#Sales Hierarchy

[spmtribe]

How Hierarchy and Territory Planning Drive Sales Success

A well-structured sales hierarchy and effective territory planning are interdependent. Without a clear hierarchy, territory planning becomes chaotic, leading to inefficiencies, team conflicts, and missed opportunities. Aligning both elements creates a seamless system that enhances revenue growth and operational efficiency.

The Link Between Hierarchy and Territory Planning

A structured sales hierarchy—organized by geography, product lines, or customer segments—clarifies roles and responsibilities. For example, a North American software company might appoint a Regional VP to oversee the East and West regions, Directors to manage key cities, and Account Executives to focus on industry-specific clients. This prevents overlaps, streamlining sales efforts.

Territory planning assigns specific regions and customer segments to sales representatives, ensuring fair opportunity distribution and preventing account conflicts. A pharmaceutical company, for instance, might allocate territories based on hospital networks and prescribing trends to balance sales potential and eliminate redundant competition.

Best Practices for Success

Use data-driven sales structures to align leadership roles with market opportunities.

Leverage AI-powered tools to optimize resource distribution and identify high-growth regions.

Regularly reassess territories to adapt to market shifts.

Involve sales, finance, and operations in planning for better alignment.

Integrating hierarchy and territory planning strategically enhances sales efficiency, rep satisfaction, and revenue predictability.

[b-a-pigeon]

We finally made one of these because Hierarchy of the Unseen ebooks are 40% off until September 8 :)

Learn more & grab your copy!

[autobooom]

Automotive Dealer-Manufacturer Data Collaboration

AutoBooom facilitates seamless collaboration between automotive dealers and manufacturers through its innovative data-sharing platform. Dealers can securely share sales, inventory, and customer data with manufacturers, enabling more accurate forecasting, streamlined inventory management, and targeted marketing efforts. Manufacturers gain valuable insights into market trends and customer preferences, empowering them to optimize production and distribution strategies. With AutoBooom, the automotive industry enters a new era of efficiency and collaboration.

[centaurianthropology]

What LeeBeeBee does for the Story of ‘Murderbot’

So we’ve finally met Blonde Lady in the series (her name is LeeBeeBee), and I think she’s filling a really interesting and important role plot-wise and worldbuilding-wise, and doing so in unexpected ways that are surprising even book-readers.  She’s wholly original to the show, so no one knows what precisely the writers have planned for her.

But I certainly have thoughts and predictions. 

I figured I’d break my thoughts on her up into two sections.  The first section is for all the folks who are show-only, and I’ll only be examining her role in S1E5, without any additional speculation pulling from book knowledge and what I think the writers are doing with her in the longer term.  The second part will speculate on the upcoming episode, and how I think it could play out.  No idea if I’m right about everything (or anything!), but it’s always fun to speculate!

FUNCTION IN S1E5 (SPOILERS FOR E1-5)

Let’s kick it off by talking about LeeBeeBee in isolation in this episode, what her function in this particular episode was, what she does for the plot, the larger world, and what she does for the storytelling format. 

Let’s start with her plot function, the most obvious part of her role in this episode.  She appears at the beginning as the sole survivor of DeltFall, makeup smeared and uniform dirty.  This immediately sets her apart from the PresAux gang.  She’s apparently the indentured cleaner that DeltFall rented for the hab along with the SecUnits, and this cleaner is wearing makeup despite having a physically laborious job in a field unit on a mostly-uninhabited planet. 

This small bit of visual storytelling sets DeltFall up as a very different society to PresAux.  PresAux deliberately only took one (cheap) SecUnit, which is understandable given their objections to using constructs as slave labor.  None of them wear makeup in the field, and they certainly don’t have a cleaner.

But DeltFall not only had multiple constructs, but also an indentured servant to do housekeeping, and there is either an expectation or a cultural norm that she be made up while she do her indentured job.  They feel, from this introduction, very Corporation Rim. 

LeeBeeBee herself acts as a personification of the Corporation Rim on a level we haven’t been able to dig into with the limited screentime of the Company Tech Bro sales reps.  From her first scene on the hopper, she feels like she’s from a completely different world to the empathetic and sweet Preservationers.  She almost immediately objectifies SecUnit in a way that is openly offputting to both the audience and clearly to the Preservation crew, who likely don’t say anything both out of shock and out of some belief that this woman has to have some sort of brain damage to say something like that.

But this level of objectification, I think, lies at the heart of the Corporation Rim.  It’s not that constructs are objects, but their workers are valued.  LeeBeeBee is an indentured servant.  She has no more free will than SecUnit.  She objectifies it because she sees herself as a step above a construct, and in the CR hierarchy, you’re likely encouraged to objectify anyone beneath you.  And that comes around to something equally uncomfortable when she finds out it’s got a hacked governor module and is a rogue.  She views it as a person now, but what does that mean? 

She objectifies herself for it. 

And doesn’t that make the worst sort of sense on a survival level for a person in her position?  She’s fully adapted to doing what she has to do to survive.  She views sex in an incredibly transactional and exploitative way.  When she thinks SecUnit is an object, she has the power and she immediately speculates about using it as a sex toy.  When she shifts into thinking of it as a person, she also knows how dangerous it is, and reverses their power dynamic, offering sex as a transactional way to protect herself. 

It’s awful, deliberately so.  But I think it’s a great and visceral way to get into the Corporation Rim mindset: constructs aren’t special; everyone who isn’t wealthy or powerful is an object.  You don’t get to be a person with fully autonomous choices until you’re one of the elite.  Until then, sex is just another way of trying to get a slight advantage in an endless rat race.

Having LeeBeeBee represent this deeply uncomfortable aspect of an end-stage capitalist hellscape like the CR also does something on a storytelling level.  This addition of an outsider character fully shifts the POV in the show.  Up until her introduction, the PresAux crew felt like the strange outsiders that MB was judging, but by introducing the worst possible representation of the CR, our alignment completely shifts.  We are not only on Preservation’s side, but we are insiders with them.  They now feel normal and lived in, and she feels like the outsider.  And this reflects the shift going on in Murderbot.  Even before it’s willing to acknowledge it, through the framing of LeeBeeBee we subconsciously know it has realigned itself with the PresAux crew. 

So that’s why I think she was an effective addition in this episode.  If you’re interested in some book spoilers and speculation for the next episode, jump below the cut.

FUNCTION IN S1E6 AND BEYOND (SPECULATION, SPOILERS FOR ‘ALL SYSTEMS RED’)

Are they gone?

Groovy.  Let’s get under the hood and talk about all the ways she’s working on multiple levels, not just embodying all the worst parts of the CR as I previously mentioned, but playing it up as a means of camoflage.  Because LeeBeeBee is almost certainly a GrayCris plant, precisely what SecUnit and Mensah were worried about, and the crew absolutely did take her in despite the danger because they are good people.  And they would do the right thing, even if Murderbot objected.

It’s so nice to get to see exactly how DeltFall might have been infiltrated, which we didn’t get to see in the book.  And so many of her lines read differently when you think of her as a plant.  Did DeltFall call PresAux ‘the Amateurs,’ or was that GrayCris?  Did DeltFall actually have an indentured servant, or is that GrayCris?

I think that a lot of what she’s saying is truthful, or is just a slight twist on the truth.  I do think she’s likely indentured.  I do think she views others and herself as objects to be used and exploited and discarded.  She’s suffering under one of the cruelest practices in the Corporation Rim, but she’s still fully bought into the CR propaganda and mindset.  Rather than defecting and embracing freedom the way Gurathin likely did, she’s almost certainly looking at getting years shaved off her indenture by acting as an infiltrator and assassin

That’s so perfectly horrid.  She would rather still be indentured but get in better with her bosses than accept real freedom.  It’s a cowardice I think we can all see in our world, that she would take the safe misery and be willing to hurt others to do it, rather than take a major risk and step outside the system.

She’s also dialing up her inherent objectification of others to a level that makes her deliberately off-putting, so the PresAux crew want to look away from her rather than examining her too closely.  If they just want to sort of ignore her, then they’re not going to dig too far into her actions.  If she runs off to communicate back to GrayCris regarding a rogue SecUnit they’re not going to follow her, and are going to be glad to get a break from her.

Her distraction tactics work particularly well against Murderbot, who she makes wildly uncomfortable to the point it’s very glad to get away from her, and is likely deliberately trying not to think of her.  If you watch who she’s targeting with this barrage of unpleasantness, she does it first as a blanket with the crew to gauge reaction, then targets it at SecUnit once she realizes that it’s not being controlled by the combat override, and that it’s fully rogue.  There’s no easy way for her to control it (as I suspect she was controlling the DeltFall SecUnits), so she had to improvise, because as far as she’s concerned, this independent SecUnit is the #1 threat to her plan to kill the PresAux crew.  She must have been so relieved when it went with Mensah to trigger the beacon, because she knew the beacon was rigged to explode, and she had a good chance of getting rid of both the biggest threat and the team leader, and she didn’t even have to do anything!

Which, to her mind, only leaves the rest of the PresAux team to deal with.  After SecUnit, she almost certainly considers Gurathin the next biggest threat, because she would certainly underestimate the Preservationers, but he’s ex-corporate, so she would respect the threat he posed.  So after Mensah and SecUnit are gone, she zeroes in on Gurathin.

I think she almost certainly has a dossier or some other large amount of personal and professional information about him from his days in the CR.  What did she do when she first talked to him after Mensah and Murderbot were gone?  She offered him a stimulant.  I’m now convinced that his therapy modules were—in addition to being for generalized trauma (why did you learn to be quiet, Gurathin??)—meant to treat a stimulant addiction he struggled with after using them to work whatever insane hours he was required to work when he was in the CR. 

I think this next episode is going to be Gurathin-heavy.  The writers are setting up deliberate contrasts between the die-hard-to-a-horrific-level Corpo LeeBeeBee and Defector-with-Trauma ex-Corpo Gurathin.  I wonder if he won’t try to sort of reach out to her in the next episode (was he indentured too?), convince her to defect too, only to have her turn it all around on him and use his backstory against him.  If he was indentured, did he break contract to run to Preservation?  Is there a bounty on him?  Is there a bounty on his AUGMENTS, body not needed in return?

I sort of have an image of the next episode playing out like a horror film, where we realize that LeeBeeBee is the exact infiltrator that took out DeltFall, that GrayCris SecUnits are incoming, MB and Mensah may already be dead, and the person who was responsible for the DeltFall massacre is inside the hab right now.

Especially if we don’t know what happened to MB and Mensah for the majority of the episode, instead focusing on the rest of the group.  Without the snarky voiceover, the terror of the situation could really get hammered home.  Again, this is fully speculation of how it might play out next episode, but my guess is that the big cliffhanger next episode is going to be LeeBeeBee attacking Gurathin.  Previews have shown him with a bandage on his leg, and holding a cane, which some people have pointed out looks like a blind walking cane.  That makes me wonder if she manages to not only disable him with a shot to the leg, but damage visual augments he might have, rendering him partially blind.

I think we’ve also been getting a lot of background work with Gurathin being terrified of rejection and abandonment throughout this season.  He and MB parallel one another in not wanting to share Mensah, because they both are afraid the other will manage to take her from them (completely ignoring that Mensah has two fucking hands, and more than enough love in her to love her family, and both of these idiots too).  If LeeBeeBee really wants to twist the knife in him, she’s going to tell him that if the others are going to survive, they have to abandon him.

And Pin-Lee, Arada, Bharadwaj, and Ratthi are almost certainly going to refuse.  Much like Mensah refused to abandon MB when it was damaged, they’re going to refuse to leave their friend behind.  Because they can disagree with him, they can think he’s wrong about SecUnit, but they still love him and won’t leave him.

This sets up E7 to be the big turning point between the nadir of act 2 (MB and Mensah may be dead, Gurathin is injured, and the others are in direct danger because they won’t leave him behind), and the start of act 3 (MB and Mensah return and save everyone!  They can all come together, defeat GrayCris and escape alive!). 

And all of this gets facilitated because of the introduction of LeeBeeBee, who acts as a face for GrayCris (and likely a way to give us information about them) and for the whole vicious corporate people-as-objects theme that consumes the Corporation Rim.  It’s so much easier to loath GrayCris when we can see the sorts of people it creates, and she is such a great example of that.

[bangtanhoesthings]

Long ask.

Forgive me, this will be all over the place.

I have noticed that over the past few years the hate for the boys has been escalating particularly for Jimin, Jungkook and Joonie.

For Joonie, among other things, because as a leader, if they break him, they might break BTS. (Gosh look at him😭. Has me my man, my man, my man-ning all over the place like a dog in heat, it's embarrassing and a little concerning). Sorry, I digressed but look at him 😭😭😭, y'all don't thirst over this man enough. Woof! 🫦

Anyways, moving on.

For Jungkook, among a plethora of other reasons, because of the unrivaled, unmitigated global success he has had and continues to have (am so proud of my funky lil popstar ✨).

He came, he saw, he conquered. Kicked ass and took names. Ate and left no crumbs. Had them by the neck. Pulled up and shut it down (Somebody stop me 😭)

The way some army attribute his success to the 🛴 guy boils my blood, and that rage is for another day.

This post is towards Jimin.

Jimin's hate is both from outside and inside the fandom ( am not talking about solos, toxic shippers, mantis and the like) but people who claim to be 0T7.

I know that Jimin has had haters for years but the shady tweets I saw during the FACE and MUSE era from so called "ARMY" said a lot. Am not here to debate who is or isn't ARMY. That's for another time.

My question is, why does Jimin's success seem to be a sore spot for some 0T7s? The one reason I have been able to come up with is that Jimin sort of messed up the hierarchy system.

Let me explain and see if I make sense. For a long time, when people thought of the maknae line, no matter the order in which they ranked Tae and Kookie, Jimin was always the third one. Too many posts relegating him to the role of cheerleader and not much else. I saw posts before solo works commenced dismissing the idea that Jimin would ever release an album but would instead fully support the others. Well, he not only released two solo albums, but was also a composer, lyricist among other things, so they can take their opinion and smoke it.

When the solo era started, people had different expectations for what every maknae members would achieve but no matter the expectations, those for Jimin were that he would be third. Bronze medalist if you will.

FACE was released, Like Crazy got to number 1 and I logged off twitter. We were in hell particularly when it went from 1 to 45 after Billboard deleted over 100k sales and changed the rules (thank you Travis Scott for freeing Jimin and finally taking that number 1 spot). The hate from outside was expected, it was when it came from within the fandom that it hurt.

Fast forward to MUSE and it got worse. Sprinkle in a dash of Are You Sure and we have

Here I have a list of things I have noticed

1. An increase in the number of people talking about how they hate PJMs and how they are making them turn against Jimin. Honey, if a solo can make you dislike one member, you aren't sh*t anyway.

2. Dislike for Jimin disguised as dislike for his solos. If you haven't seen it, consider yourself lucky.

3. How sometimes ARMY came in droves when a member didn't achieve something but Jimin did. For example Spotify US. When a new song failed to enter but Jimin's songs increased ( during both LC and Who era).

4. His long run on the hot 100 has really revealed people's true colours. It's not his fault. Blame the fandom for their clear bias.

5. The number of ARMY accounts on X low key calling AYS fanservice.

6. Discourse on Jimin's ability to sing. I don't argue with stupid people.

I could go on and on but what I am trying to say is that in a perfect world, it would be wonderful if all the members had the same support from ARMY. The discrepancy needs to be addressed (caused by a multitude of reasons) but making it a member's fault and not the fandom is asinine.

I used to be a 1D fan and my favourite member to date is the least favourite and successful, Louis Tomlinson but that doesn't mean I hate on Harry, Zayn or Niall for their success. I wouldn't even know where to begin.

What prompted this you may ask? I saw a post talking about Jimin being the company and fandom fave and having special support. Like huh?

All in all what I am trying to say is that Jimin really shook things up and some people resent him for it. That one post (article?) about Jimin bringing out either admiration or envy keeps getting proven right.

Keep supporting this angel for a long and happy life.

What do you think are some other reasons for the increase in the 0T6 agenda against Jimin?

[ultrainfinitepit]

Shop Update June 2025

Greetings followers, Angelic Hierarchy pins are now available on Shopify and Etsy. These designs were inspired by the nine planets and cosmic horror.

Dual Destinies: A BG3 Pin Series

I have a pin campaign launching this month, Dual Destinies: A BG3 Pin Series. This campaign features designs inspired by the good and bad endings for the Baldur's Gate 3 companions. Pins of other characters are available to fund as well. 

Dual Destinies is partnered with The Cats of BG3, if you pledge to both campaigns you'll receive exclusive freebies. Both campaigns are also part of Pin Quest, be sure to check out the other wonderful campaigns if you're in the market for fantastical pins. 

Sale & Shop Closure

I am closing my Etsy, Shopify, and Faire shops June 20. To help clear out items, I'm running a big sale: items are 15% off on Etsy, and 30% off on Shopify (discount applied at checkout). While my shops are closed, you can find my items with my stockists.

For now, I'm not planning to reopen my shops. June 20 will be the last chance to purchase any shop items from Etsy, Shopify, and Faire. 

I will still be making new items via Backerkit crowdfunding campaigns. You can follow me on Backerkit to be notified of campaigns, and I'll also send newsletter updates about them.

If you miss out on these campaigns, leftovers will go to my stockists. Between all of them they are able to ship to most destinations. If there's not any that ship to you, please check in your local area if there's any maker consignment or similar shops that could stock my items, and send them my way. I will be offering shipping to most destinations via Backerkit as well.

I won't say my shops will be closed forever - things can always change! But for now I'm going to try just campaigns and my stockists, and see how it goes. I'll still be sending out newsletters - about campaigns, new items, and other artistic endeavors.

Thank you all so much for supporting UltraInfiniteShop and the next chapter of my art journey. That's all for this update, have a joyous June!

[bloedewir]

Do you remember how often they said things like "datv is great for new players" or "you don't even have to play old games pfft" and it turned out it actually isn't and you actually have to?

Ridiculously funny.

DATV itself won't allow you to like it if you don't keep in mind all side stories, books, lore and etc. The game isn't welcoming new players (or the old ones tbh) and you need to take like 30 % (maybe more) on yourself, otherwise:

You won't understand why in Antiva it's totally okay what Illario did but not okay how he did it.

You won't understand why Lucanis heartbroken yet not surprised.

You won't understand wtf wrong with Tevinter and Minrathous, specifically. Why it's "broken" and "corrupt". Because you won't see the class hierarchy, you won't know who is soporati or altus and what's the difference. And who the hell Shadow Dragons fighting with, is it bureaucrats or taxes, or what?

You won't understand why there's such a melancholic ambient always playing in Arlathan forest, as if it's a fading echo of the lost empire. And, more to it, it has to be left there within the trees, buried with all hopes and dreams of dalish people who tried to keep their heritage just to find out it's rotten and false.

You won't understand why Isseya's story is so sad. All that pain, grief and suffering. Guilt. Sacrifices.

You won't understand the sticky horror that crawls under the skin if to think about what blighted evanuris can and will do.

Why do pirates return artifacts instead of keeping it for sale. Why there's uncontrolled antaam if it isn't an actual invasion. Who are Forgotten Ones. Forbidden Ones. The Betrayal Of Felassan.

All of it is on you. Somehow you must know it all, keep it in mind while playing to have a context and fill the gasps, and just after you did your part you might like the game that partially exists only in your head.

Not so friendly for new players after all, huh. (Bioware should've printed an info leaflet with tips and bibliography because we can't afford to lose more our da-people because of that).

[nakaira]

── STANDING NEXT TO YOU ; dazai osamu x fem!reader

synopsis ─▸ ❝ he is someone you should truly stay away from because every smile of his drips with danger, every laugh is coated with mystery and every touch has tragedy lingering yet that's the only thing you can't bring yourself to do -- staying away from him. especially when he seeks you out himself. ❞

warnings ; racer!zai. age gap. dazai is twenty two while reader is barely in early twenties, nineteen to be exact. angst. romance. tragedy. illegal racing and illegal activities. port mafia is in here too. dazai has smoking addiction. drug addiction. toxic workplace. reader works at a club. sexual harassment. prostitution though it's mentioned lightly. uses of whore, slut etc in a derogatory way. pedophilic behaviour and pedophilia, mentions of grooming.

chapter specific warnings ; fainting due to starvation, reader thinks of baby trapping and killing, reader gets paranoid, reader just has very messed up feelings of love and hatred etc.

masterlist.

till now you were experiencing everything in a dream like state. scenes blurred and moved as if you are watching a movie in a trance or under the influence of drugs. your fear and emotions felt real to you at one moment and then at another they felt shallow because you do not really have time to sit down and process them. they felt passive until this moment.

because you had never been dancing with death until now.

your emotions feels like a boring routine which repeats and repeats so you stopped taking them seriously, stopped trying to process them and what effect they are having on your mentality.

the scene playing out in front of you is a wake up call. that this is all very real. 

you might die.

the club has two changing rooms for quick access in between the few minutes the women have before moving from one client to another. clients as in people who pay to sleep with the prostitutes.

prostitute, that's what everyone here is.

prostitut — exposed publicly, offered for sale.

to hyenas. 

you stand at the door of the changing room, not quite entering as you feel a wave of weakness hit you, making you stumble as you take a step back and bump your back against the black door. 

there isn't anyone here because everyone is busy working. you got a break as one of them showed pity to you after seeing how much you were sweating. she told you to take a small break as she would watch over the bar and serve instead of you. 

the lack of food and even water is doing great damage to you. how many hours has it been? you can't remember but the nausea, the churning of your stomach as if two flames are twisting it, tells you it has been too long since you last ate.

the changing room or rest room or whatever this room is has vanities lined on one side with lights attached to the mirrors, the drawers filled with expensive and cheap makeup as hierarchy exists. on the other side were the many racks with dresses consisting of lingerie and other similar erotic outfits hanging. 

you take a step forward, the door closes behind you but it sounds very far away to you. the floor beneath your feet is shifting rapidly and it makes you stumble again and again. 

the entire room rotates making you gasp. your shoulder bumps against one of the racks and you hold onto it for stability but as you lean your entire weight against it, the wheels move forwards and so does the rack. you open your mouth to scream but you gag, feeling as if something from within you is trying to force its way out of your throat. 

with a thud you fall down on the floor, hitting your shoulders and back roughly against it. whatever was trying to come out of your throat feels as if you swallowed it again. it feels so uncomfortable and you feel so miserable.

you try to sit up but your back is paining, your legs are in pain and it feels as if no medicine can treat them. they hurt everytime you breathe and you truly feel as if this is your dying moment. tears fill in your eyes as you sob once. 

a beep rings from behind your head towards the front, deafening your ears. a black shadow restricts your vision. you blink in panic and open your eyes to see the room rotating very fast. your eyelids drop down, your brain banging against your skull as if it wants to torture you more, till you faint on the floor.

once again you do not try to understand the severity of your situation anymore. you do not try to understand you might end up dead because fainting from overworking isn't new for you. going through these harsh and cruel punishments aren't new too.

there is a burning pain thumping at the back of your skull but you have no choice but to ignore it. you woke up half an hour earlier in the same position because once boss punishes someone no one else looks at them unless they want to be punished too.

you just wish dazai was here. he would have seen you and immediately guessed what was wrong. he would have definitely sneaked in something for you to eat -- no,  actually, you are fine without eating. 

if only you could get something to drink and soothe your burning throat then you can endure this punishment.

it's only been what? ten hours. 

fourteen more to go.

can you survive? if you knew this would happen you would have eaten or drank more before.

your eyes look dead and tired, not seductive and sparkling with mischief. your lips are pursed tightly, not smiling coyly. your cheeks are red from you pinching them to keep yourself awake, not pink from the blush you applied. you look hideous. a sudden wave of anger flows inside you at how unsightly you look.

you want to scream and bang your fists against the mirror till it breaks and the mirror pieces pierce your skin. you even consider going to the boss and fighting him, telling him to let you rest or atleast drink water and if he doesn't agree then you picture slamming one of the alcohol bottles he keeps in his office on his head.

then you consider even resorting to begging to him. or seducing him and sleeping with him again. you even consider just ending it all using a knife if you can find it, if not then you will just use your hands to choke yourself. 

your fingers twitch at the thought and you really consider going along with your thoughts till you don't because at the back of your mind you want to meet dazai again. you want to ask him what happened yesterday and why was boss claiming you went out and gave you this punishment. all you remember is sleeping in his arms.

you want to sleep in them again. you try to style your hair with shaky hands. should you sleep with dazai? he is important enough and he is a nice man too. you seriously consider baby trapping him but he doesn't deserve it, not after being nothing but nice to you. you don't know how you will handle it if he begins to hate you.

why isn't he here? why does he only come at a specific time? you need him here now. you want him right now.

"hey, boss's star." you look away from your reflection when someone refers to you, looking towards the door to see one of the other girls standing there with her arms crossed. "it's your shift now at the bar." 

you nod, not bothering to reply because you will puke your guts out if you speak. as you stand up, your vision goes black for a moment before returning again and an empty shiver runs down your nape to the end of your toes. it's making you feel light till your knees but your toes feel as if someone nailed them to the ground. you sluggishly move past the girl without acknowledging her which makes her scoff as she rolls her eyes.

it's habits, moments and situations like this where you appear rude and arrogant, it's times where boss paints you as the villain whenever something happens which makes everyone else believe you deserve your punishments, it's the unreasonable favouritism boss shows to you which makes them feel unfair and grow a dislike towards you.

you take baby steps to reach the main area because you still feel unstable on your two feet, and since you are wearing heels too you do not want to risk stumbling and falling to the floor in front of everyone.

you never feel stable in life as well so your feet feeling unstable should not surprise you. 

the hallway finally ends to give rise to the club dance floor and seating arrangements, its bustling like every other night because people drink to suffer, and to suffer they live. 

from this hallway which is exclusive to staff or vips only, you can see the bar at the other end and surrounded by seating arrangements at all sides with the dance floor spread out in the centre.

your heart rate accelerates when a guy with messy brown hair walks past you but it returns to normal once you get a good look at the guy's side profile because every man with brown hair isn't him.

no man can be him other than he, himself.

but why isn't he here? you want to sob and call for him and ask him to take you away from here.

a swirl of yellow flows through your retina to travel down to your brain through the optic nerve. it's the self realisation mixed in with hatred.

you need to get a serious grip over yourself. it's embarrassing to think a man will save you when another one is the reason you dance in this predicament. 

you hope no one stops you on the way as you can't go straight through the dance floor which is packed since a new trendy song is playing so you'll have to walk through the sides where the couches and all are and so, the customers will be sitting there too either alone or in groups. you don't want to stop till you reach the bar and fortunately no one seems to need or want anything from you, so you hastily make your way to the bar.

the bartender from the previous night greets you with a wave, his other hand passing a cocktail to the customer who ordered it. you recognise the customer, it's a woman who comes here often though she only makes small talk so you don't know her name. she looks up at you two and smiles as acknowledgment.

do you know why we are more prone to seduction? because the attention of the seducer, their movements are all centered around us and only us.

boss takes great advantage of this, it's why his business is still standing strong despite how ugly it is. he taught you everything you need to know.

the woman smiles more, her eyes wrinkling at the corner as you place your hand on her shoulder, comfortingly squeezing it as you lean down to welcome her and exchange a few words about a topic you can't be bothered to remember once you take a step back from the woman.

this can be seen as a derivative of a parasocial relationship. 

"heard you are in trouble with boss again?" the bartender speaks next to your ear, leaning over the counter separating the bar from the stools lined up to sit and watch either the bartender or the dance floor ahead. he's nice. you don't really remember his name either however. it's why you never call someone using their names despite boss telling you many times how big of an impact saying someone's name in the right tone has on them. you just can't bring yourself to care enough about remembering someone's name, it's a very intimate detail and you have no desire in getting closer to anyone.

"when am i not?" you sigh as you lean your back against the cool counter to keep an eye on the floor ahead in case anyone raises their hand to beckon you over.

"why was he angry last time?"

"stayed longer than told with a customer." dazai.

"and the time before that?"

"let a customer kiss my forehead and be affectionate with me." dazai.

the bartender looks away to hide the snort leaving him, asking in amusement, "and the time before that?"

"the boss wanted me to entertain a rich party of customers but i rejected them for one customer." dazai.

the bartender snickers as he expresses how dumb it all is but you can't pay attention to him as you gulp.

realization makes your breathing faster. dazai is an important member. but boss almost always gets angry with you to punish you in extreme ways only when it concerns him as if taking his anger out on you caused by dazai.

does boss not like dazai? then why is he letting him get closer to you? can he physically not say no to dazai?

can he not say no to dazai?

oh. 

a burst of adrenaline pumps with your veins as your mind pieces information together to make a jacket which is the exact measurement of dazai. a new hope feels you to the point the crushing of your intestines against your stomach doesn't phase you anymore. 

tonight, when dazai comes, you may be able to uncover a lot.

a customer raises his hand to grab your attention as you practically bounce over to him, so excited with this information you uncovered that you can't help but be excited. the dizziness, hunger and feelings of unfairness all forgotten.

don't be too excited. don't make them suspicious. they all work for boss, they will rat you out if you act suspicious.

you chant like a mantra to control your excitement. no matter how hard you try to compose yourself externally, the thumping of your heart makes it clear how excited you really are at this opportunity presented to you.

some kind of jazz music is being played over the speakers to bring a feeling of luxury to the already expensive restaurant where his companion asked him to meet. he knows many pairs of eyes will and are turning to glance at him because if he is being honest as well, the brown blazer goes well with the green vest underneath and gives him a elegant vibe.

but this is a disguise to hide the ugly malice he carries within his veins and arteries.

dazai has even gone as far to style his hair by tucking it against his ear on one side as he waits for the person he is supposed to meet to come. but his actions don't come from respect and rather with the intention to mock the one he is meeting.

his phone vibrates to let him know someone has messaged him as he decided to keep his phone on silent, not wanting any kinds of interruptions now. dazai grabs it, quickly unlocking it to see his manager notifying him about a race tomorrow. as he skims over the location, dazai smirks at how awfully bold they are getting to be racing so close to port mafia territory. obviously to make them mad but he wonders why.

do they have something to back them up or is the lack of action taken by the mafia till now getting to their head?

he hopes both parties can kill each other already and stop getting on his dick.

an amused chuckle leaves him as he places his phone down as the man he is waiting for finally arrives, pulling his chair back before sitting on it.

"ango!" dazai greets with faux cheerfulness. 

"i would rather if you did not act this way. it's an unsettling sight, really." ango replies. something about his collected and put together appearance, how he seems to have a very thin layer of superiority surrounding him despite doing stuff which others would be killed for, pisses dazai off really badly.

still, he smiles, tilting his head as he waits for ango to begin speaking but the other man does not. speaking first right now is a sign of compliance and almost submission.

dazai nods as a waiter approaches them, smiling mockingly. he has all the time to waste in the world, ango does not because if anyone from the government or even the police force catches him with dazai, his head would be served on a platter next (this might or might not be an exaggeration).

both of them are firm on their beliefs yet one has to bend over for the other, giving up on their decision.

it sure as hell isn't dazai, that much ango can conclude as he stares at the younger man ordering something from the menu leisurely while his heart is thumping loudly, paranoid that at some or the other moment someone will come out and accuse him of treachery. ironic.

once he finishes giving his order, dazai looks at ango, a dangerous glint in his eyes, "you will be paying, right ango?"

ango tries to stare into the brown pools of eyes yet the more he is staring, the more he feels as if he is drowning in an abyss. 

sighing, he hums, "of course. go ahead." his voice sounds airy and high pitched, sweat forming at his forehead. why did he come here again, risking his life?

he tries hard to scrutinize dazai despite his inner voice telling him to look away, to not meet the younger man and continue to contact him through phone calls and a handful of people he has enough control over. he should be staying behind the shadows and pulling on the strings, not being right infront of this overpowering shadow which has always been dangerous, as if it's always ready to erupt.

"obligations are scary." ango begins after a while, realising the man in front of him won't speak up at all and ango rather not spend much time with him, it makes his heart burn in sadness. of what they once were.

dazai does not interrupt, letting the man speak.

"when you do not have much power yourself and are under the control of someone else, you are obliged to follow whatever they ask of you no matter how morally demeaning it is — that is, in the worst cases." ango's lips curl up the slightest when he sees dazai's eyes flash with recognition. good, he thinks because the quicker the conversation can be over, the quicker he can leave because being spotted with dazai is his biggest fear right now.

he would not only be risking his own life but those crimes committed by dazai which he has been hiding under the rug all this time will be exposed too and both of these men will fall into a deeper pit of trouble.

"obligations... debt... power struggle. i get all that —" dazai mumbles, "— but making power fight power is destructive too." 

"you do not have any other choice, dazai-kun. if you are going to go ahead with it, go all in anyway."

dazai hums as the waiter returns with two of the same dishes he ordered, placing one in front of him and the other infront of ango. he avoids the man's confused stare at him, beginning to eat the curry rice in front of him as he mumbles, ".. odasaku used to say eating alone isn't as tasty as it is when you eat with someone else."

ango wants to scream, to throw the plate away and sink to his knees and drown in despair because he knows dazai mentioned oda purposely. his intentions may look good but in reality he speaks about oda to taunt ango, to play with the guilt in his heart. ango knew he should have stayed at his office and not come here to meet him or finally give him the green light.

he might have made a mistake.

might.

"if a war does break out because of me then not only will the city be caught in the middle of this fire but the first person both of them would want to kill is me. i can't die yet till she is safe and happy."

"then join the mafia." ango tilts his head, speaking a cruel sentence casually.

dazai's grip on his spoon tightens as he shakes his head, "that would mean going against odasaku and his advice."

dazai looks up, smiling. it's an unsettling smile which makes ango shiver. "can you do me a few favours?"

"you are going to land me in hot water with my superiors." ango sighs out, placing his chin on his hand as he hums for the other to speak about what plan he made up. 

"i only want two things from you, really."

"and these won't be harmless, will they?"

dazai chuckles, shrugging. "better than me hitting you with a car, right?"

and as he begins to lay down the foundation of his plan, ango himself comes up with counter attacks knowing this man will be a threat in the very near future.

"dazai-kun," ango calls after a while, looking at the other man seriously as he slowly asks, "are you really doing this for oda or is it for yourself now?"

this makes dazai pause. his heart feels anxious as he asks the same question to himself because the lines between a role and desire are blurred in his mind. he does not know if he is doing all this for you because of oda or because of his own wishes to see you bloom.

he hopes ango does not see the nervous smile he is presenting or the way his fingers twitch on his lap, his mind is panicking as he realises he is putting in more effort then usual, putting himself on the line for you.

“i need to make a few phone calls.” dazai tells as he stands up to leave, no longer wanting to be in the same room as ango as his words have hit a part in dazai which he does not want to acknowledge. 

isn't today a really long day? you swear it's dragging itself so much.

or maybe it's the hunger which is making this normal day so hard for you. the burning in your throat is somewhat tolerable now since you got used to it but the way your stomach is aching and squeezing is making you feel nauseated.

you knock on the door, entering after five seconds pass by. the office is, like always, terrifying and suffocating. nothing worth noting about.

boss smiles at you and you manage to smile back. a fake smile but it's better to play along with him rather than test him. he ignites a spark of disdain within every cell of your body.

you take steps closer to his desk. the click of the heels against the floor is making you anxious, making your heart drum faster as you feel lightheaded.

"you called?" you softly ask because over time you learnt that boss likes it when his people are powerless in front of him. he seems to be in a good mood right now so by appearing defenseless you can make him realise his power over you. this should make him happy and make him forget his anger like usual and to finally tell you your punishment is over. 

boss is predictable in some matters. in others, you can't see his manners and behavior over your fear. 

he smiles, nodding as he gestures for you to sit down, looking around to appear a bit nervous in front of him (which isn't much far away from the truth). his eyes soften as he opens his drawer to take out a wrapped cookie, tossing it to you. 

bingo.

"eat it, dear." boss softly encourages as he sees your nervous demeanour. he has some sort of twisted attachment to you and you use it sometimes whenever you feel you have an upper hand. it's rare though.

you nod, looking at him for pretence approval. boss leans back on his chair, clearly satisfied as he smiles, watching you tear down the wrapper and take the round chocolate cookie out to eat.

"you are my best escort, you know why?"

"because i know who to suck up to and who not to." you answer, taking a small bite of the cookie and you immediately feel nauseated, trying not to show it. you purse your lips to not gag in front of him as it may offend him.

boss hums, his eyes narrowing as he gets more serious. "exactly. which is why i want you to keep company with a very specific person. he's very important."

"more than dazai-san?" you ask, to test his reaction. his face twists in disdain as he nods and you internally smile. luck is on your side tonight.

so he does not really like dazai after all but has to do what he says which means dazai has power over boss.

"more than him, yes. i hope you won't disappoint me." he tells, clearing his throat almost nervously which doesn't escape your piercing gaze.

"what exactly do i need to do?" you ask, getting a bit nervous as the previous times you two had conversations like this, there was always a big catch.

this time, boss shrugs. "whatever you deem fit to charm him. he will enter room 1-2A in ten minutes."

with this, he dismisses you, shifting in his seat as he clears his throat.

what is he so nervous for?

you stop outside of his office door, eyebrows furrowed.

who is this man who is more important than dazai and why does he have to make you meet him tonight when you look and feel so ugly?

you step to the side to lean against the wall, bringing your hand up to cover your mouth and muffle your voice as you gag, eyes widening in realisation of the possibility you are being played. boss is purposely sending you while knowing how weak you are right now because he wants you to make a mistake so he could punish you.

you may die.

you close your eyes. what's with you being at death's mouth these days?

your vision goes pitch black for a few seconds when you attempt to stand up, it's as if a force is trying to pull you down and your body doesn't have enough energy to fight against gravity at all. 

you look towards the door in alarm to check if the boss heard the thud but he did not, he never does seem to care about what is happening outside.

you hiss angrily, if you had left the door open a bit, you could peep in and see what he really does inside his office room. he spends majority of his time in there.

maybe another day.

you get up from the floor, slowly this time as you dryly snicker at how many bruises you will have today from falling everywhere.

making your way to the last room on the left side of the hallway, you take out your id to place it against the lock sensors and the door opens with a click.

"something must be special about this room, no?" a voice speaks from behind you, filled with confidence and nonchalance which tells you this is your client. 

you don't turn around, nodding as you step to the side so he can enter first, answering his question softly, "it's one of our most expensive ones because it's one of the only ones which gives you access to . . . yeah, you must know." you trail off as you watch him nod because it's actually surprising if someone would spend so much money on this room without knowing the perks it has but the man in front of you doesn't seem like the kind to do such stuff. there is no physical evidence of him doing so otherwise.

as he walks past you, you stare at his red hair first then your eyes drift down to the expensive quality of his suit and how good he looks in it. who is this man? a rich man with too much money to spare or one of the other men who come to this room to quietly indulge?

you kind of understand why boss was nervous, you are too as you enter after him, closing the door behind. his presence overwhelms you yet you can't help yourself from thinking how cool he is, so confident yet not the arrogant type. his confidence from the way he is walking feels raw and pure, not derived from materialistic superiority but from skills and talent.

"would you like to drink anything sir?"

"chuuya nakahara." his name rolls smoothly out of his tongue.

"would you like to drink anything, chuuya-san?" you ask again.

he leisurely walks in, staring at the interior of the room as he sits on the couch and shakes his head, looking at you — no, pinning you down with his sharp gaze. "do you have an ashtray?"

"yeah," you mumble as you turn towards the counter on the side of the room where the mini refrigerator is as well, you walk towards it and open the drawer to take the ashtray out. "would you like some cookies?"

he hums again, crossing his leg over the other one as he folds his arms, staring at you as if he is some kind of a doctor who is taking you apart piece by piece to inspect you.

is speaking such a bother for him? you bitterly think as you lean down to open the second drawer, pulling out the box of cookies from a well known brand from china. the blue haired manager is originally from there so having stuff imported from there isn't rare.

you make your way towards him as you kneel on the floor and place the ashtray and the box of cookies on the table in front. he doesn't really comment on why you are on your knees in front of him, instead his question is on something else entirely.

"does your boss not feed his staff?"

"pardon?" you breath out nervously, looking up to stare at him as he narrows his eyes, smiling but not kindly. it's a cocky kind of smile.

"you are starving." how does he know?

that's all you can think as you nod, awkwardly smiling as you do not have an answer nor an excuse and it's not like you can tell him you are starving as punishment for something you have no clue about.

"open the packet and eat a few," he gestures to the cookies which makes you shake your head. your mouth goes dry at his demand because it's absolutely against the rules for the escorts to eat these sweets. they are for the clients and for them only. the only time you eat them is when dazai feeds you them himself.

but chuuya isn't dazai. there is a red swirl around him which is warning you.

dazai is trouble.

chuuya is danger.

"come on. i can't help but cringe. you look on the verge of fainting and — sit up, don't sit there. i don't want a blow job or anything." he is nearly grimacing as he tells this so you stand up, catching sight of the gun hidden under his black jacket and you almost forget how to breathe as your heart drops to your stomach then rises again, only to drop again.

you take or well, try to take a normal steady breath because it's not as if you haven't seen guns or drugs or knives or heard about scams of dollars worth a few hundred thousands before. you try to smile prettily but your lips are curled up awkwardly and it's as if you are not a high cost escort but a plastic doll attempting to be human. 

as you sit near him, chuuya's hand shoots out and you flinch. boss has done it too many times so your instant reflex is to flinch. when you realise your mistake and look up, you see chuuya staring at you stunned.

then he blinks and reaches out for the cookie box like he was doing originally, dropping it on your lap. 

"thank you —"

"don't mention it. your boss said you were the best he had. how low is the standard over here?" he sighs under his breath but it's not his insult at you which makes you exclaim out but the fear of him complaining to boss about you.

"i mean you don't want a blow job so i am not sure what you want from me." you nervously chuckle, stopping soon as you see his expression remains the same bored one he has been spotting since he entered this room.

"talk to me then." he leans back on the couch as he stares at you. a red swirl dances around him and forces the spectator to continue staring at him.

and it's not a panicked or blaring kind of red but a seductive one which is almost like a siren's voice luring you, the sailor, towards him but the deep and dark ocean is the gun he has which is stopping you from getting handsy like you usually would to melt someone.

because what if while caressing him, your hands accidentally touch the gun? 

chuuya stares at you from the corner of his eyes as he lights his cigarette up, waiting for you to do something but when you don't, he releases a loud sigh.

"i am just waiting till the upper floor clears up so i can talk to your boss." he begins, being generous and giving you an opening.

you nod, "so you are here for drugs?"

he grins cockily, winking, "something like that."

you take one cookie from the cookie box, biting into it as the room goes silent once again because neither do you know if you should speak nor do you want to. he's scary and numbing and it's making you internally panic and you realise you prefer blue over the colour red.

because blue is calming despite being mysterious and never ending. like dazai. because the colour blue reminds you of dazai. 

this silence is not disturbed for the time period chuuya stays here till the appointed time arrives as neither does he nor do you try to make small talks again and instead, he quietly smokes while you eat the cookies and try not gag or even vomit as your stomach is suddenly being filled after being forced to remain empty the entire day. 

this is precisely why you don't realise how chuuya stares at you every few minutes as if he is trying to decode a mystery. 

which he is because how on earth were you able to convince that guy to do something which not even the force of the mafia was able to do?

since chuuya has some business with t.s., he leaves the room first while you stay there to clean up to make it easier for the worker who will be here shortly to clean it out of the kindness of your heart.

you grab the opened bottle of wine and close it, placing it on the table next to the ashtray which he had used while he was smoking in the beginning. 

you stretch your arms over your head, looking towards the door to make sure no one will walk in before you shove the last cookie in your mouth, afraid of anyone coming in and seeing you eating despite chuuya himself insisting you do.

boss won't care about that anyway as he won't look past you not following through with his punishment but maybe he won't mind since he gave you one himself earlier — he doesn't really make sense so trying to guess how he might react is useless.

you groan loudly as you use the table for support while you stand up, feeling dizzy for a few seconds before you regain your balance and slowly step out of the door. there is an uncomfortable ache in your lower waist but you can't do anything except hoping to get used to this pain.

as you walk down the hallway, you bump into the bartender who seems relieved on seeing you, guessing he came from the bathroom as he is coming from that direction.

"hey?" you mumble, tilting your head and he nods, stepping closer to speak slowly, "a man is looking for you. says you know him," he tells, making you frown.

"you are saying this to me and not bos-- how much did he pay?" you sharply ask and he shrugs, which makes you worry more. 

"my best tip of the night. i will cover for you if boss asks, he's at the alley." the bartender says, walking past you to return to his spot on the bar.

"how much money does he have?" you grumble as you make your way in the direction the bartender was coming from to go and meet him, preparing the speech you will dump on him to not carelessly spend so much money while smoothly ignoring your thumping heart.

you step out through the back door of the club which leads to an alley where the dumpsters are, immediately the rotten smell of the garbage and cigarette fills your nose but you do not mind it much, as your eyes immediately fall on dazai who is leaning against the wall, eyes closed as a cigarette stick is between his lips. suddenly all your speeches vanish from your mind at the sight of him.

oh, he's here, finally.

you were aching to meet him since the morning.

"dazai?" you call softly, taking a step forward as you close the door behind you, your stomach feels so giddy and it feels as if the butterflies in it are tickling the lines of your stomach. but he looks sad. exhausted even. and you hate yourself for still feeling excited that he came to see you despite his tired state.

he looks up, immediately discarding the cigarette and stepping on it, taking a step closer before he stops, "shit, does the smell of smoke irritate you? i can run to my car and spray on some perfume to make it better --" he asks as he fishes for a mint chewing gum from his pocket to chew on it.

"mm, it's fine. i don't mind," because it's you.

"are you sure? it won't make you gag? cigarettes smells pretty trashy." he asks as he throws the wrapper away, plopping the chewing gum in his mouth.

"i can tolerate it," because it's you. 

dazai chuckles, chewing on the chewing gum. he does not take a step closer just in case so you do it instead, having missed him so much today that your desires look past your usual rationality. 

he watches quietly as you take one step then another towards him before wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling him in a hug because you missed him so much your soul and body were aching simultaneously. you just want him to comfort you and take your worries away for a while like he does everyday.

his shoulders immediately relax, his chewing motions getting more softer as he brings up his bandaged hands to wrap them around you, placing them on your lower back. he pulls you closer by pushing on your back, resting his cheek against your head, eyes closing.

 "... tonight was tough." he whispers against your head, making you feel all warm and flustered. you press your nose against his shoulder, the scent of his cologne is faint yet still there and it's so comforting and eases your nerves, "yeah, same here."

"let's just run away from all our problems." he suggests, suddenly distraught.

"with me?" you can't help but asks. he hums quietly, "of course. can't do it without you."

"why not?" you whisper. you want to smile and laugh and sob in his arm because this man knows how to lift you up and treat you as if you are the only one in his world. with the way his touches are so gentle and his eyes growing softer whenever he looks at you, it makes you grow breathless and restless. it makes parting away from him all the more painful despite happening every night because for some reason this is the only thing you can't get used to like everything else.

"i don't want to. i want to meet you every night so if i go away, i will have to leave." he tells, remembering ango's countless suggestions to settle in another country if he won't begin anew. you do not reply and he is grateful for it, his arms raising to wrap around your shoulders and pull you closer. 

can you hear his thumping heart? he wonders.

"but you won't have to worry about your problems then." you tell, furrowing your eyebrows as he shakes his head immediately. "your problems are also my problems. can't be at rest till you are at peace."

how sweet, you think as you smile, patting his back comfortingly. 

"do you want to run away?" he asks. now he can simply be joking or saying this without a thought but this prospect makes your heart stutter, your body suddenly filled with a rush of adrenaline as you consider this possibility. 

running away alone might be a big problem but if he is with you? it won't be a problem then. 

"i want to stay with you." he suddenly whines next to your ear, angrily (yet gently and only playfully) biting down on your shoulder. 

you yelp, smacking his back as you move back from him, glaring as you rub your shoulder. "what was that for?"

"don't be a baby. i didn't even bite hard." dazai smiles like a brat, now more playful and less somber like he was before.

he watches your mouth part open as you scoff, his heart squeezing in his chest in fondness. "you are a feral cat."

"cats don't bite." he retorts smugly, enjoying how your face turns more offended. "of course they do?? what are you -- who told you they don't??"

"they scratch. they don't bite." dazai smiles as he leans down to look down at you, ignoring the pang in his heart at how easy it was for him to distract you from the previous suggestion of running away because he blurted that out without thinking and he knows it's not possible and it hurts him because he knew you were considering it, probably might have even agreed.

"they bite too -- lord, go and see an actual stray cat." you exclaim.

"oh so you are saying only stray cats bite? pet ones don't? why show such economic discrimination?" he shakes his head, tutting.

"i am not -- what are you talking about?" you scoff again in an exasperated fashion, taking a step forwards to pinch his arm, getting more annoyed as he continues smiling and does not react.

"my dear cat discriminating girl," he coos, grabbing your fist as you attempt to hit his shoulder. with his hand holding your wrist and covering it with his bandaged palm, dazai tugs you closer. his other hand moving down to wrap against your back as he circles his thumb against your lower back, right where your spine ends and applies pressure making you sigh in content. it feels so good, almost feels like a massage. "i have to go now because i have some work but do you want to come with me tomorrow? on a date? to one of my races?"

"with you? no way." you tease, acting disgusted as you watch his eyes crinkle as he chuckles. then he tips his head down, his nose touching your's.

"if not me, then who?" he asks.

"anyone who isn't you." you tell, controlling your face to not smile. your heart is so soft right now, it's beating so fast that you just want to hug him and kiss him.

"uh uh, maybe you meant to say 'no one unless it's you', uh? come on. be honest to yourself and repeat it." 

you smile, unable to stop smiling whenever you are with him as you repeat, "no one unless it's you."

his eyes soften as he nods. "so will you come with me?"

you don't tease further on hearing his soft and quiet voice, nodding as you suddenly feel shy, upon seeing which he grins.

he drops a small kiss on your temple before he moves back, "i gotta go, okay? i will be here tomorrow. i will talk to t.s too so you go straight and prepare to go home, hm?"

his words make you sad. your heart pangs in sadness at having to go away and how short this interaction with him was. there is this fear of him getting bored or fed up of you which is scaring you and so, to please him, you blurt out, "there is a rich guy, a criminal probably who wears a fedora, red haired guy named chuuya. i was with him only just now. he is talking to boss so he might not be available right now ..." you trail off as you note no change in his expression or body language.

instead he smiles, raising his eyebrows which makes you smile too as your shoulders sag in defeat which you happily accept because he smiled because of you and that's more than enough for you.

"you knew?" you ask and he nods.

"well then, good luck." you wave as you turn to walk back inside the club because if you stay anymore then it will get harder to leave, deciding to not ruin this moment by asking him if he has some bad blood with boss. you can do that tomorrow too and in fact, you should do it tomorrow as you can prepare yourself first for it tonight. you will ask him about the date boss was talking about tomorrow too.

dazai takes a step forward to grab your finger suddenly, his heart beating fast as he does not want to let you go so soon but alas, even if he stays with you for an entire day, it still won't be enough.

you look over your shoulder in confusion to see dazai staring at you intensely, the warm brown of his eyes almost tempting you to indulge in their sweetness. "yeah?"

"i missed you." he breathes out causing your heartbeat to fasten and you smile so brightly, it almost tempts him to take his phone out and snap a picture so he can stare at it in the future whenever he misses you.

"good." you tell, smiling as you pull your finger from his grip, raising your finger to tap at his nose. you turn and immediately walk away, biting your lip as you try not to burst into giggles right there or blurt out how you were praying the entire day for him to come sooner, almost skipping away.

dazai takes steps back as he sees you walking away, leaning against the same wall  which he was leaning against when you came here, tilting his head back as he closes his eyes. 

he now has to go and have a talk with stupid chuuya and t.s.

raising his hand to brush his thumb against his nose, he smiles a bit before it disappears. he looks up at the night sky, feeling conflicted as he whispers, "am i doing the right thing or am i just trying to make peace with myself and the guilt i feel over you odasaku?"

he asks despite knowing the answer isn't either of these but he does not want to come to terms with the truth because it will make his determination waver and crumble his walls.

he sighs, pushing himself off the wall to walk inside the club and to where he knows t.s. must be right now.

there is a tense atmosphere hanging over the room chuuya and t.s. are in as the latter subtly shakes in his seat. whether from fear or from his addiction — chuuya isn't sure and neither does he care because t.s. isn't even supposed to be a man catching the attention of the mafia. he is merely a small fry now.

“i really hate that i had to come here and wait to meet you because you couldn't control yourself enough to stay away from drugs for half an hour.” chuuya's tone and stare are disapproving and annoyed and it feels as if he would kill t.s. if he even inhaled too loudly.

“i-i just had some business to take care of —”

“cut the bullshit. you think no one knows of your reputation?” chuuya scoffs in amusement and t.s. can feel the exact moment his leg muscles began twitching before his legs are full on trembling and he thinks he might piss his pants because to have such a big and cruel organisation like the fucking mafia be aware of him, to have them send one of their best executives and not even a low ranking member to meet him certainly means something.

chuuya's words are ringing in his mind and he suddenly feels as if the entire underworld has their eyes set on him and they are going to kill him and t.s. swears its because of that fucking dazai. had he never listened to him, he would have been so much better.

his hands begin to tremble in anxiety as he nervously looks around to make sure his men aren't pulling out guns to kill him because what if the mafia had bought them already and they want to kill him for siding with them.

t.s. almost considers going on his shaky knees and begging for mercy, offering his club and his prostitutes to the mafia in exchange for his life.

just then, the door opens in a loud fashion which makes t.s. immediately look at who entered, half convinced it's the mafia's men here to kill him. 

but it's someone who is worse than them.

the devil, dazai osamu.

dazai whistles as he enters the room on the top floor where chuuya and t.s. are sitting in an obvious tense atmosphere created by their previous short conversation which lingers in the air yet it's as if dazai doesn't care. 

he walks in as if he is here to meet old friends, closing the door behind him casually.

t.s. looks at him with furrowed eyebrows, panicking as he wonders what he is doing here while chuuya rolls his eyes. barely four meetings and he is already tired of the taller man and is itching to bury him six feet deep. 

with shaky pupils, t.s. watches him walk over with long yet leisure strides. he is scared of dazai as much as he dislikes him and he is sure this are his last moments because dazai will ‘accidently’ say something which is going to get him killed. he should have made you stay with dazai dammit.

"my good friend," dazai smirks as he steps behind the chair t.s. is sitting on, leaning down to cross his arms over the back of the chair as he waves at chuuya who scoffs, leaning back. "what do you want?"

dazai pretends to think, tilting his head before he hums, "why don't you stop making my life harder?"

"hey." chuuya deadpans, looking disgusted as he sits straight and points an accusing finger at dazai, "you are making my life harder. not the other way."

“uh huh? because as far as i remember, you are the one who is following me around without any reason.”

“i do have a reason, bastard. you just like making my life harder. either accept or dip.” chuuya furrows his eyebrows to portray how annoyed he feels as he stares right into t.s.’s bloodshot eyes which are caused due to the drugs he takes dilating his blood vessels.

“why should i?”

dazai asks in a playful tone as he taps the shoulder of the older man who is sitting almost paralyzed in front of him. as t.s. looks at him, dazai swipes out a pocket knife from his jacket pocket to show him a glimpse of it before he hides it in his pocket again.

he knows t.s. is a coward, when sober and in his complete senses at least.

“the port mafia is going to kill you if you don't accept it so it's better to kill yourself instead.” chuuya shrugs as he leans back on the chair again, eyeing t.s. which makes the latter nervously nod to show he agrees with the executive's words.

“ohhhh i seee — this doesn't explain why you crashed into my brand new car last time though — he almost killed me, can you believe it?” grabbing both of t.s's cheeks with his hands, dazai turns the older man's face in his direction as he stares at him with faux surprise. he has always enjoyed toying with him anyway.

“that's because it was my fucking car.” chuuya grits his teeth to which dazai only shrugs, smirking. “whatever the mafia owns is mine anyway.”

t.s. is sweating profusely as he watches the two younger males banter and grow more agitated because of the other's presence as the seconds tick by. he just wanted to butter up and get the mafia off his back dammit but now that the man behind him is here, he knows it's not possible.

because dazai will rat him out to his boss and that would mean not only will he be on the verge of being killed but they will also stop supplying him with drugs without which he can't survive anymore.

"oh dear, i almost forgot the reason i was here." dazai suddenly sighs, his tone dripping with playfulness but all of this just makes t.s. want to hyperventilate and run away from these two men. one of which is why he is in this predicament in the first place.

dazai hums, hands tightly gripping t.s's shoulders as he tilts his head to look at the older man, "i have a favour — two favours actually. you will help me, right?"

t.s. nods frantically, trying not to wince at dazai's bruising grip and he misses how the latter looks up to share an amused look with chuuya who is trying to hide the quirk of his lips behind his gloved hand.

it's as if they are teenagers playing a prank on the older man.

you got a message from boss who told you to go home first without him and you didn't have to be told twice as farther away you are from him, the better you feel. 

you step out from the back of the club (as instructed by boss) to again find dazai leaning against the same wall he was leaning on an hour ago. a smile forms on your lips at the sight of him, your heartbeat quickening as you are so grateful to see him again.

his head was tilted down but when he hears the door open, he looks up. 

his eyes soften as he tilts his head. he looks sad, confused even. that's not something which is normal for him. and frankly, it's a look you don't even want to see much of him.

you take a step forward at the same time as he does but while your step is small and hesitant as you aren't sure if you should approach him again, his step is large and confident as if he has made his mind on what he is about to do.

he takes another step forward and wraps his arm around your shoulder to pull you closer, closing his eyes as the dread claws up his heart. he reminds himself to stay grounded and not let his emotions sway him but it's hard as these emotions are stronger since his plan has begun.

he does not want to do this.

you raise your arms hesitantly, wrapping them around his waist as you pat his back. he sucks in a breath, shoulders relaxing. he almost wants to melt into your arms, soak into your skin and become one with you so he can always be near you.

but if it's for you, it's okay.

"oh wow, did you miss me?" you joke only around him in this suffocating building and he feels so grateful you don't treat him the same as others because being seen as the same as the rest by you would be like a nightmare which he wants to wake up from as soon as he can.

"so, so much." he whispers. 

whether he is in the present or in the future, only he knows but his words make your smile widen, blissfully unaware of the turmoil within him.

you don't speak up as his arms tighten around you, rather you are liking it. because it feels safe and his hugs are reassuring. because for a moment it feels as if he is shielding you from your depressing reality. because hugging him comes naturally to you now, you do not get as nervous or scared as you would in the beginning. you want to keep on hugging him, every single day till your last breath.

because dazai himself is someone you want to continue seeing everyday despite the warning bells ringing at the back of your head, despite the trouble that drops down everytime he smiles at you.

because he protects you and helps you stay sane in this otherwise maddening world. he makes you feel normal in this abusive lifestyle you lead.

"what are you doing here? i thought you went away." you tell as soon as he lets you pull away from the hug, eyes staring at him curiously. 

he grins, running a hand through his hair. would it be weird to admit he wants you to stare at him for as long as you could? probably.

"why do you think t.s. is letting you go by yourself when he is usually so paranoid and possessive about you?" 

"you did something?" you gasp, eyes widening in awe at how this man can do stuff which you thought could not be possible. he's magical in a way.

"who else if not me?" he cockily states.

you smile again. a big bright smile takes over your face as you can't believe it, a giddy giggle leaves you as you grab his hand in yours and squeeze it to express your gratitude.

you don't know the effect it has on him when your fingers slip through the gap between his own, the way his breath hitches as he stares at your interlocked hands. he squeezes them once and looks up at you, be damned with missions and purposes and responsibilities.

right now he just wants to spend time with you. to steal you away from the world for a moment.

he tugs at your interlocked hands to start pulling you out of the alleyway because as much as he wants to lose himself in this moment, he knows better than anyone how quick his time is ticking. this is a rash decision but also the only one left for him to take.

"where do you live? i will drop you off. night times aren't appropriate to walk alone." he tells, side eyeing you to see you nervously lick your lips as it's clear you are hesitating. afraid. he visibly softens at this and decides to push you a bit, "i will only leave you till the building and go away." 

you consider this suggestion as fear claws at your heart. keeping romantic feelings aside, rationally this won't be a good decision because the consequences are going to be severe if the guard tells boss he saw you with a man.

but you want to spend time with him. 

you release a frustrated sigh, looking up at him to see his eyes already on you.

oh, since when has he been staring? 

you feel hot under his stare so you look away, beginning to walk away from the alley (hand still interlocked with his) and he smiles, knowing this means you have considered and accepted his suggestion. that he will have some more time to spend with you tonight.

"do you live far?" he asks while walking with you. there is a stupid smile on his face which he is embarrassed about but he can't stop himself from smiling as the contact of your palm against his is enough to reduce him to a shy giggling mess. he just wants to freeze time.

"not really. boss has to come over immediately sometimes if an emergency arises so we live near."

this catches his interest and he decides to tread a bit more casually and smoothly.

"like management issues?"

you smile, shaking your head as you look at him over your shoulder. "drug related ones."

dazai concludes you are either too comfortable with him or too trusting. the former is most probably the case and as happy as he should be at this opportunity which presented itself before him along with your trust in him, he can't help but worry about you in the near future if you become too trusting with everyone you get comfortable with.

right to speech is a freedom but just because it is a 'right' shouldn't mean everyone should carelessly use it or abuse it.

"it's hard being away from something you love." he tells as you two walk through the late night sky. it's peaceful and quiet. like the moments your mind feels whenever you are with him.

you hope the feeling is mutual because if it isn't then you are the only one holding onto him and that would be embarrassing.

maybe it is mutual though. you think as his hand shoots forwards to grab yours again as it got loosened because of you walking a few steps ahead of him.

you watch him quickly take two steps to reach you.

are you only two steps away from him because to you it feels as if you have to run miles before you can see his silhouette, reaching him is out of the question.

"he loves drugs?" 

"it's addicting. what sad man would not?"

"let's not call him sad and humanize him. you will make me feel bad for him if i humanize him-- ow." you mumble, rubbing the spot on your arm which he pinched, looking at him in annoyance with furrowed eyebrows to express your displeasure.

"ah ah. quiet." he gestures for you to seal your lips and you retort, "i listen only because you are older."

"mm what a good girl." he dryly comments before his eyes reflect a seriousness which makes you straighten your back too as you suddenly feel nervous at his change, "you say you may begin to feel bad for t.s. we can't have that. don't go on feeling bad for the people who don't deserve a bit of humanity."

"yeah but he raised me so i am bound to feel some kind of attachment to him. i hate him but i don't — i just find him annoying." you tell as you try your best to express your feelings which even you don't comprehend fully but he hums as he remains serious so he must understand right?

"i can help you with that. remember your memories with him and tell me which weighs more — the good ones or the bad ones. that should give you your answer."

his words always sounds so legitimate, his advices sound as if they are personally coming from war veterans who have seen everything there is to the violence and depravity of the human mind. maybe this is why you take them so seriously.

you look at him with hesitation, your heart is beating fast as it tells you not to do it but at the same time you want to take the risk and see what will happen. dazai always makes you want to do stuff which you would be too afraid of doing normally so you do, you ask him, "do . . . you know, wanna listen to me and help me judge -- only if you want to because i feel like you are a better judge of characters then me . .  you don't have to -- forget it —"

you stop the nervous rambling, eyes widening as you are caught off guard with him suddenly grabbing your hands yet you stay silent, gazing up at his serious expression which is staring at you with so much fondness.

the man whose smile drips with trouble and risks looks so comforting and safe right now. why couldn't you have met him earlier? way, way before any of this happened.

you are sure you would have lived happily then. a small bubble of resentment pops in your heart as your brain tries to blame him but you can't. 

not him. 

never him.

so your eyes soften as you stare at him, your lower lip almost trembling as you try to keep your emotions steady and hidden inside of you. dazai squeezes your hands tightly.

"don't depend on others to validate your feelings. you can feel whatever you want to. i won't tell you who to or who not to hate. but i will listen to you so you aren't the only one who knows the reason behind your hatred, okay?"

you cringe at his words and your heart flutters at them at the same time and it's an odd combination to be honest because you aren't used to people caring for you and you still can't get used to him doing so. 

he squeezes your hands again when he gets no replies, focusing on how good it feels when he does it before shrugging his thoughts away. this isn't the time for that.

"okay. yeah. sure." you breathe out and he smiles at how enchanted you look. as if he has shown you a magic trick which defied laws of physics and his heart hurts because in the near future he knows this is how you will look at everyone and everything too.

he's no one special. he's just the first person to do so.

but isn't that special in itself?

dazai takes a step back and lets go of one of your hands, keeping his grip tight on the one he is still holding as you continue to lead him. he feel relieved since he knows you can lead a normal life.

you have a sharp brain so he is sure after a few years you will be capable of being on your own. it just sucks to know he won't be able to witness it. any of it. 

he almost wants to be selfish and steal you away, take you far away from here by force.

"so uhm where should i begin?" you ask and he shrugs, still staring at you fondly but with a melancholic fondness which you don't grasp at. all you can feel are the way your limbs burn hot under his gaze.

you want to reach up. reach up and kiss him and ask him to take you away but you don't because what if he is just being nice to you and this all does not mean to him as much as it means to you because you are starving of love which he offers.

"anywhere you want to. i will happily listen to everything you say anyway." 

you want to scream and sob. push him away and never meet him because when he says these words with such a soft tilt to his voice, it makes you disillusioned from reality and it makes you fantasize him as a lover which isn't possible.

why doesn't he understand how he affects you?

you try to pull your hand away from his grip to create some distance to snap you out of this dilemma but he doesn't let you because he is the incarnate of trouble. 

he troubles your heart in the best way there is.

dazai looks down as he sees you try to pull your hand back and when only your fingertip remains in contact with his, he grabs it and uses it as leverage to grab your wrist. he raises your hand to leave light and small pecks on your knuckles and hears the small sound which you kill in your throat at this action of his.

you take a deep breath, deciding to focus on your memories instead of your jolly heart erupting with desires of romance.

"well i don't know where to begin." you mumble as you sigh, biting your lip as you go down the lane of your memories to choose a specific one. "should i start from the very beginning?"

you don't know what his response is as you don't look at him, you continue to look ahead and as if past the environment around you to stare down at something which isn't entirely there, like a completely new dimension.

"i was happy once. really happy. there was this kind man who used to take me on walks and play with me." you tell, a gentle smile on your face as you remember the man which makes dazai's heart twist painfully. he looks ahead as well, as if to live your memories with you.

"he used to always bring me chocolates and sometimes small toys and i used to wonder, 'hah. if i wasn't an orphan, i would like to have a parent like this kind man.' he used to listen to me blabber so..." you trail off, using your free hand to pat your cheek twice before you continue in a much smaller voice then before, "so i thought every man would be like him."

he was a rare one. dazai thinks to himself, a melancholic smile on his face at the thoughts of the older man who has been like an angel in his life too. his heart isn't tightening nor are his hands feeling icy cold with sorrow and this is supposed to be a sign that he has moved on but it's sad. that he moved on. from his dear friend. 

"but boss isn't like him. he can never be like him. he was nice at first though. i don't really stop to process my emotions anymore regarding him or anything in general." the last part of your sentence comes out more awkward than the rest of your sentence as you weren't sure if you should have admitted it or not but decided anyway since you are telling him all about yourself anyway, laying yourself bare in front of him.

your eyes land on him as you turn your head to face him as if daring him to take apart your intestines.

leaning in, his touch is light as snow falling for the first time as his finger traces your cheek in the midst of him tucking your hair behind your ear. 

holding in your breath for who knows how long, you stare at him the way you always do and he wonders if you know how insane it can make a man go. the corners softening, blinking as your focus doesn't waver away from him, it's as if you are begging him to come and kiss you stupid.

"how did you meet such a monster?" he softly asks, voice hushed as if you might break if he speaks a bit louder. 

oh. 

you love him.

he is holding you so gently unlike boss who isn't afraid of getting violent if he feels as if you are disrespecting him and it's making you want to cry and ask him to take you away with him to his house. you don't want to go back to the apartment you live in with boss, you want to stay with dazai longer because being with boss is suffocating. 

you want to breathe freely, not in fear of your inhaling or exhaling being too loud which may anger boss. you want to ask dazai so many questions so stuff can make sense for you but most importantly, you want to kiss dazai.

but you don't because of fear of your feelings being unrequited because what do you even know about love when you have always received it in bits and pieces?

and can boss ever be considered as someone loving? if so, then why does his love hurt so much? 

your mind is a hurricane of thoughts as you go through your memories to try to make sense of it all.

this is the moment you wake up from your dream-like passive state and finally open your eyes to your reality. 

[anim-ttrpgs]

A.N.I.M. Plans for January 2025

January 9th: Release Patreon Rewards

These will include a further updated and more finished version of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy, three short stories you may have heard me mention regarding the character Yvette Preux, the adventure modules, and, perhaps most excitingly, a sorta-playable preview of our upcoming new game, Silk&Dagger: A Sensible Drow RPG.

The best way to describe Silk&Dagger in a few sentences might be that it is a unique take on drow that explores what kind of society would actually result in the common tropes associated with them in fiction, and a game about slice-of-life in an oppressive underground society with strictly enforced social hierarchy and behavioral expectations for each social class. Most players will play servants, with one player playing a mistress, all trying to accomplish household tasks while each is weighed down by their own strict class expectations. Another player, a sort of co-GM representing the expectations of society at large, deducts and awards metacurrency based on how well each PC is sticking to what is expected of them. It is a black comedy, with a lot of the humor coming from just how overwhelmingly shitty this strict hierarchy-based society makes life for everyone, and the awkward hoops everyone has to jump through to keep up appearances.

The preview of Silk&Dagger coming to the patreon this month is not finished enough for me to call it fully playable, it doesn't even have proper character creation rules yet, but it does have enough rules and lore that you can get a good idea of how the game is supposed to play. Playtesters who have played this version with the help of me filling in the blanks verbally as we go have all said they really enjoyed it, though.

January 30th: Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy Itchio Beta Update & Adventure Modules Release

January 2025 is when Eureka was originally supposed to be fully finished, but due to delays and, we will admit, an overambitious timeframe, Eureka just isn't fully finished this month. We will, however, be releasing what we have as an update to the free public beta on itchio. Work will still continue on Eureka as it has done, and we plan to have it fully finished by the end of this year at the absolute latest.

Along with this beta update of the rulebook, we are also releasing the beta for Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy Mystery Modules Vol 1., which will include the two other Eureka adventure modules that are finished enough to be fully playable: The Eye of Neptune and FORIVA: The Angel Game, both previously only available through our patreon.

And finally,

Make at Least $1,360.82

We need to make at least $1,360.82 in January to keep the studio afloat and for me to continue supporting myself primarily through A.N.I.M. At the time of writing this (January 7th, 2025), we are at $175.30/$1,360.82.

To this end, we are really banking on the Silk&Dagger preview to draw people to the patreon, and getting a lot of itchio sales for both the Eureka beta and the never-before-fully-public adventure modules in the last couple days of the month. If you want to support us and more sure we reach this goal, reblog this post and our other posts and talk about Eureka (we live-and-die on word-of-mouth), and if you want to financially support us directly, here are some links. Thank you for all of your wonderful support thus far.

[hadesoftheladies]

it's normal to be insulted by femininity as a girl or woman and it's really simple why.

the core philosophy of patriarchy is that men and women are not defined by their sex but by their sexual roles in the male sexual hierarchy (a naturalistic fallacy). the philosophy of patriarchy cannot allow for equality at any given point, because a man ceases to be a man if he is not dominant and a woman seizes to be a woman if she is not submissive. keep this in mind.

so a woman as defined by patriarchy is a complementary thing (non-human, like animals or "nature") to a man's estate. the woman identity, as construed by patriarchy, exists solely for male pleasure and estate. that means the woman is only a woman if (it/she) is an asset to a male's estate. so it/she must be a wife, a concubine, a tradeable daughter (this is opportunity for wealth), a prostitute or mother. please note, in all these roles, a woman is always meant to be subordinate or she/it is not a woman.

now remember, this is only patriarchal philosophy, but this philosophy/worldview needs to become an ideology and way of life. so patriarchs, in order to justify their made-up bullshit about the sexes and their right to exploit without consequences, must naturalize this worldview. they can create patriarchal religions (for whichever has the power over life and death defines the value and purpose of a soul) and language (whoever defines the world controls how it is perceived).

but CLOTHES are an expression of both. clothes, aside from simply being utilitarian (even in ancient times), were visual symbols denoting things like class, age, sex, nationality, and beliefs. NOW UNDERSTAND, the first class distinction in human societies was between men and women. men were higher humans hence were to be treated as a distinct upper class, and women were lower-class.

class distinction via sex was the first kind of class distinction. so it became increasingly important to the patriarchal state that women and men had to dress according to their class (the Old Testament of the Bible shows that this was indeed important to early patriarchal states in the ANE via verses like Deuteronomy 22:5 which reads, “A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.”) In short, clothes do not have sex (no garment can chan he your chromosomes), but they do have sex-class (which is gender).

in the development of patriarchy, the veil in the ancient near east, became a symbol of women's sexual status, publicly announcing them as married, concubines, virgins, etc. (i encourage you to read The Beginning of Patriarchy by Gerda Lerner for more in-depth information on all this). clothes then, and today, have always been about determining women as a sexual class and what role they performed in that sexual class (modest, up for sale, married, low-value, lesbian/deviant).

because men get to define what women are, they get to define what our clothes mean. they get to decide if something is modest or if a woman is "asking for it."

what does this have to do with femininity?

patriarchal belief= a woman is a thing, defined explicitly by her inequality to man, that exists purely for the pleasure and purpose of the man. this means a woman can only be a sexual slave (whether as a mother/wife or a whore) and cannot live or exist outside of this male-defined sexuality (temptress/justified sexualization of underage girls) without becoming something other than a woman (a monster, a witch, ungodly, mentally ill). since it was made for man, it cannot pursue interests outside of pleasing him and still be a natural, healthy thing.

enter gender.

femininity (and gender) is how women are regulated by the patriarchal state. it is a costume, a uniform, that signifies an obedient subordinate, but it is also a performance that is constantly tested and scored. women with low scores get re-educated or removed from society (via death or ostracization). femininity is how women are policed. all you have to do is to look at the traits of femininity and it's rules.

the natural female face/body should always be palatable, pleasing and presentable to the man and what he specifically finds attractive (so it doesn't matter that you're from a different culture or of a different class, if you're dressing "modestly" or "promiscuously"--this is the only primary rule: that you please men and that you are tasteful to the man who fancies you)

this means that the woman's health is secondary and her body should be editable, adaptable, picked apart and put back together on a whim, on any and every level to appeal to any man who wants her (cosmetic surgery, corsets, trends)

nurture is paramount to the character of a woman (because a woman is meant to be an excellent breeder)

softness and smallness (signals submissiveness, passiveness, defeat, weakness--all of which are proper womanly behaviour)

martyrdom (a woman exists for the preservation of the man and his estate)

silence (this communicates mental submission which is important, women should not voice their experiences, grievances, frustrations, desires, stories because she is showing agency and none of these qualities aid her identity as a sexual servant)

i want you to look at and analyze, even within your own cultures, what femininity is defined as wherever it exists, and then see if you can find any connection to how it enforces the idea of the patriarchal woman-thing. the entire performance, clothing and behaviour, is enforced in order to justify the fictional woman-thing in patriarchal imagination.

but you are a human being.

you have always been able to think, feel, disagree, feel anger . . . because you are a person with a sense of dignity, history and purpose outside male-defined sexuality. so when you as a girl or woman express disdain at femininity, it is not because you think "feminine" women are beneath you. it is because you know femininity is beneath every woman and yourself.

the capitalistically driven insecurity market that pushes women to seek out the security of male validation is beneath all of us. the performance is beneath all of us. we were human before we were mothers, wives, sex workers. we were beautiful and wonderful before makeup. we were human before men looked at us and called us fuckable. we were powerful and divine before men told us we were demonic and simply angelic, servants of gods rather than goddesses ourselves. we had the capacity to create and invent the world before men told us we didn't have heads for learning.

we have always been human and always will be.

femininity is a patriarchal polemic against our humanity. it's fundamental philosophy disagrees with the reality of us. that's why there's so much anger and fear around this culture.

some of us, as girls, resented the fact that our mothers asked us to swallow the fact that they accepted (as right) their humiliation and ours. that they wanted us to show men and boys that we accepted that we were made to be humiliated. of course we got angry. of course we felt confused. didn't our mothers, sisters, aunts, friends care that this performance was never-ending humiliation as we were forced to parade ourselves in order to compete for male approval? in front of the eyes of men and boys we knew mocked us for everything? so we said, we're not like other girls. other girls want to keep up with this. maybe they like humiliation? but we can't live this way. something must be wrong with us, or with them. they're sheep, or we're disgusting lesbians. but the truth is that we're all just in a world of pain and desperation.

your (feminine) clothes are not made with you in mind, but they are also made to keep you minding yourself. checking yourself. making sure your bra doesn't show. your underwear doesn't slip. your belly isn't too prominent. it keeps you eager to perform your role. to win against a race you can't even define because you haven't ever questioned if it ends. you get approval from the state because you are trained to self-regulate, and you have been trained well. the relief you feel at the approval of other girls or boys is that they are giving you a high score. which means you are safe. you are beautiful, you are a good performer. you will be picked and not left behind.

you may say you dress for the girls, but that's part of the problem, still. you and the girls are. you are still agreeing with the political philosophy of patriarchy when you uncritically wear the uniform of the woman-thing. you think of yourself as the woman-thing. you think of your face and body as infinitely editable. delete the breasts, delete the pores, enlarge the eyes like you're a doll on a Wii avatar creator. and so other girls are scared of being themselves because you all know there's something here to fear. there's rejection and punishment waiting for pretty ladies who don't comply.

but you're a living, complete human being, darling. you are an ecosystem with mysteries as old as the universe in you. you are a person that deserves to be here fully and freely. this is your world, too. our world.

so you see why gender cannot be reclaimed by us in a meaningful sense? it is a performance that is invented, re-invented and validated by the philosophy of our dehumanization. it will never be independent of it in this system.

you are worth the freedom and strength you can give yourself. you are worth the fight out of this.

[veliseraptor]

The big pattern here is one of subordination and hierarchy, in which earlier reciprocities between the firm and its users are subordinated to the derivative project of our behavioral surplus captured for others' aims. We are no longer the subjects of value realization. Nor are we, as some have insisted, the "product" of Google's sales. Instead, we are the objects from which raw materials are extracted and expropriated for Google's prediction factories. Predictions about our behavior are Google's products, and they are sold to its actual customers but not to us. We are the means to others' ends.

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff

[mahou-shoujo-dandelion]

New questions and answers!

Q: hello! will there be romance in Magical Girl Dandelion? Yuri? Shade and Dandelion are siblings, can you give readers some insight into Dandelion's relationship with Peony when it comes to romance? Thanks!!!

A: Is there any romance or yuri in Magical Girl Dandelion? You asked! Yes! There is, but I won't tell you who it is!! lol As for Tanpopo and Peony's love lives, they are both incredibly insensitive, so I think they probably don't know much about love itself.

Q: Congratulations on the book release 😭💖 I will definitely buy it!!

A: Wow‼️Thank you!! "Magical Girl Dandelion" Volume 1 pre-orders are now open at various bookstores, so please feel free to get yours!

Q: Congratulations on the publication, I'll definitely get my hands on a copy!! 🎉🎉Can't wait to see more of Tanpopo and Shade (≥▽≤)

A: Thank you!! I'll do my best to deliver great books!! Please continue to support "Magical Girl Dandelion" 💛🖤

Q: Congratulations on the release of the comic. I'm looking forward to it. Take care of yourself and I hope you continue to create wonderful characters and stories 👼

A: Thank you!! I appreciate your concern for my health... 😭 I will continue to work hard to deliver great things‼️

Q: Are you drawing manga while you are in college, Mizuho-sensei?

A: I am a college student!! I overcame the threat of failing and was able to advance to the next grade!! Yay!!

Q: Hello, I am a Malaysian fan! Unfortunately I use Google Translate, so I understand if there are problems with grammar. I really love your artwork and have been looking forward to the next chapter ever since I picked up this manga! My first question is, Tanpopo is based on Dandelion, so if Shade is part of dandelion, what flower would Shade be? I have been wondering about this for a long time, thank you!

A: Malaysian! Thank you for reading!! Are you asking what flower Shade is associated with? Hmm, I wonder... A reader previously told me that nightshade flowers and forget-me-nots might be the perfect flowers for the shadow monster Shade. Before Shade became a monster, when he was still Eito-kun, I associated him with sanvitalia and sunflowers.

Q: I recently started watching #MagicalGirlDandelion, but is the manga not available for sale?

A: The first volume will be released on April 25th‼️Sorry for the persistent advertising lol

Q: Any plans for Magical Girl Dandelion merchandise? I'm already so in love with this series but live in the USA, so I'm not sure how to support your work.

A: Are there plans to sell merchandise? You asked, but actually, canvas art is on sale! There are only a few left in stock, so please check it out if you're interested!

Q: Hello, can't wait to see the cover of volume 1 of your manga 🤩 Question: is there a hierarchy among demons (according to their level of power, from the moment they lost their humanity, or according to the type of power they have)?

A: Are there a hierarchy of strength among monsters? You asked! There is!

Butterfly classifies fiends into five levels according to their danger level.

B-class - Among irrational fiends who only make monotonous attacks, they have a narrow attack range and their attacks are physical. A-class - Among irrational fiends who only make monotonous attacks, they have a wide attack range and their attacks are non-physical.

S-class - Among highly intelligent fiends, they have a narrow attack range and their attacks are physical. they have a wide attack range and their attacks are non-physical.

SS-class: Among monsters with high intelligence, these have a wide attack range and their attacks are non-physical.

SSS-class: Disaster level.

Generally, the lower the danger level, the more numerous they are. Incidentally, fiends sometimes compete with each other for dominance over their strength.

Q: Question: Will Shade have any new powers in the future (e.g. extending his shadow further, teleporting people, using his power like poison gas, etc.)?

Will Shade awaken new skills in the future?

Even if he does, it would be too much of a spoiler to tell you about it here lol I hope you'll read the manga and see for yourself 😉

Q: Question: do you already know how you're going to develop Tanpopo and Shade's relationship as the chapters progress? (Friendly, romantic, dramatic, sad, love/hate)

A: I have already decided what their relationship will be in the final chapter. However, I don't know if I can draw that far lol

Q: Question: Will you develop the universe in which the characters evolve in the future chapter? (organization of the magical girls, Tanpopo's schooling, the cruelty of demons, the demon/magical girls conflict? The origin of their conflict? etc.) ?

Thank you so much for the beautiful plates in chapter 8.2, what a cliffangher! It's infuriating to wait two months to find out what happens next XD

A: I think you're asking if there are plans to depict character growth from the perspective of Butterfly, Tanpopo's school life, the cruelty of the monsters, the origin of their conflict, etc. in future chapters (sorry if the translation is wrong)

Rather, if I don't draw that, what else will I draw... lol I hope you will continue to watch over the characters as they grow in the world of the work.

Q: Nice to meet you, hello! An illustration for Here Comes the Black Witch!! came up on my timeline and I thought "Wow... I really love the art..." and when I looked at the media column, I came across a magical girl manga and loved the story and art so much that I'm writing this message impulsively.

First of all, I love the story, but I also love the art! I love the art!!! Really. I really love it. I thought that the expressions of Shade's shadow and the magic circle of his technique were very beautiful and skillfully drawn.

And I really love Shade!!!! He pierced me. I love him so much that I feel like I'm going to go crazy because I'm so frustrated that I can't put my love into words. His slender silhouette, his jagged teeth and sharp eyes, the gap between his humorous personality and how cool he is when the time comes, his hairstyle, his loose chest (), etc... I love everything about him... I feel like I'm going to tear my head off. I've always loved characters like Shade, so I'm overjoyed to have met him. Thank you, sensei (deeply). Speaking of which, I'm weak to contrasts, so I really like the main character, Dandelion. I also like Peony because I like her slanted eyes, twin tails, and swords, and I also like Kujaku because I like shady good looks. I love that manga, thank you.

This has gotten really long, but what I want to say most is that I really love the works you draw!!!!!

I'll continue to support you, even if it's presumptuous! I'm looking forward to your future works too!!

A: Wow! That's a lethal dose of praise!!

I'm drowning to death...thank you. The Black Witch is great...it's youthful...

I try to draw with all my heart, so it's the greatest joy to hear that you like my style!

And thank you for the compliments on each character 😭 We will continue to work hard so that you can continue to enjoy "Magical Girl Dandelion" in the future!!

Everyone...

I'm glad to hear that you like it so much.

(note on the side: there's some extra space)

Shade: "You have a good eye"

Tanpopo: "How do you say it..."

Kujaku: "You're so good~ I'm getting excited despite my age"

Peony: "I know you know, but people say you're suspicious"

Also, I haven't been able to respond to the illustration requests I received on Marshmallow yet, but I am checking them carefully!

If I have time, I might draw one, but I think you should just wait and not get your hopes up...

[heavenboundhotel]

✨SIR PENTINE✨

Name: Elias Pendleton

Species/Origin: Sinner, Snake Demon

Gender/Pronouns: Male - later questioning, He/Him (?)

Sexuality: Unlabeled (Later pansexual, he just doesn't know the actual term)

Year of Birth: 1847

Year of Death: 1888

Appearance:

Personality:

Eccentric, theatrical, and hopelessly unlucky, Sir Pentine is the very picture of a wannabe villain whose bark is far worse than his bite. A snake demon with grandiose dreams of becoming an overlord, Pentine styles himself as an evil genius with cutting-edge inventions, devastating wit, and a fearsome presence—none of which he actually possesses. His mechanical arms, crafted to project power and menace, are prone to spectacular malfunctions, undermining his carefully curated image at every turn.

Despite his villainous posturing, Sir Pentine is deeply anxious, self-conscious, and avoidant in personal matters. His attempts at wordplay and intimidation are laughable, and he crumbles under confrontation, more likely to stammer out apologies than follow through on threats. He desperately wants recognition and respect, believing that climbing Hell’s power ladder will validate his existence and silence his nagging insecurities.

However, Pentine’s soft-hearted nature and inability to truly harm others keep him from succeeding in Hell’s ruthless hierarchy. He overestimates his abilities, underestimates others, and stumbles through schemes with sheer dumb luck as his saving grace. Though he externalizes his insecurities by playing the role of “evil incarnate,” deep down, he’s more kindhearted and moral than he’d like to admit.

Pentine’s over-the-top antics and comedic failures make him a laughingstock in Hell, though he remains oblivious to how little others take him seriously. Still, his persistence—and occasional flashes of ingenuity—suggest that beneath the bluster and insecurities, there might be more to Sir Pentine than meets the eye. Whether he’ll ever realize that himself is another matter entirely.

Backstory:

Born in 1847 in Victorian England, Elias Pendleton came into the world frail and sickly, confined by illness to the indoors for much of his childhood. While other children ran and played, Elias buried himself in books, immersing himself in tales of scientific marvels, alchemical miracles, and fantastical inventions. These stories sparked an imagination unbound by practicality. He dreamed of building machines that could change the world, though he never quite grasped the line between fantasy and reality.

Elias’s parents, well-meaning but strict, unintentionally planted the seeds of his lifelong insecurities. They viewed his fragility as a flaw and his eccentricities as embarrassing, chastising him for his "silliness" whenever he tried to share his lofty ideas. Feeling inherently “bad” or “broken,” Elias internalized their disapproval and began using his tinkering as a way to prove his worth—not only to them but to himself.

As he grew older, Elias’s ambitions outpaced his abilities. He constructed bizarre contraptions that rarely, if ever, worked. Undeterred, he turned to another booming industry of the era: snake oil sales. Drawn in by promises of wealth and recognition, Elias began selling miracle “elixirs” alongside his increasingly impractical inventions. Though his intentions were never malicious, most of his creations were utterly useless, and some caused genuine harm. When customers fell ill or claimed injury, Elias was wracked with guilt but lacked the courage to admit his failures.

Word of his mishaps spread, forcing Elias to flee town after town. Isolated and ashamed, he became a recluse, holed up in small, dingy apartments, where he continued to tinker and dream of success. Despite countless setbacks, he clung to the hope that his next invention would finally redeem him. But Elias never found the breakthrough he sought.

In 1888, at the age of 41, Elias met his untimely end in a freak accident of his own making—an experimental boiler he’d been testing exploded, taking him with it. His death was as chaotic and absurd as his life, and he awoke in Hell with a newfound sense of purpose. Surely, he thought, if he was condemned here, it must mean he truly was a terrible person all along.

Eager to embrace his “true nature,” in order to push away the deep pit of self-loathing thar came with it, Elias transformed himself into “Sir Pentine,” a self-styled evil genius. He crafted a pair of massive mechanical arms—compensating for his lack of limbs in his demonic form—and filled his lair with egg-shaped robotic henchmen of dubious utility. Taking cues from the overlords he idolized, Elias adopted an over-the-top persona, complete with dramatic monologues and theatrical schemes.

Yet even in Hell, Sir Pentine struggles. His inventions fail spectacularly, his plans backfire, and his reputation as a bumbling nuisance overshadows his dreams of grandeur. While he convinces himself he wanted power, he lacks the ruthlessness to pursue it. Deep down, Elias remains the same anxious, soft-hearted tinkerer he was in life, using his cartoonish villainy as a mask to hide his insecurities.

Despite his many failures, Sir Pentine clings stubbornly to his ambitions. Whether out of desperation, delusion, or sheer determination, he refuses to give up, convinced that one day he’ll finally prove his worth.

[ultrainfinitepit]

Seasons greetings followers, it's time for the December update.

New Items

First and foremost, I'm happy to share that the Pride Angels leftovers are now available. There's lots of new pins, stickers, and keychains from the campaign listed on Shopify and Etsy.

That's not all: in advance of my Themed Monster Enamel Pins campaign next year, I made one design from each of the sets to test the colors: Cyberpunk Medusa, Priest Angel, Rococo Angel, Victorian Angel, and Werewolf Plague Doctor. If these sell out you can pledge for more in the campaign, along with their companions - though please note the colors may change a little batch-to-batch.

For those of you who prefer to purchase from my stockists, these items will be sent to them as well but you will have to wait longer for them to be listed and available. Guest artist designs have been sent to their respective artists, you can find them in their stores soon, or message them to purchase.

If you're looking for a fun way to display your new pins, check out one of the many pin hoops that are now listed. If you want some pins at a discount, I've updated the as-is display pins listing.

Holiday Sale and Closure

To celebrate the holidays, I am running a very short sale on all older items: 15% off on Shopify (discount applied at checkout) and 10% off on Etsy. I will be closing my shop for the year December 8 at 10AM PST, be sure to get your orders in before then. Slow-selling or low stock items may be removed over the holidays, so if you've had an eye on anything now is the time to grab it.

I have no set date for when my shop will reopen but I anticipate it will be sometime January-March 2025.

Pinconvention

While my shop is closed, you can find many of my items with my stockists. For a limited time December 4-9, a few of my pins will be available from Pinconvention as well. Pinconvention is based in Hamburg, Germany and is the only way for buyers in Germany and France to get my pins.

Shipping Restrictions for EU/Northern Ireland

Speaking of countries in Europe: if you haven't heard already, the EU and Northern Ireland will be enforcing a GPSR regulation starting December 13. You can read more about it in this Etsy article. There's been a lot of discussion in the seller community about what these restrictions mean for US to EU shipping. At the moment I'm going to tentatively continue to allow shipping to the EU and Northern Ireland, but I can't guarantee it will be allowed forever. So if you have your eye on anything in my shop or others, it might be wise to purchase soon. In the event I have to discontinue shipping to these destinations, you may be able to purchase from my stockists, or use a mail forwarding service.

Plans for 2025

That's all for 2024, let's look ahead to next year:

I have some pin designs in my drafts I hope to finish up. This includes: the Angelic Hierarchy set, pins for each BG3 companion's good and bad endings, Dungeons and Dragons pins, some original character designs, and fanart pins including for Dune and Ghibli.

I will be running the Themed Monsters Enamel Pins campaign in March 2025; and collaborating with HoloRaindrops to offer a pair of cross-collab pins to backers who pledge to both of our campaigns. If I can finish up those pins I just mentioned in time for this campaign, they will be available as addons/preorders.

I am planning to make variants of the most popular Pride Angels pins for June (Pride Month) next year.

Other than that, I don't have many pin plans for 2025. I am open to making new variants of previous designs if there's sufficient interest. If you have an idea you can submit it here (and consult my pin catalog here), feel free to share with your friends. I won't be giving up pin making, but I definitely want to slow down on it - I wrote a little about why on Tumblr if you're curious.

And I may slow down my shop updates to every other month as well. As much as I love making new items every month, it's been hard to keep up the pace. I hope you'll stick around to see what I make even with less frequent releases.

That's all for this update, have a wonderful winter holiday!

[crapeaucrapeau]

Headcanon Wednesday : Salarian Gangs, Pomps, and Code Verses

A prahyit (plural : to'prahyit), a Nazaht word meaning "brotherhood", is an association of unrelated males without a female who have come together to pursue a common goal ; nowadays, it is used to mean an exclusively salarian criminal organization, but there have been to'prahyit of many kinds throughout salarian history. Eclipse, which in organization resembles asari criminal syndicates and has many asari and salarian members, is not a prahyit ; nor is any criminal organization with salarians in it. Nowadays, to'prahyit are usually found exclusively in the Salarian Union and in places where there is a significant salarian majority (e.g. the Citadel, or Omega).

Organized crime in salarian societies typically began as an association of salarian males from different clans cooperating for their own best interests without compromising the overall safety of their respective clans. As they were quick to use family language to instill loyalty - to this day, one is recruited by an "Elder Brother" - any trans-clan association of males - including the first capitalist businesses - initially faced accusations of criminality.

The structure of salarian crime syndicates imitates the feudal hierarchy of salarian society : numerous to'prahyit, with varying degrees of influence and power and each with several branches, united in a very loose confederation that broadly leaves them autonomous. There is no direct competition, but territory is strictly delineated, but nor is there any cooperation except in the direst circumstances or if an agreement is struck. It's entirely possible for a clan to make exceptional use of another clan's territory to store or deliver drugs, in exchange of a "rent" proportional to the merchandise's worth.

As with human criminals, the bulk of recruits are young salarian men who, for whatever reason, are adrift in society, with no one to look after them. The Elder Brother is responsible for their behavior, and in return the "little brothers" give him all their love and loyalty.

Each Elder Brother is in charge of a "pond" (a patch of territory where they operate). Under their command are :

a head pepmonger, getting the supply of drugs to each point of sale ;

two factotums, dealing with the money (getting the money from the pepmongers ; accounting ; transporting the money to the clan's financial staff) ;

pepmongers dealing drugs at points of sale open all the time, in two teams of ten to fifteen little brothers working in half-a-day shifts. Less popular drugs are only sold from the evening to noon.

two to three "eggsitters" store drugs in bulk in apartments or shops ;

and the killers, ready to fight should a conflict with another clan arise. Only the Elder Brothers knows who they are and how to join them.

Wages strictly reflect what a prahyit values : economic growth. A pepmonger makes nearly twice as much money as a killer, because a pepmonger makes money every day for the prahyit while a killer sits around.

Each prahyit is led by a "pomp" with deputies in charge of acquisition, logistics and money laundering. The "ponds" are broadly equivalent to subsidiary firms. An Elder Brother is expected to show the same love and loyalty to the pomp as he receives from little brothers.

In to'prahyit, the pomp, sometimes called the "matron", assumes a feminine persona, thereby impersonating a dalatrass, sometimes excessively ; his is a parody (or perhaps even a pastiche) of salarian femininity. In the oldest criminal to'prahyit on Sur'Kesh and Mannovai, the roles of their respective pomps have solidified to the point that they have names and unique mannerisms, apparels and make-ups, which are taken up by every pomp.

Characteristics of pomps include :

various accessories to make the pomp appear taller : those include high-platform shoes and prosthetics over the horns, like crowns or diadems ;

ostentatious displays of wealth : a lot of jewels, very fine fabrics, etc ;

feminine apparel : hooded robes, sometimes solid masks or mask-like make-up ;

pantomimed signs of age : hunched-over posture, a cane, fake wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, etc.

Pomps do not change the pitch of their voice, though they do change the cadence and tend to speak even more curtly.

A unique characteristic of any salarian organization involved in something criminal, disreputable, or otherwise stealthy, is the use of code verses. Those are, in short, passwords or code phrases for a broad variety of situations ; but because salarians have an eidetic memory, they use myriads of code verses which they heard once and know by heart.

To give an example, if a salarian guarding a warehouse is approached by another salarian from the same prahyit, he is expected to select from hundreds of prompts at random and ask a question ; the approaching salarian can give an answer equivalent to "All clear", but he can also answer with something that translates as "I've been compromised, there are cops in the van behind me and they're aiming guns at you." The point is that no one who did not undergo "rote learning", i.e. someone who isn't a member, can tell which answers are innocuous, and which aren't.

The organization which makes the greatest use of code verses is, naturally enough, the Special Tasks Group. It is rumored that they have tomes of code verses, and that as you rise up in the hierarchy they bring out even more tomes. The sheer quantity of them means it would take weeks for a single compromised agent to divulge them, at which point the new editions will be out anyway.

[thesimblrofficedirectory]

Welcome to The Simblr Office Directory

This blog is an archive of the submissions for the office-centric OC prompt posted by the light of Simblr, @kashisun.

Here you can browse all the amazing creations submitted by your fellow simblrs. Feel free to scroll to your delight or click one of the links under the cut to see who's on roster under (or over) a particular bureau or delegation.

Want to be added to the directory or confirm that you've been queued? Just include a link to your post in an ask off anon and it will be queued within 48 hours. Until we get through the backlog and can queue at a more leisurely pace, all ask submissions will receive a confirmation. You can always mention us, but we won't be able to provided confirmation for that method.

Leaving the company? If you'd like your post removed, just include a link to the post in an ask off anon and it will be removed. Sideblogs may require additional verification. Please allow, at most, 48 hours for the request to be honored. Removal requests will not be confirmed, only acted upon.

Every company's hierarchy is a little different. Designations for this directory are based on some of the companies I've worked for, but especially on the multi-media marketing company I work for now.

Bureaus and Their Delegations

Delegations with an * currently have low or no headcount (posted and queued). Excludes leadership.

Bureau of Client Engagement

Leadership

Billing*

Escalations*

Product Support*

Quality Assurance*

Sales*

Bureau of Compliance (Bureau-specific Internal Affairs and Auditing)

Leadership

Client Engagement*

Facilities*

Finance*

Human Resources*

Information and Technology*

Legal (General)

Legal (Leadership)

Marketing*

Bureau of Facilities

Leadership

Catering*

Environmental (Janitorial, HVAC, and Plumbing)*

Mechanical (Electrical, Elevators, Equipment Maintenance)*

Premise* (Grounds Maintenance and Real Estate)

Purchasing* (From pushpins to pallet jacks)

Security

Warehousing* (Shipping, Receiving, Mail room, and Inventory)

Bureau of Finance

Leadership

Accounting

Asset Management*

Investments*

Travel and Accommodations*

Vendor Relations*

Bureau of Human Resources

Leadership

Career Development (Internships and Internal Role Transitions)

Dependent Care*

Employee Activities Committee (Members are volunteers)

Employee Benefits*

Floating Delegates (Administration) (For profiles that list a nondescript secretary/admin/receptionist/assistant role)

Floating Delegates (General) (For profiles that do not list a position)

Floating Delegates (Leadership) (For profiles that list a nondescript managerial role)

Health Services*

Payroll*

Recruiting*

Training*

Union Relations*

Bureau of Information & Technology

Leadership

Data Security*

Infrastructure*

Public Relations

Research and Development*

Systems and Devices*

Telecommunications*

Bureau of Marketing

Leadership

Copy

Design

Planning and Implementation*

Board of Directors

Chief Officers

CEO - Chief Executive Officer/President

COO - Chief Operations Officer/Vice President

CCO - Chief Compliance Officer/Vice President

CFO - Chief Finance Officer/Vice President

CITO - Chief Information and Technology Officer/Vice President

CMO - Chief Marketing Officer/Vice President

Executive Administration* (Admins that report to chief officers)