#&&. interaction ⟡ jesse & adi.

[d3spite]

⋅𓂃 .𖥔 for: @seraphluv's adi. lyriel's capitol, nighttime.

𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐣𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞 . . . one – he’s never been in lyriel before. two – he’s never seen a nymbra before, outside of the watercolors in his ‘the world of orion’ illustrated encyclopedia. three – he’s never seen a princess before, nor has he ever breathed the same air as one. jesse thinks about it as he whistles tunelessly, leaning against the curved edge of a fountain.

it’s a lovely fountain, carved in the semblance of a large seashell, goddess aphrodite emerging from gilded foam and pouring water from her cupped palms. its belly is filled with coins of various shapes and sizes, covering the marble so thoroughly it is nigh-impossible to see what lies underneath, and if he listens closely enough he might be able to hear lingering echoes of all of the wishes made there. but jesse’s eyes and ears are only focused on one thing – or rather, one person, her odd gaze overlooking the gently-rushing water.

he wonders what she is doing here alone. when he had seen her earlier today, she’d been surrounded by an entourage of royal guards, an iridescent pearl in a spiked shell. princess nerina, stupidly beautiful and completely unlike the nymbra illustrated in his book – all black beady eyes and sharp teeth like an alligator. jesse clears his throat into his fist. up close, she is even more alluring, and he feels increasingly awkward as he stares at her.

come on. he’d told caishen, he’d told zane, he’d told pretty much everybody who would listen. bet i can bag a princess easy. jesse was full of bravado then, played-up to hide his nerves frazzled from leaving the wood, but his courage withers by the second. the princess’s eyes catch the moonlight with an aloof spark; she hardly seems to notice his presence even as he inches a little closer to her, fingertips dipping into cold water.

guess he'd make the first move. “hi,” he manages, voice hoarse. jesse straightens his sleeves, wishing he’d changed into the nice clothes his mother had prepared for him. “it’s cool, right? cool fountain. i’ve been… really into this fountain ever since i got here.” fuck. mentally, he grimaces, casting his gaze to the water. “where’d all your guards go? you put ‘em on holiday?”

and there it was – first time jesse has ever talked to a princess.

[lonewolflupe]

aLoF ch8 | Fives Days Off

This chapter is very dear to me, so I'm a bit nervous about sharing this one ahahaha. This has some of the earliest scenes/interactions that came to mind when I started creating Lupe's story. There's hurt, there's comfort, there's fluff, and maybe a little more after that ;)

Summary: after a devastating loss, Lupe finds the opportunity to grant a certain ARC trooper some well deserved rest and comfort Rating: Mature (just to be sure) Tags: talk of losses, hurt/comfort, fluff, sexual interaction (nothing too explicit), swearing (usage of slang; kriff/kriffing = fuck/fucking, kark = shit) Words: 5.850k Characters: Lupe (OC), Lone Wolf Squad, CT-7567 Captain Rex, ARC-5555 Fives, CT-5597 Jesse, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Yoda, Mace Windu, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Plo Koon, R2D2, unidentified clone troopers aLoF masterlist | AO3 ch7 < | ↓ | > ch9

20 BBY, Coruscant | GAR Barracks’ Hangar / GAR Barracks

(Straight after the Battle of Lola Sayu/Mission to the Citadel, TCW S03E18-20)

The Lone Wolves’ shuttle slid smoothly into the hangar as Claw piloted it from Coruscant’s sky. Another successful mission, another happy landing. When the squad walked off the boarding ramp, still chatting about their latest endeavour, Lupe noticed Captain Rex walking towards them. Although she enjoyed the Captain's company, she could feel something was wrong immediately. She told the boys to stay put as she turned towards the Captain.

"General, forgive me my intrusion, but you need to see Fives," he spoke to her, his voice full of concern. Her stomach turned when she heard Fives' name. "Is he injured? Where is he?" she asked Rex, doing no effort to hide her worries, her feelings. "He's- He's alright, he's in his quarters," Rex pointed out, before she darted past him to find Fives. "General, it's Echo- he didn't make it," he added as he stood there, nailed to the ground, hanging his head. Lupe quickened her pace and jolted towards the 501st's quarters, without looking back.

She found Fives inside, sitting on a bench at the back of the room. He was leaning forward, his helmetless head cupped in his hands. She dropped on her knees in front of him, reaching out to him. "Fives, my dear Fives," she whispered as she put her hands on the sides of his face. Without saying a word, he leaned towards her and sank his face between her neck and shoulder, putting his arms around her in a tight embrace. She put her arms around his torso, feeling his silent tears running down her skin.

She gave Fives the time to mourn his fallen brother. When he finally pulled away from her, she looked into his eyes, a comforting smile on her face. She was used to seeing his lively, deep, brown eyes sparkle with amusement, mischief, or whatever he was up to. But when she looked into them now, they were dull and empty. Her heart ached as she knew she couldn’t fill this emptiness inside him. Not the loss of Echo, the loss of another brother.

“I’m so tired, Lupe,” he whispered, another tear rolling down his cheek. “All the death. All the nightmares. I miss them, Lupe. I- I’m the only Domino left now.” He hung his head again, lost in thoughts. Lupe pressed her forehead against his as she searched for the right words, but she couldn’t find them. There was nothing she could say that would make him feel better at this moment.

It wasn’t long before she heard a knock at the entrance of the quarters. When she looked around, she noticed Captain Rex again, waiting at the entrance as he didn’t want to intrude on them any further. The fact that he had knocked at all meant something had come up. Lupe gently stroked Fives’ hair before she got to her feet and walked over to Rex.

“Forgive me again, sir, but we, er- We got orders to prepare for our next mission,” he sighed, clearly trying to hide his own feelings of loss and fatigue, but she saw through him. She clenched her fists as she looked at the devastated clone troopers. “They don’t ever allow you time to mourn and regain yourself, do they?” she growled, followed by a sigh. “Let me get through to them.” When she walked past him, she halted abruptly, turning towards the Captain. She put her hand on his shoulder piece whilst she looked him into his eyes. “I’m sorry for your losses, Captain. All of them,” she whispered, before she continued her personal mission.

She barged into the hangar's secluded transmission room and sent out an urgent transmission towards the High Council Chamber. When it got accepted, holograms of the Council members appeared in front of her. It included Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka, who were located in the centre of the room, interrupted in the middle of their debriefing. Everyone looked up at Lupe as soon as her hologram appeared to them. She tried to balance her thoughts, but she couldn't. She was too emotional at the moment.

She knew this was highly inappropriate, but at this moment, she didn't care. "I'm here for an urgent matter," she stated, almost in a demanding way. She needed them to hear her now. Master Mace Windu, his face puzzled yet stern, glanced over to Master Yoda before gesturing to Lupe to continue.

"I'm here before you on behalf of the clones. Day in, day out, they are fighting this war, sacrificing their lives for a Republic they don't even get to experience, as they were created and trained to fight, to die. On a daily basis, they get injured, they see their brothers die before their eyes, getting scarred and traumatised. You cannot send them from one battle into another, you have to give them some slack. Get them help. Don't just send them over to the medical department to fix them up before shipping them out again, but provide them with proper help, with mental support. These men are living beings, deserving of the same lives and chances as anyone within the Republic we are fighting for. Why not fight for them too?"

Her chest was heaving when she finished her speech, adrenaline pumping through her veins. The Jedi took in her words and the Masters seemed to deliberate them carefully. It was Grand Master Yoda, his ears slightly twitching, who spoke out first.

"Spoken passionately, you have, hmm," Yoda said, waiting a moment before continuing. "Right you are, perhaps, but focus on the ongoing battles, we must." Some Jedi Masters nodded in agreement. "We are already short of an army. We have to fight for the preservation of the Republic, we cannot lose to the Separatists' corruption," Master Ki-Adi Mundi added to Yoda's concerns.

"That's just it, Masters. We Jedi are generals, warriors, planning strategies and leading these men into battle. But as far as I'm aware, Jedi used to be peacekeepers." She pointed at Ahsoka, who silently stood beside her Master whilst listening to Lupe's passionate speech, as they all did. "And now you are grooming our young, talented younglings and Padawans to become child soldiers. Just as you send these good men to their deaths, over and over again."

A moment of silence as her words reached the Council members. She saw some of them looking at each other, shifting uncomfortably in their seats. Were they silently agreeing with her, or had her words only pulled a sensitive string?

"We thank you for your concerns, Lupe, and we will discuss this with the Council. In private," Master Windu finally spoke, before he shared another glance with Master Yoda. "But it seems to me you're getting involved with the clones too closely. We cannot allow attachments within the Jedi Order, as you’re fully aware of. And to me, it seems you're overstepping boundaries. We will discuss what to do with you. Until then, you are ordered to remain on Coruscant. Don't stray too far from the Temple."

She tried to stay calm and balanced, as her Master had taught her. But she was furious, fuming inside. They seemed to care more about her misstep from straying from the Jedi protocols and guidelines, than they cared for the lives of the clones. With great effort she restrained herself, thanked the Council Members for their attention in a cold response, and ended the transmission.

As she stormed out of the transmission room, still fuming, with both her heart and head racing, she noticed a crowd of clones from the 501st and her Lone Wolves near the entrance of the hangar. A white and blue astromech droid had its scomp connected to the main computer and seemed to be projecting her very own transmission in front of the crowd. They had been listening to everything she had said in front of the Jedi Council, including the Council's meagre replies.

They noticed Lupe entering the hangar, and awkwardly stood there as the droid disconnected from the socket. Some of the troopers scattered about, others tried to act as if they were engaged in some military activity, like spot-checking their gear. Rex, standing next to the R2-unit, put his elbow up as he scratched the back of his neck, fully aware that the General had just caught them eavesdropping on a confidential Jedi Council meeting.

Fives was standing next to Rex, his arms crossed, with dark circles below his dull eyes; he looked defeated. She hated seeing him like this. "Kriff this," she said softly yet determined, before she walked over to him, put her hands around his face to pull him close, and kissed him in front of the remaining clones. She saw a glimmer in his eyes, although faint, but at least she had achieved brightening him up a bit. Content, she walked away from the troopers, searching for a secluded place where she would await word from the Jedi Council.

Fives just stood there, his brain short circuiting as he tried to process what had just happened. Rex looked away; what he didn't see, he didn't have to report. Jesse coughed whilst he bumped his elbow into Fives' side, and another trooper in the crowd whistled. Even the astromech seemed to join in on the whistling.

---

It was getting quite late when her comlink started beeping. After she accepted the incoming transmission, a distant voice told her the Jedi Council was expecting her at once, and the transmitter abruptly ended the message. Lupe sighed as she put the com device back in her pocket, taking a moment before she got back on her feet. She was still in the hangar, at the very edge of the platform behind some crates, overlooking Coruscant. She’d come to like this spot, as she was close to the troopers, but secluded enough to sit and think in solitude. And at this moment, she would rather be surrounded by clones than by Jedi.

As she walked to the hangar’s door to find her way back to the Jedi Temple, she noticed the R2-unit was still around. This time, the droid was accompanied by Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan. Now it dawned on her; the astromech was Anakin’s personal droid, R2D2. She should have known. A quick smile appeared on her face when she walked their way, unable to avoid them as she was headed for the exit. When she neared them, Anakin turned towards her, his arms crossed. He had a stern look on his face, but surprisingly, his look softened when she came closer.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into that argument,” Lupe said to Ahsoka, a half-smile on her face. “Don’t worry about it,” the Padawan replied as she smiled up at Lupe. “Those were some brave words you spoke, Master Lupe. Thanks for standing up for them,” she added softly, before the Padawan shifted on her feet, looking down. Anakin gave her a quick glance before turning to Lupe again. “Brave, but foolish. I know you mean well, and I totally agree with you, don’t get me wrong. But knowing the Council, there will be consequences to your words.”

Anakin’s words were harsh, but he spoke them kindly. She understood he was on the same page as her, but someone had to step up for the clones. “I don’t care what those consequences will be, as long as my words make them act. These men deserve better,” she concluded, as she gestured into the clone-filled hangar. She nodded a goodbye towards the Jedi before continuing her path to face said consequences.

---

Coruscant | Jedi Temple, High Council Chamber

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath when she found herself in front of the Chamber’s door again. Calm and balanced. She had no idea what would be waiting for her behind the door, but she was ready for it. And she had absolutely no regrets for the words she’d spoken earlier. The door whooshed open as she walked forward, and seated in the room behind it was the Jedi Council.

“Lupe, please enter,” her former Master Plo Koon said, as he gently gestured to her to walk forward. She nodded at him, keeping her thoughts and demeanour as neutral as possible, as she walked to the centre of the room. Master Windu readied himself for what she thought would become a lecture. “Lupe, we have discussed your words with great care. We thank you for your concern, but we ask you to leave the matter to us. We will find a fitting solution to the situation,” he spoke with what seemed to her like a lack of emotion. Lupe nodded, trying to stay calm and balanced. “Now for the matter of your misstep..”

“We understand that these trying times of war are weighing heavy on you, as it does on all of us, and we realise you’ve achieved Jedi Knighthood and its responsibilities at a young age. Younger than would be desirable, in times of peace,” Mace Windu continued. “That is why we decided there will be no harsh consequences. We will give you leave for five rotations, to quiet your mind and recollect your thoughts. In return, we ask you- we urge you to keep your emotional distance from the clones. You are their leader and General, and you can’t let your emotions distract you from your missions, your goals. Are we clear?”

Lupe bowed deeply in front of the Masters as she said: “Yes, Masters.” She thanked them for their decision blandly, pushing away all the emotions that were trying to get a hold of her. If the Jedi were supposed to be caring and considerate, how could they ask this of her? They didn’t word it like that, but in her mind, they were straight up asking her to push aside all her feelings. As soon as she was dismissed, she jolted around and walked out of the Chamber, quickening her pace as she walked through the hallway.

Behind her, she heard the whooshing sound of the door opening and closing again. As soon as she felt the presence of her former Master, she slowed down and turned around. “Lupe..,” Master Plo spoke softly as he walked up to her. She pushed back the burning tears in her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat before she faced him. “I’m sorry for letting you down again, Master,” she spoke softly, her voice on the verge of breaking. A moment of silence, before he put his arms around her and pulled her close in an embrace. “You could never disappoint me, Lupe,” he spoke softly, as she returned the embrace now that she had finally found some solace.

---

Master Plo had spoken briefly with her about her interaction with the Jedi Council that day. He didn’t judge her, and she knew he cared deeply for the clone troopers as well. He had tried to explain that decisions had to be taken during wartime, and not all decisions were taken lightly. Some decisions were made by choosing between a bad choice, and a worse one. Taking such decisions didn’t mean the Jedi Council didn’t care; they had to keep in mind what was best for the Republic. And what was best for the Republic, wasn’t always best for the Jedi and the Grand Army’s troopers. Lupe understood, but still felt like the troopers could get better treatment. And Master Plo would talk to the Council again, see what he could do for the men they cared so deeply about.

After their conversation, Lupe found herself hurrying back towards the GAR barracks and hangar. She had agreed with the Council that they had been clear to her, which they had been; very clear. But that didn’t mean she was going to follow up on all their wishes and demands. She was given leave for five rotations and she wasn’t planning on spending them in solitude.

“Captain Rex!” she called to him, as she came hurrying up towards him. He looked up from his datapad, dismissing some of his troops when she neared him. He nodded a ‘sir’ towards her as she halted beside him. “Any effects on your, er- Speech this afternoon, sir?” Rex asked cautiously, trying to avoid the fact that he had been listening to the whole thing. She sighed as she looked him in the eyes. “I really can’t tell at this moment. But I deliberated with Master Plo and I am sure he’ll get through to them,” she replied, hoping her trust in the Jedi Council wasn’t misplaced. “So our faith is at the mercy of the Jedi again,” Rex sighed, a wry smile on his face. “Isn’t it always?” she replied with a shrug.

“Rex, I have a favour to ask,” she finally said, shifting the topic. He raised a brow as she bit her lower lip, searching for the most subtle way to put this. “I, er- have been given leave to ��quiet my thoughts’, so to speak,” she started slowly, and found Rex lighten up with amusement. “You mean, so they don’t get interrupted by your ‘creative thinking’ for a few rotations?” he said, and he couldn’t help himself from chuckling. She laughed, shrugging again in a you-got-me kind of way. “But jokes aside, I was wondering.. Would there be a possibility for Fives to get a few rotations off as well? I think he could really use some time off the battlefield and away from the barracks.” She swallowed as she waited for the Captain’s reply.

“Well, as much as I’d like to comply, I really have to discuss this with the General first,” Rex finally said, thinking about how he would bring this to the General without raising too many suspicions. Lupe sighed, as her faith in her colleagues wasn’t at its highest at the moment. Rex noticed her anguish and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry; if any Jedi would understand, it’s General Skywalker. Trust me,” he said comfortingly, and she did. What a day, where it was easier to trust a clone than a fellow Jedi.

---

Coruscant | GAR Barracks

Lupe was leaning against a crate near the barracks when Rex returned from his briefing. She looked up expectantly when she heard him walking towards her, but it turned into anguish when she noticed Anakin was accompanying him. She wasn’t in the mood for another pedantic speech after her encounter with the Council that afternoon, and as she was supposed to keep her distance from the clones, trying to get one off duty was asking for trouble. Her mind was racing, searching for a logical explanation she could give.

“Good news, sir; General Skywalker has permitted your request,” Rex said enthusiastically when they halted in front of Lupe. She looked at them kind of sceptically, expecting some kind of trap, as if Master Windu would pop out behind them to scold her. Anakin noticed her distrust and started laughing, putting his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. “Easy there, Lupe, I didn’t bring the Council with me,” he said jokingly, as if he had read her mind. She started to ease as soon as she realised Anakin was genuine with her, a smile starting to appear on her face.

“Thanks, Anakin, I owe you,” she said whilst she nodded to him in gratitude. “I hope I’ll be able to get Fives some distraction; he could really use some,” she said to him whilst she started contemplating where she would take him. “I bet you will,” Anakin grinned as he started pressing on some buttons on his comm device. “Here are the coordinates to a nice place in the Lake Country on Naboo. A, er- friend of mine owns the place, but she won’t be needing it for a while. She won’t mind if you use it for a few rotations,” Anakin said to her as her own comm device started beeping when she received the coordinates. She nodded again in thanks, eager to go get Fives.

After Rex wished them well and walked off, Anakin gently grabbed her arm for a moment as he moved in close to her. “What happens on Naboo, stays on Naboo,” he whispered with a smirk on his face, before releasing her arm and walking off. Lupe had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but she didn’t care at this point. She turned on her heels and bolted towards the quarters to find Fives, ready to get him out of this karkhole that reminded him of all his fallen brothers.

---

“Fives!” she called when she jolted inside the quarters, crashing her shoulder against the wall as she didn’t try to slow down when she rounded the corner. She noticed him at the back of the quarters again, now laying on his top bunk bed. She continued running, jumping between bunk beds and over a crate, barely dodging a trooper as he walked by, earning her a high pitched ‘watch-it’ as he stumbled on his feet. At the back of the quarters, she pulled herself up on the metal frame of the bunk bed to face him. He looked puzzled, not sure why she was in such a haste. “Get your thrusters off that bed and come with me,” she urged him, as she took his hand to drag him out.

Fives almost fell from his bunk bed when she did, slightly regaining himself so he came down stumbling instead of falling. He grabbed her by the shoulders to calm her down. “Lupe, what are you doing?” he whispered as he looked her in the eyes. “We’re being sent off to fight another battle. What are you doing here?” He sounded serious; another reason why she worried about him, why she had to take him away. “Fives, General Skywalker and Rex got you permission for a few rotations off duty!” she shot back at him, her eyes glistering. He looked even more puzzled than before. “I didn’t ask for any leave,” he said to her, releasing her shoulders. “But I did.”

---

Since neither a clone trooper nor a Jedi really owned any personal belongings, they didn’t have to waste any time packing. They found themselves an AA-9 freighter that transported civilians from Coruscant to Naboo that left the same day. When they arrived in Naboo’s capital city of Theed, they found another transport to the more isolated area of Lake Country.

It was late in the afternoon when they reached the place. A servant droid was awaiting them, clearly informed about their arrival. Lupe thanked the droid after it had showed them around, before it withdrew to a secluded area to not bother them during their stay. The place looked quite luxurious, especially considering the rather small size of the residence. But it was big enough for the few rotations they would be staying; it was nothing like a clone trooper and a Jedi were used to in these times of war. It was perfect.

“What would you like to do?” Lupe asked, a comforting smile on her face, as she turned towards Fives. He was still looking devastated, tired and lost. They hadn’t spoken a lot during their travels, as they had been surrounded by civilians and didn’t want them to eavesdrop on any war related contents. Fives shrugged, looking past her. “I just want to lie down, I guess,” he said softly, avoiding her gaze. She swallowed before she slowly nodded; she wanted to help him, get him some distraction from everything that had happened, but she wanted to give him some space as well, if that was what he wanted.

After Fives withdrew to the adjacent bedroom and closed the door behind him, Lupe dropped down on the couch in the middle of the room. As she let her gaze explore the room around her, her thoughts jumped back and forth. She thought about the Jedi Council, hoping they would come up with a solution that would provide better care for the clone troopers. She thought about Fives, how he had just lost his last Domino brother, and about all the fallen brothers before Echo. Her memories from Geonosis returned, and she felt like that small, unknowing Padawan again. And everything that had happened ever since.. Her mind still racing, she closed her eyes and slowly sank into a long, uneasy slumber.

---

Mid Rim | Chommell Sector | Naboo

It was already morning when Fives woke up. He had fallen into a deep, long sleep and hadn't woken up until now. He hadn't slept that long and undisturbed since.. He couldn't remember, perhaps during his short childhood back on Kamino? He felt a little better, but dark thoughts started to cloud his mind again. It wasn't until he smelled food that he felt his stomach rumble, almost hurting from emptiness. He hadn't had any dinner, after all. Not that they had dinner during battles, but at least he would stuff himself with ration bars whenever he got the chance.

The food smelled kriffing delicious. He didn't know if it was smelling so good because he was so hungry and could eat anything at this moment, or because it would actually be that tasty. He was sure to find out. He heaved himself out of bed, noticing the other half of it was unslept. He had taken off his ARC trooper armour before collapsing onto the bed the prior day, but was still wearing his body glove, a thin, black jumpsuit meant to support his armour and protect his skin from it.

When he walked out of the bedroom, entering the bigger living room, he noticed Lupe was in the open kitchen at the back of the room, preparing breakfast. He couldn’t help to be surprised; he didn’t expect cooking lessons to be part of a Jedi’s training, and here she was, making his mouth water and his stomach growl. As soon as Lupe noticed his presence, she turned around, frying pan in one hand. “I baked you some eggs,” she smiled whilst she looked at him, her eyes glistening. “This place has so many ingredients stocked, even lots of foreign herbs and spices,” she said to him, losing herself in her enthusiasm.

Fives chuckled faintly, heaving his weary body on one of the stools at the high table that was located in the kitchen. “I, er- I didn’t take you for the.. Domestic kind,” he said softly to her, enjoying this different side of her as he watched her put the eggs on a plate and sprinkle some fresh herbs on top of them. She served it to him from the other side of the table, her face full of anticipation as she was hoping this would get at least some of his spirits back up. He looked at the plate in awe, inhaling deeply as he was taking in the delightful scent. “There’s even toast,” he whispered, before digging in. Lupe smiled as she watched him.

After he finished his last bite, he pushed the plate away and sighed out of content. “I really needed that. Thank you,” he said to her, feeling slightly better, but the dark thoughts started to return. Lupe smiled at him, happy he enjoyed the meal, but was taken over by concern when she noticed his expression shifted. She was leaning against the table opposite to him, and started to shift on her feet a bit nervously. “So, er- Anything you’d like to do today?” she asked him softly, almost shyly.

Fives shrugged, averting his gaze from hers. “I, er- I think I’ll get some more sleep,” he whispered, readying himself to get back into the bedroom. He really appreciated the effort she had taken to get him away for a few rotations, for taking him to this place. But he felt he was disappointing her, letting her down, because he really preferred to be alone right now, isolated with his thoughts. He didn’t realise that was exactly what she was preventing him from doing. Lupe straightened herself and walked over to him, putting her hands on his chest and looking him deeply in his eyes. “I have something better in mind,” she spoke softly to him, before landing a soft kiss on his cheek.

She took his hand and guided him outside, into the lush fields ahead. A pleasant breeze made the tall, green grass dance like waves on the ocean. The lake behind the field glistered under the basking sun. They hadn't paid attention to their surroundings too much the day before, as they both had been too tired from the journey and the events from the prior rotations.

After Lupe gently urged him to, Fives sat down at the edge of the tall grass, crossing his legs and gazing towards the lake. Lupe walked back behind him and dropped herself on her shins, her knees pointing towards Fives. She started to pull his jumpsuit from his upper body, her heart skipping a beat when she saw his muscular body below it. He was gorgeous.

And then she noticed the scars. With the tips of her fingers, she gently caressed them, being careful with her touch as if they were still fresh, as if they would still hurt. Fives closed his eyes and slowed down his breathing, focussing only on her touch. Her hands slid towards his neck and shoulders. As she gently squeezed, she felt the tension in his trapezius muscles. She started massaging them, making small movements with her fingers as she put pressure on them.

Fives groaned softly out of content. Lupe noticed how his neck and shoulders started to relax. She kept massaging his muscles, trying to push out all the tension and misery. After a while, Fives let his body fall backwards, and Lupe laid the back of his head in her lap. He opened his eyes and she finally noticed a smile on his face again. She returned it before she leaned forward, kissing him upside down.

---

“Can you swim, trooper?” she asked after a while, a slight smirk playing on her face. Fives heaved himself upright, his torso turned so he was able to look her in the eyes. “You seem to forget I was born and raised on Kamino,” he said grinning, a glister in his eyes. She patted him on the shoulder before standing up, stepping over him and walking straight for the lake. Fives followed her with his gaze, as he remained sitting on the ground, waiting to see what she would do next.

Lupe slid down her pants before pulling her robes off. A piece of fabric, like a bandage, was wrapped tightly around her breasts to support them during her physical activities as a Jedi and a General. Now, she started to unwrap it slowly, her back still towards Fives. He sat there silently, almost holding his breath as he watched her progress. When the fabric was loose, she let it fall on the ground beside her, with the rest of her clothes.

She looked back over her shoulder at Fives, glancing at him with a seductive smile on her face, without revealing any more of herself. She slowly walked forward again, wading into the lake. The water was cool, but pleasant. She walked until her collar bones immersed into the water before turning around, facing Fives again.

Fives sat there, breathless by now. His mind was racing as he watched her get undressed, seeing her naked body, shooting him that seductive glance and walking into the lake mysteriously. She had no business as a Jedi, let alone as a General, being this beautiful. Not that he minded; his brain just needed a moment to process what was happening. When it dawned on him, he got up clumsily, his blacks still dangling around his torso. He pulled it lower, getting his legs out, almost tripping in the process.

He tossed the blacks aside before hurrying himself to the lake. As he waded in, making his way towards Lupe, his brain ignored the coolness of the water. And when he finally found himself close to her..

She reached up to him and their lips touched, as they lunged for each other longingly. Tasting and exploring as their lips moved, as their tongues danced. Fives let his hands wander from her shoulders to her hips, exploring everything in between, pulling her as close as he could. She shoved her arms below his, her hands on his shoulder blades on his back, their chests pressed together. Her naked skin against his sent a shiver down his spine.

His heart pounding, Fives finally loosened their grips before taking a deep breath and immersing himself in the lake, his head underwater as he continued exploring Lupe's body below her hips. A surprised gasp, passing into a moan of pleasure as Fives did something unexpected down below. He emerged from the water again, water dripping from his hair and muscular body as he stood in front of her again. This man. “Where did you learn that?” she asked with a cheeky smile on her face. “We do have access to the HoloNet, you know,” he replied, a grin on his face before he reached for her lips again. She received him gladly, continuing where they had left off.

As they continued kissing, their naked bodies pressed against each other, Fives grasped Lupe’s thighs and lifted her, their hips now on the same level. She wrapped her legs around him, looking down into his deep, brown eyes as she was now positioned slightly above him. He looked back into her amber eyes, their hearts beating faster and faster. And then, he entered her, slowly and gently, so as not to hurt her. She closed her eyes and let out a lustful sigh, completely taken in the moment. He looked at her face for a little longer, admiring her feral beauty, before closing his eyes as well, as their foreheads touched.

Now they were one. Their breath and heartbeats were consistent as they moved as one. As the world around them blurred together, forgetting all about the war that was still raging on in the galaxy, they were one and at this moment, they were all there was. Only them. They were the centre of their own galaxy now.

…

Epilogue

Lupe and Fives were laying in the field, surrounded by the tall grass, their bodies drying under the sun as it was gliding away, not far from setting for the evening. Laying on their backs, their bodies in opposite directions, their heads were side by side as they looked up into the sky. For a moment, they had forgotten about the war, about all the losses and sacrifices, the death and the destruction. For a moment, it was just them, being together, caring and loving. And although they knew this day would end, today was perfect, and it would always be a day they would cherish.

Pfew alright, I hope you're not disappointed after reading this (because again, this chapter is very dear to me). This was actually the very first scene with sexual interaction I wrote, and at the time it was a big deal to me (yeah I know). But I've written a few more by now and I can promise it'll get a bit more spicy (:

Also I'm sorry for doing your boy Mace dirty, you gotta understand that he comes over as very harsh/unyielding/incomprehensible to someone as young/passionate/emotional as Lupe. I actually really like the character (and I'll try to make it up to you somewhere along the story)

[clonefrens]

Hey Y'all, I made a 30 questions list for The Clone Wars :) I made this list from scratch but if there is another creater that has made something similar before me, please let me know so that i can give them credit :)) These are my answers:

1. Ahsoka

2. Rex

3. Mirialan or Tholothian

4. Dathomir

5. Those wolf things at the Citadel

6. Luminara Unduli, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu

7. Asajj Ventress or Darth Maul

8. Embo

9. Adi Gallia

10. basic but - 501st🔵⚪️

11. Rex or Jesse

12. Umbara or The Shadow Collective

13. Season 4

14. Ahsoka or Asajj

15. Satine (fight me)

16. Republic

17. I love the Tholothians and Kiros Togruta women

18. Phase 2, 100%

19. JUMPSUIT AHSOKA

20. Rexwalker

21. BO

22. White Geonosis or Red Vest/Batuu

23. Crosshair

24. 2nd battle of Geonosis

25. Commando Droids

26. Luminara Unduli and Asajj Ventress Lightsaber Hilt, Lightsaber color - Grey

27. Fives death

28. The Anakin, Obi-Wan and Rex interaction in the second episode of season 7

29. Bo-Katan

30. 2015!

[moonraisedsunchild]

You seem to have a lot of OCs. Do you have like a master list of them or something?

oh god I have so many. 

Most arent considered mains to me, they are more like npcs, which means i probably only have their name and fc prepared. 

I might have a thing here and there about them in my brain and i might have some idea on how they would interact with certain mains but they aren’t as fleshed out as the mains. 

the secondaries can move to man if i start working on them more.

This isn’t all but this is currently all that i have found info on or remembered.

~

* means they moved from secondary to main.

☆ means share names but are different characters.

¤ means they have a canon counterpart but i am making changes.

~

i @’d them if i had a blog though i could have missed a blog or the thing didn’t link them/tag.

also for more homestuck ones go to @trolls-cherubs-and-kids

Italics mean they are on the @la-manada-de-muerte blog.

Bold means they are on the @unafraidofmoonlight blog

~

it will take a while to list them all (both main and secondaries) 

started on 4/9/18 in the evening and finished in the early morning of the 10th.

feel free to ask about any of them and i will do my best to answer!

Mains

1.      Nocovia Westly (story of my own that came from a rp)2.      Haven (LOZ/BOTW)3.      Eleonora Katharina Westergaard (Descendants 1&2) so much is written for this it’s kinda funny.4.      Idunn Fireheart (DA/Skyrim)5.      Yngvild (Vikings)6.      Yué Li (Star wars)7.      Cory Winchester (Supernatural)8.      Maggie Neely ¤ (TNW) x2 as different fcs steely-deliverer-neely9.      Mýrún/Muirenn DunBroch/Haddock (HTTYD/Brave)10.  Nanna (Undertale)11.  Natsuki Tachibana (Naruto/Bleach)12.  Dove Farseeker (WOW) @seekerdove13.  Snatch n Jab, Longshot, and Musey (DnD)14.  Xune'drada “Xuna” Of House T'sarran (DnD)15.  Maethriel (LoTR/Hobbit) @maethriel16.  Idunn (LoTR/Hobbit) @idunnthedwarrowdam17.  Casey Clearwater (Twilight)18.  Jax Pierce (Twilight)19.  Ara Rigel Argyris Black (HP)20.  Jax Kat Black Nee Argyris* (HP)21.  Chandra Bhatt Sharma (HP) @chandraofhufflepuff22.  Pyra Thera Nott  (HP)23.  Theodore Nott ¤  (HP) 24.  Moana Sigyn Herondale  (HP)25.  Haven Alexandria Potter (HP) @shelterofhogwarts​26.  Elara “Ellie” Pandora Black* (HP)27.  Nova “Novie” Calypso Black* (HP)28.  Oberon “Obie” Deimos Black* (HP)29.  Iris & Hazel Plank (HP)30.  Alejandro Rodolfo Martin (HP)31.   Calen JolanLycian (HP)32.   Nissa SimoneAdams (Riverdale/The Flash)33.  Hansa Chari (Riverdale)34.  Maëla Samaelson (Riverdale)35.  Morgause Mervyn (TW)36.  Yukio ‘Yu’ Kai-Zhāng Hale (TW)37.  Cordelia Jane Lycian (TW)38.  Talia Paisley Posey (TW)39.  Althea “Tia” Hestia Harman (TW)40.  Poppy Darcy (TW)41.  Pan Katsaros (TVD/TW/SH)42.  Ajax Megalos (TVD/TW/SH)   43.  Nemesis Argyris☆ (TVD/TW/SH)   44.  Meara Asherah Martin (PJO/TW)45.  Farley Halvorsen (TVD)46.  Ella Herondale-Graymark (SH)47.  Amara Bane (SH/TDI)48.  Morgause Jackson (PJO)49.  Kit Marinos (PJO)50.  Hansa Stark (GOT)51.  Eleonora Baratheon (GOT)52.  Ina Martell (GOT)53.  Lola Caraleah Barton (Marvel & maybe DC)54.  Lola Marie Blake/Banner (Marvel)55.  Adiand'r Kon-el/ Adiary Selene Anders-Kent AKAMoonfire/Superfire (DC/Marvel)56.  Anani Leah Bachman aka Volatile* (Marvel/DC)57.  Marisol Lola Robles-Sanchez aka Thunderbird* (Dc/Marvel)58.  Koraline Dalilah Isley (DC)59.  Hansa Marissa Harmaajärvi (DC) @hmh-azureriptide60.  Pyralis Titaia Zabat (DC)61.  Cordelia “Cory” McLellan (DC) picked a surname for her finally (for C & her 3 bs)62.  Sigyn Ran Allen (DC)63.  Hlin II Baldersdottir (Marvel) @daughters-of-baldr64.  Eir II Baldersdottir (Marvel) ^^65.  Samanta Fárbautisdottir  (Marvel) 66.  BlueShade (Marvel) only has an alias never named her.

Veronica Potts (Marvel) @watergrownpotts​   

Kenna (?)

  Secondaries1.      Jude Black (Twilight)2.      Nemesis Argyris (HP)3.      Dorothy Selwyn (HP)4.      Barbara Selwyn (HP)5.      Lucille Selwyn  (HP)6.      Theodosia Rosier (HP)7.      Dolorosa Rosier   (HP)8.      Josephina Rosier  (HP)9.      Amara Nott (nee Fawley)  ¤ (HP)10.  Richard Nott  ¤ (HP)11.  Thaddeus Fawley  ¤ (HP)12.  Sullivan Fawley  ¤ (HP)13.  Hansa Marissa Lillard-Patton  (HP)14.  Hestia Faye Bones  (HP)15.  Aiden  Nicholas Bones  (HP)16.  London Amelia Bones  (HP)17.  Líadan Aisling Ó Rinn  (HP)18.  Bran Meallán Finnigan (HP)19.  Harlan Cedric Howler (HP)20.  Aiden Nicholas Howler  (HP)21.  Nova Amelia Howler  (HP)22.  Hestia Faye Howler  (HP)23.  Noah Duncan  (HP)24.  Jacob Duncan  (HP)25.  James Duncan  (HP)26.  Caleb Duncan  (HP)27.  Freya Duncan  (HP)28.  Connie Quinn  (HP)29.  Matilda Quinn  (HP)30.  Taryn Quinn  (HP)31.  Slyvie Quinn  (HP)32.  Mulan Li  (HP)33.   Xing-Yue Li  (HP)34.  Chou ‘Cho’ mo chang/ Qiū Zhāng ¤ (HP)35.  Ling ‘lin’ he chang /Zhāng  (HP)36.  Ru ‘Rue’ Lian Chang/ Zhāng  (HP)37.  Arnav Chopra Desai  (HP)38.  Anvi Chopra Desai  (HP)39.  Mani Bhatt Desai  (HP)40.  Hari Bhatt Desai  (HP)41.  Asha Bhatt Sharma  (HP)42.  Darshana Bhatt Sharma (HP)43.  Damon Jones (Riverdale)44.  Mu Samaelson (Riverdale)45.  Stefan Cooper (Riverdale)46.  Morgaine McArthur  (TW)47.  Nimue Mervyn  (TW)48.  Alma Subi Kakar  (TW)49.  Imelda Vonda Althaus (TW)50.  Maud Ella Althaus  (TW)51.  Karou Jun Seung  (TW)52.  Zola Zidati Brisbane  (TW)53.  Ahyoka Wolfe (TW)54.  Espie Brigid O'Brien  (TW)55.  Thespa Arianrhod O'Brien  (TW)56.  Lewis Gimli Watts  (TW)57.  Ula Nimue Ó Muireagáin  (TW)58.  Ira Jude Evans  (TW)59.  Hazel Tatiana Vespera Petrova  (TW)60.  Clíodhna “Cleo” Deveraux  (TW)61.  Tracy Stewart ¤  (TW)62.  Erin Matthews  (TW)63.  Tala Bane  (TW)64.  Kendel Anderson  (TW)65.  Teagan Bennett  (TW)66.  Monica Andrews  (TW)67.  Noemi “Ami” Martinez  (TW)68.  Aili (eye-lee) Isaacson  (TW)69.  Rebekah “Beks” Kayne  (TW)70.  Amelia “Lia” Mills  (TW)71.  Rebecca ‘Harley’ Harlowe  (TW)72.  Stacy McCall  (TW) 73.  Jesse Harlowe  (TW)74.  Ara Yukimura (TW) 75.  Hestia “Hex” Raven Basurto  (TW)76.  Julianna “Jules” Wolf (TW) 77.  Mark Richard Bennett  (TW)78.  Kevin Robert Bennett (TW) 79.  Stella Rene Bennett (Nee Lycian (Nee Celeste))  (TW)80.  Duncan Owen Lycian  (TW)81.  Eline ‘Eli’ Gwendolyn Lycian  (TW)82.  Steven Marcus Bennett  (TW)83.  Seeley Blythe  (TW)84.  Renata Enid Bishop  (TW)85.  Ramona Henley Bishop  (TW)86.  Lukas Carter  (TW)87.  Denise Maeve Lemay  (TW)88.  Mira Ocarina Martin (TW) /Mira ‘Stark’ Tyrell (GOT)89.  Kavum Martell (GOT)90.  Chandra Martell  (GOT)91.  Aarushi Martell (GOT)92.  Adelaide Michaelson/Hamilton/Graymark/Herondale (SH/DC/TVD???) 93.  Heiđrún Halvorsen  (TVD/TO)94.  Serena Halvorsen  (TVD/TO)95.  Bistra Halvorsen  (TVD/TO)96.  Maiko Akamine (Naruto)97.  Rory Darrow (Homestuck/undertale)98.  Arizona “Rona” Robles (Homestuck/Undertale)99.  Cili (LoTR(?)/Hobbit)100. Eliza  (LoTR/Hobbit)101. Lalia Fairbairn-Greenhand  (LoTR/Hobbit) 102. Maire Fairbairn-Greenhand  (LoTR/Hobbit)103. Arodien (LoTR/Hobbit) 104. Idunna Odinsdottir/Dana Runa Astrid Meadows  (DC/Marvel)105. Hlina Odinsdottir/Leah Suzanna Fawn Meadows (DC/Marvel)106. Titaia Ianthe Alkmene Katsaros aka Tana  (DC)107. Mao Tachibana &  Kyōsei-sha/Dōsei (DC)108. Haven Amelia Buckley/Laila Aisha Al-Amin (DC)   109. Liam Alexander Buckley/Omar Ali Al-Amin (DC)   110. Warren Axel Buckley/Amir Jericho Al-Amin (DC)111. Luke Meadows (DC)112.Stephanie Meadows (DC)113. Veronica Marie Robles-Sanchez AKA Techward (DC)114. Noemi Robles-Sanchez AKA SolarMatrix (DC)115. Jane Sanchez AKA LunarSphere (DC)116. Nephele Anemone Zabat  (DC)117. Demetria Petra Zabat   (DC)118. Thalassa Arethousa Zabat  (DC)119. Bonnie Anita Blake (Marvel)120. Caroline Jolene Blake  (Marvel)121. Noah Blake  (Marvel)122. Eline Clare Dickson (?)123. Jane Marie Dickson (?)124. Neelam Nehal Sharma (?)125. Ara Sawako sasaki (?)126. Kira Aiko sasaki (?)127. Arun Madhava Soman (?) 128. Adithya “Adi” Kapoor Patel (?) 129. Sharada “Charu” Anjali Mahal (?)

Edit: add to main: Nissa Simone Larkspear (SH)

[automaticvr]

Next Wave Mindfulness is the series of works I made as part of the research for my upcoming major project Sphere4. Within Next Wave Mindfulness, I visit various simulations and interact with environments, bots and people who happen to be there.   In addition to reading scientific journals and news on a daily basis, I do my research from many corners of the internet as well as within simulations and VR worlds. I have spent hundreds of hours in VR, almost entirely dedicated to visiting its many locations related to art or science. Regarding games, my favourites are first person shooters, both in the world of "flat" games and VR. But there is one meta-game that tops everything I have experienced in VR thus far: the beautiful world of VRChat. This is the montage of some of my experiences within this wonderful network of people and simulations.   After experiencing VRChat worlds and interacting with people I met there, I tried to persuade some of my IRL, Twitch and Facebook friends to join me. Although it is hard to entirely put into words or to transmit in recordings how one feels and acts in such an environment and because some of my friends who never experienced VRChat were sceptical, I made this video to illustrate how enchanting and precious this growing metaverse is becoming. The focus of this video is on mindfulness, friendships and playful interaction with the variety of worlds.   Another video in the series (subtitled My Temporary Home) was completely made in my favourite world, Ancient Art Museum by adi. This temporary home is the place for contemplation and thinking, and also where I get to appreciate versions of two of my favourite ancient sculptures – the head of Hathor and winged lion or bull lamassu sculptures from the gates of Nimrud.   Credits Next Wave Mindfulness by Tanja Vujinovic Research for Sphere4: Montage of my adventures in VRChat   Video was recorded entirely in VRChat https://vrchat.com/ during August 2020. VRChat is a massively multiplayer online virtual reality social platform created by Graham Gaylor and Jesse Joudrey Sound mixed from producer & DJ LUZ1E: LUZ1E My avatar is created by Ellie (ellie hashtag 0678) Worlds where videos were recorded were made by following authors: Ancient art museum by Adi (Adi#3438, Twitter: @AdiVRChat) Midnight Rooftop by ImLeXy (https://ift.tt/3kM95Lx) Club Volt by DigitrevX (https://ift.tt/3fVuZYV) Home of the Time by fr1ed (Twitter: @fr1ed) Oceans away by Sombie (https://ift.tt/2Y2Bl2P) Club Void by Lycon (Twitter: LyconVR) MIKA'S LOADING ROOM V3 by Mika Pi (Discord: Mika#8182) Lakuza lounge by Lakuza (Discord: Lakuza#3306) Club Cobalt by SarahDoge (Patreon: SarahDogeVR) The Room of the Rain by Spanish hub (Discord: javiermoreno15#1515) Aircraft Carrier Jets by Zweikaku (Discord: Zweikaku#0539) Nier: Automata Flowers by Desunyan Inter-action on the Math by phi16 Пятёрочка (Roundabout) by CoLIE1ON Deep Blue by fins (Twitter: @VRCfins) Drinking night by Rackshaw (Discord: Rackshaw#0823) NGNLhome by No_game_no Summer Solitude by (Twitter: LusiferMstarVRC) Stupid baby's avatars by (Discord: stupidbaby#6969) Iris Garden by WetCat (Discord: wetcat#6969) Laser Dome by xCirrex Just Grafitti by nyakome (Social media tag #vrc_graffiti) Ambient by phi16 Level13 by cariah (Discord: acariah#0001) Serenity Cove by Zapp Please support these creators with donations, commisions or via Patreon; they create content for this fantastic community!   Many thanks to all of you who helped me with your advice and participated in this beautiful journey, especially Mika π and Ded s Tremorom (Grandfather with tremor / Grandead 3716).

[clarencevancleave]

A Few Thoughts from Hacker Connect

As many of you know, Inman’s Hacker Connect was this past Monday in New York. A lively day of real estate tech discussion, I’ve put together a few thoughts:

Dr. Kate Stone, the founder of Novalia, showed the audience several interactive experiences. Her firm creates immersive, playable experiences connecting brands to audiences around the world.

See this video about Bud Light:

My initial reaction is this is a simple lead router, communications platform, and CRM — and similar to Quo. Long term, this is likely the beginnings of a RealScout competitor.

I led a roundtable discussion on thoughts on cryptocurrencies and the impact of blockchain technology on real estate. It was a great discussion with about 10 people (one of which had just worked on a successful ICO in another industry). Deed, title, and lending are huge areas for blockchain technology, however, there were other roundtables focused on those topics by themselves. We focused on a couple primary topics — one of which is partial / fractional ownership, seemingly the huge gigantic opportunity looming in the distance for blockchain technology. We also talked about ICO’s, and how we know whether we can trust the corporations/individuals behind them. It’s important to note ICO’s are more like a crowd funding vehicle than they are an instrument for equity investment (mostly due to legal complexity & financial investments regulation). There’s certainly still some confusion about what “blockchain technology” truly is — which is more a protocol than a platform like Ruby on Rails.

There were multiple “live problem solving” sessions throughout the day. They went okay, but not great. Putting the audience on the spot to muster great problems on the fly didn’t go as well as planned. That said, the panels managed to provide value. Jess from First.io and Lucie Fortier from CoreLogic were the participants for the last one. They touched on the agent adoption problem facing the entire industry, mentioned looking for great partners and/or an advocate as the best ways to break through the noise (I agree & am still shocked more don’t invest heavily on that front). There’s a crucial problem not enough founders ask themselves: “am I solving a real problem?”. They both stressed the need to re-communicate the value proposition over and over to customers and ensure the “why use the product” question is crystal clear.

Afterwards, many of the day’s folk met at BarBacon for drinks…

I met Adi Pavlovic, director of Keller Williams’ Innovation Lab. Given my personal focus on product innovation, it surprised me I somehow didn’t know Keller Williams had an innovation lab prior to seeing Adi moderate a discussion earlier in the day. In my defense, the innovation lab is less than a year old.

I met one of Geek Estate’s members in person for the first time: Peter Liem from Rukko. Spoke at length with a few team members from Buyside and Tribus (Eric Stegemann and Chuck Williams are both Geek Estate members as well), and caught up with my old colleague Sara Bonert at Zillow Group.

I met Florian, the product manager at Realigned (a previous consulting client).

That’s a wrap. Looking forward to seeing everyone again in San Francisco this summer!

The post A Few Thoughts from Hacker Connect appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230574 http://ift.tt/2ByYEmI via IFTTT

[cleancutpage]

A Few Thoughts from Hacker Connect

As many of you know, Inman’s Hacker Connect was this past Monday in New York. A lively day of real estate tech discussion, I’ve put together a few thoughts:

Dr. Kate Stone, the founder of Novalia, showed the audience several interactive experiences. Her firm creates immersive, playable experiences connecting brands to audiences around the world.

See this video about Bud Light:

My initial reaction is this is a simple lead router, communications platform, and CRM — and similar to Quo. Long term, this is likely the beginnings of a RealScout competitor.

I led a roundtable discussion on thoughts on cryptocurrencies and the impact of blockchain technology on real estate. It was a great discussion with about 10 people (one of which had just worked on a successful ICO in another industry). Deed, title, and lending are huge areas for blockchain technology, however, there were other roundtables focused on those topics by themselves. We focused on a couple primary topics — one of which is partial / fractional ownership, seemingly the huge gigantic opportunity looming in the distance for blockchain technology. We also talked about ICO’s, and how we know whether we can trust the corporations/individuals behind them. It’s important to note ICO’s are more like a crowd funding vehicle than they are an instrument for equity investment (mostly due to legal complexity & financial investments regulation). There’s certainly still some confusion about what “blockchain technology” truly is — which is more a protocol than a platform like Ruby on Rails.

There were multiple “live problem solving” sessions throughout the day. They went okay, but not great. Putting the audience on the spot to muster great problems on the fly didn’t go as well as planned. That said, the panels managed to provide value. Jess from First.io and Lucie Fortier from CoreLogic were the participants for the last one. They touched on the agent adoption problem facing the entire industry, mentioned looking for great partners and/or an advocate as the best ways to break through the noise (I agree & am still shocked more don’t invest heavily on that front). There’s a crucial problem not enough founders ask themselves: “am I solving a real problem?”. They both stressed the need to re-communicate the value proposition over and over to customers and ensure the “why use the product” question is crystal clear.

Afterwards, many of the day’s folk met at BarBacon for drinks…

I met Adi Pavlovic, director of Keller Williams’ Innovation Lab. Given my personal focus on product innovation, it surprised me I somehow didn’t know Keller Williams had an innovation lab prior to seeing Adi moderate a discussion earlier in the day. In my defense, the innovation lab is less than a year old.

I met one of Geek Estate’s members in person for the first time: Peter Liem from Rukko. Spoke at length with a few team members from Buyside and Tribus (Eric Stegemann and Chuck Williams are both Geek Estate members as well), and caught up with my old colleague Sara Bonert at Zillow Group.

I met Florian, the product manager at Realigned (a previous consulting client).

That’s a wrap. Looking forward to seeing everyone again in San Francisco this summer!

The post A Few Thoughts from Hacker Connect appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

A Few Thoughts from Hacker Connect published first on https://greatlivinghomespage.tumblr.com/

[yourchoicepage]

A Few Thoughts from Hacker Connect

As many of you know, Inman’s Hacker Connect was this past Monday in New York. A lively day of real estate tech discussion, I’ve put together a few thoughts:

Dr. Kate Stone, the founder of Novalia, showed the audience several interactive experiences. Her firm creates immersive, playable experiences connecting brands to audiences around the world.

See this video about Bud Light:

My initial reaction is this is a simple lead router, communications platform, and CRM — and similar to Quo. Long term, this is likely the beginnings of a RealScout competitor.

I led a roundtable discussion on thoughts on cryptocurrencies and the impact of blockchain technology on real estate. It was a great discussion with about 10 people (one of which had just worked on a successful ICO in another industry). Deed, title, and lending are huge areas for blockchain technology, however, there were other roundtables focused on those topics by themselves. We focused on a couple primary topics — one of which is partial / fractional ownership, seemingly the huge gigantic opportunity looming in the distance for blockchain technology. We also talked about ICO’s, and how we know whether we can trust the corporations/individuals behind them. It’s important to note ICO’s are more like a crowd funding vehicle than they are an instrument for equity investment (mostly due to legal complexity & financial investments regulation). There’s certainly still some confusion about what “blockchain technology” truly is — which is more a protocol than a platform like Ruby on Rails.

There were multiple “live problem solving” sessions throughout the day. They went okay, but not great. Putting the audience on the spot to muster great problems on the fly didn’t go as well as planned. That said, the panels managed to provide value. Jess from First.io and Lucie Fortier from CoreLogic were the participants for the last one. They touched on the agent adoption problem facing the entire industry, mentioned looking for great partners and/or an advocate as the best ways to break through the noise (I agree & am still shocked more don’t invest heavily on that front). There’s a crucial problem not enough founders ask themselves: “am I solving a real problem?”. They both stressed the need to re-communicate the value proposition over and over to customers and ensure the “why use the product” question is crystal clear.

Afterwards, many of the day’s folk met at BarBacon for drinks…

I met Adi Pavlovic, director of Keller Williams’ Innovation Lab. Given my personal focus on product innovation, it surprised me I somehow didn’t know Keller Williams had an innovation lab prior to seeing Adi moderate a discussion earlier in the day. In my defense, the innovation lab is less than a year old.

I met one of Geek Estate’s members in person for the first time: Peter Liem from Rukko. Spoke at length with a few team members from Buyside and Tribus (Eric Stegemann and Chuck Williams are both Geek Estate members as well), and caught up with my old colleague Sara Bonert at Zillow Group.

I met Florian, the product manager at Realigned (a previous consulting client).

That’s a wrap. Looking forward to seeing everyone again in San Francisco this summer!

The post A Few Thoughts from Hacker Connect appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

A Few Thoughts from Hacker Connect published first on https://medium.com/@YourChoice

[d3spite]

jesse && adi (@cloverists) location: jesse's childhood room.

“sooo… yeah… you can come in…”

jesse hasn’t been back here in over a year already, but his old room looks the same as he remembers. all of his football trophies are there, crowding the top of his dresser. his bed still has the blue sheets on them. snow predator, his ancient stuffed one-eyed husky (one of the beads had come loose in the wash years ago), still sits at the foot of his mattress, and the faded messi poster is still on the wall.

it all feels very personal. he figures that’s why his heart is beating so fast when he opens the door and glances to his girlfriend, waiting outside where he’d told her to wait while he’d scoped out his room. he’d found nothing too horribly embarrassing so far… but still, he clears his throat as he moves some of the smaller, grade-school trophies in the back, other hand reflexively reaching around adi's shoulders to take her along.

“this is, uh.. probably where we’ll be sleeping ‘nd stuff, for the next few days…” jesse reaches across, smoothing out a wrinkle in his sheets. “it’s not too small, right? i mean, bigger than the dorms.”

[d3spite]

@seraphluv 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 : “  well ,   at  least  i’m  trapped  here  with  you .   ” ╱ 𖤐. 𓂃 for adi &&. jesse!

“heh…” jesse looks away, a nervous smile playing at the corners of his mouth. it’s his fault, insisting on going somewhere far away from the others, out of zane’s telepathic reach. now enormously thick ropes zigzag over them, part of a trap that had snapped them up as soon as jesse had stepped in it, surely meant for some manner of wild boar frequenting these parts of the meadow. though he cannot think of any species of boar this large.

thankfully, the trap has granted them some space. they aren’t completely pressed up against each other, but jesse can’t move without bumping his knee into adi’s and he’s afraid she can hear his heart beating. he sighs. if only he had been looking where he was going. then he could have avoided this, and their hangout wouldn’t have been ruined like this—but he’d been… distracted with his company, and not in top form with the whole looking out business. “yeah, y’know, could be worse. you could be with caishen and his busted ass arm.” 

swiftly, jesse retrieves a serrated knife from his satchel. “i’ll get us outta here, princess,” he promises, and he doesn’t know why his cheeks feel so hot as he sets to work sawing at the nearest rope. “don’t worry your pretty lil’ head.”

[d3spite]

“stop looking at that stuff!” and of course that’s what adisorn pays attention to out of everything in his room, the stupid pokemon manga he’d overlooked in the corner and the stupid, stupid beat-up mercy figurine, her plastic hand closed over a nonexistent staff (which had gone missing years ago). he plucks it out of adi’s grasp and sets it carefully back down in the corner of his desk. “i’m not a loser, you’re projecting right now - you’re projecting as fuck…” truthfully, though, adi’s childhood room had emanated less of a loser vibe than his own, all prim and proper and gifted smart kid, with some of present-adi still shining through the cracks.

his annoyance doesn’t last. there’s something nice about this… just, this. having her in his space, showing her something he’d never shown her before. it makes everything about them feel more real and concrete. he sighs. “i thought i said no laughing.” arms wrap around her in a bear hug and jesse pushes them both onto his small bed, already wrinkling up the sheets - and he can tell, he can tell that she wants to. “enough or i’m kicking you out," he grumbles. conversely, his grip on her only tightens.

adisorn had promised not to laugh at anything. it was one of jesse's 'rules' for staying in his bedroom for the next few days, and maybe adisorn could have kept that promise if not for...well, she doesn't exactly know what she's laughing at, maybe it's nerves, maybe it's the fact that seeing this side of jesse really is so personal like he'd said, or maybe it was the silly collection of childhood figurines lined up beside his many, many trophies. (she'd comment on how impressive they were another time.)

her laughter comes out in a soft hum however, "it's fine, it's perfect, stop worrying," and she glances to her boyfriend, finding warm comfort with his hand wrapped around her. "i was going to say how cool you were, y'know, with all of your trophies," she clicks her tongue, nodding towards the small collection (pile) of manga books. "but you never told me you read that kind of stuff, and what are those figures of? i thought you weren't a loser, huh?" dropping her handbag against jesse's small, made-up bed, adisorn picks a figurine up for closer inspection.

"come on, tell me all of your secrets!"