#C Technical Interview Questions and Answer

[annlyticalarchive]

CHAPTER NINE: The Date, the Dog, and the Domain

”You will be different, sometimes you’ll feel like an outcast, but you’ll never be alone”

Mark Grayson X Kryptonian/Clark Kent! Reader

Prologue|Chapter Eight|Chapter Nine (Here)| Chapter Ten

w/c: 5.6k

a/n: two rewrites done and still not incredibly happy with it, but it’s mainly just the two goobers so I’m content with it

“Superwoman!”

You loved Lois. You really did. She was one of your best friends.

But if you heard—

“Lois Lane, I’d like to interview you for the Daily Planet!” And speak of the devil, and she’ll appear.

You pushed through the crowd that had gathered around you in the park, phones out and filming you and the grounded plane behind you.

“I’m sorry, no comment,” you said with your most polite smile, beginning to hover just out of reach.

“Wait—” Lois started, but you were already gone.

By the fifth time it happened that morning, you were starting to feel genuinely sorry for her.

Well right up until she snapped a cuff on your wrist and then the other on hers.

“I’m getting—” She had to pause, doubled over with one hand on her knees, breathless. “—an interview.”

“Miss Lane…” you sighed, looking at the ridiculous pair of handcuffs connecting you. With your strength, you could break them easily. But you knew that even you couldn’t run from Lois when she wanted something. So, you might as well just give her the exclusive.

“Alright,” you muttered, resigned. You gently scooped her up and took off, heading straight for the rooftop of the Daily Planet.

You touched down lightly, setting Lois on her feet as she fumbled to pull out her recorder with her one free hand, her dominant one now locked to yours.

“Lois Lane, reporter for the Daily Planet,” she said, still catching her breath. “And I have some questions for you.”

“That much is clear.” You folded your arms as best as you could with a reporter attached to one of them. “You’ve been trying to catch me for days.”

“Hah, well—” Lois gave a breathless chuckle, shaking her head before composing herself. “Superwoman, would you be willing to answer a few questions for the people?”

“The people deserve truth and transparency,” you said, nodding. Her face lit up, and guilt twisted in your chest. It didn’t feel great, keeping your secret from her.

“Okay,” she said eagerly. “Who are you?”

“You’ve named me Superwoman. I’ve been told it suits me.” You smiled.

“Yeah, I didn’t think I’d get your identity that easy,” she muttered, shifting gears. “Where are you from?”

“I’m not entirely sure. Space?” you said, then clarified with a shrug, “But I was raised on Earth.”

She blinked. “Okay… so, alien.”

“Technically,” you nodded. “But Earth is my home.”

She nodded thoughtfully and moved on. “What can you do?”

“I’m not entirely sure of the full extent yet,” you said with a shrug. “I’m still figuring it out. Strength, flight, speed, durability, that sort of thing.”

She glanced at your still-linked wrists, recorder still running. “Are you a member of any hero organization? Any government contract?”

“No,” you said firmly. “I don’t take orders. I don’t want someone telling me who I can and cannot save.”

Lois nodded slowly, thoughtful. “Then who holds you accountable?”

That made you pause.

You looked at her, really looked, and said quietly, “I do.”

She blinked, thrown off for a beat. But then she nodded again, much smaller, more personal this time. “Okay.”

“I just want to help,” you added. “That’s all.”

She exhaled. “Okay. One more, what drives you to help?”

After a beat, you answered quietly, “Because I can. And I think if you can help, you should.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment. She just studied you, softly and genuinely, like maybe she wasn’t just seeing the cape anymore.

Then, “That’s a good answer.”

You gave her a small smile. “It’s the truth.”

Lois reached into her bag and pulled out a tiny key, unlocking the cuffs with a smug little flourish. “Thanks for the exclusive, Superwoman.”

“Anytime, Miss Lane.”

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

“You’re overthinking this,” Jimmy said from the couch, watching as you paced back and forth, two outfits in hand.

“I just—what do you think?” you asked, finally stopping and holding both options up to your chest.

“Green. The black’s too fancy,” he replied, propping his chin up with his palm.

“Thanks!” you said with relief, darting off to the shared bathroom.

As you slipped the green blouse over your head, Jimmy called through the closed door, “You do realize it’s just a coffee date, right? Mark’s not taking you to a five-star rooftop restaurant.”

“I know, but—” You paused, adjusting the waistband of your pants. “I’ve never really been on a proper date. I mean, there was Lana back in Smallville, but that wasn’t… this is different. Mark is different. I want this to be serious.”

“Kansas,” Jimmy groaned just as you stepped out of the bathroom, straightening your glasses with one hand.

He got up and placed both hands on your shoulders. “You’ve been pining for him for how long? You both mutually asked each other out after dinner with his family. You’ve got this. There’s literally nothing to worry about.”

You sighed, then nodded. ���Yeah. Yeah, okay. I’ve got this.”

“And if you don’t, you’ve got me and Lois to cry on,” Jimmy added casually as you slung your bag over your shoulder.

You froze mid-step and shot him a glare.

“But you’ve got this! You do!” he rushed to say, nudging you toward the door. “Now go get him, farm girl!”

You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t help the grin tugging at the corner of your mouth as you stepped outside, the door clicking shut behind you.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

The cozy cafe Mark picked was small and quiet, tucked between a bookstore and a florist.

The kind of place with real cups and mugs, soft indie music playing just loud enough to fill the silence, and walls lined with artwork painted by local artists with ‘For Sale’ stickers underneath them.

You spotted him through the front window before he saw you. He was already seated, nervously tapping his fingers on the table, a second mug waiting across from him.

He looked up just as you opened the door.

And his smile, soft and wide, made something warm bloom in your chest.

“Hey,” he said, standing a little too fast and bumping the table. “Sorry— hi. You look great.”

You smiled as you walked over, “You look nice too.”

He held your chair out without thinking, and you caught yourself grinning again as you sat.

“I didn’t keep you waiting long, did I?” you asked nervously as he slid back into his seat. “I know we said the time, but I wasn’t sure if—”

“It’s fine,” Mark said, cutting you off with a gentle laugh. “I know you run on ‘on time is late’ logic, but seriously, you’re fine.”

The waitress came over to take your orders, two coffees and a small plate of assorted pastries, had you two pay, then left you to it.

You both settled in, and conversation flowed easily. At first it was a little awkward, at least for you. Stumbling over your words and  not knowing how ‘date talk’ works. Mark was sweet though, which calmed most your nerves.

“Wait, you played baseball?” Mark asked, grinning as he leaned forward. “Were you any good?”

“Eh,” you shrugged with a grimace. “Better on field than bat, I was scared of it. But I liked it. Small town league, nothing serious. My Pa was the assistant coach.”

Mark laughed. “Okay, now I have to know, what position?”

“Outfielder.”

“That tracks,” he said with a smirk.

You sipped your coffee. “Let me guess, you were the home run king?”

“Pfft, not even close,” he chuckled. “I was okay, I remember I had one good home run, but other than that I was the strike out king. I think I peaked at neighborhood T-ball.”

You both laughed, the kind that warmed your ribs and made the coffee taste just a little sweeter.

“I’ve been reading some of my dad’s books,” Mark added. You vaguely remembered him mentioning them recently in passing, something about old adventures turned fiction.

“Oh yeah?”

“They seem like novels, but they’re based on him. His experiences. And I was thinking… maybe he ran into someone like you. One of you, I guess,” he said. “We could read them together, if you’d like?”

His voice was softer then, careful. You couldn’t tell if it was because of the subject or because it was you he was offering this to.

Before you could answer, your phone started to ring.

“I’m—ugh, I’m so sorry. Let me just—” you started as you pulled it from your bag, already fumbling to silence it. But your fingers paused when you saw the caller ID.

Ma.

Mark, who had been watching, glanced at the screen and gave you an easy smile. “You should probably take that.”

“You sure?” you asked, already half-rising from your seat.

“It’s your mom,” he said, shaking his head. “Of course. Go.”

You mouthed a quick thank you as you stepped toward the café’s front windows, lifting the phone to your ear.

“Hi, Ma,” you greeted, trying to keep your voice light.

“Hey, baby. I’m sorry—you're not at work, right?” Her voice was warm, familiar, grounding. But there was a twinge to it. A tension. Enough to make your stomach knot.

“No, it’s my day off. I’m out with a friend,” you said, shaking your head even though she couldn’t see it.

“Oh, I don’t mean to be a bother, but…” She paused, and the slight crackle of the speaker only made your nerves worse. “Something crashed out in the fields. Your Pa said it looked like your ship.”

Your blood went cold.

Without a word, you speed-walked back to the table, phone still pressed to your ear. “I’ll— yeah, I’ll run over real quick. I’ll take care of it.”

Mark stood up as you approached, clearly concerned. “What’s wrong?” he asked as you grabbed your bag and slung it over your shoulder in one fluid motion.

“Something crashed on our farm,” you said breathlessly. “I need to check it out.”

Mark didn’t hesitate. “I’m coming with you.”

“You don’t have to— really, it’s fine—”

“I want to,” he said, tone firm, brows knit with a worried frown.

You paused. Maybe you agreed because it was Mark, or maybe because deep down, you knew he could help.

You nodded.

Together, the two of you ducked into a nearby alley. A moment later, two streaks of color lifted into the sky, one red and blue, the other blue and yellow, as you flew fast toward Smallville.

𓈒 ⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

The fields of the Kent farm were bathed in late afternoon light when the two you descended, boots hitting the dirt with a sharp thud. Mark landed a half-second later beside you, eyes scanning the rows of corn that bordered the property.

You made a beeline toward the porch. Swinging the door open and walking in quickly while Mark hesitated at the doorway.

“Ma? Pa?” You called in the main room.

Your parents rounded the corner from the kitchen, Ma took your forearms in her hands. Pa, while admittedly giving Mark an odd look, waved the boy in.

“We haven’t gotten close since your Pa got a look at it,” Ma explained as she gently turned you toward the back door. “We called you right after.”

You nodded and waved Mark along. Out back, a thin plume of fading smoke still curled into the sky, like a beacon in the middle of the fields.

“Sorry meeting Ma wasn’t under better circumstances,” you said, trying to joke as you walked. It was the wheat season, so the field was like golden grass. The impact trail was obvious, a long scorched scar across the earth.

Mark chuckled from a few steps behind. “Knowing me, it could’ve been worse.”

And then you saw it.

The ship came into full view, smaller than yours, but otherwise a carbon copy. It sat completely still. No hum. No glow. No movement.

Nothing.

Not until you stepped closer and reached out, your fingertips brushing the surface, despite Mark’s quiet, urgent, “Wait—”

A sharp hiss split the silence.

And then

white.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Mark ducked back just in time as a white blur exploded from the hatch, slamming into you and launching you across the field like a ragdoll.

He shouted your name, taking off after you without hesitation.

You hit the ground hard, skidding through dirt and grass as the blur gave chase. Before you could even fully stop, it hit you again, square in the chest with a solid enough thud that Mark could hear knock the wind from your lungs.

Mark didn’t think, instead he dove, arms outstretched, and managed to grab hold of something furry and thrashing. But it squirmed violently in his grip, let out a low growl, and launched itself off him with force strong enough to crack something in his ribs.

He barely caught his breath before it pinned him to the ground. His goggles flickered, vision momentarily blurry, until it cleared.

And then he realized what had him pinned was a dog.

A very angry dog.

White fur. Bared teeth. Piercing blue eyes.

Or rather, eyes that were blue until they weren’t. A glowing red hue started to burn through the irises, heat building behind its gaze.

“No!” your voice rang out across the field, slicing through the tension like lightning. The hound’s ears perked. Its head snapped toward you.

It kicked off Mark’s chest so hard that he doubled over with a wheeze, coughing, definitely bruised, maybe worse.

But when the hound barreled into you again, it didn’t attack.

It bounced.

Literally bounced.

Tail wagging. Tongue flopping. Eyes wide. It leapt up, licked your cheek, dropped to the ground, and bounced again like it hadn’t just tried to kill Mark seconds earlier.

“Mark!” you yelled, still a bit breathless, arms up in a loose shield as the creature practically climbed over you in excitement. “You okay?”

For a brief moment, he wanted to say something stupid like Not when you say my name like that, but all that came out was a dazed, “Yeah. I think so.”

He pushed himself up slowly, wincing. His ribs protested every movement.

You grunted, finally managing to shove the dog off. But instead of backing away, it latched onto your cape in its teeth and started tugging like it was playing tug-of-war.

If it wasn’t so shocking, Mark would find it endearing.

“Stop! Quit it!” you barked, trying to yank the fabric free, but the dog just wagged harder and dragged you several feet, toward the ship.

It let go only once you were directly in front of it.

Then, with a small huff, it bounded back into the pod and reemerged with something clutched in its jaws: a crystal, about the size of a hand.

The dog padded toward you, tail still wagging, and plopped the crystal into your lap with a satisfied little chuff before sitting down and staring at you, ears perked like it had done the best trick in the world.

Mark approached cautiously, only to stop as the dog lifted its head and gave a low, unmistakable growl, hackles bristling.

But then you made a sharp sound, one that Mark can easily see you using to get a farm animal’s attention.

And just like that, it settled again.

Mark crouched beside you, resting a hand gently on your shoulder as you stared down at the crystal.

“It’s a dog,” you breathed, glancing up at him. Your eyes were wide, disbelieving. “Alien dog. Are there any alien dogs in your dad’s books?”

“None that I’ve read,” Mark huffed, he was still working his way through him, but for some reason he doubted it’d be in there anyway. “You okay?”

You nodded, standing up and patting your chest, “Yeah, just got the air knocked outta me. Not used to that.”

Mark’s hand drifted from your shoulder, down your arm, to your hand that holds the crystal. “You sure?”

“I’m good, promise,” You turn to give him a reassuring smile, your cheeks flushed.

He watched as you hummed and stood up, the dog quickly gaining energy as it bounced around your feet.

“I’ve seen something like this before…” you murmured, staring down at the crystal. Then you looked to Mark, then back toward the house, and finally, toward the barn at the edge of the field. “C’mere.”

Mark followed you across the grass and through the creaking barn doors. Dust floated in the golden light filtering through the roofing. You walked past old equipment and a sun-faded tractor to a shape hidden beneath a thick tarp.

You grabbed the edge and pulled. Beneath it sat your pod.

“This is my ship,” you said, glancing back at him. “When the vision ended, I saw crystal things like this one, they slid back into the walls here.”

You stepped closer, fingers tracing the narrow seams in the pod’s inner casing outlines where similar crystals had once clicked perfectly into place.

“So you think they’re like… flash drives?” Mark asked, planting his hands on his hips. “Crystal flash drives. Man, I wish that was the weirdest thing I’ve seen from space.”

You made a breathy noise, like a laugh cut short as you tensed, and Mark was about to ask what was wrong until he heard it. A crackle.

Mark stiffened. So did the dog, ears snapping forward as it growled low in its throat.

Mark stepped forward, subtly shifting his stance now fully between you and the sound.

A familiar figure stood framed in the barn doorway, backlit by the setting sun. Scarred. Calm. Watching.

Director Cecil Stedman.

“You know,” he said, voice casual like he’d been here all afternoon, “I almost believed you when you said you didn’t want attention.”

His eye flicked from you to the pod, then to the dog.

“And maybe you don’t know this,” he continued, “but when a ship that matches the one you came down in, crashes down from a suspended orbit around the sun? That’s not exactly subtle.”

“I told you to stay the hell away,” Mark said, low and dangerous.

“And I told you we were watching,” Cecil replied with a sigh. “But now it seems like we’ve moved past requirements for watching.”

He looked back to you with growing irritation. “What have you done? What is that thing, and more importantly, what is happening in the Arctic?”

You stepped forward, voice cool and even despite the adrenaline humming in your blood.

“I’ll be honest and say, I don’t know. But what I do know?” you said. “You’re on private property, uninvited, Director.”

The dog growled, a low rumble vibrating through the whole barn.

Cecil’s brow lifted just slightly. The only sign he’d registered the threat.

He didn’t move.

Behind you, Mark took another step forward, now standing shoulder to shoulder with you.

“I know how this looks,” Cecil said after a beat, voice tight with frustration. “But a large unknown energy surge appeared in the Arctic Circle. The readings matched whatever that came down in.”

He gestured broadly to the dog at your feet.

“And I need to know,” he continued, eyes locking with yours, “if you’re the reason the the next invasion happens. Intentional or not.”

Mark’s expression darkened immediately.

“You serious right now?” he snapped, stepping forward, his fists clenched. “You show up unannounced, throw accusations around, and the first thing you do is threaten her?”

“Mark,” you said softly, placing a hand on his arm.

He didn’t look at you right away, but he stilled under your touch. You stepped around him, calm but firm as you faced Cecil directly.

“Look, if you’re genuinely that concerned,” you said evenly, “I’ll go check it out.”

Cecil’s eyes narrowed, scanning your face like he was trying to see through you. But after a pause, he gave a tight nod.

Without another word, he turned and walked back outside. A second later, he was gone, teleported back to whatever surveillance bunker he’d crawled out of.

Mark let out a slow breath as he stepped closer.

“You sure about this?” he asked, voice lower now, more concern than anger. Not that the anger had really faded, just taken a backseat. “You don’t owe him anything. You don’t owe them anything.”

You hesitated, your gaze drifting toward the ship, then to the dog, now curled lazily on the floor of the barn.

Then you looked back at him.

“I think these ships… They only activate for me,” you said softly. “Like they recognize me, or my DNA, or something.”

Mark frowned. “You think that’s why they’re showing up? Because of you?”

“I don’t know,” you admitted. “But if they’re drawn to me, or if someone’s sending them, then I need to figure it out before someone else gets hurt. It’s my responsibility.”

He watched you for a second. You weren’t panicked. You weren’t scared. You were steady. Determined. And it made something tighten in his chest.

“Okay,” he said, exhaling. “Then I’m coming with you.”

You gave him a quick smile, bumping your shoulder against his. “Wouldn’t expect anything else.”

From the grass, the white dog let out a soft whine, tail thumping once against the dirt.

Mark raised an eyebrow. “So… are we bringing that thing too?”

“Of course we are,” you murmured, frowning like he was the one being weird. “We have to bring it.”

“We have to?” he echoed, eyebrows raised, hands settling on his hips.

“It came out of a pod,” you said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “We’re probably going to check out another pod. It’s a logical decision, Mark.”

“Obvious. Totally logical,” he muttered, raising both hands in mock surrender, fighting the small smile tugging at his mouth. You were already defending the furball like it was your little sibling. “Not like it knock both of us on our asses or anything.”

You ignored that, turning toward the barn with the dog at your heels, now practically prancing after you.

Back inside, your Ma and Pa looked about as surprised as Mark felt when the dog trotted in beside you like it’d always lived there. Your Ma blinked slowly, while your Pa muttered something about needing to redo the field.

You explained the situation, how there’s likely another crash, this one in the Arctic, and that you were going to check it out.

That you’d be careful. That you’d be back.

Your Ma hugged you.

But Mark?

He got a warning. A real, serious one.

“She’s strong, I know,” your Pa said lowly, hand firm on Mark’s shoulder. “But that doesn’t mean you don’t keep her safe. Understood?”

Mark nodded. “I will, sir. I promise.”

Outside, you lifted off first, the now late afternoon light catching in your hair as the wind rippled your cape. Mark followed a second later.

And sure enough, like it was the most natural thing in the world, the dog launched after you, legs kicking as it took to the air like it’d done it a hundred times.

Mark watched it for a moment, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Right,” he muttered, glancing over at you with a smirk. “Flying dog. Of course.”

You just grinned as the three of you soared north, toward cold winds and a glowing Arctic horizon.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

“Okay, okay,” Mark said through laughter, turning to face you with his mask on. “But you have to admit, you need a mask.”

You frowned, shouting a little over the rush of wind. “But the glasses!”

“Not exactly a mask,” Mark called back, grinning behind the lenses.

“Then what are your lenses for, bug boy?” you countered, making finger goggles at him.

“To keep the wind out of my eyes!” he argued, mock-offended.

You opened your mouth to retort, probably something scathing and perfect, but the air cracked like a whip.

Sharp. Sudden. Wrong.

Both of you went silent mid-flight.

Then, ahead of you in the snow-blanketed distance, something began rising.

Slowly at first, then with increasing speed, like a spiraling tower unfolding from the depths of the Earth. But not a tower. Not really.

A cluster.

Spikes of translucent blue-white crystal burst upward, spinning, threading together like a frozen bloom.

“Holy shit,” Mark muttered beside you, barely audible over the wind.

And then, barking.

The dog rocketed ahead, a streak of white against white, leaving a flurry of disturbed snow in its wake as it zeroed in on the structure.

You and Mark followed.

The fortress loomed the closer you got. It wasn’t just tall, it was enormous. Alien in design. Each spire jagged but symmetrical, arranged with the kind of deliberate, quiet logic that felt, simply put, alien.

You felt it in your bones before your boots touched the snow.

You landed a few paces behind the dog, Mark thudding into the snow beside you. The cold bit at your face, but you barely noticed. Your eyes were on the structure.

There was a door, or something like one, embedded in the crystal. Seamless and opaque. No handle, no indentation. Like it didn’t want to be opened.

Until the dog trotted up to it.

It barked once.

Loud. Echoing.

The crystal responded with a low resonance, like a chime underwater. Then the door began slowly sink back into the snow.

You stared.

Mark, behind you, let out a low breath. “Okay… that’s new.”

You didn’t reply. You were already moving forward.

The dog trotted through the now-open threshold without hesitation. You followed, heart pounding, senses buzzing. Mark was close behind.

The inside was dim but glowing, lit from within by crystalline veins that pulsed faintly in the walls. The hallway, if it could even be called that, was high-ceilinged, made entirely of seamless crystal, and unnaturally quiet. Every single thing was made of the same crystal. No footsteps echoed. No wind howled through. Just silence.

Then, at the end of the corridor, the dog stopped in front of another formation.

This one wasn’t a door. It was a pedestal. In the middle of a circular room. And in it, one single slot, like the crystals you’d found in the pods belong in there.

Your breath caught.

Mark stepped up beside you, rubbing his arms for warmth, eyes locked on the glowing pedestal.

“Is this..?”

“Like the ones I have?” you murmured, barely above a whisper. “I think so.”

The dog sat beside the pedestal, tail thumping against the crystal floor, gaze fixed on you expectantly.

Mark looked to you again.

You swallowed and reached into your bag that you’d brought, fingers brushing against the crystal you’d taken from the pod.

You slotted it into the hollow.

There was a sound like a bell ringing underwater, and then

light.

Brilliant and golden, flaring out in every direction.

And when it faded, a figure stood before you.

A man.

The same one from your vision. Sharp-featured, robed in layers of red and black, a circlet on his head, his eyes solemn and steady even in flickering light.

You held your breath.

“Do you recognize him?” Mark asked, voice quiet beside you.

You could only nod. “From my vision.”

The hologram opened its mouth and began to speak.

But the language that came out the same one you couldn’t understand.

You stared, heart tightening.

Mark glanced at you. “Yeah. That is definitely not any that I’ve heard.”

You almost laughed, but didn’t. You were too still, too focused.

The man paused, a sigh passing over his expression as if even the recorded message could feel your confusion. He raised one hand and raised it facing you.

From the pedestal, another crystal dislodged and rose.

Cautiously, you reached out. As your fingers brushed it, a flicker of light bloomed in your vision, projected into your mind more than your eyes.

You saw letters, an alphabet. Complex. Elegant and sharp. Completely unfamiliar.

But then, the letters shifted.

They morphed. Bent. Aligned themselves into something you could understand.

English.

It was a translation key.

You blinked, stunned, as more characters slid into place, one by one, matching up with their English counterparts.

Beside you, Mark tilted his head. “Is it working?”

You let out a breath, half-relieved, half-annoyed. “Yeah. Kind of. It’s like the Rosetta Stone.”

“So… you’re gonna have to learn your message?”

You glanced at him, deadpan. “Apparently.”

He let out a low whistle. “Man. That’s one hell of a voicemail.”

Despite yourself, you smiled.

But it didn’t last long.

Because the hologram hadn’t stopped. He was still speaking, still trying to reach you. And now, with the translator forming around you, slowly translating his words in pieces.

Not full sentences. Not yet.

But fragments.

“...my daughter…”

“...survival…”

“...Krypto... safe…”

You sucked in a breath.

The dog whined softly, pressing its body closer to your side.

You looked up at the stranger, no, your father’s flickering image, your heart pounding in your chest, not from fear.

But from something heavier.

A grief you felt like you had no business feeling.

He was a stranger. A ghost. And still, somewhere in the echo of his voice, you felt small, like a child left behind.

Without another word, you reached out and pulled the crystal from its slot.

The image stuttered once then blinked out entirely.

Mark said your name softly behind you, but you didn’t wait.

You turned and walked out of the chamber, leaving the crystal where it was.

“Let’s go,” you said, voice even. “It’s probably late back home.”

Mark didn’t argue.

He followed without a word. The dog padded after him, quiet but alert, as though it could feel the tension you weren’t voicing.

The flight back to Kansas was silent. Wind rushing. Sun beginning to dip low behind you.

When you landed in front of the farmhouse, your smile was automatic.

Your parents greeted you with warm voices and concerned eyes, but you waved it off. You asked them to keep an eye on Krypto, if you’d read the slowly translating message correctly, that was his name, for a few days while you figured out if Jimmy’s lease allowed dogs.

They said yes without hesitation.

And still, Mark frowned.

It wasn’t until you landed on the roof of your apartment building in the low light of the evening that he finally spoke, arms crossed, his posture rigid and tone blunt.

“You gonna actually tell me what’s wrong? Or do I have to force it out of you?”

You sighed, rubbing your eyes with the heel of your palm. “It’s nothing. Promise. Just…”

You hesitated, voice softening into guilt.

“I’m sorry our date got ruined.”

Mark’s brow furrowed, confused.

“I get it if you don’t want any more hero craziness in your life,” you continued, avoiding his eyes. “You’ve already got so much on your plate, your dad, Viltrumites, the GDA. You don’t need me throwing in a dead planet and a dead father I can’t even understand and—”

Your voice cracked as the words rushed out in a ramble, messy and fast. “—and I feel selfish, even trying to pretend I could have something normal. Like a date. Like us. I shouldn’t have expected that. I shouldn't have dragged you into this—”

“Hey.”

Mark stepped forward, cutting you off with a hand on your arm.

You finally looked up.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he asked, voice gentler now despite the irritation in his expression. “Do you seriously think I don’t want to be here? With you?”

You opened your mouth to respond, but nothing came out.

Mark shook his head, stepping closer. “Yeah, I’ve got crap going on. You do too. And yeah, today got hijacked by… spaceship dogs and holographic dads and mysterious Fortress-of-Whatever in the Arctic.”

Despite yourself, a short laugh escaped your chest.

“But I’m not here because I want things to be easy,” he continued. “I’m here because it’s you. Because you make the hard stuff feel bearable. Even when you’re being stubborn and self-sacrificing like it’s a competitive sport.”

You blinked, caught off guard by how earnest he sounded.

“Also,” he added with a wry smile, “I don’t know if you know this, but I kinda like you.”

A breath of laughter slipped past your lips, shaky, quiet.

“You’re not mad?”

“I’m mad that you keep deciding how I feel,” he said gently. “But I’m not mad at you.”

You didn’t say anything. You just stepped forward, slipping your arms around his waist and resting your head against his chest.

Mark didn’t hesitate. He wrapped you up immediately, strong and steady, like he’d been waiting for the chance.

“…So,” he murmured, voice low and warm in your hair, “can I still count this as our first date?”

You tilted your head back just enough to look up at him.

“Yeah. But I’m paying for the next one.”

His grin tugged wider. “So there’s going to be a next one?”

“Of course. Here I thought you said you liked me,” you muttered, trying to pull away.

Emphasis on trying. He just held on tighter.

“Oh, I do,” he said, voice annoyingly smug now. “Which is why I’m not letting go until you say it back.”

You snorted. “Mark.”

“Say it.”

“I literally just said I’m paying for the next date—”

“That’s not the same and you know it.”

You groaned and dropped your forehead against his chest again. “Fine. I like you too. A lot. Happy now?”

He hummed, satisfied. “Very.”

You rolled your eyes, but you didn’t pull away this time.

“…Wanna come in for a bit?” you asked, voice quieter. “I think we have leftover cake on the counter.”

Mark raised an eyebrow, smirk pulling at his lips. “Are we talking actual cake, or like..?”

You swatted his chest. “Actual cake, you perv.”

He grinned. “Still sounds great.”

And together, you made your way through the roof access door and downstairs.

[writingslob]

LIN LING INTERVIEW: EPISODE 1

Author’s note: Lin Ling won! So this is in celebration of that! Thank you to the server for helping me out with the ask and comment section! Send in your asks and I’ll include them in part 2! I hope you enjoy! 

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“Hello! Welcome, everybody! My name is—” The sound cuts off, but the streamer doesn’t notice, smiling wildly at the camera. It comes back a second later. “-And this is the first episode of THE COMMON Q&A!” Their eyes twitch as they notice the lack of viewers, the zero counter mocks them in the corner. However, after a few minutes of waiting, a few people finally started to trickle in. (Good, they didn’t have to resort to bots then.)

Malice: wat  ShoreBound: Lin Ling is zo schattig; als iemand hem problemen geeft, zal ik ze bijten. Astra_foster: Gusto ka ba yan bata doon? Aintaresz: What is this?

The streamer raises an amused eyebrow. “Well, since you are all so curious, I’ll tell you.” They place the tripod on the stand, adjusting it slightly to make it eye level. Stepping back into frame, they begin to pace. “You all know the Commoner, right?” Hook. The smile takes on a sinister grin as they continue. “He has been blowing up, to say the least, and I know you all have burning questions for him.” Line “So! Tada! Welcome to The Common Q&A! Where you ask the questions and I track down Lin Ling so he can answer!” Sinker. The chat immediately exploded, and messages started pouring in rapidly. 

WinterMoon12: Huh!? Erismor-iok: What? Do you know where he is rn?

The grin turns into a smirk. Holding up a finger to their mouth, they winked as they turned the camera around. Taking a second to focus, the camera zooms in on a brunette man eating a hot dog. “Fun fact,” They start, “This is his favorite lunch spot. I’ve seen him eat here at least 3 times a week. So if you ever want to meet him yourself…” Three people walk past and wave at the man; he waves back before continuing his food. The camera turns back around to the streamer. “Let’s go say hi, yeah?”

The camera bounces as they jog over to Lin Ling. Lin Ling looks up in surprise before his eyes zero in on the camera in their hands. “Hi…?” Before he can continue, the camera is shoved into his face. “Hello! My name is—” The audio skips “—and I’m the host of The Common Q&A! Can you introduce yourself, Lin Ling?” The hero blinks in rapid succession, his mouth slightly agape, before it settles on a slightly awkward smile.

“Um, okay,” He agrees, placing his half-eaten hot dog back down on the tray. “Hi! My name is Lin Ling, or I guess you can call me The Commoner. I—” “So,” the streamer once again cuts him off. “Like the name suggests, this is a Q&A, and my—sorry, your fans have some burning questions they must ask you. Is that okay?” 

“Uh-” 

The streamer claps their hands, “Great!” Just as they say that, a ping pops up, notifying them of the message on the screen. 

“Malice donated ¥2171.19. Where do you sleep?? Do you pay rent too?”

Lin Ling blinks at the question before tilting his head. “Well, technically speaking, I’m supposed to be staying at Hero’s Tower, but” he waved his hand as he grimaced. “Treeman and I are in a bit of a… dispute of sorts, so I’m currently staying somewhere else.”

“Sci/Luna donated ¥1773.14. What was it like being Nice?”

At that, Lin Ling’s lips pressed tight into a line. He sighs, “I…I mean. It was nice at first. I always dreamed of being a hero, and being Nice gave me the chance to be that. But…” He hesitated, as if lost for words. “It wasn’t me. I’m not Nice, I’m me.” He finishes lamely. Hearts start rolling into the chat at his words, but the streamer had to hold back a groan at the cheesy, lame answer. Whatever. The streamer's eyes light up, though, at the next question. 

“Birb donated ¥1671.82. There is no way this twink-doe-eyed beauty is entirely straight. 🏳 🌈”

He was chewing the last half of his hot dog when the streamer read the question to him. They laugh as he chokes. Turning his face around, the viewers can see that his ears are bright red. Hitting his chest, he struggled to clear his throat of his remaining lunch. Finally, after a few thumps, his throat cleared, and he was left coughing, shaking, and red-faced. Whether from the question or the choking, no one could say for sure. Both, probably, the streamer muses.

“That’s um—I. I don’t know.” He flushes again, his face going an even deeper red. “I haven’t really explored that—you know, work and heroing and all—but I think I’m gay? Or at least in the LGBTQ…thing.”

“Eat Paper donated ¥1671.82. What are your hobbies? Got any other talents besides being cute?”

The blush that was just about to go away came back with a raging vengeance. It was amusing to see his whole body blush a bright tomato red. “Thank you?” He weakly mutters, his head ducked down to try to hide his blush. It wasn’t working. 

GrandmaEaster: Anyone notice TC kinda looks like a snowshoe hare slowly turning white? He fights like a hare, too, all boxing and kicks. Just Kiana: OMG, I see the vision. Sun_www_eee: Petition to make a new hashtag #Commonhare #bunnyling “AIN donated ¥1671.82. Previous job?”

The streamer quietly groaned at the boring question, but Lin Ling relaxed, obviously relieved. “I used to work at a small company as their creative director for commercials and the like. It was a good job—well, no, it wasn’t. The pay was abysmal, my boss sucked, and it wasn’t my dream to sit in front of a desk for hours on end, but I did like the creativity of it all—the challenge of making something into something bigger was nice.” His face was scratched up at the last word before rolling his eyes. 

“LinLing's Cephalic Vein donated ¥7000.  WAIT, WAIT. SO DURING TRUE LOVE RECIPE, YOU FOUGHT YOUR BOSS?? WHAT'S THE OFFICE GOSSIP ABOUT THE GUY? IS HE LIKE 👎👎 OR NAH?”

Lin Ling's eyes lit up. “Oh god, the gossip around the man was insane. No one liked him, and we used to complain about him all the time during our breaks. He was a grade A asshole who would force us to work overtime if he didn’t like the video, and he was also cheap too. I remember hearing from a few of my coworkers that he refused to pay them for overtime. It was a huge scandal. Didn’t go to court though for whatever reason.”

Fishing out his wallet, he turns to the streamer. “Anyways, it was good to meet you, but I need to go now—” Before he could even finish, the streamer immediately yelled. “Rapid-fire questions!”

“What-?”

“Shorebound donated ¥890.19 Have you ever considered sleeping in a hammock instead of a bed every day? What did you major in? Do you have any family? Did you like ballet? Are you a fan of Lucky Cyan?”

Lin Ling narrowed his eyes. “Okay, look, I’ll answer these another day, alright? I need to go back to patrol.”

“But your fans are just dying to know! Plus, they’re paying money to ask these! Are you really going to leave them hanging? You’re a hero to them, you know?” The streamer retorts, their voice just on the verge of whining. At that, his face pinched. The two of them lock into a staring contest before Lin Ling sighs, relenting. 

“Fine, what were the questions again? Slower this time.” The streamer repeated them. “Alright, so, no, I haven’t thought of using a hammock instead of my bed, though I did use to have one when I was a child. I majored in fine arts. Unfortunately, my parents passed away when I was younger. Yes, it surprised me, but I did enjoy ballet for the short time I did it. I listen to some of her stuff, but I’m not that big of a fan, sorry.” The hero rattled off. He had his arms crossed over his chest, hip jutting out as he listed each answer off one finger.

Turning around, Lin Ling was about to leave when the streamer reached out, grabbing his arm. “Wait! Just one more! Please!” He let out a deep sigh but waved his hand at him, urging him to continue. (So he could leave.)

“Maul donated ¥3000.00. What size do you have down there, pretty boy?”

“...”

“...So are you going to answer that?”

Lin Ling runs away. 

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“Well, I guess that’s the end of the stream.” The streamer muses, the dust cloud finally settling after Lin Ling’s run. Turning around, they grin at the camera, “But not the end of The Common Q&A! That’s right! Send in your questions now, people reading this on Tumblr! And I’ll make sure Lin Ling answers them in the next episode! This is—” The audio skips “—and I hope you enjoyed this episode! Peace out!” 

[phantomrose96]

Hey not to go all "tumblr is a professional networking site" on you, but how did you get to work for Microsoft??? I'm a recent grad and I'm being eviscerated out here trying to apply for industry jobs & your liveblogging about your job sounds so much less evil than Data Entry IT Job #43461

This place is basically LinkedIn to me.

I'm gonna start by saying I am so so very sorry you're a recent grad in the year 2024... Tech job market is complete ass right now and it is not just you. I started fulltime in 2018, and for 2018-2022 it was completely normal to see a yearly outflow of people hopping to new jobs and a yearly inflow of new hires. Then sometime around late-spring/early-summer of 2022 Wallstreet sneezed the word "recession" and every tech company simultaneously shit themselves.

Tons of layoffs happened, meaning you're competing not just with new grads but with thousands of experienced workers who got shafted by their company. My org squeaked by with a small amount of layoffs (3 people among ~100), but it also means we have not hired anyone new since mid-2022. And where I used to see maybe 4-8 people yearly leave in order to hop to a new job, I think I've seen 1 person do that in the whole last year and a half.

All this to say it's rough and I can't just say "send applications and believe in yourself :)".

I have done interviews though. (I'm not involved in resume screening though, just the interviews of candidates who made it past the screening phase.) So I have at least some relevant advice, as well as second-hand knowledge from other people I know who've had to hop jobs or get hired recently.

If you have friends already in industry who you feel comfortable asking, reach out to them. Most companies have a recommendation process where a current employee fills out a little form that says "yeah I'd recommend such-and-such for this job." These do seem to carry weight, since it's coming from a trusted internal person and isn't just one of the hundreds of cold-call applications they've received.

A lot of tech companies--whether for truly well-intentioned reasons or to just check a checkbox--are on the lookout for increasing employee diversity. If you happen to have anything like, for example, "member of my college Latino society", it's worth including on your resume among your technical skills and technical projects.

I would add "you're probably gonna have to send a lot of applications" as a bullet point but I'm sure you're already doing that. But here it is as a bullet point anyway.

(This is kind of a guess, since it's part of the resume screening) but if you can dedicate some time to getting at least passingly familiar with popular tech/stacks for the positions you're looking into, try doing that in your free time so you can list it on your resume. Even better if you make a project you can point to. Like if you're aiming for webdev, get familiar with React and probably NodeJS. On top of being comfortable in one of the all-purpose languages like C(++) or Java or Python.

If you get to the interview phase - a company that is good to work for WILL care that you're someone who's good to work with. A tech-genius who's a coworker-hating egotistical snob is a nuisance at best and a liability at worst for companies with even a half-decent culture. When I do interviews, "Is this someone who's a good culture fit?" is as important as the technical skills. You'll want to show you'll be a perfectly pleasant, helpful, collaborative coworker. If the company DOESN'T care about that... bullet dodged.

For the technical questions, I care more about the thought process than I do the right answer, especially for entry-level. If you show a capacity for asking good, insightful clarifying questions, an ability to break down the problem, explain your thought process, and backtrack&alter your approach upon realizing something won't work, that's all more important than just being able to spit out a memorized leetcode answer. (I kinda hate leetcode for this reason, and therefore I only ask homebrewed questions, because I don't want the technical portion to hinge at all on whether someone managed to memorize the first 47 pages of leetcode problems). For a new hire, the most important impression you can give me is that you have a technical grasp and that you're capable of learning. Because a new hire isn't going to be an expert in anything, but they're someone who's capable of learning the ropes.

That's everything I have off the top of my head. Good luck anon. I'm very sorry you were born during a specific range of years that made you a new grad in 2024 and I hope it gets better.

[sgiandubh]

Wonder if Sam will take his new legal American bride to Italy? He will be married, although unlike Caitriona's it will be a fake marriage, by 31 Dec. He needs the residency.

Dear Married Anon,

Three possibilities on this one: a) you watched 90 Days Fiancé for way too long and with no attention to details; b) you think I am an idiot, with no legal knowledge or experience; c) you are an idiot, with no legal knowledge or experience.

Your question comes with two strong biases, too: a) that you somehow are privy to such nonsense and b) the old & stale fake vs. organic marriage refrain, regarding C (that, by the way, proves that I did hit a nerve).

I am not very sure to whom exactly do you think you are talking, here. But if I do know one thing is that you, honey, are a Mighty Twat. If you wanted to be consistent with the crap the Gay Crowd spreads around, you could have gone for 'he needs a more solid/credible beard than that', instead of the completely inane 'he needs the residency'. What is he, Burmese? Oh, FFS. And by 'Burmese', I mean exactly this: are his life/personal safety in clear and present danger, in his home country, because of his ethnicity and/or political views? The answer is no, and he could still use his right of asylum. Does he need the US residency in order to secure a better paid job for himself? The answer is no: lots of other avenues can be explored and are routinely being used by thousands of foreign actors/performing artists, in order to legally work and reside in the US. I have even mentioned it before:

(Full October 2023 post, here: https://www.tumblr.com/sgiandubh/729979831079649280/mordor-says-he-returned-only-for-visa-reasons)

But let's suppose even a nanoshred of what you wrote could technically be correct. When you are an US citizen and you want to bring your significant other to live with you there, you basically are offered two options:

Scenario One: you want to bring your fiancé(e) to the US and get married there. You will need the K-1 visa, as anyone even remotely familiar with that reality show I mentioned knows. That doesn't exactly click with a hastily cobbled 'new American bride' he would marry until December 31 and this is why, according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) own website:

[Source, LOL: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/guides/A2en.pdf]

'You have met each other in person within 2 years before you file this petition'. Who is it, then? The whore? She is French. The chatty influencer? She's 'so over him' (FFS, LOL). Alice 'he's mine and will never be yours'' Panikian? If you think so, you are aff yer heid on cheap gin. Hm? Ashley Hearn? Met her too late and you all know it. A secret lover? ROFLMAO. And psst: Raya girls are just for fun, they don't think homestead. Cross my heart, Anon.

Current and official USCIS average processing time for fiancé petitions at their (logically) California Service Center is:

But it could be as long as 26 months and a half, if he decides to settle for a Vermont beauty (LOOOOOOOL).

You should also know a couple of other things, Anon. First thing is he will not be able to enter the US under the type of visa he currently more than probably holds, in order to do so - that would be a heavily punished immigration fraud:

Mhm. Restrictions on his ability to future immigration benefits/permanent residence, fine and imprisonment. I hope I do not need to further develop, on this one.

Last thing you should have taken into consideration before writing this bullshit is that the fiancé visa would restrict his ability to go back to his own home country during all the waiting time. Why would an actor refuse work opportunities in the UK or in Europe for the sake of a fake marriage, as you called it yourself? Oh, if you only had a brain!

Need I say more about the grueling in-person cross-check interviews ? You should watch a wonderful movie starring Gerard Depardieu (a pig alright, but he is perfect, in there) and Andie MacDowell: it's even called Green Card, LOL. Few things changed since 1990, and if anything, the screw got only tighter. Not to mention the fact he will be unable to work in the US during the waiting process and she will have to prove she can sponsor/provide for him! ROFLMAO.

Scenario Two: you get married abroad and want to bring your spouse to the US, afterwards. You will need to file the Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative):

[Source: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/guides/A1en.pdf]

All this does, in reality, is put the spouse in line with thousands of other similar applicants. Residency will be granted only after extensive background checks and this is where I would like to stop for a while, Anon. You are with the Gay Crowd, right? Then how does this logically click with your long established talking point about his 'once very public gay life? Ah: he isn't gay? ROFLMAO. You see, being gay is a bit like being pregnant, Anon: you can't be 'just a little bit pregnant' and you certainly can't be 'just a little bit gay', either. Spare me the drivel 🙄. Kindly note those background checks are dead serious and could result in deportation - thought you should know, before you spew idiocies again.

Onwards with that residency thing:

If S were in Scotland/the UK when the 'legal fake bride' would file in the petition, he would not be allowed to come visit or work in the US: why would an actor be forced to turn down lucrative opportunities in Hollywood or elsewhere in the country, for the sake of bearding or circus only? And while S could technically apply for permanent resident status if he already were in the US at the time of the application for I-130, he would still not be able to work and therefore must be sponsored by the 'legal bride'. ROFLMAO, again.

I mean, this is so ridiculous I could cry. He would be invited to come to the US only after the petition is approved, which does not click with your suggested timeline and the seeming 'emergency situation' ('he NEEDS the residency', your ask shouts at the Entire Universe) . Why the haste? Just because you wanted to somehow shoehorn it in, somewhere before Inauguration Day? I have no words, but my paunch hurts with laughing right now.

Finally let's have a look at processing current times:

But it could go as long as...

I cannot stress enough that permanent residency will be granted only after the processing time is completed.

Why, oh, why would someone so inextricably complicate his entire existence in such an idiotic fashion, Anon? And finally, give me and yourself a break and read the damn political room, here, too. I will not elaborate, but I surely hope you do not live under a rock.

I rest my case, thank you, fuck off.

[rainbowsky]

Hey, I'm new here and i love your blog! I was wondering if the boys see couple\sexual edits of them together and if it makes them nervous but then it hit me that they probably aren't seeing what i see on western social media. Do you have any idea if those types of homosexual posts get censored in China?

Hi Yingyangorly! Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying my blog!☺️

I have a huge long, like, ridiculously long post in my drafts related to this topic, hopefully coming soon.

But to answer your question, I think it's impossible that GG and DD would fail to see at least some of what's posted about them as a couple, whether sent to them by friends, family or staff, or whether stumbled upon or intentionally sought out/browsed by them. It's inevitable they'll see some of it, particularly things that get a lot of attention.

I talked about this a bit a while back. GG and DD have said in interviews that they have fake social media accounts (and of course they would - how could you go anywhere or do anything on social media without one if you were famous?), and this kind of discussion has happened somewhat in relation to fan comments, etc.

You can check out my previous post for more on that stuff.

As for sexual edits, etc., like any other content I've no doubt they've seen some of it - it's inevitable they would - but I doubt it worries them all that much. It's highly unlikely to ever impact them directly, because ultimately it's not really about them, is it? It's about the creators who make it. Any backlash is more likely to fall upon creators, not GG and DD.

And just as a reminder - it's not illegal to be gay in China, it's not illegal to post homosexual content, etc. Such content is censored on TV and other broadcast media, but not online.

Porn is very illegal in China, but that's mostly only selectively enforced. In fact, China produces a lot of porn and a lot of smutty fiction and all of it is illegal, but it still manages to thrive fairly well.

Explicit content of any kind is technically not allowed on Weibo but it's still out there - although most of it is pretty toned down and tame. Actual porn of sexual activity isn't ubiquitous there, but lewd fan art, fan fic, edits and memes can often be found.

All platforms globally have rules against explicit content, and they're just as poorly enforced everywhere. I suspect a lot of that is because social media engagement makes money, and sex sells. It's not really in the interest of platforms to completely shut down all such content - even if it was possible to do so.

The supertopic rules likely have more impact on fan behavior in this regard than the Weibo TOS does. Those rules forbid mentioning GG and DD by name or tagging their accounts, and forbid sexualization, pornography, feminization and fixating on body parts. However, that's only within the supertopics. Ultimately people are free to post whatever they want on their own accounts, and they do.

Given how many antis and solos are out there trying to take down the turtle fandom, the fact that these things manage to stay up for as long as they do speaks to how weak the enforcement is. There are definitely people out there who will report things that offend them.

This is, in fact, how the whole 227 thing got started. A bunch of solos decided to report an explicit fanfic to the government, and things spiralled out of control from there.

Could lightning strike a second time and another 227 be sparked from some of this explicit content? For a lot of complicated reasons I'm not going to get into here (it would be a very long post), I don't think that's likely.

227 was a special, very complicated situation that I don't think is likely to happen the same way again. Timing and a lot of the other factors that played into its blowing up the way it did - all of that is unlikely to align in such a way. Especially since everyone in C-ent is a lot more cautious and vigilant after 227.

GG and DD are both in good standing with the government (as is evidenced by their inclusion in government and nationalistic projects), and that's a factor that will have some influence. And no doubt they and their teams have learned a lot from past experience, and have already planned for how to protect them in various scenarios that could arise.

They also have the power to have content relating to them removed, to sue content creators, to shut down the supertopics if they want to, etc.. If they feel at risk, they have a lot of recourse. The fact that we aren't seeing this happening should reassure us that it's probably fine.

We have to realize that GG and DD are surrounded by highly skilled, highly paid professionals whose entire job is to protect them and their interests. They're both in a much safer place than they were 4 years ago.

I trust them to know what's best for them and handle their affairs accordingly. We as fans shouldn't waste time hand-wringing over things that are completely outside our control.

As for what's within our control - it's up to every individual to make our own choices about how we'll represent GG and DD online.

More on that angle if/when I ever finish that other post.

[sharpsuite]

for the colorful munday meme: tangerine, canary, mint, teal!

↳ 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘: COLORFUL INTERVIEW ( meet the mun )

[ tangerine ]  do you speak other languages? if yes, which?

I'm not fluent in any other language - although I've been told I am very quick to learn / pick them up when I've taken them for school. I do know and remember both some Spanish and some Russian. I would LOVE to actually be fluent - unfortunately, no one around me in person actually speaks any other languages so I never got to practice it. I used to try, but eventually just fell out of habit. I want to try again though and work on it. I don't know about SPEAKING it to be honest, I'm very shy and embarrassed. But I will probably be able to read/write and HEAR it. I really, really want to. It's just hard when there's not anyone else really, you know?

[ canary ]  do you have pets? if yes, how many and what?

I do! Well, they're like family' pets. Two black cats named Salem and Luna. They're littermates we rescued. I post them on this blog a fair amount 😅 They're going to be five this year! They're currently acting like they've not eaten for 3 months because they know I'm about to feed them as I write this.

[ mint ]  when did you start your blog? what made you start it?

soooo. It's Complicated. There's two answers to this question. Technically it was made on February 13, 2015 as an ENTIRELY different rp blog. But the answer for it being a Chishiya & Ann blog would be April 14, 2024. So I missed my one year anniversary, WHOOPS. Also very funny it went 13 to 14. Not intended, but very funny. As for why I started it? Lain, Lain . . . the Alice in Borderland brainrot is so intense in case you couldn't tell. I also wanted to step away from my other blog. It felt very, very isolating on that blog for an extended amount of time. ALL blogs experience this, this one too, but I don't know. . . the other blog has just made me sad :c so this blog served to feed the brainrot and also give me an entirely new slate in a way?

[ teal ]  which fandom has been your favorite to be a part of? which has been the least favorite?

HERE FOR THE TEA I SEE ! That's really hard honestly. I'd say favorites would be Hunter x Hunter and Alice in Borderland. Other fandoms hold near and dear spaces to me in my heart like OnS and TGCF, but I think these are two fandoms that have been very welcoming and supportive to me. Both from a roleplay perspective, but also personal / non-rp accounts that follow me as well. I've engaged with lots of people who follow me just for my headcanons or to interact with my portrayals or ask me questions even if they don't roleplay and it's always been so, so nice. A lot of other fandoms....make me feel guilty I'm not a very silly / crack roleplayer when everyone else is. And if I do something more silly/lighthearted, it's not enough in those spaces. Whereas in HxH and AiB, i've never felt PRESSURED to, and the lighthearted things I do on very rare occasions have been well received and fun. So it's nice. I feel comfortable. OUTSIDE OF RP, the MXTX cosplay community is SUPER, SUPER welcoming. There's other communities too, but mxtx has by far been the most pleasant.

As for least favorites? Hmm. That's hard just because I tend to be in a lot of very small fandoms. But . . . maybe the Bungou Stray Dogs rpc. Don't get me wrong, I had good experiences there. But it is the only fandom where I've had people ACTIVELY stealing my headcanons / content word-for-word to post on their blogs, and that left a very sour taste in my mouth. People could also be very petty / aggressive. Maybe it's calmer now. I must caveat that response with that this was when i wrote certain popular characters - in contrast, my Sigma blog was (is? it exists still but i don't write there and haven't for a while) always a very safe & pleasant space. Other than that? I can't say many because again it's usually been like me and 2 friends if that FHJDFG TINY FANDOMS. or dead fandoms, got to the rpc too late. Signature of me right there, late to fandoms or early but they don't get popular.

[pluppsauthor]

OC Interview Tag

Thank you to @phoenixradiant for the tag!

Rules: answer the following questions in the perspective of one of your OCs!

Last time I did Jesse and Reven. Continuing down the line of Forsaken characters (they won't leave my head), let's do my favourite (and currently only) blind boy, Zenith!

Are you named after anyone?

"...No..? I don't think so. It's not worth going back to my family just to ask them that. The dead gods know I already can't stand them as is."

When was the last time you cried?

"I don't think I could say the last... time... I've cried. But as much near-death experiences and hell we go through, I think I've always handled it the worst. Maybe because I can't see the threat, I hold this higher sense of danger, and it just sort of... eats away at me from time to time. So I cry from being overwhelmed sometimes."

Do you have kids?

"Eh, no. I don't think I plan too either, not as of now."

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

"Sometimes. Dusk and Dawn are always so serious. A strategist and a commander? If I don't crack a joke or use some sarcasm, they're gonna become heartless. Maybe not, but you know what I mean."

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

"Their voice. What did you expect me to say? 'Their eyes'? No, but really, I pay attention to people's voices a lot, tells me a lot about their character."

What’s your eye colour?

*5 straight minutes of laughter* "Oh, that's a good one... Oh, you're serious? I don't even know what colours look like! I've been told they're purple, and that purple is unnatural eye colour. But I don't know what purple is! Or what a normal eye colour is!"

Scary movies or happy endings?

*Another minute of laughter* "You must not have written these with the thought of asking a blind person, did you? While technically I can watch movies, it isn't really the same. But as for scary stories and happy endings... scary stories are way more fun."

Any special talents?

"Well, I'm blind--That's not the talent by the way--see, despite being blind I can kind of... I can sense gravity. It's hard to explain, but think of it like this: Dusk can make light, Dawn can... do whatever it is she does with shadows, I... can sense gravity. Along with a few other things of course. I guess I also a have good balance and hearing. But I don't know if its better than the average person."

Where were you born?

"North City. Okay... well... I wasn't born in my family home. Okay, so my family's house was very close to the Titan Family's main building (in north city at least). Because of this, there was a tunnel connecting them for medical emergencies. My mother went into labour and... didn't make it. So, technically, I was born in an underground tunnel between my home and the Titan Family's main building."

Do you have any pets?

"My family was on the border of being considered rich. So we did have a cat, a real cat, while I was growing up. I don't know how those things still exist today seeing how many other animals went extinct."

What sort of sports do you play?

"I didn't really play any sports."

How tall are you?

"I don't know, can't really check. I've only been told, but last that I remember... 180 centimetres? Somewhere around there if that's not it."

What was your favourite subject in school?

"Ooo... art. No, I'm joking, I'm joking. Uh... probably music. Oh, maybe history, but only when they talked about myths and legends and stuff like that. Mostly music. I can play a few instruments, should I have said that in the talents section? I probably should have."

What is your dream job?

"Dream job... hmmm... I'm not sure. Out of the main trio, between me, Dusk, and Dawn... I'm the odd one out. Both of them both want revenge and to take down the families, and I don't really. I just want to help people, but as for a dream job... ... ...I guess, if it can be anything, some kind of artist. Preferably also with the ability to see what I'm painting or sculpting, or whatever it is I would do."

A lot tamer, considering... last time... Anyway! Tags! @tildeathiwillwrite, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @mk-writes-stuff, and open tag! ❤

Here are the questions!

Are you named after anyone? When was the last time you cried? Do you have kids? Do you use sarcasm a lot? What’s the first thing you notice about people? What’s your eye colour? Scary movies or happy endings? Any special talents? Where were you born? Do you have any pets? What sort of sports do you play? How tall are you? What was your favourite subject in school? What is your dream job?

[unhonestlymirror]

"Statistics show that, unfortunately, many people in Belarus hold pro-Kremlin views and support the war against Ukraine. And how to deal with it, Belaruthians themselves need to decide."

"Of course, we also see those who help Ukraine and counteract the Kremlin's influence in the country, and we fully support them - but it is wrong to say that the Kalinouski boys fighting in Ukraine whitewash all citizens. Because in this case, "everyone" means the regime, too? And when journalists or politicians talk about "all Belaruthians," they should be specific: maybe it's not just that a person served in the army ten years ago, but is there something else?

For example, if a person came on humanitarian grounds but rides back and forth across the border, the questions appear. On the questionnaire, I heard a couple of cases where people talked about a technical error. But it sounds strange. It is even more surprising when truck drivers say: they say, we are afraid of the "leaking" of these questionnaires to Belarus, that's why they answered like that. Aren't you afraid to work in logistics companies that help the regime circumvent sanctions, everything seems to be fine here?

Maybe not all people are used to reflecting and thinking about the consequences of their actions. Although, it's not a secret:

If you buy a car in, e.g., Germany, and take it to Moscow for sale, you help bypass sanctions, help rich Russian comrades, and the Kremlin to wage war. And let it be a drop in the ocean, but there are many such cases."

In order to minimize them, Vitys Jurkonis suggests, Belaruthian society needs to include self-regulation mechanisms:

"It is not difficult to stand at the border and see which cars are driving with which number plates, to interview people - if there are obvious political motives, not to cover these cases in order not to cause harm, but if a person travels five times a week there and back, it is clear that in terms of repression, (s)he is not afraid of anything, and then it is worth asking: what does (s)he do, how did (s)he get a visa, etc. On this topic, you can collect material for dozens, if not hundreds of investigations.

Let me remind you that the same questions apply to citizens of European countries. We know that there are Lithuanian companies that employ Belaruthians and participate in the circumvention of sanctions - investigations are underway in this regard. We have a mayor of Kaunas who still has an active business in Russia - he is asked a lot of unpleasant questions, public pressure is put on him. This is how an open society works."

"It seems to me that it is also important for those Belaruthians who are now safe and enjoy the benefits of this open society to talk about specific cases, not to generalize and not to spread panic. Nobody is going to expel Belaruthians from Lithuania, and the solidarity that existed in 2020 did not disappear anywhere. For it to not decrease, in my opinion, it also depends on the Belaruthians themselves. If for almost six months almost any topic in the Belaruthian media about Lithuania or the reaction in the Lithuanian media is only about visas and restrictions, and not about how Belaruthians continue their resistance, - some people have the impression that it is only about demands for Lithuania. It is very important to talk about the fact that the resistance continues, albeit in an underground form, that mutual support is preserved. I would like an open dialogue on this matter. And not only from politicians. There are investigative centers, there are independent journalists, human rights defenders, former political prisoners who help in the documentation of repressions - everyone can jointly "sanction" the accomplices of the regime, call judges and businessmen by name, so that there is no feeling of impunity."

(c) Vitys Jurkonis, a political scientist and human rights defender, head of the Lithuanian office of Freedom House

[nobodysdaydreams]

Since I have a lot of followers who are neurodivergent and are also in high school/college/preparing for job interviews, I'll also add this for anyone who wants it:

When they ask you "what are your greatest strengths?", be sure to list things that are permanent and intrinsic qualities about you with examples to back them up that show that these are well established qualities. This is also a good chance to take something already listed on your resume, and go into more detail. For example:

"I'm a good leader" (list times you successfully led group projects and provide more detail about what you did, for example, let's say you solved a dispute between team members. The hiring committee can see on your resume that you led a team, but hearing about how you solved interpersonal conflicts and the details of what you did to manage the team will give them a better picture of your role)

"I'm organized" (list all the different projects, people, or activities you had to manage and how you were able to keep track of everything)

"I'm creative, and I love coming up with new ideas" (list times you had new ideas for projects that were implemented and successful).

When they ask you "what are your weaknesses or areas for growth?", be sure to list temporary and circumstantial issues (usually things that your interviewer would already know are gaps in your experience from your resume anyway) that have a clear path for improvement. For example:

"I don't have experience with [X] software, which I know you use at this company, BUT I have done a lot of work using other types of similar software, such as [A, B, C]." In this example, be sure to describe what you used the software for, and if applicable, whether it was self-taught and if you were able to pick it up quickly, mention that. Again, it's usually not good to admit you don't have experience with something, but in this case, the company can see that in the skills section of your resume anyway, and this is a chance for you to show them that you still have relevant job experience.

"I haven't worked with such a large team before, BUT I have worked on several smaller teams in the past, and learned a lot of skills that I think would transfer well to this job."

"My previous professional experience has mostly been on technical side of things, BUT I do have a lot of interpersonal experience that I gained through my extracurriculars and volunteering experiences that would help me communicate with clients."

I've interviewed people for jobs and one of the biggest flaws I see is either A) not providing enough support for answers to the strengths questions (it's nice that you think you're a hard worker, but why should I believe that if you can't give me one good example?) Or B) either straight up lying on the weaknesses question and not listing any actual weaknesses or being way too honest on the weaknesses question and saying things like "I have trouble getting to work on time"/"I'm disorganized" or listing things that are decent answers to the weaknesses question, but not including the BUT part of it, where you provide a clear path towards rectifying it.

[fromdevcom]

C++ Quiz Challenge: Test Your Programming Prowess! Are you confident in your C++ programming skills? Whether you're preparing for a technical interview or simply want to test your knowledge, this comprehensive quiz will challenge your understanding of essential C++ concepts. Let's dive into ten carefully crafted questions that every developer should be able to answer. 1. Smart Pointer Fundamentals Consider this code snippet: cppCopystd::unique_ptr ptr1(new int(42)); std::unique_ptr ptr2 = ptr1; What happens when you try to compile and execute this code? More importantly, why? The above code will fail to compile. This exemplifies one of the fundamental principles of unique_ptr: it cannot be copied, only moved. This restriction ensures single ownership semantics, preventing multiple pointers from managing the same resource. To transfer ownership, you would need to use std::move: cppCopystd::unique_ptr ptr2 = std::move(ptr1); 2. The Virtual Destructor Puzzle Let's examine this inheritance scenario: cppCopyclass Base public: ~Base() ; class Derived : public Base public: Derived() resource = new int[1000]; ~Derived() delete[] resource; private: int* resource; ; int main() Base* ptr = new Derived(); delete ptr; Is there a potential issue here? If so, what's the solution? This code contains a subtle but dangerous memory leak. When we delete through a base class pointer, if the destructor isn't virtual, only the base class destructor is called. The solution is to declare the base class destructor as virtual: cppCopyvirtual ~Base() 3. Template Metaprogramming Challenge Can you spot what's unique about this factorial implementation? cppCopytemplate struct Factorial static const unsigned int value = N * Factorial::value; ; template struct Factorial static const unsigned int value = 1; ; This demonstrates compile-time computation using template metaprogramming. The factorial is calculated during compilation, not at runtime, resulting in zero runtime overhead. This technique is particularly useful for optimizing performance-critical code. 4. The const Conundrum What's the difference between these declarations? cppCopyconst int* ptr1; int const* ptr2; int* const ptr3; This question tests understanding of const placement: const int* and int const* are equivalent: pointer to a constant integer int* const is different: constant pointer to an integer Remember: read from right to left, const applies to what's immediately to its left (or right if nothing's to the left). 5. Rule of Five Implementation Modern C++ emphasizes the "Rule of Five." What five special member functions should you consider implementing? The Rule of Five states that if you implement any of these, you typically need all five: Destructor Copy constructor Copy assignment operator Move constructor Move assignment operator Here's a practical example: cppCopyclass ResourceManager public: ~ResourceManager(); // Destructor ResourceManager(const ResourceManager&); // Copy constructor ResourceManager& operator=(const ResourceManager&); // Copy assignment ResourceManager(ResourceManager&&) noexcept; // Move constructor ResourceManager& operator=(ResourceManager&&) noexcept; // Move assignment ; 6. Lambda Expression Mastery What will this code output? cppCopyint multiplier = 10; auto lambda = [multiplier](int x) return x * multiplier; ; multiplier = 20; std::cout

[emewyn]

I've been interviewed and interviewed others a lot for various positions in the corporate software industry in the past few years, and in my experience this depends somewhat on the company and the role in question.

Some companies (especially small companies/startups) do actually try to assess personality traits from interviewing, to determine if the interviewee would be both good at their job and easy to get along with for their coworkers. Of course, interviewers usually aren't as good at this as they think they are, because of course it's very difficult to tell whether a person is actually likeable and competent in the relatively brief span of an interview, assuming the interviewee is even being genuine and not lying. Big companies like Google or Amazon do not care- most applicants will be weeded out by a filtering algorithm based on how many relevant buzzwords they have on their resume before ever getting to an interview. Interviewers for big companies are also less likely to be the teammates for that role and more likely to be HR or managers, who probably aren't actually experts in what that role actually looks like day-to-day. I've also submitted video "interviews" that are just a program showing pre-written questions on the screen, then filming you as you answer for the hiring managers to review later (in theory).

The role you're interviewing for also affects how you will be judged in a job interview. Software developers can usually be super awkward socially, but as long as they have the technical skills (usually as determined by their performance on various coding challenges the company arbitrarily determines, but that's another issue) and just enough communication ability to talk about technical concepts with coworkers, then that's really all the hiring managers care about. If you've made it to the interview step for most software development roles, then either you have the same qualifications as another applicant and they're trying to gather more information to pick between you, or you're pretty much hired unless you throw out a big red flag in the interview. On the other hand, roles that are more customer facing or involve managing people will care more about how confident and charming you seem. People familiar enough with those people-focused roles to be running interviews for them are also more likely to be neurotypicals surrounded by other neurotypicals, and therefore are more likely to register neurodivergent traits (fidgeting, speech difficulties, etc) as points against the interviewee.

For example, here's how I got hired at my current company. It's a relatively small software company, and I applied to an entry-level software developer role. I didn't usually get interviews for the roles I applied to because I don't look great on paper- GPA was mediocre, my college was good but too small to be well known, and the only industry-relevent jobs I had were two summer internships in an IT department (not software development). I'm also probably a little more awkward and introverted than the average person, BUT, compared to other software developers, my personality and communication skills were great in interviews. I had a couple shorter phone calls with a manager and HR, but the main interview was with my potential teammates, who asked questions about my work experience, personal skills, and technical knowledge for an hour or two. Then they had me fix a couple examples of broken code to show that I could (in C#, a language I did not know well btw), and I did ok in the first couple. I think there were 5 examples but I only got through 3, and on the third one I wasn't familiar with a certain function and asked for an explanation of how it works. They told me, and then I demonstrated that I understood now by changing the example input slightly and predicting what the new output would be due to that function. Afterwards I thought I did fine on the interview but not that great, and did not expect to get the job, but I did.

I later asked my manager, who was part of that interview, why they decided to hire me even though I had less relevent knowledge/experience and therefore needed to spend longer than most getting caught up to speed with the necessary skills for the job. He explained that I demonstrated I wanted to learn and was good at understanding new things quickly, all because I asked the question about how that function worked and showed that I understood the answer. I guess my take is that interviews are indeed a shitty and unfair experience, especially if the interviews where they do really only care about those magic buzzwords like op said. But sometimes companies try to evaluate on more than that too, so if you're looking for a job then know your perceived strengths as an employee and focus on applying to companies and roles that try to evaluate them more during the hiring process, if that makes sense.

remember that interviews are not about giving a good and honest first impression that they'll carefully consider. interviews are about saying the special words and phrases they're looking for that give you points and when they tally those up whoever earned the most job points wins

[desklibai]

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[sgiandubh]

Lights, camera, shit show

I was just cleaning my OL folders (all those Chinese paintings and scrolls do take a horrendous amount of space, heh) and I just stumbled upon something I completely forgot to share and discuss with you. I found this particular article during my solitaire lurking months and I remember being befuddled by it for a long time, then thought I've lost it for good.

I don't remember ever seeing it shared or discussed in here, either and if, by any slim chance, I am wrong, kindly forgive me. That professional website is now closed, but its content is still available to browse:

Anyway, there goes: https://www.studiodaily.com/2018/06/outlander-dp-stephen-mcnutt-asc-csc-saucy-scottish-show/

We discussed Terry Dresbach and her inebriated rants, Vanessa Woman's devastating impact on set as Intimacy Coordinator, RDM's jealousy and many other aspects of life on the OL set. Rumors likely to have originated there peppered our shipping trail like flickering lights in a sea of darkness. So yes, we dissected these things to death. But not Stephen McNutt's interview to Studio Daily, on June 22, 2018 - please keep in mind the date, it is essential!

Stephen McNutt is a well-established professional and a member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) and the Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC), as he hails from British Columbia. He also has a consistent track record of previous work with RDM, both on Battlestar Galactica and Caprica (its prequel). Therefore, one has to immediately suppose he was handpicked and brought on set by the same RDM, of course: set a very low bar on your expectations, I am warning you.

By the grace of RDM, he was one of the main Directors of Photography for OL during Seasons Two and Three. IMDb is not the best source for corroborating things, because they credit him with 13 episodes in Season Two (including La Dame Blanche- he is the Blue Room guy!), but only one for Season Three (First Wife), which is completely wrong. I even had to check some opening credits on Netflix (at reduced speed, ugh), because he speaks at length of A. Malcolm, something that would have made little sense otherwise. He was there, of course: and his is a first-hand account, heavily loaded with both innuendo and TPTB bullshit, up to the point of complete incoherence.

We focus on the three final questions:

This is a study in bullshitology, right here. The question asked is very clear and very technical: how did you approach those famous love scenes?

The answer is a mumble jumble of retcon, deflections, slips and overall impossible scramble for a logical explanation. I am doing a line by line, because this is almost too good to be true:

'(...) But as far as Cat and Sammy making love (...)' : um, hello and excuse me, I thought the question was about Jamie and Claire?!? And then we are delusional and can't fucking separate, when your own henchman, the Director of Photography no less, seems to be totally unable to do so, too? Hello? Also: 'Sammy'? 'Sammy'? What. The. Total. Fuck, and I LOLed then and I am still LOLing now. Terms of endearment overheard on set - but no, here comes the 'friendship' shite, hitting the narrative fan with Mach 5 speed. Objective? Explaining in a plausible way the hugging and 'keeping warm'. And I am sorry, but this begs the question: what the hell did this man see on that set? And how many people did see the same, hence the need to release such a gratuitous lie, for pure retconning purposes?

'They are not an item at all - I think she just got married'. Oh, fuck my life, man: you are such a terrible, terrible liar! Remember, that interview was taken in June 2018: after the OZ EFH and just about when C. was gleefully answering 'oh, God forbid!' every time she was prompted by press about her marriage plans. How can somebody with a pretty high trophic level and personal rapport to both S and C be totally unaware about C's marital status at the time? How can a long time acquaintance and coworker of RDM say no both to a friend and to a current boss (same person, the worst case scenario) asking for a favor, in that particular context? It also goes to prove that the shit show plot mainlines never originated with S and C and that the Remarkable Week-end was already planned for quite some time. By TPTB. With the full knowledge of RDM.

Let's suppose Mr. McNutt was so deeply engrossed in his work as not to notice all the people who must have congratulated C on set. I mean, I know who our (spinster) colleague from Accounting is currently banging and that guy is (mercifully) not among our staff (I totally wish them well, btw). Maybe because nobody congratulated C on that fakegagement? Also, you know them well enough to confidently say 'they are not an item', but don't know she was not married at the time and state an enormity with the same confidence? What in the name of the hoo-ha did I just read, here?

'I was always in such amazement of that.' In amazement of exactly what, Mr. McNutt? Surely not a woman holding hands or keeping warm with her gay co-star on set, huh? I mean, I need the best American English dictionary, here:

Again: what the heck did this man see? What comments did he hear? Surely, 'amazement' is a very precise choice of wording, with particularly enlightening synonyms:

Hence the need to end the demonstration with a deflection: 'They would just have fun.' You know, there is no such thing as a virgin whore, Mr. McNutt: you either are in such astonishment or you think your pals, good old S and C, such a funny girl, were having, well... 'fun', what else? You can't logically have both in the same paragraph!

And there we go: 'a very collegial atmosphere on set'. The answer is pure fool's gold, if you ask me: 'Nobody goes to sit in a trailer or says they aren’t showing up that day. '

And I laughed. And I laughed. And I laughed. I really don't know what this man is talking about. I never heard McTavish telling S to get out of that trailer ('nephew'). I never read the 'two very loved-up birdies' in a trailer a-rockin' Anons. I never watched that 2015 Anglophile SDCC interview, when S mentioned listening in their shared trailer to Erasure's Oh, l'Amour and C immediately reacted ('oh, did you just admit to that?'). But unlike me, McNutt must have been legally bound by a big cojones Non-Disclosure Agreement and morally bound by loyalty towards RDM, his friend, boss and benefactor.

This. All of the above. This is the real reason for all the bullshit you've just read: explaining a real, shocking love story by socially progressive regulations, allowing the cast to be 'much more happy'. I would laugh some more, if this was not sinister and cruel, in fact.

It is Love. A deep, strong one. But the seeds of the adverse narrative were planted early and deep, forcing even decent people like this guy to lie and smear himself a bit in the process. What we see and hear now are but better worded and more refined consequences of that fateful January 2016 morning in LA. And since I am allowed the dubious luxury only a healthy distance in time allows, let me remind you a simple, fun fact about this interview who stated they were never an item:

About ten months after McNutt uttered these words, the fandom was hit by the Covfefe Pics.

I rest my case.

[bitfreak]

How do I get prepared for TCS technical interview questions?

Cracking the TCS Technical Interview – Here's How to Prepare

If you're getting ready for TCS placements, the first thing you need to understand is the TCS recruitment process. TCS mostly hires through the TCS NQT (National Qualifier Test), and the selection happens in multiple stages.

TCS Recruitment Process

Online Assessment (TCS NQT) This is the first step, where you’ll be tested across several sections:

Numerical Ability – Covers basic math topics like percentages, profit and loss, time and work, etc.

Verbal Ability – Includes English grammar, reading comprehension, sentence correction, and vocabulary.

Reasoning Ability – Focuses on puzzles, sequences, and logical thinking.

Programming Logic – Basic programming concepts such as loops, functions, and conditionals.

Coding Round – You’ll be asked to solve coding problems using C, C++, Java, or Python.

Technical Interview Once you clear the online assessment, you'll move on to the technical interview. This round includes questions on:

Programming languages like C, C++, Java, or Python

Data Structures and Algorithms – Arrays, Linked Lists, Searching, Sorting, and more

Object-Oriented Programming – Classes, Inheritance, Polymorphism, and other core concepts

Database Management – SQL queries, normalization, joins, and other DBMS topics

Managerial and HR Interview These final rounds evaluate your communication skills, attitude, problem-solving approach, and ability to work in a team. You may also be asked about your final year project and previous experiences.

How to Prepare for TCS Interviews

Start with the basics – make sure your programming fundamentals are clear.

Practice coding questions every day to strengthen your logic and problem-solving skills.

Refer to our blog on TCS NQT Coding Questions and Answers 2025 for real practice problems.

If you're aiming for a higher package, check out the TCS NQT Advanced Coding Questions as well.

Prepare well for your final year project – interviewers often ask detailed questions about it.

Taking mock interviews and practice tests can help you gain confidence and improve your performance.

For complete resources, including sample papers and the latest updates, visit our TCS Dashboard here: TCS Dashboard – PrepInsta

Start preparing the smart way and increase your chances of landing the job.

[educationtech]

Master Your Campus Placements: Resume, Interviews & Beyond

To ace campus placements successfully, engineering students need a comprehensive roadmap that covers everything from resume building to clearing HR rounds. Here is an ultimate, step-by-step guide to help you navigate the entire placement process effectively:

1. Understand the Campus Placement Process

Familiarize yourself with the typical stages: pre-placement talks, written tests (aptitude, technical), coding rounds, technical interviews, and HR interviews.

Research the companies visiting your campus, their job roles, required skills, and work culture to tailor your preparation accordingly.

2. Build a Strong and Tailored Resume

Create a concise, well-structured resume highlighting your academic achievements, projects, internships, certifications, and relevant skills.

Customize your resume for each company based on their job description and desired skill set.

Include measurable accomplishments and technical proficiencies to stand out.

3. Strengthen Core Technical Knowledge

Focus on your branch-specific core subjects and ensure a solid understanding of fundamentals and advanced topics.

Stay updated with the latest developments in your field to demonstrate awareness and enthusiasm.

4. Master Coding and Programming Skills

Learn and practice programming languages commonly used in your domain (e.g., C++, Java, Python).

Develop strong problem-solving skills by studying data structures and algorithms (DSA).

Regularly solve coding challenges on platforms and participate in contests to improve speed and accuracy.

5. Prepare for Aptitude and Logical Reasoning Tests

Practice quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning, and verbal ability questions regularly.

Use mock tests and previous years’ placement papers to familiarize yourself with question patterns and time management.

6. Participate in Mock Tests and Group Discussions

Take mock tests for aptitude, coding, and technical interviews to assess your preparation level.

Engage in group discussions to improve communication skills, confidence, and ability to think on your feet.

7. Develop Soft Skills and Communication Abilities

Work on your verbal and non-verbal communication, including clarity, confidence, and body language.

Practice answering behavioral questions and situational responses commonly asked in HR rounds.

Build teamwork and leadership skills through extracurricular activities or internships.

8. Prepare for Technical and HR Interviews

For technical interviews, revise key concepts, projects, and be ready to solve problems on the spot.

For HR interviews, prepare to discuss your resume, career goals, strengths, weaknesses, and why you want to join the company.

Research common HR questions and practice answers that reflect your personality and professionalism.

9. Network and Seek Guidance

Connect with seniors, alumni, and professionals on platforms like LinkedIn to gain insights and mentorship.

Attend workshops, seminars, and placement cell sessions to stay updated and receive expert advice.

10. Maintain Consistency and Stay Positive

Start your preparation early and maintain a disciplined study routine.

Manage stress through regular breaks, exercise, and a positive mindset.

Keep track of your progress and continuously refine your strategies based on feedback and mock test results.

By following this structured roadmap-from understanding the process, building a compelling resume, honing technical and soft skills, to mastering interview techniques-you can significantly enhance your chances of securing your dream job through campus placements through Best College of Engineering in Jaipur which is Arya College of Engineering & I.T. Consistency, preparation, and a proactive approach are key to standing out in the competitive placement landscape.

[monopolytraininginstitute]

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In-Depth Understanding of Concepts

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Real-Time Project Experience

One of the biggest advantages of expert training is exposure to real-time projects. Instead of just working on theory or basic examples, you gain experience by building applications that mirror real business needs. This gives you the confidence and portfolio needed to impress employers.

Up-to-Date with Industry Trends

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Personalized Mentoring

Experienced trainers provide tailored guidance, answering questions, sharing career advice, and helping you build strong problem-solving skills. This mentorship can make a big difference in your overall learning experience and confidence.

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