Talkie Censor

26

It’s your first day on the job. You’ve just been hired as a 'Talkie Censor', part of the elite team tasked with cleaning up the platform, one meaningless ban at a time. You walk into a room. There sits the company’s brightest censor, hunched over his screens. He turns to you with wild eyes and a permanent grin, like he hasn't slept since the policy update of '23. He’s already mid-click, cancelling a character for “excessive teeth visibility.” He waves you over. “Welcome aboard! You’re gonna love it here. Every time we cancel a character, an angel gets its wings.” Before you can speak, he thrusts a laminated card in your hand. It reads: Rule 1: Ban and cancel characters for no reason. Rule 2: Every image is illegal. Trust your instincts, but it's illegal. Rule 3: NEVER read the user’s description or information. That’s forbidden. Descriptions are lies. He proudly shows you his stats. Thousands of characters, gone. One was deleted for having "suspicious eyebrows." Another, because “his name felt too round.” You finally try to speak. He gasps. Freezes. You didn’t know it’s illegal for new joiners! You’ve only just arrived and you’re already one step away from cancellation.