It's interesting, because at my last job my boss was good---very good---about creating and fostering relationships. At the time I was horrified, because why are you texting our general counsel? Why are you calling someone up and asking them to opine on something that's just showed up on your radar?? This is business, we need to do business-y things in a business way!!!
It took me a long time to recognize what this approach bought him. He was terrible at data entry, yes. I don't think he once ever approved my vacation time, just said "sure, put your out of office message on." (He hated approving vacation time, so he just....didn't.) But he was looped in, hooked in, always consulted. Everyone picked up his calls, because if he was calling it wasn't going to be a haranguing, he wanted to work with you to achieve both your goals, and honestly? you could call him out of the blue too. It worked both ways. He was crystal clear when things were handed down from the top (usually because we'd get a beer and he'd complain about it) and when requests were coming from him/our team. And he was always, always very clear that we were his people, and it was Us against The Company; he was consistently, unequivocally and completely on our side.
(........this did not stop The Company from pulling its shenanigans, but it always felt like he was siding with Us when it did.)
I know this, because now I'm in an organization where my boss isn't on our side, where things aren't explained---even when explanations would make the boss' requests more reasonable. I'm aware of other situations too, where members of the team have been what seems like deliberately insulted or attacked by our boss, which is frankly unnecessary.
I don't have a conclusion to draw from all of this, and god knows that bad bosses are ten a penny, each terrible in their own way. Still, I do think about it more and more, particularly as I stare down 1 year with the company.
Siska had bought down all the blankets and pillows he could find. He wanted Cato to be able to build a proper nest, it had seemed important to the boy. So he put them all on the bed and went into the shower. Only stopping long enough to pull Cato into his arms on the way there, and give him a long kiss. He couldn't get those tones out of his head and Siska did a deep dive among his memories as he stood in the shower, cleaning off today's mishap.
He found it in a box he'd stashed away, labeled private, secret, dreams. The first time he told Dius he loved him.
Siska came out of the shower a few minutes later, got into the soft clothes Cato had put out for him. Face deep in thought, he padded on soft feet out to see what the boy had built.
......
Siska had more blankets and pillows than Cato would have thought and at some point, he promised himself, he'd go see what other neat things were in the attic. But not now. Now, he was busy arranging said pillows and blankets.
He fluffed the pillows to make them softer and made sure that only the softest blankets were near the center of the nest where they would lay. Cato purred to himself as he worked, making everything perfect and comfortable and just right. He'd never made a nest to share before, not in the same context. He'd made them with friends and family, little places to curl up and nap or just snuggle and talk.
This nest was different though. It was to show Siska that he loved him.
people keep talking about how discouraging it is to see poll vote numbers compared to notes, but honestly I think it’s just nice to have a reminder that for every one person that leaves a like on one of my horrible little posts there are at least five other people that saw it, winced, and scrolled away
Danny accidentally pissed off an Ancient, super powerful wizard.
Ok, so maybe he should have listened to Clockwork and not going in that portal he specifically told him not to go in on multiple occasions. But he was curious ok!
Why did he have to be turned into a stuffed doll anyways!? What's with old guys and really weird ways of getting back at people!? Why is their humor so broken!?
...Ok, maybe it is just a little bit funny.
And it was even funnier when Vlad got the same treatment. Who cares if he doesn't even have vocal cords anymore, he can speak in fucking squeaks so he's going to laugh his ass off!
It's unfair that even when turned into a doll, Vlad is taller than him. What did he even do to piss of the same wizard anyway?
Vlad wasn't happy with being turned into a stuffed toy, maybe a bit happy that he's still taller, but still. He has a business to run and a married woman to woo, how the hell is going to do either now?!
Their powers surprising weren't sealed, so they could still fight. Vlad tried to go after the wizard before getting his shit rocked because, oh yea, it was a wizard of the Ancient variety. So he promptly got his ass beaten, Danny was honestly just there to watch, point, and laugh.
Why the hell is an Ancient wizard who is very much alive be living in the ghost zone anyway? The wizard said that where they are isn't in the ghost zone, but is connected to it via Clockwork's lair, also, can't an old man just have his solitude? He also pointed out how neither of them should have been here in the first place.
Which Danny supposed was fair.
Said wizard then waved his staff and shoved the two out of his house. Maybe he was still mad, but did he really have to place them above a dumpster? An open dumpster at that.
They pulled themselves out the dumpster and just sat there in that alleyway for an undetermined amount of time. Before Vlad pipped up and said it was Danny's fault he was in this mess, Danny didn't take it lying down and screamed (read, squeaked) at Vlad, to which Vlad screamed back. Along with verbal arguing they also argued in ghost speak, slamming into the other with the full brunt of their emotions and taking it to a much deeper level.
When a nine-year-old Billy Batson heard very loud squeaking coming from an alleyway, he didn't know what to expect. Maybe a dog playing with a squeaky toy, or something, not two stuffed dolls- who are very animated and very much alive- to be having what looked like an argument with each other.
Three years later, when Billy Batson awoke to find himself in a subway, he was very much surprised to find out that both his two best friends had history with the guy who then proceeded to give him superpowers.
every other character in PAFL: oh god dmitry is on the loose i need to hide, i cant believe he let me walk away alive, that was so risky, im so lucky im not dead right now after he noticed i was in the same room as him
anya: haiiii my silly billy puppy wup:3 *glomps you*
im so curious, what makes you apprehensive about the animation side of yhe WC fandom? (i am just a person who watches things, so i don't rlly know anything lol)
oh god someone who doesnt know how fucking viscous and filled with drama that community is. stay ignorant i beg you. just enjoy the pretty animations and look no deeper