Work Breakdown
May. 14th, 2018 11:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madimpossibledreamermore stuff I forgot to post
Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: Krista is having a hard time getting her head around a boss who has indoor s'mores days.
Word Count: 820
Rating: Gen
Diana smiles. It’s not like she doesn’t know where her friend is coming from; when she’d gotten the slightly hysterical news that the up-and-coming tech company Knight Innovations had just hired her after months of not getting to the interview in the job process, she’d immediately done her research. In general the company was weird. Created by its CEO during high school (although not much had happened other than the registration of the company and a warehouse purchase in Sunnydale, California, the town of origin now wiped off the map), the company had an almost uncanny knack for understanding consumers’ technological desires.
The young CEO himself was an enigma. He was young, no doubt about that. And a genius, according to the scientists and engineers at various events and conferences. He didn’t always act that way; in fact he occasionally (Di suspected willingly) came off as an utter buffoon. His background was interesting reading, to say the least—he had the distinction of being one of a short list who had lost their eye as a civilian.
He was born in Sunnydale, a nowhere little town that jumped into national consciousness when it sank into the ground. Not a lot was known about the place, and oddly, none of the survivors really wanted to talk about it. Diana’s fairly certain that Knight, Kris’s new employer, wouldn’t have even mentioned it if not for difficult questions about documents and his lack of a diploma.
He was utterly casual with his employees, actively listening to their ideas and concerns. Some days he was a show off, actively seeking the spotlight, and other days he would be quiet, almost shy, and avoid drawing attention to himself.
The organization as a whole was casual, with easy conversations, a fully stocked kitchen, guest quarters in case anyone stayed a bit too late, mandatory breaks (including dancing games)…
It sounded unreal. Kris still didn’t know herself how she got the job, other than perhaps the recruiters were desperate, considering that she’d been upset about the response to her lack of experience during the job search.
Still, it was the kind of opportunity that you had to love. True, it was weird and across an ocean and you needed to stay in touch on your own, but that also meant venting was a more acceptable occupation.
“What did he do this time?” Diana has to give her friend the opening.
“Well.” She pauses. “This week I’m pretty sure when he built the pillow fort in his office he slept in it and didn’t leave.”
“Your boss built a pillow fort in his office,” Di repeats, somewhat incredulous. True, it meshed well with what else was known about the man, but still.
“I just…sometimes he’s completely professional and sometimes he acts like he’s all of thirteen. It’s not the bad kind of unpredictable, where you do the same job and get alternately praised or yelled at. It’s just…how do workplaces like this exist? How do they even earn money?”
“I have no idea,” Di responds, with a slight smile. “You do know there’s been interviews and articles. Didn’t you do any research before you accepted the job?”
“I’d been getting desperate,” Krista admits, sounding sheepish. “I pretty much just confirmed I’d heard of it and it was the real deal before I sent in my application.”
“I guess you didn’t read about the longer lunch or the gaming parties, then.” Di sounds sympathetic, but amused. “Is that really a thing?”
“Yes.” Kris sounds a bit traumatized. “Some of our classes in college were like this, but seriously, how is this real?”
Diana shrugs. “Eccentric inventors, plus European work laws. Speaking of which, all the guys are behaving themselves, right?” It’s not like she’s in the same state let alone the same continent anymore to protect.
“The program for dealing with harassment is pretty thorough, though my coworkers have said it was only needed twice and the guys involved got fired pretty quickly. My boss flirts with everyone, guys included, but doesn’t actually expect anything. It seems like it’s kind of a reflex more than anything, but he always stops if you get uncomfortable and there aren’t any threats or retaliation or anything.”
“That’s nice,” Di agrees, relieved but giving her an opening to keep complaining if necessary.
“I just don’t get how this is real,” Kris whispers, and Diana laughs at that.
“You’re not in reach, so I can’t pinch you to show you. I can tell you this, though—truth is stranger than fiction.”
Krista laughs. “That actually helps, thanks Di,” she agrees. “I should let you get back to…whatever, I’m still getting used to London hours.”
“Considering it has to be the middle of the night there…yeah, no kidding. See ya. Sleep well.” Hopefully she’s ready for the next day at work, however odd it is.
Main Points:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Iron Man Crossover (Self-Made Hero)
Summary: Krista is having a hard time getting her head around a boss who has indoor s'mores days.
Word Count: 820
Rating: Gen
“And I’m starting to think he’s seriously insane!” Krista rants.
Diana smiles. It’s not like she doesn’t know where her friend is coming from; when she’d gotten the slightly hysterical news that the up-and-coming tech company Knight Innovations had just hired her after months of not getting to the interview in the job process, she’d immediately done her research. In general the company was weird. Created by its CEO during high school (although not much had happened other than the registration of the company and a warehouse purchase in Sunnydale, California, the town of origin now wiped off the map), the company had an almost uncanny knack for understanding consumers’ technological desires.
The young CEO himself was an enigma. He was young, no doubt about that. And a genius, according to the scientists and engineers at various events and conferences. He didn’t always act that way; in fact he occasionally (Di suspected willingly) came off as an utter buffoon. His background was interesting reading, to say the least—he had the distinction of being one of a short list who had lost their eye as a civilian.
He was born in Sunnydale, a nowhere little town that jumped into national consciousness when it sank into the ground. Not a lot was known about the place, and oddly, none of the survivors really wanted to talk about it. Diana’s fairly certain that Knight, Kris’s new employer, wouldn’t have even mentioned it if not for difficult questions about documents and his lack of a diploma.
He was utterly casual with his employees, actively listening to their ideas and concerns. Some days he was a show off, actively seeking the spotlight, and other days he would be quiet, almost shy, and avoid drawing attention to himself.
The organization as a whole was casual, with easy conversations, a fully stocked kitchen, guest quarters in case anyone stayed a bit too late, mandatory breaks (including dancing games)…
It sounded unreal. Kris still didn’t know herself how she got the job, other than perhaps the recruiters were desperate, considering that she’d been upset about the response to her lack of experience during the job search.
Still, it was the kind of opportunity that you had to love. True, it was weird and across an ocean and you needed to stay in touch on your own, but that also meant venting was a more acceptable occupation.
“What did he do this time?” Diana has to give her friend the opening.
“Well.” She pauses. “This week I’m pretty sure when he built the pillow fort in his office he slept in it and didn’t leave.”
“Your boss built a pillow fort in his office,” Di repeats, somewhat incredulous. True, it meshed well with what else was known about the man, but still.
“I just…sometimes he’s completely professional and sometimes he acts like he’s all of thirteen. It’s not the bad kind of unpredictable, where you do the same job and get alternately praised or yelled at. It’s just…how do workplaces like this exist? How do they even earn money?”
“I have no idea,” Di responds, with a slight smile. “You do know there’s been interviews and articles. Didn’t you do any research before you accepted the job?”
“I’d been getting desperate,” Krista admits, sounding sheepish. “I pretty much just confirmed I’d heard of it and it was the real deal before I sent in my application.”
“I guess you didn’t read about the longer lunch or the gaming parties, then.” Di sounds sympathetic, but amused. “Is that really a thing?”
“Yes.” Kris sounds a bit traumatized. “Some of our classes in college were like this, but seriously, how is this real?”
Diana shrugs. “Eccentric inventors, plus European work laws. Speaking of which, all the guys are behaving themselves, right?” It’s not like she’s in the same state let alone the same continent anymore to protect.
“The program for dealing with harassment is pretty thorough, though my coworkers have said it was only needed twice and the guys involved got fired pretty quickly. My boss flirts with everyone, guys included, but doesn’t actually expect anything. It seems like it’s kind of a reflex more than anything, but he always stops if you get uncomfortable and there aren’t any threats or retaliation or anything.”
“That’s nice,” Di agrees, relieved but giving her an opening to keep complaining if necessary.
“I just don’t get how this is real,” Kris whispers, and Diana laughs at that.
“You’re not in reach, so I can’t pinch you to show you. I can tell you this, though—truth is stranger than fiction.”
Krista laughs. “That actually helps, thanks Di,” she agrees. “I should let you get back to…whatever, I’m still getting used to London hours.”
“Considering it has to be the middle of the night there…yeah, no kidding. See ya. Sleep well.” Hopefully she’s ready for the next day at work, however odd it is.
