#or if i do take public comms its also extremely rare and it's at my discretion what I draw | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

crystal-siren · 7 years

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Brush Strokes (Obi-Wan x Sith!Reader)

Requested by the amazing @kenobi-vibes-only

I hope you like :)

Painting. A strange occupation for someone like her, but she enjoyed it, it helped her remember what life had been like before.

Enchanting landscapes, ethereal figures and elegant buildings. These were what Tyra liked to paint. Her works were scattered throughout the Mid Rim and Inner Rim territories, some had even made their way into the Core. Few knew who created these pieces for she signed them as ‘L.T’ and nothing more.

She painted in a style that no one seemed to be able to replicate and with good reason too. She was force sensitive. The Jedi had found her when she was young but her parents had refused to send her to the Capital. So now, many years later, Tyra channeled the Force into her art and created pieces that could not be found anywhere else in the galaxy.

“Milady?”

Tyra’s attention was momentarily taken away from her current piece. “Yes?” Her yellow eyes swept to the maid that had interrupted her.

“Your presence is requested in the comm room, there is a message for you.”

Tyra paused and seemed to give the maid a once-over before nodding, “who is it from?”

“His Lordship, Milady.”

Waving her hand in a dismissive manner, Tyra turned back to the easel before her. Once she heard the door click shut behind her, she let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. While she was grateful for everything he had done for her, she hated being summoned like some pet.

What did her Master want this time?

~ ~ ~

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Senator Padme Amidala remarked to her friend and fellow Senator Bail Organa. Both were admiring a rather large landscape painting that hung in the dining area of Padme’s penthouse.

“I’m not usually one for art, but this one, it is as almost as if it captivates the viewer and drags them into its painted world.”

Padme shot a surprised look at her friend. “You know Bail, I don’t think I have ever heard you talk like that..about anything.” But turning back to the painting, she couldn’t help but agree.

~ ~ ~

“Yes Master,” Tyra bowed to the flickering holo-image before her.

“Good and before you go Lady Tyra, I have some good news.”

His words caught her attention, “what news Master? Have they finally been located?” Her heart raced in anticipation.

There was a pause before her Master continued, “not quite Lady Tyra, but another one of your pieces has been sold.”

While this was not the news she had been hoping for, it was indeed still good news. She couldn’t help but smile, but there was no warmth in the expression. “Do we know the identity of the buyer Master?”

The hooded figure before her nodded. “Indeed we do my young apprentice.”

“Well?” She tried not to sound too eager.

“The Jedi Council.”

That had not been the answer she was expecting. The Council bought one of her pieces? Her knowledge of them served to tell her that art was not something they usually indulged in. “The Order bought one of my paintings?”

“Yes indeed, believe me Lady Tyra, I too was most surprised when I found out.”

With those words, her Master’s holo-image faded until she was alone in the room. Alone with her thoughts.

~ ~ ~

It unlike anything Anakin had ever seen before. The painting was large and depicted an idyllic landscape with an elegant villa situated on the shores of a sparkling lake. It seemed disturbingly familiar to the villa Padme’s family owned in Naboo’s Lake Country.

“Everything alright Anakin?” Obi-Wan’s voice pulled him from his thoughts and back to reality.

“Uh, yes, have you seen this Master?” Stepping aside, Anakin allowed for his former Master to take a look at the newly acquired piece of art.

“Its-” Obi-Wan stopped short when his eyes landed on the painting on the wall before him. He found himself struck speechless. This was impossible, he only knew one person who painted like that and she was no longer among the living.

“Master? Is everything alright? You look a little pale.”

Obi-Wan barely heard his friend’s questions of concern, a memory hit him like one of the endless waves on Kamino.

The day was warm but luckily a soft breeze had sprung up, making the heat a little more bearable.

Obi-Wan and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker were walking through what appeared to be a marketplace. From fresh fruit to artworks, everything seemed to be there. The Alderaanians were well known for their love of art and fine foods, their culture was one of peace and refinement.

Passing by one of the stalls, a rather large landscape painting caught Obi-Wan’s attention. He was not usually one to pay much attention to art, although he did appreciate it. Moving closer to the artwork, he noticed that pieces of similar style surrounded it.

“Can I help you with anything Master Jedi?” A friendly female voice addressed Obi-Wan, causing him to look up.

Before him stood a young human woman. Her long dark hair was fashioned into a simple yet elegant bun and her blue eyes seemed to sparkle in the early afternoon sun.

“These are some very beautiful paintings you have here, are they yours?” His eyes flittered between different pieces.

“Oh no. They are my sister’s.” The young woman spoke with noticeable pride.

This confused Obi-Wan a little, “why would she not be here then? If these are her’s.”

The woman smiled, “my sister is not fond of being out in public, so I offered to represent her and her work.”

“Who is your sister? Is she a well known artist?”

“My sister’s name is Y/N Y/L/N and she is what you would call an ‘emerging artist’.” She glanced briefly at the art pieces around her, “I have yet to see a style that matches hers.”

Obi-Wan felt as though he had to agree. This young woman’s style was certainly unique. “Would it be possible to meet your sister?”

The blue eyed woman nodded, “of course. She may not like public events but Y/N doesn’t mind talking to people one-on-one. She feels a lot more comfortable that way.”

“I completely understand, and my apprentice and I will be here for a week at the most. Unfortunately it can’t all be appreciation of fine arts.”

“Yes indeed,” the raven haired woman nodded in understanding, “I will speak with my sister this afternoon and ask her what time would suit her best.”

“I thank you Young Lady, your sister must be very proud of you.”

The woman laughed, “my sister is an interesting person but I love her all the same. But I suppose you will make your own decision when you meet her.”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan nodded in agreement, “I suppose I shall.”

“Master?” Anakin’s voice pulled him from the memory and back to the present.

Blinking, Obi-Wan looked up at his former student. “Yes Anakin?”

“Is everything alright? Your eyes went blank for a moment there.”

Shaking his head in an effort to dislodge the memory, Obi-Wan paused a little before answering, “I have to go Anakin, I’m sorry.” With those words, he quickly made his way in the direction of his quarters, leaving Anakin feeling even more confused.

Arriving at his quarters, Obi-Wan made sure the door was securely closed before heading over to his desk and accessing the HoloNet. Quickly entering a date from six years earlier, Obi-Wan scanned all the news coverages until he found the one he was looking for:

“Alderaanian Family Killed in Freak Accident”.

~ ~ ~

Tyra sighed and ran her artificial hand over her face. The instructions her Master had given her were vague at the best of times. Looking up from the console, Tyra saw Coruscant grow larger and larger in front of her. Why her Master had asked her to go back to the Capital, she had not the slightest idea. He never really told her the reasons for her missions right up until just before she left to go wherever he sent her.

Deftly navigating Coruscant’s air-traffic, Tyra wove her way to an area known as “The Works”. It was mainly industrial and appeared abandoned which suited her and her Master’s needs perfectly. This would be one of the rare times she actually laid eyes on him. Landing her small ship in an empty warehouse, Y/N disembarked and made her way to the columns that stood off to the side where she knew her Master waited for her.

“Master?” Bowing, she waited for him to respond.

“Ah Lady Tyra, you made it. Very good.” Those smooth tones caused shivers to run laps along her spine.

“What is it you wish me to do my Master?”

The hooded figure smiled at the young woman before him. “I need you to find someone for me. Someone who holds extremely valuable information pertaining to our cause.”

“And they have been spotted here My Lord?”

Her Master nodded, “indeed. I need you to find them and bring them here where I will deal with them accordingly. And Lady Tyra?” His address stopped her as she turned to leave.

“Yes Master?”

“I have it on good authority that this being also holds information regarding what happened to your family.”

Her yellow eyes widened and she smiled coldly, “will I finally get my chance Master?”

The hooded figure nodded, “but only after we have extracted the previously required information. So Tyra, try and keep him alive. His information has been sent to your ship.”

Nodding, she turned and swept back on board to read over what she had been sent.

~ ~ ~

The ground level of Coruscant was even seedier than Obi-Wan remembered. He and Anakin had been sent by the Council to apprehend a suspected informant of the Sith. They had been provided with reports of his whereabouts and that was how they ended up where they were.

Alley after alley they walked through and still they had not found him, even with their senses on high alert.

“Do you think maybe the reports were wrong about his location Master?” Anakin disliked the underbelly of the Capital even more that Obi-Wan.

His friend’s remark made Obi-Wan smile, something he had not done ever since he had gone over a particular news coverage just a few hours before. “As much as I would like to agree with you Anakin, I’m afraid they were correct about his location.”

Anakin was about to respond when a shadow crossed the wall to his left. Following it with his eyes, he saw a young man duck into a smaller alleyway. “Master!” His hissed words caught his former Master’s attention.

“What?”

“I think I saw him! He went down that small alley to our left.”

“Well what are you waiting for! Let’s go!”

With that both Jedi sprang after him, not knowing that another was hunting the same being as they.

~ ~ ~

Tyra hated small spaces. She could not stand them.

Her yellow eyes flickered over the scene before her. Two Jedi, had rounded on her prey and she almost groaned in frustration. Her quarry had no idea he was being hunted by two very different parties.

Crouching in the darkness over the back entrance of yet another night-club, Tyra waited as patiently as she could before leaping down and landing soundlessly behind her target.

Anakin skidded to a halt when he saw a figure leap down from the dark and land without a sound behind their target. He watched, unable to move as they reached forward and swiftly rendered the being unconscious.

Obi-Wan almost crashed headlong into Anakin, had he not seen exactly what Anakin had. But for Obi-Wan, he felt as though he was seeing a ghost. The light of the club’s back entrance shimmered off her H/C hair which was fashioned into a tight braid. He could not help himself, “Y/N?” The name was whispered but she appeared to hear it all the same.

She could not remember the last time someone had called her that. She froze momentarily and looked to see who had uttered that forgotten name.

Tyra felt all the blood drain from her face as she recognised the speaker. Keeping a hold of her quarry, Tyra turned and disappeared into the night-life of Coruscant.

Obi-Wan gave chase without a second thought, causing Anakin to blink in confusion before quickly joining his companion.

Struggling to catch her breath, Tyra looked around to see if she was being followed. Seeing no one, she headed to where she had landed her small ship and proceeded to drag her still unconscious target on board.

Rounding a corner, both Jedi saw a small ship take off and with it, they suspected the one they were sent to retrieve. Giving into instinct, Obi-Wan drew a homing device out from his robes and threw it at the departing ship, where it landed square on the hull.

~ ~ ~

Thankfully the flight was not a long one. Tyra had immediately informed her Master of the progress she had made.

Arriving at ‘The Works’ Obi-Wan and Anakin spotted her ship and started to move towards it when a male voice reached them, pleading desperately.

“Stop,” he begged, his breathing sounded ragged. “Please.”

Both Jedi glanced at each other before heading in the direction of the voice and hid behind one of the numerous columns and watched in horror the scene that unfolded before them.

Never had Tyra seen anyone so pathetic in her entire life. Her upper lip curled into an ugly sneer and leaning in, she whispered in his ear, “you don’t get to make demands.” Stepping back, she lashed out with her ungloved artificial arm, the sound of metal connecting with human skin was a sickening one.

“For the last time, did you or did you not have something to do with the accident that killed my parents and sister six years ago?” Her voice shook slightly with emotion and Tyra had to clench her jaw to keep herself under control.

When she received an answer it was from her Master, not her victim. “Let go Y/N, let those emotions flow through you. Don’t hold them back. He deserves everything you have done to him and everything you have yet to do. He took more than your family’s lives that day, he took yours as well.” She felt his words wrap themselves around her and taking a deep breath, she looked down at her prey and smiled.

“Well, I suppose silence is an answer too.”

~ ~ ~

Obi-Wan honestly thought he was dreaming, or at least imagining things. It couldn’t be her! Y/N had died those six years ago with the rest of her family! Yet here she was, or at least someone that looked like her. Her voice was exactly the same as he remembered, as was her hair, still the same length and colour.

“No,” a horrified whisper escaped his lips. He didn’t want to believe it, he couldn’t! How could this be the same woman he had first met over ten years ago. The same woman who delighted in simple things such as finding a clean brush! The same woman who spent hours holed up in her studio painting and creating worlds others could only dream of.

It was then that his eyes were drawn to her right hand, her painting hand. It was not made of flesh and bone as the other. No. This one was all metal and wires and springs. “It can’t be,” he tried vehemently to deny the truth that was staring him in the face. He could not bring himself to look at her eyes, in case he didn’t see the beautiful e/c he remembered them to be.

“You took everything! Everything that ever mattered to me!” Her furious words forced Obi-Wan to look at her as she towered above the poor soul before her. “You not only took the lives of my family but mine as well! I lost my hand, the hand I painted with. You stole my life and everything I once was.” Reaching out, she latched her artificial fingers around her victim’s neck and as quick as the stroke of a brush, she snapped his neck. Looking up, she met Obi-Wan’s eyes and smiled cruelly.

Obi-Wan froze as her eyes met his. She was gone and he doubted if she would ever come back. And should she ever paint again it would be with the blood of her victims.

#obi-wan x reader #star wars #sith #art #painting #prequels #reader insert

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darkammarketing · 4 years

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Grow Your Business | 4 Ways To Tap Into The Customer Power

Growing a business is not an easy task. You have to find the right balance of investment in tools to help you grow and investment in time to ensure success. It is very easy to waste hour after hour on in-person networking or social media without any sign of business growth. It is equally possible to invest heavily in paid advertising such as PPC without any return on investment.

Despite growth being difficult, UK businesses have sustained some level of growth since 2000, although we should take note of the first fall in the business population since 2000. Whether you’re frustrated with your business growth efforts or not, you may be missing out on some of the more obvious ways of sparking significant and accelerated growth.

Is your business proactive in following up with existing or former customers? Existing customers could be your gateway to significant business growth. Rather than focusing on simply selling to them, smart business owners are working to position existing customers as advocates, champions of your brand willing to share and recommend their thoughts and feelings about your products or services.

A strong customer advocacy strategy embedded within your content marketing strategy can combine with your digital marketing efforts, as well as leveraging the power of MarTech. This creates a comprehensive and effective system that allows you to speed up the customer journey and sales cycle, while still keeping your customers engaged and interested. Both time and money can be saved simply by tapping into those individuals who are already engaged with your brand. Let’s take a look at four ways you can tap into the power of your customer base and grow your business.

Co-Speaking

Many businesses conduct almost all their marketing online but there is a huge opportunity being missed that should be part of all successful customer marketing programs. Presenting at trade shows, exhibitions and conferences alongside a loyal customer is a growing trend and one which can really create a story and buzz around your brand.

Presenting with a satisfied customer is a great way to showcase how you’ve helped them overcome a challenge or succeed in a campaign. It’s also an implicit way to demonstrate how your brand fosters and nurtures customer relations. After all, if the service you provide (or the relationship itself) is poor, then the customer wouldn’t be stood there with you!

Public speaking opportunities are also a way to enhance your brand awareness directly with the customer you’re speaking alongside but also with others. What’s more, delegates are much more likely to attend a workshop or presentation if there’s something to be learned about the customer journey FROM the customer, and not just the brand. It’s a potent opportunity to generate leads and prospects.

In a previous role as Director, Global PR, Social Media and Comms, I co-presented with a spokesperson from a customer that everyone has heard of: Paddington Bear. I dare say that it would not have been a packed and overflowing audience had it just been me talking about social media trends.

Indeed, the Q&A afterward focused mostly on how the Paddington Bear brand had accelerated its engagement, digital community size, and click-throughs from social media. The Q&A alone provided the most valuable part of the presentation for my company – the customer explained how we’d played a key role in their social media evolution, and we received leads off the back of this!

Bringing your customers to the live platform shows the wider audience just how committed and strong your customer relationships are. This, in turn, helps to reinforce reputation and credibility, as a third party (your customer) can back up your claims about your business.

Reviews

What do you do when looking into a new company, product or service? You look for impartial reviews. Key factors in the buying process are finding out what other people think about a product or service and discovering what experiences with a brand are like – whether those reviews are good or bad.

Most businesses find themselves lucky in that they will receive some spontaneous customer reviews but they rarely come through in a constant stream. While you certainly can’t force customers to leave reviews, you can ask and hope it delivers results.

Dependent on your customer relationship you may choose to ask them in person, you may ask via email, or you may pop a review request through on Skype, a similar channel or even as an additional line in your invoice. There are many original and creative ways you can request reviews and as old age goes, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get!”

There’s a really useful and comprehensive breakdown of seven golden rules to gain more customer reviews that I encourage you to check out. They’re for the niche industry of dentistry, but the rules can be applied to pretty much any business in any line of work. Reviews can also give your business a boost with the search engines.

Google reviews appear in the Google Knowledge Graph which sits to the right of the search results, publicly displaying exactly how popular (or unpopular) your business is with customers. The higher the volume of high ratings you have, the more credibility your business gains.

Testimonials

There aren’t many more tried and tested methods than the classic testimonial – the trusted case study. Even before online marketing existed, businesses would display and share testimonials from their customers on-site in their businesses. Testimonials are quick, to the point, and highly effective. Testimonials can be single lines or they can be extremely in-depth.

You may choose to have a simple-but-effective dedicated Testimonials page on your website or you may share them liberally across your online channels incorporating them into product or service descriptions and more. Case studies and spotlights on companies you partner with are an extended form of the standard testimonial too.

Testimonials can also be great content for blog posts and articles, giving you more of a chance to explore the depths of the comments and explore the positives of your relationships with your individual customers. Testimonials can even be in video format as CodeAcademy show with their “Stories”, while Bluebeam offers a mixture of video, written and individual customer stories in their “In action” section, which again stands out as something a little different. Getting creative with your testimonials can help to draw in new customers as well as making your existing customers even more proud and likely to advocate their commitment to your brand.

Webinars

Webinars, having fallen out of favor a few years or so back, are rightly seen as a key marketing and sales tool for many businesses looking to keep their existing customers engaged and generate more leads as well. Their value continues to grow and with the right planning and promotion, they can be a hugely valuable source ROI vehicle. Full analysis and effective follow-ups with a targeted focus is also essential to get the desired ROI from webinars.

Webinars are also another effective channel for co-speaking with your customers. Bringing one or two onboard for a webinar or two can strengthen customer relations while also providing a lot of content to re-use and re-purpose. It gives you a further chance to show exactly how you help your customers and the benefits your product or service has offered to them. The period after a webinar is almost as important as the “event” itself as you have to be ready with follow-ups and give both yourself and your co-speaking customer the chance to respond quickly and insightfully.

Don’t forget when promoting your webinar to ask your co-speaking customer to share via social media, email and pigeon post too, to further amplify your reach. Webinars also give you the chance to link back to your best testimonials as they can simply be slotted (with relevance) into the deck. You need a true end-to-end plan for a successful webinar.

Your existing customers can be your biggest advocates and most important fans. Even a small number of truly dedicated customers will soon lead to business growth, especially if you make the most of them.

The post Grow Your Business | 4 Ways To Tap Into The Customer Power appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

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darkammarketing · 4 years

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Grow Your Business | 4 Ways To Tap Into The Customer Power

Co-Speaking

Reviews

Testimonials

Webinars

The post Grow Your Business | 4 Ways To Tap Into The Customer Power appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from Marketo Marketing Blog https://adobe.ly/37o6XTj via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Marketo Marketing Blog

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