#and even if you DO have the required skills/experience you’ll get rejected and then offered the unpaid version of the role instead

[faeparrish]

the fact that having a degree means absolutely nothing anymore lol almost everyone i know from uni has had to apply for benefits 😍

[starofroselight]

Title: He Calls You Theseus (Now Call Him Odysseus and Welcome Him Home)

Chapter 1: In Which Technoblade's Narrative Crumbles    

Summary: Technoblade's language is the art of combat and weaponry. Tommy doesn't understand, so Technoblade speaks in a way they'll both understand. Or, Technoblade’s been having strange visions while taking care of Tommy.

Tags: Technoblade, TommyInnit, SBI fic, Introspection, Flashbacks, Found Family, Brothers, Trauma, Alternate Universe, References to Greek Myth, Sleepy Bois Inc. as Family, Sleepy Bois Inc. Angst, Chat as Ghosts, Rose AU

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28786947

Author’s Note: This is my baby. I’ve worked for this on a while, and it’s about 5.1k words. I hope you enjoy the first chapter, I plan for around five in all.

A flurry of snow buffeted the snow banks around Technoblade's retirement home. 

Technoblade had decided teaching Tommy the art of arrow fletching was important. He had come to immediately regret that decision. Tommy’s loud mouth and shaky hands were something manageable in the best of times, but when the time came for work to be done they became hindrances. Liabilities.

Technoblade didn’t take in liabilities. 

“How’s this, big man?” The tooth-gaped teen asked smugly, holding up a shoddily constructed arrow as if it were made of gold.

Technoblade briefly considered how much easier this would have had he cleaved Tommy’s head clean off in the hole under his house.

> You can’t!

> The most efficient way to grind out arrows is village trading. Make one of your downstairs hostages a fletcher, trade sticks, build rapport, then trade in for arrows.

> Tommy pog

> would’ve been funnier if you did

“Chat, do you see what I’m dealing with?” He mumbled to himself. 

“Oi Chat! Hey Chat, do you think Technoblade is a big bitch?”

“Tommy, you’re giving me a headache.” That wasn’t all that was giving him a headache: voices, the thousands of voices which were riled up by his every interaction with another living soul. Each voice was vying for a spot to influence his words, to have any effect on the outside world like they once were able to.

And the voices really liked Tommy.

“All I want’s an answer.”

He wouldn’t get one.

"How am I better at this with hooves?! Here, let me show you one more time.” Techno squatted beside where Tommy was sitting on the stone brick floor. “Two ties on each side over the flint. Three sharp cuts into the wood. Feather goes in between. Look, perfectly functional arrows! What part of this aren’t you getting? It’s not that difficult!”

Tommy picked up the tools from the fletching table. He took one look at the sticks, then picked up a fistful of feathers.

“Right—”

“Okay, that’s enough, I’m not going to let you keep massacring my feathers like this. What even is this?" He picked up a feather from the floor. It hung limp between the heel of his hoof, frayed and torn. "These chickens died for nothing!"

“What am I supposed to do while you do all the work if I can’t help?” Tommy was pouting, his face so full of vibracity and energy it looked as if he was choking.

That was it. Techno's face twitched. 

“Maybe if you sit down and stay quiet for a minute, I can come up with an idea!”

Surprisingly, Tommy did. His face flushed red with embarrassment. 

And Technoblade realized he had screamed at a scared, struggling sixteen year old child covered in scars. 

> do you feel powerful now

> OOOOOOO

> You should kill him

> Betray Tommy!

> betray tommy

He dragged a hoof over his face. The gesture was easier with hands.

"Look. . . Tommy. You're clearly not good at fletching arrows. Why don't you go lay down in your racoon hole?"

Technoblade’s plan had been, surprisingly, one of altruism. He wanted to teach Tommy how to make arrows so he could value the ammunition. He had a tendency to complain about. . . well, everything, but specifically running out of supplies. Techno hoped this would teach him how valuable they were. Not in resources, but as assets. In the heat of battle, every shot mattered.

After Tommy had made a quiverful of arrows, Technoblade planned on taking him out to his practice range. Inexperienced hands nocking an arrow were shaking and quick to flinch. Archery hurt. It was a difficult skill to master; the art of shooting an arrow required the fletching to run through the archer’s fingers. If their hands were smooth and uncalloused, the projectile would cut through their fingers like a blade in water. His hands (and hooves) were roughed up to the consistency of leather from arduous repetition. Tommy hadn’t had that experience.

Technoblade had made leather gloves for that exact reason.

And now that plan was ruined.

While his retirement home was the definition of picturesque, Tommy had come to ruin that as well. The foundation had made Techno's house uneven. The ground was unstable and it had started to sag north. 

Tommy had literally dug up and unsettled his life. 

Somewhere in there was a metaphor and a moment for some much-needed introspection. Technoblade ignored it. 

Snow had sloped onto the roof heavy, the sound of monsters outside crunching feet of the stuff. The cold had choked out the will of any invaders at the cost of isolating them together. The house’s floor was insulated with stone, then covered with wood. The chimney doubled as a source of light, warmth, and a way to heat the floor. Technoblade had learned how to make heated floors from Chat. The quality of life improvement was immense.

Tommy hadn’t understood how, but he did enjoy it. Too often he had slept in his boots, curled up into a jacket or blanket or whatever he could find. But this? This was a luxury that could lull him into a rest like no other.

And Tommy needed a good sleep after Logsteadshire.

Still, his spirit reignited despite his body's protests. He stretched his arms upward in attempts to hide his yawn. 

He stomped his foot. 

"I'm not tired! We need supplies, we need—We need to get back the discs."

That was going to be a hard habit to kick. The kid needed a break; his eyes were ringed in black. He sat hunched over with awful posture, looking pitiful. Technoblade held back the urge to call him a racoon again.

Despite the warmth, Tommy was shivering.

Exhaustion. Techno knew it all too well.

The Piglin man took off his cape, folding it over his arm. It helped increase his bulk, his size when intimidation was necessary. When he was home its purpose became a blatant unnecessity. Still, he often found himself falling asleep in it, curled up in a tiny pile against the wall where no one could hurt him. 

It was important.

And he tossed it to Tommy. 

"We'll get back the discs after you go to sleep. If you fall asleep in the snow you'll freeze to death and die."

Then he stoked the fire with an iron pole, minding Edward's head. He couldn't be bothered to kill the creature just yet. The flames roared up, consuming the cold air in the room and up the chimney. 

Tommy held the crimson cloak in his arms. He stared for a second, then twisted to wrap it around himself. It was enormous, swamping his thin figure in fabric and comfort unknown for weeks in exile. He pushed himself further into the corner with the fletching table, close to his hiding box.

"The 'and die' is kind of redundant, 'innit?" Tommy muttered, head poking up from the fluff of the cloak’s collar.

Technoblade sighed. 

They were going to keep talking in circles. He would make a general statement, Tommy would overload him with non sequiturs and nonsense sentences until Technoblade tuned him out with Chat. However, he couldn’t ignore Tommy here. If he did, the boy would never go to sleep, and the cold of the night didn’t need a cold shoulder on top of it. A cranky Tommy and an annoyed Technoblade was a recipe for disaster, overthrowing governments or otherwise.

There was only one way he knew how to talk in times like this:

“Let me tell you a story.”

It was an offer more intimate than Tommy knew. 

Naturally, he rejected it.

“What if I don’t want to hear a story?” Said teenager shifted in his cozy corner. 

“Too bad.” He pushed the crown up from where it was slipping off his head. If he was going to coax the world's most energetic child to sleep, he needed to let down his guard. 

“Why do you even wear that thing?”

“What, the crown? It’s not like I use it in combat or anything, it's just for fun. Fun is banned? You're banning fun now?" He laughed. "Good luck getting anyone on your side."

“I don’t have a side. Or rather, my side is your side? Now you’ve gone and got my head all confused.” Tommy’s voice had grown softer. 

Techno couldn’t have that.

“There’s no ‘our side’. We are not a team.”

Tommy huffed. “Until we get the discs back.”

“Will you let go of the discs for a minute? They’re not going anywhere.”

“Could go into a fire.”

Techno huffed heavier. Puffs of true flame curled out from his snout. Not the metaphorical risk clouding Tommy’s mind. He was already headed towards the pitfall he wanted to avoid. It was time to change the subject.

“Considering your limited knowledge of Greek classics, you wouldn’t happen to know Homer?”

“Who what now?” 

A solid ‘no’ would have sufficed, Techno thought.

“You probably haven’t heard of Odysseus, then.”

“With a name like that, I reckon I should of. Wait, this is one of your myths again, isn’t it?” Tommy kicked himself up, back against the wall to look at Technoblade as they spoke.

“I like a certain section of stories. Is that so wrong?”

“Is this story about you?”

The Blade tutted. “No, no, no. I don’t have any family. Orphans killed my parents. Family is useless, it slows you down unless you’re exacting revenge. In that case, family is excellent. Nothing better than dead family.”

"That doesn't make any sen—"

"Keep interrupting and I'll make you sleep in Carl's stable."

Tommy pouted. His hair stuck up in every which way, active as he was.

“Odysseus was a king of his own island. He lived in peace with his family on Ithaca, and he was known as a wise man.” It had been a while since Technoblade had told a story like this. His rhythm was lacking. “He was the favorite of Athena, the goddess of battle and wisdom.”

“Gods aren’t real.”

“You’re looking at one.”

Silence. “Yeah, right.” 

"Moving on.” He wasn’t willing to indulge Tommy in that story when he was preoccupied with telling another. “While Odysseus was a king, he wasn’t the chief king. At that point Greece was broken up into various city states, other little countries that refused to be conquered. While it was all Greece, there was a difference between a Spartan and an Athenian. Too many fights for power and the geopolitical landscape had torn them apart. Odysseus had his friends, though it would be more accurate to call them his allies, his country with whom he had sworn an oath to fight alongside. Each of those kings would be headed out their own separate way.” That felt right to Technoblade. “They were brothers in arms, finally called to war for the sake of their nation. But Odysseus ended up alone.”

“Why?”

“The people around him broke the rules. They went up against the sun god, and so they were punished.”

“What’d they do?”

“Oh, uh. Ate his cows.”

Tommy gasped.

“No!”

“Okay, so you get it. The Pet Skirmishes but on a much, much bigger scale.”

“Where’s Sapnap?”

“Tommy, it’s a myth, it’s not about your friends. They’re gods.” 

“Dunno why you’d tell a story about a bunch of boring, stuffy gods. Hey, why’re you such a bad storyteller?”

That was it. "I'm trying to monologue here! Chat, Chat see how impossible this is?"

“Tell chat that you’re a pussy! And I’m the coolest! TommyInnit is the coolest, got it?” Tommy’s eyes, which had held the murmurs of sleep, were now alive and vicious.

Undoing all of Technoblade’s work. And proving he didn’t understand Chat.

“Bruh.”

“I am!”

“For the third time now, if you will let me talk, I’m trying to tell the story.” 

“Right, right, sorry.”

“Odysseus was the only one who knew the warning signs. He had encountered the gods before, and he would rather starve to death than offend them. Because sometimes, Tommy, not offending people is a good thing, and making needless enemies makes the situation ten times worse.”

Tommy bit his lip. 

Techno continued.

“But no one ever listens to Odysseus. That’s one of the ironies of the story, Tommy. Often being right lets the hero escape with his life. Doesn’t mean he can save anyone else. Most of the time he doesn’t even save himself.”

“What?”

“I mean, I tried telling you. Heroes are doomed the moment they call themselves heroes. Odysseus never did, he was smart. It was the people that came later and told the story that did that. A hero is born through the crossing of the stars, something divine. Special. For all of his worth, the burden of expectation is put on his shoulders and then he battles with his pride. The Greeks had a word: hubris. It’s the hubris that strikes the killing blow. It’s never the beast or the gods themselves, it’s someone the hero has wronged. Odysseus wronged a monster, a cyclops, but even that was too far.”

Tommy was quiet. All of his focus was pooled into Technoblade.

“Odysseus played the part of warrior. Now it was time for him to be a survivor. See, it didn’t matter what the gods put him through, the trials or the tribulations or the meaningless delays. He had a mental image of what his home was. Ithaca. It had stopped being a real place. Instead it was an idea. A concept.”

“Oh.”

“And even when he was gone, trapped by witches and beasts, he kept that vision of home in his head. Because he was going to get there no matter what. It was all he had left of the world he knew. Even when he was offered another life, another world in what might have been a better place, he turned it down. Because it wasn’t what he wanted. He learned what being a hero meant, and now what he wanted was the opposite: to go home. To be normal. But the thing is, life doesn’t wait around for us to come back.”

Tommy glanced down to his neck. The lodestone compass shimmered in the dim light. His Tubbo.

“The world doesn’t care what your aspirations are, your nation, or your ideas. It doesn’t even care about your friends. The world doesn’t care if what you want does not want you. It doesn’t care, period. It’s cold. Survival is survival.”

-

"I want to be a hero when I grow up!"

"Oh, you do?" The man chuckled, furloughing his spade to sit down on the steps beside him. 

"What's the point of having a name like Technoblade if you're not a hero?" He shut the book in his lap, face beaming.

The young man's mouth opened before a scream rang out from inside the house, followed by shouting and yelling. 

The blond haired man sighed. He smiled back, then rolled his eyes. The man reached out and tousled his hair.

Techno laughed as the man’s voice echoed:

"How are ÿ̸̻͓́̑͐́͗̽͝͠ö̶̝͖̱̫̈́̑́͌͒̋ǜ̴͍͖̝̑̋ ̴̢̛̛̮̼̲͖̠̻̼̝̥̗̻̩̲̼̂̽͌̾̇͂̈́̾͐̅͘̚t̷̤͔̥̤̫̫̟̀̐̈́̿͐ḧ̴̡̘̦͔̠͎̰̬̼̜̺̮͎͚͛̈́ͅȩ̵̦̦̠̬̼͔̰̩̯̻̍̈́͐̌̓͆̀̉̑͗ ̸̪̤̣̏͒̚͜ͅm̸̗͇̘̮̥̮̪̤̯̤̞͉͗̾́͜ą̸̡̖̭̣̭͉͎̥̫̝̑̿̅̄̓͐̽̊̂͂̆͠͝ͅţ̶̮͚̰̂̀̈́̐͆͑̍͆͗͝͠ü̶̢̻͔̼͓̹͖̺̯͙̅̂̔̊̐̅ͅr̴͔̐̾͛ẽ̴̱̰̣̀̓̉̀̆̓̈̄ ̸̛̱͇̺̂̿͑̏̍̋͊͊͗̋̇̆͝o̴̬̙͚͇̳͎͆̇̌̐̿͂̓̄͛͝ͅn̵̨̈́̈́̂̋̐ͅe̷̛̟̱͖͙͙̩͆̊̆̓̂͒̈̍?̸͖̟̺͇̬̗̰̭̺͇͆͐̀͊́̄̍̀̅́͜

-

> home. 

> Tommy's still looking at you, you haven't spoken in a minute

> do you feel sick?? whats going on i just got here

“Blade?” And there was Tommy, with a drop of concern in his voice.

Technoblade shook his head. Late joiners. The memory crumbled to dust. 

He continued. “The Isle of Ogygia. That was where Odysseus’s survival took him. He stayed there, in the lull of the witch Circe, who wanted him for herself—”

“That’s sexist.”

“W-What?”

“The witch!”

“You think the witch is sexist?”

“No no no, the hero! He gets called upon—lured—by this woman just because he’s what, the hero?”

He could not believe this. “Tommy. I didn’t write it.” 

“I’m just saying!”

“The Isle of Ogygia. Or Atlantis, some people think it could be Atlantis, it honestly depends on what version you’re reading but that’s not important. Odysseus spent countless years there, safe but soulless. His heart was gone from his body, kept at bay with thoughts of home. Of family, of kinship. He was out of his body and mind for seven years. He was at the gods’ mercy, but fortune smiled upon him and he escaped.”

Techno took a moment to return his attention to his listener.

Tommy was transfixed, eyes wide.

For some reason, that made him smile.

“He made his way to one of his allied kingdoms. The gods, though, had shifted his appearance. This was to know how he still stood in their eyes. When so much time passes, relationships and bonds fade. Only his dog recognized him. The home he’d wanted for so long was plundered, practically destroyed. His wife—”

“He had a wife? That’s unrealistic.”

Technoblade repeated, annoyed: “His wife and his son didn’t recognize him. Only the dog.”

Tommy continued to ignore his point.

“Well dogs are good like that. I reckon dogs are better than most people."

Moving for the first time since the beginning of the story, he took a step towards the corner.

“Tommy, I’m trying to tell you that even though he won—He got everything he wanted, he got to go home—He didn’t win. His home was different. And he wasn’t the same man.”

“That’s—That’s sad.” 

Tommy stood up and Technoblade crossed his arms.

“It’s not a happy story.” 

"Then why are you telling it?"

“Forget about it.” If Tommy didn't understand, he wasn't going to waste any more time explaining. 

Tommy moved, shifting the cloak on his shoulders crooked. He opened the spruce doors, a strange expression on his face. Like a mixture of horror, fear, and anger. Technoblade recognized the anger first. Tommy looked back, stepped into the snow, then shut the door.

Techno thought, what? He’s going to throw a tantrum because a story doesn’t go how he wanted—

-

A white substance flitted down through the air like snow. Small, unburnt hands grasped upwards to try and catch it. They had only seen snow, never this new, fluffy, off-white plume.

The boy coughed up ash. 

“Hello? D̸̫̦̳̰͐̉ã̸̲̦̞̺͆d̶̗̒̐̕̕?”

-

Technoblade grabbed the edge of the box, stumbling. 

The memory—No, vision—was incompatible with reality. How would he have gotten to the Nether as a child? And Techno never had a father, never depended on anyone, never needed—

Before he could even begin to understand the implications, he was thrown back in.

-

He was lost. 

He was alone. 

And he couldn’t have known that enough inhaled ash will scar your lungs, burn your skin, and bury you beneath a mountain of suffocating fire the moment you stop moving. He couldn’t have known that the Nether contains biomes of this stuff.

Ash has suffocated him. It burns, searing his skin and cooking him alive. It’s like the fall of Pompeii. He read a book on Pompeii once. Perhaps in some distant time an archaeologist will discover the hollow shell of his remains and theorize what happened here, or a traveler, a survivalist happening along the same paths years later when he’s just a mound.

He read another book, once. About a volcano. It’s similar to that pyroclastic flow, a mix of awful molten core and heat. There’s no way to swim in lava, not truly. It doesn’t stop a thirteen year old boy from scraping for the surface in a pit.

He was going to die here.

It’s his coat that saves him. Handcrafted and made with love. The bottom half tears, and he loses a precious gift but gets to keep his life. 

Everything is burning. Is he screaming? His clothes are torn and he’s burning, he’s burning—

-

As quickly as it had come, it was gone.

Technoblade was instantly brought to the sensation of cracklings coals. He jumped at the sound, then looked down at his hands.

Hooves, right. Hooves.

This was too much to process.

Techno looked up.

He watched Tommy waddle to the front of the house in front of Carl’s stable, trudging through the snow the most inefficient way Technoblade could imagine. He was wiping his face.

For some reason, he thought it was something his good friend Philza would have a laugh at.

> PHILZA!!!

> Philza Minecraft?

> Philza would love it here

> The child is annoying, I hope he freezes to death

> I miss Philza

> Countdown to Philza visiting!

“Chat, you’re screaming into my ear right now.” He needed clarity, not a thousand voices in unison chanting for a friend.

Even from here, he could see that tears were pooling in Tommy’s eyes.

Technoblade didn’t bother with a coat. He ignored the sounds of the fire and how the heat made him feel uneasy, instead opting to climb down the ladder and go out the front door. Tommy was muttering to himself, a hand petting Carl.

“‘s not a happy story—What’s the point of telling a story if it’s not happy? I reckon he’s just one big downer. Downing all the time.”

It was then Techno decided to speak. 

“I’d say talking to yourself is a bad habit but since I can’t really do that without coming off like a hypocrite, I’ll tell you that being quieter usually means people can’t overhear sensitive, secret information.”

Tommy didn’t jump, but his shoulders hitched.

“I don’t care about secrets.” Tommy crossed his arms.

“Everything’s a secret when you can’t understand basic information people are telling you.”

“You don’t tell me anything!”

“I’m trying to tell you why people tell sad stories.”

“If I were his family, I would have recognized him.”

“No you wouldn’t have! That is literally the point of the story. You’re like five now, you think you’d recognize someone you saw as a baby?”

It happens a third time and Technoblade’s world spins.

> Recognize recognize recognize

> Is he finally remembering????

> idk, not yet?

> Ugh, someone get me when something interesting happens

> your dead, whats stopping you from watching all the time?

> It’s actually ‘you’re’

> where

> where?

> WHERE DID I ASK—

-

There is a house on a hill in the forest. It looks familiar, with a basement, a middle floor, and a top floor with stairs leading up from the outside.

There is a house beneath a hill in a fierce tundra. 

There was a house on a hill in a forest. It was a home too, once.

Both can theoretically exist at the same time. The house on a hill in the forest is perfectly ingrained in his memory, enough for him to replicate it bit by bit.

There is a boy with a beanie, taller than him. He wears a scowl.

There is a boy smaller than him with a bandage on his cheek.

Sunlight flows through the curtains like honey, oozing in warm delight. There is something resting on the bridge of his nose, and his fingers fly to adjust it.

He laughs.

The tiny freckled boy smiles and it shows his tooth gap.

A deep, tenor voice calls from downstairs and they rush to where storage is, the chests the dining room.

Their father is tired. There are bags under his blue eyes, but his smile lights up the room like the honey-light and like his brothers’ faces. He takes off his hat to sit at the table, a cape swishing behind him.

They’re singing at the table. Four humans with perfect harmony. They sing together all the time, how could he forget?

 The candles on the cake are flickering, and it’s a world away from the fires of the Nether.

“Happy birthday T̶̡͆̋́͝—”

-

Nothing else but static noise and Chat going wild.

“I’m sixteen! I am an adult man!” Tommy’s fists are balled as he stands, beating against his chest to each word and anger burns in his eyes until he sees his hero’s face. “Technoblade?”

His heart pounded.

-

The boy that Technoblade has been seeing through the eyes of is not an adult. Now he is a teenager. He is taller, the clothes more unfitting than before. There are stitches to fix the jacket, now forced to be a half-coat that tucks into his shirt.

He looks like the mockery of a man.

Actually, he doesn’t look like a man at all.

-

Technoblade remembered this part.

The rest had to be a daydream, the machinations of a tired mind. Separating his identity from his mask is impossible.

Literally.

-

He has forgotten what snow feels like. He has forgotten snow. There are many things Technoblade has forgotten, but the name of snow sticks. Snow. It sounds like a dream, like the deranged ramblings of a piglin who lost his mind, and like a fairy tale all at once.

He liked fairy tales, once. 

Now they’re just unrealistic.

The piglin group he is trailing turn to look at him. He’s been following behind them, scavenging whatever food they decide to discard and bartering whatever he can get his hands on. Their eyes are vacant, white. His eyes are present, despite his appearance. Alert. He has to be, it’s one mistake and death. 

The Nether is not forgiving.

He notices when their behavior shifts.

The piglins decide to attack. 

Technoblade sighs.

He doesn’t want to attack this one. There have been too many packs, too many attempts at communication, too many tries at a family.

Technoblade has no tools. He’s forced to work with his fists and some metal the pigs scrapped, which with enough tempering he’s made into knuckles. Netherite knuckles, but that knowledge will evade him until years in the future.

He busts one of the pigs’ heads open, then shoves another’s head into the netherrack wall. Blood spills on his boots. A tusk is embedded in his hand; he puts pressure on the wound then yanks it out, stabbing it into the head of the third. The fourth pushes into his back, and Techno slams his head back into its skull until it fractures.

The fifth runs off. 

And all at once, an uproar, a chant from a place and group he cannot see or hear.

It sings that Technoblade never dies.

-

All at once Chat was unanimous:

> Technoblade never dies.

> TECHNOBLADE NEVER DIES

> technoblade never dies

> blood for the blood god!!!

> Techno never dies

> Technoblade never dies!

He nodded in agreement.

“Technoblade.”

Tommy laughed.

Techno realized he had convinced the child he was fine.

“Is that how you get the girls, Blade?”

“I’m not interested.” The art of combat and potato farming interested him more than girls. Or anyone, for that matter. 

“Are you crying?”

“No.” Tommy sniffed. 

“Here, let go of Carl.” Technoblade pulled Tommy away.

“But I wasn’t—”

“I killed everyone that ever touched that horse.”

“Okay, fine.” Tommy doesn’t move.

Techoblade can’t sigh because he’s already sighed too much and anything that exacerbates the situation will give him a headache. Instead, he picks Tommy up and lifts him over his shoulder. He chooses to say nothing in response as Techno headed inside and down, down, until they were both in Tommy’s little nest of shiny things and stolen goods. 

Tommy struggled to stay on the bridge of consciousness. Technoblade takes his hand and walks him all the way there, staying down in the pitiful hole until Tommy has tired himself out from the sound of his own voice.

It was hours before he risked stepping away from the bed.

Snow fluttered down. It was cold and wet, but it was snow; a miracle all the same. 

Technoblade stretched out a hoof. It was not the hand of a small child that was trapped in the Nether. It was a Piglin beast who had believed he'd never feel the cold again. 

Technoblade glanced out the shutters. Tommy was inside, falling asleep. The silence of the home told him as much. 

He pulled his hand back inside. 

The fire of the top floor crackled. Techno dipped his head forward. His hands clasped around an invisible buckle, hidden underneath his hair. 

As easy and simple as changing clothes, Technoblade the human stood in his retirement home. His height was the same, scars still present, but now a long unkempt braid of hair trailed down his back. It was ill-maintained, tangled and disgusting. A liability.

Without thinking twice, Technoblade took his sword and slashed the braid off.

-

“You don’t know when to quit, do you?!” Dream yells. It feels like the ground is shaking beneath them.

Techno stands firm. He’s towering above him, sword at his side.

“Nope. I’ve been told it’s one of my best qualities.” His voice is monotonous as always.

The green fiend stood hunched over his stomach, shoulders rising and falling to the tune of his ragged breaths. He knew that they didn’t need to breathe. It was all theatrics, even in the middle of a fight. Still, Dream’s voice was frantic, jittery, shaking, and loud; something Chat assured him they altogether had never seen in their combined existences.

Technoblade felt smug.

Technoblade made the grave mistake of hubris.

In a flash, the god is behind him. The god that can see the straps of his mask, the god that slices it off with a well-placed swordstrike and grabs him by his braid.

“Y’know, I really didn’t want to kill you. I’ve heard about you, a little bit. I just didn’t care.” He whispers into Techno’s ear as the pain tears into his scalp.

It only took a half-second for him to find a solution.

Dream was guarding from the left, expecting another hit to his mask. 

Technoblade swiped at the right.

In a flash, he’s cut off his braid of pink hair and freed himself from the clutches of his enemy.

He smirks, and pulls out his axe. He doesn’t need the mask to fight, it’s already a part of him.

“C’mere, Dream.”

-

That one. That memory is real and he has all the proof he needs of that. He turned over his hand and pushed up the brass knuckles to see the gashes along his finger from where he held the grip. He sets the hand-to-hand weapon on the crafting table as he massages his hands.

Soaking his fingers in instant healing should alleviate the pain. Even for a moment. 

Dream hit hard. The wounds never left. 

But Technoblade hit harder.

A burned hand reached out to the snowfall. 

The snow didn't burn back. 

"He's not me, Chat. We're keeping it that way."

If there was one thing Technoblade was good at achieving, it was his goals.

[r3almellow]

MLQC Boys With A Famous S/o

Here we go! Thank you anon for this request I hope its to your liking!! Apologies for typos as always!

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Kiro (YouTuber S/o)

How did you meet ?

You were a YouTuber that had over 500,000 subscribers. During a Mukbang Q&A video you received a question in regards to your celebrity crush. 

“I think the big ass poster currently behind me kind of gives it away, but my ultimate crush is Kiro. I’d give anything to meet him at least once.” You went even as far as to give him a shout out. “Hey, super star! I heard you were a big foodie and since you like to eat and I like to eat, maybe we can eat together sometime? Okay, that was dumb, please ignore this!”

Little did you know, Kiro was a huge fan of your videos and just so happened to see your request. Next thing you knew a clip of you “shooting your shot” made its way to his social media page with a caption of “Its a date ;)” right above it. You just about died when you saw his post. You were only joking around! Well...not 100% joking, but you didn’t expect him to respond! 

You spent weeks talking to each other through private messages soon after. Your messages filled with gushing over your similar interests, playful banters and light flirting. He offered to be a part of your next Mukbang stating that it was better to have two people eating themselves into a coma on camera than one. You couldn’t argue with facts and took him up on his offer! Kiro only had one condition...you let him take you out on a date afterwards.

And the rest was history. 

Dating

The cutest couple to have ever existed! 

Both of your social media pages are filled with couple photos. 

You both get to dress up in disguise whenever you go on dates! A baseball cap, sunglasses, and face masks are your usual go to’s, but depending on where you’re going you might be required to get a little creative. 

Dealing with overly excited fans and even more persistent paparazzi was a bit new for you, since your interactions with people is mostly through the internet, but you handle it pretty well.

Interviewers practically threw themselves onto every opportunity to get information about your love life. Kiro was more skilled than you about these things, so you tend to just laugh awkwardly and let him take care of it. 

Kiro appears a little more in your videos whenever he’s free which the fans are grateful for. Of course, your channel doesn’t turn into all things Kiro and you never use him for your own personal gain. 

Dating Kiro did open up some opportunities for you, like getting to experience award shows and networking with other celebrities and content creators. Again, you refused to throw Kiro’s name around just to get the things you wanted. 

You both like to bounce ideas off of each other, whether its for his music or for your latest video. Having two creative minds come together does wonders! 

You’re almost always somewhere in the background during his live streams.  

Gavin (Actress S/o)

How did you meet? 

High school. You were a part of the drama club and Gavin was...well...forced into being a part of the stagehand after being threatened with expulsion from his last brawl. 

You were the first one to welcome him. You were kind, funny, and cute. And when you were on that stage? Mesmerizing was the best way to put how Gavin saw you. You were inspiring. 

After graduation Gavin lost contact with most of his acquaintances, but he never once stopped thinking about you. Gavin wasn’t big on celebrity news, but he actually kept up with your progress once he got wind of a newcomer taking the entertainment world by storm. 

Fast forward to a few years later and he was playing bodyguard for one of the most successful actresses in the world. You. This was just an undercover job that was going to last as long as his target was still out there. 

There was definitely chemistry between you. And while Gavin wanted to act on his feelings, his work had to come first. You respected that, but that didn’t mean you weren’t going to let him know you were interested. How could you not be? You had a huge crush on him back in high school and now that he was by your side practically every day those feelings came back with a vengeance! 

As soon as Gavin’s objective was complete he continues being your bodyguard stating, “Only I can keep you out of trouble.” Which you responded by kissing him.

Dating

Once word got out about you dating your “bodyguard”, it shocked many that you decided to be with someone that wasn’t a celebrity. 

Even so, Gavin doesn’t look like your average Joe. He has the body and face of man who could easily be on the cover of Vogue or Vanity Fair, but you know your man isn’t about that life. 

You’ve spent years being a private person, so when you and Gavin start dating not revealing much was easy. The public only knew what you wanted them to. 

There are a lot of at home dates filled with takeout and movie night. Just being in each others company is more than enough for you!

You work out together a lot! He’s really good about motivating you especially when you have to prepare for an upcoming movie. You honestly don’t need a personal trainer when you have Gavin. 

The paparazzi are afraid of Gavin. Like they won’t even get within six feet of you whenever he’s around. The last poor soul who got a little too close for your liking ate asphalt within seconds.

Gavin isn’t one for the limelight or the glitz and glam, which you appreciate. Its nice to be around someone that isn’t a part of the entertainment world. 

You don’t have to hide a part of yourself, in fear of judgement, whenever you were with him. You appreciated Gavin’s genuine nature. He was always truthful with you and he never gave the impression that he was only with you because of your status. 

Gavin does a great job with making you feel special. Whenever you feel like you don’t meet the standards of what the industry wants, he pulls you out of that dark hole and gives you the pep talk you need to get through the day.

You could walk around without an ounce of makeup on or trade in a Dior dress for sweatpants and a t-shirt, and Gavin still found you beautiful. 

Victor ( Famous Pianist S/o)

How did you meet? 

Victor was a fan of your work for quite some time. There was something about your raw talent that drew him to your work. He always made it a point to go to all your live shows whenever he was available, but has never met you personally. 

It wasn’t until you waltzed right into his office out of the blue. When he saw you enter his office with Goldman and two security guards tailing right behind you, he didn’t even recognize you. You looked as if you had just rolled out of bed with a messy bun, ripped jeans, t-shirt with some random cartoon character and thick rimmed glasses. His first thought as you stared him down with a frown was, “Who let this homeless person into his office?” 

When Goldman called your name as the two security guards grabbed your arms, Victor had to do a double take. The elegant and graceful woman, who commanded the stage with just pads of her fingertips, was...YOU?! 

Victor allowed you to stay, curious to know why you were here. You business with Victor was simple. You wanted funding to create music schools for low income families. You had sent countless emails to LFG with hopes to do business with them, but after being ignored the first few times and receiving a rude rejection email that morning, you were ready to take the bull by the horns. 

Surprisingly Victor found himself intrigued by you and thus started an interesting partnership. 

The more Victor got to work with you the more he became attracted to the headstrong, smart, and talented person who seemingly enjoyed ruffling his feathers every chance they got. 

You were also attracted to the blunt, detail-oriented man and it bothered you to no-end. What you saw in a man who probably would critique drawings from a toddler, you had no idea. But you appreciated his work ethic. He genuinely wanted you to succeed with this project and you couldn’t deny his heart was in the right place. 

The day the first school opened was the day Victor decided to stop tiptoeing around the mutual attraction and asked you out.

“We can celebrate your accomplishments over dinner.” 

Dating

The CEO of LFG and the child prodigy turned world famous pianist dating?!

CAN WE SAY POWER COUPLE?!

Whenever paparazzi get a picture of the two of you, you both look as if you just finished a professional photoshoot. You NEVER look bad in those photos. Never! 

And when you do professional shoots? It leaves people SHOOK. Magazines like Forbes have never had such a beautiful couple grace their covers before. Just wait until people see your wedding photos.

You always ask him to visit you during your rehearsals which he almost always declines but shows up anyway, if he’s not too busy. He’ll also bring a box of his homemade pudding because knowing you, you probably were too busy with preparations for your upcoming concert to eat. He’ll take you out to eat afterwards, but the pudding should hold you over for a bit.

Victor will never admit this to you, but your music helps him de-stress after a long day at work, so whenever he isn’t with you, your music helps him fall asleep. 

Victor also likes to watch you work. Seeing you so focused as you create your next piece was a sight to beheld. The pensive look in your eyes as you went over your music sheet, the slow nod of your head as your fingers danced across the keys as you intently listened to the melody, and the way your eyebrow twitched when you hit a key you didn’t like; all things oddly enjoyed seeing.

You’ll never catch him staring. He’ll pretend he’s working whenever you feel his eyes on you and if you try to call him out on it, he will most likely deny it. 

Lucien ( Novelist S/o)

How did you meet? 

You needed the help of someone knowledgeable with neuroscience for your next book. Someone recommended a Professor at Loveland University who specialized on the topic. That was how you met Professor Lucien. 

You two worked closely together once you started your manuscript, going over various topics under the neuroscience category. It wasn’t surprising just how intelligent the man was on the subject, but you were in awe about how much you knew.

Your meetings would often start at the university which led to you going home together once you found out he lived in the same building as you. You leveled up from the lecture hall to aquariums, movie theaters, restaurants, and his apartment where you had lunch or dinner. 

Your conversations never stayed on the topic of work. It often changed to your interests. You found that you and Lucien had a lot of similar interests like your taste in books and art. He also developed a love for teasing you. 

Seeing the look on your flustered face turned into one of his favorite pastimes.

When it came to the topic of your books, you learned Lucien has read quite a few of them and was very intrigued with your work. He asked you numerous questions, questions no one thought to ask. 

He admitted to you his favorite of yours was the first book he ever read titled, “The Boy Who Dreamed.” You jokingly offered to sign his book, but he declined with a smile.

“I’ll admit I do enjoy the book, but I’m more interested in the woman who wrote it.” 

Dating

More dates at your favorite places. 

Almost every other week, Lucien seemed to have tickets to art exhibits, festivals, or the movies. 

His teasing intensifies by a hundred! That man loves to tease you and you hate it! You love it. 

The closer you got to Lucien, the more you realized he didn’t enjoy talking about himself, so it takes a while to learn about him or his past. You never press him for information, but he does reveal things to you within time.

Lucien loves when you read to him. Its how he falls asleep and once you find out he has trouble sleeping, you always suggest what you call “story time.” 

In truth, having you by his side is more than enough to get him to sleep, but if you aren’t there hearing your voice will do the trick. You could be reading anything and he’d be fine with it. From Dr. Seuss to H.G. Wells, Lucien was fine with it as long as he got hear your voice.

You like to ask for his opinion on your latest projects. He does a great job making you think outside of the box which will make things easier or challenging during your writing sessions. 

Whenever you encounter writer’s block, Lucien will pull you away from your laptop and mountains of papers to enjoy a nice relaxing day with him. 

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Doooone! Please comment if you enjoyed this! I’d love to know what you guys think!

Want to read more of my writing? Check out my MLQC masterlist here!

[tipsycad147]

Why do people become Pagan? The top ten reasons

by Michelle Gruben

“Why are you Pagan?” If you were to ask this question of a dozen people, you would probably get a dozen different answers. For Christians (and others who believe in one true God) the revival of polytheism may be confounding. For others, it is hard to understand why a sensible modern person would seem to turn their back on science to worship the gods of old.

Before we get too far along, let's cover some background info. Paganism is defined broadly as non-Abrahamic religion that is Nature-based, polytheistic, or both. Wiccans, for instance, generally worship a creator Goddess and a God who is Her consort. The Wiccan cosmology does not acknowledge the existence of the Christian God (or the concepts of Satan and Hell).

Wicca is the best-known of modern Pagan religions, but there are many sub-groups and branches of Pagan belief and practice. Druidism, neo-Shamanism, Greek/Roman reconstructionism, and Norse Heathenry are just a few. There are also eclectic Pagans who combine elements from various traditions to make their own “flavor” of Paganism. While occult practices (e.g., divination and spellcasting) are common in Paganism, not all Pagans participate in these practices. Conversely, not everyone who is involved in the occult is a Pagan.

Most Pagans are polytheist, meaning they recognize the existence of more than one God. But there is more to Paganism than “the more, the merrier!” Here are some general traits of Pagan religions (keep in mind that not every religion will have them all): Rejection of Judeo-Christian cosmology, observance of seasonal rites, reverence toward Nature, rejection of religious authority and focus on individual experiences, paranormal/psychic beliefs and practices, emphasis on personal responsibility over sin or evil.

Not surprisingly, a preference for one or more of these traits is what attracts many people to Pagan religions—but we’ll get to that in a moment.

At the risk of stating the obvious, religion is a choice. If a person follows a Pagan religion, they are expressing a preference for Paganism over another religion, or no religion. Thinking about the reasons why people choose to become Pagan can lead to better understanding of Pagan friends and family. If you are Pagan, you may even learn something about yourself!

For the record, I’m Pagan in a mixed-religion household. This (totally unscientific) list is based on my own observations within the Pagan community. I’ve tried to present them in a way that’s inclusive and fair. Without further ado, here are some of the most common reasons why people choose to follow a Pagan religion:

1. They were raised Pagan.

Contemporary Pagan groups began forming in the 1930s, and achieved breakthrough status with the emergence of Wicca in the 1950s. Before that time, very few people in the West were raised Pagan. If you wanted to be initiated in a Pagan tradition, you had to seek one out—often at great expense to your personal or professional reputation.

Nowadays, that’s not the case. Neo-Paganism as a social/demographic phenomenon is in its third generation. It’s fairly common to find adults who were raised Pagan, or even whose parents were raised Pagan! It’s also possible to find those who were raised Pagan, but left Paganism. “Mom used to go out in the woods with her friends and do weird stuff—I never really got into it.”)

Some Pagan clergy will participate in the general blessing of infants and children, such as the ritual of “Wiccaning.” However, most Pagan paths do not have formal initiation for children. Pagans also overwhelmingly value religious choice. If someone continues their Pagan practice into adulthood, it is likely because they found something meaningful in it.

2. They want sexual acceptance and/or sexual freedom.

Of all the world religions, Paganism is arguably the most tolerant of the varied expression of human sexuality. Sex is considered a divine gift and a sacred rite. Lusty Gods and fertile Goddesses appear in all the major pantheons. (Along with gender-bending, raunchy stories, and other sexy fun.) For most Pagans, sex is just no big deal as long as it’s between consenting adults (or deities).

Pagan groups almost universally accept gay members, and some traditions even have queer or queer-leaning branches (Radical Faeries, Dianic Wicca). Pagan activists have been on the forefront of the struggle for equal rights. Compare that to the sluggish response of churches—even liberal churches—to embrace LGBTQ members and clergy, and you’ll understand why sexual minorities have been so attracted to Paganism. For people who are used to hearing their sexual desires called dirty, sinful, or shameful, the difference can be life-changing.

It’s not just queer folks who embrace Paganism as a safe­­ haven. Horny folks do, too. In most Pagan belief systems, sex is not considered a sin but a morally neutral act. Sex for fun is fun, sex for magick is magick. It’s not how much sex you’re having, but your intention that characterizes the act. The only moral imperative is in how you’re treating yourself and your partners.

Partners? Oh, yes! Polyamory, group sex, and (legal) exhibitionism are accepted within some Pagan communities. That’s an undeniable treat for people who want to enjoy these activities without religious shame.

3. They don’t care for dogma and/or authority.

There is no holy book, no central governing body, and no real priestly authority within the mass of related beliefs filed under Paganism. This is great news for people of a certain temperament—religious rebels and militant agnostics. (“I don’t know, and you don’t either!”)

As a social movement, neo-Paganism is deeply indebted to the Transcendentalist writers of the 19th century. Their poems and essays held the germ of the idea that fuels Pagan practice: That God speaks directly to everyone—often through Nature—and not only to a specially qualified few, inside special buildings.

Some Pagan groups do have ordained clergy. But there are still significant differences between Pagan clergy and those of more established organized religions:

First, Pagan titles like “High Priestess” are usually self-conferred or passed along from student to teacher. This does not mean that they’re not “real” clergy, but it does mean that their power is limited outside their own group or coven. (A Pagan leader may also be ordained as a minister by another organization, such as the Church of All Worlds or the Unitarian Universalist church. This allows them to receive certain legal privileges that independent Pagan clergy usually do not enjoy.)

Secondly, Pagan clergy tend to function more as community leaders than authority figures. Pagan priesthood does not confer any real power over others, either temporal or spiritual. Most Pagan leaders encourage discussion and self-study by their students and congregants. Certainly a dedicated Priest or Priestess will have more experience working with their deities than a beginner. They may have the skills to do rituals or advanced deity work that a novice does not. In a sense, though, every Pagan is their own Priest or Priestess—and the best Pagan clergy respect that. This makes Paganism very attractive to those who don’t want to experience God(s) secondhand.

4. They long for a connection to Nature.

The earth, the trees, the sky, the sea—most world religions recognize these wonders as the work of a mighty creator God. And yet, most leave it at that.

Not so with Paganism. Pagan religions are sometimes described as “Earth-based”—meaning the Earth and its cycles are central to what Pagans hold sacred. Most Pagans profess a deep reverence for natural places, the seasons, the web of plants and animals, and the processes of birth, aging, and dying. While it’s not technically required, many Pagan services are held outdoors. “Skyclad” (nude) rites are another way that Pagans shed the trappings of modern society and get back to the core of being.

Some people come to Paganism as an extension of their environmentalist or eco-feminist views. Others simply want to reconnect with Nature as an antidote to the alienation that comes with busy, digitized lives.

5. They’ve had negative experiences with other religions.

It’s a sad but undeniable fact. People who turn toward one religion are often, with the same movement, turning away from a religion that has hurt them. If you spend enough time in Pagan communities, you will certainly meet some of these displaced folks.

Perhaps a certain religious doctrine—such as the prohibition against homosexuality—is causing the person emotional pain. Maybe they’re frustrated with persecution, corruption, or hypocrisy within the religious group they came from. Or maybe they’re rebelling against the religious beliefs of a parent or spouse. Whatever the case, Paganism appears to offer a chance for a fresh start, one with less restriction and oversight than they may be used to. Pagans don’t evangelize—which may make them seem more trustworthy to folks who have been burned.

As with all life choices, there are right and wrong reasons to become a Pagan. And you can’t ever really know someone else’s motives. The best thing that Pagans can do is treat religious refugees kindly, answer their questions honestly, and wait for them to figure out if Paganism is right for them.

6. They have trouble with the concepts of sin and evil.

Of all the barriers between Pagan beliefs and Abrahamic religion, the idea of sin is the thorniest. Original sin is a tough doctrine to swallow, even for many Christians. Who wants to suffer for something that happened before they were born? That Paganism has no equivalent concept to sin and sinfulness is one of its biggest selling points, so to speak. (Pagan beliefs about the origin/existence of evil are so diverse I won’t even try to tackle the topic here.)

As mentioned earlier, there’s no single Pagan concept of God. Still, one idea you see over and over in Paganism is the doctrine of non-dual immanence. God/Goddess existing here and now, and not in some distant place or kingdom to come. Lack of meditation or participation or acceptance can distance us from the sacred, but God/Goddess is always there. Furthermore, divinity is present within the material world, and the world is inseparable from its creator.

All of this is pretty difficult to reconcile with Judeo-Christian ideas about original sin and the fall of man. (Some Hermetic Pagans do accept them as metaphorical/alchemical truths—but that’s a whole other beaker of worms.) In Biblical cosmology, the world is created by God, but separate from God. The world we know is basically fallen and can only be redeemed through God’s intervention. In Paganism, the world we know is basically holy and does not require redemption. (Only observation and celebration, if we want to be happy and—perhaps—please the Gods.) The other worlds are holy, too—not more, nor less.

As for behavior? Paganism emphasizes individual freedom and responsibility over moral absolutism. Most Pagans live by an individual moral/ethical code, but shun universal behavioral codes. Pagan ethics have been heavily influenced by the Wiccan Rede: “An it harm none, do what ye will.” This in turn derives from Aleister Crowley’s “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law”—possibly the most mis-interpreted eleven words of all time.

It’s not that Pagans believe that you can or should do whatever you want. On the contrary, Paganism teaches that actions (and even thoughts) reverberate through the universe to affect oneself and others. There’s no real concept of sin, but Paganism is not amoral. In encouraging moral behavior, Paganism substitutes concepts like karma, duty, interconnectedness, for a paternal god figure keeping score.

7. They yearn for representations of the Divine Feminine.

Dion Fortune wrote “A religion without a Goddess is halfway to atheism.” Women’s bodies are the carriers of life. And yet, many world religions downplay or denigrate the contribution of women. In Abrahamic religions, women can be vessels and saints, but are rarely prophets and never God. Many people yearn for distant time—real or imagined—when women’s bodies could also be a representation of deity.

As a social phenomenon, the rise of Wicca and Goddess spirituality has coincided pretty neatly with the expansion of women’s rights. As long as women are to be regarded as equal to men in society, there are those who feel that patriarchal religions can never be wholly legitimate.

Everyone has an earthly mother and a father. If you believe in God, it makes a kind of intuitive sense that everyone has a divine Mother and Father, too. Yet religions that include a Goddess are usually labeled polytheist and Pagan automatically.

8. They want explanations for psychic and paranormal events.

Out-of-body experiences, premonitions, telepathy, ghost encounters—weird stuff sometimes happens. If you haven’t had an inexplicable experience, then you likely know someone who has. Pagans aren’t alone in experiencing the paranormal, of course. But they tend to be better equipped to talk about it than the average person.

Imagine a person who has recurring paranormal experiences, or experiences they believe to be paranormal. Mainstream science tells them that these experiences are illusory. Mainstream religion—when it’s not condemning them as evil—seems mostly too embarrassed to talk about occult happenings. It’s no surprise that the person would be drawn to a Pagan community where psychic stuff is openly discussed, accepted, and even encouraged.

Don’t get me wrong—mental illness and paranormal delusions do occur, and can cause great harm. But the not-crazy among us still yearn for a safe haven to discuss our psychic lives without condemnation. I believe—though I can’t prove—that so-called paranormal experiences are actually quite common among the general population. I’ve also observed that persistent psychic curiosity is one of the major reasons that people turn to Paganism.

9. They’re attracted to the power and control offered by magick.

I once read an academic paper that was trying to explain the rise of Wicca and witchcraft among teenage girls. The conclusion was that when a young women lacks a sense of control in her life—i.e., economic, sexual, or social autonomy—a religion that offers a secret source of power is immensely attractive. (Who wouldn’t want to be able to cast a love spell on a crush, or curse a bully?) The author observed that many teen girls become practicing Pagans in junior high and high school. They tend to lose interest after finding another source of personal power (a job, a relationship, a better group of friends).

As a young Pagan woman, I found the tone of this particular paper to be condescending, bordering on insulting. But one thing is obviously true: Occultism purports to offer power to the powerless, esoteric means to an end when exoteric means have come up short. Why else would there be so many people interested in fast answers—love spells, get-rich-quick spells, and the like?

Lots of people approach witchcraft and/or Paganism because they want to learn to use magick. They see it as a way to fix their lives in a hurry or achieve undeserved success. Many of them move along when they realize that real magick is real work.

10. They’ve been called by a God or Goddess.

A burning bush, a deathbed vision of Christ, a miracle from the Virgin Mary—these are the types of religious experiences that are familiar to most people. But Pagans have religious epiphanies, too. Although most of us don’t talk about it outside of trusted circles, our Gods and Goddesses call to us in dramatic and in subtle ways.

Like any other type of religious conversion, some people drift gradually toward an acceptance of Paganism, while others are thrust toward it by a single epiphany. Some people may scoff at the idea of elder Gods asserting their presence in the 21st century. But it's certainly no wackier than what other religious people believe. (And it's hard to be so cavalier when Odin’s keeping you awake at night with a to-do list.)

For most Pagans, one or more of the above reasons has contributed to their finding their religious path. There are certainly other reasons that aren’t on this list. Of course, the best way to find out why a particular person is Pagan is to (respectfully) ask!

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/why-do-people-become-pagan-top-ten-reasons

[everydayeveryday]

How to find your One True Love by Bo Sanchez

“Never make decisions when you’re discouraged. Make decisions only when you feel about yourself.”

“It takes time to discover your happiness. What may give you so much happiness later may, in the short-term, give you misery. So discern well.”

“We think that God’s will is found out there, somewhere in the stars. That’s not true. God’s will is found within.”

“Never choose in the presence of useless fears. First banish fear, and then choose out of love.”

“The success and the failure of your life is really up to you.”

“Marriage requires a lot of hard work, humility, patience, sacrificial love and the other stuff that we call character. And frankly, I feel that many singles don’t spend enough time growing their character.”

“You need to take a brutal inventory of your life, so you know what inner areas of your life you need to grow. And commit yourself to relentless spiritual and character growth.”

“Where there is no clarity of purpose, no great thing will be achieved.”

“I’ve long learned that God’s universe simple responds to what we want - clearly, repeatedly and passionately.”

“You don’t get the partner you deserve. You get the partner you think you deserve.”

“We teach people how to treat us - good or bad.”

“Unless he stands up against this manipulation, he’ll always feel trapped.”

“Unless they heal the wounds of the past, they will have a difficult time looking for and accepting a man in their lives.”

“Religious people can also be distancing themselves from potential spouses by insisting on rigid standards of religiosity that have nothing to do with real spirituality maturity.” 

“We looked and stumbled upon different people, and though they made us happy, they didn’t make us complete. For in the end, only you can make me whole, and only I can make you whole. And because we were meant to be for each other, no matter what we did or where we went, fate would bring us together. And on that historic day, I saw you. And my life has never been the same.”

“The more guys you meet, the better the possibilities - not only for marriage, but also for getting to know yourself, getting out of your shell, getting to know how to relate to the opposite sex and getting to serve others.”

“The more choices you have, the better for you.”

“I repeat: Praying is important. Trusting God is essential.””“Single life is a fantastic time to really live! To grow. To become the best person you can ever become. To experience all that life has to offer. Learn new skill, develop your interests, serve the poor, build new business, sell stuff, organize groups, meet new friends and do stuff together.”

“Because you don’t want to fall in love with someone you can’t be friends with.”

“Don’t get stuck with your type, because “your type” usually comes from your weakness - not from your strengths.”

“Sometimes, your “type” is your homing instinct kicking in. That means you’re trying to recreate your childhood home, even if “home” was problematic or painful.”

“When you can’t confront, you’ll be attracted to someone who doesn’t want to be confronted. It works like magic. You’ll be attracted to selfish guys who may be hiding big problems in their lives.”

“My point is to be careful whom your heart is attracted to. Don’t immediately follow your heart, but open yourself to people who are not your type even if, at first, you’re not attracted to them.”

“Never play with the heart of a woman. Never, never, never. I’ve seen some guys who like treating women extra special, saying stuff like “I really like you”, and “I feel very happy when I’m with you.” But they have no intention of pursuing her. These guys are sick.”

“And even if you had a lousy first meeting (as many first meetings usually are), try to give him a second chance - because people are multi-faceted, and he may show another side of himself that you’ll like.”

“You accept that there are still risks of getting hurt when you like someone (even just on a friendship level) and he doesn’t invite you again, it will still hurt. But that’s life. Unless you open yourself to the possibility of rejection, you won’t also open your possibility of rich friendships. Through these experiences, you’re forced to mature to the point where your self-worth does not depend on whether someone likes you, but whether you like yourself and believe that God loves you unconditionally.”

“But sometimes, it’s not so much the number of men, but their own psychological readiness. Going to a new place and having a new experience creates psychological changes in the person - making her ready to accept marriage.”

“It takes a moment to experience infatuation but true love takes a lifetime.”

“Listen. You don’t need a magical first moment to meet your potential husband. The important things are mature character, financial responsibility, the ability to commit, compatible mission and values.”

“Because ladies, you don’t pursue men. You become attractive - and they pursue you.”

“The best sex appeal isn’t in your clothes but in your personality, your playfulness, your love for life.”

“When a woman has a positive outlook in life, she’s a magnet.”

“Fill your life with joy. Learn how to live life to the full. Besides, guys will have a hard time approaching you if they see you angry, depressed, moody, critical and negative. But happiness attracts.”

“It isn’t success that intimidates these good guys. It’s arrogance. When your success makes your head swell and you look down at everyone, you’re a major turnoff. It’s not your money or position. It’s the way you allowed money or position feed your ego. Be approachable. Listen to others. Acknowledge your ignorance outside your expertise. Ask help! Be soft and vulnerable. Be teachable. And most importantly, serve the small people. Be humble.”

“The key to being interesting is to be interested.”

“Have passions. Have beliefs/ Have preferences. From the very start, be your best self, but be yourself nonetheless.”

“A man will always hunger after what seems to be out of his reach. And he will value that which he sacrificed a lot to gain. And he will hold of little value to things he gained easily. In other words, a man is attracted to a woman who’s not looking for a man (in a desperate way). So allow him to pursue you.”

“Men get flattered that they’re being chased. But their eyes wander, looking for other prey hiding in the bushes far away.”

“You get what you settle for.”

“Run away from the guy who needs you to straighten out his life.”

“Emotional health means owning up to these weakness and working on them every day of our lives.”

“Mr. Right doesn’t have to be emotionally whole. (No one is.) Mr. Right just has to be on the journey - taking concrete steps to emotional health. If he’s not even in the journey, pass him up.”

“It’s not how much you earn, but how you multiply the savings of what you earn.”

“There are no guarantees in life, but if you marry someone who is morally upright today, the probability is high that he’ll morally upright tomorrow.”

“I’d choose a man whose faith is expressed in his morality rather than in his religiosity.” 

“Because true love sets the beloved free. This is the one weakness that destroys friendships faster than others: The desire to control others.”

“Because who you are  still speak more loudly than what you say.”

“He says that true love begins only when one falls out of love. Because true love has to be willed. There’s got to be a decision involved. While you’re in love with someone, love is involuntary. You just love. (The feeling of love falls on you like a brick from the sky hitting your head - wham! - and you don’t  know what hit you.) But when you fall out of love, and you still make a choice to love, then that’s the beginning of true love. And that’s the basis of marriage. Not romantic love.”

[dweetwise]

I feel like Doctor/Hillbilly is so niche but I really love the ship atm, may I rq some hcs of them mayb? 😔💕

[oo this is a rarepair if i’ve ever sen one! hope you like because i definitely got carried away!]

getting together fluff, some nsfw mentions at the end!

Herman X Max headcanons

Max has always admired the more authoritative killers, like Evan and Herman, while Herman has always mostly ignored Max. Herman is kind of a snob in that he values intelligence above all else, and just brushed Max off as an uneducated, well, hillbilly

Max isn’t stupid and is desperate to prove himself to Herman. This causes him to awkwardly approach the older man and request that he “Show Max how to make ‘em gennies sparkle an’ go boom”

Herman raises an eyebrow. The kid wants to learn how to overcharge a generator? It’s not an easy task and took Herman several weeks to perfect. Herman promises to get back to him later, causing a disappointed Max to wander off

Herman writes a numbered step-by-step idiot-proof guide to learning the technique, even throwing in a few rough sketches of the machines in case Max doesn’t know what some of the terms mean

When he finds Max and gives him the instructions with a smug grin, Max’s whole face lights up, until he looks at the papers and his smile drops into a disappointed frown. “Is something the matter?” Herman asks, prepared to give the young man a stern lecture for questioning his hard work. “Ah well, this ‘s mighty fine of ya Her--err, sir! Thanks!” Max drawls nervously before sprinting off with the papers

Herman doesn’t see Max for the next few days and assumes the scatter-brained youth gave up on learning altogether. He’s in the middle of complaining to Philip about Max squandering all his efforts, when Philip points out a crucial fact, “You know Max can’t read, right?”, and Herman feels like smacking himself in the face for not thinking of the possibility sooner

Herman swallows his pride and ventures to Coldwind farm to teach Max his technique the old-fashioned way, expecting to find the young man moping in a corner somewhere or perhaps making stick animals or whatever it is hillbillies do

Instead, he finds Max by the generator in the shed, hunched over and tinkering with the machine with papers scattered about the entire floor. “Hiya Herman!” Max greets him enthusiastically, wiping his oily hands on his overalls

“Max, what are you doing? What are these?” Herman questions and glances at the papers

“I did it! Look!” Max exclaims and gives the generator a solid kick, short-circuiting it and causing it to spark violently. “I uhh--I couldn’t read ya book, so I look’d at tha pictures ya drew an looked inside a genny to see wha I was s’posed ta do,” Max explains, gesturing to a pile of papers next to him where he’s--Herman inhales sharply in surprise--drawn pages upon pages of mechanical diagrams of the machines, pinpointing the exact locations the kick will impact!?

Herman is at a loss for words, completely taken aback by the other man’s resourcefulness and technical skill. He sees Max looking at him nervously, clearly awaiting some sort of response from his tutor. “Excellent work, boy. Would you like to accompany me in my next generator experiment?” Herman compliments and Max goes beet red and shuffles his feet awkwardly. “Tha’ would be mighty fine, sir.” Max mumbles

Max starts spending a lot of time in Herman’s office, assisting him with any research that requires a knack for machinery. Herman often visits Max’s tool shed in the farm, where they test many of his ideas and Max tinkers with the generator to troubleshoot for or fix any failures

Herman, recognizing and impressed by Max’s potential, demands the younger learn how to read so he can further participate in the research. Max is giddy at the prospect, but after a couple of disastrous attempts Herman admits he’s a lousy teacher and bribes Sally to teach Max by offering the redhead unlimited access to his office

Max is happy and making great progress with his reading, and Herman feels a strange sort of pride for his protege. That’s why it takes him completely by surprise when one day, Max decides to kiss him out of the blue. Herman pulls the man off of him and demands answers. “Just what do you think you’re doing!?” he asks sternly. “S-sorry! ‘S just, me an’ Sally were readin’ them books a-an I thought ‘s what people do, like them fellas Heathcliff an’ Cath’rine--”

“Of course Sally has you read that fictional garbage over the anatomy books I provided,” Herman sighs and runs a hand over his face in exasperation. “’M sorry Herman, Sally said ‘s what people do when ‘ey luv some’un,” Max explains, shuffling awkwardly. “Hold on. Love? Me?” Herman asks, voice uncharacteristically breaking into an even higher octave from the shock. Of all the stupid things--

“Ya! I luv ya,” Max says without hesitation, beaming. “And you want to kiss... me,” Herman clarifies, trying to wrap his head around this sudden turn of events. “Already did. An’ I wanna kiss ya more an’ do naughty things with ya in a hayloft,” Max cheerily remarks. Herman feels his brain short-circuit from the implications coming out of his seemingly innocent apprentice’s mouth. “Come ‘un, I ain’t dumb, I know wha Evan ‘n Phil dis’pear in tha woods fer,” Max grins with a slight blush.

Herman’s always been a quick thinker, so he manages to run through all possible outcomes of this scenario in his head. It’s stupid. He should reject Max. But he can’t say that he’s not intrigued, and seeing the kid’s enthusiasm... Herman finally just shakes his head fondly and allows himself to lean into Max’s personal space. “I know you’re anything but dumb, kid. I also don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into,” he can’t suppress a dark chuckle, half expecting the younger to feel intimidated--

“Try me, pops,” Max challenges instead, grinning. “That’s it you little shit--” Herman has the time to give an idle threat before Max’s laughing mouth shuts him up with a kiss

It’s not the most healthy relationship as there’s a clear power imbalance but Herman is kind of a narcissist and gets off on it. Though he does genuinely care about Max, he’s not gentle and you’ll never hear him use the phrase “Are you sure?”

Max loves being praised both inside and outside the bedroom. Herman is stingy with his compliments, only giving them when he’s genuinely impressed, which makes them all the more special to Max

Max has a daddy kink ok I don’t make the rules. He doesn’t realize it and probably doesn’t even know what it means, but Herman is perceptive. When he takes a gander and urges Max to call him ‘daddy’ during one of their trysts he doesn’t expect it to do much of anything, but hearing his lover cry out the word and almost spill himself makes him realize it’s a control thing and now he’s very much on board

Herman tops at first, but once he sees Max’s enthusiasm and the younger learns to channel his energy, they fall into a habit of Max topping. Herman discovers himself to be a bit of a power bottom and begrudgingly admits that Max fucks better than him, making Max’s confidence soar

The other killers quickly find out about their relationship because Max can’t shut up about his adoration of Herman. They get some snide comments from the Legion brats and a blushing Amanda threatening Max to “Stop oversharing your fucking sex life or I’ll reverse beartrap your dick”, but nobody seems to really care what they do behind closed doors--with the exception of one

Evan is pissed, being somewhat of a father figure to Max and 1000% ready to bash in Herman’s skull for seemingly taking advantage of the younger, impressionable man. Max is upset a the accusations, Herman pretends to give a shit about Evan’s opinion because of Max, and eventually Philip and Sally have to get involved to calm Evan down, vouching for Herman’s non-sinister intentions and Max’s ability to make his own decisions

[i came up with max’s personality on the fly but i kind of love him now?? also i don’t know how old herman is but i always hc max as early twenties at most so have some age difference on the side]

[charlotteweekly]

Hire Me.

Have you ever noticed how untrue a resume or cover letter can be? Smile if you never lied on your resume or cover letter! Who looks happy now, huh?

Why do we do that? Why can’t we stay true to ourselves? Why do we need to obey the rules and be the person someone else wants us to be? Why do we need to comply and to abide by the rules to get a job? Isn’t someone hiring you because you stand out? So why are they all looking for the same clichéd skills?

I feel employers have really high expectations regarding future team members. I totally understand their motives though. I would also want the best candidates for my company.

But when I read a job offer, I go from being enthusiastic to feeling like shit and to not applying. I get the impression they’re looking for at least two different people, but they can only afford one of them.

I’m not even mentioning this computer program that scans your resume and save your profile only if you have keywords listed in the job posting. Quite skeptic about this one! Top Resume offered me to run my resume through this ATS scan and what stood out were my motion design skills, which I barely have. My resume title is “Video Producer” and it wasn’t even mentioned. It’s not trustworthy at all! I wonder how many times my resume has been rejected even before someone read it because the layout didn’t match a computer program.  

I find it hard to meet the requirements there are in my profession. So what do I do? Do I tell myself I’m not good enough and give up? No I don’t, instead, I lie. But, once I will have sold my soul, will I be able to live up to the expectations?

To all the employers out there, wouldn’t you like to hear the truth for once?Wouldn’t you like to interview a candidate who might not fulfill your every dream but who’s honest?

So I had this idea to write a real cover letter.

I realize it might not be the perfect time to criticize the job market but why not? I know we all do our best considering the circumstances but I’m on the market and I wonder all these questions so I bet I’m not the only one.

I gathered some common skills I found in job advertisements I applied for and answered each one truthfully.

So here it goes,

Dear X team,

I am reaching out because I just read your job description for X on LinkedIn and I felt very excited and highly qualified for the position!

Also, let’s not kid ourselves I need the money.

I might not be your ideal match for the job (you have really high expectations, which I understand. I am a perfectionist myself and I’m not saying that to brag. Actually, quite the contrary, it can really slow me down sometimes) but I will work my ass off because I like winning and I’m a bad loser. If you’re worth it, I won’t let you down; I’m a very loyal person (my astrological sign is cancer just so you know who you’re dealing with).

You’re looking for someone with good communication skills. What does that mean? I always feel it’s a big deal, but really, if I can speak clearly and simply is that okay?

As far as being a team player, I’m used to it since I’ve worked on numerous short films and dealt with many departments. I’m not really a people person though. Assholes are everywhere but I’ll never engage in office gossips and I will always be respectful of everyone’s work. I thought it was worth mentioning. I’m quite an introvert but once you get to know me I’m really fun.

As a video producer, I work well in a fast-paced environment but I would love not to make a burnout. If it is so fast-paced, I suggest we do some planning and “to do lists” otherwise I might get completely stressed out.

I am a very organized person. I need to get things done ahead of schedule. That being said, that statement only works when I have a deadline otherwise my procrastination monkey (ref. Tim Urban) might take the lead.

You need a problem-solver. Well, I can tell you from experience that when you erase the entire content of a SD card, believe me, it’s the kind of mistake that lead you to the very resourceful person inside of you.

Your place seems really cool and all and I would really love to impress you by knowing a lot about your business and your work culture but I can’t really tell since I’ve never been to your offices. Maybe you could invite me over for an interview so I can make a better idea for myself and see if I can fit!

Thank you for taking the time to read my verbal diarrheoa. I hope it will catch your attention even in a bad way.

Best,

Charlotte

My article is supposed to be humorous. I don’t say every job have the same requirements. It is mostly referring to video producing jobs and only from a hundred of ads I have read and applied for.  

I wanted to write that article because it is overwhelming trying to fit into the mold and to follow all the rules society expects you to follow. You’re not alone so don’t give up!

Most importantly, do something you love! Regardless if you succeed or not, at least, you’ll be happy.

P.S.: If someone needs help to write a cover letter, for your sake and the one of your future employer, I suggest you seek advice elsewhere.

Cheers, my friends! 

Note on the picture: Me and 6 words that honestly describe me. But can you really tell who you’re dealing with from some social media pictures and a few words on a resume? I’ll leave you to that... 

[kissmyshnymetalass]

Military Transition Information

Sections:

-          Actual GOMOR

-          REFRAD

-          SFL-TAP

-          Resources

-          General Separation Tips

-          Job Hunting and Resume

-          LinkedIn

-          Other Job Hunting Sites (ZipRecruiter/Clearance Jobs/etc)

-          Certifications

ACTUAL GOMOR Nothing to say about this really. It is what it is. You can’t fight it. My parents hired some hot shot civilian lawyer who was horribly expensive but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Ultimately it all comes down to the fact that it isn’t LAW. It is UCMJ and there’s nothing to fight. Your command team has that power. They just do. It is pure bullshit. It drives me crazy. You could try writing your congress person or the army times to put the spotlight on unfair, maddening, preposterous nonsense judgmental decisions but…otherwise you’re boned. My recommendation is to keep your head down and try not to freak out. When my battalion commander told me it would be permanently filed I had a total rage glitch and yelled at him. Did not improve my position, ha. See if you can get moved to another battalion or brigade. That’s a big ask because you’re now branded. But if anyone is still in your corner (a Battalion XO or S3 or even a S1 who is respected and will advocate for you. Maybe the Brigade FSO if you have a good reputation) it can give you breathing room to no longer be in that environment. I had pull with division and was able to get onto staff up there after my flag was lifted. They knew I was only there to transition and were really cool about it- your mileage may vary. REFRAD

The first step is to get a copy of the REFRAD packet. It is mainly memos. Your S1 should have a copy. Then clarify what gates it has to hit (Battalion to Brigade to Division to Installation to HRC I’m pretty sure) and who the people are. You can do this while you’re flagged (if you’re flagged which I assume you are). You can’t submit until you’re unflagged but you can do drafts and send them to the S1 to get corrections. I’d let your command know of your intent to separate if you have any kind of ability to talk to them and let them know you’d appreciate if they could sign this stuff right away. I made it overwhelmingly clear that I disagreed with their handling of the situation and would like to just get out of there as fast as possible. They obliged by signing everything without the “required” counseling sessions.

I submitted mine on like July 6th or 7th and received my approval from HRC O/A 20 August but had to hand walk it. Basically had to call the S1 shop at Battalion every day until they routed to Brigade. Then the same thing with Brigade. Then with Installation. Etc. It is just best to be a pain in the ass about it because otherwise it can get stuck at a gate and require corrections and you’ll just never know about it because S1 sucks, ha. After you get your approval from HRC you still have to wait to get clearing papers and orders. That can take a while. I’m pretty sure I had my orders 9-10 days after getting approval and was given clearing papers six working days before my final out (which was around 16 October). SFL-TAP SFL-TAP was stupid but you may see benefits. There were a couple of contractors hunting for separating Soldiers so you maybe you’ll meet someone like that. Otherwise SFL-TAP went over pretty basic stuff like “consider benefits in addition to salary when job hunting” or “here’s what to wear.” It was FINE. But I wouldn’t say that officers are really the target audience. They will expose you to a few transition assistance programs which could be helpful though. Like I think there is a Microsoft administrator course that is 3-4 months you can do that SFL-TAP can give you info about. Other things like credentialing programs, certification courses, job fairs, etc. I did not use any of these services but I have heard they can be helpful. RESOURCES YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT, YMMV ACP Partnerships. American Corporate Partners. Basically you can apply on their website and they can hook you up with a mentor in your preferred field. I did this and it was fine. I received a mentor but she wasn’t super helpful. I think your experience really depends on your mentor. I’ve heard from others that their mentors are awesome. The nice thing about this is that they assign you a mentorship manager and that person will be very aggressive about providing you with resources (interview prep, resume reviewer, etc)

Corporate Fellowship Program. You can visit hiringourheroes.org. They can basically set you up with a corporate internship. Usually reserved for service members who are going to stay geographically close to their installation. Once again, I did not use this service but I have heard GREAT things and have a close friend who participated and she raves about it. Cameron Brooks/other junior officer recruitment companies. I did Cameron Brooks for a few months. I did not tell them about the GOMOR, ha. Didn’t mention the flag at all. They won’t call your command or anything so I just viewed it as keeping non-essential information to myself. It was also fine. It is free. They will give you books to read and counsel you and do interview prep and everything. It is a nice service. They told me they only “accept the best” as clients. Probably not true so don’t let them convince you they are some secret sauce. They just have a very codified approach. I have heard from others that they can land you in a good job but most are in less desirable locations (like the mid-west. Or Kansas). If you are afraid of transitioning this is kind of nice. Like having a bossy older brother who “knows a guy.” Other Useful “Leaving the Army” Tips Make sure you have a log in to mypay set up. Once you final out your CAC won’t work anywhere. Forward yourself anything in your military email that you may need or want. Download your medical records. Set up a DS login. Stuff like that. I lost a lot because I never did it. Oh well. But learn from my experience, ha. Print off your clothing record and do CIF prep now. At my last installation they wouldn’t make me a CIF appointment until the last six workdays I was in the Army and I had to go back three or four times and it was stressful. Do your homework and equipment cleaning now. All in all it wasn’t too bad. Military surplus stores will work with you. The one near me let me take what I needed from them for free (like a sleeping mat, grenade pouch and ACU print assault pack) with the agreement that once I was cleared I would give them all remaining equipment I had. They made out big in that deal because after a decade I had a ton of shit. Do all the basics. Clean your stuff, get rid of tape residue, etc. Job Hunting and Resumes Oh job hunting. You son of a bitch. First things first, get LinkedIn. Get Premium. I’m pretty sure you can do this for free as a service member but I’m not sure how. I will go into way more LinkedIn detail in a moment. I started job hunting in August. It took three months to find a job. It was NOT easy. You need to write a resume. There are countless agencies who will review it for you for free. There is certainly someone in your SFL-TAP staff who will review your resume. Don’t worry- they will broadcast who they are. I’m sure if you reached out now they could send you examples and review your stuff. Get a lot of eyes on it. Friends, parents, those who have transitioned. If you have any friends in HR have them look at it. De-militarize it. You need to be submitting applications every day. I had a goal to apply to at least one job every day and generally applied to 3 or 5 each day. I applied to 200-300 jobs easily. I received rejections from around 100. The others didn’t even bother letting me know. Of those applications I had the most luck if I went to their LinkedIn page and found someone in HR and introduced myself and offered to provide any additional information. I scheduled around 12 interviews and made it to the second round for 4. Was ultimately offered two jobs in the same week at my price point but it took work.

Find recruiters on LinkedIn. Basically you can search for recruiters in your preferred area. Just add them. Add whoever. And send them an email. I did this and probably met with 10-15 recruiters. None of them were able to place me but talking to them was good. They can help you figure out how to present your skill sets and will send you resumes to review/copy and will sometimes review your resume for you. They WANT to place you because that’s what makes them money so don’t feel weird about reaching out to them. Talking to them is also good general interview prep because they ask most of the same questions an interviewing company would ask.

When applying for a specific job read the posting and then incorporate as many of the words they use IN THE FORMAT THEY USE THEM into your resume. They will almost certainly filter your application through a software designed to separate those totally unqualified. For instance, if you hold a project management certification and on your resume you write PMP Certified but in the job description they say “Project management professional certification preferred” then go back to your resume and change PMP to Project Management Professional.

Biggest piece of advice here is Don’t Give Up. It is soul crushing. You will feel panicked and shitty and underqualified. That’s normal from what I hear. Don’t marry yourself to the first job. I’ve heard from professional recruiters that companies are more likely to hire a veteran after he/she has successfully held a civilian job for one year after separation. My advice would be to accept a job that pays you fairly for the security and reassess after a year. There’s absolutely no problem with changing jobs later. LinkedIn Fuck you, LinkedIn. LinkedIn is such bullshit. But civilians are rock fucking hard for it. So get a LinkedIn. Make sure everything is up to date. Have a picture- NOT a military picture. The same boring one everyone has on LinkedIn. You’re wearing a tie. You’re smiling like a goober. Write all the bullshit nonsense about how you’re a trendsetter and a problem solver and an out of the box thinker. Really sell yourself. Make connections. Make as many connections as you can. For some reason you seem more hireable when you have a ton of connections. Find recruiters and add them. Find people who are doing the thing you want to do in the city you want to do it in and add them. Interact with people. It is all a show but just do it because that’s the game and the prize for winning the game is a nice salary and a successful transition. Find all of the companies who typically hire vets if you’re interested in that. Deloitte, Raytheon, Leidos, Lockheed Martin, etc. Most recruiters associated with these organizations put out content regularly that’s aimed at transitioning service members. They will host classes and online information sessions. Attend them. Follow the advice of the recruiters. All advise basically boils down to market yourself, make connections, expand your network, tailor your resume, follow up in a personal way to applications (contacting HR people or recruiters within the company), send out resumes daily, interview well, repeat, repeat, repeat.

Get premium so you can see who looks at your profile. Other Job Hunting Sites/Resources I actually got my job using ZipRecruiter, not LinkedIn. So I would definitely use ZipRecruiter. You can use ClearanceJobs if you have a clearance. You should go to whichever state you want to work in’s website as well because they’ll post local jobs (like working as a project manager for the department of transportation in Kentucky or whatever). I received a few interviews (well, 2) doing this. I think because it is kind of a pain in the ass to apply that way. Look at universities and hospitals in your preferred area. Often the jobs they post don’t make it onto other sites. Follow companies you’d like to work for on LinkedIn. Sometimes organizations will advertise openings that don’t make it to the LinkedIn job search function for some reason. Instead they’ll make a post about an opening and the link will take you directly to their website. Certifications Probably didn’t need this whole section but…get certs. They both matter and they don’t matter. I don’t think my certs really helped me get my job but they certainly didn’t hurt. PMP (as aforementioned) is a big one.

[nekojitachan]

Job Hunting Tips

Seems apropos to do a post on this during October.

I figured I’d post this to help people who are looking for a job, that wonderful, soul-crushing, horrible experience. Hey, if you enjoy it or it’s painless for you, I want your outlook on life and blessed karma. Congrats.

Let me just say that I can understand the urge to ghost companies if you get multiple offers and have already accepted a lesser one from one company when something better comes along. I mean, you’ve probably put up with hearing NOTHING after submitting an endless amount of applications, heard NOTHING after that first round with HR, heard NOTHING after the second or third round... basically companies ghost you all through the process (and then whinge like hell when potential employees do it to them). But if you are lucky enough to have multiple offers and accept one then get something better, do call them up or send an email to explain the situation since you never know if you might be looking for a job/new opportunity again in the future (or have a new HR person who switched jobs).

The post going around advising you to copy and paste the job description onto your application/resume/CV in tiny font and white color? Don’t do that. The companies have figured it out and your application will be rejected immediately.

Don’t just do LinkedIn, try to get your application out on or have job alerts on the other job sites as well (glassdoor, indeed, dice, monster, ziprecruiter, etc.) - some companies post all over, and some don’t, so you can miss some great jobs or find out about them too late. It’s up to you if you want to pay for a ‘premium’ feature - I’m not sure if LI’s is really worth it, other than to be able to send emails to people and to see the supposed ‘skills’ of the person who did get the job you applied for.

It may be easier, but don’t do the ‘easy apply’, go to the company’s site to upload your profile. That’s the recommendation made to me by HR people, and that way you’re tailoring your application for the job, not just sending a generic resume.

ALWAYS tailor your resume for the specific job. I know this takes time, but catch the repeated key words and skills they’re looking for, and make sure that’s in your resume (’risk management’, ‘good at communication’, ‘talent for documentation’, etc.). Maybe they say ‘manages issues’ instead of ‘risk mitigation’, which is what you have down, so you need to change that. Try to have what they want in your resume, and if you have it a couple of times, even better.

It helps to have a couple different versions of your resume, too. One if you’re going for more documentation type jobs, one for another type of skill set, another for that skill set... that way you’re not doing so many rewrites.

Why you’re doing this? Because companies use Application Tracking Systems (ATS) which are pretty terrible (there are many different versions out there, they’re old and companies aren’t in any hurry to update them because it’s not cheap to move onto something new, when they’ll probably just go w/ social media accounts at some point). An application is scanning your resume, and it ‘rates’ it based on key words - if you don’t get a certain percentage, say 85%, you won’t be considered for the job and even get that first HR interview even if you’re the perfect candidate.

There’s a site that can help you figure out if your resume will get past the ATS system - jobscan.co  Be aware that you have to create an account and it only allows you like 5 free ‘scans’ a month, and then you have to pay for more, but it is still helpful at the free level and can give you an idea of what you need in your resume.

You can always pay someone to update your resume, cover letter (which I’ve been told a lot of companies don’t bother to read) and LinkedIn profile. If you do have the money to spare, you might want to consider this, or ask for some help (or do research online). Your LI profile can be more informal than your resume.

It’s been said before, but you don’t have to have all the requirements in a job posting. If you have a good bit of them, companies will settle for the rest - for training you on what’s needed. Don’t be afraid to apply! Also, it gets your resume on their system. Some companies will keep it and if they think you’re a fit for other jobs, send you the job posting to see if you want to apply.

It’s always easier if you know someone at the company who can act as a referral, can send you a link for you to apply which helps to get your resume past the ATS system or can mention your name to HR. It doesn’t have to be a good friend, but this is a way to get your resume to stand out. So reach out to any connections you or a friend or family member have to see if they can send you a referral link for a job.

ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS during interviews. Never be quiet during an interview - have at least 5 questions lined up (what is the culture like, what do you love about working here, what are challenges for the job, what would you have me focus on if I get it, what are any concerns you have about my background/knowledge, things like that - you can find suggestions online). No questions, even if you’ve just sat through a monster interview session (and some companies like to do that, to have you in for half a day or several hours so you meet everyone rather than have you back a couple of times, and that’s HELL, to be honest) and you say everyone’s answered everything already, that you feel you’re just repeating things is not a good impression... ASK EVERYONE A FEW QUESTIONS. Don’t let someone think you’re uninterested, because they probably will not give a ‘yes’ vote for you.

Be prepared for questions! They’re going to do these behavioral questions, most likely (if you’re technical or programming, they may ask for you to solve something or do a quick presentation - glassdoor is good to find info on interview types) where they ask you to tell them about what you did this time (how did you handle a challenging colleague, or a project where someone didn’t like the timeline you proposed, things like that). If you look up ‘sample BAR interview questions’, you will get a feel for these questions and how you can answer them, and can work on preparing your answers beforehand (have lots of examples lined up).

ALWAYS send thank you letters (emails). Thank them for their time, try to reflect back on something during the interview (if you asked what they like about the company, mention how you were touched by their enthusiasm for the company or something like that, or if you asked them for their advice for you in the role, thank them for it) to show you paid attention to what they said and to make it personal. Always be very polite to the HR people scheduling the interviews.

Ask about timelines, and if you can follow up. Show your interest in the job, but don’t badger them. Usually HR will ask salary range - if you’re uncomfortable naming your ‘price’, ask them what their budget is for the job. But usually it’s best during an interview to not question the hiring manager about money and stuff. You can ask general questions about their benefits, but don’t make it seem like you just want to know what you’ll be making as if that’s all you’re interested in. Asking about training and development opportunities is good. Glassdoor and other sites usually give you a general idea about benefits.

Uhm... I think that’s it? Please feel free to add to this post any useful advice I left out.

[empaths-hsp]

How to Deal With Emotional Flooding in the Workplace

If you ever feel like you’re drowning in your emotions, you’re not alone.

It happened again. I was in an online team meeting discussing a project idea I’d put forward. Although a fairly new team (born through Covid-19), we’d built a good degree of trust between us, and it had been a typical meeting, similar to one we’ve had each week for the past two months. 

However, it was not typical for long. After initially framing up my idea and questions in my open and honest style, my colleagues started offering their own interpretation of the project idea — different applications and perspectives. I felt the conversation had traveled in a different direction and I got lost. I sat back and wondered, What are they talking about? Did they not hear me?  

With the three of them firing off ideas and questions, it felt like we were speaking different languages. As a highly sensitive person (HSP) — someone who’s a deep thinker and more aware of subtleties, but also someone who’s prone to getting easily overwhelmed —  it all suddenly collapsed. 

I had made the mistake of not hiding self-view on Zoom (I usually hide myself), and I could see my face redden and my eyes narrow. Literally. It was strange. My heart was racing, my chest felt heavy, my throat tight, and my eyes watered. Then I went blank. 

I couldn’t figure out what I thought and had absolutely no way of articulating words. My survival brain had taken over and my thinking brain had shut down. When they asked me for my thoughts, I could not respond. I could hardly talk, let alone have anything remotely intelligent to say. 

I was experiencing emotional flooding — I could literally feel the flood of my emotions drowning me. I was embarrassed, too, which created a ghastly doubling-down effect. Science has shown that emotions hit HSPs harder, but this was new to me. 

“Fight-or-flight” kicked in next. At least I knew it and hoped that “flight” would be enough of a circuit breaker. Still drowning in my emotions and unable to speak, I put my hands in the time-out position as though I were playing basketball and needed a moment to catch my breath. The latter was true. I weakly uttered “five minutes,” left the meeting, and went to the bathroom and cried. 

Has this ever happened to you, too?

Signs of Emotional Flooding

Even though I’m a professionally credentialed coach (ICF) with almost two decades of experience working with executive and HSP clients, my flood of emotions was so overwhelming that I began to research the term “emotionally flooded” more.

Symptoms can include: 

A flood of stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol)

A flight/flight/freeze response (we want to run, get aggressive, or we go numb)

Increased heart rate (over 90-100 beats per minute) and rapid or shallow breathing

Chest tightness

Sweating

Flushed face

Narrowing of eyes (tunnel vision, looking for an escape)

Throat constriction

Severely diminished ability to think or speak clearly

Heightened anxiety

Stomach churning

Psychologist John Gottman explains that the difference between flooding and other more manageable emotional reactions, such as an amygdala hijack, is one of magnitude. It’s overwhelming.

That’s how it felt for me, too. I could literally do nothing: I couldn’t speak and couldn’t think about anything other than getting out. I tried the five-finger exercise —  a simple breathing technique where you trace your fingers — to help quell my breathing, but it was hard to move my fingers and challenging to breathe regularly or deeply. As researcher Elizabeth A. Stanley, PhD would say: My “thinking brain” had shut down and my “survival brain” had taken over.

What Triggers Emotional Flooding and Why It May Affect HSPs More Than Non-HSPs

Daniel Goleman, arguably the kingpin of emotional intelligence, found that the five most typical triggers of an amygdala hijack in the workplace are:

lack of respect

unfair treatment

being unappreciated

not being heard

unrealistic deadlines

In general terms, we feel triggered when we sense that something is threatening. In today’s world, those threats are often not physical threats, but social threats which impact our “social brain.” So, on my Zoom call, you can see how some of these triggers triggered me, like not feeling heard or appreciated.

In addition to the five factors listed above, triggers may also include things like rejection, not feeling seen, and feeling of lesser status. And, as an HSP, all this means that I’m likely more susceptible to heightened emotions and overwhelm than non-HSPs. 

Like what you’re reading? Get our newsletter just for HSPs. One email, every Friday. Subscribe here.

What You Can Do to Support Yourself When You Feel Emotionally Flooded

When you feel emotionally flooded as an HSP, there are many practical tools you can draw on to support yourself, both in the moment and afterwards.

In the moment:

Notice it’s happening. This seems so simple, but it’s difficult to be fully aware of when your emotions are high. 

Give yourself permission to exit; if you can’t talk, use a time-out hand signal like i did. Then, walk away and give yourself a break.

If you can’t leave the situation, give yourself permission to be still and quiet. Tell yourself: It’s OK. I know it feels embarrassing, but the surprising reality is that other people are usually not thinking as badly of us as we imagine (and they probably aren’t as uncomfortable as we imagine). 

Immediately afterwards:

Take a deep breath, which will calm your parasympathetic nervous system. Breathing is the only thing we can do to physically tell our bodies that we aren’t literally under threat. There is no lion chasing us — everything is alright.

Sometimes it’s hard to breathe; if that’s true for you, consider using a grounding exercise, such as the MMFT® Contact Points Exercise, Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training, which aims to increase psychological resilience or “mental armor.” It does so by strengthening mindfulness through exercises like focused attention on the breath and mindful movement.

About 20-30 minutes later:

Once you have calmed down a bit, if you can, go back to the people you’d been in the meeting with and let them know you are OK. You can do this by talking to them directly or via email to explain what happened so they don’t make any assumptions. 

For example, you can say something as simple as: I felt overwhelming emotions earlier, but it’s a great learning opportunity for me personally, and perhaps for our relationship professionally, and I would very much appreciate exploring this with you in the next couple of days. 

Until then, you can try some of the introspective ideas below.

Over the following few days:

You then have a few days to analyze your emotions, and here are a few tactics that worked for me after my Zoom experience.

Journaling is a great self-care exercise for HSPs, so I’d recommend writing about your experience. Externalizing your thoughts like this is an excellent way to vent frustrations, release energy, and clarify thoughts. 

Talk to someone you trust and feel safe with, whether that means picking up the phone or joining a Facebook group.

Build your skills in self-compassion and mindfulness. These two skills alone are like super powers, I’m not kidding. Mindfulness apps some of my clients appreciate include: Headspace, Smiling Mind, Calm, and Insight Timer.

Take a “Balcony View,” which is a metaphor for taking an observer’s perspective on yourself and your life. Imagine your life as a dance floor. You are a dancer, moving with the music, with others around you. One day, you notice a stairwell and walk up the stairs and out onto a balcony that overlooks the dance floor and you can see yourself on it. Play with using this perspective when you are journaling and discussing with others. They’ll probably be impressed! This is a powerful tool for self and team development.

Just keep in mind that growth requires the willingness to face uncomfortable situations. It takes courage to be honest and vulnerable and discuss the situation that happened, but it’s worth it. You are worth it.

How My ‘Flooding’ Experience Worked Out

As embarrassing and uncomfortable as it was at the time, my “flooding” experience turned out positively — I did many of the ideas above and was able to make more sense of things. My colleagues and I even had a “Balcony Session” and I’m happy to say it’s made us a stronger and even more purpose-driven team.

I’m also recognizing that it’s been a big year for many of us (actually, a tiring few years for me). I’m reaffirming my work and what’s important while also dialing back the self-pressure just a notch.

Just know that when you’re feeling emotionally flooded, at work or otherwise, it’s OK to take a time-out and just do you. Afterwards, you’ll come back more cognizant and refreshed, which will not only benefit you, but those around you. 

If this article helped you, you might like the author’s website — and the coaching services she offers specifically for highly sensitive people. Learn more at Joanne Ostler Coaching.

You might like:

Why Highly Sensitive People Get Mentally and Emotionally ‘Flooded’

Science Confirms That Emotions Hit Highly Sensitive People Harder

21 Signs You’re a Highly Sensitive Person

The post How to Deal With Emotional Flooding in the Workplace appeared first on Highly Sensitive Refuge.

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[lgcjinhee]

*  𝑯𝑰, 𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹𝒀𝑶𝑵𝑬 !!  my name is north, & i’d absolutely love to introduce you to my sweet child, 𝑹𝒀𝑼 𝑱𝑰𝑵𝑯𝑬𝑬  —  an aspiring lead dancer, lead vocalist, & visual center. below the cut, you’ll find a blurb about her life & personality so far, + plot ideas, so if you would like to plot with us, show this introductory post some love & i’ll return the favor !

*  𝑬𝑨𝑹𝑳𝒀  𝑳𝑰𝑭𝑬  ( 1999 - 2013 )  !

ryu jinhee was born to a loving mother & father on 29th april in the year of 1999. her family owns & operates a high - end bakery in gangnam, seoul, south korea called kiss of sugar [ 설탕의 키스 ] & their daughter essentially grew up in those same kitchens, & by the time she was five years old, she started to take a liking to the delectable family business, & would often participate in the baking process + decoration. her favorite treats are anything that’s overloaded with buttercream & strawberries, & her mother jokes that, due to being brought up around many delicious treats, jinhee was destined to be a sweetheart later in life, but instead, the opposite effect happened. as she entered school, many of her peers thought she was spoiled brat, it was difficult for her to make friends. it wasn’t so much that her attitude was incredibly poor, but she would often exaggerate, or lie, in order to appeal to classmates, but even at their young ages, they found her really irritating & annoying. so, school wasn’t exactly ideal for her, but when she turned ten years old, she FINALLY was able to make some friends. they were from a different school, & their parents were frequent customers of the bakery. they introduced her to dance classes [ as they were enrolled in them ] & it gave jinhee the confidence to be more ❝ herself ❞ at school. turns out, she fibbed & pandered to her peers out of insecurity, but performance worked to destroy those negative feelings. then, upon her entrance into high school in 2013, her classmates began to view her differently once more, but this time, she was welcomed with open arms due to her beauty. it was a superficial kind of love, really, but she finally felt welcome !

*  𝑨𝑫𝑶𝑳𝑬𝑺𝑪𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬  &  𝑻𝑹𝑨𝑰𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮 ( 2014 - 2018 )  !

at age sixteen, she auditioned for an arts school [ sopa ] with the same girls she met at her family’s bakery & was accepted. there, she began to study singing, & dancing, & acting, & it only continued to grow her confidence. though, at this time, her life at home started to become less than ideal. her mother had fallen ill, & wasn’t able to work much, & instead of hiring new employees, jinhee was expected to pick up the slack. this wouldn’t be a big problem, but working long hours in her mom’s stead + doing her best in school wasn’t a great combination. despite the stress, she had managed to become a cutting edge cake decorator. most of her work was extraordinarily good for someone her age, & even though she was good at it, it wasn’t really her true passion. she knew that her mom & dad were getting older, & that they wouldn’t be able to work forever, but she didn’t want to inherit the business, & she made that known to them. it was disappointing, but in the end, they understood. neither of them wanted to force her into a career path she didn’t want to be in. she felt selfish [ of course she did ] but she wasn’t ready to throw away her chance at stardom. being an idol was what she aspired to be now. so, in january of 2017 [ at age 17, at that ] she auditioned for legacy entertainment, & even though she forgot the words to the song she prepared, she was able to make a good first impression, & she was offered a spot as a trainee under their care. the first year was REALLY HARD. balancing a lot of school work, training, & staying up long nights to ensure baked goods were ready for opening in the morning, took a large toll on her mental & physical health. there was a point in time where she caught a flu due to her stress & thought she would have to leave training in order to recover. a trip to the hospital was made her realize she was piling too much on her plate, & after three days spent there due to extreme exhaustion, she was left to make some tough decisions. in the end, she felt selfish once more when she decided to request not to work at her parents’ bakery until she graduated from high school.

*  𝑷𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻  𝑫𝑨𝒀  ( 2019 - 2020 )  !

after two years of being free of work obligations, & after graduating from sopa, she agreed to put in some more hours at the bakery. while her mother is doing better than she was, she only works part - time, so splitting the job between the two of them works swimmingly for jinhee & her schedule. now, she’s putting her all into her training, but has agreed with her parents that, if she doesn’t début by the time she turns 23, she would need to hang up her dreams of becoming an idol & search for a more attainable career. it’s a thought she doesn’t want to think about, but realizes the need for security in life is much too precious to ignore. she’s made massive progress in her skills, & feels a slight sense of accomplishment, but she doesn’t want to become too comfortable. she always wants to make progress in her path. with a world full of endless possibilities waiting for her, jinhee hopes you take care of her well as she strives to become an idol !

*  𝑴𝑰𝑺𝑪.  𝑷𝑳𝑶𝑻  𝑰𝑫𝑬𝑨𝑺  !

01. the two friends [ any gender, around her age ] who she met at 12 who introduced her to dancing & performance. they’re all still friends today, & hope to debut together. muses must have lived in the seoul, korea area from 2007 onward. 02. a girl who she has a rivalry with. seems that both of them are highly competitive, & wish to outdo one another constantly. a female / nb muse who is dance or vocal focused is preferred. 03. a boy she confessed her feelings to, but who let her know that he was gay. embarrassed, she apologized, but from that moment on, they’ve become thick as thieves. a m / nb muse who identifies as gay is required. 04. a girl who HIGH-KEY has a crush on jinhee, but won’t confess due to fear of rejection. lots of confused platonic love, play flirting & potential experimenting pending. 05. a boy [ bonus points if he is connected to the girl in plot 04 ] who jinhee is basically in love with. if he was already in a boy group, he’d be her beloved bias — that kinda love. all she wants is for him to ❝ notice ❞ her, but he feigns indifference. how he’d react to her is up to the mun’s discretion, & this plot could go in many directions. a mun & muse who are 19+ is required. 06. a boy who is basically in love with her, but she [ at the moment ] only sees him as a friend. think lizzie mcguire & gordo, or kim possible & ron. it could either be a slow - burn romance, or they could discover they’re better as friends, or anything more fluffy / angsty, too. a male / nb muse, & a 19+ mun & muse are required. 07. a sworn enemy [ of any gender, around her age ] — they absolutely hate each other, but it’s genuinely because they’re way too similar. 08. an ex-boyfriend that she still sorta has feelings for, but he seems to have moved on. they would’ve dated from mid-2018 to mid-2019. could end in many diff ways. a male / nb muse, & a 19+ mun & muse are required. 09. anything else, tbh !

*  𝑵𝑨𝑽𝑰𝑮𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵  !

01. profile. 02. spreadsheet. 03. plot page.

[nomimits7]

Undecided Chapter 1...

Title: Undecided Pt 1

Genre: Investigation, murder, masked behaviour.

Warnings: murder, psychotic behaviour, might be triggering.

Members: Detective OT7 x Forensic scientist Reader

Note: Phrases like this are just add-ins to help with the story line… If they confuse you, feel free to ask!

Summary: Moving overseas for a once in a lifetime job offer was one of the scariest things Y/N ever did. That was until she got stuck in a twisted investigation of random murders, all with one link but no leads. Closing in on the culprit(s) Y/N doesn’t realize the danger she’s getting into. With no family or friends, can Y/N dare to trust those seven closest to her with her life?

Thanks Geek for being the best beta reader ever!! @feed-my-geek-soul 

Prologue 

•♡•

Death: The personification of the power that destroys life, often represented in art and literature as a skeleton or an old man holding a scythe.

•♡•

“Who do we have here...?” 

 Most people are not given the privilege to choose between life or death, the choice is made for them. Most people would choose life if they were ever given the chance, but you? You were different.  

Death has always fascinated you. You used to binge watch documentaries on serial killers, read hundreds if not thousands of books on murder, even your school speeches all revolved around the minds of these criminals. This is something you slowly fell in love with. The mystery, the way they think, but most of all the way they always got caught for their unholy crimes. It was during one of these moments you realized YOU wanted to be the one bringing their fantasies and creepy fetishes to an end. The idea of taking something away from someone that took a life, was like your own personal high.

After completing school, you followed your dreams and studied to become a Forensic scientist. After only 4 years you had your Honours degree and ready to take on the big bad world out there. This proved to be way much more difficult than you initially thought it would be. Finding a decent job as a female forensic scientist was nearly impossible. Most companies only wanted males or more experienced females. They always found some or other excuse to not hire you, to afraid of the risk.

“We’re sorry to inform you that the position requires someone a bit more experienced Miss Y/N”

It’s not you, it’s the system. You knew you were one of the best out there, but clearly being born without a third leg dangling uselessly in between your sturdier legs was a problem. A big problem.

Your country, well they’re still getting use to the whole ‘Women are equal to men’ thing. The chance of you finding a job even as an intern was next to nothing. Again, the risk was just to big.

“I just don’t get it… I can do an even better job than anyone of those three-legged idiots they call men,” you said before pouting into your coffee. Your best friend Lusai just sat there and patiently listened to your mumbling. He was always the best at giving advice on life problems, especially yours. This man you have known for almost 15 years. This man knew you better than you knew yourself.

“Lusai, what should I do?” You whined as his silence became too much to bear. “Come on, you know me better than I know myself. What’s next for Y/N?”

The red-headed, green eyed male stared directly into your eyes. Your best friend was handsome. Red heads being the rare species, he was a well-known ladies’ man. Alongside his green eyes, he even made you swoon from time to time. Clearly, he was doing something right, you see your dear Lusai wasn’t the thinnest or ‘muscle mania’ type of man, no, he was a solid, tall guy that picked up girls like it was a daily trip to the local supermarket.

“Y/N” he sighed. “You know dam well what to do! Just keep looking. Take a breath and keep going. Somewhere someone will see your talents.”

Wise words always seem to leave his mouth. Either that or you were just way to desperate. Even though he was the definition of a fuckboy, he was a smart fuckboy. Both in life and sex.

“See, that’s why I always come to you first!” you said as a smile spread across his plump pink lips.

“Yeah, I was your first everything” He retorted with a smirk.

It’s true. Your best friend was your first everything. Maybe being best friends with your ‘first crush’, ‘first kiss’, ‘first make out’ and ‘first sexual contact’ wasn’t the best idea ever. But hey, the idiot crept into your heart and well, he’s stuck there now. You still love the guy to death, but you always learn from your mistakes. Him, being a painful reminder of that.

“Whatever.” You bite back.

A comfortable silence settles in between you as you slowly sipped the rest of your drink. You loved how you could sit in complete silence and still share so much with someone. The rest of the day consisted of interviews and shopping.

In summary… it was fruitless.

Nonetheless you chose to take Lusai’s advice and keep trying. Somewhere out there, someone will see that you are worth the risk. You are passionate about your work and that’s what makes you different from the rest.

It wasn’t long until you found yourself in the same coffee shop, at the same table, sitting across the same person, drinking the same dam coffee. You were in need of something stronger than coffee. Unfortunately, you hate alcohol as much as you hate rejection. Your hope of finding that dream job was slowly fading. Lusai was a smart boy, and so he did what most smart people would do if a friend was on the brink of depression and self-pity, he made a horrible joke.

“So, the other day I bought a bottle of still water.” He began.

With confused eyes you looked at him expectantly.

“I bought that bottle and threw the water down the drain.” He said as he took a sip of his drink.

“Why did you buy water just to throw it out again?” you asked a little annoyed.

“I wanted to set the water free” he was now staring at you, his face void of any emotion. A beat went by as you sat there, dumbfounded, only to burst out into a fit of laughter.

“There we go! There’s the Y/N I know” he said with a chuckle.

“I hate you, you know that right?” You said as you attempted to punch the speed devil.

He simply shook his head as silence once again took a hold of the atmosphere. You must be doing something wrong. Your studies included practical practice, yet you are seen as inexperienced. You got lost in your jumble of thoughts until Lusai cleared his throat across from you. You turned your attention back to him as his worried eyes made contact with yours.

“Y/N” he began with a shaky breath. “Maybe, just maybe you shouldn’t limit yourself to our country. I mean, you always wanted to travel. Maybe this is just a sign that you should search overseas.” He carefully added. Examining your face as he waited for your reply. Like most people out there, packing up and leaving everyone and everything you ever knew behind scared the living shit out of you. It has been one of your many dreams to see the world yes, but leaving completely without certainty of returning? That scared you.

“I- We’ll see” was all you could say. What more can a scared brave girl say when you had no right to show your weak side? Even though Lusai knew you, you never allowed him the opportunity to see you as a weak woman. And now was no exception.

His words definitely stuck with you. That very evening you began your wild search into the great unknown pages called the internet. You found hundreds of opportunities, but none of them struck your interest. Either it was just an office job (which was a big no, you needed to be out there and not locked up behind a creaking old desk signing papers) or they were just simple internships with little to no pay. None screamed your name, until you came across a rather unusual advertisement.

 Z private Investigators.

Needed: Forensic Scientist.

No skills needed nor any experience. We have enough staff to help with the basics.

Status of request: Urgent.

Contact Mr Kim if you are interested. 08**-9634-09**or Zinvertigators@crimelab.co

Well, this should be interesting. It was as if this advertisement was made just for you. You clicked on the link and that’s how you delved into this company’s history.

“It’s located in South Korea, some place called Busan at the moment. But its almost like a company on wheels. They move around a lot to different cities. At the moment there’s seven employees, all men. There were unfortunately no photos whatsoever.” You explained to Lusai over the phone as you sat crossed legged on your bed still scrolling through their homepage.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Apply Y/N. Working with seven men can’t be that bad. And you’ll get to travel! Maybe this is what you have been waiting for, the worst that can happen is receiving a no.” Lusai said

After hanging up you got started on your email:

Good day Mr Kim,

My name is Y/N. I have recently Graduated with my honour’s degree in Forensic science. I’m 20 years old. I know I am way to young, but I was home schooled. Attached is my resume.

I hope to hear from you soon

Kind regards,

Y/N

And just like that you found yourself a mere week later, on your way to the airport for a personal interview. Mr Kim had responded with the exact words: ‘For a 20-year-old your resume is sure impressive. You sound like a very intriguing girl, I can’t wait to meet you. We don’t believe in interviews over the phone. How soon can you fly out?’ Now here you are saying goodbye to your closest relatives on your way to the great unknown.

The flight was probably the scariest part of the whole ordeal. The shaking of the plane as turbulence took over for what seemed like an eternity, definitely made you thankful for every blessing you have received. The fact that you were alone on a man-made bird and the fact that you were sitting next to a creep, his hand kept ‘accidentally’ touch your left thigh, wasn’t helping. When the plane landed some 20 hours later you were more than happy to get the hell off the overgrown chunk of metal.

Walking out of the plane you saw a masked man standing near the window with your name scribbled on a paper. This guy was completely dressed in black. He had long, defined legs (in skinny jeans that did wonders for his thighs, if you were being completely honest), broad shoulders covered in a very loose fitted black hoodie, completed with a face mask and fishers hat hiding his hair completely. His eyes though, big brown ones, they were calculating.

As you walked over to this black ninja looking assassin you gave yourself the most needed pep talk.

“Just breathe, no one knows you other than Mr Kim. Fact they don’t even know what you look like. You are fine, just peachy. Oooh shit I’m getting closer. Shut it! you got this girl. Just bre-“

“H-Hi, I’m Y/N.” You said as you came face to face with this mystery man in black denim, and really good-looking thighs. You could see him smile under his mask. He nodded to you and turned around. Awkwardly you followed him to a big black SUV. Without a word he ushered you inside and off you went. The ride was silent as you stared out the window. You had no idea where you were going but soon the van left the city and entered a quieter scene of houses and apartments. Slowly your eyes got heavier as sleep overtook you. So many questions haunted your dreams, so many.

You woke with a small gasp as you felt someone’s hands on your thighs. Looking up you came face to face with, yet another, masked man in all black. This was someone else. Someone with soft yet dangerous eyes. This time, though, the unknown man removed his mysterious mask.

Time stopped as you came face to face with heaven. This man had brown almost almond coloured hair, his soft deep almost black orbs stared straight at you. He gave you a boxy grin as he saw you taking his god-like features in. His deep voice startled you as you got lost in those mysterious orbs for eyes.

“Hi Y/N, Welcome to Busan. My name is Kim Taehyung. Or Mr Kim, whichever you prefer. This is the place you will be staying, I do hope it’s to your liking. We’ll give you a day or two to adjust. I’ll let you know when your interview will be. I’m so sorry for leaving you alone like this but we have some business to attend to. Have a peaceful evening Y/N.” Taehyung said as he stood up. He helped you out of the van and before long you found yourself, yet again, alone.

That evening after packing away your stuff and making yourself at home with a bottle of wine and a Domino’s pizza, you couldn’t help but let your mind drift back to the almond haired man you met. Taehyung. Those eyes made your skin tingle, and not in an arousing way. There lurked a sense of danger behind them, a danger that perked your senses with curiosity.

As you sat on the couch your curiosity got the best of you. Seeing as you were too tired to take in your surroundings, you decided to do your own little research on the boss before you go for your interview. Pulling out your laptop you opened Naver and began your escapade into the life of Mr Kim.

“Huh? He… he doesn’t exist? How does someone not exist on the internet?” Even you can be found with a simple search of your name. Hell, your whole life’s history could be found through a simple search and a click or two. Interesting, interesting indeed.

That evening you went to bed with even more questions than answers.

 Oh, if only you knew what you were getting into…

Chapter 2

And there you have the first chapter... I hope you enjoyed it. Don’t be shy to ask if something is unclear... Love you <3 

Tag list: @gukptune @theweirdkidsontheblock @sugasheart @sugashaye @bulletproof-fanfics @carirosesg @crazy-fangirl-10 @waitingforanangel @deafeningstudentdreamergoth @slimou13 @autumnboo126 @chaechaebean217 @littlepinknightmare @sugasheart @kimmieann @nvghtlytae @part-time-patronus @ohmyspook69 @girlwith-thecinder-blockgarden @allayna24 @mikaelaaaaaaa713 @shyfox101 @djumbreon @bangtanwifey14 @honeydewseoks

If you want to be tagged in the next chapter, like this chapter !

p.s. Some names tumblr refuse to tag... I am so sorry, I did try

[eabhaalynn]

Your Local A-Level Survival Guide

If you’re reading this, I’m sorry.

It probably means you’re doing a-levels. That is… unfortunate.

Everyone has a different experience of their a-level years. For me, they were the most enjoyable two years of my school career. I found some of the best friends in the world and honestly learned so much, both in and out of school. However even I have to say that the exams were the WORST. There were too many tears, tantrums and existential crisis’ to count.

And yet, I survived them. And I have so many friends who survived them too. And if I can get through them in one piece, anyone can.

So; here’s a little advice on how to survive the stresses of sixth form, both in school and out, and maybe even get a few a-levels along the way. I’ve split them into revision tips, school life and social life because this post is a fairly hefty read. (sorry again!)

STU(DYING) 

1.    Make notes as you go along.

You will LOVE yourself for this in June. A-Level content isn’t anything close to GCSE content, and you simply will not have time to start writing notes and learn them all around exam time.

Try to keep within a day of your class with your own notes and if you fall behind during the week, try to get caught up that weekend.

Find a note-taking style that fits how you learn. I personally realised in my upper sixth year – just a tiny bit late - that I loved making and learning off of summary posters. Trying out different ways of note taking will do no harm.

2.    Ask if you need help

Your teachers and friends are all on your side. You are not a burden for asking them to explain an idea to you again, or to reword something. Your teachers are literally being paid to help you, and your mates are in exactly the same position you are. Ask them for help if you need it, because a-levels really are very hard – and they only get harder if you try to go it alone.

3.    Find somewhere you can bare to study in

In school, if you have a choice of study rooms, spend your free time in ones you like – okay, maybe tolerate – being in. At GCSE we only had one study and I hated it, but at A-Level I had the choice of two, with a definite favourite, and it really makes the difference.

Make friends with your study supervisors, they have the power to make or break your a-level years.

At home, study where you’re comfortable. But not too comfortable. Your leavers hoodie will become your wearable hug over study leave and I also highly recommend investing in comfy tracksuit bottoms. You get used to looking like a tent most of the time

My favourite places to study were the public library and various coffee shops around the town I studied in. They were less strict than school, but still required more discipline than trying to study in my bedroom. Just try not to develop a caffeine dependency over the next two years because I certainly did.

4.  Don’t compare yourself to others.

You are not your friends. You are different people, you probably have different ways of making your tea, and you almost certainly will have different ways of studying.

 I remember around repeat season seeing my friend sit and do a booklet of twelve past papers all day. To her credit, she did them all. I, on the other hand, did a total of one past paper over three repeat exams. We put the same hours in. We got the same grades in the end.

Other peoples work doesn't invalidate your own. Everyone is working with their own skills and capabilities.

5.  Repeat everything you need to.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with repeating modules in upper sixth. There’s also absolutely nothing wrong with repeating upper or lower sixth.

The extended exam period (seven (!!) weeks) is awful; it is genuinely very difficult to avoid burnout, but your understanding of modules is so much better second time around and repeats almost always pay off.

You will meet a whole new group of friends through repeating modules, purely because it is so difficult that you have no choice but to cling on to the people that are going through it with you

6.    Don’t do an unnecessary hard one

All A-Levels are hard. Some a-levels (chemistry and biology for me, also twitter tells me further maths) are very hard. Unless your Uni course requires those traditional, exceptionally hard subjects, don’t do them.

Pick your subjects around your interests, because your whole life is going to revolve around them for two years. Two years of interesting impossible exams beat two years of boring impossible exams any day.

No matter how much you love that fourth subject, don’t take it – and don’t keep it on – unless you absolutely have to. Your grades may suffer, your already limited free time will suffer, and there are very few cases where you will ever need it. I loved AS History with every fibre of my being, but for my course I didn’t need four subjects past AS and so it would have been unsustainable and unnecessary to keep on yet another academically challenging subject

7.  Make use of the resources available to you.

Ask your older friends for their notes, borrow and buy textbooks, read relevant articles online.

 My school was especially good for this, if you like making notes on a certain kind of paper (like A3 or squared for example) ask your teachers to get you some.

Use the free printing credits your school gives you! The internet is full of additional notes and papers and worksheets that are free and quite literally a click away.

SKOOL LIFE

1.    You are the most important

No a-level is more important than you and your wellbeing. Take care of your mental and physical health throughout your studies. Nothing in this world is more important than that.

If you are suffering, tell someone! A-Levels can feel so lonely and sixth form can be a very high-pressure environment, but every adult in your school has a duty of care over you, and there is always someone to help you through it all; be it a friend, family member, teacher or youth worker.

2.    Be nice!

-      Schools are inherently toxic environments. Everyone is loaded with hormones and there are few things in this world scarier than a building full of stressed teenagers.Be nice to everyone you come across, no one loves a levels and most will really struggle through them. You only ever know a tiny bit of what is going on in someones life, so do try not to make anyone’s life any harder.

3.    Take every opportunity that comes to you

-      Take part in any extra curricular you can. You probably will learn more from them than you do in class, and you get the chance to make friends with people you’d never come across otherwise. I did debate, public speaking and the rotary award during my sixth form, and they all helped me so much to develop the soft skills and time management that eventually got me into my degree.

4.    Set aside time for careers/admin

-      It might not be a-level important, but you’ll find yourself with a lot of sorting out of your life to do throughout sixth form – especially if you’re applying to medicine or similar courses that require multi-step application processes.

5.    There’s no right or wrong way to do sixth form

-      A-Levels aren’t a one-way street. You may have to change subjects, you may have to take time out, you may end up sitting your courses at two different schools, over one or two or three years, and that is all okay. No matter what way you do it, you’re doing alright.

6.    UCAS will ruin your life.

-      UCAS is the sixth form version of the wee guy on the bus who would pick on you incessantly, and even though he was never that important, he’d always be there and never do anything worthwhile for your life.

-      It’s not the worst thing in the world, but it is another thing to worry about, when you really don’t need it to be.

-      Try to keep on top of it and get your application over with early. The emails from track will keep giving you the fear forever, even after you’ve had 3 straight up rejections, missed an offer, declined two different offers and confirmed your place.

SOCIAL LIFE (trust me it does exist)

1.    Balance is everything

It is not normal to have your life be so centred around one place as much as it is during a-levels. As well as this, being 16 – 18 is literally the best time to be alive and make memories in your whole life. Spend lots of time on schoolwork, but not all of it.

2. You’re not going out too much

You work so unbelievably hard all week. You do deserve to go out sometimes.

My upper sixth was framed by panicking and feeling wracked with guilt every time I left my house or went on any night out. This is no way to feel There is more to life than a-levels and upper sixth is the last time in your life where all your school mates will be all together all the time. Make the most of it! (Just, also make notes)

3.    Take a day off

Like literally, take a day off a week

I took Sundays off schoolwork in upper sixth, when I usually worked in the afternoon, had the morning to myself and the evening as a time to rest. This will keep you sane.

4.    Make time for the friends you don’t see everyday

You won’t have a lot of free time, but if you make a conscious effort to see your far away friends every couple of weeks it always gives you something to look forward to.

5.    Don’t give in to peer pressure

I promise it is so much fun to go out and not drink excessively. Don’t do hard drugs, don’t drink more than you can handle, especially not over term time. It’s just not worth it. Showing up to school hungover is not a good look, or any fun at all – no matter what your mates say. A-Levels are a stressful enough two years without losing all this extra time to hangovers and come downs.

6.    Make good habits

 If you have a spare evening during the week, go for a walk. Take the bus and walk one day a week instead of driving. Maybe even join a gym. As well as a distraction, exercise and a generally healthy lifestyle will get your endorphins flowing and you will notice a huge difference to your stress levels within a few weeks.

You’re going to need comfort food – trust me on that one. But if you’re going to substitute a healthy lunch for a chicken box and squashies, at least have a banana for breakfast. And never skip breakfast, it will make you a hangry, hanxious, horrible person.

Congratulations! You made it to the end. I really hope you’ve found at least some of this advice helpful, and that you get through sixth form with all of your sanity intact. 

(I’d like to thank Julia Anusiak, Alexandra Rosbotham, Aoife Donaghy, Maeve Denver, Gabrielle Carland, Caitriona Fitzpatrick, Grace Craig and Jack Worrall for their contributions to this blog post)

[ezarendbontasmostolyanedes-blog]

Injury Law Firm Albany Georgia

Crashes occur, and an accident attorney is the appropriate professional to get in touch with when they do. These attorneys deal specifically with seeking justice for people that are harmed in vehicle, job-related, along with other accidents. Insurance coverage firms might not operate in support of an injured mishap sufferer. It really is in their best interest to attend to insurance claims and also pay back simply a little amount of money. Also employers at times reject workman's settlement cases, condemning staff members for causing crashes. This is why an increasing number of people seek a lawyer in these scenarios and have them stood for by an injury lawyer.

Every circumstance is unique, so it's critical that you consider the information and after that extremely carefully pick the next step. The very first step to obtaining an Albany GA injury lawyer is generally to ask family and friends for suggestions. Next, surf the neighborhood yellow web pages. Document a list of potential companies as well as their websites. After undergoing the internet sites for these attorneys, verify they are determined by the state bar association or nationwide legal organizations. Right after limiting the listing to 3 or four lawyers, contact all of them by phone to establish a no charge consultation. Most of injury lawyers provide this solution, to enable them to obtain familiarized with potential customers and make certain the situation is worth going after. The first meeting can give the customer a feeling of exactly how devoted the attorney is to the situation.

When picking the appropriate depiction, you require to pick one who has a great deal of experience collaborating with personal injury instances like your own. This accident legal representative additionally requires to possess a credibility of taking considerable instances entailing insurance companies to court as well as winning. Picking the appropriate lawyer boils down to a client's convenience and ease. The accident victim have to really feel comprehended as well as even took care of by the lawyer. Some accident sufferers might be extra comfortable collaborating with a terrific Albany GA injury attorney that will certainly make a customer feel great in the quest of justice.

Most Albany GA personal injury lawyers are paid on a backup basis, suggesting they get a percent of the payment from the instance or settlement. This part can differ depending upon the experience and reputation of the injury attorney. A less skilled Albany GA attorney may not need as large of a section, but he might likewise not present a good enough hazard to an insurance coverage company if the attorney is collaborating with insurance agencies. For that reason, the arrangement may be less than what the client actually needs. One of the most significant truth to remember is the reality that a crash is a serious issue that requires legal help. Expert caring personal injury attorneys that will stand up for victims as well as effort to make something better take place in the middle of a negative scenario.

Albany GA Personal Injury Attorney

It's extremely important that you get in touch with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Unanticipated injuries throughout mishaps can certainly be bothering. A common day can shake up right away as a result of any kind of kind of mishap. In the midst of the turmoil, victims as well as their family members must make split-second choices and take care of brand-new as well as tough conditions. They might swiftly neglect their rights and what is owed them.

When you or somebody near you has actually experienced a physical injury because of another person's activities in Albany GA , it's secure to say which you might most likely desire the settlement of that injury, and also for that you'll require the very best injury attorney. There are millions of people who hesitate of admitting their mistakes which result in injuries to one more person, and other insurance coverage service providers make massive profits by under-compensating injury sufferers. The majority of insurance policy companies have attorneys doing benefit them 24/7, and they understand that most people do not know anything concerning territory and their individual lawful rights; which's why it is necessary that you manage a personal injury lawyer must you endure any kind of physical damages as a result of someone's mistake.

If an injury insurance claim is made complex, it could be best to acquire the suggestions of a lawyer. Picking simply any sort of legal representative isn't a valuable long-lasting approach. You must select someone that has experience taking care of hurt people, or complainants, in injury insurance claims. The appropriate injury attorney is going to be experienced, have an excellent credibility and also somebody that can be reliable.

Although Albany GA personal injury lawyers rarely charge for an initial meeting with a prospective client, prior to your conference you require to make inquiries if there is a cost to have a preliminary examination. Ought to there be one, you will be obliged to pay that charge although you do not preserve the services of the legal representative. However, even if the appointment costs nothing, you've got every right to take a while to assume before you employ a lawyer, as well as you have actually got every right to determine not to employ the lawyer. Hiring a personal injury attorney is a big action, as well as there is no problem with speaking to several lawyers to situate one who makes you comfy.

One of the best means to find an Albany GA accident attorney would certainly be to consult a lawyer you trust fund. If you do not know any type of attorneys, ask your friends for names of lawyers they rely on. It isn't crucial that they provide you the name of a lawyer who can handle your case - the most crucial thing is that the lawyer is most likely to recognize the issues of your circumstance, and is well-positioned to recognize which attorneys in your local neighborhood have the skills to look after your instance. Whether or not the attorney can not personally take your instance, he'll usually be able to refer you to a lawyer who can.

In the event that any of these scenarios have befallen you or a loved one, you know that the case itself has actually been more than distressing enough without adding the force of court room proceedings to it; that is why the most valuable course of action is to look for the solutions of the most effective accident lawyer that supplies free examination. Most of all, the most effective injury law firm to utilize is one which will require absolutely nothing at all unless they appropriately settle your case. With such a company, you can be favorable that this traumatic event will certainly have the best feasible resolution. To put your instance in one of the most efficient hands, speak to a seasoned injury attorney.

When You have actually Been Directly Hurt By Another in Albany Georgia

When you have actually been hurt as a result of negligence by an additional person you have lawful rights as well as may be entitled to obtain monetary settlement.

A lawyer defends your best interests. They have actually seen instances like yours, understand the regulation, and know what kind of compensation you are qualified to. They will certainly investigate your situation and also if they feel that your case can be won they will plot a lawful course. An attorney maintains your legal rights in mind and will function diligently to protect you as well as make certain that your civil liberties are safeguarded.

Picking A Good Albany GA Personal Injury Attorney

If you do not know an accident attorney and also you require to find one you can ask a lawyer that you have had experience with. They will certainly contend the very least one personal injury attorney to refer you. If you do not know a legal representative after that ask your family and friends if they can refer you to anybody. When you have the names of some lawyers do some research study to learn some history details about them as well as find reviews about them from others. When you have selected some lawyers that you assume you will certainly fit with provide each of them a phone call as well as established a meeting with them. Many lawyers will certainly offer you a meeting for on the house, yet some may have a cost so make certain to ask when you schedule your conference. At the meeting you can tell them regarding your situation and select which lawyer you would like to have represent you.

Ask Your Personal Attorney Questions

You require to ask your attorney inquiries and be as knowledgeable as feasible. One of the most essential things you need to ask your lawyer regarding is expense. A lot of injury attorneys work with a "Backup Fee" basis, implying that they receive a portion of the negotiation should your case be won (normally 33%-40% in accident instances), but they receive nothing if the case is shed. They don't get paid unless you make money and that makes certain that they will do every little thing they can to ensure that you receive as high as you are entitled to from your personal injury. You must additionally inquire about any type of "Attorney Charges" and also "Lawyer Prices." These are 2 entirely different points, so while there may not fees there might be expenses, or the other way around. Most of personal injury cases are resolved out of court, so there are costs and also costs will certainly not enter into play but you need to make sure that you find out about them due to the fact that you will certainly pay them. Some attorneys agree to bargain their charges yet you should bear in mind that more skilled attorneys will have the ability to obtain you bigger honors as well as settlements than lawyers with much less experience.

In the long run bear in mind that if you have actually been harmed as a result of the overlook of an additional event you do have civil liberties. The most effective choice you have to shield those civil liberties is to employ a knowledgeable, proficient, and valued personal injury lawyer to see to it that you receive the payment to which you are entitled.

[iampikachuhearmeroar]

jobs rant:

so i follow my area’s local job board on facebook, right. there’s this girl around my age (23) I think, who constantly posts about urgently needing “any type of job” in retail or a job in beauty therapy/hairdressing etc bc she’s got the qualifications in those fields. but it’s not her posts that annoy me (bc feels girl) but the people that comment on them, because a load of baby boomers hop on the post and say the following things:

(1.) boomer 1:“look here, you stupid girl, stop whinging! go hand out your resume in shops and meet them!” 

problem 1). hmm yeah go fuck yourself Martha. loads of people my age attest to doing what Martha suggested and get told to “just go apply online, we don’t take hard copy resumes!” or they spend whole days handing out resumes with only one shop taking them  bc they had a sign in the window. but does Martha listen to that? nope.

(2.) boomer 2: “how about you go in and ask for some work experience for 3 days a week, and offer to do it for free or like $5 an hour?” 

problem 2.) your suggestion is literally fucking illegal in Australia, Tessa, unless it’s part of a tafe or uni course (and you either don’t get paid or you get decently paid (hopefully) paid work experience). 

(3.) boomer 3 sometimes also in response to boomer/problem 2:  “oh but the above shows your initiative! because you’re not seeing a problem, but a solution! there’s only solutions! just stop bitching and start at the bottom just like all the others before you. you entitled brat.”

problem 3.) ??? no, Marcus, you fuck, I actually need fair pay and a real fucking job. getting either severely underpaid or not paid at all is NOT A SOLUTION, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE. EVEN IF IT IS JUST FOR EXPERIENCE. IT’S NOT SHOWING INITIATIVE IF I’M BEING USED AS FREE FUCKING LABOUR!!!!! HOW THE HELL ARE PEOPLE WHO LIVE OUT OF HOME SUPPOSED TO PAY THEIR BILLS OR RENT WITH VERY LITTLE PAY OR NO PAY AT ALL????!!!!! GO EAT SHIT FROM YOUR OWN BOTTOM MATE, IF WE’RE STARTING FROM THERE.”

(4.) boomer 4: how about you just pawn your stuff off then, you spoilt brat?” / just apply for maccas/or another fast food place!”

problem 4.) you see, Leanne, i’m in the midst of applying for several fucking grad positions (which f.y.i are proper jobs outside of uni) and several other fucking jobs, including unpaid internships. i’ve applied to some fast food places before, and they’ve told me directly that they DO NOT WANT ME AT ALL bc it’s far easier and cheaper for them to employ a 15/16 year old, than employing a 23yo who actually knows what they should be paid, and not a kid who doesn’t know anything about fair work and wages. also as someone with a degree and a diploma etc, they straight up tell me i’m too overqualified and that i’ll expect too much pay so they don’t want me bc of that. also what fuck is this pawning my stuff off bullshit??? what the actual FUCK does that have to do with this??? 

(5.) boomer 5: “the job market isn’t insecure you imbecile, only you are because you obviously can’t get a job like that! learn to be more confident and maybe you’ll get one. stop being soooooo needy, and one will find you! look for more opps!” 

problem 5.) the job market isn’t insecure, Brenton? sure you can fucking say that when you’re a boomer who refuses to leave their fucking job. that’s fucking rich. but be more confident and a job will find you??? really?? thanks for the absolute bullshit mate. i’m done here. actually i’m not done! what the fuck is this “stop being sooooo needy” bs??? i’m sorry that i need some meagre ass fucking money to literally fucking survive in this horrendous capitalist hellscape you helped create, Brenton. look for more opportunities??? mate i’ve applied to like 300 bs “opportunities” nearly all of which exploit young workers to the fullest extent. hell, a good bulk of them i dont even have the quals or requirements for! ALSO, MOST OF THEM ARE INTERNSHIPS AND THEY’RE MOSTLY UNPAID OR ONLY PAID FOR ONE DAY A WEEK!! (so only $300). just.... now im done. go fuck yourself.

boomer 6: “go get a useful qualification (to attack uni/college etc quals) or *insert some other work related thing like an responsible service of alcohol (RSA) & RCG (responsible conduct of gambling or w/e it is) card here or a barista course here* or if you can’t afford it, save for it maybe??? if you’ve been to uni maybe you’d have the sense to know that much????”

problem 6.) honestly every millennial is sick of hearing this Mildred. no qualification is guaranteed to get you a job anymore, you hack. but also.... but have you ever considered how expensive an RSA or an RCG is or a combined one is??? (for reference a combined rsa&rcg in my state, new south wales, is $240)  or even a barista course???? (again for reference a barista course is anywhere between $120-$200)... like im sure for people who are living out of home, that their rent and bills are far, far more important to pay than some bullshit courses that cost like half of their fucking rent money. 

boomer 7: GO VOLUNTEER! YOU LEARN AMAZING NEW SKILLS (blah blah blah)!!!”

problem 7.) ok Mick, yes i know volunteering is a good thing.... i practically had its “importance” forcefully shoved down my throat at uni.... but consider this: only those who have some spare money around can typically afford this option, because it’s largely not paid. and if it is paid, you don’t get paid much.... but of course that all depends on the provider. you can go on about all the new skills you get from volunteering all day fucking long. but like. for most “millennials”, as you condescendingly call us, it is not fucking feasible if they have literally ZERO funds, like myself. i couldn’t afford to do the volunteer blogger position i tried to do at uni. so i ultimately gave it up.

honestly, the only boomers or maybe gen xers (who knows really) that i like who comment on these posts, are the ones who commiserate with us jobless 20-somethings about their teenage or sometimes fellow 20-something son/s or daughter/s trying to get a job.... but always getting rejected bc of their complete lack of experience (i.e. they have none) or whatever else.  

anyway that’s my dramatic rant of the month of january over lmao.

[justlondonjobs-blog]

Top 25 Suggestions For Finding A More Satisfactory Job

Is a job change to be able? Peruse the 25 most effective methods to job hunt. Whether it's time for fresh beginnings, and if you are searching for employment, it's a great time to ensure your priorities are in balance. Begin with some fundamental soul-searching, move to innovative networking, and conclude with the foremost ways to investigate prospective businesses. They are all sure approaches for getting a competitive advantage in the job market. But finding a job means more than becoming competitive. In the bewildering " new world " of technology-online boards, career centers, and growing amounts of complex internet sites-it does mean knowing the right path around. Listed below are 25 suggestions to figure out how to maximize your time and effort, your effectiveness, and your likelihood of success in the next career search! First and foremost-take an individual inventory. Job hunting offers you the chance to get back to "square one" and inventory yet again what you are about, what abilities and understanding you have obtained, and what you want to do. Who are you? What would you like out of life? Employment? A profession? Where are you heading? Do you know ways to get there? Are you happy in your work/career/profession? What do you want to switch? An inventory like this is the best job hunting method ever devised since it focuses your watch of your skills and talents plus your internal desires. You begin your job hunt by first identifying your transferable, practical, skills. Actually, you are determining the essential building blocks of your projects. Learn more information at JustLondonJobs.com

Apply right to an employer. Choose the employers that curiosity you the most from any resource available (web listings, yellowish pages, newspaper ads, etc.), and acquire their address. Appear on their doorstep at your 1st opportunity with resume at hand. Actually if you have no idea anyone there, this work hunting method works nearly half the time, in case you are diligent and continue your pursuit over weeks or months.

Ask relatives and close friends about jobs where they function. Request every relative and friend you have finally or have ever endured about vacancies they could find out about where they work, or where other people works. It might take a village to improve a child, nonetheless it takes a whole network to find a new job! If you tell everyone you know or fulfill that you are job hunting and that you would value their help, you more than quadruple your chances of success.

Search hidden job marketplaces. Networking is the "Hidden Job Marketplace." Because each time you speak to someone who is in direct line with your career interest, you setup the probability that he / she will cause you to more people, or to the work you would like. People are connected one to the other by thousands of pathways. A number of these pathways are available for you, nevertheless, you must activate them to create them work in your favor. The majority of the available jobs are in the concealed job market. They aren't outlined in the classifieds or positioned with a headhunter. See them through your network of contacts. This is your most effective resource!

Question a professor or aged teacher for job-leads. Nobody knows your capabilities, commitment, and discipline much better than an instructor or professor who experienced the opportunity to use you in college. Since more folks find their sort out immediate referral by other folks than by any various other way, that is a target viewers you do not want to miss

Spend more hours each week on your own job hunt. Finding employment is employment! Treat your task hunting just as you'll a normal job and function a standard number of hours weekly, at least 35, ideally 40 along the way. This will decrease dramatically on the amount of time it requires you to find work. Did you know the average indivdual in the work market only spends 5 hours or less per week looking for function? With that statistic, it is not surprising that it could be a long, tiresome process.

Improve your probabilities and demonstrate your self-discipline and dedication. Devote Sundays to answering advertisements and planning your technique for another week. Don't spend valuable weekday hours behind a pc. You have to be out there researching prospects, networking, and interviewing. Function smarter for yourself!

Concentrate your job hunt on smaller companies. Most new jobs should come from smaller sized, growing businesses, typically with fewer than 500 employees, not large, restructuring companies. Although larger companies are more visible, popular and aggressive within their search for workers, it is with small companies that you will find the best potential for success to find work. Pay particular focus on those businesses that are growing and on the way to prosperous development...they are easier to approach, simpler to contact important personnel, and less inclined to screen you out.

See more employers every week. If you only go to six or seven employers a month in your task search (which may be the average, incidentally), you will prolong your search and delay your successful outcome. That is one reason job hunting takes such a long time. If you want to see 45 companies to look for a job, it only is practical to see as many employers weekly as possible. Determine to observe no less than two employers weekly at a minimum amount! Do this for as much weeks as your job-hunt lasts.

Continue until you discover the type of employer who would like to hire you! Looking for a work is a numbers video game. The even more contacts you make, the more interviews you'll get. The even more interviews you have, the more offers you'll receive.

Be prepared for phone interviews. Would you think that over 50% of potential candidates are disqualified following the first phone contact is manufactured with them by an company? Nowadays, employers don't possess time any longer to interview every feasible applicant and so are using calls as a more affordable, less time consuming method to weed out possibly unqualified candidates. The telephone interview catches many people off safeguard. You might receive more than just one telephone interview, and you must pass all of them. The interviewer usually accocunts for his or her brain within the first 5 minutes. The remainder of that time period is spent just confirming first impressions.

Create a support group. It really is easy to obtain discouraged, depressed and despondent (the three D's) in the job-hunt procedure. This can be among the toughest and loneliest experiences in the globe and the rejection you might have to handle could be brutal, but it does not have to be. The key is in knowing that you aren't alone. There are literally hundreds of thousands of individuals looking for work, and you can synergy with one in the event that you select. Many job-hunting groups already can be found, such as the regional Chambers of Commerce and on the web organizations through the Internet.

Look for a partner, or a more substantial group, and support and motivate each other. The road to success generally is a telephone call away.

Contact potential employers straight through professional associations. Professional associations provide excellent networks to save you time. Almost all committed experts are users of at least a couple of professional networks. Generally membership carries a directory, which gives you with a primary networking source for verbal contact and mail promotions. Additionally, most professional associations keep frequently scheduled meetings, which offer additional opportunities to mingle together with your professional peers on a casual basis. Finally, professional associations all have newsletters that certainly are a valuable resource for other trade publications, associations, and help wanted sections.

Post your resume online. In today's world there are many resume databases on the web. Job hunters is now able to tap into giant on-line databases when launching a search just before interviewing. There are three main ways to work search electronically or on the web: Joblines, Bulletin Table Systems (BBS), and the web. Many employers today have their occupations accessible through a straightforward phone call.

You may also use the advanced Resume Caster feature in ResumeMaker to create your resume to all or any of the top career centers on the internet for a large number of hiring employers to examine. You can also utilize the Work Finder feature to find from among a lot more than 1 million online-listed job openings for a particular job name in the condition you specify. The info is all there, looking forward to you.

Promote yourself in exclusive ways. Advertising is creating an market of potential companies and making them alert to your qualifications. There are numerous non-traditional ways to make this happen task. For instance, use electronic resume solutions to broadcast your resume. List yourself in suitable trade association news letters. Prepare 3 x 5 Rolodex cards which contain your name, address, and contact number on the front side as well as your objective and abilities from your own resume on the trunk. Keep them behind wherever you go and present them to whoever has reason to contact you later in regards to a job.

Accept a temporary position or volunteer function. Be your own operating advertisement by accepting a short-term position. This gives you with valuable encounter, contacts, and references. Volunteer for organizations and actions with business sponsors and associations that increases your presence and personal contacts. Explore your options and leave all choices open. You by no means know which technique may ultimately property you your ideal work.

Make cold-calls. Up coming to face-to-face meetings, calling is the most reliable method available to find a work. Every call you make is a chance to sell you to ultimately a prospective employer, to pursue a fresh job opening, or even to get yourself a referral. Your technique in the original telephone call can possess a categorical effect on your chances to acquire what you need from the decision. Complete at least 15 calls each day. You'll be astonished at the outcomes. Always be agreeable, mild, and positive.

Smile when you speak; the listener will listen to it. Make a brief outline for every contact and rehearse it. Create short statements that outline ways to help your prospective company accomplish their goals. Usually, always, always ask for referrals.

Re-define your job hunt when it comes to alternative possibilities. Successful job hunters will have alternative plans prepared in the backdrop and put into action them at the initial sign of problems. Prepare alternative means of describing everything you do, substitute avenues of work hunting, choice leads and get in touch with lists, alternative target businesses and employers to get hold of, alternative methods to approach prospective companies, and alternative programs to continue your task hunt through its effective completion. The careers are out there-you simply need to become sure you are employing the right solutions to look for them.

Seek profession counseling or job hunting help online. Many providers, through the Internet, are providing career counseling services, work hunting guidance, and reference equipment that you can change to in your job hunt. The best of the services are free of charge, and the quantity is growing astronomically every year. Your first approach would be to go to the online career centers integrated with ResumeMaker and visit each site to know what services they need to offer. There exists a virtual community simply waiting to listen to from you.

Consider federal and municipality sources. The government is an enormous resource of potential job search information, accessible to you at little if any cost. Several Division of Labor publications, for instance, may take you through your task search from starting to end, and help with profession counseling and industry analysis. Call your neighborhood employment workplace and take benefit of the services they provide.

Make sure you may survive financially between careers. Cover the time you'll be searching for a job. It is usually helpful when you can get an overall view of how your cash will bring you through any work search or teaching you may want to take on. You should have enough concerns and issues to cope with and do not really want to take into account your finances.

Arranged and prioritize goals while job-hunting. You should know what you need, if not you can't require it. There are actually thousands of jobs open up around you. Know what it is definitely that you would like, set your targets for attaining this, and prioritize the actions that you'll ultimately have to take. The even more particular you are about your objective, the better your likelihood of obtaining the job you want.

Zero in on a profession position and research the market. Before you begin meeting people, you should know something about the market or field you would like to function in. The more you understand, the better your conversations with potential employers will be-and the even more impressed they'll be with you.

Interview others for info. Interview people whose occupations curiosity you. You can usually find anyone who has done a thing that at least approximates what you would like to accomplish. Find the titles of such individuals, and go see, mobile phone, or write them. Become familiar with a great deal that's highly relevant to your dream.

Organize a job search marketing campaign. Organize your job search campaign. Failing woefully to do so is usually a common flaw in lots of people's job search technique. Make an idea for your task search.

This entails: preparing and organizing your job strategy, establishing a base or procedures center for your task hunt, preparing components, and undertaking job search tactics.

Revise your resume and become prepared. Update that resume! A resume can be what almost everyone you strategy in your job search will ask for. Obtain your resume in good shape. Use a professional support or Resume Maker to get ready a show-stopping resume!

Keep yourself dedicated, strong, positioned, and constant. Job-hunting could possibly be among life's most stressful encounters. You have significantly more power to keep carefully the pressures of work hunting in order, however, than you might think. The main element is to concentrate your task search and stay solid, dedicated and consistent. Among the curious reasons for having the mind is that it targets only one point at a time. Therefore keep it centered on you-and finding employment!