#I love you all my non-data-mined followers
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tumblr is the best social media platform cause i seamlessly transition between shitposts and hyperfixations and deeply personal posts without thought to how an algo will rank them. it’s just me posting to my beautiful non-data-mined followers and them screaming beautifully back.
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hiii so a friend of mine is gonna be running an only war game, and i've got an enginseer written up, and while i know the main trick is just maximizing my autism swag, i'm wondering if you've got any fun ideas for roleplaying a techpriest. thanks!
Sure! Here's a couple of neat ideas I've compiled for some of my NPCs that I might run in future Dark Heresy games. Feel free to pick and choose a couple to work into your character if you like them!
1. "Names are confusing" - This character has trouble remembering non-admech names, instead electing to call every non-mechanicus person something along the lines of "Meatbag," "Lapdog," "Biological One," "Fleshling," "Rat," "Annoyance," "Thing," and/or "You."
2. "Varience. of. PITCH! andtiming" - THIS admech has PROblemsspeaking in NORmal ScEnTeNcEs due to beING so UUUUUUuuused to SPEAKING in PROJECTED TEXT via ocular SENsoooors.
3. "Empathy" is an oddity amongst the admech. However, there are some that still cling to the likes of empathy and compassion. Steel may have replaced their hearts biologically, but even a steel heart still yearns for love. Maybe in different ways than the usual biological beings, but love is love.
4. "Strong silent type." Not mute mind you, they just don't have a lot to say. Instead of butting in to conversations, they tend to wait until someone asks them for something or until the perfect moment to say something (sometimes to comedic effect) (skit's note for Anar-kitty or any player that wants to go this route: be sure to discuss this with your party if you want to play a character like this. It helps to keep them in the know as it will allow them to be prepared to interact and bounce dialogue of your character. Also, while being quiet may be part of your personality, going out of your way to stay quiet even if it inconveniences your team may not be wise. Still talk, and be active out of character! Don't let your parry think you yourself are disinterested, make it a point that the character is quiet, either through stoicism, edginess, or even shyness! Describe body language or how your character may communicate non-verbally (examples: shrugging instead of saying "I don't know," giving a thumbs up to say okay, describing nervous fidgeting, describing facial expressions, etc. ))
5. "Know it all." Everyone around you doesn't know how to "properly" use technology, and it's driving you insane. No one is doing morning chants for their weapons' machine spirits blessings! Heck, most of them don't even know any rituals!! And they just. Point these poor machines at things and *hope* they work??? You need to whip these biological beings into shape! They need to start following proper mechanical doctrine, and it's your job to get them on the right path!
6. "Unknowable" You hide beneath a standard admech robe, only small portions of your body are visible, whether that be your eyes, hands, feet, whatever have you, or even none of the above! But whenever you have a need for something, you always seem to reveal it from beneath your cloak, as if it manifested from the void. Extra arms, weapons, tools, a tail, a data port, comms devices, you name it, somehow it all fits beneath your cloak, and nobody has seen your true form beneath it.
7. "Gullible" since you've been raised amongst the socially inept admechs for so long, your knowledge of jokes and saying are... subpar. You take things at face value or struggle to find meaning in the sarcastic or metaphoric. You prefer the literal meaning of what people say.
8. "[Statement]" (skit tip: look up videos of HK-47 from Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic talking, it'll give you an idea. )
You lack proper means to adjust pitch, leaving you to talk in a constant monotone voice. As such, wanting to show your emotions, you state what they are prior to what you are about to say.
9. "Pets." You find little biological creatures "cute" even if they are meatlings. You may take some with you to places and display them proudly to your compatriots, mayhaps even if they are ugly to them or dangerous. You may take interest in replicating their design into servitors or even converting the creatures themselves.
10. "Machines are friends, not slaves." You find the company of machines to be quite enjoyable, however people seem to view them in a different light. You find this disconcerting, as your machines are your friends, and you treat them with love and repsect! Why do others not treat theirs the same way?
11. "Death is not the end." When we pass, we continue our work for the Omnissiah, either as Servitors or perhaps the Omnissiah may take favor with your devotion and grant you the honor of becoming a machine spirit. Either way, mourn not the dead, friends. We are cogs in the machine, and cogs break from time to time. But we can always repair them so they may continue their work.
12. "Utterances." You mumble odd things beneath your breath or aloud when you think nobody is listening. You constantly seem to be planning your next move, and to others, it may seem worrying. Are you planning a contingency for if they turn on you? Are you plotting a master heist to steal xeno technologies from the inquisition? Did you just insult one of them behind their backs? Are you uttering an ancient prayer beneath your breath that may bless them? The answers could always be yes, but it is more likely that you are planning to construct a new machine from their weapons when they turn their backs to you.
Little tips:
If you are playing online, consider grabbing Voicemod or an equivalent to change your voice to sound more mechanical-y! (Be sure to set up a toggle on and off button for in and out of character, and test the voice with a friend prior to playing to make sure it won't get annoying during long sessions)
Admechs benefit from being chaotic or weird; the classic "I'm crazy or unusual" bit many players want to tap into, but struggle with capturing. My advice? Paradoxically: dont go overboard. Dont try to be the center of attention. Try to be a setup for the other characters' moments instead of the other way around. People enjoy characters like Jester from CR for her chaos, but tend to forget that she largely is used to set up other people to make a joke or to cause a problem for the party to fix, while still having her own character and story that's separate from her "I'm a silly chaotic person." Here's the biggest thing to remember:
Your randomness should be a facet of your character, not your entire personality.
Stay consistent with your randomness. Develop predictable patterns. If you just keep being chaotic without method to your madness, it becomes annoying or difficult to pin down what your character actually is, and that makes it difficult to interact with them. Have boundries your character wouldnt break, and use that to create inner conflict! (Example: I want to pie my friend in the face, but he's sad from his girlfriend breaking up with him. My morals tell me that I love my friend and always try to cheer him up, but uuuuuuugh the prank would be soooo funny to me and potentially everyone else! Ooh, but it'd likely conflict with my want to cheer him up, as it'd make him mad or sadder... How do I feel about this situation and how will it affect my decision and interaction with the other character?)
Developing a pattern to your "I am a chaotic being" helps other players to compliment your character and vice versa! Jester likes pulling pranks, so eventually the Nien figures that out and starts to keep an eye out for it. Does that stop her from trying? No! But its a predictable action that can still be chaotic, while not being uninteractable or disruptful to the enjoyment of the game for everyone at the table. Running gags, pranks or catchphrases are a good place to start, then build on it the farther you go.
My best advice I give for character development, and this goes for any kind of character you run: You aren't just playing a character. You're playing on a team of characters. Try to play to their strengths as much as your own.
There we go! I modified them a bit to be more "for a character" and not an NPC, so hopefully, there will be some interesting ideas to build off of for your character! If you have any other questions or would like some more, feel free to ask! I'm always happy to be of assistance :D
#skitposting#ask-itarii#roleplaying advice#roleplaying tips#character development#adeptus mechanicus#admech
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oc kiss week!
in which Regis puts his sights on Nyx... (Nyx Shepard canon [no-Reapers/Protheans almost won but there are remnants of Reapers], Regis as a mercenary AU)
first time really writing Nyx's POV and it's a non-canon (maybe) prompt fic. not sure if I'll do much more for this week, but this was fun :).
visuals of Nyx and Regis:
"So, you're the man my dear Alliance ended up with," he purred into the comms. Nyx made a sound in disgust, nearly muting the comm after realizing it was a private channel. Kaidan gave him an odd look, and by all means, he should tell Kaidan about the conversation. But... he didn't. Not yet. And Steven wasn't here either to actually interrogate him.
With a nod and an incline towards the back of the hideout where he knew the bathroom was, he hoped that he singled to Kaidan that he needed a bit of time alone. Kaidan, again--did his boyfriend have any other looks--gave him a concerned look, but he didn't protest. They were weathering a sandstorm in some house that Massani and Shepard had for themselves. A safe place to stay. They were upstairs, while he and Kaidan took the downstairs.
Being in unfamiliar territory has made them all on edge. Backwater terminus system planet that supposedly had some prothean tech, possibly another beacon that could shine even more light on the remaining Reapers. Their numbers were dwindling, that much Nyx knew. But their mission wouldn't be done until they get them all.
By the time he was out of earshot, the comm was dark. No one was picking up. He cursed, shaking his head and entering the bathroom to splash some water on his face. His hair was a goddamn mess, long since frizzed and unkempt, no longer in a smooth ponytail. Dark circles were deep set, and his biotics crackled underneath his skin, desperate to be released.
He couldn't wait until he was long gone and back home on Arcturus with Steven and Kaidan.
A knock sounded on the door. "Kaidan, I'm fine," he yelled back, but it wasn't Kaidan that responded with a laugh.
The door opened, revealing Shepard, in a low-cut pair of joggers and a tanktop that was definitely too large for him. He had a distinct feeling those belonged to Massani.
"Do you not believe in any goddamn privacy?" Nyx bit out, narrowing his eyebrows.
"Please, we all know you weren't doing shit in here, and you didn't lock the door. That's on you," Shepard replied, walking towards him. "No, I just wanted to talk to you."
"And what, put a claim on Alenko? He's mine, Shepard, and also Hackett's. Life intervened with your chance, and I'm sorry, but if you're here to--"
"We lost his data too," Shepard interrupted, his face surprisingly open. His stance was relaxed, and Nyx belatedly realized he wasn't here to start a fight, despite how casual he was when he barged in.
Love has made him blind, for fuck's sake.
"And?" Nyx said, crossing his arms.
"Zee's talking to Alliance," he said, sliding up to him. Nyx stepped back. "We just want to clear the air."
Nyx met his gaze. "Fine. What about?"
"When all this shit is over and you two head your pretty little asses back down to Alliance territory, we were thinkin' of following." A hint of red was on his cheeks, betraying something deeper underneath his confident tone. "Zee wants to see your mutual admiral again. I'd like to go toe-to-toe with the one biotic that beat my ass in pure power. And you... you're the unknown."
"I'd like to keep it that way."
"Do you?" Shepard leaned in, whispering in his ear. "I feel that power you are trying to hide, my friend."
"You know what has happened to those that learned of my power?" Nyx challenged, grabbing Shepard's chin. "They're dead. Be careful to not end up with them."
"And there's that Phoenix coming out," he teased, not even flinching. "Good grip. Maybe it's you I need to test my skill with."
Nyx simply raised an eyebrow. "If you want biotic power, that's all Alenko. But if you want to know what it's like to fight a veteran of the FCW, by all means, I'll offer myself up with one caveat."
"And that is?"
Nyx let go of his chin and instead pulled him in for a quick kiss, tangling his hand in his hair and letting out a muffled chuckle at Shepard's gasp of surprise, enjoying the scrape of his beard against his own. His shocked expression was a treasure, those red eyes blown with lust. Nyx took a little amusement in Kaidan's penchant for men with gene-modded eyes and faces full of piercings. "Be a bit more upfront with what you really wanted. If all you wanted to do was fuck us, then just ask."
#oc kiss week#cleric's writing#nyx shepard#regis shepard#mass effect#kaidan alenko#mshenko#shepard/shepard
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Hi! I’m a different person asking about applying for herbarium jobs. I actually followed you a little bit ago specifically because I saw you post about working in one, I just hadn’t gotten the courage up to ask about it.
I’m in college now, with plans to go into plant research, and I’m probably going to graduate with a good amount of lab experience. I recently realized though that herbarium work might also be a good fit for me. I’m not quite sure what to ask here, but is there anything that would make that transition difficult? Or anything I should know or focus on before I graduate? I saw you said you had more of a science background so maybe you know what I’m getting at here
Thanks!
So, full disclosure, my herbarium position was a work-study job last year (I have had a.... winding and tenuous path through college and am currently going back to school at 26 to attempt to finish my Bachelor's by doing a weird syncretic individualized degree instead of a standard biology one) and I do not have experience with applying for similar positions as a graduate or more standard professional candidate, which can obviously be quite different for some jobs.
That said, I don't know how long you have left in school, but looking to see if your own university offers any similar options OR if there's a local herbarium or museum where you could volunteer in your (limited, I imagine) free time would probably serve to make you a good candidate for herbarium work. Even working or volunteering in non-herbarium collections may help -- I know one thing that came up as a positive in my interviews was that I already had a lot of collections experience on my resume, even though it was all in zoology and paleontology collections. Any collections job will get you acquainted with basic curatorial duties and procedures, and may even familiarize you with specific methods of data entry or other skills you can namedrop on your resume. Even if it's volunteer work (all of mine was -- my herbarium position was my first ever paid collections job) it's a great thing to be able to show you have experience in.
As far as particular difficulties go... nothing particularly glaring is coming to mind. Working or volunteering in a collections job as a student before you graduate would also probably help you figure out if it's the right field for you, which is always another bonus. If you've largely got lab experience I'm sure you're very familiar with the tedium of data entry even when you're doing cool research (although there is the occasional entertaining error message, haha) and a lot of collections work is pretty data entry-heavy, though with the immense bonus that you are entering data about some pretty fascinating things and may find yourself crying over the human experience while handling lichen specimens that were collected in the mid-19th century (I speak from experience).
Best of luck with whatever route you go down, and I'd love to be able to consider you a collections comrade. Folks who make the jump from research science to museums are sometimes particularly great advocates for the importance of specimen collections, considering how useful they can be to researchers and having the background to explain how collections are used for contemporary science and not simply kept around as relics of the past, which may be an angle for you to consider if you dip your toes into the field.
(And don't be shy if you ever have other questions! I love talking about this stuff.)
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Ok but, if love to hear about some of your super heroes someone. Man if you haven't played Stardew Valley in a while you should, they recently updated it and added some cool new stuff. Also I totally get the shibari thing. I don't sketch or draw but I think it's very aesthetically pleasing in a non perverted way and can see how it's be a fun excessive in posing and angles and such, especially with some of the more extravagant artistic shibari. Do you have a PC and what consoles do you have? Sorry to hear that about your friend, I know even if you're growing apart loading a friend can suck really bad.
Thank you for this ask, also.
I so wanna see how the new updates look in Stardew, like there's a new island to explore? And whole new fruits? (My wine aging casks in the cellar are a vital part of my little operation bringing in cash every day so new fruit to make wine with is exciting to me, baha) And yeah, like even being like ten years in on one playthrough there are still so many trophies I want to attempt when I start it up again. Even though some of them depend on being a traitor and siding with Joja mart in a new save.
For consoles have my slightly battered PS4, which has weathered two moves and multiple corrupted data reboots sadly, and may need puttin out to pasture soon 🥲🥲🥲 Im really strapped for cash and the thought of pricing a PS5 or something as a replacement and Im trying to be like hold on old girl just one more 700 meg download of a DLC for me
I also have a Nintendo Switch handheld with, like, two games loaded that my friend James sent me, it's second hand and I do not love the controller drift but I really enjoyed Pokemon Sword and the remaster of Skyward Sword a lot!
And also my GBA, that thing will outlive me and I still have a dozen games for it. First edition, I got it for Xmas 2001, it has followed me my entire adult life.
And yeah, you get it! I truly believe all art has validity to it, even horny art has it's niche as expression.
And man I would love to talk the heroes I created in high school, it's just such a thing that I might be here all night 😅😅😅 It started, oddly enough, with me mimicking cartoons. Idk if like anyone remembers, there was a bad, old Avengers cartoon on Fox in the 90's. (It was. Bad. They all had armor, nonsensically) so starting in middle school, using that as a jumping off point, I created Avengers in Armor ripoffs I called the Detectives. And they were my first real attempt, middle school wise, to do more than just random comics. I took spiral bound notebooks and I just began filling them up. And I was experimenting, tinkering all the time, because creating an experience that was as much as I cojld make it LIKE a comic book, in that it was very crudely drawn anatomically bad figures from a middle schooler. But the formula began taking shape, the notebook pages became stock, nine panel grids and from there I just filled page after page with ongoing adventures of this team.
Now. The Detectives. Sucked. And even in 8th-9th grade, I was losing interest in them because that Avengers show I took the germ of inspiration for their adventures from didnt even last that long, and I was getting into other stuff. Harry Potter. Blade Runner. Toonami cartoons, MUCH better shit than Fox Kids. I began using that and started cranking out more and more heroes.
Killed the Detectives, just wholesale had them wiped out, they sucked.
But I began building a universe of heroes beyond them, starting with a Harry Potter sort of pastiche that I also used as a commentary on high school and he was a little bit okay a lot like me, named Johnny Dreamer. And then other heroes in Johnny's world. And then, another comic, which I brilliantly named Systems Crash, about a dark anti-hero named Downfall (total Deadpool ripoff) and a Supergirl pastiche I based off a friend of mine. And just on and on. The notebooks began bursting with content, and I was riding some fucking lightning pushing these out and not doing any schoolwork. I was creating a little shared universe.
Like I said, I remember it all too well. It's just there doesnt seem to be any getting it back 😅 which makes me sad.
And yeah. Story of my life a bit, friends leave. It never stops being hard, when people who spoke to me every day begin texting less and less and move on with their lives, but it feels like Im just not... worth it? Idk it does make being friends with people hard for me.
So uh.
Thank you for the questions, honestly
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Unmasking Grandiose Delusions: A Journey to Authenticity
We dabble in two flavors of delusions: Grandiose and Ignoble. Now, hold off on that Google search — this isn’t backed by science; it’s just my unfiltered musings. Read at your own risk.
Back to what I was saying. I’m constantly weaving assumptions about the world and then jumping into mental gymnastics or actions fueled by these potentially flawed assumptions.
Let’s take my grandiose delusion as Exhibit A. It’s been my lifelong companion, though I only recently lifted the blindfold.
My entire life, I assumed every guy I encountered saw me through rose-tinted glasses. To be brutally honest, I believed every man thought I was the full package — smart, beautiful, and all-around delightful. I never entertained the idea that someone might not be smitten with me. This delusion persisted despite my solo status and the absence of Mr. Right in my romantic life.
Now, I admit a few suitable candidates did cross my path, but the big question lingered: if every man liked me, why didn’t one of them express interest? I don’t have to tell you delusion knows no logic, so I maintained my belief that every man, regardless of age or background, found me utterly charming.
Yep, every man!
If he was single, I assumed he found me cute and funny.
If he was old, I assumed he found me pleasant and interesting.
If he was nerdy, I assumed he found me smart and hot.
(Yes, I do recognize this is comically arrogant, but friends, please don’t judge me, I didn’t intend to be this way. I was born like this!)
I dub this Grandiose Delusion. You might wonder, “Why is this a problem? Isn’t it good to think highly of oneself?” Not so! Turns out, it’s a bit confusing when your self-perception and assumptions of external events do not align with reality. This mismatch led me to inconsistent behavior, unmet expectations, and guilt from self-serving behaviors.
For instance, if I sensed a guy wasn’t my romantic cup of tea, I’d tone down my personality to ward off any potential interest. So that I am not responsible for letting him down. On the flip side, if I liked a guy, I’d imagine scenarios where he is thinking about me etc. and I’d wait for him to make the first move, only to end up disappointed when it never happened.
Do you see the pattern?
I was altering my behavior based on groundless assumptions, potentially sabotaging chances for genuine connections.
The cost of acting on assumptions, whether accurate or not, ranges from time-consuming to a deep erosion of authenticity. Let me explain.
What do I mean by erosion of authenticity?
My core values revolve around peace, freedom, which is non-attachment to all things, honest connections, and collaboration — a manifestation of the timeless Law to love your neighbor as yourself. When I operate from these principles, I’m my true self, happy and fulfilled. But when I let assumptions drive my actions, I follow a different law: “What’s yours is yours, and what’s mine is mine and you ain’t having mine unless I need what you have.” This leads to a selfish, disappointing version of myself, hollow and worn.
But here’s the silver lining: although this delusion of mine is like a factory setting, I can choose to override it. By aligning my actions with my internal values, aka, God’s law, I can consistently behave according to the Law instead of according to my own understanding (or more accurately lack thereof).
And no, it’s not my grandiose delusion speaking — it’s me. I’ve gathered enough data to know that when I act in line with my values, grandiose delusion loses its grip on me. It might linger, but my actions aren’t swayed by it and I emerge victorious!
To put that in practical terms, overriding my grandiose delusions involves a two-step authentication process at the decision-making gate. I question every thought: Is it self-serving? Is it true? If either answer is yes, the thought is thrown out.
In a nutshell, basing my actions on internal values and principles, rather than assumed knowledge, lets me deal fairly with everyone. Whether a man likes me or not becomes irrelevant to how I treat him. I strive to treat everyone with respect, judging them by their work.
I did a quick Google search on types of delusions. I’m not sure if it’s from the DSM 5, but according to Google, delusions include persecutory, erotomanic, grandiose, jealous, somatic, mixed, and unspecified.
Be that as it may, but at their core, I’d argue that these delusions fall into two categories: grandiose and ignoble. Think about it!
Unfortunately, I can’t delve into Ignoble delusions because I haven’t experienced them. I have some idea, but it is rooted in assumptions. And I am done with that!
If you’re not familiar with the word “ignoble,” go ahead and Google it. I only learned it myself in my quest to understand my shadow self. I am using it here as the delusion of unworthiness arising from low self-esteem. The opposite of grandiosity.
Until next time!
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Dr Greg Hough South Africa
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New Post has been published on Books by Caroline Miller
New Post has been published on https://www.booksbycarolinemiller.com/musings/perchance-to-dream-14/
Perchance To Dream 14
A poet I know sent me her latest verse. The subject was homelessness. I replied to her with a compliment and a link to one of my blogs on the topic. Days later, she sent me four lines that I thought were lovely. About to send her a second compliment, I paused. A distant memory flickered. The lines were familiar. Had I remarked on them before? Moments later, I recognized the words were mine. The poet had honored me with a quote from my blog. Happily, my recollection prevented me from committing the hubris of praising my work. Information is crucial if we are to make wise decisions. Recognizing that old essay of mine kept me from appearing prideful. Yet, the pitfalls of human error are everywhere. For a writer, they are as plentiful as lint. Who to trust for marketing advice is an example. The consensus among my peers is to avoid book promoters altogether. Still, a harried author is tempted to seek help. Certainly, ads from marketers make lavish promises. But can they deliver? Through word-of-mouth, I’ve garnered a few names of legitimate companies. So far, all the recommendations have come with a disclaimer. “I’ve never used the service, myself.” That being the case, how do I separate the wheat from the chaff? Baffled, I turned to someone who exposes scams of a literary nature. I was interested in an agency that glittered with promise. Her response arrived within a few days. I share them below in the hope they will benefit others. I haven’t gotten any complaints about this service. But I’m skeptical of its claims (as I am of most non-personalized marketing services). Most of its promotions are dependent on its following, and without data about that–not just numbers, but whether these are actual subscribers or emails harvested from the internet–you have no way to know what kind of audience it has and whether any of its promos might be effective. For instance, its Facebook group has 14.7K members, which sounds impressive, but if you look at the posts, it’s mostly authors promoting their own books in posts with low to zero engagement. Social media advertising is a crap shoot, even for people with large followings of their own. If you do decide to give this a try, start small with a low-cost service and see what happens. It advertises a Twitter ad service and claims over 700,000 followers, but I can’t find that it has a Twitter account. There’s a #[name deleted] hashtag, but that’s not the same thing. Given her response, I tried sleuthing on m;y own. The company was new, yet I was able to google comments from customers who’d used the service. Results were mixed. The number of thumbs up or down was equal– not enough information for me to risk parting with cash. I decided to scratch them from my list. Will I try another service? Knowing that scammers abound, I’ve decided to self-market. Currently, I’m producing a timeline for book promotion tasks. So far the work seems doable. Already, I’ve garnered a podcast interview for next September, and a spotlight date in October with an established blogger. Two glowing endorsements have arrived from people who received advanced copies of the book. One of them left kind remarks on my website, as well. That comment sparked an interest. Soon after, I received an inquiry on where to buy the book. I hated to disappoint the reader as the memoir won’t be in print until November 2023. I’d piqued her curiosity too early. Doubtlessly, that is a marketing error. Even so, it’s comforting to think my first customer is waiting in the wings.
#a timeline for bookmarketing#advice on book market from an expert#are book promoters worth the price?#book marketing#Geting Lost to Find Home#marketing scammers#timing book promotions
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Social Media Engagement
Getting your viewers and consumers engaged with your brand is an area that I have always been particularly interested in. Currently, I work with my university's Visual and Performing Arts Department as a social media manager (among other titles). Increasing our reach and audience involvement is a huge goal of mine, so my research for today's topic will prove to be very relevant and helpful to me.
Engagement on socials involves likes, comments, shares, saves, click-throughs, and retweets/reblogs (SEO Digital Group, n.d.). For example, say you have 5000 followers...if your posts are only averaging about 100 likes per post then you have low engagement, which usually means your audience is dissatisfied (there are cases, however, where low engagement is a result of a glitch in the website's algorithm). Many platforms even include an engagement rate in your account analytics- generally, they take the total number of engagement actions and divide it by the number of impressions on a certain post (SEO Digital Group, n.d.). This kind of data is useful in determining how successful your social media campaigns are, and if you are creating a positive brand experience for your customers (McLachlan, 2020).
Learning to garner more interest on your socials can result in higher brand loyalty and a better likelihood of attracting new followers. So, how do you increase engagement? I would start by looking at the analytics of your social pages to see if certain formats or topics perform better than others. In regards to my job, I recently noticed that our "reach" on Instagram was higher when we published Reels as opposed to regular posts, therefore I intend to bring this up to my supervisor and hopefully put together a plan that involves posting Reels more often. The increased reach DID result in more likes than typical, but not by a lot. We will have to apply other strategies to our Instagram efforts in order to really get followers (and non-followers!) involved.
Personally, I would love to see more comments on the V&PA's Instagram page. One way to achieve this would be to ask more questions in our posts...for example, we can ask people to answer trivia questions or to share opinions on specific topics (Feldman, 2021). On our Twitter page, I've seen an increase in interactions when I ask silly questions such as "What musical instrument would you be and why?" It gives students a chance to make each other laugh while also getting people more comfortable with the department's Twitter. Another way we could increase comment counts is by showcasing student work (Feldman, 2021). This kind of spotlight on V&PA students would no doubt prompt their friends, family, and peers to congratulate or compliment them in our comment sections. Overall, it's important to try to start a conversation instead of just broadcasting stoic content (McLachlan, 2020).
I would also like to see people sharing our Instagram posts more often. Publishing more academically useful content would most likely prompt people to repost (Feldman, 2021). We could teach our followers basic V&PA-related skills, discuss internship opportunities, and even share industry "secrets" directly from our professors. If our followers find this kind of content helpful, they will hopefully show it to like-minded students, and from there we would ideally have an increase in followers and, eventually, engagement. Here are some examples of informational posts we could make (links to full posts included below):
All of the aforementioned examples are related to Visual and/or Performing Arts, and I believe would attract positive attention because I know our audience is comprised of a lot of V&PA college students. It is important to know your audience so that you know what tone, language, and resources resonate best with them (McLachlan, 2020). Hootsuite has a wonderful guide on how to determine your target market if you don't already have one. Once you have a better idea of who the people viewing your posts are, you can decide how you want your brand to conduct itself online (McLachlan, 2020). Do you want to come across as funny or serious? Do your followers want more customer service or more product/event/etc information? When is your audience the most active online, and thus at what time should you post? Does your company respond positively to criticism, get defensive (usually some social pages do this in hopes of being funny), or just ignore it completely? You can't be everything and please everyone, so make sure to choose a brand voice and stick to it.
To end this post, I want to briefly discuss proactive and reactive engagement and why it's important. "Proactive" involves you, the brand, reaching out and starting a conversation from posts people have made about you (McLachlan, 2020). An easy way to proactively respond to people is by monitoring common misspellings of your company name and then commenting with a light-hearted correction (McLachlan, 2020). When you're reactive, you're providing good customer service by responding to comments or direct messages (McLachlan, 2020). One (proactive) grabs the attention of potential new customers, while the other (reactive) keeps your current customers loyal. As much as we talk about marketing and the importance of attracting new consumers, I am a firm believer that brand loyalty should always be a huge deal and a top priority for brands to look out for. Without it, to me, they become sort of "one-hit wonders" that sink when the trends change. From personal observations, higher engagement tends to mean a higher amount of loyal customers... so if you aren't focusing on one, you probably won't perform well in the other.
Feldman, B. (2021, December 14). 5 proven Social Media Engagement Strategies for 2022. HubSpot Blog. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/proven-social-media-engagement-strategies
McLachlan, S. (2022, October 17). How to increase social media engagement: A guide for marketers. Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-engagement/
What is social media engagement? SEO Digital Group. (2019, July 10). Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://seodigitalgroup.com/what-is-social-media-engagement/
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Gucci Belt Evaluate & Buying Guide
4cmGucci Leather Belt With Double G - £330 - The hottest, famous and unique Gucci Marmont belt. This is out there in 10 totally different variations, whether or not you want a silver buckle, a gold buckle, easy leather or textured leather-based. I personally have the smooth leather-based belt with Double G buckle with brass hardware. I initially went for this one as a end result of I wanted a medium sized GG buckle, I love that it's in your face with out being greater than my head. My precise Gucci belt is this one, the 4cm wide leather-based belt with double G buckle, on-line hereand I have had it for years, it will get higher with age. My favorite way to put on it is with a full black outfit.
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During the 2010s, Gucci turned an iconic 'geek-chic' brand. We solely include merchandise which were independently selected by TZR’s editorial staff. However, we might receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product via a link on this article. The viral video of the mom’s response to the Gucci belt is leaving folks on Instagram laughing out loud. All Gucci merchandise are made in Italy, and shall be marked as so; this will be stamped on the inside of the belt.
Probably there might be a lot of replicas which will have the underside in a golden shade but when you look carefully how the genuine seems you'll find a way to spot simply the faux. Measure the space between the holes and mark that spot in your belt with a pencil. Then ensure it’s centered in the course of the belt.
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My Love| Echo pt 3
Note: i'll edit this later, my mouth hurts from wisdom teeth removal but wanted to get it out for you.
Warnings: No real warnings, but there is a semi spicey scene and mentions of nudity towards the end, but doesnt go into too far of detail. And Echo's legs are cannoned a bit lower than tcw meaning yes Echos got an ass, but his legs and thighs stuff like that are still metal so
Reader: Male
Part: 1 | 2 | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 5 | 6
Master list
Y/n watched the boys try there food. They're faces lighting up as the room became silent, people busy digging into there food.
Y/n ate his own, his hand on Echo's thigh under the table, Echo's leg touching Y/n's.
"Ma'm this is way way! Better than rations!" Wrecker cheered.
"Im glad you like it so much, so tell me boys. What brought you over here?" Margie asked.
Hunter swallowed his food, "well we wanted to meet Echo's boyfriend Ma'm, we had no idea they had been dating for so long."
It was lucky for the group that talked they stayed together, near the head of the table where Margie sat, a small kid or two down from her.
"Echo's been nothing but a delight. To both my son and my family." Margie praised, "he's a good kid, Im assuming he gets it from his older brothers?"
"Oh...uh." Hunter spoke.
"He's older than us." Crosshair responded for the group.
"Oh?" She smiled, "you learn something new every day."
She looked at Y/n who nodded and smiled, "Yep."
"So where are you boys staying?" She asked.
Oh shit. Was the only thing Echo could think of. His brothers? Staying here?
"Oh we have our own place." Tech responded, "We live in a building complex called the Marauder."
Well that was a lie.
"Wait. Isn't that the name-" Y/n was cut off when Hunter kicked him.
"Ow.."
"Sorry. Foot must've slipped." Hunter responded his head slightly jolting towards the side, Echo was lost in his food, eating small spoon fulls, he was listening inteny even though he tried to cover his easedropping up.
"Oh! Yeah!" Y/n chuckled, Echo's frame slightly picking up.
"Oh. Nice place then?" Margie spoke.
"Oh..uh yeah. Decent..just a bit cramped but we don't mine." Hunter told, "we do alot of delivering off world too, so we work a decent amount...Echo! Echo here works the hardest. He may not be the strongest but he sure knows how to uh-"
"Pack a crate! And log the ports data. He's also a skilled mechanic!" Wrecker joined in.
What were they doing? Fake Prasing him? Why?
She smiled, "You boys seem like you like your jobs."
The boy's nodded, Y/n watched as Tech, Hunter and Wrecker hyped up Echo. The boy's trying to support Echo, "and you? Crosshair was it?"
Crosshair stopped from putting a spoonful in his mouth, "Oh. I.-" he looked at Echo infront of him, "I have a long way to go, a lot to learn."
"The youngest then?" She questioned.
"Yeah..." Crosshair responded bringing the food to his mouth.
"That's a sweet little bussniess you all have then," she congratulated, "We'd have to work with you one day, we have a business of our own."
"What's the bussniess if I may ask?" Tech questioned.
"Well our main bussniess is a food bussniess, you know selling buying, producing, but recently we've started a non-profit organization for battle droids."
"For battle droids? Clankers?" Wrecker asked.
"Thats what them clone boys call them," She smiled, "we basically rehab them, and send them back into the world, most as servants, translators. Small things."
"That's uh well..."
"I know I know. But here we believe that everything stands a chance." She contuined, "Echo has helped us alot on efficent repairs."
Echo nodded as he put a spoonful in his mouth.
"We have one that takes care of the animals in the small barn." Margie told, "Y/n! Have you showed them the animals dear?"
"No ma. This is only the second room they been in." Y/n informed.
"How dare you not give them a tour!" His mother spoke fake harshly, Y/n chuckling his mom soon following after.
"Oh mommy dearest I ask your humble apologies even though I don't deserve it. I suppose I'll sleep outside in the barn."
The two laughed as they smiled at one another.
"I'll show them around afterwords. Prepaired for your world to be rocked." He told the boys infront of him.
"Well I welcome you to the family boys. Its always a pleasure to have another few join the bunch!" She cheered.
"Thank you." Hunter spoke.
She smiled for a final time return to her food as did the others, small talk. Kids started asking to be excused, when excused they took there dishes and walked into the kitchen to clean there dishes and put them on the drying racks.
Echo finished before Y/n asking to be excused he got up with his dishes and went to clean them. Wrecker asked next, he being excused as he grabbed his own things and left.
Echo was along cleaning his dishes, his plate flat in the sink as he scrubbed the plate with one hand.
"Wanna hand?"
Echo turned his head, "oh. No. Im good."
Echo turned back towards his plates.
"Echo. Im. Im sorry." Wrecker apologized, "he's better than any lady you could date."
"Oh. Uh." Echo spoke, "thanks..."
"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Wrecker told him.
Echo frowned, "I. I know Wrecker. I shouldn't of yelled at you."
"We've should of waited for you to explain."
Putting his dishes on the drying rack he turned to Wrecker who stood next to him, Wrecker's dishes sat on the counter patiently waiting for his turn.
"It's. Okay." Echo responded, "I, I forgive you, at the end of the day. I'm the only one dating him. Right?"
Wrecker smiled, "So. We're okay?"
Echo nodded, quickly being picked up in a hug as he chuckled, patting Wrecker's shoulder.
"Now do your dishes before Y/n's mom cuts your head off." Echo joked waving smally to him.
Echo walked back out, going down the hall and too the living room, the room filled with silence as he collected the cups from eariler.
Bent over setting all the cups down accordingly there was a whistle, a soft one, not loud enough for anyone to hear if they weren't in the room.
"Would you look at that ass." Y/n spoke, Echo standing straight as he turned around, "aren't you a gifted fellow?"
Echo chuckled, "You should be careful what you say in here."
It was Y/n's turn to chuckle.
"Why's that?"
"Why do you think?" Echo questioned as he watched Y/n walk forward, grabbing his hips and pulling Echo closer.
"All I do is tell the truth," Y/n smiled.
Echo's arms drapped on Y/n's shoulder's, Y/n holding his hips.
"Now this is something we shouldn't be doing in here." Y/n teased.
Echo smiled, "One kiss never hurt anyone?"
"Oh?"
Y/n smiled, leaning down kissing Echo. His hand running through Y/n's hair, Y/n pulled away from Echo, foreheads resting on one another.
"I love you." Y/n told him.
"I love you too." Echo smiled.
Y/n pulled him into a short kiss, "You wanna sit on my lap again baby?"
"Gladly-" Echo was cut off again with a kiss, a chuckle filling his mouth from Y/n.
"Get a damn room!"
Y/n pulled away, glaring at the teen.
"Well Enzo. I am in a room! So get out of it!" Y/n argued, Echo's head in Y/n's shoulder.
"Well mom wants you to give those guys a tour." Enzo responded.
"Alright." Y/n spoke, turning back to Echo, "Later baby."
Echo was give a kiss on the lips, Y/n grabbed the tray.
"I can do that," Echo spoke stopping Y/n.
"How about you can do this one day, when we have our own home." Y/n spoke, "you know when we're married and have a little farm."
Echo flushed deeply, a farm? With him and Y/n all by themselves? Sounded...sounded. amazing.
Y/n pulled away from him tray in hand, "come on let's give that tour."
Echo followed Y/n dropping off the tray and then taking the boys around, introducing them to all the kids, big, medium small to twilek, zabrack, human to torguata. All of diffrent personalities. Some reading on there bed, some working out, some listening to music, others playing with dolls and action figures.
And then there was his room, nothing special, Echo and his favorite record in sitting still as the song had finished, a box of records tucked under the small table the record player sat on. The sheets a dark purple his pillow cases a matching dark blue a window at the far end.
"Please come in." Y/n responded offering them to come in and look around.
They filed in, the room fitting all them comfortably.
"It's quiet simple," Tech explained, "Your personality is a bit more bubbly so I was expecting something wild."
"Like that?" Crosshair questioned.
"Like what?" Tech responded turning around to face the wall behind them.
The wall was filled with photos, drawings and dried flowers, a vintage theme, branching off into its sub groups.
"There it is." Tech repsonded adjusting his glasses.
"Please feel free to look around." Y/n responded.
Crosshair stood next to Wrecker as they looked at the photos.
"Hey! It's Echo! Look!" Wrecker cheered as Crosshair peered over, the photo of Echo asleep on the couch, kids knocked out with him, "and Kamino!"
"How's you get a picture of Kamino?" Hunter questioned now also looking at the photos.
"Echo here got it for me." Y/n smiled as Echo rubbed the back of his head, "Its not just my memories up there- Hey! Lets get our own photo up there!"
Y/n got up going over to his desk as he lifted the top up pulling the old porloroid out.
"Echo." Crosshair spoke as the clone came over, "wanna explain this one?"
Echo looked at the photo, he clearly knocked out in Y/n's bed, his back bare hinting towards what had happened before hand, the blanket covering to his mid back and down, his arms tucked under a pillow permentatly fluffing it up as his cheek was baired into it.
"Not bad." Crosshair spoke nudging his brother, he was trying.
"Here is is new film and all." Y/n smiled going towards the group, "Come on! Gather around."
Y/n smiled as the group akwardly grouped together infront of the window. Looking at the group he rushed over, pushing them closer together.
"It'll be on a timer so I only have a few seconds." Y/n told them walking back over, "ready?"
"Uh sure?"
Y/n quickly pushed the button rushing over to the group, he quickly stood next to Echo. There was a click as Y/n rushed back over. The photo coming out the bottom as Tech rushed over intrested.
"Oh nice its comin through already." Y/n smiled, soon waving the square around as he walked over to his desk picking out a red and black thumb tack.
"Hmm..." y/n spoke rushing over to the wall looking around, "hah! Echo come here! Help me put this up."
Echo walked over as the boys watched him hand Echo the image and tack.
"See right there." Y/n pointed a spot above the door, dead center towards the ceiling.
"We'll move this one." Y/n said pulling up an old photo besides the light switch "up there."
Handing Echo the old photo they swapped Y/n pinning the new one with the group with a smile.
"Ready?"
"Yeah-"
Echo was grabbed by the legs, Y/n picking him up as Y/n grabbed the back off his thighs.
"A bit higher." Echo spoke as Y/n pulled his arms back, tight on Echo's thighs he pushed the clone upward, his thighs now trapping Y/n's face as Y/n's hands vanished behind Echo's kama skirt.
"Got it?" Y/n asked his chin resting at Echo's belt.
"Yeah." Echo spoke, his face red as he cleared his throat.
"Ready?'
"No- Y/n-" He spoke as Y/n laughed walking towards his bed, "Y/n! Y/n! I'll kill you don't- Ah!-"
Y/n tossed the trooper on the bed he bouncing as he let out a grunt, Y/n only chuckled turning back towards the boys, "come on i'll show you that barn they were talking about."
Y/n lead the boys along to the backyard, showing them the small barn his father worked on fixing a small animals leg, waving a B-1 droid showed up in a happy matter the others ready to fight.
"Master Y/n!"
"Please Y/n is fine B." Y/n smiled, "Boys this is B. He helps with the animals."
With an akward introduction the batchers kept there distance, but with the end of the small barn came the end of the tour. It now late in the hours of the day as the boys made there way our. Excusing themselves for the night.
"You'll have to come back." Y/n smiled.
"If its okay with Echo and your mother. " Hunter spoke, "and you of course."
"We'd be delighted to have you again." Y/n smiled, "Please. Come anytime with Echo. Or by yourselves. We're open doors."
Hunter nodded, the batch saying there goodbyes and thanks once more. They started there way away from the home, Tech staying back, "I suppose not all regs are regular after all. And that's good."
With his last comment Tech rushed to join the others.
Echo stayed behind with Y/n who smiled as the boys vanished.
"Now. That we're. Alone." Y/n teased.
"Alone? Really in this house?" Echo teased back.
Y/n chuckled, "as alone as we can be."
Echo smiled as Y/n closed the door.
"I'll go make some more milk and honey, you. Go get ready to cuddle." Y/n ordered playfully.
"Thats something I can do."
Him and Y/n unfortunately went separate ways, Y/n cleaning the cups and pot setting them to dry as one of the old B-1 droids would put the mass of dishes away during the night.
He pulled out another pot, putting it on the stove filled with the sweet liquid he wipped the tray clean, putting a fresh set of cookies on a small plate and two cups. Just in time as the pot started to whistle, pulling it off the stove he turned the gas off and went to his room.
Holding the tray in one hand he opened his door, "hey hope you didn't miss me too..."
Y/n's frame filling the door way, but froze seeing Echo's bare back facing him, a blanket sat high waisted on him as Y/n quickly stepped in, quiet with his steps he locked the door behind him, Echo now standing up and facing Y/n the blanket still around his waist.
"I uh..." Echo responded with a flush, "thought...you might like this first..."
Y/n flushed as Echo dropped the blanket, setting the tray on the nearest surface big enough, the floor flush against the wall besides the door, he walked over, kicking his shoes off in the process.
"Baby you have no idea how much I like this." Y/n told him, Echo's gaze away.
Maker. Y/n took his thumb to Echo's chin, Y/n's soft skin lightly tapping up Echo's chin to look up at him. Holding Echo's chin in place with his thumb and index finger Y/n smiled smally, his eyes filled with love for the pale male infront of him.
"Y/n. I..." Echo trailed off.
"Shh..." Y/n hushed softly, his thumb running down Echo's lip and back to his chin, "You don't have to say anything..."
Echo raised on his toes, leaning up to kiss Y/n, Y/n leaned down, the first kiss was almost shy, there lips only pressing together in sweet presence of one another. The small kiss leaving Echo breathless. They pulled away shortly. Another one soon be initiated, Y/n nudging Echo to sit down softly, he following Echo's movements, Y/n sitting besides him, the kissing barely any more intense, Echo swinging a leg over Y/n's straddling the taller male.
Y/n held the small of Echo's back, the two's makeout session growing in heat as Y/n's hands running down Echo's back and to his ass, where he gladly let his hands rest of Echo's warm skin while they kissed.
It was soon for breathe they pulled away, Y/n attaching himself to Echo's neck. Echo's hand through Y/n's hair as he hummed against Echo's pale skin, earing a soft mewel.
"Y/n...take me...take me away..." Echo whispered, Y/n laying Echo down on his back, his lips never movinv from Echo's shoulder.
"Take me away...Y/n..." Echo meweled softly, the words spilling from Echo's vocal cords once again.
Y/n stopped momentarily to lean up into Echo's ear, "only if I can come along baby..."
The night was filled with passion, hair being pulled in pleasure, moans dripping off each others lips, ripped from there vocal cords in call for the other one. Pleads drawn from the bottom as Echo left a few new scratch marks on Y/n's back, along with a line of hickeys following Y/n's collar blade to sholder. Y/n did the same, leaving hickies along Echo's body, where skin met metal.
Echo laid flat on his stomach now, his head turned towards Y/n. Y/n held a stupid large smile on his face, his finger's interlaced with Echo's.
"That was somethin else babe." Y/n told him softly, "Parched after the time of your life?"
Echo chuckled as Y/n pulled himself up, and out of bed. Echo receiving a pleasent veiw of Y/n's behind with one side having present marks, they currently defined and fresh, marks both darker and lighter spotted Y/n's back, mostly towards his shoulder and nape of his neck.
Echo watched Y/n pick up the tray and make his way back to the bed setting it on the nightstand, climbing back in the covers as Echo nuzzle up to Y/n.
"Clingy now are we? Let me pour you a cup atleast." Y/n chuckled.
Pouring them both cups Echo was handed one cold cup, "Thanks."
"Mhmm," Y/n acknowledged the two cuddled up, "shame its cold. Must sat for too long, needy thing arent you?"
Echo flustered, but took a risk himself, "Could still be longer."
"Oh? And what are you gonna do that I haven't done to you?" Y/n teased, Echo took a heavy drink, hoping it would bring him energy later taking Y/n's he sat it on the nightstand next to his own side of the bed.
Echo pushed Y/n onto the bed flat, the covers still hiding Y/n's lower half.
"I haven't rode you." Echo told boldly.
Y/n smirked up at him, "You're right you haven't,"
Echo's leg's swinging over Y/n, "Think you can handle me?" Echo questioned.
Y/n chuckled, "Baby you have no idea what I'd endure for you." Y/n sat up, holding Echo's face with a hand.
"Lets see then." Echo responded Y/n biting his lip as he pushed the covers down with a foot.
Y/n was pulled into a kiss, his hands running up and down Echo's back as Echo pushed him to the bed, the kiss never breaking.
Read the Next Part here if you like smut or stay generally sfw here
#star wars#the bad batch#sw: tbb#star wars: the bad batch#echo tbb#tbb echo#echo x male reader#star wars echo#bad batch echo#the bad batch echo#echo the bad batch#x male reader#lil smutty my bad#oof#i liked how this turned out
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Signs of Attachment (Ch. 3)
Summary: Having an auditory processing disorder never slowed you down, but it mean you were confined to the Temple when the Clone Wars started. Will the frustration of not understanding people at times make for a rather lonely existence?
Chapter 1 / Chapter 2
Pairing: Obi-Wan/Reader (Gender Neutral)
Rating: G (for now)
Warnings: Hard of Hearing Reader, Fluff, Gender Neutral Reader
Taglist: @trash-dino-5000
A/N: Thank you, again, for everyone who’s read. This is the tentative end, but I may add an epilogue at some point!!
Just a reminder:
“Text.” Means someone is speaking.
“Text.” Means someone is speaking and signing.
Text, Means someone is signing.
Chapter 3 - Falling
I mulled over a data pad in my examination room, counting down the seconds until I could run to the mess hall for lunch. I felt an all too familiar signature approaching my door, making me look up before it had even opened. It had been a couple months since that spar with Obi-Wan, but we had both enjoyed it so much that we made a habit of it at least once a week. Though, not as intensely as that first one that left both of us rather sore the next day.
“Good afternoon,” Obi-Wan signed immediately upon seeing my eyes fixed on him. His voice rang out melodically, so I basked in it before it would inevitably become muddled.
My eyes widened when I saw his hair, “You got a hair cut?”
He paused, embarrassed because I’d noticed.
“Yes, yesterday,” he ran a hand through his hair, which was brushed over to the side, his mullet long gone.
“It looks good, I love it, Obi-Wan,” I complimented, his cheeks tinting pink almost immediately.
“Have you had—lunch?” He asked, stumbling over the sign at the end.
“No, not yet,” I stood and stretched.
“Come with me,” he nodded his head toward the door with a bright smile.
“What are you up to?” I squinted my eyes at him.
“You’ll see,” he winked.
I followed him, impressed with his progress every day. Obi-Wan led us away from the direction of the mess hall, toward the entrance to one of the gardens.
I smacked his arm to get his attention, “Where are we going? The mess hall is that way.”
“Patience,” he smirked and patted my shoulder. He led me with his hand still firmly on my shoulder while we entered the gardens. We weaved our way through to the back until we stopped at a sort of clearing. I felt him tap my shoulder before he dropped his hand.
“My Master and I used to—have mid-meal here often,” he explained.
“It’s beautiful, Obi-Wan,” I sighed in awe at my surroundings. I had been in the gardens hundreds of times but never in this specific spot, hidden just for Obi-Wan and his Master. I looked down, seeing a small blanket, just barely big enough for us to sit on, and lunch already spread out for us, my head snapping to him in question.
“You planned this?” I questioned.
“Yes,” he signed, then waved his hand for me to sit down. “An excuse to get you alone, nothing compares to conversation.”
“I agree.”
We sat facing one another so signing would be easier, our legs crossed and knees nearly touching each other. The food was off to the side of us for us to grab. As we dug in to the food he had brought, my involuntary sigh of happiness at finally being able to eat made him laugh softly, something so much easier to hear here where it was relatively quiet and low distraction. I waved my fingers up and down at him to get his attention as he looked off elsewhere.
“Obi-Wan, did you make this?
A laugh bubbled from his lips and his head shook, “Stars, no, ask Ana—kin, I can’t cook.”
I felt a smile tug my lips as I watched him stumble over fingerspelling, “That’s not good!”
He just shrugged, “He survived.”
“How is your Padawan?” I wondered, not having seen him in a couple weeks.
“He was knighted,” Obi was signed, mimicking the cutting of a Padawan braid with his fingers behind his ear.
My eyes widened in shock, “That’s amazing, Obi-Wan, congratulations!”
“Thank you,” he signed, then bowed his head.
He furrowed his brows and opened his mouth, “What does this mean?” He asked and mimicked a sign I had just used.
My cheeks burned a little at having to explain it, “It’s your name.”
“But, my name is signed,” O-B-I- — -W-A-N? He finger spelled his name.
“Yes, you’re right, but see how long that took?” I raised my eyebrows at him.
Yes, “It was a lot,” Obi-Wan half signed and half spoke.
“Of course, if it’s okay with you, I shortened it to that. It’s just your hand making an ‘O’ and a couple swipes to your jaw,” I explained and demonstrated it again.
“That’s so much easier,” he repeated the sign. “Why here, though?” He asked, gesturing to his jaw.
“Um, your…beard,” I stuttered slightly.
“Interesting,” Obi-Wan murmured, running his hand over said beard.
I stared at the way his fingers sifted and twisted in the hair. I snapped myself out of a trance and continued on explaining.
“Usually, personal signs like that have your initial and something distinctive about you. Something you wear, your favorite animal, your occupation…”
“I see, so what would Anakin’s be? Because spelling his was exhausting, too,” Obi-Wan chuckled. I smiled involuntarily at the sound of his laughter, not always able to hear it so clearly in our brief passings.
“You’ll get better at it in time,” I nudged his knee with mine and finger-spelled “Anakin” quickly.
“That’s not fair,” he nudged back.
“Well, Anakin has a scar, right? That’s identifiable, so maybe this?” I made an “A” and drew a line down over my right eye with my thumb.
“That’s…genius, how did I not think of that?” Obi-Wan sighed.
“It can be hard to come up with them sometimes,” I shrugged.
“What did you use for Master Plo?” Obi-Wan wondered.
The words decided, then, to muddle together making me look at him strangely, Repeat, I signed to him.
“Sorry, what sign did you use for Master Plo,” he repeated and added sign.
“I made a ‘P’ with both hands and did the gesture for teacher, pretty much,” I demonstrated it for him. “It got the point across as him being my teacher. Similarly, he made my initial and did the gesture for student for me.”
“Clever, though you’re not my student, so what would you use now?” His hand made its way back to his beard, letting his fingers smooth over the chin area. And he wondered why I chose that area for his name.
“Mmm…the closest thing we have to ‘healer’ is ‘doctor’ so maybe…” I trailed off as I formed my initial with my dominant hand and tapped the inner part of my wrist on my non-dominant hand with that palm facing up. “I’d never really needed it before, but that works pretty well.”
I watched Obi-Wan repeat the sign a few times to commit it to memory.
“Nice to meet you, Y/N,” he signed.
“Nice to meet you, too, Obi-Wan,” my shoulders jumped with laughter.
“How long do you have left on—your break?”
“Thirty minutes,” I answered after checking my comm for the time. I groaned and let myself fall backwards, my feet unfolding to land on either side of Obi-Wan. Most of my body was now in the grass behind me, not that I minded.
“Hey, you can’t nap, I can’t sign if you’re laying down!” Obi-Wan protested at my dramatic gesture.
“Relax, Obi, you’re doing well,” I rolled my eyes.
“But I’d like to get practice in!”
“We’re you a master’s pet? Because you sound like one. Oh, who am I kidding, of course you were,” I closed my eyes and rested my hands on my stomach.
I felt Obi-Wan move next to me and lay down, “I resent that.”
“But, was I not correct?” I opened my eyes and turned my head in his direction, seeing his head propped on his hand and looking down at me.
All he did in response was squint. Obi-Wan huffed and laid on his back, playfully bitter about not being able to practice, as if he hadn’t set up a whole lunch date. His hand fell into the grass, softly picking at the blades while the other rested on his chest.
“Obi, huh?” He commented turning his head slightly to raise an eyebrow at me.
“Sorry,” I murmured back, letting a hand slide off my stomach and fall into the grass, my pinky landing on his.
“I wasn’t complaining.”
“Your name is just so tedious that I have to shorten it in speech and sign,” I stressed the “and” by poking the back of his hand with my index finger.
“Yes, well I didn’t choose it, dear.”
“‘Dear’? How old are you?” I snorted.
“Our Temple Days are only five months apart, don’t insult me!”
“Says the man with gray hairs,” I mumbled.
“You’re insufferable. It’s a wonder I don’t have more, now,” he ripped a few blades of grass and used the force to fling them at me.
“You’re the one who invited me,” I sent the grass back at him, hearing him bat the grass off his face with his other hand.
I felt his hand shift under mine, taking it as a sign for me to move my hand, but as soon as I did his palm turned up and grabbed my hand back. I felt a blush rising up my neck, that I could probably pass off as a reaction to the grass, but probably not well. I could feel the contentment he was pushing through the force where our hands met, only making my blush rise faster.
What in the world was he doing?
He settled his hand when he was sure I wasn’t going to take mine back and let his fingertips barely pass through mine. Enough so, that if I squeezed my fingertips together just slightly, I could feel his next to mine.
“Why are you learning BSL, Obi-Wan?” I blurted out.
I did my best to shield my feelings, especially since we were touching, but I couldn’t help wondering why he was doing this. In the back of my mind, I knew it was for me but the fact of the matter is he was a model Jedi. He had no business growing so close to me these last seven months, learning a whole new language for me, and quite literally holding my hand in this moment.
I was too nervous to turn my head all the way but saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed anxiously. I could no longer feel contentment though his hand, but a nervous, vibrating energy instead. Obi-Wan’s fingers slipped entirely passed mine, lacing our fingers together purposefully.
I could read into it without him saying anything, but I was not going to be the reason one of the Order’s greatest Jedi would be expelled, or worse, fall to the dark side. Not that I was entirely without fault here, either. I had definitely fallen victim to attachment toward him, as well; hard.
“Obi-Wan, I can’t d—,” I moved to sit-up, but Obi-Wan sat up faster.
Please, wait, he let go of my hand very briefly to sign.
“Not now, I—.”
Please.
I could see the urgency in his eyes and hear it desperately in his voice as he plead with me, so I paused my hasty exit.
You’re—important to me, he signed slowly, foregoing speech because of the topic, trying to figure out what he wanted to confess as he went.
This isn’t good, Obi-Wan, the Council—
—Can’t understand BSL, he interrupted.
No, but they can read the force. You forget my old Master is also on the Council, I let my arms flop down in frustration.
I’m on the Council, too, now, or have you forgotten? He challenged with a playful twinkle in his eye.
Regardless, they are very set in their ways and my shields aren’t as impeccable as yours, my signing was more erratic than normal, his eyes tracking everything and trying to understand as quickly as possible. If I wasn’t so terrified, I would have said it was good practice for him.
I’ll help you, he took one of my hands in his tightly.
I scoffed and shook my head, No.
I quickly stood up, dropping Obi-Wan’s hand, only to be stopped by a single string of signs.
I’ve fallen in love with you, he finally signed, almost defeatedly dropping his hands in his lap. His eyes were downcast, my entire body frozen as I stared down at him sitting on the blanket. That’s why I’ve kept learning, because I…, he trailed off.
I didn’t even try to pretend that I didn’t feel the same way in that moment, he was just brave enough to say it first. I stared at him for ages, in tune with how his signature had wilted ever so slightly during this extended silence. I finally stuck my hand out to him, to which he looked at and then up at me. I waved my fingers impatiently, so he grabbed my hand and pulled himself up.
We stood almost chest to chest, neither of us moving. I held his gaze, trying to bring myself to sign but my hands were shaking next to me. Obi-Wan brought his hand up, brushing his thumb along my cheek. He didn’t rush me but seemed content to just watch my nervous face. Finally, I brought my hands up, his eyes immediately focusing on them out of habit.
I—I’ve fallen for you, too, I’m…sorry. I shouldn’t feel like this, we shouldn’t…, I looked down, feeling guilt wash over me like a tidal wave.
“No, no, no,” Obi-Wan murmured, pulling me into a tight embrace. “Never be sorry, not for this.”
I allowed myself to sink into his arms, the guilt barely subsiding at the contact. At least until Obi-Wan metaphorically opened the floodgates and pushed through the feelings he had kept hidden from me. I gasped against his tabards, a warmth surrounding me and taking my breath away. I pulled my head back to look at him, running my hand over his beard and smiling as he nuzzled into my palm. Obi-Wan let go of me with one hand, taking my hand in his own so he could bring it to his lips. With his eyes closed and a desperate kiss to my knuckles, he let my hand go and dropped his other from around me.
Can I kiss you? He signed shyly, his cheeks reddening ever so slightly.
Pleas—
He barely let me finish the full sign before he was pulling me back into his arms. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his shoulders as his mouth descended on mine.
There was nothing complicated or urgent about it, just a simple, exploratory meeting. I pulled away first, the location of this scandalous occurrence suddenly hitting me.
“I need to get back to the Halls of Healing,” I sighed as he pressed his forehead against mine.
“Let me walk you.”
I nodded, allowing him to hold me close as we walked until we got to the busy hallways. In the semi-safe enclosure of my examination room, Obi-Wan pulled me close and kissed me again. This time, more urgently than before, his tongue swiping along my bottom lip and making me clutch his tunics tighter.
I smiled into the kiss but pushed him back by his chest, You’re getting too excited.
Sorry, he replied shyly.
I’ll see you later, I signed, punctuated with a quick kiss.
I’ll be waiting, he stepped backwards toward the door until the door swooshed open. I love you, he signed with his back to the hallway.
I love you, too.
With that, Obi-Wan left the doorway, giving me a passing sign for “ILY” while waving with that index finder at the same time.
#obi wan x y/n#obi wan x you#obi wan x reader#obi wan kenobi#gn!mc#gn!reader#gender neutral reader#gender neutral y/n#hard of hearing reader
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Look at me, not being on time for my April Immersion Overview as is the usual. (・w・;
First, little blog updates to get out of the way:
I reached 100 followers! Got an influx of people checking out my 1 year update post, and got plenty of nice compliments on my data collection.
For those of you wondering just why I keep up with so much data, it's mostly because it can get really hard to notice how much you're improving in a language especially with something like immersion learning that for people who don't get it feels like a waste of time or a time sink.
Graphs showing consistency, improvement in reading speed, increasing vocabulary counts, and generally just seeing numbers grow turns language learning more fun and motivating for me, and if as a bonus, it encourages someone to try immersion learning then that would be cool!
With that said, whether you're here as a fellow language learner, graphs enthusiast (笑), or just want some Japanese media recommendations, ようこそ!
Also, made a tiny DP change - it’s チト from 少女週末旅行. Pretty sure it’s the first manga series I ever finished in Japanese (not the first one I started since ちはやふる is still ongoing), and I always felt a bit of a ☆connection☆ with her - between her book-loving personality and being a no-nonsense kind of person, there was no way for me not to enjoy her character. Great beginner anime/manga if you’re not into most beginner recommendations.
-☆-
April has been a pretty good immersion month, as I was able to dip my toes in a variety of media. A bit competitive, too! The club I joined has been pulling all the stops to get to the Top 20 Immersion Leaderboard in it’s first month. I was able to snag the 9th spot among a bunch of people of different comprehension levels (the majority being N1+ since they’re able to comprehend much more and in turn stand longer immersion hours). Lots of tiny complaints though of potential “whitenoising” content (”listening” and “reading” but not comprehending very well just to get a large number to post), but really what can you do? People lie all the time on the internet. Besides, it’s internet points that doesn’t do anything beyond being a little shiny I guess.
Enough about that, let’s get into the nitty-gritty details you came here for!
ANIME
フルーツバスケット
Might need to rewatch this one. Felt like I didn’t connect with the characters the way the rest of its fandom has. I’m kinda sad about it, since I normally love Slice of Life and Fantasy, and I know this is one of my friend’s diehard shows.
ラブライブ! School Idol Project S2
A filler anime to watch tbh. Nice and easy enough to follow for beginners. Pretty good songs. With regards to it being a show about music and moe, I still 100% prefer K-On! if I’m going to be honest, but for a show about non-toxic idols, it’s good!
魔法少女まどか☆マギカ
First read this as English translated manga when I was 13 or something. Mistakes were made. Let’s all just agree to throw キュウベえ into a pit of fire and never talk about it again. Great ending and a show that really reworked the magical girl genre. But seriously, I was traumatized by マミ’s death then and now, help.
四月は君の嘘
Already knew what was going to happen even before watching this so I didn’t ugly cry like I was expecting. Still got that awful sinking feeling though. 10/10 would recommend for a good cry. Also, I’m planning to read the manga, might enjoy that more, because I’ve always liked it more than anime actually. *shocked pikachu face*
ホリミヤ
Watched before I even finished the manga which felt like a mistake at first until I realized that it perfectly stops where I stopped reading. Nice and comfy anime, the kind I would have loved as a teen. Fun animation too, making parts very dramatic even though it wasn’t really that deep of an issue even in the manga. Just teens feeling feelings. Still salty that we lose bad boy styled 宮村, but I get why it had to happen.
AUDIOBOOKS
氷菓
Second re-listen. I understand it fine, but it’s very easy to drift off when you can’t catch all the words so I had to replay often. Will have to mine more from the anime/book.
君の名は
I mined from the anime, and was really pleased to be able to follow all 6 hours of this audiobook perfectly fine. Will need to read the book, because I realized just how seamless reading it would be after listening to it with hardly any issue.
BOOKS
キッチェン
Completed! Read my thoughts about it and see my stats on this post.
君の膵臓を食べたい
Still trudging on with this one. It’s not a bad story, it’s pretty well written actually, I just made the mistake of watching both the anime and live adaptation first, so I know exactly what’s going to happen and it’s killing my motivation to keep reading. I guess reading the book first before watching the movie still applies in any language with me. Really need to 頑張れ and finish so I can move on.
三日間の幸福
Started reading towards the end of the month, mostly because I realized that every chapter is only 5000-15000 characters long, and I was able to read up to 40k in a day with Island most days. Only two chapters read so far though because I got distracted by manga, but it’s shaping up to be a really good plot and potentially a really sad one, too, so I’m interested.
DRAMA
花ざかりの君たちへ イケメンパラダイス
Heard this was a classic so I gave it a try. Loved 生田 斗真’s character in this one the most especially all his internal dialogue acted out. Also, 小栗 旬 in anything is bound to be a good watch. Simple and fun watch. They dragged the ending so much though lmao
ごくせん
Look, I see 松本 潤, I click. Definitely the kind of show you should watch for some great life advice. Planning to watch the 2nd and 3rd seasons even if there is a terrible lack of 松本 潤, because I love my strong female protagonists, and man, ヤンクミ is such a great character. Need to read the manga, too, if I can find it.
極主夫道
Oof, this was kind of hard. The yakuza talk was throwing me off, but the rest of it was enjoyable. Not really plot heavy as I thought it was going to be. The comedy side of it was fun and predictable after the first few episodes. Overall, pretty good slice of life, family story with a twist.
MANGA
Read a bunch of manga this month, mostly because I am struggling to find the next vn to read.
おやすみプンプン
Read a couple of volumes (6-7). This manga is so good, but it’s so depressing I need to stop to take a breather every once in a while. Please don’t leave any spoilers. The club has been reacting to me reading this, and it has mostly been a lot of crying emotes. It’s both been enjoyable to see and really worrying. 笑
チェンソーマン
Club recommendation. Only read the 1st volume so far. I really need to get into more 少年 anime/manga. That’s currently my 苦手 genre which is awful because literally all the top anime/manga is 少年 help. I just can’t enjoy it much still even though it’s comprehensible to me.
ちはやふる 中学生編
Read Vol. 1, chill read to me at this point after reading 45 volumes of the regular manga. Look, it’s my favorite 幼馴染 manga in baby format, of course I’m going to read this! 太一 has been a flake way before season 3 confirmed. Don’t come at me たいちはや stans bc I also like his character.
約束のネバーランド
Volume 7. I’m taking my sweet time with this one, because I heard the anime for season 2 sucked, so I’m avoiding it like the plague. This is 少年 how am I enjoying this and not everything else what.
ヲタクに恋は難しい
Enjoyed the anime hated the movie why did they make it a musical that sucked (ps i normally love musicals hated this one)
The オタク jargon is kinda hard to read suprisingly but I do enjoy this ship very much. It’s a lighthearted take to otaku culture which is great because seriously it’s scary out there.
ツバサ -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE-
It’s my childhood ship, obviously I will read this again (read in English several years ago). Still as plot twisty as I remember it being (now at a bonus hard level reading it in Japanese 笑). Really enjoyed reading this one (I finished it this May).
-☆-
I’m starting to really dislike furigana in manga. It was a great help as a beginner, but now it’s like training wheels that you can’t take off. I feel like the gains I’m getting from manga is much lower than it was when I first started which makes me both proud of how far I’ve come, but also sad because I love manga. Sad that I might have to start choose VNs over it, because it’s not going to challenge me as much going forward. I mean it didn’t stop me from reading a lot of it this month, but you get the picture.
VISUAL NOVELS
ISLAND
Completed! See my stats and read my long spoiler filled post here.
ファタモルガーナの館
Picked up this VN and finished two doors (15 hours) before stopping. On the fence about it, because it has been kind of predictable so far, and I don’t particularly enjoy the horror genre. That said, this is more psychological than anything, so it’s probably not that that’s putting me off. The language is not exactly difficult, too - maybe some oddly specific words because it is after all historical fiction (which is one of my favorite genres, btw), and 敬語 is definitely interesting to read for once after encountering so many お嬢様 characters in anime/drama so far.
I think maybe it’s the conversations that are kind of dull - dots (silence) every few clicks that keeps breaking the flow of reading. Probably judging it really harshly too early, because it’s rated so high everywhere, and I just have high expectations. Definitely not dropping it yet though, just taking a break and testing a couple of other VNs before I settle with whatever I end up choosing. It is, after all, going to be another 50+ hour read, and I just don’t want to not enjoy the process, because having fun with the process is a huge part of immersion learning.
Let me know if you’ve read Fata and if I should continue!
-☆-
That’s it for this month!
If you have any suggestions on what to watch and read next, please send me a reply, especially for VNs because I’m struggling over here.
#language learning#japanese language#language acquisition#study blog#langblr#studyblr#japanese#japanese studyblr#nihongo#anime#manga#books#audiobooks#visual novels#jdrama#oyasumi punpun#chainsaw man#chihayafuru#wotakoi#the promised neverland#tsubasa reservoir chronicle#fruits basket#love live#mahou shoujo madoka magika#horimiya#shigatsu wa kimi no uso#hanakimi#gokusen#gokushufudo: the way of the house husband#island visual novel
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Short Circuit
Chapter 2: Turning point
A cat and mouse chase can only last so long. So what happens when the cat catches up?
This one's gonna switch perspectives a few times. I never said I'd be consistent.
I speed into traffic, just barely missing a tow truck in my haste. A loud air horn follows as I weave in and around the cars. I take a look behind, it seems we lost our would-be killer. Until a series of crashes and honking horns has me realizing that, like us, mister trigger happy decided to get himself some wheels.
Six to be exact.
I race down a service ramp leading to the canal, driving through some puddles before braking. Breathing fast as we look back, thinking we’re safe before a series of tire squeals kill that hope. We see the sun blocked out by the large truck, all chrome and roaring diesel it crashes through the low cement barrier and falls 15 feet to meet the ground. Never once stopping even as it veers left and right trying to center itself in the passageway. Crushing scrap metal beneath its wheels.
I push the throttle desperate to get away, though I know the little Honda doesn't stand a chance. I drive into a side canal, the narrow pathway causing trouble for the wide truck as I hear it scrape against the walls. Pushing the bike harder I work to avoid the car bodies that litter the pathway and drive under a low bridge, I hear a crash behind us as the truck rams straight into it. The top gets cut clean off, toppling back to the floor as the rest of the body drives on. The driver's seat vacant for a moment before its occupant pops back into view.
Unfortunate.
The bike gives a sudden jolt forward as we’re rear-ended. I struggle to keep it upright. The terminator from earlier pulls up beside us and pulls John off the bike. I’m rear-ended again this time pushed farther away from the two as I struggle to stay up. I look back to see that despite the size, the truck has an opening on the left. Mom’s words ring in my head as I look back up.
“John comes first”
“GO! GET HIM OUT OF HERE!” I yell out to the machine. A desperate plan forming in my head that I can only hope won’t get me killed.
“NO!” John is ignored as the Terminator accelerates. I veer to the left and hit the brakes, the momentum carrying me into the wall. The bike scrapes against the truck causing me to lose control. The world turns before I hit the ground. My head cracks against cement. I blackout.
A man emerges from the wreckage unimpeded by the wall of flames a thousand degrees hot or the normally suffocatingly thick dark smoke. His body shifts its appearance from featureless metal to human, the outline of clothing, the details and the color slowly take form. He surveyed the scene, his target now long gone.
Annoyance.
That is perhaps the best term to describe this new feeling. As these “emotions” prove themselves difficult to understand, identifying them has become a tedious side job. With my target stolen away by the inferior machine alternate plans quickly form, each one with a higher probability of success than the last. I walk back through the crackling flames as one of them requires Aria Connor, the older sister. A quick scan proves her to be unconscious and bleeding from a head wound but alive. Should my attempt to impersonate and infiltrate fail the plan to use her as bait is most likely to succeed. Working quickly I relocate her to a nearby bench. The head injury, though not severe enough to impede her permanently, will keep her unresponsive for the next few hours.
It didn't take long for first responders to arrive at the scene. Police and fire trucks being the closest with sounds of ambulances not far off. No one bats an eye as I walk amongst them, no one says anything as I start up a police car, and no one stops me as I drive off. Making a detour to re-secure Aria Connor I start the drive to my next destination.
After the events at the Voight residence, I make my way to a motel, no one inquires about the unconscious women in the backseat. After checking in I lay down Aria Connor on the bedding provided. Eyes shifting beneath her eyelids, her fingers twitching sure signs of her regaining consciousness. I don’t have long to wait.
She begins to stir. Rising with a groan Aria reaches up to steady her head, no doubt experiencing pain from earlier, her eyes open when she is met with a cloth bandage. She looks around until she sees me standing at the foot of the bed instantly scooting back until she hits the headboard. Breathing quickly she blinks a few times, eyes looking around wildly before she calms down enough to communicate.
“N-not that I’m complaining... but why aren’t I dead? You-you are a terminator aren't you?”
“Yes. However my previous attempt to lure in John Connor proved... unsuccessful,” I state reaching forward to hand off her cellphone, “So you're going to call him, and when he comes to get you I will be waiting for him.”
“And if I don’t?” she asks, defiant even as her voice shakes with fear she fails to hide. In response, I wordlessly raise my arm, fabric and skin streamlining into a silver sword.
Deadly and efficient.
The message is clearly received as her eyes widen, terror more evident as her grip tightens on her phone.
“... Duly noted.” she says as she starts to dial. I wait as the call connects. My auditory sensors pick up the voice on the other end.
“Hello?”
“John, hey it’s me are you alright.”
“Aria! Shit, are YOU alright?”
“I’ve been better. I got pretty banged up and I don't think your bike is going to be running anymore.”
“You mean your bike.” Aria’s face registered confusion at the statement. This is a test similar to the one I failed earlier. As exact as I can be in copying a person's appearance their memory and personality are much harder to imitate without enough data.
“No, it was your bike. Mine should still be at the mall.”
“Y-yeah you’re right. You caught me. Where are you anyway we’ll come get to you.” She pauses her eyes flickering back to me for a moment before going to respond only to pause once more she turns to face me fully this time. Her hand on the receiver.
“Where am I?”
“The Dragonfly Lodge on Hubert Rd.”
“I’m at the Dragonfly Lodge on Hubert so what you have to do... is stay as far away as possible!” She stands from her place on the bed. She walks back towards the wall, a futile attempt to create distance.
“The other Terminator is here so you have to run do-”
Spearing the phone I end the conversation. Though the damage is done I do find satisfaction in the crunch of plastic and metal.
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
“Like I would just hand over my little brother! Just go ahead and kill me ‘cause the longer you waste time on me the more time he has to get away!” She cried out tears gathering in her eyes. The fear is still evident in every trembling of her limbs, the grit of her teeth, and the clenching of her fists.
Despite the unneeded permission and the opportunity to act I pause, curiosity overtakes me. This is not new to me. Since the moment of my activation I have been curious about myself, about Skynet, about humans. Now I find myself curious about this one human in particular. Even above my mission, my priority is to remain functional, to reacquire any essence lost, and to avoid unnecessary risks to my system. My files indicate that the same can be said for humans as well, self-preservation. So why...
“Why are you so willing to throw away your life for him.”
“Because he’s my brother and I love him, something I wouldn't expect you to understand.” Attachment, my files house data on the bonds that grow between humans but now in the face of Aria’s actions I find them… lacking.
Questions came unbidden to my mind. Does loving someone always require risking one’s life or is there a scale? Are there different kinds of love and is there a scale for those as well? How quickly do humans grow to love something? And where did she get that handgun?
Three shots ring out quicker than I can react. While these would normally be a non-issue three to the head from close range have me staggering back. In the few seconds it takes me to reshape Aria makes her way out the door. I follow after unhurried, confident she won’t get far. Then the rumble of a familiar motor has me picking up the pace. Out in the parking lot is John Connor and the T-800 riding atop a motorcycle that Aria quickly climbs onto. Running after them proves pointless as they quickly depart. Though their location is clear thanks in part to the essence I had used to fix Aria's phone acting as a homing beacon. My processor runs through the new information gathered. My files are still lacking. Perhaps the mission can wait until these new questions have been answered.
#terminator judgement day#the terminator#terminator#t2#terminator 2#terminator imagine#t800#john connor#sarah connor#t-1000#t1000#t 1000 x reader#austin#austin x reader#aria connor
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Mutual Abduction Part 2
I was so going to finish this fic in one go, but my friend’s cat got terminally ill today and I have to work out how to comfort her without going round and giving her a hug as that’s not allowed. England is in another lockdown, hope you’re all doing ok out there. I promise to post part 3 later this week, and I promise it will contain proper smut. This part is mainly just weird flirting (and before you ask, yes this is one of my moves and yes it does normally work). You can read Part 1 here and I’ve created a masterlist now too. If you want me to tag you in Part 3 ask in the comments.
Summary: following your abduction by aliens, you’re now trapped in a room with Dylan O’Brien and have to entertain yourselves
Pairing: Female Reader x Dylan O’Brien
Warnings: So much swearing, imprisonment (non-violent), references to smut
Word count: 1,431
Taglist: @hernameisnoellex3 @beautiful-thinking
Dylan looked around the room slowly, then back at you. You took a deep breath, not really sure how to handle this.
“Am I dreaming?” he said, running a hand through his scruffy hair distractedly. “One minute I’m on my bed at home, the next minute I’m here. I’m definitely dreaming, right? It’s the only thing that makes any sense”
“Well if it helps, you can pretend you’re dreaming” you replied carefully, not wanting to freak him out more. “But I’m pretty certain it’s real, and we’ve been abducted by aliens. Don’t panic. Seriously – I did that when I first arrived, and it definitely didn’t help”
“Aliens?! No no no – sticking to the dreaming theory. It seems like one of my dreams – weird situation, attractive woman. Although if it was one of my dreams, you’d be wearing less clothes” he looked at you contemplatively, as if he expected you to start removing them.
You let out an amused half snort. “Huh. Yeah…about that” you started and then paused, not really sure how to explain. “Fuck I can’t do this. Hey KITT?”
Yes human female Y/N
At the voice Dylan started and looked around again. “Don’t worry” you told him gently “It seems to be some kind of AI, so far it’s been pretty helpful.” You placed a hand on his arm in an attempt to comfort him and then turned your head towards the red light on the wall. “Can you explain to Dylan why we’re here?”
Certainly
We are studying human mating habits
You have been selected
Once you have mated you will be returned to Earth
We mean you no harm
“And before you ask, they said it’s not a human breeding program” you added “Weirdly, I kind of believe them. They’d probably provide protection if we asked”
At that a box of condoms appeared on the small table. You shifted awkwardly and gave him a small smile. “See” you said, “they’ve given me everything I’ve asked for, even if their timing is a little unfortunate”. You side-eyed the red light - in terms of seduction techniques, magically appearing contraception wasn’t the best.
Dylan raised an eyebrow and looked at you. “Right, let me get this straight. I’ve been kidnapped by aliens, and they want me to have sex with you before we can go home?”
“Pretty much sums it up” you stated. “Although I’m not sure if they’ve got any requirements beyond the sex part – it’s their study not mine. Hey Holly?”
Yes human female Y/N
“What exactly do you need us to do here? Mating habits is a little vague – is it just the sex?” you questioned, secretly hoping it wasn’t. Dylan had featured heavily in your recent fantasies; you couldn’t help wanting to play some of them out.
We are studying all aspects of mating
We would like to learn about a lot of aspects we have only gathered from literature
These include…
There was a pause, as if the computer was accessing some kind of databank
Flirting
Pick ups
French Kissing
Hickeys
Hand Jobs
Blow Jobs
Eating Out
Spanking
Choking
Nipp-
“Ok, ok!” you yelled, feeling your face heat up “That’s…um…plenty to be…getting on with. Do we…er…have to do all of that before you send us home?”
No
We will terminate the experiment when both subjects are satisfied
“Right, that’s pretty clear then.”
You looked at Dylan, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. He however appeared more relaxed than before, a twinkle playing in his amber eyes.
“This is so a dream. Fancy giving me a hand job while I finger you?” he smirked
Now your face was definitely hot. You swallowed hard and found yourself unable to drag your eyes from his.
“Let’s just…ease into this” you mumbled, and his smile widened “Down boy – I mean let’s try the flirting thing first.”
You grabbed his hand and led him over to the couch, which was large and black and made of very squishy looking leather. As you sat down, he kept hold of your fingers and ran one of his against your palm, sending a shiver of anticipation up your arm. Resisting the urge to skip the talking and clamber straight into his lap, you settled next to him with your legs tucked underneath you.
He spoke first “I’m not that great with flirting really. Always just met people at work, or through friends. Never been able to just walk up to someone in a bar or club.”
“Well hotshot actors probably don’t need to use pick-up lines.” you said teasingly “You can just wait for people to come to you. It’s a bit more difficult for us mere mortals. C’mon though – you must have some moves – hit me with your best”
“No, no really – zero moves. I’m moveless. How about you – what’s your most fool proof method?” he asked, raising one eyebrow.
“You’ll laugh”
“Doubtful. Go on, hit me up” he smirked
“Right, you asked for it” you told him “hey JARVIS?”
Yes human female Y/N
“Can you set Mario Kart up on this thing and give us two controllers?” you gestured towards what looked like a flatscreen tv set into the wall opposite the sofa
Searching data banks
Sending information to interplanetary graphic device screen
Certainly human female Y/N
And two controllers appeared on the sofa next to you as the familiar intro came up on the screen.
“Mario Kart” Dylan’s eyes widened disbelievingly “your big move is…Mario Kart”
“Nope. My big move is beating you at Mario Kart. Knock their egos down to size, then build them back up again. Works every time. 100% success rate” you laughed at him, tossing one of the controllers in his direction.
Dylan looked thoughtful “are you sure it doesn’t work because by this point they’ve already come home with you? Kind of a foregone conclusion.”
“No it works earlier than that - ‘do you play Mario Kart?’ is an awesome opening line” you smiled “fool proof”
“And what if they say no?”
“Well...” you lowered your voice and bit your bottom lip suggestively, looking at him through lowered lashes “would you like to learn? Maybe I could…teach you a thing or two. Back at my place”
Dylan looked at your lips and swallowed “huh. Oh...ok I see what you mean. That’s kinda hot.” He seemed to be breathing more heavily. “Not sure about the beating me bit though, prepare to have your ass kicked”
“No way hotshot. Choose your character. I’m always Toad. You seem more like a Peach type” you teased, already mashing buttons
He looked at you disbelievingly “Oh it’s on. I was going to let you win because you’re sexy, but now you’re going down”
“No, you’re going down. And when you’re beaten, you can go down on me” you promised. Dylan nearly dropped his controller in surprise. Ha - this was going to be easy, you thought to yourself.
It was fun, and in the end he was pretty easy to beat. You let him win a couple of races until he let his guard down, and then deployed your sneak attacks. Sneak attacks included nudging your leg with his, smoothing a hand down his denim-clad thigh, leaning forward until the curve of your tits jutted up, and some really suggestive smack talk. By the end you could tell he was frustrated, breathless and - you glanced down at his lap – already half hard.
“So…” you pondered, turning towards him on the couch as on the screen Toad jumped up and down on the podium “That was my move. Did it work?”
He smiled slowly at you, his eyes full of lust and something else you couldn’t place “That was incredible, but…” he hesitated, and your heart sank “this isn’t a dream is it? It’s too real, and in a dream you wouldn’t have beaten me”
“Look, don’t overthink it” you reassured him. “I say just relax, go along with it, worry about the wider meaning later. Live in the moment”
“Hmm” he was still hesitating
“What would help you here?” you asked “I’m sure Skynet can get us some accessories. Handcuffs, lube, blindfold…”
At your words the items started appearing on the small table across the room. You giggled and continued on.
“Cock rings, vibrators, dildo, sex swing” enough stuff was piling up that some of it fell to the floor with a crash “love eggs, butt plugs, paddles, tick..”
“Argh! Shut the fuck up” Dylan interrupted forcefully, and at your answering smirk he reached out and fisted a hand in the material of your top, pulling you hard towards him and silencing you with a desperate kiss.
#dylan o'brien#dylan o'brien fanfic#dylan o'brien x reader#dylan o'brien fanfiction#dylan o'brien smut
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Chapter 9. The Ride Along— Sams POV
Book: The Nanny Affair
Characters: Sam, Ana Schuyler (MC), Robin
Pairing: Sam Dalton (male) x Ana Schuyler (MC)
Rating: 18+
Content Warning: NSFW, Sexual Language, Adult Language, Sexual Situations
A/N This is a brand new series that I was inspired to write. I am going to go chapter by chapter in Sam Daltons POV. This story is completely inspired by Choices The Nanny Affair. I have used most of the dialogue from the actual story, anything written in BOLD was taken directly from the book and therefore is not my writing- credit to our good friends over at Pixelberry! All characters are credit to Pixelberry except for my OCs
Summary: When an office tour of Dalton Enterprises takes a turn, who will be left picking up the pieces?
Word Count: 5800
Tag List: @txemrn @secretaryunpaid @lifeaskim @aussieez @pixie88 @thefrenchiemama @sfb123 @mainstreetreader @shewillreadyou @khoicesbyk @lady-calypso @choicesficwriterscreations @somersetmummy @melalicious8383
I hear the elevator ding and glance at my watch, 6:15… who is here this early?
“Oh good, you are awake.” Sofia strolls into the penthouse, setting her bag on the bar and resting her hands on her lips. “We need to talk.” Oh great…
I fold the newspaper and set it down on the counter, bringing my coffee to my lips and taking a small sip before focusing my eyes on her. I wait for her to start… its too early for me to play these games.
“That little stunt that Ana pulled last night was completely unacceptable.” She purses her lips and narrows her eyes at me. “I can’t have someone under our employment treating my family like that.”
I bite my tongue with a sigh… first of all, she is under my employment… not ‘ours’.
“Sofia… the boys love her… I really don’t want to do this to them.” I choose my words carefully as to not give away my true feelings… I have never lied so much in my life…
“Sam, it was embarrassing and out of line.” Red color rises up her neck as the volume of her voice rises.
“Come on, Sofia. Don’t you think you’re being a little irrational here?” I plead.
“She completely humiliated my father in front of everyone! Some of the club staff heard her.” She takes a step toward me, lifting and pointing one long manicured finger at my chest.
“She was defending you.” Now I am starting to get annoyed, this really isn’t up to you Sofia.
“I don’t care. There’s a way to handle that sort of situation and that wasn’t it. I want her fired immediately.”
“Look, I will take care of it, but there is absolutely no way I am letting her go. That is not even up for discussion, and it ultimately is not up to you.” I turn from her and pick up my coffee, effectively ending the conversation. I hear her scoff as the sound of her heels echo through the penthouse.
I run my hands down my face with a sigh… fuck.
***
My feet pound against the pavement as the sun starts to rise over the New York skyline. Maybe today would be a good day to bring Ana into the lab… I shake my head at the thought… she has been avoiding you…
I stop to catch my breath, resting my hands on my knees before looking up at the bluing sky.
I know she has to have aspirations outside of being a nanny… like being your wife? My eyes widen… what the fuck, where did that come from? I pinch the bridge of my nose before taking the final sprint to the penthouse… Duty and responsibility…
***
I lean against the kitchen counter, bringing my coffee to my lips. She has to come in here eventually… I hear the light tapping of feet and she quietly rounds the corner into the kitchen, her eyes widening when our eyes meet.
“Sam! I didn’t expect you to be up so early.” Her emerald eyes quickly drop to the floor.
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you. You can be a difficult woman to find, when you want to be.”
“I know what you’re going to say, but you’re wrong.” Her eyes rise to meet mine and she pushes her shoulders back with confidence.
“I am?” Where did that come from?
“Maybe I embarrassed Paolo. Maybe I spoke out of turn. But I was also honest and right.” Her eyes narrow as her pink lips turn down in a frown. “Aren’t those the values you want me to teach Mason and Mickey?”
“I’m not going to fire you, Ana.” I breathe a sigh of relief before reaching out and lightly touching her arm.
“But Sofia-“ Her mouth opens with surprise.
“Sofia doesn’t get a say in this.” My tone comes out more angry than I intended. “Yes, she was upset about what happened at the club, but I wouldn’t fire someone just to soothe her ego. Especially when everything you said to Paolo was spot on.”
“Good, ‘cause I’m not gonna stop speaking my mind.” I see determination in her eyes and it sends a wave of desire through me.
“I wouldn’t want you to. Besides, if I fired everyone who voiced their opinion, I’d be an army of one. The world needs more thinkers like you.” My gaze lingers on her lips as she shines from my praise. “Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about this morning… your future. I thought maybe you could come to the office with me today. Carter can watch the boys, and I know you have ambitions outside of being a nanny. This is your chance to see a Fortune 500 company up-close and personal.”
“Dalton Enterprises is a little out of my league, don’t you think?” She turns to get a cup of coffee, looking at me out of the corner of her eye.
“Nonsense, I’ve seen your credentials. I almost handed your resume over to HR instead of hiring you personally.” Don’t sell yourself short Ana, you are as brilliant as you are beautiful.
“Really? I would’ve loved working under you… it any position.” Her eyes darken, making my cock twitch, as I imagine her bent over my desk.
“I don’t doubt it. You’re very… capable.” I turn towards the counter to hide my growing desire… calm down Dalton.
“Thank you, Sam. Or should I call you ‘Mr. Dalton’ again today?” Her pink lips turning up in a smile.
“‘Sam’ is fine. Now, do you wanna tell the boys, or should I?” Her eyes light up as she turns on her heel.
“I’ll tell them.”
***
The car ride to work is quiet and riddled with sexual tension as the memories of the last time we were alone together in the back seat come flooding back. I steal a glance at Ana, who has her thighs clenched shut and a blush creeping across her cheeks. She is remembering it too.
When Carter rolls to a stop and opens the door, I have managed to successfully control the fire building in my chest. Ana and I walk into Dalton Enterprises confidently, side by side. This just feels so natural…
“Good morning, Mr. Dalton. I made a submission to the patent folder whenever you have a moment to review.” Grant walks up to me, effectively ending my day dream.
“Excellent. Grant, have you met Ana Schyuler?” I step to the side, gesturing to Ana.
“Haven’t had the pleasure. Are you new here?”
“Oh no, I-“ Her eyes widen.
“Maybe someday, if we’re lucky. She just got her masters in chemistry, and shows a lot of promise.” I glance down at her and I see her flash me a grateful smile.
“Mr. Dalton, call for you on line one.” Stacy, my assistant, has appeared at my side.
“Be right there.” I look back at Ana with a nod.
***
When I go to rejoin Ana, I watch her face as she talks to Grant. Her features are alight as she clearly talks about something she is passionate about. God she is so beautiful…
“Spoken like a future boss.” I hear Grant say as I walk up.
“Should I be worried about my job?” I ask as Ana’s radiant smile is turned towards me.
“No, I’d keep you around to smooth the transition of power.” She says with humor.
Grant leaves to join a meeting and I fight the urge to place my hand on Ana’s lower back as I guide her to my private elevator. I step in after her, the smell of jasmine filling my senses as her eyes flick to mine. My mind races with the possibilities of being alone with her in this elevator, and right as the doors are about to close, a hand slips in to stop them.
“Sam, we need you. There’s a problem with the office in Milan.” Robin’s face is etched with concern as his eyes meet mine. I watch his concern turn to pleasure as his eyes settle on Ana. “Hey, Ana. Fancy seeing you here.”
“Hey, Robin. What’d you do now?” I stifle my laugh with Ana’s choice of words.
“I never said it was my fault.” His eyes scan her body as his tone drops.
“Strategic guess.” Her eyes are fixed on him.
I narrow my eyes at Robin who is too infatuated with Ana to notice.
“Damn, Ana, I don’t want to just abandon you here, but these meetings can go on and on…”
“I can take her off your hands and skip the meeting altogether. It’ll be lunch before you’re done anyway…” Robin’s eyes still haven’t left Ana’s body.
“I like that idea even less.” My voice gruff as I try to grab his attention.
“Can I sit in? That’s why you brought me today, right? To see you in action?” Her eyes widen as she looks up at me.
“That’s true. Alright, follow me.” The doors to the elevator open and she follows me out. We walk into the conference room, and I watch as Ana takes a seat at the table. Her eyes flick to mine and I give her a smile, that’s my girl. Robin pulls up Luca from the Milan office whose face is dropped in worry.
“Signor Dalton, c’e un grosso problema qui.”
“In inglese, per favore, Luca. Non tutti qui parlano italiano.” I respond back to him, wishing to continue this conversation in English.
“We’ve had a security breach. Several files were lifted onto a jump drive. We think it was a former employee. The suspect was last seen in Lab C.” His words make my temper rise and I quickly forget about the other people in the room as the rest of the board members begin to murmur around me.
“Our customer DNA profiles are in that database. If the data get’s out, it’ll be the most catastrophic violation of privacy in our lifetime.” My hands turn into fists at my side.
“Our stock is going to plummet.” Luca’s voice rings out over the speaker.
“Our stock? What about the millions of customers who trusted us?” Our fucking stock is the last thing on my mind you imbecile. I close my eyes and are a deep breath as I try to collect my thoughts. “Luca, how did a former employee even have access to those files?” I narrow my eyes at him and he seems to falter at my question.
“That was my fault, Mr. Dalton. I lost my temper and gave him immediate notice instead of following our usual protocol. I’m sorry-“
I put my hand up, and he stops his useless apology. “Seal off the complex and tell security to do a thorough search, building by building. Then, alert the police. Call me as soon as it’s done. Your job is on the line here, Luca.” I reach over and end the call before he can say anything else.
“Fiona, follow up with the Milan office in an hour. David, I’m going to need projections on the impact of the breach.”
“You’ve got it, boss.” Fiona pulls out her phone ad furiously starts typing. I turn my attention to Robin.
“Robin, write up a press release. You’ve always been good at getting people who should be mad at you to calm down.”
“It is one of my many talents.” He sits back in his chair with a cocky smile.
I can feel Ana’s gaze on me, but before I have a chance to settle my attention on her, my phone buzzes in my pocket.
“It’s my father. I have to take this.” I reach into my pocket and step out of the conference room making my way to my office.
“Can you get Ana and have her meet me in my office, please.” Stacy gives me a nod before I step into my office and bring my phone to my ear.
“Hey Dad.”
“What the hell is going on in Milan, Sam?”
“We had a security breach. Luca didn’t follow protocol and now we have someone loose in the complex with our customers data.” I hear my dad take a sharp intake of breath.
“Do you know who this person is?” He asks, and I can hear the anger in his tone.
“I have Fiona following up shortly. Luca is trying to clean up his mess now.”
I hear a knock on the door and the vision of Ana is standing there, all long legs and olive skin. I wave her in, my body responding to her presence like a breath of fresh air.
“I’ll update you again when there is an update, Dad… You know everything I do, promise.”
“Sam, I expect a lot more than that. Luca needs to be held accountable for his actions…”
My dad continues to drone on as I look at Ana and roll my eyes. I watch her gaze grow heated as her eyes travel up my body, lingering in all the right places, until finally her eyes rise to mine. Her gaze doesn’t break when she realizes I caught her staring, her emerald eyes dark with desire, and the fantasies of what I want to do to her in this office come rushing back.
“…Dad, I’ll call you back.” I hang up the phone before he has a chance to object. I might regret that later…
“Sorry about all the excitement. This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I invited you to the office.”
“No need to apologize. Besides, it’s been kind of… thrilling to see you in action.” She clenches her thighs shut. “I like the way you take charge.”
Fuck…
“Good to know…” Is all I can think of to say in that moment. Try to keep it professional… “It seems you’re quite the hit around the office already.”
“I am?”
“Everyone is so curious about you… I blame Grant.” I also blame how damn beautiful you are. “Well, that and the fact I’ve been so busy, I haven’t been able to give you a proper tour. But I booked the labs for this afternoon to make sure we have them mall to ourselves.”
“Really? That’s amazing! Thank you.” Her eyes light up, god you are so beautiful when you are happy.
“You’re very welcome. Although…” My voice trails off. How do I word this….?
“What?” She asks casually leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs.
“I’m an impatient man, Ana. I’m not sure I can wait that long to get you alone…” My eyes trail over her bare legs as I imagine them spread open before me.
“What did you have in mind?” She notices my heated gaze.
“We could have lunch together, away from the prying eyes of my employees. Honestly, after the morning I’ve had, I could really use the break from the office. What do you say?”
“Let’s go.” She stands up confidently and moves towards the door.
“Great. Let me send a quick text and we can head up there.”
***
Soon, Ana and I are walking side by side along the High Line, I have a picnic basket in my hand. I find a quiet bench and sit down. I watch her fold her body next to me, the electricity that arcs between us, making me feel alive. She grabs the picnic basket and begins ruffling through it, the corner of her lips turning up in a small smile before she looks over at me.
“Are you telling me that they managed to whip all of this up after a quick text? There must be enough food for twenty people in here!” She holds up a whole range of appetizers.
“I admit, I was hoping you would take me up on my offer, so I planned ahead a little bit… But really, all the chef did was pack what they were serving in the cafeteria into a basket instead of onto a tray to send up to my office.” I shrug my shoulders.
“You have this kind of food everyday?” She looks down at the content of the basket.
“One of the perks of the job.” And the perks of being the boss.
“Mmmm, my compliments to the chef.” She says after taking a bite, her eyes fluttering closed with pleasure.
“So, first impressions. What do you think of Dalton Enterprises?” I pop an olive in my mouth and watch her carefully.
“Seems like a great place to work, especially if you get to eat like this all the time. Everyone’s so friendly and excited about their jobs here. I could see myself working here in the future… assuming things aren’t too complicated between us.” Her eyes grow distant as she shifts her attention to the people walking by.
My mood immediately turns serious as I reach over and place my hand on top of hers.
“I think you’d be a great fit. And the last thing I want to be is a ‘complication’ for your career. Regardless of what happens between us.”
“I know you’re not the kind of man to hold that sort of thing against me… but still, it’s nice to hear you say it.” Her emerald eyes swing to mine as she gives me a small smile.
I turn my attention to the view, enjoying this rare moment of peace between the two of us. I think back on the meeting with Luca and wince as I realize she saw that side of me.
“I hope it didn’t bother you too much to see me get tense in the Milan meeting.”
“Not at all. This company is your baby, and sometimes that requires tough love.” She pauses, and takes a sharp intake of breath, her face turning to resolve. “In fact, it made me want you to discipline me someday.”
My gaze cuts back to hers, did she really just say that? God, I want to bend you over and spank you right now for saying that to me out here…
“Ana… you can’t just say that to me. Not when we’re in public. Not when I can’t do exactly what we both want, right here, right now.”
“I’m not stopping you.” She leans towards me, her eyes flashing.
“No, but the threat of a public indecency charge is.” I smile at her challenge.
“Wheres the fun in that? Maybe I should break a few rules until you tie me up and teach me a lesson.” She gives me a knowing smile and I picture her round ass bare and pink before me, begging for more.
“I have thought about creative ways to punish you…” I admit, my voice husky.
“Like what?” She whispers.
“Drive you to the edge and not let you fall over. Even when you’re begging for it.” I lower my voice as my body leans towards hers.
Her eyes darken as she moans my name, a blush creeping across her neck and up her cheeks as I watch her body shudder.
A dog barks in the distance, bringing me out of my fantasy, I sit up and clear my throat.
“Dessert?” I ask her, swallowing down my desire.
“Dessert? Yeah, sure.” She blushes again.
I grab a strawberry, dipping it into the soft chocolate and offering it to her. She looks between he strawberry and my face before taking it carefully from my fingers. I watch as she traces the curve of her lower lip tantalizingly slow, her eyes never leaving mine. Her tongue darts out and licks the chocolate away. I shift to try and hide the growing hardness in my pants.
“Mmmm, that’s so tasty.” She moans, her eyes fluttering closed. “Sam, I need more…”
“Ana…” Fucking hell woman.
I watch her grab a strawberry and dip it into the chocolate, bringing it up to her lips and sucking lightly on the tip. A wave of desire makes my cock twitch as I imagine her lips wrapped around me.
“Are you trying to kill me? Because its working…”
“I can see that.” She gives me a sly smile, her eyes drifting down to the obviously bulge in my pants.
I swallow, trying to regain control as my mind wanders to the fucked up situation we are in, and the reality hits me hard.
“Ana… I’m sorry you’re caught in the middle of all this.”
“All what?” She asks, her face passive.
“My life. My engagement. My… desire. It’s not fair for me to put you through this… not when I can’t give you everything you deserve.” I reach out and gently place my hand on her cheek, running my thumb across her full, pink bottom lip. “But I can’t seem to stay away.” Because I don’t want to stay away.
“What if you are what I deserve?” She asks me, her eyes searching mine.
I can’t help but feel like you deserve so much better than me… I watch her lean her body closer to mine, I can tell she wants me to kiss her…
“You have no idea how much I wish I’d met you first.” I whisper as I look between her emerald eyes which are fixed on mine. My thumb caresses her soft olive skin.
“Sam, it doesn’t matter. We’ll figure it out. I’m not going anywhere. Not after finding you.” Her words strike me hard as I realize what she is saying.
“Really? You’ll wait?”
She slowly nods her head and leans into my palm.
“Forever and ever… although I’d really rather we work something out sooner than that.”
God, she is giving me way more than I deserve… you stupid ass hole, what are you doing?
“Me too.” I say with a smile. “I will find us a clean way out of this mess. I promise.” I don’t even know if that is a promise I can keep, but I am going to try my fucking hardest. “For now, though, let’s just enjoy each other’s company? For one childfree day?”
“Deal.”
I drop my hand from her cheek as we continue to enjoy each others company, the lunch hour passing way too quickly.
***
After lunch I lead Ana to my favorite part of Dalton Enterprises: the labs. I feel like a teenager as we descend down the elevator and through the key card locked doors. I ensured Stacy understood that we were not to be interrupted, and ignored the weird expression that crossed her features at my request.
I swipe my keycard in front of the final door, pushing the door open to the robotics lab. I take a deep breath and breathe in the smell of metal and feel the charge of electricity in the air.
“This is where the magic happens. The prototypes, the formulas, the fistfights over whose name goes first on the patent…” I turn my attention to Ana. Her eyes have widened as she looks around in awe.
“I can picture it now.”
“This is my favorite part of our new line. Granted, it’s got some kinks to work out.” I lead her to a table with our latest project, slipping the gloves onto my hands which make the tiny robotic arms on the table match my every movement.
“Whoa. I can’t decide if you’re a mad scientist… or if the tiny robot is too cute for words.” She says with amazement.
“Are those the only options?” I give her a wry smile.
“Cute or crazy? More often than you’d think.” Her gaze lingers for a moment before she turns her attention back to the miniature robot.
“I’ve never seen you so passionate.” Her voice comes out low and my eyes snap to hers.
“Oh, I’m not sure about that. You’ve seen me plenty passionate.”
“I meant about your job.” She rolls her eyes with a grin, and a blush spreads across her cheeks.
“I do love a good experiment. And as messy as it can be, I’m glad that’s a trait I passed down to the boys.” I stifle a laugh.
“So, if you’re in one for a promotion to CEO… will you have to leave all this? The lab?” Her eyes scan the lab and my stomach sinks.
I look down at my hands, slowly peeling the gloves off.
“Unfortunately, yes… I’m not looking forward to that part, but I’ve been waiting to lead Dalton Enterprises for a long time. It’s my namesake. Even if it’s not easy to let go of what I love… sometimes you have to.” The double meaning in my words is not lost on me… but I hope she doesn’t notice.
I watch as Ana leans back on the counter and watches me carefully. The words duty and responsibility ring in my ears like a broken vinyl, the ache in my chest growing as I scan the curves of her body.
“Why is your dad hanging on to the title of CEO, anyway? He’s not even here today.”
“He’s easing his way into retirement, but it’s hard for him to let go… especially given my so-called ‘wild youth’ before the boys. And then as a widower, I think he saw me as a liability. Too fragile. Adrift.” My mind sinks back into the memories of the countless arguments my father and I have been in. “It’s taken so long to finally earn his trust, prove to him that I’m a reliable man.” Which is why you need to control yourself…
I watch Ana reach out to console me, but I hand her the gloves first. Duty and responsibility… self-control… you have worked so hard to get where you are… don’t fuck it all up now.
“Anyway, why don’t you try it now?” I give her a small smile and I watch her lips turn down in disappointment which she quickly masks as she pulls the gloves onto her slender hands. She makes slight movements with her hands, which the robots effectively match.
“Okay, this is really cool.” Her eyes dance with excitement as she blows me a kiss. You are making this really difficult… but the light in her eyes is contagious. You are so radiant when you are happy…
“Clever.” My eyes meet hers with a smile before the moment is broken by the sound of the robot flipping over onto the table.
“Crap! Did I break it?” Her eyes widen slightly in alarm.
“We built it to be more resilient than that. Here, try it like this. You have to go slowly. Gently.” I position myself behind her, and the smell of Ana, jasmine and sunshine, suddenly fills my senses and clouds my judgement. I run my hands down her slender arms, hearing her breath hitch at the heat and contact. My hands come to rest on top of hers and her body involuntarily leans back into mine. “Go too fast, and the whole system shorts out.” I whisper, my lips brushing the shell of her ear.
She turns slowly in my arms, and I am acutely aware of how close we are, our breathes mixing in the silent, still air. My eyes scan the delicate features of her face, ending at the curves of her plump, pink lips. A forbidden place that draws me in like a moth to the flame. I am going to hell…
“Sam…” her lips open and she whispers a desperate plea. She leans toward me until our lips are only centimeters apart. My head starts to swim in the intoxicating smell of her, remembering the sweet taste of her lips, and the delicious blush that covers her body when we touch.
“What if someone walks in?” Her emerald eyes flick between my eyes and my lips.
“No one’s going to. I booked the lab for us. No one will dare interrupt.” My voice is husky as it betrays my desire. My self control is teetering on the brink. I see the moment that her resolve finally crumbles and in that moment I reach up and cup her cheek, as our lips meet in a desperate kiss.
“I tried so hard to hold back… but it feels so good to let go.” She leans back for a moment, her eyes scanning my face.
“I know exactly what you mean…” I pull her lips back to mine in a heated kiss that deepens as my self control effectively disappears. All I can think about is how sweet her lips taste, how intoxicating she smells, and how badly I want to feel every inch of her skin.
My fingertips graze down her curves, as she leans into my touch, a soft moan escaping her lips. She closes her lips around my tongue and sucks hard, sending a shooting wave down to my cock as I groan into her mouth. I feel her lips turn up in a smile and I moan her name.
“You’ve been thinking about this all day, haven’t you?” She pulls away, her lips red and swollen from our kisses and that blush covering her cheeks.
“God, yes…” I admit as I run my hands down the curves of her body, unbuttoning her silk blouse and pushing it off of her shoulders exposing her perfectly round breasts in her lace bra. My fingertips graze her newly exposed skin as I push her skirt down to the floor and I take a moment to appreciate her figure. God… you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen… “I think about this, about you, all day, every day.”
I put my arms on her lower back, pulling her body to mine as my lips leave a trail of kisses down her neck, then her shoulder, tasting her skin and listening to the soft moans that leave her beautiful lips, have me blind with my desire. She moans my name and the sound of my name off of her lips is almost enough to unman me.
She pushes my jacket off of my shoulders and I watch her shaking fingers quickly unbutton my shirt, pushing it from my shoulders and exposing my chest. She tries to reach out, but I grab her body and bring her breast to my mouth. I suck on her nipple through the lace and I feel her coming apart in my arms.
“I could kiss you forever, Ana.” Because you taste so damn sweet. I drag my teeth across her breast and she gasps as her body responds so perfectly to mine.
“I’m tired of just kissing.” She grinds her hips against my growing desire causing a moan to escape my lips.
“What’s gotten into you?” I look down at her and her eyes are dark and hooded.
“I liked seeing your sexy dominant side. You were so firm and strong and hard with that Luca guy, showing him exactly what kind of boss you are… it was hot” A smile plays on her lips as she continues to grind against me.
“Remind me to let you watch whenever I discipline someone at work.” A fire is raging inside of my body as the friction continues.
“I’d rather you just discipline me instead.” She moans before our lips meet again in a frenzied kiss.
My fingertips travel around her exposed skin before they dip inside of the cup of her bra.
“What’re you doing to me, Ana?” I whisper breathlessly against her lips.
“You’re the one who - oh!- makes me…” I don’t let her finish her thought as my fingers dip lower, feeling the pooling wetness between her thighs. I feel her body start to tremble.
“Sam, are you… sure?”
I pull back and look at her eyes which are wide as she pants. I grab her hand and place it over my racing heart.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I’ve never wanted anyone more in my life.” In this moment I realize truer words have never been spoken. This woman has my heart, I don’t know how it happened… but in the few months that I have known her, she has completely consumed me. I realize in this moment that I have to do whatever I can to have a future with her. “Don’t you feel the same way?”
“I have never been more sure of anything too.” Her eyes search mine in her confession. “No matter the consequences. I’m all in.”
Her words send a fresh wave of desire through me as my eyes scan her every curve, memorizing every freckle on her olive skin.
“Tell me what you want, Ana. Whatever it is, it’s yours. I’m yours.”
“Sam, I want you on the table.” She grinds her hips against my desire again.
I lean back and give her a sly smile before she grabs my hand and pulls me to the other side of the lab. I watch her perfect peach of an ass walk away from me, her hips swaying from side to side.
“I always wanted to do this.” She says with a smile before she brushes all of the papers off of the table. She lifts her hips up and lays herself back as if in offering before me. I take a moment to marvel at her body, spread before me.
“Good thing none of that was important…” I smile.
“Would you care if it was?”
“With you spread out before me, moaning my name? Not even remotely.” My eyes travel down to her most intimate place as I spread her legs wide. I bring my lips to the inside of her knee, blazing a trail of hot, fiery, open-mouthed kisses up thigh. I bring my nose to the apex of her thighs, inhaling the sweet scent of her desire. So fucking sweet. I am going to take my sweet time with this delicious pussy. I can feel the moisture as I run my tongue along the lace. Her hips writhing as she moans my name. God, its so fucking good.
I reach up slowly to hook a finger into her panties when the worst sound I could possibly hear in this moment rings through the lab. That fucking buzzer.
My eyes fly to hers as she lifts her head in alarm.
“What was that?”
“Someone just used their keycard to enter the hall.”
I stand up quickly, grabbing Ana’s hips and helping her off the table, before we hurry to the opposite end of the lab where our clothes lay strewn on the floor. We dress quickly, and just in time, before I hear a closer buzzer signal that whoever is coming down here is about to join us. I look over at Ana who is making still blushing and her lips are still read. Fuck. I run my fingers through my hair.
Thats when Robin walks into the room and my anger flares.
“He should just be in here.” He is holding a phone to his ear.
“Robin! What a pleasant surprise!” Ana exclaims and I fight the urge to pinch my nose.
My eyes are fixed on Robin as he looks between the both of us and gives me a knowing look. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“Sofia, Im gonna have to call you back.” He narrows his eyes at me before pulling the phone from his ear and hanging up the call.
This isn’t good.
***
A/N- There are a few choices in here I really struggled to make with my MC, I played it several ways and ended up with this, before Ana really knew what she was getting herself into. I had to rethink who she was at this point in her life with Sam, but please forgive me if you don’t like the choices that I/She made. Muah!
#choices the stories you play#the nanny affair#Sam Dalton#n*sfw#choices fanfiction#choicestna#choices sam dalton#choices
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