, the same way you can send your old VHS home videos to a professional archive to be digitized.

If an object is actively deteriorating in a way that could harm itself or other objects (as opposed to like, at risk of fading bc the lighting is wrong, which is a straightforward fix related to the environment), that’s when a conservator would intervene.

Some methods/machinery by which you can analyze objects:

Ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) light - Different materials absorb and react to light differently, which you can use to identify them. Useful for seeing things like the different layers of paintings

Stereo-microscopy (microscopes, of varying strengths)

At magnifications of x5-x100 you can see things like tool marks from an object’s manufacture, traces from wear, deposits, and coatings

At x50-x500, with a thin sliver of a sample, you can see (and hopefully identify) fibers, layers, particles, metallographic structures 

You can get information from objects without taking samples, but samples are usually worth the information. 

energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF) - EDXRF allows you to identify the elemental composition of the surface layer of an object. So it might tell you what a tool is made of, and also the composition of the objects it was used on, if they left traces

scanning electron microscopy (SEM) - an SEM uses a focused beam of electrons to produce a magnified, high-resolution image of the surface of an object

X-radiography, both film and digital - X-rayy are beneficial for objects that might be covered by dirt or corrosion and can show you details of an object’s construction or hidden structural weaknesses

I’m not a conservator, so if you want more hard science-based info, ask one of them lol

Listen to me. If you take nothing else away from this post, let it be this:

 Once an object is in a museum, it is never seeing natural daylight again. Sunlight is the ultimate enemy of every object’s lifespan. If you need to see an object in the sun or moon light for ~magical spell reasons~, you will straight up be stealing that object to smuggle it outside.

Okay. That being said, you do hear (and could probably google) stories about museum employees stealing things from their museums on purpose to prove a point about security or insurance to their higher-ups, so like. Depending on your type of museum, it might not be impossible to steal from lmao. (Don’t tell anyone I said that.)

Possibly the most useful advice for you to keep in mind when writing your conservator or collections care characters would be that touching objects hurts them. It might not hurt them now, it might not even hurt them in ten years, but every time you handle an object, there’s a risk that you’ll damage it. Not on purpose, obviously, but to err is human. The simplest, most effective advice my conservation professor ever gave us was “don’t handle an object if you don’t have to.” That means don’t move an object without a plan and a place to put it, first examination should always be visual, not tactile, etc. Unfortunately, that means that your character cannot walk around lovingly handling and caressing their favorite objects (unless this is a Night at the Museum situation where the objects are caressing them back, ykwim)

Museum Technician

These people probably have a lot of different names, but basically, technicians are the background muscle of the museum. They do the technical construction of bigger pieces of exhibition material, up to and including the exhibition cases themselves. 

So they wouldn’t deal with the small mount that the object rests on, but they might build the big plinth that the mount sits on. They’ll help move things around the building, particularly big heavy things, hang big framed works, assist with exhibit installs, and generally do most things which might involve power tools/equipment or heavy lifting

I worked in a big museum that hired a third party company to supply their technicians; I interviewed at another place that hired their own. If you’re a small museum, you might just have a freelance person that comes in once or twice a week to help move things.

Other

Other miscellaneous roles one could have in a museum: researcher (for exhibits and/or collections), gift shop or cafe worker, security guard, room attendant, translator, archaeologist, consultant

Honestly, TL;DR? Just have your character be a consultant of some kind. “Oh no, I don’t work here, I’m Y’s friend. They called me in to provide some expertise on X subject that they’re doing an exhibit on.” This could work for literally any subject- history/archaeology/anthropology, art, transportation, science and technology, anything you might find pictures of in an archive, idk. This could get you into an office or meeting room of some kind in the ‘employee only’ space of the museum, or potentially all the way into the collections store if you’re giving them information they were missing about some objects. Otherwise you’d probably (hopefully) need a key or some other kind of security clearance to get into the collections store.

Whew, that was a ride, huh? I hope this guide was useful to someone! I’m always open to answering questions if you think I forgot something or if anyone wants more details <3

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Guide: 15 Essential Business Skills Everyone Should Master

Articulate, confident communication

Crafting effective, compelling pitches

Operating and communicating through a solution-oriented framework

Research of all types (Google, market research, studies, polls, interpersonal conversations, etc.)

Learning how to streamline, edit, and organize information in a clear and logical way

Accumulating high-level working knowledge/proficiency in all tools and programs directly related to your type of work/industry

Budgeting and financial optimization (investment, tax benefits, etc.)

Reading and interpreting legal contracts/documents

Setting rates, boundaries, and learning when/how to delegate

Good posture, direct eye contact, and a firm handshake

Building streamlined systems for onboarding, different repeat project scopes/workflows, and KPI measuring

The art of following up, listening to (potential) clients' needs, asking thoughtful questions, and benefit-oriented salesmanship

Consistently reading, learning, and studying current events/cultural platforms/industry and field-related knowledge

How to spot customer/client/business partner red flags

Self-management, task/project prioritization, and optimization of your personal energy clock + levels

[supreme-leader-stoat]

Can you expound on the doppelganger protocol? I'm curious

The doppelganger protocols are as such:

Upon encountering your doppelganger, attempt to ascertain if they are immediately hostile towards you.

If they are not immediately hostile, attempt to ascertain the extent of any shared memories using personal secrets/trust passwords.

If memories do not match, attempt to ascertain if you are dealing with an imposter or simply a divergent copy.

If they are immediately hostile, or if you're dealing with an imposter, attempt to retreat to a safe distance while maintaining observation, then call for backup i you can. Provide any backup you call with passcodes to prove your identity on arrival.

If you're dealing with a divergent copy, try to figure out the point of divergence (when the cloning occurred, where timelines diverged, etc.).

If the nature of the divergence suggests that you and your doppelganger are encountering each other as a result of timeline drift, attempt to figure out whose 'native' timeline you're currently in (if any).

Attempt to find secure lodgings and material support for the clone/non-native doppel if necessary.

Figure out which nicknames you and your doppel are going to use. Neither copy has exclusive use of your "real name" to prevent favoritism. This step is crucial to managing long-term friction between iterations, as otherwise the "not real" duplicate might grow resentful.

If the situation cannot be immediately resolved (e.g. help a timeline-displaced doppelganger return to their native universe). then get outside help to untangle the legal nightmare that is two people sharing literally all their identifying information.

The doppelganger protocols are primarily intended to diffuse tensions between multiple doppels with baseline or near-baseline morality and should not be treated as a catch-all solution. The doppelganger protocols are deliberately limited in scope as attempting to cover all possible scenarios defeats the purpose of an easily-memorized set of steps. Be prepared to adapt to unforseen situations especially in the event that you encounter a hostile or morally inverted doppelganger. Chuck is not responsible for any distress, injury, death, or existential damage that may occur as a result of applying the doppelganger protocols. Always think before you act and remember; if someone is your doppelganger, then that means you're their doppelganger too.

[amjustagirl]

chapter 5

pairing: hoshina soshiro x f! reader

genre: romance, angst

wc: 5k

summary: you've loved soshiro since you were seven. he will always place his duty above you.

chapt 1 / chapt 2 / chapt 3 / chapt 4 / chapt 5

There is much to speak about, so much to talk about. Hoshina Soshiro says that he loves you, and you’re not sure what that truly means for you, but your brother’s wedding is not the time to discuss all of that. 

“We should get back. Someone’s going to come looking for us.” 

He grips you tighter. “Let them”, he declares, cheeky grin warm against your mouth. “Stay out here with me tonight.” 

“C’mon, we can’t stay here for too long.” You forcibly extract yourself from the tangle of his arms, and he whines, a needy child deprived of his favourite toy. “Oh gods, there’s lipstick on your mouth”, you exclaim in horror.

“Leave it”, he dodges your attempts at dabbing him with tissue.

“Don’t be ridiculous, if you appear back inside looking like this, people will talk -”

“Let them talk”, he says, smirking shamelessly. “I want everyone to know.” 

“Absolutely not”, you snap, pulling at his collar to get him close enough for you to clean him up, but he just uses the opportunity to capture your mouth again. It’s preposterous, the way he manages to turn your brain into mush with just the press of his lips. You have to scrabble at your last remaining brain cell to regroup your train of thought. 

“Soshiro!” you squeal, swatting at him. “Stop it!” 

“Fine, fine”, he laughs boyishly. The sound sends another wave of helpless affection in your stomach, but you strengthen your resolve and rub all evidence of - of what you’ve been up to, well, before, off of his mouth. 

“You’re ridiculous”, you say, throwing his haori off your shoulders, shoving it into a ball against his chest. 

“Ridiculously in love with you”, he quips, and you groan at his cheesiness. 

“C’mon”, you push yourself onto your feet, balancing precariously on your crutches. “Let’s get back before anyone finds us out here.” 

He grumbles in protest when you point blank refuse to allow him to princess carry you back into the ballroom. You will not let him make a scene at your brother’s wedding. It’s already manifestly obvious to anyone with eyes what you’ve both been up to, his hair a dark, tousled mess, his bottom lip red and swollen - and you suppose you mirror him, though you don’t dare to check. 

You try to insist on entering the ballroom separately, but he keeps his hand on the small of your back. It’s a good thing that you left at the tail-end of the wedding when all scheduled events are over, making your disappearance less conspicuous, but his lean, lithe figure never fails to turn heads, especially when he follows you back to your seat like a shadow, delivering you back to your parents with a promise that he’ll be back. 

You want to melt under the table as your younger cousin's jaws’ drop simultaneously. 

“Is he your boyfriend?” they demand, clambering over each other to interrogate you. 

“We’re friends”, you insist. 

It’s not a lie. You haven’t had the chance to scope out what all of this means, where exactly you stand, what he wants from you, but from the way his shoulders stiffen, his gaze resting heavy on your back even as dessert is served, you know he’s chomping at the bit to exhibit his disagreement with your statement in a very visible way.  

“No”, you mouth at him when you manage to get everyone’s attention off you. 

‘You just wait’, he mouths back, folding his arms, sticking his tongue out at you. 

You are glad he manages to behave himself until the festivities are over and you’ve completed your remaining duty to stand by your parents and thank each and every guest for their attendance at your brother’s weddings. His parents smile warmly at you, his mother even holding up the line of exiting guests to invite you out to dinner with them - ‘an opportunity to eat some good unagi’, she says, looking inordinately pleased with herself, your parents looking on and nodding indulgently. 

“Nauseating”, Sochiro pretends to retch. “My little brother’s been staring at you all night.” 

“The toilet’s that way if you’ve had too much to drink”, you call after him sweetly. His mother drags him away by his ear. 

You know Soshiro’s approaching you when your cousins’ eyes threaten to bug out of their sockets. “May I steal her away?” he asks your parents, hand flat against your back, electricity zipping up your spine. 

“I’m busy - “ you try to ward him off with an excuse, but your parents wave you off. 

“I’ll take care of her from here”, he says solemnly, a promise. 

“I’m being kidnapped”, you inform your parents, whose only reaction is to blithely tell you both to have fun and stay safe. You’re glad he doesn’t make more of a scene in front of everyone, but he still can’t resist sweeping you up into his arms once the doors to the ballroom close behind you. “Where are we going?!” you shriek, as he slides you into a waiting car in the lobby, his family’s driver handing the keys over to him.  

“We’re going somewhere private so I can convince you that we’re not just friends’, he replies, winding the car through the brightly lit streets of the city. 

You huff, head rolling against the headrest. “You know I only said that because -” 

“-’cos you’re embarrassed?” 

“Absolutely not”, you snap, sitting up straight. “Anyone with a working brain could never be embarrassed of being associated with you -”, you break off as he starts grinning. “You’re just fishing for a compliment now, aren’t you -” 

“Oh no, no”, he laughs, turning the car out of the city into the quieter, residential suburbs where his family’s resided for generations. “But please, feel free to keep goin’ on, I rather like hearing you sing my praises -” 

“You’re incorrigible”, you fold your arms. 

“Yeah”, he replies, reaching over to hold your hand. “But that’s what you love about me, isn’t it?” 

You squeeze his hand in reply. 

He stops the car at a park, where you and he used to play when you were children, the metal frame of the playground corrugated and rusting but still standing, sturdy enough to hold your weight as he settles you against it. You’re grateful that there’s just a lone street lamp illuminating the playground, the light amber and low, hiding the heat in your cheeks when he leans in close enough for you to see count each crinkle at the corner of his eyes. 

“So”, he says huskily. “Are we really just friends?” 

Your first instinct is to run far away from him (if your legs would hold up), because the truth is, you’re scared. You don’t know what the future has in store for you both. You don’t know if he can do his duty while leaving space in his life for you, especially if you’re still going to be in Osaka for the foreseeable future, more than three hundred miles away. 

But life’s too short for you to be governed by fear. You hammer your spine straight. 

“When I was - in a coma”, he makes a noise of distress in his throat, shifting to hover protectively over you, “I had - I’m not quite sure what it was, really - and I know this sounds like I’m going crazy, but I’m not, I promise -” 

“Go on”, he urges, hand on your hip to steady you. 

You tell him about the girl with sad eyes who loved the boy with midnight hair. You tell him how, in every lifetime, it’s the boy’s destiny to only live for his duty, the girl’s fate to live with a broken heart. 

“It scares me”, you say. “It makes me wonder if there is any hope for us.”

He stays quiet for a while. It’s a relief that he doesn’t laugh at you, but when he lapses into silence, you can hear the beat of your heart in your throat. You open your mouth to downplay your words, suddenly anxious that you’ve said too much, he must think you’ve lost your mind, but Soshiro finally speaks, his words slow and measured. 

“I won’t deny that I’ve always put my duty first my entire life”, he replies. “And I can’t promise that I’ll ever stop. It’s my duty to use my skills to hunt kaijus, just like my ancestors who’ve come before me.”

You nod. “I don’t expect you to stop doing any of that.”  

“I know you don’t”, he says, his fingers slotting between yours, bringing your joined hands up to his lips. “That doesn’t mean I can’t do my duty while doin’ right by you”, he says, voice so thick with sincerity that you have to catch your breath. “Give me a chance to show you I can do both.” 

“Let’s both do our best”, you say against his mouth. 

He kisses you again and again, as if sealing his promise with his lips. 

The distance between Osaka and Tokyo remains an obstacle to his promise. 

He tries his best, continues to visit you on his days off from work, takes you out on dates, outings to cafes where you both talk for hours on end, activities when your legs are finally mended enough to carry your weight without aid. He keeps in touch with you when he’s away, sends you bubbles of his thoughts in between training and patrols, funny videos that he thinks you might like. 

When the doctors finally clear you, you decide to meet him halfway. “I’m moving back to Tokyo”, you tell him over a call. There’s nothing but static for a while, before you hear him give a huge whoop. It leaves you grinning for days. 

Your job’s still waiting for you when you move back. The transition from convalescence to full-time physical activity overwhelms you at first, even when your physiotherapist gives you the greenlight. Your legs still feel like jelly, muscle mass dissipated from your long period of inactivity, but Soshiro sends you his encouragement, texts you his suggestions for exercises to rebuild your strength. Your colleagues rally around you, giving you the confidence to pick up your hammer and tongs again. 

Your parents drive you and your pots of plants back to Tokyo, where you secure a little apartment in a quiet neighbourhood, nicely situated near Izumo Tech, not too far away from Tachikawa base. They’re overly eager to get you out of their house, though they deny it when you sourly point it out. 

“We just want to make sure you and Hoshina-kun get to see each other more”, they tell you. 

“My parents are throwing me at your head”, you inform him via text. 

He sends you a laughing emoji. “My mother’s planning our wedding. She’s convinced that Sochiro’s a hopeless case, so I’m her only shot at seein’ one of her sons married off.” 

You snort, shaking your head. His mother had indeed made such comments all throughout the unagi dinner she hounded Soshiro into bringing you. You’ve known the family since you were a child, but you still harboured worries that they might think you fall short of their son. Your family’s worked with his for generations, but the Hoshina clan is wealthy, well established, not like your family’s working class roots. 

But your worries are unfounded, because she forces you to take the fattest slices of unagi, much to the disgust of Sochiro, who was also threatened into attendance, scolds Soshiro’s father when he tries to talk shop with you, tersely reminding the men of her family that she wants ‘one dinner where the family can talk about something non-kaiju related, so she can finally get to know her future daughter-in-law she’s been waiting her whole life for’. 

You want to sink under the table and combust at the same time. Soshiro mirrors your expression. 

Sochiro glares. “Why does everyone think I’m incapable of findin’ someone.” 

His mother smiles serenely, patting his hand. “Cos you’re you, m’dear. And that’s quite alright.” 

You and Soshiro burst into laughter at Sochiro’s expression of disgust. 

It’s not as if your relationship with Soshiro is smooth-sailing, even when you’ve moved to Tokyo. Your fears haunt you still, especially when he has to blow off some of your dates, occasionally going a week without seeing you because of work. And even when you get him to yourself, his work has a pesky way of getting between you.

He’s mouthing your name into the hollow of your throat, hand on your hip slipping into your waistband. He’s right where you want him - perhaps he could be moving a little faster, but then his phone buzzes and he immediately rolls off you. 

“Duty calls”, he tells you. “I’m really sorry.” 

“It’s fine”, you say, though you stay on your bed staring at your ceiling for a good half hour after he leaves. 

It’s difficult to keep those ugly insecurities in check, and they eat at you, a festering wound that gnaws away at your insides, but you’re reluctant to raise your unhappiness. Your time with Soshiro is so limited, and you don’t want to come across as ungrateful or insecure. 

But it’s impossible to hide anything from Soshiro. 

“It’s obvious you’re unhappy”, he says, looping his arm around you when you next meet. “Talk to me.” 

“It’s a waste of time -” 

“No it isn’t”, he cuts in, cupping your face in warm, steady hands. “I always wanna listen to what you have to say.”

“Always?”, you say, burying your face in his shoulder. “That’s a bold claim.” 

“That’s a promise”, he says with a chuckle. “So, spill.” 

It takes the edge off your fear and unhappiness when you bring them out into the sun. You feel better with your gripes out in the open, acknowledged by Soshiro. To his credit, he really tries his best, and it’s the effort he puts into you appreciate. He schedules his weapon checks to coincide with your lunch breaks, just so you can spend a few more precious minutes with him. 

It’s fortunate that your work also gives you an excuse to see him from time to time. You’re called in to adjust the hilt of his blade, to compensate for the minute change in his grip whenever he wears the Number 10 suit. Its sentience frightens you, now that you see it up close for yourself, its will jostling against Soshiro, debating the best way to attack, never defend, and you nearly jump right out of your skin when the metal tail slithers up behind you, curling around your ankle. 

“This human isn’t too useless”, you hear a metallic, disjointed voice say. “But you’re distracted around it.” 

Soshiro kicks the tail. “Oi, she’s not useless”, he says hotly. “She’s the reason I’m even here.” 

“Oh ho”, the suit chuckles. “Is this the sentiment that humans talk about? I don’t understand it, myself but it’s interesting to see it up close.” 

You bend over to run your hand over the suit’s metal scales. “Don’t give Hoshina-kun a hard time, okay? You can’t go apeshit and destroy things if you don’t work together properly.” 

It rumbles its approval, almost like a cat purring, its tail tightening around your shin. Soshiro, eyes narrowed, immediately orders you out of the testing ground. “It likes you too much”, he complains, once he’s stripped off the suit and out of the earshot of his colleagues. “Says you understand it - it’s a fuckin’ kaiju, it doesn’t even know you -”

“Are you jealous of your own suit?” you giggle at the absurdity of the situation. 

“‘Course not”, he says too quickly. “I’m just tryin’ to keep you safe.” 

“From a suit turned suitor?” you tease. “Jealous you have competition?” 

He pouts. “I just don’t like to share”, he admits sheepishly. “I already don’t get enough time to spend with you, now this damn kaiju suit thinks it can sweet talk you -” 

You burst out laughing. He kisses you to shut you up. 

Beyond work, you keep yourself busy with your plants and pottery lessons, and remind yourself that he can’t help when a kaiju pops up, and one of the many reasons you love him is for his drive and determination to fulfil his duty. He comes to you once, slightly abashed, with yonju guts all over his form. 

“Sorry I’m late. Had a yonju pop up just as I was leavin’ base”, when you gape at him. 

You drag him into your bathroom, ordering him to strip. He waggles his eyebrows at you, but you grab the showerhead and sit him between your knees. He leans his head against your thighs as you scrub shampoo through his dark hair and talks about his day. 

Softly, he asks. “Am I doin’ things right by you?”

“D’you even need to ask?” you reply lightly, building a crown of soap suds on his head. “You’ve done your duty and more and you make me so damn proud. Just - just make sure you always come back to me.” 

You can feel his smile unfurl against your skin. 

You fall into a comfortable rhythm. A year passes and it’s summer again.  

Your house is filled with a sea of blooms when Soshiro buys you two huge pots bursting with hydrangeas and violets. Then he takes a week off work and spends it stuffing you with endless bowls of kakigori, taking you out to all the parades, lantern lightings and firework festivals across Tokyo. 

“I made a promise”, he says when you question him, bemused by his sudden enthusiasm for summertime activities. “Plus, if I stuff myself with shaved ice, I won’t have stomach to steal your ice cream again.” 

“You stay away from my fridge or I’ll strangle you”, you laughingly threaten him. 

He buys another bowl of kakigori to share with you, laden with golden peaches. Well, it’s a win win for you both so you don’t interrogate him further. It’s a treat to see Soshiro dressed up in a cotton yukata, cheerfully buying an armful of food from street vendors to snack on while watching the night sky explode in colour beside you. 

At the end of the week, you both take the train back to Osaka for obon, Sochiro refusing to drive you both on the basis that he’s allergic to being a third wheel. You retort by sending him the numbers of your colleagues who find him cute, ‘though you have no idea why’, you qualify, and he sends you rude gifs in response.

You drop by the Hoshina estate to spend time with Soshiro’s family. Everything remains as it was when you were a child, perhaps the way it has been in past lifetimes, the manicured bonsai trees, the precisely raked ripples in white gravel. Soshiro asked you to wait for him in the courtyard where you first met him as a child of seven, where the ghosts of your childhood linger. You’re a few minutes too early, so you seek shade from the sun’s glare in a sitting room with a familiar looking katana.  

An echo of a past dream draws you in. “He died in battle”, you read the caption below the blade softly to yourself. “His body was never found.” 

(a boy who does his duty too well) 

(and what of love, a girl asks) 

In another lifetime, that could’ve been Soshiro. In this lifetime, it still could be Soshiro. 

Distantly, you hear Soshiro call your name, waking you from your daydream. Warm hands rest on your shoulders, turning you to face him. “Not with your blade in my hand”, he says - and of course, Soshiro knows your thoughts, even if you don’t put them into words. “Not in this lifetime.” 

The blade gleams in the lamplight. But the ring that Soshiro presents you sparkles in the summer sun. 

Hand over mouth, you watch with wide eyes as he drops to one knee. 

“In this lifetime”, his hands shake as he threads your fourth finger with his ring. “Let me always come home to you.” 

In this lifetime, violets bloom throughout the year, improbable as it may be. In this lifetime, the boy still does his duty, but is not a stranger to love. In this lifetime, the girl’s heart is battered and bruised but ultimately is welded whole again, unbroken. In this lifetime, against the odds, your dreams bear fruit, your love awaits you. 

“Tadaima”, you say. Welcome home. 

“Okaerie”, he replies, nearly falling over when you throw your arms around his neck. I’m home. 

a/n: ty for hanging with me these past month and indulging me in my love for one hoshina soshiro. i'm not sure when i'll write again, but i'm forever grateful that you've given me and this fic another chance - do check out my other fics if you love this one!

love always, nikki.

[kremlin]

@wikwalker hi sure yes anything to give me an excuse to procrastinate the post i should be writing right now. here are all teh drugs and how to manage them. you can trust me, a drug addict

first of all: https://www.erowid.org/ , erowid always

don't be afraid of drugs, if they're the right drugs, you should do them since they will be a blast regardless and overcoming fear is also good (but outside the scope here)

OK to do as much as you want: alcohol - social benefit greatly outweighs health effects, no reason to avoid if predisposed to abuse since that'll happen sooner or later. what can i say? don't be a fucking dork. when you start drinking, really overdo it as much as possible without dying and get a few real nasty hangovers under your belt so you know how much is the right amount to drink.

weed - innocuous enough to be fine but will make you stupid in the long term. make sure to only buy from a real drug dealer and never some legal institution. cut it out when you're a "real adult". don't smoke weed and watch TV routinely, go out and do things so you naturally grow to hate it. good to go through this as early as possible to minimize the time you spend as a cringe weed enthusiast

i guess those are the only two.

ok to do infrequently (annually): "lsd" - or whatever it is, probably not lsd, blah blah blah, if it works and is sold on blotter its fine and won't make you go nuts or whatever. opt for a better psychadelic imo. see psych rule at bottom of section

mushrooms - better than acid since you know what they are. rule of thumb is to always do more than you think you want. minimum 1/8oz. see psych rule at bottom of post

dmt - if you somehow have a dmt hookup you don't need to be reading any of this. lasts 10 minutes which leads to tendency to way overdo it, don't do this, my favorite webcomic artist is permanently crazy from exactly that. using a crack pipe is also not the uhhhh most dignifying-feeling thing to do either. it's harder than you think.

mdma - for use at electronic music event or rave. overuse causes brain lesions or something.

coke - wait until you're in your 20s, have maxed out your roth IRA for a couple of years in a row, and havent missed a car payment in a similar timeframe. better still if you've worked a very shitty low paying job and know the value of a dollar. if you still find yourself buying candy you're not ready. too expensive to be worth it to get hooked on. know that you are VERY ANNOYING to anyone who also isn't high. don't fuck around with the guy selling it to you. avoid discussing or thinking about business ideas. you can't afford to make it a habit + kinda turns you into a piece of shit after a while, but at least a very interesting one

ketamine - another sick drug that rules, but save it for a special occasion. don't try and go into the k-hole your first time

rule for psychedelics - you get one good strong trip a year and that's it, make it count, always opt for doing a bit more than a bit less. but don't make it a habit, otherwise you turn into a very stupid very annoying "hippy" style cliché and believe in ghosts, aliens, crap like that.

ok to try once prescription opiates/benzodiazepine (xanax), valium, this kind of shit - worth trying so you can go "holy shit, this stuff is way way way too good to ever use responsibly" and then never do again. especially if you're white. for some reason we just can't handle this shit. if a doctor prescribes it to you, idk, that's your call to make.

ayhuasca - this is just dmt in a different form. do some other psychadelics a number of times before you do this. once you realize the whole "substantial visual hallucinations" thing is made up, its time. do exactly this: -buy root online (legal). receive box of dirt -boil dirt into "tea" (read erowid for exact recipe) -take over-the-counter anti nausea medicine or anything that will give you a stronger stomach -drink tea (its nasty as fuck, get it down quick) -have someone bigger than you keep an eye on you for the next five hours. -have the experience, which is absurdly intense, has no bearing to the real world, etc etc. don't be a bitch and throw up, if you do it'll only last an hour or so. again there is no way to provide a consistent description of the experience except that you will meet god. you only ever need to do this once and never again. trust me

peyote/salvia/etc - try em if you want, you'll never ever want to again afterwords. these are drugs for idiot teenagers too lame to get real drugs. imagine being very very sick from poison and utterly terrified at the same time. No good

whippets/nitrous oxide - just find a dentist that uses it and don't bother creating hundreds of pounds of trash on your floor for this crap that lasts ten seconds. you have to understand the extremely short timeframe coupled with the cost makes zero sense. go to a phish concert parking lot and do some people watching -- you do not want to be these people. only use is as a motivator to get routine dental exam. also if you somehow manage to make it a heavy habit your fucking legs stop working, no shit, but they start working again once you quit.

don't ever do heroin/meth/pcp - is is truly a mystery why you should never do these 🙄

synthetic weed/k2/shit from the gas station - it is so funny that they sell this as "weed that won't pop you on a drug test". its not weed. it is some dubious chemical sprayed on yard waste. smoke it to have a terrible time and go nuts. only buy drugs from legitimate drug dealers!

kratom - anyone's guess as to why this is legal but it's heroin for pussies. its still heroin

dxm/cough syrup - do you ever wonder why it is exclusively teenagers robotripping? it's because it sucks ass. is like a cheesegrater on your brain in terms of health effects with repeated usage. you're better than this king

inhalants - these are at the bottom of the list for a reason. do not huff gas. don't huff paint. do not consume computer duster. not fun + fastest way to make yourself a complete, uh, (word i can't say anymore) and then dead

not listed quaaludes- unavailable due to no longer being manufactured. these ruled apparantly

sincis2c - unavailable due to not existing, i just made this up

amphetamines - cannot provide objective take here. they're my albatross, lifelong (posted 4:55am natch)

[aaftacademy]

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