#Effective Collaboration

[adityakumar05]

How to Build Strong Business Relationships: Shweta Yadav's Secrets to Effective Communication

Effective communication is the cornerstone of building strong business relationships. In this guide, we'll delve into practical strategies inspired by the expertise of Shweta Yadav, CEO, journalist, and Founder of Think Your Media. Whether you're a business professional, student, or anyone seeking to enhance communication skills and foster better relationships, this guide is tailored to empower you with actionable insights.

 Authenticity and Transparency

Authenticity breeds trust. In the fast-paced world of business, being genuine in your communication can set you apart. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity and transparency in all interactions. When you communicate openly and honestly, you build credibility and foster deeper connections with clients, colleagues, and partners.

Share genuine thoughts and feelings openly

Don't be afraid to show vulnerability in your communication. Authenticity resonates with people and creates a foundation of trust. Whether you're addressing challenges, sharing successes, or expressing concerns, be sincere in your communication.

Example: Instead of presenting a polished facade, share your journey, including both triumphs and setbacks. When clients or colleagues see your authenticity, they're more likely to relate to you on a human level and trust your intentions.

Active Listening and Empathy

Communication is a two-way street. While expressing your thoughts and ideas is important, equally crucial is the ability to listen actively and empathize with others. Shweta Yadav stresses the significance of understanding others' perspectives and demonstrating empathy in communication.

Practice active listening by fully engaging in conversations

Give your full attention to the speaker, maintaining eye contact and nodding to show you're listening. Avoid interrupting and refrain from formulating your response while the other person is speaking. Instead, focus on understanding their viewpoint before offering your perspective.

Example: When meeting with a client to discuss a project, actively listen to their requirements, concerns, and objectives. Reflect back what you've heard to ensure mutual understanding. By demonstrating empathy and understanding, you build rapport and strengthen the client relationship.

Clarity and Conciseness

Clear communication is essential for effective collaboration. Shweta Yadav advocates for simplicity and clarity in communication, avoiding jargon and unnecessary complexity. When your message is concise and easily understood, you minimize the risk of misinterpretation and confusion.

Use simple language and avoid jargon

Tailor your communication to the recipient's level of understanding, ensuring your message is accessible to all stakeholders. Be mindful of the length of your communication, striving to convey your message succinctly without sacrificing clarity.

Example: When drafting an email to update stakeholders on project progress, avoid technical language and industry-specific terminology. Instead, use plain language to communicate key milestones, challenges, and next steps clearly and succinctly.

Building Trust Through Communication

Trust is the cornerstone of any successful business relationship. Shweta Yadav emphasizes the importance of consistent and honest communication in building trust with clients, colleagues, and partners. When you communicate reliably and transparently, you reinforce trust and credibility.

Be reliable in your communication and follow through on commitments

Set clear expectations and deadlines, and communicate openly about any challenges or delays. Honesty and transparency build trust, even when the news isn't necessarily positive. By keeping stakeholders informed and involved, you demonstrate your commitment to the relationship.

Example: If unforeseen circumstances arise that may impact project timelines, communicate proactively with clients or partners. Provide regular updates on the situation, including potential solutions and revised timelines. By being transparent and proactive, you maintain trust and mitigate any concerns.

Continuous Learning and Improvement

Communication is a skill that can be honed over time. Shweta Yadav emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and improvement in mastering communication skills. Seek feedback from peers and mentors, invest in personal development resources, and actively practice and refine your communication abilities.

Seek feedback and invest in personal development resources

Solicit feedback from colleagues, clients, and mentors to identify areas for improvement in your communication style. Take advantage of workshops, seminars, and online courses to develop specific communication skills, such as active listening, conflict resolution, and public speaking.

Example: Attend a communication skills workshop to learn techniques for managing difficult conversations or delivering impactful presentations. Apply the strategies and techniques you learn in real-world scenarios, seeking feedback and iterating on your approach to continuously improve.

As renowned communication expert Maya Angelou once said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." This quote underscores the importance of emotional resonance in communication, highlighting the lasting impact of authentic connections.

In conclusion, effective communication is essential for building strong business relationships. By embracing authenticity, active listening, clarity, trust, and continuous learning, you can enhance your communication skills and foster deeper connections with clients, colleagues, and partners.

What are some challenges you've faced in communicating effectively in your business relationships? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below!

#entrepreneur #Active Listening #Trust Building #Continuous Learning #Effective Collaboration #Leadership Development #Emotional Intelligence #Relationship Management

[mentalhealthperformance]

Teamwork consists of collaboration, enhanced problem-solving, diverse skills and perspectives, and ultimately leads to more innovative and effective outcomes.

#Communication Skills #Effective Collaboration #Leadership Strategies

[povertyeradicationday]

‘Thriving economies’ critical to eradicating hunger and poverty: McCain.

Addressing the Security Council on Thursday, the head of the World Food Programme (WFP), Cindy McCain, highlighted the growing need for humanitarian aid worldwide against a backdrop of reduced funding.

She called for innovative public-private sector partnerships to respond to tomorrow's crises. 

"I come from the private sector myself," said WFP's Executive Director, at the start of a debate on the role of partnerships in humanitarian aid, initiated by Albania, which holds the Council's rotating presidency for September.

"Thriving businesses and flourishing economies are the critical engines that will power global efforts to eradicate hunger and poverty, and strengthen international peace and security”, said Ms. McCain.

The widow of former Senator and presidential candidate John McCain, she has been an active philanthropist for many years, and heir to one of the largest privately held companies in her home state of Arizona.

Growth industry

"Sadly, today the humanitarian sector is one of the world's biggest growth industries," the WFP chief said.

"War, economic turmoil, and increasingly, climate change and environmental degradation - are driving millions of people into poverty and despair each year."

Recalling that nearly 783 million people live in deep food insecurity, and 47 million of them in 50 countries, are on the brink of famine - while 45 million children under five suffer from acute malnutrition – Ms. McCain was pessimistic about the humanitarian crises ahead.

No respite

"I wish I could tell Council members that the surging hunger seen in many parts of the world stems from one-off causes and will reduce as circumstances change", she said.

"But it won't. We are now living with a series of concurrent and long-term crises that will continue to fuel humanitarian needs. And this is happening just as funding for humanitarian relief operations is drying up.”

She said even WFP had to make “the agonizing choice to cut food rations for millions”. 

“This is our new normal," she added, “and we will be dealing with the fallout in the years to come."

‘New models’

Rather than resign herself to “powerlessness” the WFP chief called for greater use of the private sector, which has over 200 years helped reduce global poverty through the power of private enterprise.

She said the time has come, in the face of the new realities and budget cuts, to "rethink how we engage and find new models” of partnership.

The WFP chief said a new and more effective collaboration would be of benefit to all.

"Reducing poverty and hunger is a necessary precondition for healthy workforces, functioning markets, and sustainable economic growth and prosperity. When people and communities thrive, so do businesses."

#world food programme #poverty #humanitarian #private-public humanitarian partnerships #effective collaboration #private enterprise

[lostinthewoodsomewhere]

Remedy characters that just casually hang out at the Remedy office...

#remedy entertainment #remedy control #Alan Wake (Game) #jesse faden #casper darling #mr. scratch #I love these videos #I've also realised that in the pictures I chose Jesse and Scratch are both stealing something and Darling is just being a polite little lad #Control - Remedy Entertainment Studio Tour by Jesse Faden #Alan Wake 2 – Oh Deer Diner Thermos Reveal (Airam x Alan Wake 2 collaboration) #Alan Wake's American Nightmare - Super Effective Sales Trailer

[furiarossa]

There are stained glass windows that immortalize legendary heroes with immense powers, reigning ghosts, time lords... and then there is a more discreet one, which immortalizes a sleeping girl, Jasmine Fenton. Because, perhaps, she deserves it as much as they do.

32th submission for the @green-with-envy-phandom-event! This is a collab: the lineart was created by @trueratdad, and we did the color. 

[Oh, and a lot more of our Danny Phantom fanarts: Here’s our tag]

★ Instagram|Facebook|FurAffinity|Deviantart|Commission prices★

#greenwithenvy2024 #danny phantom #jazz fenton #jasmine fenton #art #my art #fanart #my fanart #collab #collaboration #colored lineart #my danny phantom #human #stained lass #stained glass effect #2024

[bahrmp3]

[ID: 13 gifs from season 2, episode 8 “necessary evil” from the tv series “star trek: deep space nine”, the gifs show kira nerys and odo inside odo's office. odo is behind his desk, while kira is standing in front of the desk.

1st gif: "i misjudged you, major. you were a better liar than i gave you credit for." odo tells kira.

2nd gif: the camera cuts to a close up of kira, "you were working for the cardassians." she leans forwards.

3rd gif: the camera returns to odo, "i haven't been for more than a year. you've had all that time to tell me the truth." he stresses his point by leaning forwards as well.

4th 5th, 6th gif: kira replies, "i tried to tell you the truth a hundred times." she straightens up before continuing, "what you think of me… matters a lot." she looks downwards, "i was afraid…"

7th gif: "that it might affect our friendship?" odo inquires.

8th gif: kira nods, she is still looking down towards the ground.

9th gif: "maybe it doesn't have to." odo is not looking at kira while saying this.

10th gif: kira looks up and at odo, "will you ever be able to trust me the same way again?"

11th gif: odo slowly lifts his head up and looks at kira. he doesn't say anything.

12th gif: kira looks straight ahead.

13th gif: the camera shows both kira and odo standing from the side. the silence echoes between them. kira is still looking straight ahead at odo, while odo averts his gaze and looks down. /end ID]

#startrekedit #ds9edit #deep space nine #deep space 9 #trekedit #kira nerys #ds9 odo #startrekladies #my stuff #ds9 #ds9* #long post #** #tv* #one of my favs that episode!!! the heavy silence! the maybe it doesnt have to] when they were just speaking how odo is uncompromising #in his ideals ! what to do when your best friend is a collaborator and just by refusing to choose a side he in fact had chosen a side? #ah i wish they dug deeper about this like i know i know its a great moment but doesnt have any bearing so far (im still in 4x07) #its the same with miles and julian when miles sabotaged julian's efforts to aid the jimhadar ! perfect moment and wont have any effect

[uncanny-tranny]

Hi, I love your blog! 😁❤

There are so many terms and identities out there now, which is awesome, but I'm ashamed to say I don't know enough about all of them. Is there a good resource for accurate information and definitions of gender and sexual identities that you would suggest?

I just want to be able to understand my friends when they want to explain to me how they identify, and maybe to be able to help understand myself a bit better too. And I know some of it is more fluid and personal than a standard definition, I'm just hoping to get a general understanding of all this, for my friends and for me.

I tend not to specifically look for amalgamations or dictionaries of queer terms, mostly because there comes a point where whomever is making it will be speaking to an identity they don't have much knowledge or expertise about, and many don't consult other communities. I've come across too many queer dictionary "sources" that almost act as though its word is law that I stopped going to those types of sources first. I'm not saying you could never go to a source that compiles queer identities into a list, like a dictionary, but often, you won't get a deeper knowledge about queerness beyond whatever that source says, which is why I don't have recommendations for you.

What I've found is that, when I have a question about a specific queer identity, I'll go directly to the community I've got questions about. I know that's not exactly what you were asking, but I've personally found that this has enriched my own understanding in ways that an often clinical definition just didn't.

I think the biggest thing to internalize first is that there's nothing wrong with not knowing it all. Even other queer people won't understand each other at first - because that is what it means to be people. The effort to understand one another must always be a collaborative effort first and foremost, which is why I so strongly emphasize learning from communities, from people, and from those who actually live as themselves.

#ask #queer #lgbt #lgbtq #i have nothing against dictionary or dictionary-like sources (i used to read the dictionary for fun for christ sake)... #...what i'm saying is that i don't always think it's an effective tool especially when it isn't a collaborative style #i feel kind of bad that this is probably not the answer you wanted but it's genuinely how i feel about it #i've just seen too many 'resources' which make blatently false information abiut a queer identity... #...and then the community they're trying to define speaks out about it and is ignored at best... #...and i get that my experience isn't universal which is why i don't demonize others for using dictionary sources for identity... #..there just comes a point in my mind where a dictionary isn't more helpful than speaking with the community itself y'know #so if somebody does offer a specific source like this person wanted i won't be mad #but i just wanted to offer my own perspective and why i can't give that type of information #i'm absolutely not mad with the asker by the way #and actually i'm only kind of sad with the framing of being ashamed at one's lack of knowledge #we all started somewhere. we all had a genesis. we all were ignorant or undereducated or misunderstood an identity

[grimark]

i like bad special effects. meaning not just old and outdated (which in a lot of cases were actually groundbreaking for their time, but i digress) but also low-budget or rushed or just kinda corny and poorly executed. i think it adds charm where a lot of more polished productions are lacking.

#i don't think this is a particularly hot take on this website #i think a lot of us here also appreciate special effects that are either outdated but were brilliant at the time #or are just flat-out bad by any standard but still enjoyable in a campy way #but like. when the untamed was popular on here i saw a lot of people saying like 'just ignore the bad special effects lol' #when personally i ADORED the special effects in that show #up to and including the shitty animatronic dog lmao #i think they really added something to the atmosphere and the melodrama of it all #and slicker special effects would've made it a worse show. #feels a bit more like you're watching a stage play if you can peek around the curtain in this way #which is very fitting for the sort of show it is! it's very theatrical and dramatic and everything is a big fucking deal! #and you have to make the active choice to suspend your disbelief and get invested #in the idea that this flagrantly fake dog puppet is scary #it's sort of like i'm being asked to collaborate in the story i guess? #if the sfx isn't perfect then my conscious participation is necessary to make it land #so the overall result feels more personal and meaningful because i had to commit to it

[kooldewd123]

watching history channel is a lot of fun because they're always either way too serious about their subject or not serious enough and it leads to some of the funniest out-of-context moments.

how the states got their shapes: *jaunty upbeat music* the word "cracker" comes from the crack of the whip when slaveowners would whip their slaves! :3 the first known usage of the word is from shakespeare, but it rose to prominence in 1700s florida plantations! XD isn't that neat?

the food that built america: *deathly serious* although he was forced to compromise his ideals and americanize his name, things were looking up for chef boyardee. but then, japan bombed the american port of pearl harbor, plunging the united states into world war ii -

#but fr though #the food that built america totally rocks #highly recommend #if you're curious about the effect of wwii on chef boyardee #hector boiardi's son was drafted and the country's tin rations made it harder for them to package their meals #so he shifted to collaborating with the government to send pasta to the soldiers to keep his business afloat #the history channel #kool speaks #koolmathgames.com

[deanmarywinchester]

been cramming Babel into my eyeballs for the past two days and i shant post Thoughts until I finish but this book is for ME other than the fact that Kuang needs to trust herself more to write internality

#girl Stop telling me how robin would “’remember this night’ it was effectively ominous the first time but you’ve done it so much that now it #feels like you need to pass his emotions through a filter to convey them #my posts #reading tag #it is books for ME though. magic school genre but make it about how the academy is a collaborator in imperial extraction and domination?? #with exhaustively footnoted linguistics?? hello??

[bostonbakeddeans]

my husband wants me to workshop some world building for his new campaign with him and im honestly being so brave about it

#not in a ''i don't care about this but ill do it for you'' way #but in a ''i care deeply about this and need to lock down my impulses'' way #i was like ''ill let you know when i have the brain space for that'' and its more of a #i need to know i can behave myself thing. #reminder to self: help build a compelling‚ effective world‚ NOT one that appeals to me specifically #also remember that husband and friends are. somewhat new to actual world building afaik #they run ttrpgs but i think theyre more like. pre-made scenarios and less custom worlds. #sigh. shoving my 15+ years of collaborative world building and story writing and editing into a box so i don't hurt anyone's feelings

[techdriveplay]

Beyond the Boardroom: Mixing Business with Pleasure

Mixing business and pleasure is not a fleeting trend but a comprehensive strategy that can lead to productivity and improved well-being.

In the modern business landscape, the age-old adage of “never mix business with pleasure” seems to be undergoing a significant transformation. As the lines between professional and personal lives increasingly blur, a new paradigm emerges, advocating for a harmonious blend of business activities with leisure pursuits. This approach, often encapsulated in the phrase “mixing business and pleasure,”…

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#adaptive work cultures #balance in professional settings #boundary setting #business and leisure integration #business innovation #career advancement #collaboration techniques #corporate culture evolution #corporate retreats #creative inspiration #cultivating professional friendships #digital nomad lifestyle #diversity and inclusion #effective communication #employee well-being #engaging work experiences #enhancing team cohesion #entrepreneurial lifestyle #flexible work arrangements #fostering creativity in the workplace #hybrid work models #inclusivity in the workplace #innovative business practices #job satisfaction enhancement #leisure activities in business #leisure-driven productivity #modern workplace dynamics #navigating professional landscapes #networking strategies #personal and professional growth

[emma-d-klutz]

You know I really do not need Jeremiah Arkham to be Black Mask at any time ever. Someone’s gotta fill the niche of mental health professional who is 100% not a supervillain. A guy whose evildoing comes only as an example of what a psych ward can do to you if they just choose. 

The tension of knowing he started out extremely dedicated and genuinely wanting to help people, seeing him victimized and bullied by rogues in his care until even the last shreds of professionalism that held place of his already run down empathy wear out, and despite being sympathetic to this hopeless state being nonetheless nauseatingly horrified when he turns to abusing his patients because in his position he can just do that and hypothetically could have chosen to do that over anything,

is way better to have in there to work with Batman’s exploratory themes of power, justice, corruption and institution, mental illness, and ‘Society’ ect ect

than just saying “and then he snapped too much so now he’s in a legacy costume and a straight jacket too.” 

No hate to my other villains who have lost their licenses. Some of those guys are some of my favorite rogues, and I love them dearly, but we need one uncostumed one. 

(Yes, I am arguing that something from a giant superhero franchise should not have another costumed villain because themes, as if costumed villains is not the whole genre. I am also the sort of person who gave up on No Game, No Life after reading more volumes than I’d care to admit, because I got sick of wading through the gross parts waiting for them to tackle the subjects of debilitating phobias, isolation, codependency, and family that I thought were promised to me before realizing that was never gonna happen. So. Take me however you will. Please pretend reblogs are disabled bc tumblr isnt giving me the option rn)

#jeremiah arkham #i went searching for stuff involving the character after watching the batman 2022 on a headcanon whim #and his shifting characterization and his place in the storyworld actually ended up meaning a lot more to me than I expected #but that's probably because i've been in a psych ward #and wilderness therapy #so i've seen some good and bad things #and i think it's very in line with Batman media #to be like 'hey even if we may sympathize with why you chose to abuse your power it's a systemic failure that you're just able to do that' #if he's black mask i think it idk cheapens the effect? #is it just me? am i wrong? does it not and that just paints me as dismissive? #like am i the one being biased by being like 'yeah i take his bad actions less seriouslywhen he's just another crazy costumed villain'? #i hope i don't sound like that #like you all get what i'm saying right? #this post may be so poorly formed that i did not articulate my point well at all but that's never stopped me from pressing post before #if anyone posts a rebuttle that takes me down. you're free to but i'm not going to respond because i dont want to collaborate on this one

[jcmarchi]

Miniature Marvels: Wireless Millirobots Successfully Navigate Arteries - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/miniature-marvels-wireless-millirobots-successfully-navigate-arteries-technology-org/

Miniature Marvels: Wireless Millirobots Successfully Navigate Arteries - Technology Org

For the first time ever, wireless millirobots navigated a narrow blood vessel both along and against arterial flow.

Researchers from the University of Twente and Radboudumc inserted the screw-shaped robots in a detached aorta with kidneys where they controlled them using a robotically controlled rotating magnet. Health Holland recently awarded a grant to further develop the technology to be able to remove blood clots.

UT-researchers navigate millirobots through ex vivo aorta model. Image credit: University of Twente

Each year worldwide, one in four people die from conditions caused by blood clots. A blood clot blocks a blood vessel preventing the blood from delivering oxygen to certain areas of the body.

Surgeons can use flexible instruments to remove the blood clot therefore allowing the blood to flow again, but some regions in the body are difficult to reach. Millirobots can overcome these limitations and remove blood clots from difficult-to-reach blood vessels.

Synergistic Triumph

The researchers showed that these millirobots were able to travel through blood vessels. But to do so, the millirobots need power, to travel up- and downstream and to accurately be controlled and localised. Last but not least, they need to be biocompatible and leave no further damage to the inside of blood vessels. At the Technical Medical Centre of the University of Twente, the researchers set up their experiment with a real aorta and kidneys.

“This required an interdisciplinary approach and the collaboration of many different departments. The Robotics Lab, Laboratory of biointerface, blood lab, DesignLab, LipoCoat, and MESA+ all helped us achieve this successful outcome”, explains researcher Islam Khalil.

Guided by Precision

In the experiment, the researchers used a robotically controlled rotating magnetic field to control the millirobots wirelessly. With an X-ray machine, they were able to localise the millirobot while steering through the aorta.

The researchers maintained a maximum arterial flow of 120 ml per minute inside the aorta. But with a stronger magnetic field, the millirobots should be able to overcome a greater blood flow. The millirobots performed stable straight runs with and against the flow, and also with multiple robots at the same time.

Miniature Marvels

The robots themselves are 3D-printed, screw-shaped objects with a small permanent magnet inside.

“This tiny magnet of just one millimetre long and one millimetre in diameter is placed in such a way that it can rotate the ‘screw’ in both ways. This allows for swimming against the flow and then turning around and swimming back”, explains Khalil.

The small size makes it possible to use several robots at the same time. And the screw shape makes it possible to drill through a blood clot.

Unlocking Potential

“These millirobots have huge potential in vascular surgery”, says Michiel Warle, a vascular surgeon at Radboudumc.

“Currently, we use blood thinners and flexible tools, but a millirobot can travel to hard-to-reach arteries while they only need minimal incisions to be inserted.”

In a new collaboration with Radboudumc and Triticum Medical (Israel), the researchers will further develop the millirobots to enable them to remove blood clots wirelessly. The consortium will look at ways to exploit this technology fostering collaborative growth in medical robotics and technical medicine.

Besides breaking up the blood clots to enable the blood flow of arteries, the technology can potentially be used for other targeted interventions. “The robots can deliver drugs to very specific places in the body where the drug is needed the most. That way we have minimal side effects in the rest of the body”, explains Khalil.

Power in Collaboration

This research is a collaboration between Radboudumc and the University of Twente. It received funding from the TURBO (Twente University RadBoudumc Opportunities) programme. With the TURBO programme, research groups from both institutions can expand an innovative idea into a large research project.

The researchers extended their collaboration with Triticum Medical (Israel) to further develop the millirobots. Health Holland recently awarded them a TKI-LSH (Topconsortia for Knowledge & Innovation – Life Science & Health) grant for public-private partnerships from Health Holland

Dr. Islam Khalil is Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomechanical Engineering (BE; Faculty of ET / TechMed Centre).  His research interests include the modelling and design of motion control systems for soft microrobots, biologically-inspired microrobots, mechatronic system design, and untethered magnetic micro/nanorobotics with applications to micro/nanomanipulation, micro-assembly, and targeted drug delivery.

Source: University of Twente

You can offer your link to a page which is relevant to the topic of this post.

#3d #amp #applications #approach #arteries #Biotechnology news #blood #blood clots #blood vessels #Collaboration #collaborative #control systems #Design #Developments #drill through #drug #drug delivery #drugs #effects #engineering #Faculty #Featured information processing #Featured life sciences news #Funding #growth #Health #Health & medicine news #Ideas #Image of the week #Innovation

[rox-reads]

hmm...

that feels kinda odd to me? its not that she got a Power and adapted to it, its like the Power was always meant to be used in a specific way (in collaboration with the dogs). but also raises the question of why she cant just control the dogs then, like taylor does with the bugs?

#worm #parahumans #worm lb #worm18 #ch 5.10 #i dont mean odd as in Bad Writing Decision #odd as in hmm i am Ruminating #i guess fine control like taylors would be extremely hard to pull off on complex creatures like dogs #ALSO like from our pov as people reading this as a superhero story #of COURSE part of her ordeal would be being able to collaborate with the dogs #but im trying to see this as more like #a chaotic event #a random power given randomly #this also falls under things like the whatever effect (sorry i forgot the name) that makes it so some powers arent OP basically #like theres some powerscaling inherent to the power system of this universe #so i am Ruminating

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

idk fuck it. cait/fahrenheit draft. do you ever disassociate so bad you can only remember things in third person. canon-typical warnings for cait's addiction (non-specific, hopefully i did a kinder job than the game)

It was just a fucking-hell-we’re-alive kiss. It didn’t mean anything. 

Cait had been kissed within an inch of her life after escaping a gas explosion in a Super-Duper Mart by lots of girls. She never thought about them two weeks later, when she was supposed to be covering Mac’s scrawny ass as he looted a pharmacy. 

The scrawny ass in question was throwing itself against a second-floor supply closet until she shouldered him out of the way and wrenched it open. The closet contained the usual litter of crumbling Abraxo boxes, rusty tools, decaying mops, and shattered plastic buckets. The exciting thing was the safe, encrusted with rust and some mystifying barnacles. “Where’s that gun oil you always have?” 

Mac didn’t take the bait. She dumped the entire standard, completely normal little tube into the lock with only minor background grumbling about how the replacement would come out of her share. She halfheartedly poked at the worst of the rust, thinking about absolutely nothing. 

It was like it had happened to someone else. She could replay it in her brain from a weird top-down view, like a bad trip of Daddy-O.

There was absolutely no evidence that Bobbi No-Nose had ever used the Super Duper Mart as a base of operations, or that anyone had been through in the last ten years. There were a hell of a lot of ferals and a gas leak behind the lunch counter. After they tumbled out onto the loading dock, not even a little bit on fire, miraculously un-shrapneled, Fahrenheit had laughed with the raw joy of not getting eating by ferals or dying in a gas explosion, put the flamer down very gently, and grabbed Cait by her vest straps. 

Without really thinking about it, Cait had dropped her chin, right hand to Fahrenheit’s right wrist, knee to Fahrenheit’s gut, left palm to Fahrenheit’s chin–

“How long does that oil need to sit in there?” 

“As long as it needs to get used to the idea of getting nice and relaxed and open before I get my fingers in there.” She maintained the leer until Mac stomped back downstairs and didn’t pick up a bobby pin until he was all the way at the front of the pharmacy.

She’d spun Fahrenheit away and pinned her against the hood of a Chryslus tipped down over a retaining wall, almost standing on its nose. She hadn’t noticed the skeleton spilling out of the cockpit until much later, because while she was trying to pin Fahrenheit’s wrists she’d been kissed. 

It was not, objectively, a very good kiss. The little action figure of Cait in her memory been on guard against the wrong thing, ducked her chin a little to protect it, hadn’t thought about where a flimsy pre-War canister of Jet had cracked in her mouth earlier. Fahrenheit’s eyetooth opened Cait’s lip. Their teeth clacked. Cait gasped and bit her on purpose instead of moaning. 

Fahrenheit’s eyes were gray, the pupils rimmed with gold. “You like your fun a little rough, huh? Not surprised.” 

Mac leaned over her and dropped a handful of bobby pins on top of the safe. 

“If you don’t fuck off I’ll shove this screwdriver up your skinny–” 

“Geez! I’m just helping!” He dodged her ineffectual stab. A flatblade wouldn’t really do much damage, something properly triangular and proprietarily Chryslus would really ruin his day. Shame the pharmacy didn’t carry them.

She’d been so startled by the kiss she’d dropped Fahrenheit’s wrists. Fahrenheit could have stabbed her or done any number of things, but instead she got an ankle around Cait’s and flipped them. 

Cait had said something admittedly bratty about being taken for a ride and braced herself against the car. It only creaked a little. She’d widened her stance, still ready to trip Fahrenheit. This was probably when she’d acquired the long scrape across her lower back.

Fahrenheit had promptly shoved closer, hiking a boot up on the bumper and leaning hard against Cait’s knee. “Are you always such a brat, or is this a special occasion?” She’d still been bleeding from Cait’s bite. 

Cait had said something about what kind of person doesn’t count getting rescued from a burning building as a special occasion. Cait had not planned on paying her back so soon and licked the blood off her own lip to buy time, watching Fahrenheit watch her. 

“Promises, promises,” Fahrenheit had taken her glove off the fast way, with her teeth. She’d been practically sitting on Cait’s knee, pinning her to the car by the hip and petting along the little strip of skin between vest and belt. Cait found that she didn’t particularly want to go anywhere anyway. 

Fahrenheit gave her… from Cait’s memory it looked like a proper movie kiss, if girls ever kissed in pre-War movies. The sense-memory involved more teeth. Cait had revised her opinion of Fahrenheit’s weird knee armor. 

She’d cracked her head on the dashboard when Fahrenheit let her up for air. She’d picked her head back up to see if she could get kissed again and noticed (less important) the skeleton spilling out of the Chryslus’ cockpit and (more important) the feral crawling over the retaining wall. The order in which she cracked a joke about how they were even now, shot the ghoul, lost the lovely friction of Fahrenheit’s knee, and pulled Fahrenheit’s pistol escaped her. 

The trip back to Goodneighbor was a series of running skirmishes, and they said what they needed to say to survive.

Cait found herself staring at an empty safe.

She looked up to yell for Mac and found him leaning over her again. He’d put a whole crate of Psycho down behind her and she hadn’t even noticed.

“Welcome back! Almost thought you forgot about me.”

“Shut your goddamn mouth, MacCready.”

“C’mon, let’s divvy these up. We can sleep in real beds tonight and you can get that scrape on your back looked at.” 

-

Doctor Amari bent Cait over a gurney in a very unsexy way. “I’m so happy I gave you that tetanus shot when you weren’t paying attention last time.” Before Nate had vanished, he’d dropped her off in Goodneighbor with a concussion and fucked off somewhere only God and Valentine knew. 

Cait and MacCready and Valentine supervising had looted the shit out of Nate’s two Diamond City houses, couriering some money out to Preston in a fit of guilt and Valentine’s disapproval. There had been no need to step outside, let alone trek over to Goodneighbor for a solid month until the Jet ran out and she had to look for dishonest employment again.

Amari poked the perfect thumbprint on her hip with a frown. “Mac not treating you right, Cait?” 

Cait barked out a rusty laugh despite herself. “Wasn’t him. That jumped-up little idiot can barely keep body and soul together.” 

“Well, these antibiotics shouldn’t interfere with your birth control, but you are on your way to a nasty infection. Please try to rest up, and I mean really rest up for at least a few days.” 

The entire day left Cait so grouchy she went through most of her share of Psycho inside a week instead of selling it, and couldn’t turn Mac down when he brought her another job for two people.

#frank don't reblog #robot collaboration NOT welcome #i do not know if the flashbacks have the intended effect please chime in about what effect they had on you