#that way i can keep this blog uncluttered | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

neshabeingchildish · 4 years

Text

League of Extraordinary Geniuses || Chapter 1

A/N: I never actually rated this, I don’t believe, but there’s a little bit of cussing here, I can’t tell you yet exactly which direction everything is going in. I’m predominantly an angst writer and I do have a lot to give to this story, mainly with Chase, just because, plain and simple... I don’t know if that man has really had people in his corner the way that he’s needed in the past, so there’s things to work through with him in particular and there’s always things to sort of try to get over and into in relationship dynamics and moreso when more people are involved than two. Also, at least two of these people are workaholics, so work projects, assignments, flashbacks, etc, will be something that is likely to appear a lot as a backdrop. The work won’t always be things that we, or even sometimes they agree with, but it’ll be there. Tagging only who I heard from last time @kiddangers @sunbeameyes @just-a-j-reallly @supercasperprincesslove-blog Let me know if I need to take you off. Edit: Thunderbolt headcanon from flashback was introduced to me by @famousflowermagazine (You don’t have to read, but I wanted to make sure that I credited your idea)

They’re the Same Picture

Charlotte woke up to the hyper sounds of the excited yipping of puppies and she immediately got out of bed and headed for the courtyard. The caretaker was out there, minding them, but when they saw Charlotte, they rushed back to her and she waved to let the caretaker know that the puppies were coming with her. They were light brown with black ears, and wearing matching little malleable outfits. She brought them to her lab and let the caretaker worry about accepting her guests, because she left her phone in the bedroom and she was not going to pick it up any time soon.

She had one group chat titled Defenders for herself, Henry and Jasper, and it was the most used one in her phone. She had one titled Bionic Forces, for Chase and his siblings, and sometimes Donald. She had been added to that one at one point by Leo, whenever he had to casually ask her a question that she could somehow feel was tied to a catastrophe that he and his older brother, Adam were trying to evade at the Academy (and if she was being honest, one of them probably started), and she didn’t get involved again in that one until after she met Chase and he at’ed her to say that he realized that she had been in this old GC of theirs before. Now, she frequently visited and used it.

She had one titled Elite Force, one titled T-Force, and one titled Danger Force and she hadn’t thought about how many Force teams had a GC with herself and the members, or even the fact that she knew several Force teams, until those three were active and she kept switching between the 3, one particular day. IF. EVER. There was another triple crisis, she vowed that two androids would have to get onto cloned phones and be her, because trying to sort out more than a dozen names and comments for a foreseeable incident was… a mess.

Fortunately, Chase, Max, and Mika each took initiative in their respective chats after a while to be the point of contact and unclutter the chat at the time. But still… There were androids capable of evaluating very accurately exactly what Charlotte might think and say to responses.

She had several GCs that were business related, several that were science-for-fun related, one that was the Bionic Academy mentors, one that was everyone that she knew who had bionics, one that was everyone that she knew who was a superhero, one that was her team of androids, and one that was her lab workers.

She was a busy woman who knew busy people, but she also was the type that liked to be helpful to friends and associates and to keep up with her loved ones and business relationships. So, most of the ones who she had GCs with… They also individually texted with her, as well.

Currently, her most frequent ones were from Henry or Jasper, who truth be told, would likely be texting her frequently for the rest of the three of their lives as lifelong best friends. Almost as frequently though were Chase Davenport and Max Thunderman.

It was a little shocking to her after she met Chase, to find out that they were extremely alike in a lot of ways, considering how differently the conversations she had with each of them went. Chase was always the perfect gentleman. If she mentioned a problem, he would factually assess it, give her stats, numbers, wish her well and ask her to touch base with him later to let him know if his assistance was fruitful.

Max was less precise, but as correct in advice… he could probably give her stats, but knew that they weren’t usually needed and it wasn’t his default to calculate outside of an invention or something where exact numbers were necessary. Also, he was a little more profane.

Whereas Chase might say something like, “I’m sorry that they’re making you jump through these hoops at a place of business. That is terrible customer service. Do they not realize who you are?”

Max would say, “Those guys are dicks. Just drop your name and get ‘em fired.”

Which… was in essence the same response, to her, as their responses frequently were, and yet worlds apart. That was who they were, in her mind too. The same great person presented in two extremely different, but equally attractive ways. She valued them on the same level, though she was closer to Max, because she had known him longer and gone through more with him.

Whenever Max posted his video journal of gadgets and inventions, Charlotte noticed (and this was whenever she was in Dystopia, towards the beginning of the trio’s rise in popularity there), that he had both artwork of Dystress, her alter ego on his wall, and Charlotte Page accolades. News and fanfare!

She honestly lost her shit for a moment and squealed to Henry and Jasper, “This guy that creates gadgets and shares them online KNOWS ABOUT ME!” They had been in the habit of listening to her, but what were the odds of some dude from Hiddenville who posted science projects online for nerdy strangers like Charlotte to wind down, chewing on ice and making comments like, “I didn’t expect that to work out so well. This dude’s a genius!” just knowing about Charlotte, tucked away in one of the most silenced charities in Dystopia?

She pointed out and zoomed in on things on his wall - framed photos of her at gizmo fairs, plaques of her stats in Swellview, etc, and on THE SAME WALL, her with her purple hair and the mask that covered the bottom half of her face, many, MANY shots of her and stories about the mysterious new three Defenders who appeared in Dystopia and began vigilante justice. “That dude knows who you are, Char,” Henry said, worried.

Stressed out, she made a whole account and sent a private message, “So, I saw on your wall that you have the Dystopian Defenders. That’s cool. I like them.”

He almost immediately answered, because he was simply at home, and he was interested in fanboying any chance that he got. “Not so much interested in the Defenders as The Damsel.She’s currently my muse.”

She replied too quickly, “She prefers to be called Dystress.” The she winced and wished she could take it back. How would someone know that? Maybe another hardcore fan? There were a lot of clips of her online...

Well, that had done it. Because, now this complete stranger seemed to be trying to suggest to Max that THEY knew his favorite underground vigilante better than HE did, and before he decimated them, he was curious who he was about to destroy. “Is that something she told you?”

“I’ve heard it around Dystopia...”

He kept up the conversation long enough to trace her IP address and phishing her account. He almost fell out of his chair.“Are you Charlotte Page???”

“WHAT?” She screeched out loud, then typed, “Is that the other Black woman on your wall? You know… People are gonna think that you’re obsessive… or have a fetish... or something unbecoming.”

“I’m a fan. I didn’t mean to alarm you… So… WAIT… You’re Charlotte Page AND you are a Dystress fan AND you’ve seen my series??? This is perfect! This is like a DREAM for me! Or… is this like one of those things where you contact me and tell me that it’s creepy that I have your stuff on my wall? Because, honestly, that’s fair. It’s just… I looked up some of your work and you were super brilliant, but we’d met previously under not so great circumstances, so I didn’t want to be that guy and make it weird, but this is just how I’ve decorated my workspace. I just admire your work, a lot.”

Charlotte had watched --she didn’t know how many of this dude’s invention videos -- Every time she saw his face, a glimmer of a thought that he looked familiar passed through her mind, but his face wasn’t on screen most of the time. The focus would be on his hands and his inventions, so she didn’t notice his face too much. The way that the human brain works, she simply put it out of focus and subconsciously presumed she’d seen his face there, in the videos.

But, now that he said it, she gasped again. Realizing the familiarity, she dropped a phone number. She did NOT want to continue this conversation on the same device he had just hacked, and she had a burner phone on her.

“Hello?” She said. It took him only long enough to pick up his phone and dial while looking at the computer for him to call her.

“Is this real???” He asked. “Are you honestly Charlotte Page?” Before she could even answer, he continued, “I am absolutely freaking out!”

It was a far cry different from the first time they crossed paths, the time that she had remembered only after he made it known that they had before. When he was a little villain-to-be. She hadn’t gotten a very good look at him, but her eyes had at least passed over his face a little, years before.“What do you want?” She asked, through her teeth. “To expose me?”

“Expose?” He gasped and lowered his voice, but heightened his excitement, “Are you some kind of criminal mastermind, because I can totally dig that.”

“I’m…” She looked at the muted video where she had been studying his wall and she realized something. There weren’t photos of each, next to each other. There were no lines, or notes or string... He didn’t know that those were the same people. He didn’t know that she was the Damsel of Distress. He really was... just a fan of both of them. Maybe it was subconscious on his part, but she didn’t feel like he was playing mind games or anything. And… he had powers, so exposing her wouldn’t be wise for him or other supers.

“Charlotte? Are you still there? I’m not gonna expose you, if you were waiting on an answer to that. But, I’ve gotta tell you… I’m a superhero now and if we gotta cross paths while you’re in your criminal phase… I mean… It’ll be AWESOME and like hella fun… but, I’d have to take you down. Duty and all that.”

Now, she laughed. “The Dystopian cops haven’t been able to, but give it your best shot.” There was a long pause and then a longer gasp, then the exhaling and declaration, “CharlottePageisalsotheDamselandIcan’tbelieveIdidn’tnoticeitbefore!”

“I prefer Dystress. With a “Y,” like Dystopia + Mistress… The Damsel of Distress was supposed to a clever one liner and nothing more. Some overgrown goon caught me about to tamper with supplies that we needed to steal from the criminals to give to the kids in our charity, and he said something like, “Looky here, a damsel in distress,” and…”

“And you, a 4’11 (I can’t believe that I didn’t even place your identical measurements to figure this out), you touched your wrist, hulked up somehow and beat him with his own weapon, then said, “More like a Damsel OF Distress,” and it was caught on security cameras. I HAVE that footage. I’ve gotten probably every piece of footage of you that has been recorded. I am not kidding when I say to you, that I am your biggest fan.”

“You’d think that with that wall you’ve collected,” she said, her wide smile evident in her voice. She knew that the kids in Dystopia stanned Dystress. They would tag her name and image all over the place and whenever in costume, girls and women always gave her stuff, sometimes, what appeared to be their last. She would refuse it and give them whatever she had on her to spare.

Dogfight was in essence sleepwalking through battle, so even though he could reply to people (in Spanish), they usually didn’t understand it and generally didn’t talk much to him.

Deflector was just that, on or off the battlefield. Henry had never mastered lying, that much was sure, but found that avoiding questions because he only spoke English, or if they spoke English, simply deflecting the conversation instead of making up something worked better for his mystery and his cover than lying ever did.

Dystress was the one who spoke with the people. She spoke their language. She spoke to them as people. All of the Defenders were heroes to the Dystopian downtrodden, but Dystress was like a motherly hero. She could be both that ferocious bear whose cubs are threatened but she generally delivered the goods while Dogfight and Deflector fought off the criminals. Her covered face and purple ombre locks were what they saw right before they had meals that weren’t drugged to kidnap them or rotten. The image that they saw whenever they got clean socks, soap and towels...

“What are you thinking about?” Max wondered, his voice now soft, having regained control of himself after this wondrous discovery.

“I’m hoping that my secret really is safe with you and I’m appreciating being noticed by someone who I didn’t have to help save, first.”

He smiled, “Of course your secret is safe with me. I admire everything you do, apparently as you and her. I’d never let myself be a threat to you.” She was smiling on the other end and he knew it, but he also knew that this was a Dystopia line and probably a burner she got from a corner shop. He needed a doorway in. He didn’t want to let her slip through his fingers. “I can probably actually help you, you know? I have a lot of resources, with T-Force. Dystopia is a red level city. Every time the Hero League has assigned someone, they either die, quit, or turn, because the crime is like a hydra. It would only take a mention that the heroes there need supplies for me to get approval to bring some.” There was another long pause and he said, “I wish I could see your face right now.”

“You can see it… As soon as we get some supplies.”

“How do I contact you? I know this is a burner you’re on.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think this is a burner you’re on and I got your number when you called. Thanks in advance… what should I call you?”

“My name is Max.”

“Thank you, Max.”

“My pleasure, Charlotte.” They both smiled and hesitantly hung up their phones. But, Charlotte was looking forward to seeing “her biggest fan” in person… ESPECIALLY if he was using his power to come with supplies.

After a few weeks, he made good on that. She sent him a list and asked, “Is this asking too much?” He was confused at first, because it was a different phone number, but whenever he saw the list, he knew who it was from and he smiled brightly. “Not at all. I can be there by Friday. Send me coordinates to wear to meet you.”

The Defenders were there. T-Force shook hands with them and commended them on volunteering to take on Dystopia. They unloaded everything onto a trolley and Thunder Man was explaining to Deflector and Dogfight that once everything was out of the transport, his youngest could teleport them to wherever they felt safe to bring it.

Charlotte realized that they had brought twice the amount she requested when she placed the order, and Max added, “We also took donations up from the Hero League and transferred the total into yen, in case something comes up in between now and next time that you need us.”

“You’d do this again?” She wondered.

“For you? Are you kidding?” He laughed, but was silenced when she practically leaped up so that she could throw her arms around his neck. Nobody was paying attention, because the rest were working. He was staring into her eyes, because that was all he could see, and it definitely was enough for him to recognize them from footage of her Spelling Bees and stuff, but, he wondered, “Could I see...” he didn’t get a chance to finish the question and she pulled down her mask, stuck her tongue out and smiled. “I’d do this however many times you need,” he finished.

Since then, they’d been gravy. Chase took much longer to warm up to her like that, and even when he had, his gushing in her presence, was generally due to some exciting news, findings, work, etc. He hadn’t gushed over her like that, and Max did not mind doing so, at all. Really, the fact that she was always comparing the two in her mind was how she came up with this idea to… well… to ask them to come on an adventure with her towards saving the world.

She knew that she could tell Max to do anything and he would say yes and figure out how. Chase would WANT to say yes, but have some questions and need some reasonable answers. He would ultimately say yes, whether or not she was able to provide them, but he would be out of his comfort zone without a fully detailed, full transparency blueprint and trajectory. But, he would say yes no matter what she gave him because, if she knew one thing about both these people, it was that they both trusted, respected, and she hoped, loved her, and they listened to her for these reasons. SO, she would always try to reciprocate it. That was something that she knew that they didn’t always get. Max from knowing him and his family for several years and Chase from mostly Douglass and Leo’s stories. Chase only ever seemed to talk about his attributes and advantages. He never complained about the things that she’d heard about his life. Or maybe, he just didn’t trust her that much yet.

She opened a GC with the three of them and asked them when they could all meet sometime in the near future. Max was getting ready for a furlough and Chase was finalizing another bionic mission team for field work. She was getting ready to take a hiatus on degree work for the first time in 8 years and get settled into her castle that it took 5 years to have built. For reference, it took longer to build her castle than it did to rebuild Dystopia itself, but of course, one of these things she was paying for and the other had been greenlit by a billionaire.

Eventually, the three found where they could make the meet happen and she could hardly wait to share her ideas with them and also just spend time with both of them, instead of having to always divide herself.

Max was visiting, spending his furlough in the castle and Chase was there “on business,” because Mr. Davenport literally never allotted vacations for him, so Charlotte told a half truth about requiring him at her place for a few days for a special project and since they scheduled it after the formation of the most recent bionic field team, Donald approved the request, but reminded him that he would still be on call, if needed.

“Firstly, I need to apologize to you both for the short notice, but whenever I realized that you finally both were free at the same time, I made sure that we could all get together! I’ve… introduced you two before, right?’

Chase raised an eyebrow and studied Max. She had never introduced them, but she talked about Max to him a lot, and pretty fondly from how he recalled. “I’ve never seen this man before in my life,” Chase said. It was partially true. He had not met him face to face or even crossed him in passing. They were once in Dystopia at the same time, but although she planned to introduce them, both had avoided allowing it to happen.

Max said, “That’s your boss’ little kid, right?” Max knew exactly who Chase was. He had read about him, seen his work, talked to Charlotte NUMEROUS times about his ideas, and even was impressed by him, sometimes, But he also knew that there was no way that this dude didn’t know who he was. Therefore, two could play that game. “The one that doesn’t really fight much,” he added for good measure. Chase narrowed his eyes. He fought all of the time, but people often reduced his efforts because he didn’t have feats like the members on his team. He had better feats…

“Chase Davenport!” Charlotte corrected Max and cut him off at the same time, seeing it might turn into a pissing contest if she didn’t rein it in, “Mission Leader of the world’s first bionic mission team, Mentor at the Davenport Bionic Academy, he creates most of the bionic teams that you see on the news during missions!” She proudly announced.

Chase blushed and shuffled his feet bashfully, then said, more confidently, to Max, “I do more than that, actually…”

“Cool,” Max said and made a little sound with his mouth, to which two puppies came trotting into the foyer to him. “Hey, Buddies!” He cheered and began to love talk to the brown puppies with black ears.

Chase wondered, “Oh, you have pets?”

Max collected both puppies into his arms and stood, “Have you not been invited here, yet?” He asked, meaning for it to sting.

Charlotte interjected, “Chase is usually too tied up in missions for social visits, so this is his first time being able to stop by and his first time seeing them.”

“They’re her kids,” Max said.

Chase cleared his throat and wondered, “I’m sorry, what?”

“These are the Swagger twins,” Charlotte clarified.

Chase let out a sigh of relief, then immediately engaged with the puppies, while Max grimaced, still holding both. “They should be about two years old, shouldn’t they? Why are they puppies and not full grown dogs? Also, why are they dogs?” And both pups became toddlers in Max’s arms, causing Chase to flinch a moment, but he still petted both their heads.

“They have shapeshifting bionics with identical coding,” Charlotte said. “Jack had very specific speculations for them. He wanted them to be male presenting, have certain traits from himself and certain ones from Cheyenne, and identical bionics that were allotted for them to transform into dogs. They are currently puppies because they’re too young to realize that a two year old dog would be full grown and probably too small to do it, if they knew it.”

“Why does Jack Swagger want his kids to be able to turn into dogs?” Chase asked, very confused.

Max grumbled, “Because celebrities are weird and gross!”

Charlotte laughed and said, “Jack’s fiancee is Max’s former celebrity crush. He’s been moody since the engagement,” she laughed. “I, on the other hand am DELIGHTED that celebrities are weird and gross. Jack has funded all of my private research on genomic architecture JUST so he can both have perfect babies with his future wife AND also have dogs.”

“Whatever happened to good old fashioned going to a third world country and buying a desperate mother’s kid from her because they’re both starving?” Max asked and scoffed.

Chase, ignoring the rhetorical question, asked, “Why do you have his two year olds at your castle?”

Charlotte shook her head and said, “Oh, these boys aren’t going to go to him. He’s not going to actually collect until I get the formula for the perfect sons who shift into the perfect dogs, with the perfect model bionic chips, and I’m going to take that to create the embryos for their surrogate.” She forced a smile and her eye was twitching, but it was extremely lucrative, if not incredibly privileged and highkey eugenics.

“Weird and gross,” Max repeated.

“Well,” Chase ignored Max again, “Where are they going to go?” He wondered, concerned about the Swagger twins.

Charlotte laughed and said, “Budding Flowers,” like it was obvious.

“That orphanage?” He asked, a little bit horrified.

“It’s really more like a boarding school,” she told him. “And shelter for orphans. People aren’t exactly adopting them.”

“But… these boys are bionic. Aren’t the kids there all… normal?” Chase wondered.

She pointed to him and said, “You are absolutely right! We need a bionics specific orphanage/education center. I propose either in Dystopia or Centium City.”

“Why not on the island?”

“Are you kidding? You think she’s gonna hand her babies over to Davenport after how he raised you?” Max asked.

“Max!” Charlotte hissed and held her hands out like wtf. Chase was definitely a little bothered. Charlotte tried to explain, “Excuse him for that. Sometimes Dougie complains about The Dom whenever we’re hanging but I don’t know WHY Max would bring any of that up!” She threw Max a look. Max looked unbothered.

Chase squinted, “He… knows my Uncle Douglas?”

“He’s your dad, Dude,” Max said.

“Douglas just TELLS people these things???” Chase said, highly upset, now.

“No. It’s mostly been said in what was supposed to be confidence. With the two of them both being on the board of the Max O. Thunderman Rehabilitation & Reformation Metropolis.”

“I like to call it the Maxtropolis,” Max said, smirking with his mouth and his eyebrows.

“And everyone hates when you do,” she teased. “They’ve got stuff in common.”

“You… wait… Your friend Max is ON the board at that place?”

“It’s literally named after me,” Max said.

“Yes, I realized that, but I thought it was because you were a donor or something. Douglas said that board is composed entirely of villains!” Chase said, now on alert.

“Reformed villains,” Charlotte corrected. “Like Douglas, and like Max.”

Chase ground his teeth and stared at Max. He didn’t fully always trust Douglas, at times. He certainly wasn’t ready to trust this very shifty character, so close to Charlotte AND with a villainous past? He REALLY needed to start paying more attention to others, even those that he was writing off. Now, he would have to research and review everyone that came into contact with Charlotte. How many other dangerous possible traitors did she trust in her midst? Charlotte and Max were staring at him and he realized that the puppies were too. Also, that the kids were puppies again.

Charlotte offered, “Let’s go settle into the lounge and sit down.” She opened her hand to let Chase see were the lounge was and she caught Max’s hand and whispered as low as she could, “Why are you antagonizing him?”

“I’m not. I just don’t like him.”

“You haven’t even given him a chance!”

“I did whenever I came in and he started it. “I’ve never seen this man before in my life? You and I both know that waif has seen me before.” She covered her forehead with her fingers and lowered her face at the insult. “Furthermore, I don’t like his sanctimonious song and dance, just because he’s the poster boy for heroes, a position that he has only been granted because bionics in the past few years that they’ve been accepted have taken credit for every superhero’s victories and act like they’re doing us a favor by doing small percentages of the work and capitalizing on all of the victories!” He folded his arms and Chase turned around and looked at them. Max glared at him.

Charlotte noted still whispering, “He has super hearing. I think he’s heard us whispering.”

“I did,” Chase said.

Max shrugged his shoulders, “Where was the lie? Bionics are just non-supes with technology. You’re only special because a madman put technology into you when you were too young to consent.” Charlotte covered her lips with her fingers this time and lowered her face again.

“You obviously know enough about me to continue to personally attack me because of your perception of my position. If that makes you feel better, do it,” Chase said. What wasn’t about to happen was him losing his cool in front of Charlotte, or worst, inside of Charlotte’s home.

She shook her head, “I thought that the two of you would get along. There’s so much greatness inside of both of you, that I see, I guess I presumed that you would see that in each other. I had no idea that there was some kind of superhero vs bionics bad blood in you two.”

“Seriously? Because, I’ve heard that your friend here is pretty anti superheroes. Besides the members of his team, who he’s been openly negative towards (we talk, Bionic Boy), and the only super that you’ve really fully accepted was your sister, after she siphoned a little from Skylar Storm. You had supers right in front of your face, proof of our existence and you berated them and talked trash on them. At least that’s how Sky would tell it.”

“You… know Skylar too? Technically… she’s not a super. She’s an alien. All of her people are like that.”

“Wow. So not the point,” Charlotte said. “Are you actually anti-supers?”

“No! I may have said some of what he’s gossiping about, but I was younger at the time he’s speaking about, probably not much older than he was when he was aspiring to be a super villain.”

“So, NOW you know who I am?”

“I researched the information while the two of you were whisper arguing!” Chase said.

“You knew who the fuck I was when you walked into this castle, Boy! You, the smartest man in the world, who has been betrayed and bamboozled multiple times didn’t do a background search on someone who was going to be staying in the home of the woman you love and meeting up with you for possible business? I’m not the smartest man, but I’m not a dumbass, either. You absolutely looked into me, just like I’ve been looking into you from the first time she mentioned your name. Maybe you could get a fast one on the simpletons you’re usually surrounded by, but Char and I? We're in the genius leagues.”

Chase was breathing hard and eyeballing Max, looking a bit menacing and sort of hovering over him. Chase scanned him over and Charlotte stepped between the two of them, into Chase’s line of sight. He seemed to calm down and she was grateful, because he’d looked pissed and she heard that could make things get really ugly. “I heard your response, Chase and it’s valid. You were younger and didn’t subscribe to the value of superheroes. Max was young and didn’t either! Yayyy! Similarities…” She looked at both of them. They both folded their arms and scoffed, then both groaned because they’d had the same reactions. Getting them on the same page might be a hard sell. But, she had a few days. “Let me show you your quarters, and maybe everyone can have a drink and kinda…” her shoulders slumped and she sighed, unsure of what words to use.

Henry and Jasper had been friends when she met them. Douglas and Schwoz hit it off right away. These two… SHOULD have too. But, they were both extremely pissed and she felt like she’d missed something that she should have considered before bringing them together like this. That argument proved that she missed several things. She was so in love with the idea of them being science bros, she didn’t think about Chase’s trust issues and how they might affect his view of Max. She didn’t think about Douglas telling Max things that she didn’t even know about, like Chase having a past with superhero hate, or maybe just a little bigotry, but, still… She was supposed to be smarter than that. She had been judging both of them with her heart for so long… it just seemed natural that anybody else, especially one another, would adore them too.

“Charlotte, are you okay?” They both asked her in unison. She looked up and both of them looked concerned and a little guilty. They were most likely going to at least squash it for tonight, for her benefit.

“I’m sorry for not doing MY due diligence. I just think, if you two could get past it all, you’d understand why both of you are here with me as I embark on a new chapter. You two were my first choice and it was an equal choice. It wasn’t one over the other, it was… I know that you both bring what I want and need to the table. I want it to be a table of camaraderie.” The men looked at each other with a raised eyebrow and flared nostrils.

“It’s fine,” they both lied. At least she knew that they’d try.

#Henry Danger #Lab Rats #The Thundermans #Chasing Thunderbolts Fic #League of Extraordinary Geniuses #LOEG Update #Nesha Fics #Multiverse Fics

20 notes · View notes

sallyyvonneogbimi · 3 years

Text

Business Operation Plan

This plan outlines the key resources and strategies necessary to launch my business and is intended to be revised and updated as the business progresses. My business does require a license for one to legally practice in Ontario. This would require me to write a Trade Equivalency Assessment (TEA) given my level of skills and experience in the field. For the purpose of this 16-week course, I would only limit my focus on personal friends and family members due to this limitation.

That makes obtaining the necessary license one of my short-term goals immediately after concluding this course, if I want to pursue this business idea.

Equipment/Tools:

In order to launch my mobile salon, I would start by sourcing for styling/sterilizing accessories and a mobile kit for carrying them. I plan on limiting the expenses for the styling accessories to $30.00 & $10.00 for disposable gloves.

Advertising:

My customer base is my family and friends who are already aware of my skills. My initial advertising strategy would be word of the mouth to the customer base; which would be supported by free social media ads on Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji & Whatsapp. I would work on establishing a media presence by creating social media accounts with my business name.

I will further utilize free ad creation sites to create a one-page flier(e-copy) which I can easily share online to friends and family; while encouraging them to spread the word.

Research & Development: Keeping up with latest trends and styles by subscribing to hairstyling blogs, magazines, videos and social media pages.

Service Plan:

· Upon booking an appointment, the customer would complete a covid questionnaire to enable me access the safety of taking the job.

· I would ensure precise communication with client on reserving a clear and uncluttered area for the service to ensure limited movements in the client’s home.

· Punctuality to all hair appointments as a way of showing that I value the clients’ time.

· I will ensure I focus on rendering excellent customer service and satisfaction that would influence my customers to not only leave great reviews on my business pages but to further encourage customer referrals.

1 note · View note

southwindscoffee · 4 years

Text

advice from Pablo Neruda

If I were normal, I’d tell you the results of what I talked about in my last blog post. What happened after I decluttered. After all, when I wrote the post, I was pretty scared, but I still went through with the first part of the project last weekend.

Truth is, decluttering was pretty anticlimactic. I only worked on my clothes. I sorted through all of them, kept the ones I loved, and found space for all of them either hung up in the closet or folded in the drawer. The only side effect was me feeling a little sore from hauling things up and down the stairs all day. But otherwise, my bedroom is now as neat and clean and uncluttered as it’s ever been, and it makes me quite happy, to tell the truth. I was a little surprised with the things I ended up keeping—or rather, I was surprised that it felt intuitive and right, rather than forcing myself to toss things I loved. I look in my closet now, and I like all the clothes. It’s simple. So, that’s not much of a story.

Also, I still have to go through the books, which feels harder. That very well may be a story.

But while I do try to have some semblance of sense in these blog posts, my number one rule is to write what I’m feeling today, right now. And I’m not feeling like writing an in-depth follow up to my fears about decluttering. Instead, I’m feeling a lot of pressure on myself to write great stories. To craft and edit and make it so good I can’t stop reading. (Because I try to write the books I want to actually read.)

There’s so much advice out there on plot structure, character development, and style. Trying to follow all of it can drive me mad, because it feels impossible. How can I write something that is entertaining and beautiful and meaningful and still actually has a story and characters you root for? I’m, like, a human. I get tired. I have to work. My kids want things. And sometimes I do things that aren’t writing like organize my closet instead. (Although I have maintained a daily writing habit for a very long time now.)

I suppose the solution of how to write the best book is to just keep trying, and by that, I mean putting words down and studying how to do it. And to accept that there may be failure. Maybe I can’t do it. Maybe what I am seeking is impossible. Still, I can try to get as close to it as I can.

And then this happened.

I came across this Pablo Neruda quote:

“Two things make a story. The net and the air that falls through the net.”

Okay, damn. That quote shook me in my shoes.

I don’t write or think in that manner by any stretch of my imagination, but the words are just so beautiful. I’m not even sure I know all that the quote means, but I can feel it viscerally.

But it’s also an intimidating quote. Because that’s a master poet describing something I’m trying to do every day in a way that is simultaneously achingly attainable and so out of reach I want to cry. I’m not even sure why that quote makes me want to cry.

Is it because he’s taken simple things and looked at them so profoundly that now I can’t see them any other way?

Is that the key to all art? To all romance?

Looking at something or someone so deeply that it changes you and that you can’t see it/them any other way?

So, now I’m back to thinking about decluttering.

As I said, I was scared of doing it. Then I did it, and it was so simple and natural and easy, I don’t feel like I can write about it.

But maybe writing needs to be that way too.

Simple and easy and natural.

Maybe instead of reading all these how-to books, I just have to look for the air. And the net.

1 note · View note

coollyinterferes · 4 years

Text

SPEED: One of the first things you need to know if you’re interacting with me or plan to do so is that I’m slow, and I really mean slow, with any and all of my replies. It can take from minutes/hours to days, weeks, sometimes even a month or so. It always depends on a variety of things, and how real life is going at the moment, as I tend to get busy at times, and also my mental health is not always at it’s best (as you know, I tend to go through episodes of anxiety and/or depression p often, and that usually ends up affecting my activity here) and I also happen to get distracted a lot sometimes. Add the issue I’ve been dealing with this past month with my laptop on top of all that, too orz

REPLIES: I tend to miss some sometimes when tumblr’s notifs fail and I don’t have them on my tracker yet, or when the tracker is not working properly (like it was some time ago). I try to get to them as soon as I can when I see them. There are times some threads pique my muse’s interest more than others and, as such, he will bug me and make sure we get to those asap. As stated in the rules, it’s nothing personal, just a matter of the muse currently being more invested into those threads/replies. In regards of content: I always try to make sure I’m giving my partners something they can work with for their reply and to keep the ball rolling and the interest on the thread alive. However, I can’t do this alone, and I expect my partners to do their part on this. Being forced to carry all the weight of a thread sucks all the fun out of it, so if you ever feel like I’m failing to do my part on this, please, please! let me know so I can fix that as soon as I can!

STARTERS: I’m not great at them, which is why I tend to go with small ic posts every now and then that serve as “open starters” of sorts. This does not mean that I won’t write you a starter if you’d like one from me, though! All you need to do is let me know you want one or, alternatively, write me one and tag me in it if that feels best for you. We can always plot something for it. It doesn’t have to be super in-depth. We can just set the outlines and go from there, if that’s best (I’d actually appreciate some input if you happen to have a muse from a different jojo part/fandom, or an OC, this to make something we’re both equally comfortable with).

INBOX: My ask box is open all the time. Anon is on, too. Anything and everything is welcome, save for anon hate and stuff of the likes of it that no one wants to see (and as long as its within the rules, of course). If you ever want to send your muse over here, you can do it anytime! Same if you ever have any questions, if there's anything you want to know about my muse, anything you'd like to ask him about other muses, about his relationships with them and so on. Crack-ish, serious, angsty, etc. The possibilities are endless. And, as stated before, anon is on, so if that's best for you, you can always go with that! I'm a bit slow replying to asks sometimes, but I try to get to everything as soon as I can. I rarely ever delete asks so, if I haven’t replied to yours one way or another, then it most likely means that either tungle ate it, or it failed to notify me about it orz

SELECTIVITY: I'm pretty flexible on this and I'm open to interactions with pretty much anyone and everyone regardless of their writing/rp style and so on. I don't always follow everyone back, mainly cause I try to keep a somewhat uncluttered dash. As stated in the rules, I usually don't follow back personal/non-rp accounts or accounts that post a lot of personal/non-rp posts (I sometimes follow some of these personals/non-rp accounts from my personal, though), blogs that don't trim their threads (2 or 3 blockquotes are fine, but more than that not so much) and etc. However, none of this will affect any possible interactions as I'm always open for interactions with mutuals AND non-mutuals.

WISHLIST: There are a few things I've always wanted to try my hand at rp-wise. I've always wanted to explore more of Robert's past, from his childhood to his days as a gangleader. This can be done in different ways, especially if we happen to go with something more "EoH-like" or set in different verses, or even AUs, or with muses that may have known him around that time and etc. Speaking of AUs, I’d also like to explore some of my AUs (the vampire AU, mainly). Another thing in my wishlist that probably comes as no surprise at all would be the chance to roleplay some jonawagon and/or some jonaeri+jonawagon. Like, yeah, it's true that Robert truly fell head over heels for that big bara guy the moment he kicked his face, but I'd really like to explore their relationship as a whole, to see some of the development they had in canon through all those months of peace that came after that horrid battle in Windknight’s Lot, to see them captivating each other and realize that "shit, this is not just some childish infatuation like i thought it was", that it's the real deal, something much deeper than anyone would’ve expected, to see them come to terms with this “obscene” relationship, to see them deal with and overcome the obstacles and issues that being gay in Victorian England carried, and see them go from friends to something else. To see them get intimate, but not only in a sexual/sensual way, but also like sharing all sorts of intimate moments together, opening themselves to each other. To explore all the good but also all the not-so-good in their relationship, to explore all those sad and bitter moments they spent together, healing together, trying to overcome their traumas together, from those they acquired together since that day the stone mask changed their lives to all the heavy baggage they have both been dragging along since their childhoods, and so on. All those aspects that aren't always explored or even talked about when it comes to the ship as a whole and see them have the long happy lives and the happy ending they deserved either as a couple or as a polycule (in the case of jonaeri+jonawagon). In regards of relationships (and this includes romantic relationships with other characters/muses), I'd like to continue seeing Robert develop relationships and forming bonds of all kinds with other muses as well, especially with muses from part 1, since I've rarely ever had the chance to interact with many since I made this blog about 3 years ago. Some romance is always appreciated since Robert is a bit too much of a romantic fool when he's in lerv, but I'm always open to all sorts of bonds and relationships -platonic, romantic, familial, hateships, etc-.

HONEST NOTE: I'm shy and a lot of times I find it a bit hard to socialize or i plain out don't know what to say (and language barriers sometimes get in the way, too), but I always try my best to keep a conversation going if I feel the other person is interested in it as well -else I’ll feel like I’m boring them to death and won’t say much more :’D-. It might take me a while to figure out what to say and build up the courage to talk to you first, but please never hesitate to reach out to me if you ever want to talk, even if it's just about our muses or about any plot ideas, headcanons, to share some plot bunnies and so on. Same if you ever want to send your muse our way! It doesn’t matter if we haven’t interacted before. Just like with every other reply from me tho, I tend to be slow (and forgetful, too), but I try to get to everything as soon as I can. That said, please never worry about taking your time to write a reply for me, be it ic or ooc. I understand and would never get mad at you for it.

tagged by: speeb sees, speeb steals >:jc ( stolen from @shabcn and @jojoingjoseph ) tagging: I’ve seen this on the dash a few times today, so idk who’s done it already and who hasn’t so, if you see this and want to give it a shot, consider yourself tagged!

#;psa #(?#[might rb later since some bits here i think are important to be kept in mind and stuff]#[but it's late and the dash seems a bit dead atm]#[and idk how many will see it ddfgfhgjh]#[for now i'll see if i can coax robbo to do some replies]#[won't promise much tho]

2 notes · View notes

saleousucre · 4 years

Text

COVID is upon us and like many of you, I’m home for the next 3 weeks with Scott and the kids (3 kids are 5 years and under). I was thinking this morning about blogging about our experience. About a week ago, Scott had a fever and then a cough started. We didn’t think much about it as we hadn’t been away or in contact with a known COVID patient. I subsequently caught a cough and our son started having a fever and cough. Normal for this time of year however, in light of all the news, we started thinking it’s possible it’s COVID. Now, I’m not one to run to the doctor for just anything as I respect that our healthcare system is taxed at the best of times. I do find comfort in knowing that our healthcare system is there when we really need it and I truly hope that continues to be the case during this pandemic, though I believe that will take cooperation between our healthcare system and us, the public. So, I called our doctor’s office and asked what to do in our situation. Reception told me to go to the after hours clinic as my doctor is away. I took our son and off we went to the clinic, donning masks. We declared we had coughs, he had a fever and no travel or known contact with COVID. They looked at us like aliens from another planet and everyone seemed very concerned about our presence there which I found surprising as it’s all over the news but there are no clear instructions about what to do if you’re sick. After they asked the doctor how to handle us, they put us in a room alone and the doctor came in. The urgent care facility was eerily quiet to begin with. I guess most of us are not going to medical buildings for non urgent issues and they don’t welcome those of us concerned about COVID so that’s most people going to walk ins right now. The doctor said in the best case scenario, he’d test us, but there aren’t enough tests available at present so go home and self isolate until symptoms resolve. Not enough tests? As of today, almost EVERYTHING has closed including schools and here we are with fever and coughs (and I mean nasty coughs) and there’s no test? He said assessment clinics would open in several days so I guess we’ll wait it out. I cancelled my work appointments and hunkered down at home.

Without many medical options to fight this chest cold, I started thinking about all the home remedies we could use so I thought I’d share my list with you in case you find yourself in a similar predicament at some point because there’s a lot of news about how to avoid getting sick but not a lot of tips about what to do when you actually get sick.

Step 1 - Healthy Home

I have a sage diffuser in the main area of our home and also in our bedroom. I’m usually diffusing several oils like lavender, immune, goddess or liquid sunshine (sage brand). We try to keep our bedroom dust free and uncluttered ... think this step is really important. The environment of our home makes a real difference when we’re recovering from anything. I open windows (just a crack as it’s cold out) but allow the fresh air in and the sick energy to make its way outside. Burning beeswax candles enhances the aroma and sense of wellness in our home every day. Also, music! We play our favourite music in the kitchen (love Alexa or Google Home for ease of playing anything we feel like listening to).

Step 2 - Soup & Tea

Homemade soup and anything else you enjoy cooking. The aroma of sautéed onions, garlic, ginger and whatever vegetables we have in the fridge fills my soul with grounded wellbeing. When we aren’t sick, we always try to share some soup with friends or neighbours. There’s something very connected to Mother Earth for me about cooking and sharing soup. Also, muffins or any warm home cooking! Here’s a fun little tip... I left some of the onion on the counter as I remember reading that onion can absorb germs. It makes me feel good when I look at it and I imagine it sucking up the bacteria and viruses in our home - who knows but I’m sure it doesn’t hurt!

Step 3 - Be Prepared

Make sure you stock up on the following:

Tylenol for adults and kids if applicable

Laundry detergent (so much laundry when we’re sick)

Lysol wipes (so easy to wipe surfaces and door knobs for quick disinfecting)

Lots of hand soap - we are going through this way faster than toilet paper. Lol

Teas - my favourites are David’s Tea Cold 911, Mother’s Little Helper & Just Peachy

Not an overwhelming supply but enough food in the pantry like soups, pastas, sauces, etc... also some treats because we can still have fun in quarantine. We got fruit loops, ice cream and some chocolate eggs and it makes it feel like a little vacation some days.

Thermometer (we use a digital ear thermometer and it was one of the best purchases we made for our family for a fast and reliable temperature reading)

Crystals (more about this later but for now at least one for your bedside table that makes you smile)

Step 4 - Healthy Mind & Spirit

Sleep, sleep, sleep. As much as possible. Sleep is a hot commodity in our home especially when kids are sick but whenever possible, I try to give myself permission to sleep. This morning, one of my sons and I slept until 11am. Yay!

Smudge with Sage or Paolo Santo. I’ve read in several places that sage is a disinfectant but I can’t speak to the science of that. I can share from experience that it really does clear out the energy and provides a clean slate for our entire home. I meditate or simply imagine inviting wellness into our home after a smudge cleansing. This could go under step 1 for healthy home but it’s also great to do after the illness passes to clear the home of all that energy and start fresh.

Don’t forget the simple things in life like warmth. One of the first teachers I met at Waldorf taught me about keeping children warm in the spring when the ground is still cold. I try to encourage socks always even indoors this time of year, warm pants and use lots of wool or natural fibres in the clothes we make available to the kids. When our bodies are warm, our energy can more effectively be used to get well or stay well by boosting our immune system.

Media and device cleanses : It can be so addictive to check our phone or device constantly for social media and news updates but I try to turn off my phone and news for a while. I find spending present time with my family, reading a good book, working on something for my job vs watching all the news calms my nervious system and helps me feel more grounded during uncertain times.

There’s so much we can do for ourselves while we ride out COVID and other viruses. My hope is that you stay healthy but if you do catch something during this time, be prepared and ask for help. We are all in this together and here for each other.

1 note · View note

ofruins · 4 years

Photo

CREDITS

my icon border was commissioned from venuscommissions ! ( UPDATE: AS OF JANUARY 2020, THE ICON BORDER I’M USING COMES FROM ARTEMISPSDS BECAUSE MY REGULAR COMPUTER IS IN THE SHOP, AND, THEREFORE, I DON’T HAVE MY NORMAL RESOURCES. )

unless otherwise stated, the psds i use come from either venuscommissons or plutocommissons; the answered ask / headcanon / meta banner i use comes from interstellarresource; the template i use for my mobile header and page headers comes from bleuberrymilk; the template for my permanent starter call / character headers is part of template pack four by daria-morgendorffers; the credit for the blog theme i’m using is in the bottom right hand corner of the blog; and, finally, i will always credit the maker of my promo templates on the posts.

FOLLOWING

i’m a highly selective follower. i like my dash to be clean and uncluttered, so if i don’t follow you back right away or at all, please don’t take any offense. i also do not follow back personal / non - rp blogs. if i do follow you, however, whether i follow you first or you follow me first, it’s because i want to write with you !

SHIPPPING

i’m the world’s biggest multishipper. i ship almost everything. whether it’s canon, or crossover, or canon x oc, you can bet that i ship it. however, while i’m willing to try out almost any ship with anyone, there has to be chemistry to keep me interested. and not just chemistry between the characters, but chemistry between us, as writers, as well. it’s hard to ship with someone who your writing doesn’t flow with.

INTERACTING

i am mutuals only when it comes to roleplaying, but anyone is welcome to send me a meme. if i don’t follow you back, but you still would like to interact with me, then send me memes ! if we develop a relationship between our characters through ask prompts, then the chance of me following you back goes way up. and, sometimes, i haven’t followed back because i’m a little spacey and didn’t even notice you started following me, so sending in a meme is a great way to give me a little nudge. also, i’m willing to write one - liners to novella and anything in between. the more you give me to work with, the longer my replies will get. as far as formatting goes, i write < small >< sub > with some bolding and italic here and there, nothing too special. if you have a hard time seeing the < small >< sub > text, please let me know and i’ll change to whatever you’re most comfortable with !

p.s. if you’re wondering whether or not it’s okay to write a pre established relationship between our characters, the answer is yes. as long as we’re mutuals. i tend to prefer pre established relationships because it gets the awkwardness of first meetings out of the way. and we can always go back and write how our characters met at any time once we’ve developed their relationship more.

MEMES

speaking of memes, i love them ! send them all ! if i don’t answer right away, though, don’t worry. i like to hoard memes like a dragon hoards gold. i promise that i will get to your meme as soon as the inspiration strikes. this goes for replies as well, but i don’t force myself to write something if the muse just isn’t there. i’ll just tuck it in my drafts for later and respond to it when i do have the muse for it. if you’re wondering if i got a certain meme, feel free to ask. also, if you’d like to turn a meme into a thread, please go ahead ! i find it’s the easiest and most stress free way to start interacting, so i love it when you do this.

i don't practice reblog karma and i don't mind you reblogging memes from me. so, you have my permission to reblog as many memes as you'd like from my blog. however, it would be nice to be sent one or two if you're going to reblog a lot because then it makes me feel like all i'm good for is a meme source. just be considerate is all i ask !

NSFW & TRIGGERS

i am almost twenty five years old, nsfw will appear on this blog. this includes: smut, death, gore, and any manner of disturbing scenes. i have exactly one trigger ( needles — please tag them or i’ll have to unfollow ! ) so i’m up for writing almost anything. i used to be shy and bashful when it came to writing smut, but now i’m kind of like /shrugs ! so, if you want to send in a smutty meme, go ahead*. just as long as we’re mutuals, i’m up for writing smutty scenes with you. but i also double and triple check your rules to see how comfortable you are when it comes to smut, and then i take that into consideration before i respond to a nsfw meme because i want you to be happy and comfortable. also, when it comes to triggers, i tag anything i can think of with “__ tw” but if there’s something i haven’t tagged properly, or something you would like me to start tagging, please let me know so i can do so.

*it's important to know that m/m smut if off limits for me. i'm just not comfortable writing it yet, so while i will write m/m ships of all sorts, smut isn't going to happen for them.

PLOTTING

i’ll be straight forward and honest, i prefer free styling things to plotting them out, but this doesn’t mean i won’t plot. every now and then, i’ll reblog plotting calls, but you don’t have to wait for one of those to plot with me ! if you have an idea for a plot, or would like to brainstorm a plot with me, come at me. but keep my shyness / anxiety in mind. i'll tell you about my anxiety surrounding ims in a bit.

OFF LIMITS

this should go without saying, but don't godmode. i don't have any "banned" faceclaims, but i'm less likely to take your character seriously if your fc is a musician or someone from youtube / a reality show. i know i shouldn't, but i, like all people, can be shallow and judgy at times. but, overall, there isn't much i won't write or allow except for mpreg. it seriously creeps me out. if you want our m/m ship to start a family, i'd probably love that ! but they'll do it through a surrogate or adoption or a magical baby appearing on their doorstep.

OUT OF CHARACTER

hi, my name is jordan. i identify as female and use she / her pronouns.

it’s important to note that i suffer from extreme shyness, as well as a handful of mental illnesses ( bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety ) so it can be hard for me to interact with people ooc. plotting, for example, can be a real challenge for me. ims terrify me; they make my anxiety jump through the roof. sometimes, i can be im'ing with a person and be absolutely fine, and then for no apparent reason, my anxiety takes hold and i can’t bring myself to open the ims. this can last for a few days at a time. please, don’t think i’m ignoring you if i haven’t responding to your im in a day or two. it’s not you, i promise !

if you need to reach me right away for any reason, please go through the ask box. the reason it’s easier for me to respond through the ask over ims is because i can see a preview of what you’ve said in the ask on my dashboard, whereas i have no idea what you’ve said through the ims. i know, it sounds dumb and ridiculous, but that’s just how my brain works.

now, thank you for reading all of this and i’d love to be friends !

#updated.#i revamped my guidelines so i thought i'd post them

2 notes · View notes

stillusesapencil · 5 years

Text

21 Questions

Answer 21 questions then tag 21 people!

Tagged by the queen @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold!

nicknames: Online people call me pencil, which I really like! Irl the best ones are Turtle and Lil Tiny. My name is Katie, which is also a nickname, but I won’t tell you my real name because fairies.

zodiac sign: Virgo? I’m not really into that.

height: 5′ 6″

howarts house: Hufflepuff primary AND secondary with a ravenclaw secondary model!

last thing i googled: Uh...directions to a mexican restaurant in the town I’m living in for the summer. I still don’t know my way around.

favorite musicians: Dodie Clark, Twenty-One Pilots, Third Day, Journey, George Strait, Jack Johnson, Halsey, One Direction, Vance Joy.

song stuck in your head: Oof. Yesterday my coworkers and I had to made a video to the song #Banner by Brandon Seibert and we spent ALL DAY on it. IT’S STILL HERE. IT WON’T LEAVE. SAVE ME.

following: 84! I like to keep my dash uncluttered and exclusively full of things that are positive and enjoyable for me so I don’t follow a ton of people.

followers: 96! Almost to a hundred! Honestly, follower count doesn’t matter to me that much, I just want people who follow me to genuinely enjoy my blog. Also I block every porn bot, so that makes my count stay low.

do you get asks? Not really. I always answer them, though! Once I got an ask about one of my fics and that was the best day.

amount of sleep: 7 hours is golden, 5 is too little, and 8 is pushing on too much. Currently I think I’m on 7.

lucky number: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 7? Lol, I only say that because I have a scar on my thumb in the shape of 7.

what you’re wearing: Well, seeing as it is 90F today, jean shorts and a purple T-shirt. If I ever decide shoes are worth it, I’ll put on chacos because they are as close to barefoot as I can get! Reasons why I’m your friendly neighborhood camp counselor.

Tagging: (I don’t know 21 people on here...) @stagotterdog @experimentalgirl42 @livingchancy @iliveinnarniaandstudyathogwarts @queerlyalex @poor-boy-orpheus

#That would be me #woah tag thing #pencil scribbles back

7 notes · View notes

fuck-customers · 6 years

Text

FAQ’s

I decided to get around to making a full FAQ to add to the sidebar. If I’ve missed anything, let us know.

Do you accept fuck coworker and manager submissions?

Yes we do! A while back we tried running a couple of separate blogs on the subjects but they weren’t successful because we continued getting asks and submissions here about coworkers and managers. Instead of just rejecting these we decided to accept them because they are a part of why customer service sucks. Changing the name of the blog isn’t necessary and would hinder the ability of our old and even new followers to find us if we suddenly just changed. We’ve been Fuck Customers for years, and it’s going to stay that way no matter how the blog evolves.

Why is the inbox/submission box closed?

We need to catch up because we’re neck deep in back log.

Can I use fan mail to submit my stories since the inbox is closed?

For the love of God no! This clogs the inbox up so bad and makes the process of catching up so much harder! Please be patient! We can’t reopen in a timely manner if we have to sift through and delete fan mail submissions that had no place being submitted in the first place in that format. Even when the inbox is open we delete those. The faster we can reopen the better. That all depends on our inbox remaining closed and uncluttered by fan mail. I may seem rude saying this, but it has become a serious problem and is hindering progress a LOT.

Why hasn’t my submission posted yet?

See here.

Who are the mods?

Abby, and Rodney.

Can you tag (insert thing)?

We used to, but with how big the blog has become it is unrealistic to be able to tag absolutely every single thing. We’re going to have to trust that our followers will be able to put trigger warnings before their own asks and submissions. We get up to 200 new asks and submissions a day on top of our personal and professional lives, so keeping up with posting/queuing is top priority.

Do you need anymore mods? Can I be one?

Ultimately this is up to Mandie, but at the moment the answer is no. Three is more than enough. You know what they say about too many cooks in the kitchen.

What don’t you post?

Anything racist, transphobic, homophobic, xenophobic, etc for starters. Anything not on topic to customer service is a big one too. We also don’t accept customers whining about employees. There is a line where it might be acceptable, though, like a case where a customer may see a manager or coworker abusing an employee. But if you’re bitching because someone smashed your bread then you are in the wrong place. Go to yelp. Fan mail is not the proper course of submitting your questions or stories. Use the ask or submission options and if the inbox is closed then check back later. Finally, hate mail. We get a lot of it and it’s a waste of space. Now, sometimes we do post one of any of these simply to drag your ass through the coals. Catch us on a bad day and expect to get roasted. Don’t be an asshole and you’re fine. We also try not to post anything that includes real store names, so try to use a fake one.

Why have I been blocked?

If you said anything offensive in a note towards us or another follower then you will be blocked. That could be death threats, telling someone to kill themselves, racism, homophobia, basically being an asshole. If you’re dumb enough to send hate mail without being anon, whether it’s to us or another follower, you’ll also get blocked. We do not tolerate that shit.

I requested my submission be posted anonymous! Why did it get posted or why wasn’t it posted?

It is your responsibility to submit anon. We post what is given to us in a format that tumblr allows(why we don’t post fan mail btw). If we were to post your submission anonymous we would have to cut and paste. Multiply that by 100 per day and we’d be swamped. If it accidentally gets posted that is on you, but most of the time we just delete it.

I found something on here offensive! I’m sending hate mail right now!

You know that is the equivalent of asking to see the manager, right? Just skip the post and move on, you’re holding up the line.

*This does not include reporting posts that were accidentally posted that we would definitely remove. If you’re polite about it that is fine, but if you’re going to yell at us and tell us you’re unfollowing then that’s customer like territory. We get a lot of hate mail when all you need to do is point it out nicely. We also don’t condone sending hate mail to other followers. Maybe what they said was offensive, but sometimes good people don’t realize that their wording wasn’t that great. Sending hate mail isn’t the proper way to get your point across and help them learn from the situation.*

If I’ve missed any questions that need to be added let us know. These are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Why hasn’t my submission posted?

We get this question a lot so I thought I’d compile a list:

1.) You sent it through fan mail. We do not post anything sent that way since it does not include an option to queue or post it, just reply. We stopped copy pasting submissions a long time ago.

2.) You included a store name. Some of these slip through, but for the most part these get deleted for the safety of your job and this blog. There are actually people whose job it is is to hunt down stories like these and punish those who tell them.

3.) You requested to be anonymous without actually submitting on anon. Again, we do not copy paste submissions.

4.) You said something extremely offensive. Such as racist, ableist, homophobic, xenophobic, etc. Sometimes you might find we will call you out on it, but for the most part these posts are deleted.

5.) You sent hate mail. We will sometimes destroy you in response, but we delete 99% of these.

6.) The subject matter has been talked about to death. After a while we stop beating the dead horse with a stick.

7.) You posted a customer complaint. Yes, we will post good experiences praising an employee, but if you’re here to complain about an employee from a customer point of view then you’re in the wrong place.

8.) Rarely tumblr will eat the post. If your submission hasn’t posted in a month and it does not fit the rules above then resend it.

9.) Also extremely rare we might have accidentally deleted it. Again, if it hasn’t posted in a month and doesn’t fit the first 6 rules resend it. I think this has only happened twice to me personally though.

10.) It’s already queued or still in our inbox waiting to be queued or posted. We get a lot of submissions and asks, so you’ll need to be patient.

11.) Also, if you send a long submission through several asks instead of the submission link then we’ll delete them all. It is difficult to find all the parts.

12.) It isn’t on topic for the blog or any conversation happening on the blog.

13.) Asking to become a mod. We’re not accepting new mods.

14.) Complaints about what has been posted that does not fit the criteria on this list. This is rare, but it happens.

15.) Anything that seems like it’s an advertisement.

16.) Your post did not seem like it was related to customer service in any way. If you did experience at work then you need to make it clear.

#FAQ rules submission

53 notes · View notes

the-colony-roleplay · 5 years

Photo

↬ Col22 Annual Appreciation Awards: The Reception ↫

The decorations in the Colony’s Catch 22 are purposely less lush than the exuberance that was found in the auditorium for the ceremonies. Oh, there’s still a ton of holiday themed paraphernalia: wreaths and garlands, colourful twinkly lights and, yup, there’s that mistletoe again... but there are no ostentatious draperies, and only one Christmas tree in the corner. Much more digestible.

The evening is designed to be a real celebration. Alright, let’s say it: a party. But after a long year of hard work and difficult change, this is something that even Alex sees as good for morale. The awards are the first part of it—acknowledgement for their commitment, for their rigorous training and for the progress they’ve made. And this... well, this is the second part. The part where people might laugh and dance and forget about the reality of things, if even for a little while.

Because the truth is, this is the new reality. This isn’t the apocalypse anymore—it’s post-apocalypse. As much fear and horror and strain and loss still fill their world on a day to day basis, and as much as the fight is a long ways from over—this, here and now, is the new world, and they have to live in it. Because as soon as they forget the simpler, human joys of life, the easier it will be to lose motivation entirely. “Those who fight together, thrive together”: the Colony 22 Games motto since the day of its rise. But there has to be something worth fighting for. Something to inspire a reason to survive.

Alex, despite his reclusive nature, despite his tendency to put work first and friendship second, knows that the only thing keeping these citizens alive now, with all the fear and oppression and prejudice clouding over their heads, is love. Pure and simple. God knows he’ll never say it out loud, but he knows it to be true, nonetheless. The friendships and loyalties built within these walls over the past five years have become a reason for people to push forward. A foundation on which to nurture their passion, ambition and drive.

And so, despite the fact that Alex is still intending to make himself scarce within the hour, once the general public are a couple drinks and some pour soul’s taking the first stab at the Karaoke machine—he is pleased by what he finds when he first walks in. Pleased to see colony company slowly filing in—some of them having dressed down for the reception, others still sporting their refurbished prom dresses and ties.

Even some of the NWRF shuffle in awkwardly looking in desperate need of a drink. Which, as far as Alex is concerned, is perfectly fair. Perhaps even they are doomed to have a good time tonight, as the night presses on and their glasses are refilled. And perhaps, Alex will even stay a little longer than planned. Perhaps.

CHECK OUT FULL EVENT DETAILS AND SUMMARY UNDER THE READ MORE!

Good Evening and Happy New Year, everyone! Welcome to the Second Portion of the Colony’s 6th, non-games Event!

THIS POST OFFICIALLY TRIGGERS PART TWO OF THE AWARDS EVENT: THE RECEPTION AT CATCH22!

↬ EVENT DETAILS & SUMMARY ↫

General Geography

Much like so many other physical spaces in the Colony, we’ve always left it specific enough to work with, but vague enough to leave you free to work your imaginations. However, since so many of us will be threading here all at once, we figured it might be a good idea to give you a sense of the space.

So, the front of the Catch has a small covered patio attached—no tables or anything, just a wooden awning with pillars, two steps up from the ground—some people will smoke out here.

When you walk in through the front double doors, the bar is forward and to the left side of the room. Directly centre of the room is most of the tables and chairs for the seating area. These are old wooden chairs and tables, kind of rustic. The WCs are past the bar, on the left, down a little alcove. In the back of the room, beyond the tables, there is a small stage that used to be used for bands/performances etc. It is rarely used as such anymore, and is currently more or less grouped in with the dance floor, which is just in front of the stage. Tonight, however, the stage may have a use or two... more on that later :)

Also for the purposes of the evening, there will be a couple of long tables set up on the right side of the room (opposite side of the seating area from the bar) where all the food will be dropped off. This will be a help-yourself sort of set up, with casual finger-food people can pick at over the course of the evening. More on this below!

Food and Drink

So, like with the Brink Reopening, there is finger food available, all of which is being prepared up in the kitchens from the main building. There are volunteers cooking and bringing food down in through the back of the Catch, but it is not catered in the same way as the “classy” Brink Reopening was. The food is casual, pub-style appies, and is not brought around on platters, but rather set up on tables with napkins and small plates (plastic ones! because there’s no Party Central stores in the apocalypse and they can’t afford paper plates, ya’ll, so put ‘em in the dirty dish bin at the end of the table, okay? Just as the heartfelt handwritten sign on the wall so politely and firmly requests!)

Food assortment includes the following:

Chicken and Veggie Sliders

Chicken Wings (Hot, BBQ and Salt&Pepper)

House Cut French Fries

Fish Tacos

Veggies & Dip

Chips and Salsa

Drinks will be served at the bar, (Xavier Crane is one of the usual bartenders for the evening, along with some other regular Catch staff. Mitch Douglas will also be seen back there some of the time, because he’s very much a hands-on kind of volunteer). All the usual drinks one might find on a regular night will be available, so not the same restrictions as at the Brink Opening, but drink tickets have again been handed out to citizens over the age of 18. These were passed out in little envelopes before leaving the ceremony (so anyone who decided to skip the ceremonies wouldn’t have gotten theirs!!) and the number of tickets is determined by security class again, which are as follows:

Elites & Class 1: Three free tickets

Class 2: Two free tickets

Class 3: One free ticket

If citizens would like to purchase more drinks with their credits, they can obviously do so as per usual, but standard drink limits still apply, and free drinks count towards those limits.

Music, Dancing & Entertainment

Unlike the Bonfire, no one is particularly DJing this event, but Tate Rothchild has volunteered to run the music, and she’ll be taking requests. The dance floor will be open most of the evening, but there will be Karaoke between 9pm and 10pm which Crane will be running (quite enthusiastically, we might add) at which point the bar will be run by other staff.

After Karaoke, dancing and music will continue until close, at 0130. Last call for drinks will be at 1am.

Maisie Pace will also be wandering around taking official photos for the evening, so citizens should keep an eye out for her if they want some taken with their friends in front of the Christmas tree! And remember: there’s mistletoe surreptitiously hung about the bar—will anyone be caught under it, I wonder? Perhaps Miss Pace will be quick enough to snap a shot of that too... she is an excellent fly on the wall, after all.

Photos taken at the event will be made available on Echo in the following weeks.

↬ EVENT ROLEPLAYING GUIDELINES↫

The same guidelines apply as with all our events, and with ceremonies. Here is a summary/reminder!

As of now, you may NOT post any NEW threads that are not affiliated with the RECEPTION portion of the event. The new timeline of the RP is currently AFTER the ceremonies. So you have free reign of anything between the ceremonies ending and people milling about, or going back to their dorms to change, or heading down to the Catch, or anything throughout the night of the party at the Catch, until it closes. However, If your character does not attend the reception, they could be elsewhere in the colony at this time. Basically, you are free to RP your character anytime between 8pm (when the awards ended) and 2am, which would be just after the Catch closes.

You MAY continue old threads you have going, both pre event, or from the ceremony. All we ask is that you start tagging non-event threads with #preevent so we know they are earlier in the timeline. On going, ceremony threads do not need to be tagged this way, as they are still part of the event overall.

All new event threads being posted must be TITLED and tagged as such, indicating that they are Event threads. (In this case, key words like “Awards” or “Event” or “Reception” or even “After Party” is encouraged. How you go about this is up to you though!

You MAY post photos of your character’s clothing/outfits, etc, if you wish. You are by no means obligated to do so.

Please TAG your event starters with the regular starter tag (#col22starter), AS WELL AS #col22awards.

The event will continue until the mods post an official closing notice. It will likely last about week, maybe more, depending on member activity. We want to give enough time for people to get a good start on threads and plotting, before wrapping it up. Obviously people will be able to continue on going threads after the event closes, but still, we’ll be keeping an eye on the dash and who’s had a chance to participate! We don’t want to have it going too long, but always endeavour to make sure everyone gets a chance to get involved!

Alright, I think that’s all I got for now folks! As always, come to us with any questions you might have! And we’d appreciate if you bring them to the main blog Ask so that we can share event related questions with everyone!

Also, just so everyone knows, the tag the mod blog is using for this event is col22awards2—so you can track it if you want! But this is a mod only tag, so please just use col22awards for your own stuff! It’s just simpler, and that way the tag remains uncluttered for admin stuff in case anyone wants to track it! Thanks!

Very much looking forward to this portion of the event! Can’t wait to see what you guys bring to it and all the fun chaos on the dash!

Okay, have fun ya’ll and Happy New Year!!

xxMod!Ro

#col22admin #col22awards2 #literate rp #bio rp #para rp

3 notes · View notes