#(mind i have a stylus that’s not the issue. it’s the small area)

[contentment-of-cats]

Fun and Games

This has been kicking around in drafts for a few months. I was cleaning it out and...

With thanks to @shards-of-silver for getting me off my ass.

Upon promotion to senior lieutenants, there are perks.

Ensigns sleep a dozen to a barracks, junior lieutenants share a four-rack of bunks around a common area and share sanitary facilities. Senior officers of lieutenant commander or higher have their own private quarters increasing in size and amenities, and at flag rank a suite of rooms. But nothing beats the heady rush of getting your own room with a door that closes. Despite what the contractors say, those bunk partitions don't do squat to stop you from hearing every snore, fart, or wet dream from your fellow juniors. There's a corresponding increase in cubic storage along with the bigger room and one may trust the newly-minted senior loots to go a little crazy.

Thrawn as a new commodore aboard rearranged officers' quarters by duty station, so now all bridge officers are housed a literal thirty second run to the bridge or assigned six-man lifepod. Faro has always run a looser ship in terms of culture, and there are times when bridge officers' country is decorated for various holidays and observances. For example, observances of Longnight see small dishes of food and lanterns set out to guide and appease the spirits of those lost in the vastness of space. But today there is something new outside of Agral and Pyro's twofer.

A sign-up.

It's a datapad on a sticky at reading level with a stylus on a cord.

"Sign up for tabletop games night - Quests & Quarries, Pirates & Privateers, Hyperspace Hellscape, Ancient Lands Archaic Warfare, and other RP games coming to a horizontal surface near you!"

The list is growing fast.

A note above the hatch control says, "Game in progress. ENTER QUIETLY."

"Already the social hub," Faro mutters and then jumps out of her skin when Thrawn agrees with her. Even in boots, he moves almost silently. "Let a lass know, sir! You almost scared it out of me!"

Thrawn's shadow - Vanto - is not here or otherwise she'd have stood a better chance of hearing the approach. He is looking at the sign-up sheet and then at the door sign, then turns to her.

"These are not like Scrabble?"

Pyro's love of table games is legend. She even collects them.

"No, Commodore. These are, well, a kind of strategy game." Thrawn visibly brightens. His skin changes color, his pupils disappear as the nictitating membrane crosses them in a three-part blink. "Players create characters and ascend levels in different scenarios called dungeons. It's kind of like academy war-gaming, but more flexible and personalized."

"They will not mind if we enter and observe?"

"They'll snap to attention for a flag officer on deck or I'll have them cleaning the stormtroopers' urinals with ear swabs, but I do not think they'll object."

Faro taps the hatch open and as they step in Vanto barks, "Commodore on deck!"

The response is satisfyingly swift.

"Officers, as you were," Thrawn nods. "I do not wish to disturb the game in progress, only to observe."

Of course, the furniture is bolted to the deck, but there are an additional folding couch and two additional folding chairs added to the room and-

"Pyrondi, where did you get the holotop?" Karyn hasn't seen one in probably twenty years. This one replaces the low table normally issued to this accommodation, bolted down as per regs. "It's got to be a month's pay."

"I bought it at an antiquities shop on Coruscant. Lomar did the new innards, and then all of us wrote code." Us being - apparently - herself, Lomar, Hammerly, Barlin, Agral, Yve, and Carvia.

"Major Carvia, what is your part in this madhouse?" The man budges loots up the couch to make room for their captain and commodore in the armchairs. "Surely you're not a player?"

"I helped Pyro carry this up here and did the coding for groundpounder dungeons. No offense, but this bunch is all Navy." The major wags his finger at Pyro. "I will thank you, youngster, not to refer to items as 'antiquities' that I am old enough to have owned brand new."

"Everyone do a stretch, get some snacks, and we'll come back into it in fifteen?" Pyro asks and everyone agrees, getting up a little stiffly after hours gaming. "Sync and go."

Thrawn looks over the table, at first studying the current dungeon, but then with more interest at the leather-bound manuals of flimsi, and beautifully made sets of dice and other paraphernalia.

"Please, Lieutenant, explain." Thrawn settles in one of the armchairs, accepting one of Pyro's fruit teas and a packet of sweets.

"Well, first these are the handbooks for players and dungeon masters. These others are for aspects - beings, arms, character classes." Pyrondi takes a small bag and empties it into her hand. "These are my dice."

"Is a gambling chip counted as dice?" Thrawn looks intently. "These are thystine and aurum leaf, correct?"

"If a binary decision is needed, yes, it counts. They are thystine, but as you can see, every player has their set and aside from the chip they can have sets of seven to fifteen, it depends what games they play."

Vanto's set is doonium, which makes Thrawn smile fleetingly. Carvia's is some kind of bone or ivory. Agral's is synthetic fireopal. All sets are as individual as the player.

Oh, no. ART.

"And what about the crystal ball?" Karyn asks. It's a perfect sphere set on an elaborate base.

"Oh, that's a toy I picked up from a junk dealer. He said it didn't work, but when you ask it a yes-or-no question it gives you a nonsensical answer. Watch. Is the mess going to serve hash for firstmeal again?"

The sphere roils with smoke and then shows a wavering answer in its center.

Better not tell you now.

"See? It gives positive, negative, or non-committal answers. To be fair, I don't want to know if we're having hash again."

The players filter back in and take their places as Thrawn is given a rough crash course in play. Pyrondi looks around, sets up a triptych screen to hide her materials and plans, and then asks if everyone is ready. Snacks and drinks to hand, all affirm and the game resumes. Karyn watches her superior as he watches the game with eyes bright. Pyro is a force of chaos and order, handling players firmly but also throwing wild situations at them. The dice can't be rigged or fooled on a dice pad, holding them firm.

Thrawn reminds his officers that night phase is coming, and they have watch coming up. The party breaks up with others putting the room back to order and bidding good rest.

"If you do not mind, Lieutenant, Captain Faro and I will join for the next game."

"Please do, sir. The more the merrier."

Karyn almost groans but holds it in.

"As I remember, you said the same thing before you wiped the walls with me at Scrabble."

Pyro only grins. "Good rest, sirs."

[cozymochi]

What about that sunflower ask meme? Here’s 3 so you can talk about whatever you want 💖

🌻🌻🌻

YOU ARE AN ACTUAL MVP!!! 😭😭 LEGENDS ONLY!!! Thank u

🌻- I like how detaching myself from fanon interpretations makes me like stuff more. Which, you’d think it’d be the other way around? But bro jfhdgdgc A lot some of the fanon or “meta” around here really gets to a point where I’m like: “bro i can’t believe ur making this LESS interesting.” Though sometimes, I really do think it’s fine to just… not dig that deep. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Sometimes, simplicity does wonders, man. (And this is coming from someone who loves finding depth and even coming up with random conspiracies jfhdhdg)

🌻- I feel like the pain in my hands came from back when I did that one sketch art meme and was determined to get all of them made (Or most of ‘em) and overworked myself lol And even then, I never gave myself proper ample rest afterwards since I have an issue about not drawing or producing something. But now it just makes me wish I was financially compensated for all those 😂 CALL IT MY LITTLE “yeah man here’s ur compensation for that workplace injury.” I DIDN’T HELP MYSELF AT ALL WHEN I MADE ANOTHER ANIMATIC THE OTHER DAY SO THIS IS ON MEEeeEEeeee. (I don’t have anything serious btw. It’s just kind of a noticeable physical discomfort in my fingers)

🌻- I know I was just ragging on it a moment ago (i promise it was affectionate… mostly) but I sometimes wanna post whatever character “theories” I might have. But I have this thing where the thought of any additions bothers me lmao WHICH IS SO DUMB!!! Like “oh word i open discussion but don’t want it??” well yes and no. I think I mostly just wanna be listened to and heard as opposed to someone stepping in and potentially turning it into a debate or re-contextualize what I say. …Or god forbid, use it as a springboard to promote their own content (which, idk. Seeing ppl do that on other people’s posts always strikes me as a bit intrusive and rude-- i doubt any OP is asking for “suggestions for content” when they’re just talking about whatever is on their mind. Or, idk, rly care)

So I guess I’ll keep all my cringe under lock n’ key!! You know! jUST LIKE HOW IT’S DONE.

THE END

[blindbeta]

How do you think infrastructure would be different in a culture where everyone is blind?

Hi anon! I like this question. I think it would obviously depend on the culture and time period, but I have a few ideas. I’ll just try to write ideas for a general Western culture, because I am aware of more of that, but obviously the culture itself would influence what changes occurred or did not occur.

Education.

Look to blind schools! I’m thinking about training for Braille as very small children, which mostly includes strengthening finger sensitivity. Braille would also be taught the way reading regular print is, either in schools or at home. Regular print would probably also be available and large print would be normalized, especially to minimize eye strain. Computer literacy would include screen-readers and Braille displays. Websites would be designed for accessibility for everyone and this would include large for those who like to read some print.

In classes, people would use a slate and stylus, Braille notetakers, etc, depending on time and what was easier to carry. Braillers would also be more high tech in general, even if it might be considered old school, or the high tech stuff would have come sooner for each device.

Braille, O&M, and life skills classes would be normal for everyone. O&M would probably be done mostly by people with some sight, although this might change if everyone is blind anyway.

Lifestyle.

Things like telescopes (monoculars, minifiers) would be normal for low vision people, maybe even something cool like ‘oh I got the latest telescope model for my birthday!” It would be something shared with friends for fun. Something like SunuBand would be like, I don’t know, a car of something. People would show status through how cool their cane was, if they had a Sonar cane, like WeWalk, etc.

In schools, and in life, I think people with some sight, like me, would not face any pressure to use it. In real life, people with residual sight are expected to use what sight they can, even if it is inconvenient or painful.

More emphasis would be places on other sense, such as touch, smell, and soatial awareness.

Safety.

The world would probably be safer, structurally. There would be high contrast stairs everywhere, if there are stairs at all. There would be more in place that makes it safer to walk around outside, such as, idk, less of a risk of hurt yourself by stepping off a curb? I’m not even sure if roads would be designed the way they are now. Would people drive if they have some vision? Would everyone have cars that don’t need vision? Anyway, more safety with blind people in mind.

Transportation.

Transportation would be better. Maybe public transportation would be more accessible, easier to navigate, and more readily available in rural areas. Maybe trains would be more popular in every country, because they run on a schedule and you can carry more people for longer periods of time. Trains can also allow people to travel long distances, which can be harder for blind people (who almost always can’t drive, as far as I know) who can’t drive cars and may not have money for flights, or want to avoid them for environmental reasons.

Accessibility.

Braille would be everywhere. Buttons would be tactile, especially on kitchen appliances. I imagine a lot of the tools blind people use in the kitchen, such as bump dots for microwave buttons, would already be standard. Talking or otherwise accessible things would be cheaper, more common, and considered staples for everyone. Because they would be made for the wider population of blind people, accessibility would not be a niche or extra thing. It would not be associated with kindness, but a standard fare.

Clothing would be different. Designs would be tactile and/or high contrast, where they are often flat. I think colors would still be important, for everyone, but the tags would probably have labels. Some brand designed for blind people have actual Braille fabric on the clothes, which is cool. While color scanners do exist and would probably be used, I think other methods would be utilized if clothing is designed with blind people in mind from the start. Wearing glasses would be cool, you guys.

In terms of entertainment, I think most of it would audio-based or interactive. The radio and live theatre would be more popular than they are now. If visual mediums still existed, they would all come with audio descriptions and they would be better than they sometimes are now. TV would be written with audio descriptions in mind, if they didn’t talk about more of what they were doing.

Art would be tactile, period. Maybe we would have something by now that allows you to feel digital art. There are already amazing forms of tactil art out there, so think more of that from all cultures. Rather than adapted or described with the blind in mind, art would be naturally tactile even if the artist could see what they were creating well enough.

Online.

Obviously image descriptions would be everywhere, although I feel people would naturally include less screen-shots and less pictures. Again, accessibility would be a more mainstream thing than it is now. I’m thinking there would be more self-care posts, such as about dealing with eye strain headaches. Although I think some of the issues we have would be lessened when the entirety of humanity was on the blind spectrum. I’m also thinking about fun quizzes like, Describe Your Dream Home and I’ll Guess What Type Blindness You Have. Debates about disability in general would happen in regular spaces. YouTube would have contained audio descriptions from the start, and perhaps highly visual content would be less common or naturally described in the video, such as person describing what they are holding before talking about it.

Work/Career.

Productivity would be measure differently. Accessibility would just be a thing. Like, at a meeting, “What tools do you like to use the most?” Working from home would be an option. Work would be open to and even designed for blind people. Blind people wouldn’t have the low employments rates they do now, or else no one would work. A lot of tools we use to make things accessible wouldn’t be necessary if things were designed for blind people in the first place. Subminimum wage would not be a thing.

There would probably be jobs and career opportunities that don’t exist now.

Blind people wouldn’t be more likely or even expected to live in poverty.

Money.

Money would be tactile, labeled, large print, and high contrast. If we still used cash at all.

Inovation.

I think we would have a lot of cool stuff. Countries might even compete to be the first to create things for the blind population which, again, would be everyone in this scenario.

Food/menus.

Restaurants would be easy for blind people to navigate. Menus would be offered in Braille and large print. Maybe plates would be made sectioned so people could know where their food was. I’m thinking about blind accessibility videos and restaurants run by totally blind people. Hmm. Glasses would not be as common at all, because they can be hard for people to see. I have broken too many glasses myself.

If people were to buy food, such as local produce, bags would probably come with homemade Braille or large print signs. Canned food and boxes for cooking would have Braille on them initially. Giving food to others, such as bringing food or snacks for the home when you visit, would come with either an explanation about what it was or a label.

I could go on. I don’t want this too be too long. Basically, what I want to get across is that a lot more than accessibility would changes if everyone is blind. I didn’t want to get into too many heavy topics because this is more of a fun question. However. feel free to add whatever you like. I believe history itself would be altered in many, many ways that have influence on life today, so I could have gone on about that. I could write books on the lifestyle and safety and work sections. And all cultures have their own ways of viewing, supporting, and limiting blind people, so this could change a little or a lot depending on what your culture or the culture you are writing about is like.

-BlindBeta

[keilemlucent]

lavender latte: ii

(T (for now!))

hawks | takami keigo x reader

chapter 1   ||   chapter 3   ||   chapter 4

ao3

word count: ~3k

You and Hawks’s second meeting.

warnings: mutual pining, shy reader-ish, ooc hawks, the fun stuff, fluff ; ) 

|||||||||||||

You didn’t hear anything from Hawks for the next few days. 

It was a fleeting disappointment, but you took his lack of contact as truth and reality. Some big shot, pro-hero wasn’t going to waste time texting a no-name, nobody barista, no matter how mutually flirty of an interaction was shared. 

Prior to actually meeting Hawks, you had seen the tabloids that his name spilled over. Shady stories of midnight rendezvous with models and celebrities, sultry pictures of his own on magazines at grocery store checkouts were a lot of your knowledge of him. He was a very eligible and active bachelor, everyone knew it. 

You reminded yourself that you didn’t mean shit to him, and moved on.

Until about a week from your first meeting, late into the evening, your phone buzzed.

You thought it was one of the team from the teashop, asking another question about a new blend you had made. 

Your eyes widened at the text that you did see:

 [unknown number]: hey angel ;) do you work tomorrow? it’s supposed to be a cold one and i’d love to try another one of your drinks

 You stared at your phone screen for a moment, mouth going dry before typing out a reply. 

 [you]: is this hawks?

 The next reply came only seconds later.

 [unknown number]: the one and only ;))))

  He... actually texted me?

Holy shit.

Another message came in. 

 [unknown number]: don’t tell me you go handing out your number to folks at work all the time :^( you’re gonna hurt my :^((( feelings :^((((

 You deadpanned at Hawks’s texts. 

You couldn’t believe the number two, pro hero texted like a normal twenty-some year old.

It was endearing, if not at the very least comforting.

 [you]: nah, just you tailfeathers 😉

[you]: i work tomorrow morning, opening shift. 6 am. think you can handle it???

 You giggled at your own texts, unable to hold back when you saw Hawks continuing to type. You quickly typed in a contact name.

 [tailfeathers]: E

[tailfeathers]: Z

[tailfeathers]: i’ll be there bright and early ;)

 Part of you, the rational, realistic part, doubted that. Sure, Hawks had texted you, but he wouldn’t actually show, right? He was a busy, busy man. He’d probably get sidetracked.

Don’t get your hopes up. 

 You tried to remain practical.

But, you also liked pushing your luck.

 [you]: see u then!!

[you]: btw your contact name is ‘tailfeathers’ 

[you]: ;)

 [tailfeathers]: what if i told you yours is ‘barista angel’

 [you]: i’d ask if you saw my name on that conveniently small piece of paper i gave you

 [tailfeathers]: i would say yes

[tailfeathers]: but idk angel seems like a more proper title for u 

You felt your still and heat rush to your face. 

He can’t be flirting with you over text. What the FUCK.

 [tailfeathers]: only angels can make coffee as well as u 😇

 “What a bastard,” You shook your head, sighing. Part of you was glad he made it more clear your identity was tied to coffee and not affections. 

 [you]: u flatter me

 [tailfeathers]: i only speak the truth ;)

 You bit your lip as you typed out the next reply, well aware that the evening sky had darkened and you needed an adequate amount of sleep to actually make it to that morning shift. 

 [you]: i’m about to knock out so i can actually be alive for my shift, but i’ll see you tomorrow bird boy

 Hawks’s replied quickly as seemed to be a trend with him. 

 [tailfeathers]: bird boy!!!!! 

[tailfeathers]: i’m moving up in the world

[tailfeathers]: see u then angel 

 As you got ready for bed, going about your mundane routine and preparing the coming day, you had no idea that Keigo was across the city, cradling his phone to his chest with a wobbling smile on his face, a foreign sensation filling his chest. 

He was very excited to see you again, even if it took a few days to get that far.

 |||||||||||||||||||

 The next day was indeed, terribly cold. Despite bundling up in a thick, woolen coat and a knit scarf, you nearly froze on the way to work. Despite the chill, the rest of the morning crew made it in just a few minutes after you.

“I’ll be in back until there’s a rush, alright?” You called to the three openers, all silly college students from the local university. They were all sort of dense, but they were loveable.

“Okay!” One smiled as they flitted to the front counter and seating area.

The back of the teashop was a smaller commercial kitchen, all steel tables and cooking implements. Lots of tools to actually do your job. Though you were the maker of the tea blends for the shop, a lot of your work consisted of packaging and fulfilling orders as well as design work for the teashop’s online presence. Truthfully, you were more of a jack-of-all-trades type of worker, but nearly all of it confined you to the safety of the back kitchen. The lack of stimuli made it easier to work effectively, quirk activated or otherwise.

You tied your apron tight around your waist, adjusting a few of your buttons and smoothing yourself down. The back remained frigid in the mornings, and you could only be glad you were layered up for the day. You pulled out your company-issued tablet and began tapping away with the stylus as the shop prepped to open.

You were too absorbed in your work to hear the bell at the entrance, just minutes after unlocking the door. 

 Keigo? Elated. His last week of hero work had been all long hours and late nights. His wings had grown sparse with overuse, barely carrying him properly through the skies. When he saw that his office day at his agency was due to be particularly cold, he knew it was the perfect excuse to give you a visit.

You hadn’t been constantly on his mind. Rather, you perked up in his thoughts semi-reliably, but briefly a few times a day. Most affections were forgettable, he didn’t have time for anything other than whorish trysts with other heroes and those of higher society who knew how to keep their mouths (somewhat) shut. 

Part of him, the part that the Commission’s ruthless training created, hated the way how you were sticking with him.

Another part of him, the kinder, softer, very repressed one, recognized his feelings and hid them safely. Vulnerable things required heavy protection.

 When Keigo reached the teashop, early as dawn crept over the urbanscape, he pushed the door open and was greeted by the rolling smell of roasted coffee beans and black tea.

Only a few other patrons were there, eyes wide as the top ten hero gave them a trademark wave, waltzing to the counter with his signature swagger.

The workers (none of them being you) gawked at him, jaws half to the floor.

“Hawks?!” One of them exclaimed. “Oh my god, can I get an autograph?!”

 (Keigo carried a few pens on him for occasions like this.)

 The worker, a young thing with a shock of short blue hair, wrestled under the counter for a notebook. Another of the workers also attempted to wrangle a bit of receipt paper from the fussy machine, flashing him a nervous smile.

“Of course, autographs are a given,” He winked at the two of them, sauntering up to the counter. “On one condition, though. Could you tell me if (Y/N) is working?”

The morning shifts workers proceeded to gawk more. 

 You sat deep in concentration, thoroughly organizing yourself for the day with lists and plans. You were only startled from your work when one of the other baristas popped her head back, eyes wide. 

“Uh, (Y/N), I know you’re busy, but Hawks is here for you?” She stammered, saying his name incredulously and pointing a shaking finger out at the counter.

You could hear his silky laugh just beyond the precipice. 

Your mouth quirked up in surprise. 

I didn’t expect him to actually come.

It was a pleasant surprise though, one that made your heart stutter in your chest.

You put down the tablet, making your way to the front of the shop.

Hawks leaned down on the front counter, signing various papers and items that the staff and patrons of the tea shop had given him. His smooth voice echoed beautifully around the shop, mixing with the din of the soft music that provided ambient sound. 

Thoroughly absorbed in his fan interaction, you leaned against the door frame, watching him as he had yet to notice you.

(You tried to look nonchalant, but it was probably a bit of ogling.)

Hawks’s scarlet wings appeared sparse, but still twitched and fluffed every few moments. He was dressed in his hero uniform, visor pushed up into the feathery, front bits of his hair. With all of his typical regalia on, he seemed out of place in the slow din of the coffee shop. He seemed to shine so brightly, making himself a focal point without even trying. 

Without the protection of his visor, Hawks’ honeyed eyes seemed brighter, luminous from the inside out. Even from your distance, you could watch their topazine shine dance in the soft lighting. 

His gaze drifted to you and positively lit up. 

(You didn’t think that was possible.)  

Your stomach fluttered.

“Well, if it isn’t (Y/N)!” Hawks beamed you a smile that could’ve put the sun to shame. It made something deep in your chest thrum. “For a minute there, I thought you’d pulled my leg about working today.”

“Oh, never, ” You grinned, moving directly in front of him at the counter, your shocked coworkers parting for you. “I tend to work in the back if the rest of our lovely staff is present.

You gestured to your very starstruck coworkers who all gave various gawking looks before falling away, shyness obviously overtaking them. 

It wasn’t like you weren’t feeling similarly, but your nervousness was better hidden. Facades were, in fact, a trained skill in maintaining and god, if you weren’t a master.

But, Keigo had his own mastery in spotting cracks in people’s veneers. And, easily, he saw your tension and nervousness. For anyone with less trained interpersonal skills, they wouldn’t have noticed a damn thing. But to Keigo? Your anxiety was as clear as the light you added to a room. A few of his feathers twitched, picking up on the rapid beating of your heart across from him. 

“What can I get you?” You asked, speaking through any of your fears, cracking him a genuine smile.

Keigo returned it without thought, chest warming.

“Mmm... Surprise me. Something to help me get my day started.” Keigo loved the way your eyes lit up when he talked, a little bit of knowingness between the two of you sparking. 

“Same specifications as before? Hot and sweet?” You asked, already grabbing a cup, flashing him a cheeky grin. 

Hawks raised an eyebrow, batting his eyelashes at you in a way that you couldn’t not laugh. He rested his elbows on the counter and leaned over the top of it, regarding you with half-lidded eyes, “You remember my preferences? I feel honored.”

“You should,” You winked. If he was going to shamelessly flirt, you would right back. 

 Truthfully, your personal attention made Keigo swoon like a goddamn schoolgirl. He could feel sweat growing on his palms, making the leather of his gloves stick. Normally, the sensation would’ve ticked his more anxiety-ridden tendencies into overdrive, but he could hardly focus on them. He was too busy watching you flit around behind the counter.

 “So,” You began, activating your quirk and beginning your process. “Why so few feathers? Get roughed up?”

Keigo chuckled, flexing what feathers he did have left for emphasis, “Basically. I have to give them a few days to regrow. A couple nasty days in a row means a couple days recovery.”

You hummed, turning to the espresso machine. Before pouring the shot, you gave him a little smile with the cutest quirk in your lips, “I’m sure you more than deserve the rest.”

 Oh, that made his proverbial dick swell.

Someone, a very nice, stranger barista, angel, telling him he deserved something kind? And, there wasn’t an edge of dishonesty in you. If anything, there was an earnestness in your quirk-blackened eyes that made Keigo nearly scared of the amount of vulnerability you gave him so freely.

He wondered if you showed that to all of your patrons. 

(You didn’t.) 

 You turned behind the counter, quirk activated and swirling. The familiar blending of your senses made your teeth ache and head burn with the overabundance of stimuli, but you worked through it. You reached through the external sensations to manifest your idea and feeling into a conceivable reality. 

You dumped any number of syrups and shots into the cup, placing it (and a lid) on the counter in front of Hawks. Warm smells of cardamom and cinnamon tickled both of your noses as you nodded down, “Let that cool for a sec, then give it a taste. I need a comprehensive review.”

Hawks plucked off one of his gloves, taking the steaming cup in his hand, looking down at the foam. His gaze flickered around the two of you, noting that the few civilians and coworkers once surrounding him had left you two with a small bit of privacy.

“What’s the inspiration for this one?” Hawks gave you a downright sweet, knowing look.

“Take a sip and guess,” You nodded down to the cup again, idly going to wipe down the counters with a rag slung in your apron.

Hawks blew on steaming liquid, throwing back his head to take a decently sized sip. You had to tear your gaze from the bob of his throat. 

  Keep it in your pants. 

 While you were suppressing being horny for the number two hero, Keigo was suppressing being horny for a fucking beverage. 

The flavor hit his tongue and throat and danced. It was warm, like the last one, spilling hearth-like heat into his chest and extremities. But, this drink tasted literally spiced, like it had some sort of pepper in it (according to Keigo’s untrained, pitiful palette). His wings ruffled, feathers rustling and twitching with the taste of the drink. Despite the heat flooding his body, the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck rose as waves of subtle pleasure rolled through Keigo’s body. 

He placed the cup back on the counter, staring you down with incredulity.

You, cutely cheeky as ever, just smiled and crossed your arms over your chest, “Are you a fan?”

“It’s... spicy. How. Why. Is this even coffee?” Hawks asked. Despite his questioning, he took another sip, shuddering at the comforting heat it gave him. 

“There’s coffee in it, or, espresso,” You couldn’t help feeling a bit smitten with the way Hawks looked at you. Disbelief wasn’t an expression you saw many heroes wear, especially not one with a reputation like Hawks’s. Yet, there he was, in front of you, staring at his cup like you just served him battery acid and grass. 

“If that’s the case, gimme the rundown, angel,” Hawks peeled off his other glove, setting the pair on the counter. He surprised you as he shrugged off his lined jacket, plopping down in a nearby stool.

You hadn’t ever really seen this much of Hawks, not in his hero uniform anyways. Plenty of him was available for viewing due to his various modeling ventures, but seeing him in the flesh was far better. The black shirt of his hero costume stretched over the lean, sculpted muscles of his arms. He certainly wasn’t built in the same way other top heroes were, but from what you could see (read: drool over), Hawks certainly wasn’t lacking—

“See something you like?” Hawks raised an eyebrow while taking another sip,  devilish curl to his lips.

You really wished you had the bodily control to stop the red flush that grew on your face.

“SO —!” You laughed, diverting back to the drink at hand. “The drink.”

“Wonderful deflection,” Hawks set the cup down, still smirking. “So, the drink .”

Your fingers tapped at the countertop, living your blush down with a lack of eye contact. 

  He gets stared at all the time, chill out. 

Dude probably likes it, (Y/N).

 “The drink is a dirty chai, with some editions, of course.” You jerked your head back to the wall of tea blends, the familiar ebbing away from of your embarrassment. “We have a couple of different chai blends that I make in house. Several different chai concentrates too.”

“Forgive me, but a dirty chai?” Hawks teased.

“Wow, weak jab there, Hawks, ” You rolled your eyes. Hawks just continued to beam at you, swinging his legs behind the counter. “I gave you an oatmilk,  ginger chai with three shots of espresso and a few other secret touches. I wanted to make it warm again for you.”

 Keigo paused at your admission, (not-so) secretly reveling in your poorly contained embarrassment. Perhaps it was a bit cruel, but his job did carry some wonderful perks and he’d be damned to not enjoy them. 

“It feels like a different kind of warm, compared to last time,” Keigo took another taste to confirm. The spiced liquid flooded his palette again, skin pleasantly prickling at the taste. 

 You hummed, refusing to fully make eye contact with Hawks. 

Truthfully, you spent an embarrassing amount of time since the night prior thinking about potential sensations to emulate for Hawks. You were never sure of what type of vibe he would request, but having an arsenal of ideas made you feel more prepared to impress your new clientele. 

“I made it feel like dawn,” You replied, nodding to out of the fully-windowed front of the tea shop. The district you were located in was lit up by the golds and pinks of the early morning, stretching and awakening with the new day. “I wanted it to feel like how morning sun feels on your bare skin. All like... tingly, you know? Like... seeing someone you haven't seen in a long time. ”

 Keigo immediately noticed your bashfulness after you gave your description. In the same way as last time, the vulnerability of your manifested feelings left you warm and shy for him. 

You picked at a loose string on your apron, gaze directed down and away.  With his obscured view of your face, he could see the way you softly bit your lip, eyes occasionally raking him up and down and that retreating. Keigo could feel your pounding heart and slow, deep breaths. 

...

Keigo was whipped and he hardly knew you. He was so fucked.

You were too fucking cute. It was fucking illegal. It had to be. 

Keigo had been with sexy. He’d been with unattainable. He’d been with women and men who looked like they were crafted by gods as tempters and devils. It was all pleasure and Keigo knew it like the back of his hand. He got hedonistic bliss when he wanted it and he did so very, very well.

What Keigo was entirely unfamiliar with was the gooey, fluttery feeling in his chest as you finally looked up at him to smile and nod to the drink, “So, what do you think?”

Keigo’s brain fizzled, rendered into goo. If he didn’t have years of interpersonal training, he was sure he wouldn’t have been able to speak with his own revelations. Luckily, he was able to laugh off his internal stickiness, taking another greedy sip.

“Absolutely flawless, wonderful craftsmanship, (Y/N),” Keigo bowed his head dramatically. 

 You giggled at Keigo’s drama, missing the way how his cheeks lit up for you. 

Hawks dug in his pocket, pulling out a huge wad of bills and started to slide it across the counter, “This is a tip. All for you.”

You stared, horrified at the amount of money Hawks passed to you like it was nothing. Without thinking, you placed your hand on top of his, stopping his motion. Both of you stiffened pleasantly at the sudden, small contact. 

“That’s too much, Hawks, no,” You shook your head, but Hawks was a stubborn, insistent bastard. 

His wings fluffed up behind him, a feather moving quickly between your hands and pushing your up and away.

“What the fuck.” You half-groaned. Hawks fully passed the money across the counter, hiding his hands and feathers in his lap with a Panish smirk stretched across his face.

“Take it, or I tattle on you, easy trade,” Hawks shrugged, leaning his elbows on the counter and drinking deeply. He pulled away from his beverage with a relaxed-looking smile as you remained fluster.

(Holy fuck, you touched Hawks’s bare hand and it was so NICE—)

You could feel the eyes of your coworkers, staring at the money like some Olympic medal. You were well-aware that there was no way Hawks was taking back his money and you knew your coworkers would be too scared to ask for a cut. 

You gulped, taking the cash and tucking it into your apron pocket.

“You don’t need to bribe me to make you nice drinks, Hawks, it’s literally my job,” You told him gently.

Hawks raised an eyebrow, shrugging, “Accept it as a little treat on the side. A gift of my appreciation.”

You couldn’t argue with that, so you relented with a smile, shaking your head. 

And the two of your dissolved into easy conversation. Hawks told you about the most recent gigs he had been a part of. A modeling contract for a new skincare company and a sponsorship with a few other local heroes for a sports beverage were the most interesting. You were sure he was just humoring you, unable to tell you the nitty-gritty details of his life. Yet, he seemed happy to speak and listen besides. He chattered away, in the way birds do, sing-song, and free-flowing. 

Hawks was hardly a bird of prey, you realized. He was much more of a cockatoo type. 

You told him more about the tea shop, about your role and job. As you explained about the basics of different types of tea, you could literally see the far off way Hawks looked at you. It wasn’t of distraction, like spacing out, no. It was a look that hadn’t been directed at you in some time. You silently and quickly studied it and came to the nerve-wracking conclusion that the cute blush on his cheeks and half-lidded eyes and relaxed shoulders was fucking captivation, borderline adoration.

For.

You.

How the fuck were you supposed to deal with that?

(Keigo wasn’t sure either.)

 Luckily, neither of you planned on doing anything to stop your mutually budding feelings.  

[captainrexisboo]

Comfort pt 4: Decisions

IT’S HERE. I’ve been working on this chapter for months. Hopefully it was worth the struggle ahaha. Partially took so long because I’ve been feeling better! I have a great support system in place, and so getting to this point was really just a matter of putting myself back into the exhaustive mindset. That said, I’m able to work myself back out of it (thank you therapy)! Working on part 5 as y’all are reading this, let’s see if it takes me another two months to pump it out lmaoooo. But seriously, thank you guys for your kind words and support, love y’all!!!

No warnings apply, aside from general sadness and self-doubt. Also pining. Rex x Reader, reader is a woman, questions and comments always welcome. Also I need to write Ahsoka more.

Tagging: @pro-fangirls-unsocial-life @000ayfh @pinkiemme @midnightredemption @simping-for-fives @danger-xylophones @iscream4clones @jyvorakal @leias-left-hair-bun @vesperstalksclones

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~

“So you’ll be seeing him today?” 

Rex walked straight to you after the briefing, squeezing his hands behind his back. You were going to be separating for the day, him with Cody to go greet some new troopers and introduce them to their assigned battalions, yourself accompanying Admiral Yularen as he was invited to surprise inspect some nat born recruits. Sergeant Aurin’s recruits. You sighed, rolling your eyes, “Not by choice, Captain.”

“I know,” he grumbled, modulator muffling his voice even more, “Be careful, alright? I don’t trust this guy.”

“We’ll be at a work function, I don’t think he’ll try anything. Especially since I’ll be with the Admiral this time instead of his ‘competition’,” you stood as tall as you could, chin high as you tried to gather your courage, masking your clear anxiousness with a sly grin. Besides, teasing the Captain always made you feel better. No one has corrected your ex about you and Rex yet, and frankly you wanted to keep it that way.

Rex chuckled low, the sound a little hollow, looking off to the side as he shifted on his feet, “I just want you to be alright.”

“If I’m not, I will be,” you gave him an all too wide smile, one you knew he saw right through as he cocked his head to the side, “Promise, Captain.”

You bid Rex goodbye with a salute, one he returned before turning on his heel to meet the Marshal Commander. You gathered your datapad before following the Admiral through the halls. He was a stoic and serious man, one that cared about the men assigned to him, and was able to use his wit calmly even in the most dire of situations. His level-headedness made him a good offset for the very action oriented General Skywalker, and typically you were thankful to be lucky enough getting assigned to him. But not today.

“Are you feeling alright, Miss Y/N?” he looked back to see you trailing behind him as opposed to being on his left as usual. He stood just as straight as Rex, not quite as tall, looking at you with eyes that reminded you vaguely of your father’s, and suddenly you couldn’t even begin to think about lying to him.

“Not especially, Admiral,” you chuckled sheepishly, “But I’m fine to continue with you, sir. I just have to gather myself is all.”

He stood in place, letting you catch up, only speaking when he fell into step with you again, “I don’t suppose you consider me close enough to tell me the issue? I can perhaps assist in finding a way to resolve it?”

“It’s not like that, sir,” you shook your head, picking up the pace as if to run away from the conversation, “I can handle it just fine. We should hurry, the Sergeant is waiting for us.”

He didn’t say anything after that, just raised a brow at your averted gaze before turning his head forward again. You knew he didn’t believe you, but gracious that he respected your request to drop the subject. You bit your tongue, an attempt to keep you focused on something other than the burrowing feeling of your stomach, or the quickly restricting muscle in your throat. The closer you got to the nat born barracks, the harder you bit down. Still, you moved forward, thinking about any way you could deflect an attempt to talk.

If he said hello, you’d just nod and say just the one word back.

If he asked how you were, you’d say fine.

If he pries, you’d ask him calmly to leave you alone.

You will not lose your cool. You will not break your wall. Your mask will not crack; you’ll be ice.

But then the strangest thing happened. He ignored you. He barely looked you in the eye when you walked up, talking only to the Admiral. You only stammered out a single hi when the Admiral introduced you to the other officers standing with Aurin. You were there, frozen and eyes wide as you clenched your jaw, steeling yourself for the offence to come- but it never did. The Admiral entered the barracks with one of Aurin’s officers, while the Sergeant stood outside next to you. The tension was thick, causing you to unconsciously shuffle on the balls of your feet. You continued to bite your tongue, trying to keep your thoughts occupied as he stood stock straight next to you.

You thought about that huge stack of reports to go through when you got back, courtesy of the General’s leadership tactics and the general 501st chaos.

You thought about how you promised Commander Tano that you’d pick up the special tea blend she liked before heading back to the flagship.

You thought about how you were going to run to Rex as soon as you both had a free moment, and you thought about how you had no idea that silence could be so blaringly loud.

You had switched from biting your tongue to chewing your lip, twisting a stray lock of hair between your fingertips as the silent moment dragged on, your anxiety digging deeper and deeper into your gut. You stole a glance at him out of the corner of your eye, seeing as he gulped down a breath. But that was all you saw- the inspection was over, the Admiral was shaking hands and saluting goodbye to the Sergeant and his men. You barely got a nodding glance.

This is what you wanted, right?

This is what you told him you needed, he was listening to you- that’s good, it’s a step in the right direction. Right?

You had asked for this.

So then why did it hurt so much.

You were silent the entire way back to the flagship, saying a minimal amount of words to be polite to anyone who came up to you. The interaction (or lack thereof) consumed your thoughts wholly afterwards while you ran a few routine errands before making your way back to the flagship, causing you to just barely remember to pick up and give the Commander her tea. The kind, knowledgeable Padawan immediately noticed something was the matter in your thousand yard stare, clasping her hands over yours in concern, the tea now just an afterthought, “Y/N, what’s the matter? Do you need something?”

You gave the young Jedi a dull, thoughtful look, corners of your mouth barely turning up, “I can’t seem to lie to anyone today. No, Commander, I don’t need anything right now, but thank you for your consideration. I’ll be at the desk in the Admiral’s office should anyone need me.”

You bid Ahsoka goodbye with a small nod, walking down the corridor without an ounce of your usual spirit. Ahsoka looked down at the tin in her hand, weighing the tea blend absentmindedly. She was young, but certainly not stupid, she knew exactly who you needed to see. Gripping the present tight, she ran through the flagship until she got to the office she was looking for, not even bothering to knock.

“Rex!” she burst through the door, the Captain she was looking for dropped his head as his fingers came up to rub at the bridge of his nose.

“Vod’ika,” he grumbled, laying down his stylus, “I can’t entertain you every time you get bored-”

“I’m not here for that, it’s Y/N,” Ahsoka cut him off, taking three purposeful steps and slamming her hands on the desk, prompting Rex to look up into her sky blue eyes, shining with worry. His own widened as he stood up from his desk, not even bothering to grab his helmet as he followed Ahsoka out into the echoing hall.

“What’s wrong? Is she injured?”

“No, physically she seems fine,” Ahsoka explained, stepping quickly and talking quicker as she led Rex to Yularen’s office, “But she seems really sad, and she didn’t want to talk to me about it. I know you and her are pretty close, so I thought-”

“We need to stop by the kitchen.”

Ahsoka paused, looking back to see Rex already walking down the turn toward the mess. She jogged to catch up to him, breathing out a snort of laughter, “I mean, I didn’t think now was the time to think about food, Rexster.”

“It’s not,” Rex rolled his eyes at the nickname gesturing an arm out as if the explanation lay right in front of her, “It’s for Y/N. She likes to talk over caf, if I bring her some, chances are she’ll let me stay and whatever’s happening in her little head we can discuss. And if she doesn’t feel like talking still, the caf will act as a reminder she has people to talk to whenever she’s ready.”

Ahsoka blinked at him. She didn’t expect this amount of thoughtfulness from her ori’vod, and the gears in her mind started turning. An impish grin took over her face, canines flashing as she slunk up beside the soldier, “You know, Y/N is really nice…”

Rex raised an eyebrow, immediately suspicious as he held the mess door open for the Padawan, “Yes...she is…”

“She’s awfully lucky to have someone like you looking out for her, getting her caf, talking over administrative work, visiting each other’s offices during hyperspace jumps…” Ahsoka took a bit of a pause, stopping just inside the eating area, waiting for Rex to walk right by her to whisper just to him, “...giving each other really long hugs when you think no one’s around.”

Rex paused in his step, unable to stop a ruddy blush from heating over his face. Kriff. He cleared his throat, straightening up, “How’d you find that out, Commander?”

Ahsoka shrugged, giving him a wiggle of her brows, “Security cams, Rex ol’boy. Did you really not think about those?”

Rex groaned, squeezing his eyes shut, “I didn’t think anyone looked at the recordings…”

“Not many clones do,” Ahsoka explained, “We’ve got a lot of nat born officers in the surveillance offices. And boy, sir- do they love their gossip.”

Rex continued his trek to the instant caf machine, exhaling heavily as he surrendered to the teasing he was being subjected to. He rolled his eyes, getting two insulated tumblers to fill, as he started the machine, “Where are you even going with this, Commander?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” she giggled, latching onto Rex’s arm excitedly, bobbing on her toes as she jabbed a finger into his pauldron, “You like her!”

“And?” Rex deadpanned, switching a full cup for an empty one at the dispensing nozzle, “I’m not gonna deny what’s obvious, and I get plenty of osik from the rest of torrent about it anyways, who don’t know about the...the, uh, hugging-”

“So why don’t you do anything about it, dummy?”

Ahsoka was about to give him a headache.

“When she and I first started actually talking, she had gone through a really emotional break up,” Rex treaded carefully, this wasn’t his story to tell, but it was the bare-bones basic of how his friendship with you had grown, so it seemed like a good place to start, “I offered her my support, and I’ve kind of become her confidant since then. I’m not going to ‘make a move’ or anything, not until she says something. She’s still healing, Ahsoka.”

Ahsoka had stopped bouncing, mulling over Rex’s words. Rex was pouring in your preferred cream and sugar ratio, having memorized just how you like it, almost meticulous in the act. He picked up the cafs, walking steady, careful not to spill, “Where is she, her desk?”

Ahsoka nodded, mind still turning as she followed Rex out of the mess, “So you’re just gonna be there and listen to her problems until she decides that she likes you too?”

“Yup.”

“Does she listen to your problems too?”

“If I feel the need to talk about them, yes.”

Ahsoka stops in front of him, hands on her hips and eyebrow raised, “And what if she decides that she likes someone else instead?”

Rex’s shoulders slump for a moment, looking a little crestfallen, lips downturned and eyes shifting off to the side as a sad shine comes over them, “I’m not naive, I understand how big of a possibility that is. If she makes that decision, then that’s her decision. I can’t force someone to like me-”

“But does she know you’re even an option?”

That made Rex stop mid-stride. Surely you knew he was, right? He thinks back on the past few months, the things you’ve both confided, the tears you’ve shed, the countless moments you’ve both spent in each other’s comforting embraces. Your laughter. Your quiet moments. Surely… you knew, right?

The silence stretched, and Ahsoka looked too smug for her own good as she crossed her arms, chin up with full confidence, “I think you should tell her.”

Rex shook his head, taking himself out of his trance before he began walking again, “I don’t know-”

“It doesn’t have to be today,” Ahsoka clarified, falling into step beside him, “But you should. It doesn’t have to be dramatic, or one of your attempts at flirting-”

“Hey, I can flirt-”

“-just a brief confession.” Ahsoka pitched her voice low, what she thought would be a mimic of his voice, “Y/N, I need you to know I have enjoyed getting to know you, and that I find you extremely attractive, so much so that just holding you distracts me from thinking about the simplest of things, like the surveillance crew that’s always watching-”

“Hush up,” Rex hissed out, now just a couple of feet away from Yularen’s office. He wasn’t nervous, he couldn’t be nervous about talking with you, the both of you talked all the time, about everything. But actually dwelling on his feelings for you out loud with Ahsoka, acknowledging his emotions outright to another sentient did make him more, um, aware of the situation. Suddenly he was transported back in time, on the landing pad, leaning on the ship’s hull and waiting for you to board with your tear glazed eyes and trembling lips. He froze for a beat, staring at the closed doors, swallowing a breath. When did his throat get so dry? He let out a slow exhale through his mouth, almost whispering to himself, “I’ve been in this position so many times already… why does this time feel like the first again?”

“Maybe you’re getting tired of waiting,” Ahsoka offered, looking up to him and giving him an encouraging pat on the shoulder, “Maybe you’ve made a decision.”

She walked away in that moment, leaving Rex to fend for himself from his own thoughts. Damn Jedi and their cryptic messages. He rolled his neck and shoulders, letting his eyes fall shut as he breathed through his nose, trying to calm himself back down. After he felt himself loosen up a little bit, he pressed the call button by the entrance door.

“Admiral Yularen is on the bridge. If you have something for him to sign, leave it in the-”

“Y/N, it’s me,” Rex interrupted your rehearsed response, already feeling his posture tense back up, “I brought you caf.”

It was just static for the moment, your finger still on the speaker button. After a couple of seconds it clicked off, and the doors hissed open. Rex took a last steadying breath, and took the final steps inside.

[elmidol]

Error: Program Not Found - Nineteen (NSFW)

Summary: You are in charge of programming the droids that work most closely with both General Hux and Kylo Ren. Unbeknownst to you, each of these two men have it in their heads that your relationship extends beyond the workplace. This causes things to escalate quickly when your two apparently secret boyfriends compare notes on their respective partner who is far too similar for their liking.

Read on AO3

Chapter Warnings: sex in all three routes

Side Notes: Contains all three routes, divided by breaks

Error: Program Not Found

 “Lust is a lovely word and makes love so much more interesting.” - Michael Faudet

 Nineteen: Desire

 [Kylo Route]

 You twirled the stylus between two fingers while checking over Eddard's shoulder at the adjustments he was making to the design. It was a new file, copy and pasted from a blueprint, and one he would need to send to your datapad once the pair of you finished making changes. Less issues arose regarding the droids' programming than their physical composition. A recent discussion had lended insight to needs that might arise, such as the potential possibility that the droid would be required to physically lift a patient. You did not want the droid to be overly bulky either, however, as that could slow it down unnecessarily as well as increase the cost of materials; for the latter, you imagined certain First Order officers would utilize that as a means of forcing the project to be discontinued.

 You reached past Eddard to mark an area on a portion that he was not using. The pair of you worked flawlessly, easily falling into a rhythm that other members of your team had taken note of. They felt at ease discussing matters with Eddard, aware that he would relay the information to you. This was precisely what you had hoped for, namely for when then assassination droid project entered its later stages.

 Eddard glanced at the adjustment that you had made and began to integrate that into his own version of the droid’s body. Satisfied, you moved away from him in favor of sitting in front of a console where you worked on the coding unique to the physical therapy droids. You had made notes of steps you hoped to take over the coming week, and falling behind in any area was not an option. Aelin had volunteered to fashion a temporary droid to test behavior in the assassination droids; that had given you a small window to devote yourself to this project. Otherwise the board would have demanded that you shelve this for the end of the week.

 The majority of them, you thought with a forming scowl, did not understand how programming and droid design worked, not really. All they were familiar with were the results, the product. They were also the first ones to complain if something went wrong; something that would be caught given proper time and testing. Their unrealistic expectations had dissuaded previous programming specialists from renewing their contracts. You could not say that you were not grateful for this; you would not have a job here if the others had failed to leave. That did not mean you were not set on demanding, albeit silently, that those officers learn a thing or two.

 After finishing the line of code that you had been working with, you were struck by the memory of another note you had made. You promptly pulled up a folder that listed where you would locate the programs you planned to delete entirely. The physical therapy droids would not be administering medications of any sort; this was something that had been agreed upon, and such programs could later be worked into the droids for future models.

 “Do you think there should be more flexibility in the droid’s thumb?” Eddard asked whilst tapping the end of his stylus against his lips. You turned around in your seat, furrowing your brow and working to remember the exact specifications that had previously been agreed upon. Once more in sync with you, Eddard held up the display and pointed with the stylus. “There are some stretches where the patient might require a better grip. Improved dexterity would be easy to add and upgrade the amount of those exercises the droids can perform.” You stared at the joint in question for another second then bobbed your head in three quick nods. Eddard returned the datapad to the table. His stylus worked across its surface, and you twisted around to focus on your own task.

 The additional dexterity would lift some of the restrictions you previously believed would hinder the programs you had in mind. Why you had not considered the rather simple solution of modifying the joint, you were not certain. It was an oversight that did not embarrass you; this was the entire purpose of having a team. A competent team at that. You looked over at two of the junior programmers seated to your left with a smile. One had been tasked with reading through the coding you wrote for errors, and the other tested known viruses against various portions that were meant to be already protected. Warfare came in many forms. You would not risk an already injured individual being subjected to harm from tampering committed by rivals or enemies.

 I do not want to be complacent and believe they would not attack me in a similar manner. You wrinkled your nose in disgust over hypothetical threats to your safety that could arise with working on droids. There were countless, though some would be beyond what the common officer would think up. I am working to design a droid that will do that, though. It will conceal itself and then kill another. Not only manually. The best way would be to have the droid perform other acts that endanger the target, no different than if a human was assigned to the kill. Poison. Sabotage.

 Your stomach churned, and you shook your head to think instead of the programs that you were working with in the present.

 By the end of your shift, you were grateful for the knowledge that your quarters would be empty of human companions aside from a single guest. As for the droids, TeeArr was assisting Aelin, and the MSE droid remained shut down until you could spare some time to work on its programming without interruption. The guest who would be visiting was none other than Kylo Ren. You suppressed a shudder at the thought of him while you walked past First Order personnel. You ducked into the mess hall long enough to grab a nutrition bar and a drink. Replenishing your energy reserves would only be wise, after all.

 You entered your quarters to find that your guest had already arrived. Quirking a brow, you studied his frame as Kylo continued to crouch before the MSE droid with his head tilted to the side. He ran a gloved hand along the remnants of the dent his foot had created. This was one of those moments where you could not read him so easily, could only guess as to where his mind wandered.

 You set the ration bar and drink down on a bolted table so that you could get to them later when you found the need. For a moment you considered whether or not you should have grabbed something for Kylo as well. Yet you did not think he would be remaining in your quarters after the two of you were finished.

 “Are you going to stay masked while we…?” you trailed off, noting that your tone had gone from lighthearted to strained. Kylo rose to his full height while twisting around in a fluid motion. Facing you, he reached up with both of his hands and undid the latches on his helmet. “I understand needing to keep barriers.” You gestured with your hand at the walls of the room, pointing out the fact that the two of you were in your quarters rather than his. An agreement, one that you had initiated.

 "The Supreme Leader views many things as sentimental weaknesses." That unspoken I would have wanted you to remain with me overnight offered a glimpse of the prison in which Snoke kept Kylo confined.

 You swallowed thickly, curling your fingers towards your palms. Kylo took a step in your direction. You mirrored his action, meeting him halfway so that the pair of you were standing quite literally toe-to-toe in the center of your quarters. As he had walked, Kylo had removed his helmet and carried it along. You placed your hands on its surface, noting each and every groove, every dent that it contained from battles and training exercises. Some were difficult to catch with the eye; the texture elicited a soft sigh from you.

 “I appreciate that this is not one of those things.” You glanced up, peeking through your eyelashes at him then lowering your gaze back to the helmet. His lips had parted, and those brown eyes had darkened. Showing his face in this intimate setting—now you could not help but wonder how Snoke would have treated Kylo; did he abuse him verbally and physically? You were aware of the Supreme Leader’s power only by hearsay. You had, on the other hand, witnessed what Kylo could do, at least in part. For him to be wary of Snoke, you would willingly admit to the fear that arose.

 To change the subject and draw your thoughts and his away from Snoke, you shifted your hands downwards on the helmet until your limbs eclipsed his. The textured leather gloves stuck to your skin, creating friction that had not been present on the mask. You smiled, tilted back your head, and released a heavy breath.

 “I do not want to wait any longer.” His eyes widened a fraction at your words then narrowed as his mouth twisted upwards into a predatory grin. You shuddered in response, your toes curling and a smile forming on your face in return. Removing your hands from his, you toyed with the hem of your shirt. Kylo’s gaze followed your movements, tracking everything you did with a growing hunger. “You should put down your helmet.”

 The teasing earned you a grunt. Kylo licked his lips yet obliged. He moved to the side long enough to place his helmet on another raised surface in the room, which meant that neither of you would be tripping over it any time soon. That was just as well; you wanted to be reckless while you could. You began to work your clothes off of your body, and you noticed with glee that Kylo experienced identical feelings.

 He stepped forward after removing his cowl and belt. Kylo shrugged off his outer robes with an ease you had not expected. Perhaps you should have, you mused, since he wore them often. Your thoughts were quickly cut off as Kylo cupped your breasts as he surged forward to claim your mouth. You whimpered into the kiss, your body burning with pleasure as he began to knead your breasts. You placed your hands on him in return, feeling his muscles through the shirt that he wore. You had seen him shirtless before, had felt him, however it was different this time. Knowing that he would be inside of you, every touch was intensified.

 You flattened your palms on his abdomen and slipped them downwards, moving them in reverse as soon as felt the edge of the material against the tips of your fingers. His flesh underneath was warm, the muscles taut. You clenched around nothing, again imagining him moving inside of you, aware of how these muscles would shift. Kylo released a moan into the kiss, a hungry sound that preceded your name. Your knees weakened at the unexpectedness, yet you did not fall. An invisible Force kept you in place, and you were grateful for it.

 “I want to feel you.” The whine that escaped you did not embarrass you. You nodded your agreement as he kissed your lips again then your chin then neck. You tilted your head to allow him better access to your throat, which he nipped. His teeth grazed your skin until he found a spot he liked near your collarbone, a spot that your uniform would conceal.

 “Mm...you can leave a hickey a little higher. I am not ashamed.” The noise that left him caused your cheeks to heat up. Somehow, you had managed to catch him off guard. His mouth hovered just over your skin, his tongue flicked out for but a moment as he licked his lips. “Too sentimental?”

 “No.” Almost breathless, except that you could feel that warm air run along your wet skin. “You’re sentimental with droids and their purposes.” His words were not meant as an insult; he was merely stating facts, and you could hear a note of curiosity in them. He worked to understand you in the same way that you tried to understand him. The freedom that you had to show emotions, did he envy you that? If he did, he did not hate you for it. Such jealousy did not cause him to harbor any ill will. Instead, if it did exist, it encouraged him to shift upwards and begin to nibble your throat higher, just as you had all but asked him to.

 Closing your eyes so that you could relish in the feel of that skilled mouth, you trailed your hands from his abdomen to the hem of his pants. You toyed with the elastic, letting it snap into place after hooking one finger into it. Kylo released a puff of air that you could have sworn was a chuckle.

 Kylo groped you through your bra again then slipped his hands past that barrier, cupping you and swiping his thumbs along your nipples just as he bit down on your neck. You clenched again, another whimper leaving you followed by a swear. His tongue flicked back and forth in time with his thumbs, and he caught your hardened nipples with the seams of his gloves. Your sensitive flesh burned for him more simultaneous to growing too sensitive. You squirmed, starting to lean away only to undulate your body nearer.

 You lifted one hand and placed it on the back of Kylo’s head, running your fingers through his hair. He had started to walk backwards, bringing you along with him towards the bed. Kylo sat down on its edge, and you straddled his leg, grinding against his thigh. He unclasped your bra then worked it down your arms. Pulling away long enough to get rid of the cloth, Kylo claimed your mouth with a hunger you matched.

 Your tongue caressed his before he once more kissed a trail downwards, this time making it to your breast. Kylo nipped at the right one, pinching the nipple of the left. You rolled your hips, riding his thigh while working open his pants. The pair of you pushed away from one another. Your hands flew along the final layers of your clothing, your eyes glued to his body as Kylo did the same for himself.

 Fully naked, Kylo pushed you onto the bed and climbed on top of you. His pelvis crashed into yours, and he wasted no time rocking against you. His cock slipped between your folds, eliciting a moan from your mouth as well as a groan from his. He repeated the action, this time adding more force. You swore, bucking up your hips to meet his thrusts. Leaning up, you captured his bottom lip with your teeth then let it pop back into place. Kylo caressed your cheek with his mouth, which ghosted its way up to your ear.

 “You’re so wet for me.” His voice was husky, deep. Kylo placed his hands on your hips as you ground against his cock. You spread your legs wider, the two of you working together so that the next thrust lined him up with you, allowed him to move into you. The head of his thick cock spread you open, filling you completely. You trembled at his size, at how he felt within you. You whispered out a swear, your eyelids fluttering as he sank in inch by inch.

 Kylo wasted no time fucking you, pumping into you. You set your hands on his chest, slipped them up to his shoulders. You wanted to feel every inch of him. Kylo placed one hand on the bed by your head, propping himself up so that you could look down the length of your bodies to watch. You did just that, biting down on your bottom lip and furrowing your brow as another moan spilled from you. You toyed with your clit, and Kylo adjusted how he fucked you, moving more slowly, dragging out your pleasure.

 He used his other hand to play with your breasts again. Kylo rolled a hardened nipple under the pad of his finger. You marveled over how different it felt compared to when he had been wearing gloves. Your inner walls clenched around him, the wetness from your body coating his cock and creating crude sounds with each and every thrust. Kylo pinched your nipple and tugged until you moaned loudly, your cunt tightening around him.

 He dropped his hand down lower, pushing at your limb so that he could hook his thumb against your clit instead. He rocked it back and forth, coated his thumb in your slick, and then teased you at a different angle, his movements fast. You grabbed at the blankets underneath you, your scream of pleasure swallowed by his mouth, muffled by his tongue as you came. Kylo did not stop moving, his hips pounding into you even as you clenched around him over and over, your vaginal walls pulsing as he fucked you through your orgasm.

 Kylo pulled almost completely out then snapped his hips, reentering you and moving until he was fully sheathed. You threw back your head while meeting his thrusts, aware that he was close. You could feel him, could hear him. His growl. You saw the way he bared his teeth, relished in the way his entire body trembled as he came, filling you with his hot cum. He continued to thrust into you, his hips gradually stilling, until he had fully softened. Only then did he pull out and roll onto his back, lying beside you.

 You held your breath for a moment. Would have done so for longer except that you were a panting mess, and your body would not allow you to. “Stay for a little while?”

 “Of course.” You could hear the smirk. “We’re not done here yet.” It made your heart flutter; you could read between the lines. This was about sex, but also about spending more time with you under the pretense of sex. You could rest for a while, could close your eyes, and he would be able to watch you without the threat of sentiment being used against him by the Supreme Leader. He could argue sex. Could argue desire.

 You extended your hand and set it atop his chest. “Not by a longshot.”

  ---------

 [Hux Route]

 You twirled the stylus between two fingers while checking over Eddard's shoulder at the adjustments he was making to the design. It was a new file, copy and pasted from a blueprint, and one he would need to send to your datapad once the pair of you finished making changes. Less issues arose regarding the droids' programming than their physical composition. A recent discussion had lended insight to needs that might arise, such as the potential possibility that the droid would be required to physically lift a patient. You did not want the droid to be overly bulky either, however, as that could slow it down unnecessarily as well as increase the cost of materials; for the latter, you imagined certain First Order officers would utilize that as a means of forcing the project to be discontinued.

 You reached past Eddard to mark an area on a portion that he was not using. The pair of you worked flawlessly, easily falling into a rhythm that other members of your team had taken note of. They felt at ease discussing matters with Eddard, aware that he would relay the information to you. This was precisely what you had hoped for, namely for when then assassination droid project entered its later stages.

 Eddard glanced at the adjustment that you had made and began to integrate that into his own version of the droid’s body. Satisfied, you moved away from him in favor of sitting in front of a console where you worked on the coding unique to the physical therapy droids. You had made notes of steps you hoped to take over the coming week, and falling behind in any area was not an option. Aelin had volunteered to fashion a temporary droid to test behavior in the assassination droids; that had given you a small window to devote yourself to this project. Otherwise the board would have demanded that you shelve this for the end of the week.

 The majority of them, you thought with a forming scowl, did not understand how programming and droid design worked, not really. All they were familiar with were the results, the product. They were also the first ones to complain if something went wrong; something that would be caught given proper time and testing. Their unrealistic expectations had dissuaded previous programming specialists from renewing their contracts. You could not say that you were not grateful for this; you would not have a job here if the others had failed to leave. That did not mean you were not set on demanding, albeit silently, that those officers learn a thing or two.

 After finishing the line of code that you had been working with, you were struck by the memory of another note you had made. You promptly pulled up a folder that listed where you would locate the programs you planned to delete entirely. The physical therapy droids would not be administering medications of any sort; this was something that had been agreed upon, and such programs could later be worked into the droids for future models.

 “Do you think there should be more flexibility in the droid’s thumb?” Eddard asked whilst tapping the end of his stylus against his lips. You turned around in your seat, furrowing your brow and working to remember the exact specifications that had previously been agreed upon. Once more in sync with you, Eddard held up the display and pointed with the stylus. “There are some stretches where the patient might require a better grip. Improved dexterity would be easy to add and upgrade the amount of those exercises the droids can perform.” You stared at the joint in question for another second then bobbed your head in three quick nods. Eddard returned the datapad to the table. His stylus worked across its surface, and you twisted around to focus on your own task.

 The additional dexterity would lift some of the restrictions you previously believed would hinder the programs you had in mind. Why you had not considered the rather simple solution of modifying the joint, you were not certain. It was an oversight that did not embarrass you; this was the entire purpose of having a team. A competent team at that. You looked over at two of the junior programmers seated to your left with a smile. One had been tasked with reading through the coding you wrote for errors, and the other tested known viruses against various portions that were meant to be already protected. Warfare came in many forms. You would not risk an already injured individual being subjected to harm from tampering committed by rivals or enemies.

 I do not want to be complacent and believe they would not attack me in a similar manner. You wrinkled your nose in disgust over hypothetical threats to your safety that could arise with working on droids. There were countless, though some would be beyond what the common officer would think up. I am working to design a droid that will do that, though. It will conceal itself and then kill another. Not only manually. The best way would be to have the droid perform other acts that endanger the target, no different than if a human was assigned to the kill. Poison. Sabotage.

 Your stomach churned, and you shook your head to think instead of the programs that you were working with in the present.

 By the end of your shift, you were grateful that TeeArr was assisting Aelin and the MSE droid was safe, shut down until you could spare some time to work on its programming without interruption. You would not be spending the night in your quarters. Instead, you headed for General Hux’s private quarters. It took effort to keep the smile off your face. Not that anyone observant would be oblivious to your destination. Still, keeping your composure would ward away some of the awkward and potentially inappropriate teasing you would otherwise incur. There would be plenty of that the next day once the stormtrooper guards gossiped that you did not leave.

 Armitage’s quarters were set at a comfortable temperature, a few degrees above the majority of the ship to ensure Millicent’s health remained the best it could be. She crouched near the TIE cat bed, her tail swishing back and forth. She shimmied then crouched back lower. You grinned as you observed her, your head tilted a little so that you could listen for sounds that would reveal Armitage’s location. You remained unsure if he had returned from the bridge just yet; you could be waiting a little while, which you did not mind.

 You placed the datapad you had brought with you onto the armrest of the blue couch. Stretching your arms above your head, you interlaced your fingers and arched your back, alleviating some of the tension that had built after spending hours at a console.

 Millicent leapt up to her full height and pranced over to you. She did not meow or release any other noise. Instead she sat a finger’s length out of reach and stared up at you with unblinking eyes. You blinked, though. Then furrowed your brow and engaged in the staring contest that she had started. She rolled over onto her back after a handful of seconds elapsed. Millicent reached a paw out towards you while meowing plaintively. You obliged, taking a step forward and crouching long enough to stroke the top of her head and scratched her chest. She purred with contentment, her eyelids slipping closed even as you rose back to your full height.

 You curled up on the couch for a small catnap while you waited for Armitage. Millicent leapt up with you, the small feline curling against your stomach and purring. As you closed your eyes, you pet the top of her head. You drifted off within minutes.

 A hand being placed on your shoulder roused you from that sleep. You shifted your hands around Millicent, tugging her gently so that you did not squish her, and rolled onto your other side. Armitage had already shed his greatcloak along with his outer shirt and belt. Your eyes wandered along his undershirt and pants. Peeking over the edge of the couch, you noted with pleasure that he had taken off his boots as well. He was just as eager as you were.

 “I hope you are well rested,” he said teasingly, his voice deep. You flicked your tongue along your lips, sitting up and relinquishing your hold on Millicent. The cat leapt off the couch, rubbed against Armitage, and then padded over to her cat bed, curling up inside.

 You tracked her movements while you replied to him. “I certainly am. Are you?” A low chuckle reverberated from him. You spread your legs a little, and Armitage rose, slotting himself between them. His mouth hungrily claimed yours, his hands beginning to roam your body the same as yours were doing to his. “Are you going to be ruthless in bed?” you asked teasingly against his mouth. He groaned in response, his hands slipping up under your shirt and groping your breasts through your bra. He pinched your nipples, tugging at them, making you clench and whimper with need.

 “Not this time.” You hummed out your approval at the acknowledgment that there would be future engagements such as this as well. “Mm...your things are by the bed.” You kissed him, smiling against his lips at how orderly he could be. It was nice to know where your overnight bag had been placed, sure; but that was not your focus. Right then, you wanted clothing to be removed.

 You broke away from the kiss to take off your shirt then tugged at his undershirt so that it untucked from his pants. “You are still overdressed.” His eyes glinted with hunger at your words. Armitage grasped your thighs and parted your legs further, rolling his hips so that you could feel how hard he was. You ground against him in return, growing more wet as the friction increased. Armitage kissed the corner of your mouth before tackling your neck with tongue and teeth. He nibbled downwards until he reached your collarbone. “Oh!” You moaned then swore before cupping the back of his head and tilting your head to give him better access to your neck. “Do not worry about leaving marks.” You were not ashamed to be in a relationship with him.

 His nose skimmed your flesh, his hot breath hitting the area he had just bitten. You closed your eyes to melt into the sensations of his touch. Meanwhile, you busied your hands with opening the front of his pants as well as your own. Armitage was skilled, that tongue undulating salaciously. He groped you through your bra again, shifting his hands around your back to undo its clasp. He cupped your breasts in either of his hands, kneading them and toying with your hardening nipples in alteration. His mouth moved with yours, your tongues dancing together in time with each roll of his wrist, with every thrust the two of you made against one another. His hard cock pushed against you through the confines of your clothing.

 “Do you,” he began, briefly cutting himself off with another kiss, “want to go to the bed?”

 “No,” you moaned, arching your back as he pinched your nipples again, tugging at them then swiping his thumbs back and forth against the sensitive buds. “Right here.” You would have said right now as well, however you knew that it was unnecessary. As orderly as the man could be, you could feel his need, knew he was not going to make you wait much longer before he was inside of you.

 You raked your hands up through Armitage’s hair, disheveling it, marveling how soft it felt. He shuddered under your ministrations. Armitage pushed you onto your back and climbed atop you. His hands were busy, in constant motion as he stripped you down to your socks, which you worked off and kicked away. He once more kissed a trail downwards, though this time he went further, taking a bared breast into his mouth. He cupped its twin, kneading and sucking at you. Your toes curled, and you rolled your hips, arching up off the couch so that you could reangle yourself, so that you could feel him against you. Armitage shifted a thigh against you instead, and you ground down. He pushed at your hips, and you whimpered, baring your teeth though you obeyed the silent command.

 It was worth it; he shoved down his pants, finished stripping, and you felt his naked thigh against your cunt in little time at all. You rocked back and forth, toying with his hair again and biting your bottom lip to stifle a groan of pleasure with how he teased you. He moved his other thigh between your legs, spreading you open and again crashing his pelvis into yours, rocking against you. His movements and yours brought his cock between your folders. You groaned at the feel of him, at how the head of his erection brushed your clit with each thrust. Armitage moaned, too. He rolled his hips again, more desperately, more hungrily. You swore, bucking up to meet his thrusts and entangling a hand in his hair to bring him down for another kiss.

 You trailed your fingers down his chest and over his abdomen, feeling the muscles twitch in response. Armitage lined himself up with you, rolling his hips more slowly so that you could feel the head of his cock begin to spread you open. He sank into you inch by inch. You curled your toes at the feel of him, your eyelids fluttering as you moaned and trembled. His first thrusts were shallow, allowing you to adjust to the size of him. He was thick, stretching you wide.

 Armitage reached behind you with one hand to grip the armrest of the couch. He cupped your chin with the other, tilting your head back and peering directly into your eyes. “You’re so wet,” he all but purred. You moaned in reply, whispering his name. He kissed you, his desire spiking, his hips moving quicker. You reangled yourself so that he brushed against your clit with his thrusts, reaching down and toying with yourself as well.

 He knew where to pet at you, what parts of your skin to touch so that electrifying pleasure traveled throughout your body. You clenched around him, growing more wet and closer to orgasm. To prolong your pleasure, you moved your hand away from yourself to instead ghost your fingertips up his abdomen to his chest. You circled a nipple, and he mirrored your actions. You swore again, shuddering as the dam built and built until you were pushed over the edge.

 Armitage continued to move within you, fucking you through your orgasm, teasing your sensitive flesh and turning you into an incoherent mess. You sighed into his mouth as he kissed you, pounding his hips faster as he chased his own release. You wrapped your arms around him, felt his chest against yours. Your walls clenched and unclenched around him, your vaginal walls pulsing as he continued to move. His thrusts became more shallow. His tongue mirroring those movements.

 He broke the kiss as he came, his cum filling you with each subsequent thrust. Armitage whispered what sounded like your name and you stroked your hands through his hair, felt those soft tufts while staring into his eyes. He did not stop moving until the both of you finished, his hips coming to a gradual halt. He pulled out of you, backing away to give you room to rise, though you nestled against him on the couch almost immediately.

 “I just want to stay here for a while.” He hummed his agreement, though he reached for his pants and worked them up over his hips. He grabbed his black shirt and passed it to you, which caused you to break out in a grin. Rather than wear it, you used it as a lap blanket. This earned you a chuckle. He might have said something, however Millicent trotted over to the pair of you. She hopped onto Armitage’s lap, laying down with her front paws on your legs, kneading the material of the shirt. “I am still unsure how I feel about working on assassination droids.”

 “They will be good for the First Order.” A grunt from you. Noncommittal. “They will cause death, certainly, however it is worth considering that for each droid that succeeds, that is a flesh and blood person who did not have to be in such a position.”

 A person who did not have to kill, you thought, groaning and setting the heels of your hands on your eyes. “Honestly I think part of the issue is that I am exhausted.”

 “I will make us tea, then we can relax together, hmm?” It sounded heavenly. Armitage shifted Millicent into your lap, and she laid back down without making a single noise of protest. You watched Armitage walk around, noted the way his body moved. He was less rigid here, a fact that was more apparent with his shirt off. “Do you have a preferred blend?” You shook your head, stating that anything that would help you rest and ward away a headache would be best. “I have just the one for us.”

 “Oh? Stressful day?” You had not asked him about it sooner in part because you felt that it was a silly question; he had many projects to overlook and countless officers along with stormtroopers. It was dizzying to consider.

 Armitage brought two cups over along with the blend and a kettle. He walked away once more, long enough to grab the portable heating device. “Not terribly. I was distracted a bit, thinking of this.” His eyes lifted from the kettle to land on your face. You smiled at him. “I look forward to sharing the bed with you.”

  --------

 [Poly Route]

 You twirled the stylus between two fingers while checking over Eddard's shoulder at the adjustments he was making to the design. It was a new file, copy and pasted from a blueprint, and one he would need to send to your datapad once the pair of you finished making changes. Less issues arose regarding the droids' programming than their physical composition. A recent discussion had lended insight to needs that might arise, such as the potential possibility that the droid would be required to physically lift a patient. You did not want the droid to be overly bulky either, however, as that could slow it down unnecessarily as well as increase the cost of materials; for the latter, you imagined certain First Order officers would utilize that as a means of forcing the project to be discontinued.

 You reached past Eddard to mark an area on a portion that he was not using. The pair of you worked flawlessly, easily falling into a rhythm that other members of your team had taken note of. They felt at ease discussing matters with Eddard, aware that he would relay the information to you. This was precisely what you had hoped for, namely for when then assassination droid project entered its later stages.

 Eddard glanced at the adjustment that you had made and began to integrate that into his own version of the droid’s body. Satisfied, you moved away from him in favor of sitting in front of a console where you worked on the coding unique to the physical therapy droids. You had made notes of steps you hoped to take over the coming week, and falling behind in any area was not an option. Aelin had volunteered to fashion a temporary droid to test behavior in the assassination droids; that had given you a small window to devote yourself to this project. Otherwise the board would have demanded that you shelve this for the end of the week.

 The majority of them, you thought with a forming scowl, did not understand how programming and droid design worked, not really. All they were familiar with were the results, the product. They were also the first ones to complain if something went wrong; something that would be caught given proper time and testing. Their unrealistic expectations had dissuaded previous programming specialists from renewing their contracts. You could not say that you were not grateful for this; you would not have a job here if the others had failed to leave. That did not mean you were not set on demanding, albeit silently, that those officers learn a thing or two.

 After finishing the line of code that you had been working with, you were struck by the memory of another note you had made. You promptly pulled up a folder that listed where you would locate the programs you planned to delete entirely. The physical therapy droids would not be administering medications of any sort; this was something that had been agreed upon, and such programs could later be worked into the droids for future models.

 “Do you think there should be more flexibility in the droid’s thumb?” Eddard asked whilst tapping the end of his stylus against his lips. You turned around in your seat, furrowing your brow and working to remember the exact specifications that had previously been agreed upon. Once more in sync with you, Eddard held up the display and pointed with the stylus. “There are some stretches where the patient might require a better grip. Improved dexterity would be easy to add and upgrade the amount of those exercises the droids can perform.” You stared at the joint in question for another second then bobbed your head in three quick nods. Eddard returned the datapad to the table. His stylus worked across its surface, and you twisted around to focus on your own task.

 The additional dexterity would lift some of the restrictions you previously believed would hinder the programs you had in mind. Why you had not considered the rather simple solution of modifying the joint, you were not certain. It was an oversight that did not embarrass you; this was the entire purpose of having a team. A competent team at that. You looked over at two of the junior programmers seated to your left with a smile. One had been tasked with reading through the coding you wrote for errors, and the other tested known viruses against various portions that were meant to be already protected. Warfare came in many forms. You would not risk an already injured individual being subjected to harm from tampering committed by rivals or enemies.

 I do not want to be complacent and believe they would not attack me in a similar manner. You wrinkled your nose in disgust over hypothetical threats to your safety that could arise with working on droids. There were countless, though some would be beyond what the common officer would think up. I am working to design a droid that will do that, though. It will conceal itself and then kill another. Not only manually. The best way would be to have the droid perform other acts that endanger the target, no different than if a human was assigned to the kill. Poison. Sabotage.

 Your stomach churned, and you shook your head to think instead of the programs that you were working with in the present.

 Hours later, two pairs of footsteps echoed in the hall and filtered into the room. You would not have taken notice of them had they belonged to stormtroopers or officers that you had no intention of meeting with that cycle. These footfalls were familiar to you. Their presence prompted you to glance at the chrono. You could log out of the system in less than four minutes’s time. That Kylo Ren was drawing nearer was a mild surprise; the two of you had already agreed to spend extra time together in your quarters. Armitage entering the room beside Kylo, though, was what caught you off guard. You would be spending the night cycle with him, and he knew that you had plans with Kylo.

 There was no air of antagonism rolling off either of them that you could feel. You finished deleting another unnecessary program then began to close out of the applications and wrap up your supplies. TeeArr was working alongside Aelin, so he was not present to comment on the pair. Armitage reached you before Kylo did, although this was in part due to Kylo slowing his pace for Armitage to do so. You blinked in surprise.

 “I am going to be a little later,” Armitage said, his voice low though not quite a whisper. If anyone here was going to eavesdrop, it did not matter how quietly he spoke. He was simply being discreet so that those still involved in their work would not be interrupted. “I wanted to give you the option to reschedule if you wished.”

 “If it is only a little later, I would like to keep the plans as they are.”

 “Very good.” He cleared his throat. “Other projects that we will be involved with have elements I must personally oversee.” Ah, the assassination droid. You hummed in acknowledgment of his words, and gave a nod in return when he inclined his head as a means of dismissing himself. His eyes had swept across your mouth, a fact that you had not missed. He would have kissed you had there not been witnesses. You watched him walk away.

 Kylo, in the meantime, stepped closer. He cocked his head to the side. “Perhaps you should lead the way.” Another thing that you appreciated about both of them; they gave you plenty of opportunities to make decisions and also to change your mind. You could go to your quarters or to his. No matter what things would be a bit scandalous. You would either go to Kylo’s quarters or yours with him then go to Armitage’s. People were going to talk. More than they already were, that is. You snorted and began walking. Kylo trailed along after you through the door. It was sweet of him, you thought, to come pick you up as he had.

 You rolled your shoulders as you walked, debating for a moment which place you wanted to go. You would not be interrupted in your quarters since you had been able to make the proper arrangements. On the other hand, spending time in his quarters felt intimate on a different level. Did Snoke monitor him there? You felt gross thinking about that. Shuddered and decided that you would stick with your quarters, at least for this time.

 The two of you entered your quarters, you first and then him. As the door closed behind him and you turned around, Kylo removed his helmet and set it off to the side. Both of you knew what was going to happen here. It was what you had thought about; or, one of the things. You would focus on Armitage later though. Right now you just wanted to be with Kylo, to touch him. This physical closeness was something that you had started to crave more and more frequently. While you were not limited on time, you knew that Kylo was.

 You toyed with the hem of your shirt, watching him watch you. Seeing the hunger in his eyes, you began to work your clothes off of your body. Kylo stepped forward after removing his cowl and belt. He shrugged off his outer robes then reached for you, cupping your breasts as he surged forward to claim your mouth. You whimpered into the kiss, your body burning with pleasure as he began to knead your breasts. You placed your hands on him in return, feeling his muscles through the shirt that he wore. You had seen him shirtless before, had felt him, however it was different this time. Knowing that he would be inside of you, every touch was intensified.

 You flattened your palms on his abdomen and slipped them downwards, moving them in reverse as soon as felt the edge of the material against the tips of your fingers. His flesh underneath was warm, the muscles taut. You clenched around nothing, again imagining him moving inside of you, aware of how these muscles would shift. Kylo released a moan into the kiss, a hungry sound that preceded your name. Your knees weakened at the unexpectedness, yet you did not fall. An invisible Force kept you in place, and you were grateful for it.

 “I want to feel you.” The whine that escaped you did not embarrass you. You nodded your agreement as he kissed your lips again then your chin then neck. You tilted your head to allow him better access to your throat, which he nipped. His teeth grazed your skin until he found a spot he liked near your collarbone.

 Closing your eyes so that you could relish in the feel of that skilled mouth, you trailed your hands from his abdomen to the hem of his pants. You toyed with the elastic, letting it snap into place after hooking one finger into it. Kylo released a puff of air that you could have sworn was a chuckle.

 Kylo groped you through your bra again then slipped his hands past that barrier, cupping you and swiping his thumbs along your nipples just as he bit down on your neck. You clenched again, another whimper leaving you followed by a swear. His tongue flicked back and forth in time with his thumbs, and he caught your hardened nipples with the seams of his gloves. Your sensitive flesh burned for him more simultaneous to growing too sensitive. You squirmed, starting to lean away only to undulate your body nearer.

 You lifted one hand and placed it on the back of Kylo’s head, running your fingers through his hair. He had started to walk backwards, bringing you along with him towards the bed. Kylo sat down on its edge, and you straddled his leg, grinding against his thigh. He unclasped your bra then worked it down your arms. Pulling away long enough to get rid of the cloth, Kylo claimed your mouth with a hunger you matched.

 Your tongue caressed his before he once more kissed a trail downwards, this time making it to your breast. Kylo nipped at the right one, pinching the nipple of the left. You rolled your hips, riding his thigh while working open his pants. The pair of you pushed away from one another. Your hands flew along the final layers of your clothing, your eyes glued to his body as Kylo did the same for himself.

 Fully naked, Kylo pushed you onto the bed and climbed on top of you. His pelvis crashed into yours, and he wasted no time rocking against you. His cock slipped between your folds, eliciting a moan from your mouth as well as a groan from his. He repeated the action, this time adding more force. You swore, bucking up your hips to meet his thrusts. Leaning up, you captured his bottom lip with your teeth then let it pop back into place.

 Kylo placed his hands on your hips as you ground against his cock. You spread your legs wider, the two of you working together so that the next thrust lined him up with you, allowed him to move into you. Kylo wasted no time fucking into you. You set your hands on his chest, slipped them up to his shoulders. Kylo placed one hand on the bed by your head, propping himself up so that you could look down the length of your bodies to watch. You did just that, biting down on your bottom lip and furrowing your brow as another moan spilled from you. You toyed with your clit, and Kylo adjusted how he fucked you, moving more slowly, dragging out your pleasure.

 He used his other hand to play with your breasts again. Kylo rolled a hardened nipple under the pad of his finger. Your inner walls clenched around him, the wetness from your body coating his cock and creating crude sounds with each and every thrust. Kylo pinched your nipple and tugged until you moaned loudly, your cunt tightening around him.

 He dropped his hand down lower, pushing at your limb so that he could hook his thumb against your clit instead. He rocked it back and forth, coated his thumb in your slick, and then teased you at a different angle, his movements fast. You grabbed at the blankets underneath you, your scream of pleasure swallowed by his mouth, muffled by his tongue as you came. Kylo did not stop moving, his hips pounding into you even as you clenched around him over and over, your vaginal walls pulsing as he fucked you through your orgasm.

 Kylo pulled almost completely out then snapped his hips, reentering you and moving until he was fully sheathed. You threw back your head while meeting his thrusts, aware that he was close. You could feel him, could hear him. His growl. You saw the way he bared his teeth, relished in the way his entire body trembled as he came, filling you with his hot cum. He continued to thrust into you, his hips gradually stilling, until he had fully softened. Only then did he pull out and roll onto his back, lying beside you.

 The two of you laid there together for a time, enjoying simply being in one another’s presence while you caught your breath. Kylo would not leave until he had to. In the meanwhile, you slowly redressed after regaining your breath. He did as well, though he did not pull on his helmet or cowl immediately.

 When it was time for him to leave, you walked out of your quarters with him, an overnight bag in your hand. It was a relief for you that he acted normally. Kylo had watched you pack, had not given you a single strange look. He was genuinely comfortable with this arrangement. It alleviated some of the fears that you had harbored. You had kissed him one final time before he had put on his helmet, aware that you would not be able to after you had left.

 [Armitage’s Quarters]

 You placed the datapad you had brought with you onto the armrest of the blue couch. Stretching your arms above your head, you interlaced your fingers and arched your back, alleviating some of the tension that had built after spending hours at a console.

 Millicent pranced over to you and reached a paw out while meowing plaintively. You obliged, taking a step forward and crouching long enough to stroke the top of her head and scratched her chest. She purred with contentment, her eyelids slipping closed even as you rose back to your full height.

 You curled up on the couch for a small catnap while you waited for Armitage. Millicent leapt up with you, the small feline curling against your stomach and purring. As you closed your eyes, you pet the top of her head. You drifted off within minutes.

 A hand being placed on your shoulder roused you from that sleep. You shifted your hands around Millicent, tugging her gently so that you did not squish her, and rolled onto your other side. Armitage had already shed his greatcloak along with his outer shirt and belt. Your eyes wandered along his undershirt and pants. Peeking over the edge of the couch, you noted with pleasure that he had taken off his boots as well. He was just as eager as you were.

 “I hope you are well rested,” he said teasingly, his voice deep. You flicked your tongue along your lips, sitting up and relinquishing your hold on Millicent. The cat leapt off the couch, rubbed against Armitage, and then padded over to her cat bed, curling up inside.

 You tracked her movements while you replied to him. “I certainly am. Are you?” A low chuckle reverberated from him. You spread your legs a little, and Armitage rose, slotting himself between them. His mouth hungrily claimed yours, his hands beginning to roam your body the same as yours were doing to his. “Are you going to be ruthless in bed?” you asked teasingly against his mouth. He groaned in response, his hands slipping up under your shirt and groping your breasts through your bra. He pinched your nipples, tugging at them, making you clench and whimper with need.

 “Not this time.” You kissed him then broke away from the kiss to take off your shirt before tugging at his undershirt so that it untucked from his pants. “You are still overdressed.” His eyes glinted with hunger at your words. 

 Armitage grasped your thighs and parted your legs further, rolling his hips so that you could feel how hard he was. You ground against him in return, growing more wet as the friction increased. Armitage kissed the corner of your mouth before tackling your neck with tongue and teeth. He nibbled downwards until he reached your collarbone, the opposite side from what Kylo had previously touched. He did not react to any marks that had been left. That served to arouse you further, to increase the level of comfort you had with him.

 His nose skimmed your flesh, his hot breath hitting the area he had just bitten. You closed your eyes to melt into the sensations of his touch. Meanwhile, you busied your hands with opening the front of his pants as well as your own. Armitage was skilled, that tongue undulating salaciously. He groped you through your bra again, shifting his hands around your back to undo its clasp. He cupped your breasts in either of his hands, kneading them and toying with your hardening nipples in alteration. His mouth moved with yours, your tongues dancing together in time with each roll of his wrist, with every thrust the two of you made against one another. His hard cock pushed against you through the confines of your clothing.

 You raked your hands up through Armitage’s hair, disheveling it, marveling how soft it felt. He shuddered under your ministrations. Armitage pushed you onto your back and climbed atop you. His hands were busy, in constant motion as he stripped you down to your socks, which you worked off and kicked away. He once more kissed a trail downwards, though this time he went further, taking a bared breast into his mouth. He cupped its twin, kneading and sucking at you. Your toes curled, and you rolled your hips, arching up off the couch so that you could reangle yourself to feel him against you. Armitage shifted a thigh against you instead, and you ground down. He pushed at your hips, and you whimpered, baring your teeth though you obeyed the silent command.

 It was worth it; he shoved down his pants, finished stripping, and you felt his naked thigh against your cunt. You rocked back and forth, toying with his hair again and biting your bottom lip to stifle a groan of pleasure with how he teased you. He moved his other thigh between your legs, spreading you open and again crashing his pelvis into yours, rocking against you. His movements and yours brought his cock between your folders. You groaned at the feel of him, at how the head of his erection brushed your clit with each thrust. Armitage rolled his hips again, more desperately, more hungrily. You swore, bucking up to meet his thrusts and entangling a hand in his hair to bring him down for another kiss.

 You trailed your fingers down his chest and over his abdomen, feeling the muscles twitch in response. Armitage lined himself up with you, rolling his hips more slowly so that you could feel him sink into you inch by inch. You curled your toes, your eyelids fluttering as you moaned and trembled. His first thrusts were shallow, allowing you to adjust to the size of him. He was thick, stretching you wide.

 Armitage reached behind you with one hand to grip the armrest of the couch. He cupped your chin with the other, tilting your head back and peering directly into your eyes. He kissed you, his desire spiking, his hips moving quicker. You reangled yourself so that he brushed against your clit with his thrusts, reaching down and toying with yourself as well.

 He knew where to pet at you, what parts of your skin to touch so that electrifying pleasure traveled throughout your body. You clenched around him, growing more wet and closer to orgasm. To prolong your pleasure, you moved your hand away from yourself to instead ghost your fingertips up his abdomen to his chest. You circled a nipple, and he mirrored your actions. You swore again, shuddering as the dam built and built until you were pushed over the edge.

 Armitage continued to move within you, fucking you through your orgasm, teasing your sensitive flesh and turning you into an incoherent mess. You sighed into his mouth as he kissed you, pounding his hips faster as he chased his own release. You wrapped your arms around him, felt his chest against yours. Your walls clenched and unclenched around him, your vaginal walls pulsing as he continued to move. His thrusts became more shallow. His tongue mirroring those movements.

 He broke the kiss as he came, his cum filling you with each subsequent thrust. Armitage whispered what sounded like your name and you stroked your hands through his hair, felt those soft tufts while staring into his eyes. He did not stop moving until the both of you finished, his hips coming to a gradual halt. He pulled out of you, backing away to give you room to rise, though you nestled against him on the couch almost immediately.

 “How are you liking the arrangement? I hope it hasn’t added any stress.”

 You appreciated his concern. “I did worry for a little while. I think that we are finding a nice groove, and neither of you are making this awkward. I feel wanted, respected.” It was the latter that filled you with so much warmth. You cuddled even closer to him. “I am looking forward to sleeping together in your bed.” You looked to Millicent, who began to pad over to the two of you. “All three of us, of course.”

 “Of course,” he said with a chuckle as Millicent hopped onto his lap and stretched out.

[ellielstories]

SW Fic - “Distractions”

In honor of the 100th Scoundress Saturday, one final (old) prompt fill! Thank you @otterandterrier for creating such a fabulous celebration of Han and Leia!

SW/HanLeia/PostROTJ/Vignette/PG13 Prompt: Han’s solution to a boring meeting

*

General Han Solo leaned back in his chair and casually surveyed the other beings seated at the conference table. Most of them seemed to be totally focused on whatever the fresh hells Dodonna was rambling about now. Probably not facial hair regulations.

Though that did give him an idea.

Trying his best to look like he was making very important notes, he tapped around on his datapad, until he found the perfect image of a wampa. He glanced around the table, sizing up the targets. Leia looked attentive and involved, which he’d have to do something about in a minute. Wedge would probably laugh, but not really get it. Then his eye came to rest on Luke.

Perfect.

A few more taps on the datapad and he drop-linked the image directly to Luke’s own datapad. It must have been set to silent, but he saw the screen flash brightly as the image appeared.

That was the great part of the drop-link — it popped right up, with no help from the datapad owner. Suddenly he regretted not selecting a video. Though if Luke’s pained smirk across the table was anything to go by, mission accomplished. Luke coughed, trying to disguise a laugh, while glaring at Han. He only gave him an innocently blank stare in return.

“...and what do you think on the red versus green issue, General Solo?”

He froze, with the distinct feeling he should have been at least half listening. When there was no imminent threat of death, it was easier to forget to pay attention during these meetings. “Well,” he drawled, trying to buy time while studying Leia’s face. Surely she’d help him out—but no, only a quirked brow. Damn.

“Red tends to be more visible.” That seemed a reasonable and practical point to make, and he gave a little nod.

Dodonna did too, so it must have been at least vaguely correct, as he heard the Defense Chief go on, “As the General agrees, the red would be much more visible…”

He took a breath in relief, not caring what he’d just agreed to, and promptly zoned back out. Picking color schemes was not his area of interest or expertise. He wasn’t even sure why he was in this meeting. There seemed to be a lot of brass here for a meeting about colors.

Venturing another look at Leia, he watched one brow raise at him questioningly. There were so many ways to answer her. He tapped his datapad awake again, and saw that Luke was no longer available for drop-link and smirked a little. Leia still was though. He debated between sending her something that way, or via message.

Starting small seemed the way to go, lure her in with something simple then engage her. Leia was all about strategy. He pulled up an image of one of the mountain lakes they’d visited on Naboo a few months ago, and drop-linked it to her.

When the image flashed up on her datapad, she eyed him warily before looking down at it. But then she smiled, a mild smile she didn’t bother trying to hide in the midst of the meeting, and he knew he’d made the right choice. He noticed his messenger box pop up almost immediately.

L: That was such a nice trip. Wish we were there now.

Oh yes, he could work with that. He gave her a little wink, and proceeded to carefully compose his response.

H: Me too. Remember sitting out on the deck at sunset?

He was certain she did, and just as certain she remembered how little sitting had been involved.

She frowned at the message, but her cheeks grew just a bit pink. Then she looked down and furiously typed out a message.

L: Sunsets there were very dramatic.

Leia’s face was neutral, and focused back on Dodonna, when he looked up from reading.

H: We’ve got a balcony here. Could recapture a little of that drama later.

This time she did actually glare at him after reading his message.

L: Our balcony is directly under Mon’s, and overlooks busy travel lanes.

H: It’ll be dark til this meeting is over. And if you’re less dramatic, Mon will never know.

He heard her muffle her reaction with a cough.

L: I’m not the one who actually echoed across the lake.

H: I’m not the one worried about being overheard.

Across the table, Leia tapped a stylus on her datapad, giving him a sharp look, before turning back to whatever the matter at hand was.

“Are we being too speciest in our color selection though? What about those beings more sensitive to the infrared spectrum?” He heard her voice, understood the words, and had no clue what they could be talking about. Were they repainting the whole fleet? Red? Or green?

Then his datapad flickered again.

L: You promise to keep quiet, maybe I’ll consider it.

He blinked, then cast a cautious glance around the room. Everyone else still seemed involved in this debate, not paying any mind to him.

H: Maybe? I can be real quiet.

She actually winked at him from across the table.

L: You’ve never been able to keep quiet when I use my tongue.

Was this a challenge? Two could play at this game. And potentially both win, in his estimation.

H: Neither have you. Challenge accepted?

At the head of the table, Dodonna tapped a knuckle on the heavy wood. “That brings all time for discussion to a close. Show of hands please, those in favor of retaining hangar markings in green? Four, four it is. Refreshing to red markings? Seven, seven, excellent.”

With a frown, he realized he’d spent the better part of his afternoon in a meeting about the hargar directional markers everyone ignored anyway.

L: I’ll see you on the balcony at 2130.

Maybe the meeting hadn’t been a complete waste of his time.

*

[gorthol-mormegil]

All Quiet

Liara T'Soni has the occasional bad habit surface from time to time. Shepard can't believe how much has changed.

Her right arm itched.

Nothing bad for now, but it was the sort of thing which wouldve made her tear it down to basic circuts and replace it just thirty years ago. Cass sighed, scratching the prosthetic's skin with her hand she felt out the empty spot on the opposite side of the bed.

>Dammit.

Yawning, she sat up and stretched her back. Liara had probably fallen asleep on either a couch somewhere or the chair in her office instead of taking the time to get back to their bedroom. Of course, she had fallen asleep in the kitchen trying to make a sandwich at 1:50 before. Damn her ability to sleep almost anywhere. Smiling at the occansional absurdity of her wife's bad habits, Cass rose out of bed and waited for the brief adjustment of her eyes to the near pitch blackness of the room.

Padding out of the bedroom towards the main cluster of front rooms the itch continues. It's exactly six centimeters down from the elbow, indicating one of the three muscular attactment points there had, somehow, drifted slightly out of true to the others. The fault's impact was negligble to the overall strength of the assembly, but it happening could either mean a gradual failure of all three anchors or that she had strained it while doing housework today. Which was annoyingly common.

Stopping at a juncture she cracked her knuckles, reorrientating herself in the dark. The former guest house was, in Cass' opinion, excessive in the labrinthian turnings it took to mold to the hill it was built on; especially if you had to track down a single asari in the middle of the night. Taking the lefthand route, she yawns and shakes her head at the lateness of the hour. Liara had always been a workaholic, although Cass counts it as a minor victory that she is probably asleep somewhere instead of working for the nineteenth hour straight.

Stopping by a door, Cass blends into the dark with the ease of old habit. No breathing, no movement; just listening. After a minute she hears a small cough and a rustling of sheets as an unseen sleeper turns over. Nodding once as her head slouches, Cass touches the door before continuing on.

<i>Safe.</i>

Counting steps to try and decompress the knot in her shoulders, Cass lets out the breath that she had been holding. There would be no rest for someone who violated that simple state again. Not while she had a breath in her body. Lalaitha was safe, Liara was... misplaced.

Coming up to another fork she looks out on the night-shaded grounds, gazing at the sway of the peach trees and realizes she can't readily recall the last time she did a complete teardown of her arm. Seventeen years, she decides, and maybe in a couple of months or years it would be finally time for a total upgrade to rid it of touchy components like this anchor. That had been on the back of her mind for a while but had been pushed back by how unneccecary it felt nowadays. Yes there are noteable improvements each iteration, but how the hell would an extra .25 millisecond reaction time help her at all? It's suprisingly freeing to Cass that her first instinct is now to not start drafting inprovements immediately.

Passing into the rear common room her ears perk for any sound that is out of the ordinary for a house this size. A full thirty seconds of that attentiveness pass before she begins circling the couches, alert for any odd lumps of blankets or pillows that had materialized simce the evening.

<i>Nothing. She's probably in her office.</i>

Stopping her scratching to run a thumb along the thin join scar at her elbow, Cass yawns again. Of course, she could focus on longevity and comfort this time around. Make one with a hundred and fifty year lifecycle and cut down on her pain medication requirements in a single stroke. True, it would mean an overall loss in function or undue stress on it as she probably would try to unconsiously sustain the previous level of activity, but those weren't insurmountable issues. In fact it seems like the sort of thing Liara would be over the moon about.

Forging toward the pair of offices nestled together, Cass felt a weight lift from her shoulders with each step. She had missed planning upgrades like this. Removal of muscle groups 3a and 7c could result in ghe desired outcome themselves but....

<i>It's too late at noght to think about a teardown.</i>

The thought stops Cass in her tracks. It really was too late, during the war she had abused her elevated phiosiology to sleep for as little as three hours a night while she pushed herself beyond what was safe. That type of work ethic was needed then but now her only task should be making sure Liara didn't wake up with a pen stuck in her crest and a crick in the neck. Not how she can improve the very slight itch the join had. That is the only thing on her mind as she walks up to the closed door of her bomdmate's study.

That and the combination.

<i> Laith's bithday reversed. My favorite drink. Our first kiss according to the Prothean imperial calender. Exact minute of...</i>

Thirty seconds later the door light turns green, permitting entry into what is most likely one of the more sensitive areas on Thessia; perhaps even the galaxy. Stepping through the door, Liara's sleeping form iluminated by the holos, Cass can't help but smile. This quiet form was what the universe turned around. Here was someone so awesome, so strong and so beautiful that all jewels, supernovae and garden worlds in the Milky Way could not hope to hold a reflection of her.

And she had a stylus wedged in her crest.

Gliding to Liara's side Cass' breath hitches as Liara slightly readjusts her head.

"Hey Blue Sky," Cass says as she gently shakes Liara's shoulder, "you fell asleep at your desk."

Liara moans and leans into the hand, not willing to give up sleep. Jane's smile grows wider as her free hand gently plucks the wayward stylus out of her crest amd puts it back on the table. Bending down to eye level she shakes Liara's shoulder once more.

"Your neck will thank you for sleeping on a pillow Blue. And you don't have to walk if you don't want to."

Liara's stirs at the continued nudging amd sleepily stetches her back in repsonse. Opening her eyes slowly she smiles at the face lit by her screensaver, "Cassidy?"

"Hi honey," Cass breathes as her heart melts, "How are you feeling?"

"Better if I'm carried."

Liara yawns after those words, obvisously still entrenched in her dreams. Cass nods and after a well practiced pull of the chair and scoop straitens up with her heart in her arms. Liara folds an arm around her neck automatically, purring softly at the steady rise amd fall of Cass breath. All is right as she heads towards the bedroom.

"Is your leg bothering you?"

Liara's only response is a grunt into her shoulder and a squeeze on the neck. Cass sighs in sympathy at that, Liara's nervous system has taken years to heal and recently...

"You should sleep in more love. I'll make fried pinthya for you and tell Glyph about urgent business you had to take care of."

"Cass..."

The small protest dies unspoken, the bribe too tempting in the wee hours of the night. The purring grows as she walks, a constant hum that pleases Jane to the bone. This is what all those long hours were for. A near silent thrum. A heartbeat that unconisouslly syncs to her own everytime they touch.

Liara stops her with a murmured word outside their daughter's room, unhooking herself slightly she cocks her head to listen. A moment, then Liara's head drops back to Cass' shoulder. She asks for a meld woth a gentle squeeze and a small mental nudge.

<i>You made sure?</i>

<i>She's safe.</i>

Waves of peace permeate the clouds of drowiness, all is safe. Carrying on Cass kisses Liara's forehead as a small snore breaks through the purring. Liara has, admittidly, gotten better than Cass about long hours spent in office, but the past few nights she has started slipping into old patterns. Humming slightly she stops midstride; Noveria.

Liara's reaction to the day always varied, some years it would creep up nearly forgotten with a small twinge and other years it would consume everything in a dark cloud. Work was a balm in those times, something that she could throw herself into to drown out the world roaring at them. It was all too easy to fall into that trap. 

Nudging open the door to their room Cass hums louder as her feet whisper across the carpet. Somethimg old, quiet to fit the all-encompassing quiet this time of night has no matter what planet and no matter who was there. Unconsiously picking up the words in the back of her throat Cass reaches Liara's side of the bed with seven long, easy, steps.

"...There waits my love, a-sleeping..."

Liara stirs slightly as she's covered, stretching to the space given. That look of dozy contentment makes Cass run a knuckle down the side of Liara's face as the rest of the tune peters out into long breaths. Tommorow she'll order the bottle of wine that became a mourning ritual before either of them ever entertained anything more than being simple colleagues hunting down haunting visions, rogue agents and estranged family. But for now the order of the night is catching Liara up on her medication so her off-day doesn't start with a splitting headache.

"Blue?"

"Mmp, yes?"

"You'll need something to tide you over until breakfast."

"Ynph."

Retrieving the hypo from the nightstand drawer Cass turns towards the bed to see two blue eyes and a smile beaming back at her. Voice caught she returns the smile. She was still lost in them. All is right in the universe.

"I love you."

It is felt more than heard, long years eating away the need for pure vocal communication to points where silence is loud between them. Settling in alongside Liara Cass yawns, content.

Notes: The song Shepard's singing is a legit song from a tv show. Props to anyone who knows what song it is.

[wacomindiaestore]

How to choose the Right graphic tablet?

While every Graphic tablet may have comparable benefits, not all tablets are created equal — so which tablet is best for drawing & art?

The cost of a Graphic tablet can vary greatly — flat tablets (no screen) will be much cheaper than those with a display.

Additionally, some of them are more precise and with a larger drawing area, while others are small and basic in specs.

So the first choice you need to make is to decide whether you want a simple graphic tablet (without screen) or a pen display (with the screen) or a tablet computer.





Once you’ve made this decision, then the next step would be to focus on key features and functionalities you’re looking for.

There are various things you need to keep in mind as a graphic designer when buying your first graphic tablet, but the key ones are:

Active area

Pressure sensitivity

Resolution

Hotkeys

Stylus

Scrollers

Connection

Now, let’s shortly discuss these things one by one.

1. Active Area

A smart move is to think about the screen size prior to purchasing your graphic tablet.

Some of the fore mentioned graphic tablets come in multiple sizes, while others don’t.

So make sure you choose the size that best fits your needs because the last thing you’d want to happen is to end up with disappointment.

2. Pressure Sensitivity

Everyone has a different drawing or illustration style, so depending on yours, you may want to choose a graphic tablet with an ultra-sensitive and responsive surface.

Pressure levels on graphic tablets start at about 300 levels of pressure and go up to around 3000.

The optimal pressure level to look for on a graphic tablet is around the 1,000 range.

3. Resolution

Picking a graphic tablet with a high LPI would be better for you if you work in a sector where you need to produce very high-resolution images or sharp graphics.

Think about LPI(Lines Per Inch) the same way people think of the resolution of 4K seen on TVs and computer monitors.

4. Hotkeys

It’s becoming more and more popular to see Graphic tablets that come with HotKeys built right into is (also known as shortcut keys).

These extra keys that are usually on the side are designed to help you save time and streamline your work process.

Instead of manually switching between tabs, apps, or simply selecting brushes in Photoshop hotkeys will help you save a lot of time.

5. Stylus

Stylus (pen) comes in two forms: battery-operated (AES) and electromagnetic resonance (EMR), but they’re both designed to mimic the feel of pen on paper.

EMR styluses can quickly discern between pen and touch inputs, and this makes for a very smooth pen experience.

AES styluses have significant performance advantages over EMR, though require some getting used to and compensation.

6. Scrollers

Moving around the screen on your graphic tablet using a stylus can be inefficient especially if you work on large artwork using a small graphic tablet.

Thankfully, many graphic tablets have a scroller built into it, so that you can zoom in and out, and move around your artwork quickly.

7. Connection

Graphic Tablets come in two forms of connection: regular corder one, and wireless Bluetooth connection.

While a wired graphic tablet won’t present any connectivity issues and will be cheaper, it might be frustrating always having to connect the cables.

Wireless graphic tablets, on the other hand, will give you the freedom of movement that a corded one definitely won’t.

However, I have reviewed them all, so whether you are a beginner or a pro — I hope you’ll find something interesting.

[patrickcharlton-oshea-author]

Death Becomes Him: An Age of Steam and Sorcery novel

Chapter Three:

“Peter, time to get up! You'll miss your bus!”

Peter sat up and rubbed his eyes. Through the starburst that always came from pressing on your eyeballs too hard he could just see an error message: You have been logged out – idle for two hours.

“So that's what happens when you fall asleep in a game,” he muttered. Still, for as little sleep as he'd gotten it had been the most restful he'd had in a while. He resolved to log back in as soon as he got back home. Provided he survived the next eight hours.

Blearily he clambered out of bed and began pulling on his clothes. The school uniform wasn't particularly onerous. No tie and blazer here, just shorts and a collared t-shirt. Socks and runners completed the ensemble. He stopped to check himself in the mirrored door of the cupboard.  Hat, shirt, pants, socks, shoes. Check.

Down the hall echoed the sounds of breakfast preparation. Following them more from instinct than intent, Peter slumped into a chair at the table. His mother placed a bowl of cereal in front of him with a spoon in it.

“The most important meal of the day,” she said in a tone that sounded too happy to be real. “Now eat up, you've got ten minutes to be down at the stop. Your lunch is in your bag, which is by the door.”

Peter winced at the forced joviality in his mother's voice. He winced even harder when he bit into a spoonful of cereal. Granted that it was full of protein, carbohydrates and vitamins, but over the years legislators had contrived to force breakfast cereal companies to convert their product from something sugar filled and delicious into something with less taste and more texture than the cardboard box it came in. He chewed and swallowed as fast as he dared without losing a tooth.

As soon as he'd eaten as little as he could get away with he hopped up and poured the rest down the in-sink-blender-thing. He'd never caught the name of it, his parents just called it a “muncher”. Popping the bowl on the small pile of like crockery he hugged his mum and dashed out the door. A second later he dashed back in the door, grabbed his backpack and dashed out again. Seeing that it was on its way down already, rather than wait for the lift he pounded down a couple of flights of stairs to catch up, and took a moment to catch his breath as it descended the rest of the way. At the bottom he didn’t wait until the doors were fully open before dashing out through the lobby and over to the bus stop.

Just as he arrived, so too did the bus, arriving with a soft purr of electric motors. The doors swung inwards to allow him and the two other people who'd already been waiting to get on. Peter made his unsteady way to about the middle of the vehicle as it pulled away from the curb. The algorithm in control of the bus wasn't going to wait until he'd sat down and even accelerated harder as he swung into the seat, nearly pitching him headfirst into the lap of the boy in the window seat.

Peter gave him an apologetic grimace as he muttered “stupid machines”. The boy returned the grimace then proceeded to stare fixedly out the window. The rest of the blessedly short trip was spent in awkward silence.

The bus glided up to the stop outside the school and the doors opened with a slight hiss. The students shouldered and jostled to be the first off, as they had since time immemorial. As soon as their feet hit the pavement they fanned out into their cliques. The sporty ones ran inside, a football appearing as if by magic. The cool kids slouched along the fence, carefully cultivated indifference on their faces. The smarter crew babbled as they made their way into the grounds as they discussed topics from chess to chemistry to music. Peter ducked across the aisle to an empty seat to let his unwilling seatmate join them. He was happy to be last off.

Standing at the gate to the schoolyard Peter took a deep breath. “Best get it over with,” he mused. He began making his way through the school, the wide spaced buildings joined by covered walkways that thronged with students preparing for the day in their own way. Peter stepped around the groups, sometimes taking to the grass beside the walkways when there were too many people blocking the path. He arrived at the sheltered area where his class's lockers were. Every student was issued a locker and a combination lock that you were allowed to customise. Peter had gone with a classic: 36 left, 24 right, 36 left. He'd taken it from an old animated TV show he'd watched with his grandad when he was still alive. He still didn't know why Grandad had found it so funny, but that little yellow kid's locker combo had stuck in his mind.

Peter opened his locker door and dropped his bag into the bottom. Unzipping it, he began extracting his sports clothes, lunchbox and the tablet PC he was supposed to have used for homework last night instead of surfing the web and playing games. Games. His mind drifted back to the serenity of the garden he'd fallen asleep in. How photorealistic the textures had been. The gentle breeze and, now that he thought about it, the faint strains of background music. It all lived up to its name, it truly was a Garden of Tranquillity. Peter's arms dropped to his sides and his eyes closed as he recalled the scene.

CLANG! A big, meaty hand slammed Peter's locker closed, making him jump. Peter glared into the small piggish eyes of Billy Tomlinson. Or, as nobody ever called him to his face, Bully Tomlinson. Kid's insults aren't particularly inspired, but at least they're on point. Billy was the menace of Peter's grade. He'd managed to fail so comprehensively he'd been held back three times. He was head and shoulders taller than the next closest kid, and built like a brick outhouse. He was small minded and petty, but to balance that he had a very large opinion of himself. And right now his attention was on Peter.

“Scar-boy. Wha' choo doin'?” Billy had no volume control. His voice rebounded off the walls in the semi-enclosed space and drew all eyes. Billy rapped his knuckles on the now closed locker door. “Ah axed you a question, Scar-boy. Wha' choo doin' standin' dere lookin' at'cha locker for? You'se in me way.”

If the ground could have opened up and swallowed Peter right now he would have welcomed it. He kept his eyes averted and made no sudden moves. “Mjustgettingmystuff,” he mumbled. “SorryI'llgetoutofyourway.”

Billy placed one oversized paw in the centre of Peter's chest and thrust. Peter fell on his ass and slid across the concrete floor to fetch up against the lockers on the opposite wall. “Stay outta me way or you'se gonna get 'nother scar.” And with that Billy stomped off to fail another class.

Peter clambered up off the floor and quickly gathered his wits and belongings. Homeroom started soon and he couldn't miss the roll call. He waited until Billy was well out of sight though – best not to tempt fate.  Peter thanked his lucky stars that monster wasn't in any of his classes.

A few minutes later Peter was dropping himself into a plastic chair just as the bell began to ring. He slid his bag under the desk and waited for the homeroom teacher to arrive. He wished that he could access the internet while he waited, but schools were geo-locked to educational sites only. All he could see in his icon area was the school's crest that indicated that any net searches had to go through their portal. He doubted the Age's wiki was on their whitelist. He made do with taking some notes on things to check once he was unrestricted again.

He took his stylus out of his bag and tapped it on the desk. A note pad appeared in his vision and an overlay changed the grey cylinder of the stylus to a vibrant green fountain pen. It was an expensive skin for the device that his grandad had bought him for his last birthday before his grandad passed away. Peter made sure to use it every chance he got and even practiced his penmanship in Grandad's memory.

In virtually perfect copperplate he jotted down a short list of things to research, like skills and how they're acquired, item durability – since he'd already managed to tear his shirt and didn't want to wander about naked, and how to learn magic. After a moment he added crafting and materials. If his stuff was going to break, it might be a good idea to know how to make new gear.

He was just sitting back admiring his handiwork when the teacher logged in. Whilst it had been deemed that children benefited greatly from the group learning environment, a number of high profile court cases and the universal availability of the implant meant that it was better for all that the teachers were only present digitally. They were still able to present their classes normally, and were actually able to give any struggling students the attention they needed and teach the rest of the class simultaneously. Not to mention it meant that teachers could work from home and didn't have to deal with irate parents when their precious snowflake received a poor mark on a test.

The class greeted their homeroom teacher with a chorus of “good morning teacher” with varying levels of enthusiasm. Mr Wadsworth was a fairly decent teacher who taught woodworking and metal shop during the day. Peter was scheduled for that class just after lunch. After homeroom he had a double Maths and single English.

“Good morning class. I hope everyone had a fun weekend?”

The class responded with a round of “yeses”, “nos” and one whoop from John at the back of the room. Clearly he'd had an excellent weekend. Peter was instantly jealous.

As Mr Wadsworth began taking attendance Peter tapped the disk icon at the top of the notepad, saving the page for later. He dropped the stylus back into his bag and raised his hand as his name was called.

“Here,” he called out. The average response. The more studious, or brown-nosed, called out “present”. The cool kids, or at least those who thought they were cool, responded with “yup” or “yes”. It wasn't a large class, only about eighteen in all, and was soon done.

“Righto, off you go,” Mr Wadsworth said as he stood up. “I'll see some of you this afternoon, the rest of you have a nice day.” He stepped towards the door and disappeared in a puff of virtual wood shavings. It wasn't the usual disconnect animation, but he'd been teaching for a long time and earned a few concessions.

Peter grabbed his bag from under the desk and joined the flow out the door. The stream of students merged into the faster moving current of bodies on the path outside as he navigated his way to the Maths classrooms.

His journey took him past the school library, which made him smile. It's very existence was something of an anachronism, there being very little need for books anymore. Still, there were some kept here, as well as the traditional quiet research cubicles and group study tables. The space that once held shelf after shelf of hardcopy had been given over to lounges, beanbags and thick rugs with cushions. During lunch times this was his haven where he could read or study without being bothered. Billy and his ilk never entered these hallowed grounds.

The ever moving tide dragged him onwards to wash up on the shores of the Maths building. It was a two story antique, said to be the oldest on the grounds. Peeling white paint flecked the outer walls and a row of port racks sat opposite the classrooms themselves, waiting to accept the bags of the students. Inside, it had been modernised, eDesks and a holoprojector retrofitted into the aging infrastructure.

Slipping the tablet out of its sleeve in the bag, Peter slung the bag into the rack, then cursed himself and opened the bag and pulled out his stylus. Re-zipping the bag he turned and went inside to find a desk. He stopped at the first unoccupied seat and slid the tablet into the slot at the top end of the desk. The screen lit up and he slumped into the chair as the tablet synced with the classroom. It sometimes took a while for them to connect as the cases were bulky and hardened and didn't always sit neatly in their slot. They were also heavily encrypted. Obviously the school knew that students would love nothing more than to hack the devices and give themselves perfect marks, which was the primary reason they used them to record the students responses and progress instead of relying on the student's implant.

His tablet had only just finished its routine when Mr Luck pixelated into view. He didn't even offer any pleasantries and instead launched into a recap of everything they'd learned last week. Perfect. Peter let the educator's droning voice fade out as he called up a book he'd saved to the notepad and started reading. It wasn't uncommon for Mr Luck to spend the entire double saying the same thing multiple different ways. In part, it was his idiom. In part, it was because you needed to rotate some concepts through multiple axes to fit them inside the head of the more obtuse of his classmates. Either way, he had plenty of time to kill and his head was already starting to ache from lack of sleep.

He wasn't sure if he'd dozed or just been focussed on his book, but before he knew it the bell was ringing for the end of the class. Peter thumbed through the list of stuff on the tablet for the educating that had occurred around him. He was confident that he'd missed nothing and could knock over the questions at home. Tugging the tablet out of the slot he once more joined the flow of students out the door.

Once out the door, and having snagged his bag and dropped the tablet into it, he had to force his way opposed to the flow to get to his English class. It was held in a newer building up a slight rise which gave it a commanding view of the grounds. It boasted an outdoor area for dramatic curricula, and an indoor classroom that resembled a miniature amphitheatre. Mrs Easton, his teacher, knew how to extract the most from the facilities with such a voice and presence that it had been halfway through the first term before one of the other students had paused in the middle of an oral exam to exclaim “Mrs Easton, you're short!”

Indeed, now that Peter looked at her avatar as it pixelated in, she was just barely taller than the desk. Such was her command of the language it had taken weeks to realise this. Her passion was infectious; many who had never read a book in their life before starting her class were now devouring novels in their spare time. Ok, maybe not novels. See Spot Run might be a classic, but it's no Treasure Island or Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Still, it's a start.

This week they were reading and acting out parts from an Australian play called And the Big Men Fly. It didn't particularly interest Peter; he'd never liked football of any kind let alone an obscure style like the one this play was about. It’s one saving grace was that it wasn't primarily about the game itself but about the lies people tell to convince others to do their bidding and how those lies come back to us, not unlike the Australian boomerang to an untrained thrower.

It was impossible to sleep in Mrs Easton's class, and Peter spent most of his time reading the play instead of his book. He was actually sad when the bell rang for lunch.

Peter pulled his bag from the rack outside the class and jogged across the grass to where his locker resided. He scanned the crowd for danger and found it clear. Good. He quickly unlocked his locker and pulled out the lunchbox. After the disappointing breakfast he was feeling quite peckish, and so pulled the lid off the lunchbox in a hurry. Out fell two sandwiches, tomato and cheese and cucumber and lettuce, judging by the look of them. Suddenly not so hungry Peter dropped the offending “food” into a nearby trash can. He knew his mother was just trying to give him a healthy meal, but why did healthy have to taste like ass? Sod it. He could raid the cupboard when he got home.

Still wrapped up in his irritation, Peter slammed the door of his locker, jammed the lock together, turned and marched straight into a wall of meat. For the second time today Peter ended up on his butt staring up at Billy Tomlinson. Billy's face was rapidly turning red as what had just occurred filtered into his consciousness.

“So Scar-boy, you'se wanna go?” Billy slammed his palms into his chest in the age old gesture of manliness. “You'se tink you da king now?”

Peter scrambled off the floor, seeing red. “Shut it Bully. Just because your mum changed her name to some boy-band reject doesn't make you a rock star.” A niggling thought at the back of Peter's head raised the possibility that this was not the best course of action. It was swiftly drowned out by the rising ire. “The only reason you're still allowed to go to this school is because she's sleeping with the treasurer. Not even the principle. The. Treasurer.” Peter paused and blinked, suddenly unsure as to where to go from here.

Billy provided the answer. Peter's vision exploded into stars. The last thing he heard before darkness enveloped him was “You shoulda left me mam outta this. Scar-boy.”

[droneseco]

XP-Pen Deco Mini 7 Wireless Graphic Tablet Review: Embrace Portability, Create Anywhere

XP-Pen Deco Mini 7 Wireless

9.00 / 10

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See on amazon

For those on the go, the XP-Pen's Deco Mini 7W helps you get to work and implement your creativity in almost every scenario. With its compact size and wireless connectivity available at a budget price, there's no need to worry about budget or workspace. If you aren't after a full-featured at-home set-up and want accessibility foremost, the Deco Mini7W is worth your consideration.

Key Features

Up to 8,192 pressure sensitivity levels

Battery-free stylus supports up to 60 degrees of tilt

2.4 GHz wireless connectivity

8 customizable shortcut keys

Specifications

Brand: XP-Pen

Active Area: 7" x 4.37"

Multi-Touch Support: Not touch sensitive

Pressure Sensitivity Levels: 8192

Connection: USB

Pros

Good range of pressure sensitivity levels

Wireless receiver

Compact size

Wide array of system and software support

Cons

Screenless

Small active work area won't appeal to all

Buy This Product

XP-Pen Deco Mini 7 Wireless amazon

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The XP-Pen Deco Mini7W (or Deco Mini 7 Wireless) doesn't challenge your definition of a drawing tablet with a pen. Instead, it takes what's most desirable, cuts the excess, and delivers it all in a travel-friendly package.

Regardless of your skill level with graphic tablets, the Deco Mini7W focuses on accessibility while integrating its use across different software, platforms, and uses.

XP-Pen Deco Mini7W Design and Specifications

After peeling off the initial plastic, you'll notice the Deco Mini7W keeps things minimalistic. With a black matte finish that utilizes white for contrast, eight lightly raised shortcut key buttons, and four directionals to symbolize the drawing area, it provides an easy functional read. At the base of the tablet are four rubber feet to keep it in place.

XP-Pen's Deco Mini7 measures out at 10.24 x 6.38 x 0.36 inches while providing an active work area of 7 x 4.37 inches. Thanks to its small footprint, it's very easy to stash the drawing tablet in a bag, backpack, or large pocket of your choice. With it also weighing just under a pound, you'll hardly notice it's there.

If you're a fan of the XP-Pen Deco 01 v2, sadly the light-up drawing area with adjustable brightness didn't make the cut. However, even in more dim lighting, this wasn't much of a factor.

As one might guess by the name, the major selling point of the Deco Mini 7W is its 2.4 GHz wireless connectivity via a USB wireless receiver. For charging or for a wired connection, a USB to USB-C cable is included, but the 1000 mAh battery with its ≥ 10 hours of operation and two-hour charge time keeps this to a minimum. This means more time spent working with the Deco Mini7W wherever you want.

Included alongside the graphic tablet is the P05D battery-free stylus. This stylus supports up to 60 degrees of tilt and up to 8,192 pressure sensitivity levels. For those planning to extensively use the stylus, ten extra nibs are included with a pen clipper tool to remove any worn down nib as necessary.

Checking Your Compatibility and Connectivity

As for the Deco Mini 7W’s compatibility, XP-Pen has done a good job making sure it works on just about everything with the right connector. On top of the USB to USB-C cable and wireless receiver, XP-Pen has also included a USB to USB-C adapter and USB to Micro-USB adapter. Before plugging in, however, it's advisable to update your drivers for Windows and macOS.

However, even with all the right prep work, there are some nuances to keep in mind regarding your platform of choice. On Windows, you’ll want to disable Windows Ink by unchecking its box under the PenTablet app. Should you need to use Windows Ink, it's easy to re-enable, but you can otherwise quickly mitigate any cursor issues that result from it being active.

On macOS, XP-Pen needs certain access permissions to function fully. Overall, this was the most complex set-up process; XP-Pen outright alerts you of what's needed when you go to download the driver. Thankfully, there's an included PDF with the driver and an official YouTube video for anyone needing some extra help getting everything smoothed out.

In the case of Android, XP-Pen notes that some devices aren’t supported. My Samsung Galaxy S7 isn’t considered a fully supported device, but I was able to draw and use assorted drawing apps despite this note. Most of these are Samsung-based devices, so it's helpful to check XP-Pen's FAQ before considering a purchase.

If you’re using a Chromebook, the deco Mini7W does support ChromeOS; you need to make sure you have it updated to the appropriate version as noted by XP-Pen. For now, that means you need to update to Chrome OS 88.0.4324.109 or above.

Getting Started With the XP-Pen Deco Mini7W

Once you've figured out what platform you're going to be using, it boils down to a question of what software to use and your operational preferences.

When it comes to software, XP-Pen makes sure their graphic tablets works across an expansive array of popular applications like Photoshop, SAI, ZBrush, Maya, Clip Studio, and many more. However, if you're just starting out or want to try something new, XP-Pen does offer free software depending on what you purchase from them.

With the Deco Mini7W, I was given the option to choose either ArtRage and OpenCanvas for digital art. For those interested in e-learning or digital whiteboards, a three-month individual plan subscription was also offered for Explain Everything. Activating the software requires an XP-Pen account, entering your tablet's serial number, and following the instructions to redeem your activation code.

Once you have your software of choice, you'll want to poke around in PenTablet to set your work area, pen settings, and express keys.

For your work area, you can set your screen area or tablet area to either the full coverage or your preferred range. For those that prefer to draw on their tablet in a certain position, you're able to adjust its rotation settings between 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°.

For both the P05D stylus and the Deco Mini7W's shortcut keys, you can change from the suggested defaults to either mouse controls, quick application launches, or custom keyboard inputs. These pen and key settings can also be set to work only for certain programs, so you don't have to change them between projects.

Prior to use, you can also manually adjust the pressure sensitivity of your pen under pen settings. While it ranges between soft and hard, the differences didn't feel too noticeable. In the interest of keeping it most balanced for my hand during testing, I opted to stay with the defaults.

Ways to Utilize the Deco Mini 7W

How can you use this drawing tablet?

While digital drawing comes to mind usually, graphic tablets fulfill numerous niche purposes whether it's remote learning, workplace note-taking, digital signatures, or even gaming. All of these capitalize on the precision of the Deco Mini7W and feel even better without the wired requirement.

Digital Art with the Deco Mini 7W

When looking at a drawing tablet, there are a few baseline criteria to consider. I want good pen detection when drawing, little latency, and a good range of pressure detection. Whether wireless or wired, the Deco Mini7W did give me this.

In terms of experience, I found the XP-Pen Deco Mini7W to be more effective when used more traditionally with a desktop or laptop. The mobile software offerings had limited support for the shortcut keys; I highly valued the customization that came with the PenTablet app. If you prefer drawing on mobile, it's not too bad to have to implement a touch-based setting command.

Regardless of what you choose to use as your screen, drawing with the XP-Pen felt comfortable and easy to use.

E-Learning and Work with the Deco Mini 7W

For those that don't traditionally use a drawing tablet, the increase of popularity for these devices for remote working and e-learning is worth noting. To test the Deco Mini7W's effectiveness here, I decided to approach it as if I were preparing some slides for my students.

As Explain Everything serves as an online whiteboard, it was very easy to open up a template and just start using the stylus to write, highlight, and otherwise emphasize information for video recording. Specifying custom shortcuts for Explain Everything wasn't hard; I just bound them to my browser of choice for the time of recording.

For those remotely working, writing out notes by hand was similarly easy across different software. While not a necessity, it was refreshing to be able to jot down notes without a long wire against my desk. When you consider the XP-Pen retails for around $60, it isn't the most expensive option either when it comes to a more comfy workflow.

Relax with the Deco Mini7W

Gaming with unique peripherals isn't a new practice, but it's always an intriguing one. To test the precision of the tablet, I decided to try out osu! with XP-Pen. While I'm certainly not the fastest in response time, the Deco Mini7W and stylus allowed for precise inputs while playing the rhythm game.

While I wouldn't recommend it for every game, it's a pleasant distraction if you want to take a break and try something unique.

Repairability or Replacement for XP-Pen's Deco Mini7W

If something does happen with your Deco Mini 7W, there are a few options to consider. For those concerned about the tablet itself, XP-Pen doesn't currently sell any protective film for the Deco Mini7W. However, the Deco Mini 7W is pretty small, so it’s not hard to keep it protected in transit.

If you happen to lose or get through the ten included nibs, XP-Pen offers 100 of their nibs for around ten dollars. If something happens to your stylus, the P05D can also be replaced for about sixteen dollars.

For any initial problems, XP-Pen offers a twelve-month warranty from the time of purchase. If you purchase directly from their e-store, they instead offer an extended eighteen-month warranty.

Should You Buy the XP-Pen Deco Mini7W?

The XP Pen's Deco Mini 7W offers the opportunity to easily work whenever inspiration strikes. It's compact, affordable, and gives the option to go wire-free. As far as drawing tablets go, it's perfect for travel.

If you're simply after the best drawing tablet, it doesn't have all the premium features. However, if you're looking for an inexpensive tablet to get you started, it's one worthy of your attention.

XP-Pen Deco Mini 7 Wireless Graphic Tablet Review: Embrace Portability, Create Anywhere published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/

[7fics]

jy is a ups worker/package deliverer and someone (writer's choice from hyung line) keeps ordering packages in order to see him (mostly enticed by the shorts at first...) would be 100% okay if a bend & snap reference was worked in somehow

warnings: smut, spanking, clumsy ‘package’ innuendos

author: Kay

word count: 6.2k

a/n: My very first Jinson fic, please enjoy this very fun AU :)

It started with an innocent online order.

Jackson recently moved across town to a new place, one that offered him more rooms and space than he ever could have imagined. From a home office to a finished basement, he had room for everything he needed and then some; being a single homeowner certainly had its perks. While he spent his days working from home, chattering away on his phone to make business deals as quickly as possible, Jackson preferred the excitement of the city at night, making plans to meet up with friends and get out of the house as soon as his to-do list was done for the day. Once he had found a cute guy to go home with for the evening, Jackson felt totally accomplished, loving that he could have it all, from work to play and everything inbetween.

With new homeownership came the process of purchasing and sometimes replacing old household appliances, old hand-me-downs no longer cutting it in such a large space since Jackson had left the apartment life behind. The most recent purchase he placed was for a new vacuum, one that could handle the few carpeted areas more quickly than the older model his parents had lovingly gifted him when he moved out after completing school. While the old object was heavy and required a bag for use, the new version he selected was sleek and bagless with electric green accents, giving Jackson a sense of excitement to clean that he never had before.

As the tracking stated, his order was to arrive later that afternoon, Jackson enjoying a brief lunch in front of his television as he heard a large diesel truck brake along the curb in front of his home. Holding in some of his excitement, Jackson remained seated until a rapid series of loud knocks sounded from the front door, the man squealing to himself as he jumped up and rushed over to answer it. Swinging open the wooden door, Jackson was surprised to see a man a few inches taller than him but around the same age typing away on a small electronic device, dark strands of hair falling over his forehead as he worked next to a tall brown cardboard box.

“Jackson Wang, I need you to sign here,” the worker held the device closer to him, handing him a bright yellow stylus to jot his signature down with, Jackson doing exactly as he said.

“Thank you so much,” Jackson beamed, hoping to get a better view of the gentleman’s face, pleased when he looked up after snapping the stylus back into the side of the device.

“You’re welcome,” the man smiled wide, crinkles framing his eyes as he offered a slight bow. “Have a great day.”

Watching as the delivery man walked back to his truck, Jackson couldn’t help but look him up and down, admiring the snug fit of his brown uniform, short-sleeved button-down tucked neatly into a pair of shorts that hit just above the knee. Things started to move in slow motion as Jackson observed the best part of his backside: the perfect curve of his ass in the tight-fitting article of clothing, something Jackson wouldn’t be able to get off of his mind easily. Unfortunately, before Jackson could snap himself back to reality and ask for the other’s name, the delivery man was already back in the front seat of his vehicle, switching it into gear before continuing on his path down the street. With a defeated sigh, Jackson dragged his most recent purchase inside, placing it in the living room before beginning to open and assemble the item, still feeling preoccupied from the excellent view offered as he had walked away.

The next day, Jackson did what any well-adjusted member of society would have done in his case by taking his lunch at the same exact time his delivery was made the day prior, staking out the front window in case any nearby neighbors were getting a delivery of their own. Unfortunately for the man, the truck never made an appearance, forcing Jackson to sulk and return to his work unfulfilled before thinking of the next best way to gather the information he so desperately wanted. With the customer service number dialed, Jackson waited on the line for the next available representative, keeping his tracking number and address nearby. After a few minutes, he was finally connected, letting out a sigh of relief as soon as the operator on the other line answered.

“Yes, hi, I need assistance with an order that was delivered yesterday,” Jackson explained. “I have the tracking number here for reference.”

“Of course, sir,” the operator acknowledged. “Go ahead and read me the sequence and we’ll go from there.”

Once the number had been rambled off, Jackson waited for it to be verified, perking up as soon as the woman on the other line spoke again.

“Alright, sir,” she began, “I have everything about the delivery listed here. What I can I help you with today?”

“Well, you see,” Jackson chuckled to himself, “I had the package delivered and the entire experience was… well, how can I say this appropriately?”

“Sir, did you have any issues with the delivery?” The operator took a more serious tone, Jackson could hear the clicking of a keyboard in the background. “If you have any concerns or comments about your level of satisfaction, please let me know so I can assist you in the best way possible.”

“Can I just get his name?” Jackson asked, trying to be more direct in his request. “The name of the delivery guy, that’s all I need and then I’ll feel slightly more satisfied.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Wang, but I’m afraid I cannot provide that information,” the operator clarified, dashing Jackson’s hopes with a single statement. “However, if there were any problems with the service you received or if you have any general comments, I can pass those along to the appropriate departments.”

“Well, you see…” Jackson sighed, closing his eyes, the recent image of the other man’s backside slowly walking away from him replaying in his mind. “He looked… so good in his uniform.”

“I’ll be sure to pass that information along to our internal staff here,” the operator deadpanned in the most professional way possible. “Anything else I can assist you with today?”

“No,” Jackson sighed, defeated by what seemed to be the easiest way to get the only thing he wanted. “Thanks.”

Hanging up his phone and tossing it back onto his desk, Jackson sighed even more dramatically as he thought about the man he knew nothing about. He had to have been just under six feet tall, brown hair and dark eyes, soft pink lips that curved into an adorable smile. Unfortunately, beyond his smooth voice and ample backside, Jackson knew nothing else, somehow resorting to light stalking to even get a first or last name. It was unlike him to pursue someone so heavily when it had only been a brief connection; usually Jackson was good at letting go or reconnecting wherever time and space took him. But there was something about the uniformed worker that drove him crazy, perhaps it was the mystery behind knowing nothing about him or the physical uniform itself. Either way, Jackson didn’t feel like giving up quite yet, letting himself get back to work and shelving a brainstorming session for his next steps later on that night.

Once in bed after washing his face and brushing his teeth, Jackson turned on the television, letting it play softly in the background as he played around on his phone. He thought about the strange twist of fate that ordering a simple package had turned his mind upside down in such a short period of time before realizing that the answer to his problem had been right there all along. If he wanted to see the other man, he should repeat the process, giving him a chance to appear at his doorstep again. Scrambling to climb out of his sheets and bring his laptop back into bed with him, Jackson began frantically pulling up websites of all different kinds, looking at wishlists he had half-heartedly compiled before beginning to make random orders of all shapes and sizes, hoping that at least one of them would bring the same delivery guy back around. Even if he only saw him for a passing moment, it would be enough to get his name and to Jackson, it was well worth the cost of all the things he suddenly convinced himself he needed.

The first packaged arrived less than three days later, Jackson completely heartbroken when he realized he got anything at all, never hearing the truck even come down the street, let alone having a knock on the door to acknowledge that something was delivered. As he gathered his mail from the box outside, the lonely package remained near the front door, Jackson scoffing before picking it up quickly, rushing back inside to check the status of his various other tracking codes. According to his list, the next few days would have one delivery each, giving Jackson enough opportunities to finally act on his feelings. The plan had seemed ridiculous at the beginning and was starting off on shaky ground, but Jackson had faith it would result in something worthwhile, happily placing his unopened delivery on his dining room table before heading to his room for the night.

Unfortunately, the next delivery was the same, Jackson too slow to realize what was happening before he was swinging the front door open, watching as the other man took two steps into his vehicle before speeding off, Jackson cursing under his breath and wondering if complaining about the speed of said truck on his suburban street would be enough to get the name from customer service. Quickly dismissing the idea of getting the other man in trouble, Jackson sulked back inside, finishing his quick meal before joining his next business call with a coworker to go over some documents and forms that were a new requirement for their department.

“Yugyeom, do you believe at love at first sight?”

The man on the other end of the line sighed deeply, out of either pity or annoyance, clearly used to Jackson’s unusual ways to begin a professional call.

“I guess it depends,” Yugyeom replied, causing Jackson to scoff at the avoidance of a real answer.

“Depends on what?” Jackson asked. “Love at first sight is pretty specific.”

“Well, is there a chance you’ll see that person again?” Yugyeom tried to clarify. “If there’s a chance and you’re determined, I could see it being considered love at first sight.”

“You’re making this so complicated,” Jackson rolled his eyes, unsatisfied at the insights he was receiving from his friend. “A simple yes or no would have sufficed.”

“Jackson, did you fall in love at first sight?” Yugyeom finally asked, giving into exactly what Jackson wanted to hear.

“Maybe,” Jackson giggled softly, spinning from side to side in his desk chair. “It’s my delivery guy.”

“What, like the mailman?” Yugyeom laughed, causing Jackson to frown.

“No!” Jackson argued, standing up suddenly behind his desk. “It was this really hot guy with this gentle voice and his face got all crinkly when he smiled… did I mention the tight shorts that are part of his uniform?”

“Are you trying to tell me you saw a hot guy with a nice ass deliver some box to you and now you’re in love?” Yugyeom teased, always taking advantage of making fun of his older friends. “I think that’s called lust at first sight.”

“How dare you trivialize my feelings!” Jackson whined, hitting his desk with his palm for emphasis. “He could be my next great love!”

“I hate to even ask if we’re going to talk about the new reporting system,” Yugyeom interjected, “but can we move on to business-related affairs?”

“Fine,” Jackson plopped back into his chair, pulling up the relevant documents on his computer. “But… one more thing?”

“What is it?” Yugyeom sighed, obviously ready to put the entire conversation in the past.

“Is it really so bad that I want to unwrap his package?”

In a fit of giggles, Jackson heard the other line go dead, Yugyeom leaving him to deal with learning the new system (and his childish crush) all on his own.

For the next delivery, Jackson figured out a more direct approach to get his answer, setting up a small folding chair and side table to enjoy his lunch outside in his front yard, guaranteeing that Jinyoung would have to walk past him with his ordered items. While lounging in his chair and eating whatever he could find in his fridge, Jackson was more than thrilled as he heard the familiar sounds of the delivery truck rounding the corner, brakes squeaking as the man shifted the vehicle in park on the street in front of his house. Fetching a box from the side of his seat, the delivery man hopped out, rushing up to Jackson’s door with his head down, looking up at meeting Jackson’s line of sight as he neared the house, slowing down in order to hand the package to Jackson directly.

“Here you are, sir,” the other man nodded, smiling softly as Jackson took the small box before turning to leave. “Have a nice day!”

“Wait!” Jackson shouted to stop him in his tracks, watching as his perfect backside turned to face him again. “You can’t leave just yet.”

“I have a schedule to keep,” he replied. “Is there something else you need assistance with?”

Getting up from his seat, Jackson took a few steps closer, happy that the other didn’t seem to want to run away from such a random encounter.

“You know my name, but I don’t know yours,” Jackson smiled, putting on his best charms. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

“It’s Jinyoung,” he smiled back, offering another nod before breaking into a sprint back to his truck, Jackson shamelessly watching his lower half as he jogged away and hopped in the front seat, waving ever so slightly as he drove away.

Satisfied that he finally got his answer he had been looking for, Jackson packed up his makeshift patio setup, repeating the name over and over again to himself until the word turned to gibberish.

Jackson [2:07 PM]

Jinyoung!

Yugyeom [2:08 PM]

Uh wrong number

Jackson [2:08 PM]

That’s his name! The delivery man with the perfect ass!

Yugyeom [2:11 PM]

Good job, bro. Jinyoung who?

Jackson [2:11 PM]

I just said… the delivery guy…

Yugyeom [2:15 PM]

You only got half of his name? You’re an amateur.

Jackson [2:15 PM]

…shut up 😓

Dismayed once again by his short-lived victory, Jackson found himself out of things to buy, already ignoring the embarrassing cluster of boxes and packing peanuts taking up half of his little-used dining room. It had been a week since learning Jinyoung’s name and Jackson had come up empty on finding anything more about the other man. From searching professional sites to social media, he couldn’t piece together enough unique keywords to locate the Jinyoung he had found something special in from only two short conversations. Frustration began to set in as the random man with only half a name couldn’t leave Jackson’s brain even at night, explicit images of what may be hiding underneath his uniform entertaining Jackson in his dreams.

Becoming sick and tired of trying to find out more with such little information, Jackson went back to the day he had met Jinyoung, remembering that he could manage to spend an extra moment of his time as long as he had to gather a signature from Jackson in order to leave his purchase, leading Jackson to wonder: what other large items could he possibly need in order to get a few minutes of Jinyoung’s precious time? A quick walk-through of his home didn’t show anything blatantly obvious; everything that was completely necessary had already been bought and installed, leaving him little room to convince himself of anything to buy. But once Jackson made his way to his bedroom, he had convinced himself the lighting certainly wouldn’t do, scoffing audibly at the short stubby table lamp on his nightstand. Pulling his laptop from his desk and into his lap moments later, two large modern LED lamps were ordered, Jackson completely content at the shipping note that appeared, indicating that he may have to sign for the item due to size, weight and total cost.

Jackpot.

Every day that passed up until the date of the promised delivery felt like a lifetime to Jackson, the usually energetic blond turning down invitations from his friends, preferring to stay in and get ahead on all the work he had been procrastinating on during the days he spent lurking for more information on Jinyoung. He knew he was being irrational and ridiculous for placing so much importance on a person he didn’t know anything about, but Jackson was reckless and impulsive when it came to love, latching on at random times for what seemed to be no reason at all. When he thought about the delivery man tucked into bed at night, the only things that bounced back and forth within his mind were his name and his perfectly-shaped ass, two things that Jackson felt happy knowing, but not enough to let him rest well.

The morning of the promised delivery, Jackson felt like a kid waking up on Christmas morning, springing out of bed and preparing himself a complete breakfast before showering and getting straight to work, knowing that even if he found himself completely lost in a spreadsheet or immersed in an e-mail draft, the firm knock at the door would alert him to Jinyoung’s arrival, Jackson dressed in his favorite black pants and lucky black t-shirt to hopefully seal the deal. Jackson didn’t know if it was the mystery or the promise of what could be that kept him so interested, but without taking every chance he had up until that point, he would never forgive himself for letting the opportunity to get to know the man with the best ass slip away from him.

Unfortunately for Jackson, the usual time he received deliveries from Jinyoung came and went without any sign of the big brown truck that usually signaled his arrival, leaving Jackson nervous and upset that there had been a mistake. Even after he considered his work day done, nothing had come to his door, forcing Jackson to see if the tracking was as accurate as it claimed to be. Even worse, the website had updated the status to ‘Delivered,’ a statement listed below that ‘Customer signed for package upon delivery.’

Jackson couldn’t believe that he would actually have to contact customer service with a real complaint, lucky enough to have learned Jinyoung’s name in time to turn him in for delaying his delivery. It was around 7 P.M. and Jackson tried his best to let his hopes go that he would see the other man with a big package or two at his doorstep, preferring to text Yugyeom to see what he would be up to that night. If anything could erase the disappointment of his delivery getting lost in the system and Jinyoung being a no-show, it would be spending time with drinks that were strong and friends who loved him.

However, just as he was about to agree to a time to be picked up by Yugyeom, there was a familiar firm knock at the door, one that strangely resembled the one first heard the day he met Jinyoung. Jackson tried his hardest to not get his hopes up as he slowly approached the door, the knocking happening again with a soft shout of ‘delivery!’ coming directly after. Opening the door slowly, Jackson couldn’t help but smile wide as he saw Jinyoung waiting in his perfect uniform, no box or hand-held device to be found.

“Hey,” Jackson stated, standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. “I thought I was going to have to call in a complaint. You should have been here hours ago, the item was marked as delivered…”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Wang,” Jinyoung replied with a bow and a small smile. “There was a mixup on the truck and I pulled some muscle in my side, I’m having a bit of trouble getting people their things on time today and for that, I apologize.”

“First of all, you can call me Jackson, I know you’ve seen my name a million times the past month,” Jackson cracked, giggling softly. “Secondly, you’re in luck. I’m the strongest guy on the block, I can totally help you get my packages off the truck.”

“Well, Jackson, that would be really great of you,” Jinyoung smiled a little brighter, motioning to follow him back to get the boxes from the truck. “Right this way.”

With a smile, Jackson followed close behind, chattering away about what a nice night it was, casually discussing how he didn’t get out of the house much that day because of a heavy work schedule and anything else that came to mind in the few moments it took to walk to the truck and climb inside. As promised, Jackson’s packages were some of the last around besides what seemed to be others that weren’t able to be delivered that day, Jackson too nosy to not read the labels himself.

“Office paper,” Jinyoung explained, shrugging as Jackson continued to analyze them for whatever reason. “Apparently, some people took today off and didn’t bother to tell us to hold their packages.”

“Is this what you hurt yourself on?” Jackson asked, suddenly concerned as he made his way over to Jinyoung who was standing near what happened to be the ones of his own. “You had to load these off and back on the truck because they couldn’t answer the door? How rude!”

“Well, not exactly,” Jinyoung chuckled, walking over and casually shutting the back door of the truck, leaving him and Jackson secluded inside before walking back over to where the blond stood. “I lied, Jackson.”

“You… lied?” Jackson found himself suddenly panicking, worried that he assumed too many kind things about the nice delivery man with an excellent butt, hoping he wasn’t about to turn on him so easily. “You said you were hurt, I don’t mind helping you with the packages…”

“I’m not hurt,” Jinyoung replied, moving back towards Jackson as he backed himself against the wall of the truck, suddenly pinned against it with nowhere else to go. “Do you really think I let just any kind of customer into my truck without having a very special reason for it?”

“W-well,” Jackson stuttered, unsure if the scene should have been turning him on or not, “what kind of reason do you have for inviting me back here?”

“I think you can guess why,” Jinyoung smirked, the crinkles that usually came with his smile suddenly present again. Jackson studied his face, watching as Jinyoung placed a hand next to Jackson’s head against the side of the truck, keeping him in place as their eyes met. The truck had to be one of the least romantic settings for his confession, but Jackson had to make his move as he usually did, swallowing deeply before clearing his throat.

“Will you still want to talk to me if I make a bad pun about packages?” Jackson asked, all of a sudden questioning his skills in speaking to attractive men.

“Does it have to do with needing help with yours?” Jinyoung raised an eyebrow, quick to pick up on what Jackson was putting down.

“Of course,” Jackson squeaked out nervously, licking his lips, “and maybe I could, you know, make a delivery of my own-”

Before Jackson could finish his clumsy thought, Jinyoung took the initiative Jackson was apparently too shy to make, pressing his lips against his in a rush, his body pushing Jackson back against the wall of the truck. It was slightly muggy and smelled of old plastic and rust, but Jackson didn’t care, his body able to make up for what his words couldn’t as his arms wrapped around Jinyoung tight. His body was more muscular than anticipated, arms firm and shoulders broad, Jackson sliding his hands down to hold his slim waist in place as they continued to make out in the semi-empty space. It felt scandalous to do such things in what could be considered Jinyoung’s place of business, but the same could be said of Jackson’s house, so what difference would it make?

Finally bold enough to make the move he had been holding back on, Jackson dipped his hands lower, firmly grasping Jinyoung’s ass with both of his hands, massaging it gently through the thick fabric. Firm, yet squishy, Jackson felt himself harden at the thought of seeing Jinyoung without the tailored shorts on, reaching around the front to fiddle with his belt. Amused by the quick decision process Jackson seemed to be making, Jinyoung broke the kiss only to help him with the buckle and front buttons of his shirt, discarding Jackson’s lucky black t-shirt from over his head next. As he looked Jackson’s torso from top to bottom, Jinyoung couldn’t help but let out a tiny gasp, Jackson smirking at the other’s realization that he was someone who took extremely good care of his body.

“So, you weren’t lying about being the strongest guy on the block, huh?” Jinyoung sighed, his own bare chest and stomach exposed from the button down hanging from his shoulders, long slender fingers working on Jackson’s snug jeans.

“Unlike you, I don’t have to lie to get what I want,” Jackson giggled, watching as Jinyoung yanked his pants down to his ankles, promptly getting down on his knees.

“Oh, yeah?” Jinyoung raised an eyebrow, hands rubbing up and down Jackson’s thighs to tease him lightly. “Tell me, how long did it take you to realize I can’t talk for more than a minute until you order something that needs a signature for delivery?”

His own scheme exposed, Jackson blushed at the realization of how silly he had been, a million different ways to get to know Jinyoung suddenly rushing to the front of his brain when they were no longer needed. Of course, Jackson had to act in his own way to get what he wanted, each purchase apparently a little white lie that showed Jinyoung he was interested, obviously picking up on the fact that Jackson had an usual way of showing that he liked what he saw.

“Too long,” Jackson sighed, voice cracking as Jinyoung lapped at his dick through the thin cotton of his briefs, too impatient to wait for Jackson’s next curated set of explanations. It seemed as if Jinyoung had been impatient waiting for this himself, teasing Jackson even more with his tongue before pulling his underwear down to his ankles, giving his cock a few firm strokes. If Jackson was being honest with himself, getting blown by the delivery guy in the back of his truck never crossed his mind. However, he couldn’t complain about the skill Jinyoung displayed as he took his dick into his mouth even deeper, a low moan leaving his lips.

“S’good…” Jackson mumbled, fingers sliding through Jinyoung’s soft locks. “Fuck, you’re good…”

Apparently amused by the lack of control Jackson had at that point, Jinyoung continued on, hands still softly rubbing up and down Jackson’s thighs, eyes gazing up at the blond who could barely hold eye contact long enough for any sense of connection to be made. Clearly, the delivery man held some strange power over him, causing him to slip into a pleasurable haze, Jinyoung’s talented mouth and tongue too much to handle.

“S-stop!” Jackson breathed, watching as Jinyoung pulled off, wiping his mouth gracefully as he continued to hold onto Jackson’s hips.

“Something wrong?” Jinyoung’s eyebrows furrowed, a sense of confusion falling over the situation. “I’m sorry if I was doing too much…”

“No, no,” Jackson laughed, slightly out of breath. “Just didn’t want to… you know…”

With a clumsy charade of him jacking off, Jinyoung got the picture, the two of them sharing a laugh, Jackson admiring the adorable way Jinyoung hid his smile but didn’t bother concealing his audacious laugh. If it weren’t for the dimly lit interior of the dusty metal truck, Jackson could call it all romantic, finally getting to the bottom of what Yugyeom determined was lust at first sight.

“I hate to ask you this but,” Jackson bit his lip, nudging Jinyoung to stand up, “if we want things to continue and if I’m reading all the signs correctly, I’m going to need… things. For you, for me. You know? Things that make things… easier? Safer. You know…”

“I know,” Jinyoung smiled, taking a few steps to reach into the storage compartment of the center console, grabbing a few things before passing them to Jackson, the shorter man pleased to know that at least one of them came prepared.

“Is this an invitation?” Jackson joked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“It’s more of a demand,” Jinyoung countered, kissing Jackson as he worked on sliding his shorts off, letting his underwear fall away with them. “Fuck me?”

Jackson no longer felt lost in the haze of what was about to happen, gladly finishing undressing them down to nothing but socks and shoes, Jinyoung mumbling something about keeping them on if they knew what was good for them. Disregarding the fact that the only box big enough to support the both of them would eventually have to be delivered, Jackson watched as Jinyoung lounged back on the package of office paper, legs spread obscenely as if his verbal invitation wasn’t enough. Making sure his stash of supplies was nearby, Jackson dropped to his knees in front of the box, opening up the tiny bottle of lube that Jinyoung apparently kept on-hand as a necessity during his route. Spreading some along his fingers, Jackson carefully gave Jinyoung’s erection some much needed attention, before sliding his hand down lower, slicking up the other’s entrance as his fingers slipped inside carefully one by one.

If Jackson wasn’t already in love with what he thought Jinyoung was, the sounds the other man solidified his feelings, the soft sighs and subtle whines music to Jackson’s ears. While it was becoming clear that Jinyoung did like to have some control over a situation, Jackson appreciated the way he melted into whatever Jackson did, from stroking his dick to the rhythm of his fingers preparing him for what was next. In a way, it was a perfect balance of everything Jackson saw in himself: one way to the world, another in private.

“I’m ready, Jackson,” Jinyoung mumbled, whimpering quietly as Jackson removed his fingers carefully, locating the condom Jinyoung had retrieved for his use, tearing it open with his teeth before sliding it on. Using some creativity, Jackson positioned himself over Jinyoung in the center of the box, offering another passionate kiss as he pressed his cock inside the other man, taking an extremely slow start to ease away any inhibitions still held between them. It was clunky and the atmosphere was anything but romantic, but once Jackson began to thrust at a steady pace, all of the awkward tension still in the air evaporated to leave them both with nothing but shared pleasure.

Jinyoung looked beautiful below him, sprawled out with his legs bent back exactly where he needed them to be, but Jackson wasn’t completely satisfied, his mind hinting at the thought of turning the other man around, needing to see his best assets at a time like this. Pulling out to a dissatisfied whine from Jinyoung, Jackson quieted him with a kiss mumbling to turn around and bend over the box instead, the other man complying easily. While he certainly was obedient to Jackson’s suggestions, Jinyoung had a way to tease and flirt throughout the entire process, making sure that Jackson knew that even Jinyoung knew what his best asset had to be, slowly folding his body over the edge of the package, arching his back to give Jackson the best view possible.

“So needy…” Jackson couldn’t help himself, hands back to gripping the plump bottom of the other man before resuming reentering and building back to his original rhythm. It was the perfect view: milky skin dampened with a sheen of sweat bent over in front of him, voice begging for more as the only sound echoing in the metal box of the vehicle was skin on skin. It wasn’t romantic and it wasn’t ideal, but it felt like a dream come true, Jackson groaning as he held onto Jinyoung’s slim sides, holding him into place as he practically fucked him into the box, no longer caring what bodily fluids might accidentally leave permanent damage to the outside. If Jinyoung didn’t care, neither would he, letting himself go with the flow of Jinyoung subtle demands, listening every time he begged for it to be faster or harder, smirking as the other man even asked to be spanked.

“P-please…” Jinyoung moaned, hands gripping the edge of the cardboard for stability. “Do it… I want it…”

“Say it,” Jackson sighed, hand rubbing the right side of Jinyoung’s ass, knowing he couldn’t tease him for too much longer, already close enough by all that had happened. “I want to hear it clearly, Jinyoung.”

“Spank me!” Jinyoung whined, Jackson delighted by the way the other man begged for whatever he wanted, even in the back of his work vehicle. “Please, don’t make me say it again…”

“Whatever you say,” Jackson grinned, complying with the other’s wishes as he thrusted more, spanking him a few times as they continued, Jinyoung’s pleasing moans only pushing him closer to the edge. Needing to switch up the angle again, Jackson paused only to move Jinyoung back to their original position, this time holding both of Jinyoung’s legs back completely pounding into him harder than ever before.

“G-gonna… so close, Jackson,” Jinyoung whimpered, already sounding completely spent. “Right there, oh god, please!”

With only a few more strokes, Jinyoung came completely undone beneath Jackson, the blond pushing himself only a moment longer before finishing himself, pulling out and removing the condom, tying it off and tossing it to the side with everything else he had to dispose of. As he watched Jinyoung remain sprawled back against the box that had no business being the first place they should have fucked, Jackson took the initiative to go up to the compartment from which Jinyoung pulled his supplies, finding a stack of napkins he brought over to clean Jinyoung up. As he carefully wiped their stomachs and chests clean, their eyes met, both men sharing a gentle smile and laugh before Jackson leaned down, kissing Jinyoung softly as he sat on the edge of the package.

“So,” Jinyoung smiled, sitting up to join the other man again, “can we start making time to get to know each other instead of using extreme excuses to get what we want?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jackson feigned ignorance, giggling as he shrugged. “I totally needed everything I’ve ordered the past month.”

“I’m sure you did,” Jinyoung agreed, laughing under his breath. “If you invited me inside, I wouldn’t stumble across an embarrassing pile of items waiting to be returned?”

“Nothing gets past you, does it?” Jackson laughed, loud voice filling the empty space. “Hey, maybe you could give me your number so I don’t have to pay attention to all of the ones I use to track this shit.”

“That could be arranged,” Jinyoung grinned, kissing Jackson once again, “Mr. Wang.”

“So professional…” Jackson leaned in closer, whispering softly into the other man’s ear, “and I wouldn’t mind if you wore that uniform outside of business hours.”

“Noted,” Jinyoung giggled, pressing another kiss to Jackson’s temple. “Still want to help me carry your boxes inside?”

“I’d be happy to,” Jackson nodded, getting up slowly to collect his clothes. “Would you have time for a glass of wine after?”

“That sounds nice,” Jinyoung smiled, picking up his underwear from the floor. “Be careful, you might just make me fall for you.”

“I bet you say that to every man you seduce in your big brown truck,” Jackson laughed, already half-dressed.

“There’s only one I’ve ever made time for,” Jinyoung smiled, re-buttoning his top. “It’s a shame that skipping a delivery is frowned upon, but I think the office that needed this paper will understand us shipping back a damaged package…”

Both of them turned to look back at the bent corners and questionable damp spots on the once pristine package, the two sharing a laugh before finishing redressing, carrying off Jackson’s final purchases and locking up the truck before heading inside.

Whenever Jackson would later tell this story to all of his friends, even with his new boyfriend by his side, he would always end the tale with the same sentiment: after he had poured them both a glass of his favorite wine, Jackson found it easy to admit that Jinyoung seemed to fit into his new home like he should have been there all along.

[fireladybuckley]

Not Like This (Part 2)

Read: Part 1: Here Part 3: Here Part 4: Here Part 5: Here

Sorry for the double tags, guys.  Tumblr was apparently having some technical difficulties.  Its all good now!  Enjoy! Fandom:  Star Trek AOS (Soulmate AU) Pairing: Reader x Bones Word Count: 3,633 Rating: Teen+ Warnings: Injuries, blood, scary scenes  Tag List: @outside-the-government @littlecarowrites @star-trekkin-across-theuniverse  @feelmyroarrrr @trekken81 @lurkch @yourtropegirl @answer-the-sirens Author’s note:  SO many people have asked to be added to the tag list for this fic.  I am absolutely flattered.  I’m so glad you guys like it!!  I apologize if I missed anyone in the tag list, please let me know if I forgot your name.  Also, if I have you just in the tag list for this story but you wish to be on my permanent tag list, please let me know!

I hope you all like this part just as much... its actually my favourite part of the story so far.  Enjoy!

          Leonard had gone back to his business after his last projected thoughts, after his soulmate had wished him luck on his exam.  It was going to be a hard one, he was sure, and he nervously chewed on the end of his stylus as he waited for the instructor’s signal.  The exam appeared on the screen of his tablet as his professor indicated that they could begin and he bent over it, meticulously reading each question and answering carefully, his mind completely focused on his task.

           He was so absorbed that at first he didn’t have any idea of what was going on in his head.  He could feel her thoughts getting stronger, but he easily pushed them away at first, so focused was he on his exam.  Soon, however, he could feel them breaking through and he let out a small huff of annoyance, not yet realizing what was happening. He was about to think something at her, perhaps remind her that he was in an exam and needed to concentrate, when he realized something was horribly wrong.  He caught the potent tone of terror in her thoughts and stopped dead, his stylus frozen in his hand, suddenly on high alert.  Her thoughts were a total jumble and at first he couldn’t understand anything except that she was feeling extremely elevated levels of fear and anxiety. He stared straight ahead at the wall of the classroom, waiting pensively, trying to send her thoughts and ask what was wrong, but he couldn’t seem to break through.

          Over the next few moments the thoughts kept getting stronger and more fearful, and his own heart was racing with anxiety, his test all but forgotten. Though the emotions were extremely obvious, she didn’t seem to be able to string any actual words together and he sat, waiting fearfully. Finally a few strong, clearer thoughts came through and his eyes widened with alarm.

          Help! Oh God, I’m going to die!  We’re all going to die!  We’re crashing!

          Breathing fast now, Leonard tried desperately to send a thought to her, but her fear was so absolute that it was like a blaring stereo in his mind, and he couldn’t make himself heard over it.  A moment later, however, everything went completely silent in an instant, leaving his head feeling strangely empty.  This scared him more than anything else had so far – She had kept up such a steady stream of terror-filled thoughts for minutes straight that he couldn’t even penetrate it, and now there was absolutely nothing.

           Are you okay?! Answer me!  Hello?!  He thought desperately, but he got nothing but silence in response.  A cold wave of fear washed over him as he wondered if this sudden silence meant the worst – she couldn’t possibly have died, could she?!  He didn’t want to even consider the possibility – they hadn’t even met yet! He sat frozen for only a moment before leaping to his feet, scaring the hell out of the people on either side of him, who shot him nasty looks for disrupting their concentration.   Far from caring even a little about this, Leonard abandoned his tablet and forced his way down the row, shoving people’s chairs in so he could get by them, oblivious to their protests.  He got to the stairs leading down from his row and leapt down them two at a time, nearly tripping at the bottom but managing to right himself.

          “Dr. McCoy, what on earth-” Leonard glanced around long enough to see his professor walking forwards towards him, staring in bewilderment at what he could only imagine was a wild expression on his face, and he was only vaguely aware that the entire class was staring at him as well.

           “There’s been a shuttle crash!” Leonard gasped, grabbing his bag from near the doorway of the classroom and flinging it onto his back, thanking his lucky stars that he happened to have a med pack with him today, as he’d had a practical lab earlier in the morning.  “I’ve got to go!”

           Without waiting for a response, he dashed out of the room and sprinted down the hall, dodging people left and right and nearly running over a few of the dining room staff as they came around a corner.  He was out of the building in less than two minutes and stared around wildly, trying to sense his soulmate, wondering where the hell the crash had happened.  As he turned towards the bay area, less than a kilometre away, he saw smoke rising into the air from what looked like the beach. Taking a deep breath, he tightened the straps of his backpack and began to run as fast as he could towards the area, hoping desperately that he wasn’t too late.

               You regain consciousness quite soon, but it takes you a while to become aware of your surroundings.  Everything is completely dark aside from a red emergency light pulsing near the door.  There are warning sounds from the emergency systems, cries and moans all around you, to the point that all sound becomes muddled and confusing.   Your head is absolute agony where you’ve been struck by the debris, and you can feel blood slipping over your jaw and down your neck. Your eyesight is very blurry at first, likely from the hard knock to the head, but also because the cabin is beginning to fill with smoke.  Coughing, you fumble clumsily with your seatbelt for a few moments until the cadet beside you manages to get it undone for you. You nearly fall out of your seat, as the shuttle is at steep angle, only managing to stay put by clinging to the arms of the seat.  The other cadet is asking you if you’re okay but you are so fuzzy and disoriented that you’re not even sure if you answer them, but you wave them on, trying to tell them to get themselves out.  As you slide out of your seat, your uniform jacket gets badly snagged on the broken harness of the seat next yours.  You clumsily try to free it, but after a few moments you realize it’s a lost cause. Instead, you unzip your jacket and slip out of it, standing unsteadily beside the seats in your Starfleet-issued t-shirt, trying to orient yourself.

             After a minute or two the adrenaline that buzzes through your body seems to clear your mind a bit. You look around as your eyes start to adjust to the darkness and you begin to realize the horrible enormity of the situation.  There are people everywhere; some unconscious in their seats, others bleeding, still others looking unhurt but terrified.  Everyone is trying to get themselves out of their seatbelts, and finally someone manages to open the side door.  A gust of fresh air sweeps into the cabin and you inhale gratefully, then gasp as the far side of the cabin suddenly goes up in flames, fed by the fresh wave of oxygen rushing in.  You spring into action despite your injury and begin helping people unbuckle themselves, pushing them towards the next cadet that is helping, creating a kind of assembly line of escaping people.  You’re feeling very dizzy from your head injury and are having a hard time continuing to stand, but you do your best to push through it, knowing that there isn’t much time to get everyone out. By the time everyone from the back is cleared, the ones nearest the fire, the heat has gotten much worse.  There is immense pressure to free and evacuate the people closer to the front as soon as humanly possible, before the flames spread to the fuel cells and you all die in a fiery explosion.

             There are only a few people left now, and you’re just thinking you should get the hell out of here yourself when you hear a high-pitched wail.  You look around wildly and realize that the young girl, who had clearly been released from her seat belt by someone, was now stuck between a couple of seats, wedged in because of her small size and the steep angle of the floor.  You can see her struggling to pull herself out, but she’s weakening as she coughs from all of the smoke flooding the cabin.  You make your way over to her with some difficulty, gripping anything within reach for balance and brace yourself on the seats, stretching your arm forwards and holding out your hand to her.

             “Grab hold!  I’ll get you out of here!” you call hoarsely to her, and she scrambles to obey, grabbing your hand with hers, tear tracks streaking her sooty cheeks.  Once you’ve pulled her free of the seats, you swing her around and get her positioned on your back, her arms around your shoulders and her legs around your waist.  “Hold on tight!” you call to her, and you feel her nod, then her small arms tighten around your shoulders.  Carefully you make your way out of the burning shuttle, the task made so much more difficult by your injury and the fact that you’re both coughing, the girl clinging to your back for dear life.  Her arms slip from your shoulders and she nearly throttles you as she clings to your neck instead, but you adjust as well as you can and reach the doorway.  You stumble as you jump down and nearly bring both of you crashing to the ground, but manage to stay upright thanks only to the help of a crewman waiting to catch you.   You weave around others as they start hurrying away from the shuttle, unsure of who anyone is, feeling faint and nauseated.  Everything seems completely washed out and too glaringly bright in the dazzling sunlight, searing your brain as you attempt to find the girl’s mother.    Suddenly a wailing woman races over to you, her face contorted with terror and dawning relief as she realizes you have her child.

             “My baby! You’ve got her!  You saved my baby!” the woman exclaims, sobbing as she reaches for the girl clinging to your back.  You feel the girl shift her weight, digging her heels into your sides and flinging herself into her mother’s arms, using you a springboard and consequently shoving you backwards.  You nearly topple over again, just barely righting yourself as the woman catches her daughter and hugs the girl tightly.    “Thank you, I can’t ever repay you,” she begins tearfully, but you shake your head emphatically, gesturing a little wildly.

             “You need to get out of here, it’s only a matter of time before the fire reaches the fuel cells,” you explain to the woman, your words slurring as you speak as urgently as you can.  You think you’re getting the message across well enough, though, because the woman begins to look scared again.  “Go!  Get her as far away as possible!”   The woman nods, squeezes your shoulder and thanks you again, before rushing off, clutching her daughter as tightly to her chest as she can while she runs in the opposite direction.

             You fight a powerful wave of dizziness and nausea that washes over you and turn back to the shuttle, looking up at the smoke streaming out of the cabin.  There is more and more of it by the second and you cough, your exposure to it in the cabin still bothering your lungs.  You’re pretty sure there were still people in there when you’d gotten the girl out, but you’re not sure if they’ve escaped by now.  You can see one or two people right beside the shuttle entrance, but the smoke is getting so thick that you can’t tell if they’re waiting for someone else or if they themselves are escaping.  You’re unsure as to whether the people are crewmen, civilians or fellow cadets, but it really doesn’t matter.  All of your senses are screaming at you to get as far away as you can as quickly as humanly possible, but your conscience will not allow you to turn your back.  So you hurry forward as fast as you can, trying to ignore the urge to throw up from the agony in your head that’s become nearly blinding.  

             You’re getting closer to the shuttle when one of the men, the crewman who helped you when you’d jumped out with the girl, sees you approaching. His face is a mask of terror and he screams at you to run as he begins to race in your direction himself.  You suddenly hear the hissing sound that indicates one of the fuel cells has been punctured.  As the fire flickers and the smoke pours from the doorway, you know that the fuel will ignite any second.  You screech to a stop and hesitate for a fraction of a second, but you know instinctively that it’s too late for the crewman and the cadet you can now see behind him, as well as anyone who may still be left inside.  With horrible regret, you turn your back and begin to sprint, but you only manage two strides before the fuel cell explodes.  

             The explosion is deafening and because you aren’t very far away when it happens, you feel the heat sear your back as you lose your footing. You scream in pain and terror as you’re thrown through the air like a ragdoll and hit the ground on your front, your chest smashing agonizingly against the ground.  You scream at a piercing pain in your thigh as you hit the ground, but there is shrapnel and other debris flying violently through the air, distracting you and preventing you from figuring out the source of the pain. Instinctively you curl up and cover your head with your arms, feeling nothing but terror and pain coursing through you as shrapnel and debris hits the ground all around you.  You can feel ash and dust start to coat you, smaller debris pelting your body.   You feel a sharp sting along your forearm but the feeling fades quickly as you continue to shield yourself, trembling with fear.

             After a few moments you realize that the rain of shrapnel and debris has stopped, and you cautiously let go of your head, but do not uncurl.   Noises in the background are strangely muffled and simultaneously overwhelmingly loud. You cry out as the sirens start screaming nearby, the sharp wails feeling like they’re physically piercing your brain.  Your leg is so painful that your whole body is trembling with adrenaline, and it takes you several long moments to get the courage to uncurl yourself from your protective position and look at the damage.  You let out a horrified, shaking breath as you see a long, jagged piece of metal sticking out of the fleshiest part of your thigh, blood welling quickly around it and soaking into the leg of your pants, staining your red cadet uniform pants a darker crimson.  You stare at it uncomprehendingly for several long moments, numb with shock as the blood stain gets larger.

             Answer me, dammit! You soulmate’s frantic thoughts finally manage to break through your panic and fear, and you feel a rush of comfort wash over you at the familiar presence.

             I’m here, you think at him, and wonder if your thoughts are trembling like you know your voice would be if you were to speak.   You can feel your soulmate’s wave of relief as he realizes you’re alive, wordless though the feeling is.

             Thank god. Are you hurt? I saw the explosion… I’m running towards the crash now but it’ll take me a bit longer to get there. His thoughts come fast and seem muddled as your brain is slow to comprehend, and you only manage to fully understand his asking if you’re hurt.

           There’s metal in my leg.  It-it’s bleeding a lot, what do I do? Do I take it out? Normally you would know what to do, having been trained in advanced emergency aid, but you can’t really think through the haze of the pain and the head injury, so you’re relying on him to think for you.

             NO!  His somewhat panicked thought comes through, loud and clear, and you wince at the force of it.  Do NOT remove the metal, I’ll see what I can do when I get there.  Is there anything else? Do you have other injuries?  You try to focus on what he says, but all you can do is stare at the jagged metal sticking out of your leg, and at the steadily growing blood stain at the base of it.

             It’s… it’s really big.  A-are you sure I shouldn’t pull it out? Your thoughts keep returning to the shrapnel because it’s all you can see, and therefore all you can think about.  You’re frozen in place, staring at it in shock and horror, and all your instincts are screaming at you to remove the intrusive object.   It doesn’t make sense to you to leave it in there, but you vaguely understand that your soulmate likely has a good reason for not removing it. So you continue to stare at it, reaching out with your hand and touching the blood, wondering if you should press on the edges of the wound in an attempt to stop the flow.

             Please, don’t remove it! His thoughts contain hints of pleading now.  And don’t touch the wound!  Try not to move the metal at all, if you can.

             But— You try to protest, but your thoughts are so weak now that he cuts you off easily.

             Sweetheart, please, trust me.  You need to tell me what else is happening.  Are you hurt anywhere else?  His thoughts are urgent and you try to focus on them, but you’re starting to feel completely overwhelmed.  The sirens are coming closer and their flashing lights combined with the bright sunlight blind you, sending searing shocks of pain through your head.  You move a bit as you try to turn away, and cry out again as the metal shifts, sending pulses of agony through your thigh and radiating down your leg.  

             It hurts so much. It’s all you can think as pain flows through your body from all directions.  You feel like you’re going to throw up or faint, or perhaps both, if it continues any longer.

             I know, darling, I know.  But I need you to try and focus.  Can you try for me? Please?  Look at your chest, arms and legs… are you injured anywhere else?  Your soulmate’s thoughts are full of concern and urgency and you focus as hard as you can on them.  Finally understanding what he wants from you, you slowly look at your other leg and see nothing but torn cloth.  So you look down at your chest, and see nothing aside from some tears in your shirt, with small cuts beneath the tears.  Nothing major.   You look down at your left hand and gasp in horror – it’s completely coated with blood.

             M-my hand, it’s all covered in blood.  Your thoughts convey your sense of shock as you stare at your hand, wondering where all the blood had come from.  You’d touched your leg wound, yes, but there was not nearly enough blood to wetly coat your hand like this.

             It’s okay, you’ll be okay.  Can you try to find where the wound is?  His thoughts are encouraging, and, though you’re trembling violently now, you carefully turn your hand over, looking at your wrist and arm.  You suddenly notice a long, deep laceration in the back of your forearm, cutting through the muscle there.  Blood is pouring from the wound and slipping down your arm, dripping from your fingertips as you stare at it in horror.

             Really big cut on the back of my arm.  I- I’m bleeding an awful lot…  If spoken, the words would have been barely audible.  You’re reeling from the fear of seeing your own blood pouring out of you, and you’re momentarily paralyzed again, just like you had been when you spotted the metal in your leg.

             Okay, that’s okay, you can fix that.  Do you have anything you can wrap it with?  After a moment of shaking your head, you remember that he isn’t there and can’t see your motions, so you send him a thought to the negative.  Alright, then you’re going to have to put your other hand on the cut and press hard, okay?  You need to keep pressure there, it’ll slow the bleeding.

             O-okay.  You reach around the side of your arm with your other hand and press as hard as you can against the wound, whimpering at the stinging pain and the feeling of the hot blood on your palm.  I’m holding it.

             Good girl, you’re doing great.  I’m almost there.  Just keep pressure for me, okay? You nod weakly, forgetting again that he can’t see you, though it doesn’t seem to deter him this time.  Where are you?  Are you near the crowd?  Is anyone helping you?

             You look around and realize that you’re actually quite alone, shielded from the main group of casualties by some large pieces of debris. By this point though, you’re feeling so sick and in so much pain that you can barely stay sitting upright. You’re swaying on the spot as you attempt to keep pressure on your arm, but your strength is very quickly waning.

             No, I’m behind a piece of one of the wings. Your thoughts are getting weaker by the second as you feel dizzier and more pained, and your vision, already blurred, is starting to go spotty as the world seems to spin around you.  I think n-near the sou--  The dizziness overwhelms you and a moment later, your eyes roll back into your head as your vision goes black.  You collapse back to the ground as you go limp, releasing your arm in the process.

Read Part Three: Here  

Tag List for this series: @bkwrm523 @auduna-druitt @mccoymostly @nymphadora-blurryface @conficere  @supermoonpanda @happylilprompts @bluebird214 @highfunctioningfannibal @sistasarah-sallysaidso  @daybreak96 @ktpayne @gerardwayisapotato  @lauuerodz @damthatamazinggreensandwich  @anyakinamidala  @randomlittleimp  @fridgebiscuit  @ha-tep  @buckyy3s @kitchenwitchsuperwhovian  @treegenocide  @curiousershipper @nefariouswidow

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How Your Local Business Can Be a Helper

Posted by MiriamEllis

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.” — Fred Rogers

This quote is one I find myself turning to frequently these days as a local SEO. It calls to mind my irreplaceable neighborhood grocer. On my last essential run to their store, they not only shared a stashed 4-pack of bath tissue with me, but also stocked their market with local distillery-produced hand sanitizer which I was warned will reek of bourbon, but will get the job done.

When times are hard, finding helpers comes as such a relief. Even the smallest acts that a local business does to support physical and mental health can be events customers remember for years to come.

While none of us gets to live in Mister Rogers’ idealized neighborhood, the adaptations I’m seeing local businesses and organizations make to sustain communities during COVID-19 are a meaningful expression of caring worthy of his humanitarian vision. Almost any brand, large or small, has the chance to be a good neighbor. Please use the following industry and platform examples to spark local business creativity when it’s needed most so that brands you care about can stay helpfully productive during the public health emergency.

Inspirational local business pivots and plans

Everyone at Moz is full of admiration for the way different industries are responding in a time that’s not business-as-usual. My thanks to the many teammates who contributed to this roundup of examples we’ve been personally encountering, and we hope you’ll find an actionable path for your business here.

Food and hospitality

1. From fancy to fundamental, famed Seattle restaurant Canlis quickly transitioned from fine dining to offering drive-thru bagels, family meal delivery, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) boxes from local farms.

2. From pizza place to pantry, multiple restaurants and caterers are putting their supply chain to work for their customers. California Pizza Kitchen is delivering meal kits and pantry staples as a pop-up market.

3. Caterers with big hearts like Kay Catering asked parents whose schoolchildren she normally feeds whether they’d be willing to donate unused lunch fees so her company could cook for families in need. Through the generosity of these parents, Kay Kim is now serving dinner to the residents at the Sand Point Public Housing Center at Magnuson Park as part of Seattle Public Schools’ overall effort to feed its students.

4. Pike Place Market on your doorstep is the offering of Savor Seattle, which has shifted from offering tasting tours to aggregating the iconic products of an entire marketplace for home delivery and curbside pickup.

5. To keep grocery shelves stocked, Santa Rosa, California food manufacturer Amy’s Kitchen has ramped up production by erecting tent kitchens with social distancing so that the company’s canned soups can be produced in greater quantities. Meanwhile, distilleries across the country have converted operations to manufacture of hand sanitizer.

6. Community-support agriculture may well see a boom with the appeal of boxes of fresh, local foods delivered to your door, allowing customers to entirely forego trips to grocery stores. Farm stands have become extra precious community resources. Role models like Heron Pond Farm in New Hampshire are accepting SNAP payments and providing discounts to SNAP shoppers.

7. Caring for our most vulnerable community members, grocery stores large and small are setting senior shopping hours. Raley’s is offering curbside pickup of $20 “Senior Essential Bags” filled with fresh and dry goods. Kroger-owned stores are donating $3 million to deploy groceries to food-insecure communities via their Zero Hunger/Zero Waste program.

8. Looking to the future, Instagram co-founder Mike Krieg has launched SaveOurFaves.com, an San Francisco Bay Area directory of restaurants hosting the purchase of gift cards to keep cherished eating spots afloat. These gift cards, meant to be used later, are in the nature of a small business loan.

9. Serving up support for displaced restaurant workers, Food Network star and restaurateur Guy Fieri has created a relief fund.This Bay Area celebrity has repeatedly come to the rescue in disasters, cooking for impacted communities, and now, offering $500 in cash to unemployed restaurant employees on a first-come, first-served basis.

10. Hotels are housing health care workers in need of lodging, with some 6,500 properties participating in the Hotels for Hope initiative nationwide. Meanwhile, in San Francisco alone, more than 30 hotels have offered housing for homeless Americans in response to local and state government requests.

Home services

1. Contractors put safety first by implementing new sanitary protocols when making home visits. Roto-Rooter is doing an outstanding job of explaining how plumbers will wear protective equipment, practice social distancing, and use disinfectant. They are also publishing how-to videos for simple home plumbing and offering advice regarding sanitary products. HVAC brand Vaughan Comfort Services created this section of their website to explain their enhanced safety measures.

2. Cleaning services are making tough decisions about whether to remain operational. Some, like Molly Maid, are still cleaning residences while implementing increased safety practices, but others are diversifying into the commercial cleaning space, cleaning offices that are temporarily empty. Meanwhile, professional biohazard cleaning services like Aftermath are creating new pages on their websites to describe their in-demand practices for disinfecting impacted properties.

3. Computer repair services are adapting, where state regulations allow, to 100% mobile operations and are fixing issues over the phone where possible. One independent shop, DreamNet Computers, created this page to explain how they are sanitizing devices being picked up or dropped off, and how they can repair some computers remotely if they can connect to the Internet.

4. The landscaping services market is haphazard at the moment, with some professionals concerned that state-by-state regulations are not clear enough for their industry, while others are embracing virtual meetings and 3D modeling with the thought that people working from home will now be more invested in having livable outdoor spaces.

Professional and instructional services

1. Much of medicine has become telemedicine and therapy has become teletherapy, barring cases which require direct one-on-one contact. Practitioners able to navigate privacy regulations can still provide vital patient support. Bridges Therapy & Wellness Center of Fairfax, Virginia is just one example of a practice putting online appointment availability front and center on its website. Check out how the telehealth platform PatientPop has quickly pivoted their roll out for medical clients.

2. Movement, meditation, and multiple forms of self-care have made a quick transition online. Religious institutions are putting their services on the web, from Pope Francis celebrating Mass at the Vatican, to Ann Arbor’s Temple Beth Emeth observing virtual Shabbat and the Imams of the Islamic Center of America broadcasting live, daily lectures from Dearborn, Michigan. I’ve found Indigenous invitations to prayer for healing especially moving in these times. Meanwhile, dance studio Dance Church has thousands of folks boogying to their livestreams, and yoga, martial arts, fine arts, and music instructors have shifted to both public and private online sessions. Check out the business support being offered by Your Yoga Alliance to instructors needing to transition operations.

3. Banks and financial institutions are responding by offering various forms of relief including deferring or waiving fees, and providing some forms of mortgage assistance. With concerns over ATM contamination, some advisors in the financial industry are suggesting customers bring their own sanitizer, gloves, and a stylus to transactions.

4. Realtors can manage most meetings virtually, and thanks to technology like Kleard and Immoviewer, buyers can get a very good idea of what properties look like and even handle closings online. However, it’s vital to follow state and local regulations regarding home showings.

5. The National Association of Bar Executives offers abundant guidance for legal professionals via their pandemic preparedness resource. They are hosting roundtables, publishing lists of tech vendors appropriate to the industry, and highlighting government and philanthropic news.

6. Personal care professionals may be struggling most, with hair stylists, manicurists, massage therapists, and related practitioners having no way to replicate their work via the Internet. Kaleidoscope Salon in Chattanooga, Tennessee held a fundraiser offering a prize of a full year of hair services in order to meet its payroll during its closure. Professionals seeking to maintain client relationships during this pause in business can head to YouTube, like R’s Just Hair Salon’s chief hairstylist Ruchi Sawhney, to demo do-it-yourself beauty tips. Stay-at-home orders are making it harder for people to access personal care products. If your salon has inventory, consider curbside pick-up of health and beauty supply kits, as is being offered by Sally Beauty.

Retail

1. Retail is taking a hard hit, and there’s no gainsaying this, but vendors who can transition at least part of their operations to e-commerce selling may be able to remain operational simply because the demand is so high now for home delivery. If you are sitting on unsold inventory and are having trouble imagining how to sell it, check out eBay, which recently announced that it is waiving seller fees to help retailers get their products onto the web for sale.

2. Major clothing retailers like Macy’s and Kohl’s have closed their stores, but continue to sell online. Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette has stated that the fewest employee furloughs have been in their digital operations, and that they hope to start bringing workers back on through a staggered process in the future. Meanwhile, smaller basic clothing retailers like the Vermont Country Store have temporarily shuttered their premises, but are continuing to ship with the proviso that an overload of orders has slowed down shipping speeds.

3. Electronics retailers are finding their product lines in high demand as all of us seek ways to conduct more of life online. T-Mobile stores may be closed, but they are offering free two-day shipping and have published a whole new section of service resources during the health emergency. Best Buy is offering contactless curbside pickup and delivery. Batteries Plus Bulbs has remained largely operational and is supplying the medical field with essential technology, while also offering curbside pickup to retail customers.

4. Plant nurseries are finding themselves inundated with customers eager to plant food crops in any gardening space they have. In my state of California, agricultural businesses are considered essential. Many nurseries and garden supply shops remain open, but — like the San Francisco Bay Area Sloat Nursery chain — are taking steps to limit the number of customers allowed in at a time, and also offer curbside pickup and delivery. Nurseries should be growing as many veggie starts and stocking as much vegetable seed as possible right now.

5. Home Improvement and hardware stores offering free delivery, like Home Depot, and free curbside pickup, like Ace Hardware, have a good chance of weathering this storm so long as customers can afford to improve their dwellings, in which they are now spending so much more of their time. In a related category, large home furnishings brands like Crate & Barrel are selling online and have their design consultants working from home with clients via phone and web chat.

6. Auto dealers have embraced tech to keep car sales moving. Toyota’s SmartPath tool takes customers from inventory search, to applying for a line of credit, to the point where a vehicle can be delivered to your home. I’ve noticed several dealerships deferring first-month payments to stimulate purchases. Meanwhile, General Motors has begun producing ventilators at its Kokomo, Indiana facility and face masks at its plant in Warren, Michigan.

Where to publicize what you’re doing

Once you’ve determined how your business can best pivot to continue serving the public, you’ll want to update your website to ensure you’re communicating your offerings. You should also update your local business listings, as described in the last edition of my column. Beyond this, here is an example-filled list of resources for maximizing publicity:

Blogs

About a decade ago, local SEO experts were strongly promoting the idea of creating hyperlocal blogs to engage communities. Bloggers who were up to the challenge now have platforms in place through which the most recent and useful information can be quickly communicated to neighbors, as in this excellent example of the West Seattle Blog. If your community lacks a hyperlocal resource like this, your business could be of great help in creating one now. If such a blog is already in place, see if your business can contribute content.

Hyperlocal business association sites

If you don’t want to go it alone in creating a blog, joining with others in a local business association like the West Seattle Junction or Chamber of Commerce will enable many hands to lighten the work. Community hubs like this one are publishing vital information including PSAs, updates on which businesses offer delivery and pickup, and highlighting local merchants. If your neighborhood has platforms like these, contact them to see how you can contribute content. If no such resources exist, contact your neighboring business owners to discuss what you can create together.

Facebook

If you aren’t in a position to build a hyperlocal website or blog right now, Facebook may be your next best option. The Yurok Tribe of California is inspiring in their use of Facebook for continuous dialog with their community. Many tribes are role-modeling how to support one another, and particularly the most vulnerable, in these times. The above example shows how one tribe is phoning its elders and has created a hotline to ensure they’re receiving vital services. I came across another example in which a tribe’s Facebook post instructed elders to hang something red in their windows if they needed any help from younger members of the community. Now is a good time to double down on Facebook with any supportive information your local business can broadcast. Of note, Facebook is offering $100 million in small business cash grants and ad credits.

Nextdoor

Nextdoor is a particularly lively community hub and this is a very good time to join it as a business. It should go without saying that publishing anything that could seem self-serving would be a poor choice. Instead, take inspiration from the spirit demonstrated in the above example of a neighborhood converting their Little Free Library into a mini dry goods pantry, or this independent restaurant using Nextdoor to offer a discount to anyone in their industry who may have lost their local job. This is a good, ready-do-go platform for outreach to your community.

Twitter

Check out how the Downtown Business Association of Edmonton is using Twitter to promote virtual local events and a new directory they’re building on their website specifically highlighting operational local businesses. The instantaneous communication capacity of Twitter is a resource your company should consider right now, even if you haven’t done much tweeting in the past. Follow and share the content of other local businesses to create a stronger community with timely messaging for the public.

Instagram

Instagram is proving extremely helpful in alerting communities to offerings and changes, as in this example of a Richland, Washington cookie cutter manufacturer transitioning operations to produce face shields for medical personnel, and providing DIY instructions for anyone with access to a 3D printer.

Radio

This excellent Los Angeles Times article by Randy Lewis reminds us of how radio remains a strong resource even for those in our community who lack Internet access. People are tuning the dials for hyperlocal information about the availability of resources, for comfort, and hope. If your business is doing something that would help local customers, consider calling into the nearest radio station to share your story. Obviously, avoid being overly-promotional, and do consider whether this might be a good time to invest a little more in formal radio advertising.

Newspapers

Almost any town with a newspaper is printing abundant information about community resources right now, including lists of operational companies like this one in the Marin Independent Journal. Reach out with your news and volunteer to be interviewed to spread the word about how your business is serving the community. These unstructured citations from trusted online news outlets can help local searchers find your business and even boost your rankings. Consider paid news ad spots as well, if it’s in your budget.

Local television and video media

I thought this multi-location appliance company, Airport Home Appliances, did an excellent job with their local TV ad spot regarding their current operations, which they also posted to YouTube. Your audience is mainly homebound now, and Nielsen finds that local TV is becoming the preferred choice for accessing news and information in the United States. If it’s in your budget, even a basic local television ad could reach many customers at this time. If now isn’t a good time for your brand to invest, get something up on YouTube and embed it on your website.

Local, regional, or industry podcasts

If your area or business category is lucky enough to have a good podcast, reaching out to the podcaster to share what your business is doing could help you broadcast your offering to a wider audience. Check out this episode of the Tennessee Farm Table (theme song guaranteed to get stuck in your head), in which podcaster Amy Campbell gives a running list of Appalachian businesses providing local food to residents. Whether you simply get mentioned or take the next step of being interviewed by a podcaster, this medium is one to embrace. And, if your area has no local podcast, think about launching one to create a more connected community.

Being the helpers

Fred Rogers Memorial Statue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Image Credit: Wally Gobetz.

I hope you’ve seen something in this article that could help support your local brand’s goals to sustain itself in the coming months. A commonality across all the examples I’ve reviewed of COVID-19 business adjustments is that regular, open communication with customers to understand and meet their needs is simply essential right now. Your customers’ stated requests are your best playbook for this unscripted moment.

It’s my heartfelt wish that you’ll see the fruits of today’s extraordinary efforts in tomorrow’s customer loyalty. My teammate, Dr. Pete, recently shared an article with me in which the author described how Marks & Spencer’s provision of clothing during Great Britain's World War II textile rationing earned decades of devoted patronage because customers felt the retailer had “been there” for them when it mattered.

Being there at the present may mean transitioning some operations online, onto street curbs and parking lots, or into delivery vans, and how you communicate availability matters more than ever before. I’m inspired by seeing the ingenuity and kindness of the “helpers” Fred Rogers spoke of, in community after community.

There’s no denying that this is a challenging time for local search marketing, and yet, at the same time, local promotional skills have never been more critical. Take a second to imagine our communities if we were still limited to once-a-year phone book updates of business information, and I think you’ll quickly see just how vital a resource the local Internet has become.

Can you be a helper today? Please, comment about your own business, your clients’ brands, or any company in your town that you’re seeing make a special endeavor to serve communities. Your story could spark a new idea for a local business owner to keep a neighborhood or even an entire city afloat. Thanks for being a helper.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

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[daynamartinez22]

How Your Local Business Can Be a Helper

Posted by MiriamEllis

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.” — Fred Rogers

This quote is one I find myself turning to frequently these days as a local SEO. It calls to mind my irreplaceable neighborhood grocer. On my last essential run to their store, they not only shared a stashed 4-pack of bath tissue with me, but also stocked their market with local distillery-produced hand sanitizer which I was warned will reek of bourbon, but will get the job done.

When times are hard, finding helpers comes as such a relief. Even the smallest acts that a local business does to support physical and mental health can be events customers remember for years to come.

While none of us gets to live in Mister Rogers’ idealized neighborhood, the adaptations I’m seeing local businesses and organizations make to sustain communities during COVID-19 are a meaningful expression of caring worthy of his humanitarian vision. Almost any brand, large or small, has the chance to be a good neighbor. Please use the following industry and platform examples to spark local business creativity when it’s needed most so that brands you care about can stay helpfully productive during the public health emergency.

Inspirational local business pivots and plans

Everyone at Moz is full of admiration for the way different industries are responding in a time that’s not business-as-usual. My thanks to the many teammates who contributed to this roundup of examples we’ve been personally encountering, and we hope you’ll find an actionable path for your business here.

Food and hospitality

1. From fancy to fundamental, famed Seattle restaurant Canlis quickly transitioned from fine dining to offering drive-thru bagels, family meal delivery, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) boxes from local farms.

2. From pizza place to pantry, multiple restaurants and caterers are putting their supply chain to work for their customers. California Pizza Kitchen is delivering meal kits and pantry staples as a pop-up market.

3. Caterers with big hearts like Kay Catering asked parents whose schoolchildren she normally feeds whether they’d be willing to donate unused lunch fees so her company could cook for families in need. Through the generosity of these parents, Kay Kim is now serving dinner to the residents at the Sand Point Public Housing Center at Magnuson Park as part of Seattle Public Schools’ overall effort to feed its students.

4. Pike Place Market on your doorstep is the offering of Savor Seattle, which has shifted from offering tasting tours to aggregating the iconic products of an entire marketplace for home delivery and curbside pickup.

5. To keep grocery shelves stocked, Santa Rosa, California food manufacturer Amy’s Kitchen has ramped up production by erecting tent kitchens with social distancing so that the company’s canned soups can be produced in greater quantities. Meanwhile, distilleries across the country have converted operations to manufacture of hand sanitizer.

6. Community-support agriculture may well see a boom with the appeal of boxes of fresh, local foods delivered to your door, allowing customers to entirely forego trips to grocery stores. Farm stands have become extra precious community resources. Role models like Heron Pond Farm in New Hampshire are accepting SNAP payments and providing discounts to SNAP shoppers.

7. Caring for our most vulnerable community members, grocery stores large and small are setting senior shopping hours. Raley’s is offering curbside pickup of $20 “Senior Essential Bags” filled with fresh and dry goods. Kroger-owned stores are donating $3 million to deploy groceries to food-insecure communities via their Zero Hunger/Zero Waste program.

8. Looking to the future, Instagram co-founder Mike Krieg has launched SaveOurFaves.com, a San Francisco Bay Area directory of restaurants hosting the purchase of gift cards to keep cherished eating spots afloat. These gift cards, meant to be used later, are in the nature of a small business loan.

9. Serving up support for displaced restaurant workers, Food Network star and restaurateur Guy Fieri has created a relief fund. This Bay Area celebrity has repeatedly come to the rescue in disasters, cooking for impacted communities, and now, offering $500 in cash to unemployed restaurant employees on a first-come, first-served basis.

10. Hotels are housing health care workers in need of lodging, with some 6,500 properties participating in the Hotels for Hope initiative nationwide. Meanwhile, in San Francisco alone, more than 30 hotels have offered housing for homeless Americans in response to local and state government requests.

Home services

1. Contractors put safety first by implementing new sanitary protocols when making home visits. Roto-Rooter is doing an outstanding job of explaining how plumbers will wear protective equipment, practice social distancing, and use disinfectant. They are also publishing how-to videos for simple home plumbing and offering advice regarding sanitary products. HVAC brand Vaughan Comfort Services created this section of their website to explain their enhanced safety measures.

2. Cleaning services are making tough decisions about whether to remain operational. Some, like Molly Maid, are still cleaning residences while implementing increased safety practices, but others are diversifying into the commercial cleaning space, cleaning offices that are temporarily empty. Meanwhile, professional biohazard cleaning services like Aftermath are creating new pages on their websites to describe their in-demand practices for disinfecting impacted properties.

3. Computer repair services are adapting, where state regulations allow, to 100% mobile operations and are fixing issues over the phone where possible. One independent shop, DreamNet Computers, created this page to explain how they are sanitizing devices being picked up or dropped off, and how they can repair some computers remotely if they can connect to the Internet.

4. The landscaping services market is haphazard at the moment, with some professionals concerned that state-by-state regulations are not clear enough for their industry, while others are embracing virtual meetings and 3D modeling with the thought that people working from home will now be more invested in having livable outdoor spaces.

Professional and instructional services

1. Much of medicine has become telemedicine and therapy has become teletherapy, barring cases which require direct one-on-one contact. Practitioners able to navigate privacy regulations can still provide vital patient support. Bridges Therapy & Wellness Center of Fairfax, Virginia is just one example of a practice putting online appointment availability front and center on its website. Check out how the telehealth platform PatientPop has quickly pivoted their roll out for medical clients.

2. Movement, meditation, and multiple forms of self-care have made a quick transition online. Religious institutions are putting their services on the web, from Pope Francis celebrating Mass at the Vatican, to Ann Arbor’s Temple Beth Emeth observing virtual Shabbat and the Imams of the Islamic Center of America broadcasting live, daily lectures from Dearborn, Michigan. I’ve found Indigenous invitations to prayer for healing especially moving in these times. Meanwhile, dance studio Dance Church has thousands of folks boogying to their livestreams, and yoga, martial arts, fine arts, and music instructors have shifted to both public and private online sessions. Check out the business support being offered by Your Yoga Alliance to instructors needing to transition operations.

3. Banks and financial institutions are responding by offering various forms of relief including deferring or waiving fees, and providing some forms of mortgage assistance. With concerns over ATM contamination, some advisors in the financial industry are suggesting customers bring their own sanitizer, gloves, and a stylus to transactions.

4. Realtors can manage most meetings virtually, and thanks to technology like Kleard and Immoviewer, buyers can get a very good idea of what properties look like and even handle closings online. However, it’s vital to follow state and local regulations regarding home showings.

5. The National Association of Bar Executives offers abundant guidance for legal professionals via their pandemic preparedness resource. They are hosting roundtables, publishing lists of tech vendors appropriate to the industry, and highlighting government and philanthropic news.

6. Personal care professionals may be struggling most, with hair stylists, manicurists, massage therapists, and related practitioners having no way to replicate their work via the Internet. Kaleidoscope Salon in Chattanooga, Tennessee held a fundraiser offering a prize of a full year of hair services in order to meet its payroll during its closure. Professionals seeking to maintain client relationships during this pause in business can head to YouTube, like R’s Just Hair Salon’s chief hairstylist Ruchi Sawhney, to demo do-it-yourself beauty tips. Stay-at-home orders are making it harder for people to access personal care products. If your salon has inventory, consider curbside pick-up of health and beauty supply kits, as is being offered by Sally Beauty.

Retail

1. Retail is taking a hard hit, and there’s no gainsaying this, but vendors who can transition at least part of their operations to e-commerce selling may be able to remain operational simply because the demand is so high now for home delivery. If you are sitting on unsold inventory and are having trouble imagining how to sell it, check out eBay, which recently announced that it is waiving seller fees to help retailers get their products onto the web for sale.

2. Major clothing retailers like Macy’s and Kohl’s have closed their stores, but continue to sell online. Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette has stated that the fewest employee furloughs have been in their digital operations, and that they hope to start bringing workers back on through a staggered process in the future. Meanwhile, smaller basic clothing retailers like the Vermont Country Store have temporarily shuttered their premises, but are continuing to ship with the proviso that an overload of orders has slowed down shipping speeds.

3. Electronics retailers are finding their product lines in high demand as all of us seek ways to conduct more of life online. T-Mobile stores may be closed, but they are offering free two-day shipping and have published a whole new section of service resources during the health emergency. Best Buy is offering contactless curbside pickup and delivery. Batteries Plus Bulbs has remained largely operational and is supplying the medical field with essential technology, while also offering curbside pickup to retail customers.

4. Plant nurseries are finding themselves inundated with customers eager to plant food crops in any gardening space they have. In my state of California, agricultural businesses are considered essential. Many nurseries and garden supply shops remain open, but — like the San Francisco Bay Area Sloat Nursery chain — are taking steps to limit the number of customers allowed in at a time, and also offer curbside pickup and delivery. Nurseries should be growing as many veggie starts and stocking as much vegetable seed as possible right now.

5. Home Improvement and hardware stores offering free delivery, like Home Depot, and free curbside pickup, like Ace Hardware, have a good chance of weathering this storm so long as customers can afford to improve their dwellings, in which they are now spending so much more of their time. In a related category, large home furnishings brands like Crate & Barrel are selling online and have their design consultants working from home with clients via phone and web chat.

6. Auto dealers have embraced tech to keep car sales moving. Toyota’s SmartPath tool takes customers from inventory search, to applying for a line of credit, to the point where a vehicle can be delivered to your home. I’ve noticed several dealerships deferring first-month payments to stimulate purchases. Meanwhile, General Motors has begun producing ventilators at its Kokomo, Indiana facility and face masks at its plant in Warren, Michigan.

Where to publicize what you’re doing

Once you’ve determined how your business can best pivot to continue serving the public, you’ll want to update your website to ensure you’re communicating your offerings. You should also update your local business listings, as described in the last edition of my column. Beyond this, here is an example-filled list of resources for maximizing publicity:

Blogs

About a decade ago, local SEO experts were strongly promoting the idea of creating hyperlocal blogs to engage communities. Bloggers who were up to the challenge now have platforms in place through which the most recent and useful information can be quickly communicated to neighbors, as in this excellent example of the West Seattle Blog. If your community lacks a hyperlocal resource like this, your business could be of great help in creating one now. If such a blog is already in place, see if your business can contribute content.

Hyperlocal business association sites

If you don’t want to go it alone in creating a blog, joining with others in a local business association like the West Seattle Junction or Chamber of Commerce will enable many hands to lighten the work. Community hubs like this one are publishing vital information including PSAs, updates on which businesses offer delivery and pickup, and highlighting local merchants. If your neighborhood has platforms like these, contact them to see how you can contribute content. If no such resources exist, contact your neighboring business owners to discuss what you can create together.

Facebook

If you aren’t in a position to build a hyperlocal website or blog right now, Facebook may be your next best option. The Yurok Tribe of California is inspiring in their use of Facebook for continuous dialog with their community. Many tribes are role-modeling how to support one another, and particularly the most vulnerable, in these times. The above example shows how one tribe is phoning its elders and has created a hotline to ensure they’re receiving vital services. I came across another example in which a tribe’s Facebook post instructed elders to hang something red in their windows if they needed any help from younger members of the community. Now is a good time to double down on Facebook with any supportive information your local business can broadcast. Of note, Facebook is offering $100 million in small business cash grants and ad credits.

Nextdoor

Nextdoor is a particularly lively community hub and this is a very good time to join it as a business. It should go without saying that publishing anything that could seem self-serving would be a poor choice. Instead, take inspiration from the spirit demonstrated in the above example of a neighborhood converting their Little Free Library into a mini dry goods pantry, or this independent restaurant using Nextdoor to offer a discount to anyone in their industry who may have lost their local job. This is a good, ready-do-go platform for outreach to your community.

Twitter

Check out how the Downtown Business Association of Edmonton is using Twitter to promote virtual local events and a new directory they’re building on their website specifically highlighting operational local businesses. The instantaneous communication capacity of Twitter is a resource your company should consider right now, even if you haven’t done much tweeting in the past. Follow and share the content of other local businesses to create a stronger community with timely messaging for the public.

Instagram

Instagram is proving extremely helpful in alerting communities to offerings and changes, as in this example of a Richland, Washington cookie cutter manufacturer transitioning operations to produce face shields for medical personnel, and providing DIY instructions for anyone with access to a 3D printer.

Radio

This excellent Los Angeles Times article by Randy Lewis reminds us of how radio remains a strong resource even for those in our community who lack Internet access. People are tuning the dials for hyperlocal information about the availability of resources, for comfort, and hope. If your business is doing something that would help local customers, consider calling into the nearest radio station to share your story. Obviously, avoid being overly-promotional, and do consider whether this might be a good time to invest a little more in formal radio advertising.

Newspapers

Almost any town with a newspaper is printing abundant information about community resources right now, including lists of operational companies like this one in the Marin Independent Journal. Reach out with your news and volunteer to be interviewed to spread the word about how your business is serving the community. These unstructured citations from trusted online news outlets can help local searchers find your business and even boost your rankings. Consider paid news ad spots as well, if it’s in your budget.

Local television and video media

I thought this multi-location appliance company, Airport Home Appliances, did an excellent job with their local TV ad spot regarding their current operations, which they also posted to YouTube. Your audience is mainly homebound now, and Nielsen finds that local TV is becoming the preferred choice for accessing news and information in the United States. If it’s in your budget, even a basic local television ad could reach many customers at this time. If now isn’t a good time for your brand to invest, get something up on YouTube and embed it on your website.

Local, regional, or industry podcasts

If your area or business category is lucky enough to have a good podcast, reaching out to the podcaster to share what your business is doing could help you broadcast your offering to a wider audience. Check out this episode of the Tennessee Farm Table (theme song guaranteed to get stuck in your head), in which podcaster Amy Campbell gives a running list of Appalachian businesses providing local food to residents. Whether you simply get mentioned or take the next step of being interviewed by a podcaster, this medium is one to embrace. And, if your area has no local podcast, think about launching one to create a more connected community.

Being the helpers

Fred Rogers Memorial Statue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Image Credit: Wally Gobetz.

I hope you’ve seen something in this article that could help support your local brand’s goals to sustain itself in the coming months. A commonality across all the examples I’ve reviewed of COVID-19 business adjustments is that regular, open communication with customers to understand and meet their needs is simply essential right now. Your customers’ stated requests are your best playbook for this unscripted moment.

It’s my heartfelt wish that you’ll see the fruits of today’s extraordinary efforts in tomorrow’s customer loyalty. My teammate, Dr. Pete, recently shared an article with me in which the author described how Marks & Spencer’s provision of clothing during Great Britain's World War II textile rationing earned decades of devoted patronage because customers felt the retailer had “been there” for them when it mattered.

Being there at the present may mean transitioning some operations online, onto street curbs and parking lots, or into delivery vans, and how you communicate availability matters more than ever before. I’m inspired by seeing the ingenuity and kindness of the “helpers” Fred Rogers spoke of, in community after community.

There’s no denying that this is a challenging time for local search marketing, and yet, at the same time, local promotional skills have never been more critical. Take a second to imagine our communities if we were still limited to once-a-year phone book updates of business information, and I think you’ll quickly see just how vital a resource the local Internet has become.

Can you be a helper today? Please, comment about your own business, your clients’ brands, or any company in your town that you’re seeing make a special endeavor to serve communities. Your story could spark a new idea for a local business owner to keep a neighborhood or even an entire city afloat. Thanks for being a helper.

Sign up for The Moz Top 10, a semimonthly mailer updating you on the top ten hottest pieces of SEO news, tips, and rad links uncovered by the Moz team. Think of it as your exclusive digest of stuff you don't have time to hunt down but want to read!

[xaydungtruonggia]

How Your Local Business Can Be a Helper

Posted by MiriamEllis

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.” — Fred Rogers

This quote is one I find myself turning to frequently these days as a local SEO. It calls to mind my irreplaceable neighborhood grocer. On my last essential run to their store, they not only shared a stashed 4-pack of bath tissue with me, but also stocked their market with local distillery-produced hand sanitizer which I was warned will reek of bourbon, but will get the job done.

When times are hard, finding helpers comes as such a relief. Even the smallest acts that a local business does to support physical and mental health can be events customers remember for years to come.

While none of us gets to live in Mister Rogers’ idealized neighborhood, the adaptations I’m seeing local businesses and organizations make to sustain communities during COVID-19 are a meaningful expression of caring worthy of his humanitarian vision. Almost any brand, large or small, has the chance to be a good neighbor. Please use the following industry and platform examples to spark local business creativity when it’s needed most so that brands you care about can stay helpfully productive during the public health emergency.

Inspirational local business pivots and plans

Everyone at Moz is full of admiration for the way different industries are responding in a time that’s not business-as-usual. My thanks to the many teammates who contributed to this roundup of examples we’ve been personally encountering, and we hope you’ll find an actionable path for your business here.

Food and hospitality

1. From fancy to fundamental, famed Seattle restaurant Canlis quickly transitioned from fine dining to offering drive-thru bagels, family meal delivery, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) boxes from local farms.

2. From pizza place to pantry, multiple restaurants and caterers are putting their supply chain to work for their customers. California Pizza Kitchen is delivering meal kits and pantry staples as a pop-up market.

3. Caterers with big hearts like Kay Catering asked parents whose schoolchildren she normally feeds whether they’d be willing to donate unused lunch fees so her company could cook for families in need. Through the generosity of these parents, Kay Kim is now serving dinner to the residents at the Sand Point Public Housing Center at Magnuson Park as part of Seattle Public Schools’ overall effort to feed its students.

4. Pike Place Market on your doorstep is the offering of Savor Seattle, which has shifted from offering tasting tours to aggregating the iconic products of an entire marketplace for home delivery and curbside pickup.

5. To keep grocery shelves stocked, Santa Rosa, California food manufacturer Amy’s Kitchen has ramped up production by erecting tent kitchens with social distancing so that the company’s canned soups can be produced in greater quantities. Meanwhile, distilleries across the country have converted operations to manufacture of hand sanitizer.

6. Community-support agriculture may well see a boom with the appeal of boxes of fresh, local foods delivered to your door, allowing customers to entirely forego trips to grocery stores. Farm stands have become extra precious community resources. Role models like Heron Pond Farm in New Hampshire are accepting SNAP payments and providing discounts to SNAP shoppers.

7. Caring for our most vulnerable community members, grocery stores large and small are setting senior shopping hours. Raley’s is offering curbside pickup of $20 “Senior Essential Bags” filled with fresh and dry goods. Kroger-owned stores are donating $3 million to deploy groceries to food-insecure communities via their Zero Hunger/Zero Waste program.

8. Looking to the future, Instagram co-founder Mike Krieg has launched SaveOurFaves.com, a San Francisco Bay Area directory of restaurants hosting the purchase of gift cards to keep cherished eating spots afloat. These gift cards, meant to be used later, are in the nature of a small business loan.

9. Serving up support for displaced restaurant workers, Food Network star and restaurateur Guy Fieri has created a relief fund. This Bay Area celebrity has repeatedly come to the rescue in disasters, cooking for impacted communities, and now, offering $500 in cash to unemployed restaurant employees on a first-come, first-served basis.

10. Hotels are housing health care workers in need of lodging, with some 6,500 properties participating in the Hotels for Hope initiative nationwide. Meanwhile, in San Francisco alone, more than 30 hotels have offered housing for homeless Americans in response to local and state government requests.

Home services

1. Contractors put safety first by implementing new sanitary protocols when making home visits. Roto-Rooter is doing an outstanding job of explaining how plumbers will wear protective equipment, practice social distancing, and use disinfectant. They are also publishing how-to videos for simple home plumbing and offering advice regarding sanitary products. HVAC brand Vaughan Comfort Services created this section of their website to explain their enhanced safety measures.

2. Cleaning services are making tough decisions about whether to remain operational. Some, like Molly Maid, are still cleaning residences while implementing increased safety practices, but others are diversifying into the commercial cleaning space, cleaning offices that are temporarily empty. Meanwhile, professional biohazard cleaning services like Aftermath are creating new pages on their websites to describe their in-demand practices for disinfecting impacted properties.

3. Computer repair services are adapting, where state regulations allow, to 100% mobile operations and are fixing issues over the phone where possible. One independent shop, DreamNet Computers, created this page to explain how they are sanitizing devices being picked up or dropped off, and how they can repair some computers remotely if they can connect to the Internet.

4. The landscaping services market is haphazard at the moment, with some professionals concerned that state-by-state regulations are not clear enough for their industry, while others are embracing virtual meetings and 3D modeling with the thought that people working from home will now be more invested in having livable outdoor spaces.

Professional and instructional services

1. Much of medicine has become telemedicine and therapy has become teletherapy, barring cases which require direct one-on-one contact. Practitioners able to navigate privacy regulations can still provide vital patient support. Bridges Therapy & Wellness Center of Fairfax, Virginia is just one example of a practice putting online appointment availability front and center on its website. Check out how the telehealth platform PatientPop has quickly pivoted their roll out for medical clients.

2. Movement, meditation, and multiple forms of self-care have made a quick transition online. Religious institutions are putting their services on the web, from Pope Francis celebrating Mass at the Vatican, to Ann Arbor’s Temple Beth Emeth observing virtual Shabbat and the Imams of the Islamic Center of America broadcasting live, daily lectures from Dearborn, Michigan. I’ve found Indigenous invitations to prayer for healing especially moving in these times. Meanwhile, dance studio Dance Church has thousands of folks boogying to their livestreams, and yoga, martial arts, fine arts, and music instructors have shifted to both public and private online sessions. Check out the business support being offered by Your Yoga Alliance to instructors needing to transition operations.

3. Banks and financial institutions are responding by offering various forms of relief including deferring or waiving fees, and providing some forms of mortgage assistance. With concerns over ATM contamination, some advisors in the financial industry are suggesting customers bring their own sanitizer, gloves, and a stylus to transactions.

4. Realtors can manage most meetings virtually, and thanks to technology like Kleard and Immoviewer, buyers can get a very good idea of what properties look like and even handle closings online. However, it’s vital to follow state and local regulations regarding home showings.

5. The National Association of Bar Executives offers abundant guidance for legal professionals via their pandemic preparedness resource. They are hosting roundtables, publishing lists of tech vendors appropriate to the industry, and highlighting government and philanthropic news.

6. Personal care professionals may be struggling most, with hair stylists, manicurists, massage therapists, and related practitioners having no way to replicate their work via the Internet. Kaleidoscope Salon in Chattanooga, Tennessee held a fundraiser offering a prize of a full year of hair services in order to meet its payroll during its closure. Professionals seeking to maintain client relationships during this pause in business can head to YouTube, like R’s Just Hair Salon’s chief hairstylist Ruchi Sawhney, to demo do-it-yourself beauty tips. Stay-at-home orders are making it harder for people to access personal care products. If your salon has inventory, consider curbside pick-up of health and beauty supply kits, as is being offered by Sally Beauty.

Retail

1. Retail is taking a hard hit, and there’s no gainsaying this, but vendors who can transition at least part of their operations to e-commerce selling may be able to remain operational simply because the demand is so high now for home delivery. If you are sitting on unsold inventory and are having trouble imagining how to sell it, check out eBay, which recently announced that it is waiving seller fees to help retailers get their products onto the web for sale.

2. Major clothing retailers like Macy’s and Kohl’s have closed their stores, but continue to sell online. Macy’s CEO Jeff Gennette has stated that the fewest employee furloughs have been in their digital operations, and that they hope to start bringing workers back on through a staggered process in the future. Meanwhile, smaller basic clothing retailers like the Vermont Country Store have temporarily shuttered their premises, but are continuing to ship with the proviso that an overload of orders has slowed down shipping speeds.

3. Electronics retailers are finding their product lines in high demand as all of us seek ways to conduct more of life online. T-Mobile stores may be closed, but they are offering free two-day shipping and have published a whole new section of service resources during the health emergency. Best Buy is offering contactless curbside pickup and delivery. Batteries Plus Bulbs has remained largely operational and is supplying the medical field with essential technology, while also offering curbside pickup to retail customers.

4. Plant nurseries are finding themselves inundated with customers eager to plant food crops in any gardening space they have. In my state of California, agricultural businesses are considered essential. Many nurseries and garden supply shops remain open, but — like the San Francisco Bay Area Sloat Nursery chain — are taking steps to limit the number of customers allowed in at a time, and also offer curbside pickup and delivery. Nurseries should be growing as many veggie starts and stocking as much vegetable seed as possible right now.

5. Home Improvement and hardware stores offering free delivery, like Home Depot, and free curbside pickup, like Ace Hardware, have a good chance of weathering this storm so long as customers can afford to improve their dwellings, in which they are now spending so much more of their time. In a related category, large home furnishings brands like Crate & Barrel are selling online and have their design consultants working from home with clients via phone and web chat.

6. Auto dealers have embraced tech to keep car sales moving. Toyota’s SmartPath tool takes customers from inventory search, to applying for a line of credit, to the point where a vehicle can be delivered to your home. I’ve noticed several dealerships deferring first-month payments to stimulate purchases. Meanwhile, General Motors has begun producing ventilators at its Kokomo, Indiana facility and face masks at its plant in Warren, Michigan.

Where to publicize what you’re doing

Once you’ve determined how your business can best pivot to continue serving the public, you’ll want to update your website to ensure you’re communicating your offerings. You should also update your local business listings, as described in the last edition of my column. Beyond this, here is an example-filled list of resources for maximizing publicity:

Blogs

About a decade ago, local SEO experts were strongly promoting the idea of creating hyperlocal blogs to engage communities. Bloggers who were up to the challenge now have platforms in place through which the most recent and useful information can be quickly communicated to neighbors, as in this excellent example of the West Seattle Blog. If your community lacks a hyperlocal resource like this, your business could be of great help in creating one now. If such a blog is already in place, see if your business can contribute content.

Hyperlocal business association sites

If you don’t want to go it alone in creating a blog, joining with others in a local business association like the West Seattle Junction or Chamber of Commerce will enable many hands to lighten the work. Community hubs like this one are publishing vital information including PSAs, updates on which businesses offer delivery and pickup, and highlighting local merchants. If your neighborhood has platforms like these, contact them to see how you can contribute content. If no such resources exist, contact your neighboring business owners to discuss what you can create together.

Facebook

If you aren’t in a position to build a hyperlocal website or blog right now, Facebook may be your next best option. The Yurok Tribe of California is inspiring in their use of Facebook for continuous dialog with their community. Many tribes are role-modeling how to support one another, and particularly the most vulnerable, in these times. The above example shows how one tribe is phoning its elders and has created a hotline to ensure they’re receiving vital services. I came across another example in which a tribe’s Facebook post instructed elders to hang something red in their windows if they needed any help from younger members of the community. Now is a good time to double down on Facebook with any supportive information your local business can broadcast. Of note, Facebook is offering $100 million in small business cash grants and ad credits.

Nextdoor

Nextdoor is a particularly lively community hub and this is a very good time to join it as a business. It should go without saying that publishing anything that could seem self-serving would be a poor choice. Instead, take inspiration from the spirit demonstrated in the above example of a neighborhood converting their Little Free Library into a mini dry goods pantry, or this independent restaurant using Nextdoor to offer a discount to anyone in their industry who may have lost their local job. This is a good, ready-do-go platform for outreach to your community.

Twitter

Check out how the Downtown Business Association of Edmonton is using Twitter to promote virtual local events and a new directory they’re building on their website specifically highlighting operational local businesses. The instantaneous communication capacity of Twitter is a resource your company should consider right now, even if you haven’t done much tweeting in the past. Follow and share the content of other local businesses to create a stronger community with timely messaging for the public.

Instagram

Instagram is proving extremely helpful in alerting communities to offerings and changes, as in this example of a Richland, Washington cookie cutter manufacturer transitioning operations to produce face shields for medical personnel, and providing DIY instructions for anyone with access to a 3D printer.

Radio

This excellent Los Angeles Times article by Randy Lewis reminds us of how radio remains a strong resource even for those in our community who lack Internet access. People are tuning the dials for hyperlocal information about the availability of resources, for comfort, and hope. If your business is doing something that would help local customers, consider calling into the nearest radio station to share your story. Obviously, avoid being overly-promotional, and do consider whether this might be a good time to invest a little more in formal radio advertising.

Newspapers

Almost any town with a newspaper is printing abundant information about community resources right now, including lists of operational companies like this one in the Marin Independent Journal. Reach out with your news and volunteer to be interviewed to spread the word about how your business is serving the community. These unstructured citations from trusted online news outlets can help local searchers find your business and even boost your rankings. Consider paid news ad spots as well, if it’s in your budget.

Local television and video media

I thought this multi-location appliance company, Airport Home Appliances, did an excellent job with their local TV ad spot regarding their current operations, which they also posted to YouTube. Your audience is mainly homebound now, and Nielsen finds that local TV is becoming the preferred choice for accessing news and information in the United States. If it’s in your budget, even a basic local television ad could reach many customers at this time. If now isn’t a good time for your brand to invest, get something up on YouTube and embed it on your website.

Local, regional, or industry podcasts

If your area or business category is lucky enough to have a good podcast, reaching out to the podcaster to share what your business is doing could help you broadcast your offering to a wider audience. Check out this episode of the Tennessee Farm Table (theme song guaranteed to get stuck in your head), in which podcaster Amy Campbell gives a running list of Appalachian businesses providing local food to residents. Whether you simply get mentioned or take the next step of being interviewed by a podcaster, this medium is one to embrace. And, if your area has no local podcast, think about launching one to create a more connected community.

Being the helpers

Fred Rogers Memorial Statue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Image Credit: Wally Gobetz.

I hope you’ve seen something in this article that could help support your local brand’s goals to sustain itself in the coming months. A commonality across all the examples I’ve reviewed of COVID-19 business adjustments is that regular, open communication with customers to understand and meet their needs is simply essential right now. Your customers’ stated requests are your best playbook for this unscripted moment.

It’s my heartfelt wish that you’ll see the fruits of today’s extraordinary efforts in tomorrow’s customer loyalty. My teammate, Dr. Pete, recently shared an article with me in which the author described how Marks & Spencer’s provision of clothing during Great Britain's World War II textile rationing earned decades of devoted patronage because customers felt the retailer had “been there” for them when it mattered.

Being there at the present may mean transitioning some operations online, onto street curbs and parking lots, or into delivery vans, and how you communicate availability matters more than ever before. I’m inspired by seeing the ingenuity and kindness of the “helpers” Fred Rogers spoke of, in community after community.

There’s no denying that this is a challenging time for local search marketing, and yet, at the same time, local promotional skills have never been more critical. Take a second to imagine our communities if we were still limited to once-a-year phone book updates of business information, and I think you’ll quickly see just how vital a resource the local Internet has become.

Can you be a helper today? Please, comment about your own business, your clients’ brands, or any company in your town that you’re seeing make a special endeavor to serve communities. Your story could spark a new idea for a local business owner to keep a neighborhood or even an entire city afloat. Thanks for being a helper.

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