#beacon based marketing

[beaconsmind]

#gym #gyms #beaconsmind #proximity marketing beacons #retail store marketing #instore marketing #in store beacons #in store beacon technology #retail technology solutions #beacon marketing solutions #beacon based marketing #bluetooth beacon marketing #retail technologies #retail sales #retail management #retail

[writerlyhabits]

Ration Packs

Pairing: Din Djarin x female reader

Word Count: 4.7k

Summary: based on this request...

“I’m guessing it’ll be ration packs for dinner?” you added, nodding towards the empty satchel hanging from his hip.  “There wasn’t a market on the way back to the ship,” he almost pleaded, trying to explain his intentions, but you simply gave him a tight-lipped nod in acknowledgment.  “I’ll get the packs started so it's ready by the time you’ve unloaded.” Your voice lacked its usual kindness. This shift in the conversation had you speaking with him as if this were all just… business. Had he pushed you too far? Were you trying to remind him that he had hired you to be here? That he should be keeping things… professional? Fuck. This was why he worked alone.  

Warnings: mild language, miscommunication [but not in a horrible way, don’t worry, I’m better than that], young dumb in love din djarin, mild angst, angst with a happy ending, everything is in Din’s pov because i love his dumbass train of thought, idk it’s pretty soft

AN: oh my god i’m back from the dead! I told you guys i’d be back 😂 This request has been sitting in my inbox for probably about a year… and I have no end of apologies, but i’m finally done and it’s a miracle I don’t hate it 😂 I did change the prompt a little… the idea of them putting Grogu to bed was cute, but I had an idea for a younger Din and just fell in love with it, so i ran with that. I hope you guys enjoy 💖 Thank you @deceiver-of-gods for putting up with me all this time, ily 😘

Din had traveled through the toughest parts of the galaxy without batting an eye. He’d run with a mercenary group and proven himself to have more skills, more hits, more value… and more of a moral compass than anyone else in the group. After fighting his way out of their grip, he had taken out high-level targets with ease to earn his way into the Bounty Hunters guild. Din continued to be not only one of the youngest of their ranks, but also the most highly sought after. And after all of that? 

You were his greatest challenge. 

His Razor crest had taken one too many hits for him to be able to repair on his own, and the costs of repairs on his pre-imperial ship were starting to eat into the funds he usually gave back to his covert. Not providing for them was not an option; the Beroya was supposed to send their spoils back to the covert to provide for those in hiding. This is the way…

So when he landed on a planet with lush, colorful flora, and a generally trusting local people, he least expected you to strike a bargain with him. He needed a mechanic, and you wanted a ticket out. Free boarding and transportation in exchange for a live-in repair crew, he just had to get you the parts. It was his perfect solution. He hired you on the spot and scheduled to ship out as soon as the Crest was back in working order. 

On that first day of travel, Din had only just entered hyper-speed when he became overly critical of his ship. The cold, metal surfaces of the hull were uninviting, full of sharp edges, and devoid of any personality. It didn’t take him much longer to realize that, to an outsider, his armor looked much the same. 

But he’d never seen it that way before. To him, the Mandalorian armor was a sign of home, of belonging. It had been his savior in his childhood, and a beacon of his people as he grew into his own. He had tucked away into coverts where the blank metal lining of their ships and their walls meant protection. 

But you were not Mandalorian. You hadn’t grown up around sharp edges and cold surfaces. The place you called home was filled with warm colors and soft curves, the buildings made to flow with the organic structures of the nature around them, letting in the bright sunlight necessary for its growth. You yourself walked with an elegance Din was unfamiliar with, treading softly on the ground and smiling brightly at him each time your kind eyes met his dark visor. You had shared your warmth with him since the moment he’d met you, despite the coldness he was certain he portrayed, and it surprised him how much he found himself drawn to it. Drawn to you. 

You were everything he wasn’t. But Din would do everything in his power to make sure you never came to regret agreeing to this strange setup, that you never felt isolated or alone because you’d chosen him – a walking wall of cold beskar – as your traveling companion. 

At first, he’d merely wanted to bring you things that reminded him of your home, things he thought might do the same for you. Anytime he was in a market passing through, either on a supply run or with a bounty in tow, he found something colorful to bring back to you. The first few had been small trinkets, things you could keep in the small cupboard you had decided to call your quarters, or delicate pieces of jewelry he would later catch you wearing around the ship. 

The feeling Din got seeing you wear something he gave you made something warm swell inside of him… It made it hard to come back to the ship empty-handed, especially with the promise of your soft smile when he held his hand to you with a new gift. 

On one of his trips, he’d brought back a woven tapestry; the craftsmanship had been beautiful, and the colors matched those of the outfits you wore the most around him. Din was about to launch into an apology when he first gave it to you, not having thought about where you would even be able to put it, but his statement was cut short when you happily grabbed it from him and turned on your heel to find something. 

Not even a few moments later, you returned with a handful of powerful magnets you’d picked up on a market a few planets back, and he watched as you excitedly hung the artwork from one of the walls in the Crest’s hull, creating a curtain in front of one of the panels on that wall – you must have thought it was as ugly as he did. 

“What do you think?” You had asked him, and he watched self-consciousness start to creep in now that your initial excitement was starting to wear off. 

“It looks good,” he’d replied a little stiffly, still having a hard time finding the courage to speak around you. A bounty hunter, with hundreds of captures under his belt, was still too shy to talk to his mechanic… he at least wasn’t dumb enough to miss the irony in his own predicament, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t his truth. 

Since then, Din had started bringing back more things you could use to decorate the ship with; tapestries, blankets, and cushions accompanied the trinkets and jewelry he brought back with him. He could tell that your favorite of his gifts had been a soft shawl he’d seen hanging at a market in the rural areas of Naboo. The politician’s son he was paid to deliver back home had gone on about the luxury material it was made of, something about ancient processes and unique resources… All he knew was that it brought out your natural beauty when you wrapped it around your shoulders, and he felt his cheeks get warm under his helmet when you did. 

The two of you started to fall into these new routines fairly easily, and with all of your redecorations, it was becoming a welcome change. In the evenings – or at least what you thought was evenings in the darkness of hyperspace – you would prep a set of ration packs for the both of you. It was always two of the same kind so that you could feel like you were “sharing a meal,” a concept he had very little experience with. At least, he hadn’t for a very long time. 

Since eating required removing his helmet, Mandalorians often took their meals in solitude, or within the confines of their family. You, on the other hand, were used to shared meals in dining rooms with someone at every seat, and communal dining halls bustling with people. At first, Din was afraid you might take offense to him leaving during meal times, never quite sure how to phrase his dilemma. 

Luckily, he never had to. 

You caught on pretty quickly to his predicament, handing him a warm ration pack with a smile before turning to let him eat in peace. He always rushed through his meals in order to join you in the hull, to thank you for your silent understanding by coming down to talk with you as you ate yours at a leisurely pace. 

As the weeks went by, Din picked up on some of your silent requests as well, memories of food that didn’t need to be rehydrated before you ate it. He began looking out for other booths at the markets, and fresh ingredients began coming home in place of some of the gifts and trinkets he always brought back with him. Each time he did, a home-cooked meal would follow, and Din always made sure he expressed his gratitude when he came back down to join you for the second half of your meal. 

Your routines continued like this for a while, silently assessing each other’s needs, and wordlessly adjusting to accommodate. And it worked. The Razor Crest felt more and more like a home rather than the metal casing of a ship, small traces of your personal touch nearly everywhere he looked. The food had been better, the companionship had been better, far better than the cold silence he’d had to put up with before you came to him. 

And Din started to catch on to just how much his own feelings revolved around you. 

He craved your warmth at the end of a rough day, he sought to provide your happiness, to get your approval… He tried to be better at actually opening his mouth, being able to express more of his feelings for you outside of your usual, quiet understanding of each other. He tried asking you more questions, wanting to not only hear about the events of your day but to actually get to know you better, showing you how much he genuinely cared. And Din was elated when you started to do the same in return. 

After he came back to the ship from a particularly taxing hunt, he heard your soft footsteps descending the ladder from the cockpit while he secured the unconscious bounty into the corner of the hull you had affectionately deemed “time-out.” The most uncomfortable chair had been secured behind some of your tapestries, acting as a set of curtains that kept the bounties from view. 

When Din emerged from the hanging fabrics, he could feel some of the tension leave his body at the sight of you in your work clothes, a warm smile dancing on your grease-stained cheeks, wiping your hands on the old flight suit you’d brought with you from home. No matter how difficult his hunts had been, being able to debrief with you upon his return always made him smile beneath the helmet. 

“Hey!” you lilted. 

“Hey,” he responded, still a little awkward despite how long you’d been working together. He was getting better, but it could definitely still use improvement. 

“How’d the hunt go?” you asked, gesturing to the closed curtain beside him. “Obviously successful if you’ve got someone in time-out.” Din chuckled under his breath at your quip, mulling over the events of his day before he replied. 

“It was fine.” You looked at him expectantly for a few moments, waiting for him to continue. 

“Just… fine?” you half giggled, one brow raised in question while you donned a crooked grin. It hadn’t really gone bad, he did have the bounty in hand. It could have gone better, but nothing that came to any detriment in the end… 

He nodded. “It… went well. There’s nothing to report,” he shrugged, unsure what else you were looking for in his answer. 

But your face fell. Only for a moment… but enough for him to see it. 

“How are your repairs coming?” He tried, hoping to stir the conversation again, to fix whatever had caused your sudden change in attitude. 

“Fine. There’s nothing to report.” Your answer was short, both in your words and your temper. You usually volunteered the finer details of your projects, explaining with a dramatic flair all of your trials and your victories, stories that Din was always happy to be an audience to. 

Why hadn’t you done so this time?

“I’m guessing it’ll be ration packs for dinner?” you added, nodding towards the empty satchel hanging from his hip. One that usually carried whatever gift he had brought for you. Dank farrik… he already hated coming back empty-handed – something you had never made him feel guilty for – but right now it was only making him feel worse. 

“There wasn’t a market on the way back to the ship,” he almost pleaded, trying to explain his intentions, but you simply gave him a tight-lipped nod in acknowledgment. 

“I’ll get the packs started so it's ready by the time you’ve unloaded.” Your voice lacked its usual kindness. This shift in the conversation had you speaking with him as if this were all just… business. Had he pushed you too far? Were you trying to remind him that he had hired you to be here? That he should be keeping things… professional?

Fuck. This was why he worked alone. 

One of the downsides of having grown up around the Mandalorians was that his concepts of interpersonal relationships were skewed. The two of you were operating on completely different sets of rules, and where you had been able to read each other incredibly well… Now he was left to try and figure out where he’d gone wrong. 

With Mandalorians, he knew where he stood. They spoke with purpose, meaning exactly what they said. Even growing up constantly harassing and sparring with Paz, Din knew where his sentiments came from; competition, comradery, and a deep passion for his people. But outside the covert… Din was still finding his footing when it came to the beings he interacted with. Riding with the mercenary group had at least taught him how to weed through the tangled lies that spewed from their mouths, trusting them only as far as he could throw them – if that. 

But you were nothing like those slimy low lives. He didn’t know how to start friendships, how to engage in small talk… and he had no idea where to start when it came to the way you made his heart rate pick up. You made Din nervous, but you were also a comfort. You were new and familiar all at once, a new adventure as well as a place of rest. 

You meant so much to him… and he’d managed to drive you away just as quickly as he had let you in. 

…

The fog of uncertainty hung around the ship for days, and with it, the cold emptiness he had been so accustomed to in his solitude had returned. But after the warmth you had brought to his Razor Crest, being without it was almost suffocating. Din missed you. 

That was a fact he was trying to wrap his head around, seeing as you still lived with him on the ship… but it wasn’t the same. You stopped humming while you worked on different panels across his ship, blanketing the hull in silence. Any questions Din tried to ask you were met with short, quiet responses. Surprisingly, you still made the effort to prepare a ration pack with yours during meal times, but when he rushed back down from the cockpit in record time to join you, you were nowhere in sight. 

There was nowhere to go inside his ship. That was one of the things he’d liked about it; there was room for him to live on board comfortably without giving his bounties anywhere to hide. And yet, you still managed to avoid him. When he entered the hull, you escaped to your room. When he climbed up the rungs to the cockpit, you would make some quiet excuse and scurry out the door behind him. No matter where he went, what he said, or whatever measures he took to try and catch you off-guard, you were gone before he could even open his mouth. 

He was fucking sick of it. He had made a promise, when you came aboard, that he would make sure you never came to regret choosing this life with him. That you would continue to choose to stay with him, to choose him over the home planet you were so desperate to leave. He made a promise, and he intended to keep it. 

After landing on Nevarro a few days later to return his bounty, Din’s plan began to unfold. He walked out of the run-down cantina Karga liked to meet up at – insisting that he was going to fix it up and make it ‘a place of gathering’ – the spills of his hunt clanking against the mechanical chip he had tucked away in the satchel that sat on his belt. A chip that, if missing, would cause systems in the cockpit to go offline. 

Something his mechanic would find during her daily diagnosis check. 

Din felt a pang of guilt at the thought of you being buried arms deep in the underside of the control panel with no hope of finding the repair, because he was the one to take it from you... But then he thought about the worser fate; what if you figured out what was missing, and had more reason to dislike him than before? His guilt quickly turned into slight panic, making haste to get back to his ship to enact his plan before your clever brain could figure out what he’d done. 

When he returned to the Crest, the harshness of the metal hull was almost overwhelming. You had started taking down your tapestries and decorations, save for everything but the “time-out” corner, and it felt cold. You didn’t come out to greet him or welcome him back, let alone acknowledge him at all. You hadn’t done so since the time your conversation had taken a turn for the worst. He did, however, hear a loud metal clang and your familiar grunt of frustration from exactly where he assumed you would be. He wondered if you had even heard him come on board… 

Din quietly discarded his weapons before stealthily moving to the ladder just below the cockpit, stopping in his tracks when he heard a slew of colorful curses leave your lips. He waited a few moments until the sounds of your hard work continued, none-the-wiser to his oncoming ambush. 

By the time he reached the top of the cockpit, he took a moment to assess the situation and figure out the best approach. You were exactly where he thought you would be, laying on your back just to the side of his pilot’s chair, agile hands fiddling with different cables and boards inside his instrument panel…

And your head snapped up to look at him when he made the door to the cockpit slide closed behind him. 

You stared at Din for a couple moments before you opened your mouth. “Did you… are you cornering me?” When you put it that way, this was not going quite as he’d imagined, despite everything going according to plan. He had to keep going. 

“You’re ignoring me,” he said firmly, his tone reminiscent of one he took with his bounties. 

“Fucking maker, did you hunt me?” You asked with furrowed brows, and your slightly agitated tone made him fairly certain you didn’t actually need his answer. “I live on the same kriffing ship, and you had to treat me like one of your bounties just to say something to me?” 

“I had to talk to you. You wouldn’t let me,” he pressed, keeping his voice steady. You gave a huff of indignation. 

“I don’t have time for this, Mando, I have to fix your ship,” you threw at him before your body thumped dramatically on the ground as you went back to your work. 

“So you are angry at me,” Din stated, sounding more like an observation than a question. He could work with angry. You shot him a glare without moving too much from your position, and he took that as a good enough indicator to continue his interrogation. “Did I do something to upset you?” 

“Mando…” you started, his moniker leaving your lips in an exasperated sigh, not without a flame of annoyance lurking behind it. 

“Don’t make another excuse. I’m tired of avoiding this.” He watched the bluntness of his words hit you, not surprised when you furrowed your brows as you started to slide out from under the console, sitting up to scowl at him properly. 

“Another- what? I didn’t make any fucking excuses, I’m not avoiding anything,” you fired off, your tone indicating the exact opposite of what you were saying. 

“Then why have you stopped talking to me?” Din expected another fiery response, but instead a split-second of realization crossed over your face before it was replaced with one of irritated confusion. It made him — him, the stone-cold Mandalorian bounty hunter — shift on his feet. 

“I stopped talking to you?” You countered, and you waited a moment to let him respond… but he didn’t know what you expected him to say. “Right, because you’ve been super talkative after ‘there’s nothing to report’,” you mumbled, and it caused those same words to ring in his head from the night everything went wrong. You had said them so coldly…

After he had said them to you. 

“I- I meant no offense,” he tried a little lamely, still not understanding where he had gone wrong, but wanting more than anything for you to understand that he was willing to fix it. “I didn’t have anything to say.” You gave another sigh, but this one was softer, like you were about to level with him. It was progress, if nothing else. 

“Nothing? You couldn’t give me the details of your hunt the same way I tell you about the market? I mean, it’s not as exciting as I make it out to be, I just... “ You trailed off and looked away from him without finishing your sentence, but he wasn’t going to let that happen. He was finally getting answers out of you, he was going to get to the bottom of this, and make good on his promise to keep you happy. This was the way. 

He was quick to kneel in front of you, trying to get closer to your level to get away from his interrogation tactic, and communicate that he was willing to listen and receive. “You just what? Help me understand.” 

You scoffed a laugh as you shook your head. “There’s not a lot to understand. I like talking with you, I like when we share stories. I just… I wanted to be close with you.” 

Din wanted to bang his head against the wall. With or without his helmet. This all started because he was an idiot who didn’t know how to talk? He was a bounty hunter, he should have been smarter than that. He should have been able to tell what had caused such a shift, and been able to fix it before the mission could go sideways. 

But, in all fairness, he was a bounty hunter who was used to being alone. 

Before Din had lucked into having you travel the galaxy with him on his hunts, he came back to an empty ship. There was nobody else to talk about the day with. And after living amongst the Mandalorians, a people of few words, he wasn’t exactly in the habit of speaking to himself or others. Before you, everything that surrounded Din was just… quiet. 

“But… this is just professional, I get that now. I’ll stay out of your way, and I won’t pry. It is your ship, after all.” 

And he was about to get himself into even more trouble if he didn’t figure out how to speak right fucking now. 

“No,” he started firmly, desperately catching on to the tail end of your admission, but not entirely sure what was about to come out of his mouth. “This isn’t- I don’t… I’m not good at talking.” Strong start Djarin. 

“What?” You asked softly. If anything, you pretty much justified his statement. He took a breath to try and steady himself, to dig through the chaos inside his head and find a half-way coherent string of words to offer you, to clean up his mess. 

“Mandalorians are quiet. Bounty Hunters keep to themselves. I’m not used to talking,” he reiterated, and he watched your confused expression shift gently into one of intrigue, your sign for him to keep going. “I wasn’t trying to shut you out, I just… didn’t know what else to say. I’m used to sparing people any details that aren’t deemed necessary. Now I know that I shouldn’t do that with you. I’m sorry.” 

Din was pleased to find a small smile growing at the corners of your mouth. “I mean… You don’t have to give me every detail. Just the good stuff,” you smiled, making Din’s heart feel warm. He didn’t realize how much he missed the radiance of your smile until now, feeling like he was finally stepping into the sun after spending so long in the dark. 

“Just the good stuff… So I’ll tell you how much blood there was when I-”

“No, no thanks,” you cut him off quickly, making a fake gagging sound as he laughed under his helmet. “I take it back, let’s go back to no more talking, I’m good. I’ll just stay up here with all my busted circuits, thank you very much.” 

“Please don’t, I can’t go back to quiet,” he said quickly, the smile still plastered on his face as the weight of his words hit both of you.

I can’t go back to quiet.

It was true, he couldn’t. The past few minutes talking with you again, even when you were angry and yelling at him half of the time, had him feeling better than he had in days. 

“Oh yeah?” You offered, and he could tell by your knowing smile that you had come to the same realization that he did. You knew how much he had come to need you. “You don’t want a break from all my rambling?” 

“Never,” he admitted. Din watched your shoulders relax and your soft smile get brighter as his answer left his helmet, and he realized how much you needed him in return. It made a warmth bloom from deep within his chest, warming him all the way out to the very coldest parts of his Beskar armor. “Never stop. I want you to fill this ship with all your stories, real or exaggerated.” 

It caught him by surprise when you leapt up from your spot on the ground to meet his height, flinging your arms around his neck as you held him tight, fitting together perfectly even as you knelt on the floor in front of each other. With only a little hesitation, Din wrapped his gloved hands around you, arms circling your waist and pulling you flush against the plates of his armor, and soaked up everything that was you. 

This is the way. 

Sooner than he would’ve liked, he felt your grip around his neck loosen, and you leaned back to lock you gaze with his dark visor. 

“As much as I’d love to catch up, your ship is driving me crazy and I have got to figure out how to get these control panels back online,” you explained, and Din slowly started to realize he hadn’t thought this part through. 

“Well, I uh…” 

“You’re welcome to stay and chat, if you’re in the talking mood. I’d love to hear about your meeting in town,” you offered playfully, sending him a wink as you began to shuffle yourself back down under the open compartment of his shift. 

Instead, he got down on the ground and laid himself next to you, as if he was going to look at what you were doing with the repairs. Your hands stopped mid-action as you looked at him, and he enjoyed the airy laugh that escaped you at his actions. 

“Or you can watch from here, that’s fine, too.” 

“I was actually going to offer a suggestion,” he started timidly. You turned away from him as you focused on the wires in front of you again. 

“I'll take anything you’ve got. I haven’t seen anything like this in ages… I’ve only got one idea left, but I doubt it’s right. It’s like the reactor chip is missing, but the only way that thing would’ve even budged is if someone-” You stopped in your tracks as Din lifted a gloved hand into your peripheral view, the small reactor chip held between his fingers for you to see. 

You paused a moment before turning your head dangerously towards your companion. He could see the corners of your lips twitching as you did everything you could to avoid a smile, and he remained grateful for his helmet as it hid his beaming face from view. 

You snatched the chip from his hand and looked back to your circuits. “Get out of my cockpit,” you said quietly, the last few words of your threat lost to your laughter. Din couldn’t stop his own laughter from coming through the modulator as he began getting up from the floor to do as he was told. “You’re making the ration packs tonight,” you added, the smile on your cheeks evident in your voice. 

"This is the way."

Thanks for reading!! If you’d like to be notified when I post a new fic, be sure to follow @writerlyhabits-library + turn on post notifications! 💛

#din djarin #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian #the mandalorian x reader #young din djarin #request #anonymous request #kam takes forever to do shit #my writing

[convexicalcrow]

By all accounts, Magic Mountain was a lovely place. The bases coming up around it all in various stages of progress offered glimpses as to it's final form. Cub liked hanging out in the cherry trees at the top of the mountain, watching the sunset. It was a great backdrop for his fireworks tests. High enough to be out of the way of people's bases, and with enough open sky to really show off how good they looked.

There was just one problem with Magic Mountain, though. Gem and Grian's bases were just... foggy. Damp, cold, foggy. For whatever reason, the weather around their bases was so utterly different from everywhere else, and Cub didn't really notice it until he was up on that mountain and could see the distinct changes in lighting and atmosphere that surrounded that part of the river.

it was a bit creepy, really. To be fair, Gem and Grian had been weird all season. Something about fishing and being close to the water had clearly done something to them. Which is not to say Cub had been immune either. He'd done his share of fishing while Grian was trying to get that mending book, more for moral support and company than anything else. There were worse ways to spend your time than hanging out with your friends while fishing.

One evening, he got curious. He'd seen Gem's progress at her base, seeing the crane reaching out through the fog and the bright yellow sparks from the power lines punching through the darkness. A bright red beacon beam burst through the top of the lighthous, as if it was a warning. Something...

He flew down and landed on the docks, immediately feeling the change in atmosphere. The night ceased to be clear. Thick fog rolled around him, preventing him from seeing too far. The skull across the river glowed ominously, its towering presence looming over the water. He might have shivered. Something here didn't feel right.

"I probably shouldn't be here," Cub muttered as he walked further into the base.

The huge anglerfish head that decorated the fish market seemed alive somehow, bathed in the eerie glow of the bulb at the end of the protrusion coming from the top of its head. Its teeth just seemed razor sharp. Cub didn't want to approach it. He was sure he just saw it breath, saw some kind of tongue moving in its lower jaw.

He walked slowly, moving towards the lighthouse. The two fish that circled it moved so slowly, the fog making them seem like ghosts that weren't really there. They made no sound save for the soft movement of their bodies through the air.

He turned as something large seemed to hit the water, causing a splash.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Cub called. "Gem? Is that you?"

There was no answer, and only small splashes. Perhaps fish just swarming. Maybe that was just a squid landing after flying out of the water. Maybe that's what it was. He went closer to the water's edge, trying to see if he was alone.

"What the hell-? What is that thing?" Cub murmured as he saw an unusually large dark shadow moving through the water. It was too dark to see what it was; it was only visible because of the moonlight that had barely made it through the fog to reflect on the water.

One of the power lines sparked again, causing Cub to startle. It was too loud in the dark quiet dockyards. Perhaps a sign he should get out of here.

"Maybe that was just squid ink. Maybe it got scared when it fell into the water. Maybe that's it," Cub told himself as he moved past the lighthouse, hoping to pass out of Gem's area and back into the clear night.

Perhaps something grabbed his ankle and dragged him under before he could leave. Perhaps there was nothing more than dark water and soft, gentle singing before he respawned in his bed, clammy and wet, with a jagged stab wound through his heart made by some creature he did not want to imagine.

"Man, I ain't never going there again. That place is cursed for real though," Cub said. And if even he was scared to go there, perhaps the fear was well placed. Something was wrong with Gem's base, and Cub wanted nothing to do with it.

#hermitcraft #hermitfic #fanfic #cubfan135 #geminitay #sea monsters #i finished watching gem's latest ep and got inspired #so have some fic while i procrastinate on studying

[slaymitchabernathy]

Field Mouse

District Twelve is filled with rats. Vermin. Infested in fact. That's the first thing Coriolanus Snow learns when he gets off the train at the station. At night he tries to soothe himself to sleep by telling himself that by all technicality, he's sleeping in the cleanest place there is in this sad excuse for a District.

Not that the Peacekeeper base is top tier. Because it's not.

His penthouse on the Corso is top-tier. But here he was, sweating as he loaded crates and barrels onto trucks in the sweltering heat of June. "Got here right in time Gent," his bunkmate Smiley jokes.

Coriolanus has to withstand the urge to roll his eyes at his friend's playful jest. There is nothing right about him being here. There is nothing good about District Twelve. There is nothing worth visiting District Twelve for and...oh.

Well, what does he have here?

Coriolanus had almost forgotten that women inhabited this part of Panem. It doesn't mean they're pretty, but they all share that one special thing between their legs and that's good enough for him.

His other bunkmate Beanpole takes notice of the change in Coriolanus's demeanor and nudges him, "We're going down to the Hob tomorrow night. You should come, meet the locals." He wiggles his eyebrows as he says the last part and Coriolanus grins. "Sounds like a plan."

If he were in the Capitol, he would've put a lot of time and effort into his appearance. He would've made sure his shirt was free of any wrinkles, that his shoes weren't scuffed, that his curls were styled just the right way.

But he's not in the Capitol. His shirt consists of the uniform every Peacekeeper is given when they arrive at the base. His shoes are heavy-duty boots, and he gets yelled at if his laces are undone. And his golden, precious curls are gone. Shaved off before he even left the Capitol.

He runs a hand through his buzzed hair as they all step into the Hob. According to Smiley, it's some sort of black-market the locals have put together. The Peacekeepers normally turn a blind eye since it's one of the only places you can get alcohol for a decent price, along with a good time with a girl.

Coriolanus surveys the room for a moment, locating all the exits and entry points. It seems there's one way in and one way out. A major fire hazard but who cares? "Let's get some drinks," Smiley shouts into his ear. It's loud in here, and it smells a little but Coriolanus nods, everything's more tolerable when you're drunk.

They get some drinks from a vendor who's running the bar who eyes them wearily until Smiley produces some coins. Then they're welcomed customers. "Folks around here are a bit scared off by us," he explains to Coriolanus, tugging on his blue shirt, "they can spot the uniform from a mile away."

Coriolanus was always able to identify the Peacekeepers in the Capitol, but he doesn't tell Smiley that. Peacekeepers were a beacon of security and safety to Capitol citizens. Here, they're practically terrorists.

It's like a sudden silence falls over the room before a girl comes scampering out onto the makeshift stage they have set up in the Hob, and she's hollering about all sorts of things. Coriolanus doesn't really pay her any mind, or the other's that join her and strike up a tune. Live music is always appreciated so he keeps on talking to Smiley about when he thinks Hoff might stop making them carry hundreds of crates back and forth from the base.

Coriolanus has always been perceptive, and that's how he spots a small disturbance in the crowd. It's between a girl and a guy and the two are arguing about something with such passion. Well, the guy is at least. The girl won't seem to give him the time of day as she pushes her way through the crowd that seems to make way for her, but not for him.

It's hard to make out her face in the dim lighting, but she looks pretty. Well, pretty for a girl in the Districts. She's making her way towards him. Towards the bar most likely. As they get closer Coriolanus can make out more of what the guy is saying.

"...didn't mean it! You know I would never get with her, you're the one for me Soarynn."

Soarynn. What a pretty name. And the closer she gets he can see that she's very pretty. Coriolanus decides that he'd be chasing her too if she was running away from him.

She finally reaches the bar, not sparing any Peacekeepers a glance as she goes to order. She doesn't get far before the guy grabs her arm and pulls her back. Coriolanus tightens his grip on his drink. He hates District people all the same, even if they're pretty girls. But there's just something about a guy bothering a girl that he hates.

"I didn't cheat so stop walkin' away from me!" He cries, frustration written all over his grimy face. Soarynn pulls her arm from his grasp, "I don't care what you did or didn't do, we're over Billy Taupe. Go find some new girl to follow around." She tries to step back but this Billy Taupe is relentless and clearly drunk because he goes to grab her waist. Soarynn doesn't hesitate to slap him across the face and several people let out low whistles at the public fight.

Coriolanus shakes his head and focuses back on Smiley, figuring the argument is over now that she's shown him a thing or two. So when he watches from the corner of his eye as Billy Taupe grabs her by the hair and starts screaming bloody murder, he's the first to react and leap to action.

She looks so scared in his grasp, trying to get away and Coriolanus doesn't hesitate to grab the drunk by the shoulders and pull him back. Soarynn manages to get out of Billy Taupe's grasp and watches wide-eyed as Coriolanus turns him around and socks him across the face.

Now it's a fight.

There's yelling from both sides, miners and Peacekeepers alike as Coriolanus punches Billy Taupe again. He tries to fight back and manages to snag him in his lip, but he's no match for Coriolanus who's much taller and more sober. Coriolanus lands one more punch, watching as blood gushes from Billy Taupe's nose.

The Hob is buzzing with noise now, people are screaming and arguing while the two boys are now on the floor. Even though he can barely hear himself think, he grabs Billy Taupe by the collar, pulling him off the ground, "Don't ever touch her again," he spits out before letting go of that sorry excuse of a person.

It's Beanpole who's pulling him off the ground, saying how they need to leave before backup gets here. The crowd makes it hard to move in any direction but they don't seem to be too mad at him. He gets some dirty looks but that's about it. Coriolanus only glances behind him once to see Soarynn looking right at him, her eyes wide and watching as he leaves.

The boys clap him on the back as they walk back to the base, "You sure-handed his ass to him," Beanpole laughs, "thought we'd never get you off of him."

Coriolanus shrugged, his lip had a small cut on it, which meant bruise, swelling, the whole nine yards really.

"I was just doing my job."

꧁ ꧂

He's felt someone's eyes on him since they pulled into the town square. But Coriolanus can't seem to find who's watching him. They're loading crates, again. It seems that the newer Peacekeepers are tasked with all the grunt work no one wants to be bothered with.

"Take a break!" The commanding officer yells, wiping sweat off his own brow before walking into the nearest establishment for reprieve which just so happens to be the bakery. Coriolanus watches him for a moment, his eyes scanning the bakery windows and then he sees her.

Sees those eyes.

Soarynn's eyes widen momentarily before a small smile spreads across her lips and she walks away from the window. Coriolanus looks around to see if anyone else notices her but everyone's too caught up in their misery with the heat to even look at him. Beanpole and Smiley are leaning up against the truck so he decides to stray from the group, do some recon if you will.

He can't go into the bakery, not with the officer still inside. But he can peek in, try and see her. He's walking by the alley when he hears a whistle. His head snaps towards the narrow road in between the barkey and another establishment but he sees nothing. In the movies he's seen this is the part where you run in the other direction.

He goes into the alley.

He walks further and further, passing by a small gate when a hand reaches out and grabs him. Coriolanus nearly jumps out of his skin when he's pulled to the side, his hand immediately going for his gun when he looks down and sees that it's her.

It's Soarynn.

She smiles up at him, her hand still on his arm, "Hi."

Coriolanus raises his eyebrows before replying, "Hello. Is there a reason as to why you lured me into this alley?"

Soarynn laughs and it sounds so sweet, sweet like honey. "I wanted to thank you for the other night. You were real noble saving me from the likes of Billy Taupe."

"Is he your boyfriend?" Coriolanus blurts out, watching her face slightly falter as if she's deciding whether or not to tell him the truth. "He was," she says slowly, swaying back and forth on her heels, taking her hand off his arm, "then I caught him cheatin' on me."

Coriolanus can't help the look of surprise on his face, out of all the women he's seen in District Twelve, Soarynn is by far the prettiest. "Why would he cheat on you?" He asks, "Doesn't make sense to cheat on a sweet girl like you."

Soarynn grins, tilting her head, "Boys will drop a shiny coin to pick up a pebble sweetheart, just the way it is." She looks him up and down then, taking in his current state, hot and sweaty. He must look very handsome right now. "They got y'all workin' hard with those crates. Been watchin' you all morning."

Coriolanus isn't used to this, how forward this girl is with him. In the Capitol, it's all about soft giggles and practiced glances. But this girl is putting it all out there so he might as well too. "You like looking at me?" He asks her, taking a step towards her. She doesn't back up. "Mhm. I like lookin' at pretty boys like you," she purrs, her fingers coming up to touch his dog tags, "especially pretty boys who come to my rescue." She grabs his tags, yanking him down until he's at eye level with her, she turns his tags in her fingers, not even looking at him.

For some reason, he finds that attractive. How she won't give him the time of day right now even though she's the whole reason he's in this alley.

She reads his dog tags, "Coriolanus Snow," she says, finally looking him in the eye and she looks rather impressed. "Eighteen years old, six-foot-two, Capitol born," she smirks at the last part. "I've never met a Capitol boy like you before. You miss home?" He doesn't miss a beat, "Yes." Soarynn laughs and nods her head, "I would too, especially if I ended up here."

She lets go of his tags but he doesn't rise to his full height, he stays down there with her. "Do you have a job?" She shrugs, "Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Depends which way the wind blows I guess." Coriolanus bites his lip, his bruised lip and she notices, reaches out, and touches it without even asking, "Sorry about your lip. Billy Taupe can throw a nasty punch when he's angry."

Suddenly his stomach is in knots thinking about how she knows what it feels like to be punched by Billy Taupe. "He ever hit you?"

That seems to be the question that scares her off the most, he can almost see her putting her walls back up, "I'm not with him anymore. Don't need to worry about who he's punchin' or kissin' for that matter."

So he's hit her before. That's fine. Perfectly fine.

A sharp whistle pulls the two out of their tense little world and Coriolanus straightens back up, leaning out to see they're finally packing up and heading back to the base. "I'd like to see you again," he says, looking down at her. Her hair is parted down the middle, it's blonde and it looks so soft. Her tan skin is fairly clean and she's got these eyes he can't look away from. They're blue with a hint of gray. Freckles cover her face and her pink lips curl up into a smile, "You wanna see little old me again? After all the trouble I've caused you?" She asks, feigning surprise.

Coriolanus rolls his eyes and nods, "I'll take my chances." Soarynn hums, bouncing on her toes, "I'll be at the Hob this Friday. 'Course you can always come see me in the Seam." He furrows his brows, the Seam?

Soarynn giggles, "Oh so you're really new to District Twelve huh? I'll see you on Friday then. Coriolanus Snow." She slips something in his hand before she spins around, walking up two stairs and opening a door. He has no clue where it leads or where she's going but he's nodding and watching her leave.

It's only when he's sitting in the back of the truck that he looks to see what she gave him. It's a ribbon. Pink, silky, probably cost her a small fortune. Smiley looks over and his eyebrows raise, "Where'd you get that?" Coriolanus finds it incredibly rude of Smiley to insert himself somewhere he has no business being, but perhaps sharing this little secret will pay off in the end. After all, Smiley is much more knowledgeable about this place than he is at the moment. "That girl from the Hob," he says, his voice hushed, his fist curling around the ribbon.

Smiley grins, "Looks like she's being sweet on you if she gave you that. Must make you her hero or something since you saved her from that guy."

Coriolanus frowns because it makes perfect sense why Soarynn would like him and be so sweet to him. He protected her. He saved her. But he's a Peacekeeper. He's seen the way people look at him, at his friends, his bosses. All they see is Capitol dogs.

"But I'm a Peacekeeper," he points out, "she should hate me for what I do."

The truck jostles and Coriolanus knows they're back on base, and watches the gates close behind them. Home sweet home.

Smiley chuckles, "Sounds like she's one of those girls who has a thing for Peacekeepers. Some women love men with authority so we're the perfect fit for them, makes them feel like they're special."

Well, this was news to Coriolanus. He'd grown up hating District people and always assumed that they did the same. Which meant something must be really wrong with this girl.

The truck finally came to a stop and they hopped out, the ribbon still clutched in his hand. It was pretty, like her. And he didn't get a whole lot of pretty out here in Twelve, surrounded by sweaty, grumbling men.

Smiley bumped his shoulder with him, "They're like bees to honey with us, can't get enough.”

Everyone begins walking towards the mess hall. Cookie made something fried tonight from what he can smell and everyone wants a bite, but Coriolanus lingers behind.

Looking at that pink ribbon. It’s soft, it sure would look pretty in her hair.

“…like bees to honey…”

Those words play over and over in his head for the rest of the day, rest of the night. Surely he hasn’t misread the situation, her actions. She gave him that ribbon to remember her, so he’d think about her until they saw each other again. She even told him where she lived! Kind of. Sort of. Maybe.

“Hey Beanpole,” he says, not moving from his position on his bunk. They have an hour of free time before its lights out and Coriolanus has been using it to mull over his possibilities with Soarynn.

“Yeah, Gent?”

Coriolanus debates how much he should ask, how much he should tell. Because at the end of the day, he’s here to work, to suffer, to serve. Hoff hasn’t directly said they couldn’t be in relationships but he has a feeling that they’re rather frowned upon. Especially with new recruits. Especially with District girls.

“Where’s the Seam?”

The laugh he gets from Beanpole makes him wonder if it’s so obvious. Clearly, there aren’t big signs in town pointing in every which direction but still, it seems to be a valid question.

“The Seam is the south side of nowhere my friend. It’s rock bottom.”

Oh, so she’s poor.

Or her family is poor at least which makes her poor. If only he could take her back with him to the Capitol, show her true wealth.

“I’ll point you in the right direction when we stop by town tomorrow,” his bunkmate offers. Coriolanus thanks him before rolling over in his bunk, staring at the wall. This is a bad idea, he thinks. But what’s the worst that can happen? A little heartbreak never killed anybody.

Right?

꧁ ꧂

“Just keep walking down that road and you’ll reach the Seam,” Beanpole said, giving Coriolanus a pat on the back like he’d need it.

Coriolanus nodded and soldiered on towards the Seam, a bag of ice clutched in his hand. It took some convincing from Cookie, but he managed a decent-sized bag, figuring Soarynn might enjoy some ice. The further he walks the more he realizes why Beanpole wished him luck. The Seam is where poor, poor, poor people live.

The houses can barely hold themselves together, the roofs are sagging, the grass is dead, the fences are leaning and Coriolanus is about to start running.

But he can’t.

He needs to be a man, a better man. At least a better man than Billy Taupe which shouldn’t be hard since he hits his girlfriend.

Ex-girlfriend, Coriolanus reminds himself as he comes across a man working on his front fence. The man looks normal enough until Coriolanus asks him for directions and he realizes the man is missing his two front teeth.

“I’m looking for a girl,” he starts and the man lets out a wheeze, slapping his knee. “Aren’t we all?” He asks, throwing his head back. Coriolanus sighs, leave it to him to ask this absolute nut job for directions. “Her name is Soarynn,” he continues, “she said she lives in the Seam.” That seems to sober the man up long enough to think, “Oh the blonde girl,” he snaps his fingers, “she lives at the end of the road.”

Of course, she does.

Coriolanus thanks the man before continuing his trek to her house. It’s positively sweltering and he’s glad he had forgone the long-sleeved part of his Peacekeeper uniform. Today it’s the pants and the white shirt. Simple. He’s hoping for handsome but his sweat isn’t helping.

When he finally reaches her house he’s passed a number of people on the street, all looking at him strangely as if he’s the odd one out. Shouldn’t these people be working? No wonder this country was such a mess.

Soarynn’s house is gray but that seems to be a recurring theme in the Seam. It looks to be about two stories although he wouldn’t try the second floor if he was smart. There’s a rickety porch and he cautiously makes his way up the steps and knocks on the door.

There’s the chance that no one’s home. With his luck, her dad will answer the door.

When the door opens he almost wishes it was her dad answering. It’s a boy. His age, brown hair, tan skin, shirtless. They’re about the same height and they immediately size each other up because what else do teenage boys do?

Finally, the brown-haired boy smirks and looks over his shoulder, “Your pretty boy is here Soarynn.”

His heart beats a little faster at the nickname. One, because it’s a nickname and Coriolanus only has two other nicknames, Gent and Coryo. Both reserved for very different people. Two, because it means she’s talked about him since they last saw each other. It’s only been two days but still.

He can hear a bit of scuffling before Soarynn pushes her way to the front door, shoving the other boy back into the house, “Don’t make me get my earplugs,” the boy says to her. Soarynn looks up and shoots him a nasty look before jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow, “Go fishin’ Jett, and don’t tell no one either.”

Jett, it seems, simply holds his hands up before shooting Coriolanus one more look and disappearing into the house.

Coriolanus can feel his bottom lip twitching. Who was that? At first he feared the worst, that she might already be with someone else, but their dynamic doesn’t seem that way.

“My cousin,” Soarynn says as if reading his mind.

Coriolanus finally looks down at her and isn’t she just something? Her hair’s been thrown up in a messy bun, a few pieces falling out here and there. She’s wearing a dress with thin straps, it’s light blue and it looks like it’s been worn to death. He isn’t even trying to notice but she’s got no bra on and she doesn’t seem to care that he’s seeing her this way, so exposed right now.

“I thought I might never find this place,” he says, not wanting to expand on her cousin anymore if he can help it. Soarynn gives him a small smile and leans against the doorframe as if the house won’t fall over from her small amount of weight. “But you found me,” she tells him, some pride in her tone.

Coriolanus swallows, “I did.” He looks into the house to see if he can find anyone else but it seems to be empty. Soarynn catches him looking because she seems to notice everything and straightens back up, “Why don’t we go to the meadow?”

The meadow? A possibly desirable place in this wasteland?

“Sounds good to me.”

꧁ ꧂

Soarynn doesn’t wear any shoes when they go to the meadow. It’s quite literally right behind her house which makes it easier, but still. What if she stepped on something or got bit? She doesn’t seem to care.

She leads him to a large oak tree where there’s a rock under it, the perfect size for the both of them to perch on. At least that’s what she tells him.

“I come bearing gifts,” he says, settling down on the rock.

Soarynn tilts her head and pulls her knees up to her chest, “You don't say.”

Even though he’s sure she already saw it he makes a big show of producing the ice. It’s not even the satisfaction of knowing he provided for her that makes him happy, it’s the big smile that spreads across her face when she sees the bag.

“Well this is a gift good as any,” she says with a laugh, grabbing the bottom of the bag to feel how cold it is. “Y’all got ice on that Peacekeeper base?”

Coriolanus nods while untying the bag, offering her a cube. Soarynn simply opens her mouth and he doesn’t falter to drop the cube into her mouth, watching her work on it for a minute. “Thank you for the ribbon by the way. You didn’t have to give me a gift.”

Soarynn raises her eyebrows and looks out into the meadow, “Wasn’t much of a gift as it was a token. A token of my affection,” she states matter of factly.

Coriolanus grins, “Does that mean you might show me some affection today?”

Soarynn shoots him a flirtatious look, “Might show you somethin’ more if you keep it up pretty boy.”

That’s what he likes most about her he thinks, how she can dish as well as she can take it.

He wonders what else she can take.

“Have you ever been with a Peacekeeper before?” He asks, curious to see if Smiley is right and if he’s her third victim of the month. He’s sure there are girls like that, finding some new boy the second their old one gets shipped off to some new District.

Soarynn bites her lip, “Been with a Peacekeeper in what way? Sexually?”

Well, he hadn’t meant that but there’s no going back now he supposes, “In any way shape, or form,” he decides, popping two ice cubes into his own mouth. He doesn’t suck on them like Soarynn does like she’s trying to savor them because she doesn’t know the next time she’ll get ice. He can get as much ice as he damn well pleases back at the base.

“Nope, y’all aren’t really my type,” she says with a smile, gigging when Coriolanus gasps as if offended. “But you’re here with me,” he points out, “and why aren’t we your type?”

Soarynn pretends to think for a second before answering, “I like boys with longer hair.”

Oh, that hurts. If only he could show her how long his curls used to be. She’d be on him in seconds if she knew.

“Well, I didn’t get much say in the matter. Have you ever cut your hair?”

Soarynn shakes her head, her nose slightly wrinkling as if the very thought of it is repulsive. “Never cut it. Some women are superstitious about cuttin’ their hair, I just never had the urge to do it. Plus if I ever did have to cut it to sell it, I’d like to get my money's worth.”

Is this what it’s come to in the Districts? Cutting hair to sell it? Who wants to buy hair?

Coriolanus takes another good look at Soarynn. It’s hard to imagine her hair chopped to her shoulders but he thinks she’d look pretty still. She’s got the right face shape for it and her jaw juts out in just the right way. His eyes wander down her small, slender frame. If she was naked he’s sure she’d be all skin and bones, you can probably see how many ribs she has.

He remembers what that was like. Being poor and hungry. The worst two feelings in the world. But she seems happy as she gazes out into the meadow. Can’t miss what you never had he decides.

“You know, if you ever need money…I could help you out. Of help with whatever you need,” he says, already feeling like more of a hero to her.

Soarynn snorts and he frowns, what’s so funny? When she sees his expression she laughs even harder and shakes her head, “You don’t need to be my hero sweetheart. I really appreciate it but I don’t want your money.”

Well, then what does she want?

Coriolanus scratches the back of his neck, “Is there anything you from me then?”

He’d sure hope so. Here he was with this girl out in the middle of nowhere when he could be back on base with cool air blowing all around him.

Soarynn peered up at him through her long eyelashes, “I can think of a few things,” she mumbles with a grin.

At least they’re somewhat on the same page now.

Coriolanus doesn’t hesitate to lean in, his hand cupping her face as his lips press against hers. Her lips taste like sweet syrup and she smells like vanilla. Soarynn’s hands rest on his biceps, slightly squeezing them. His training has given him muscles he’s never seen before and he’s not complaining.

He drops the bag of ice to grab her waist with his other hand, his palm pressing into the back of her spine through her dress. Soarynn sighs into the kiss, one of her hands coming up into his hair, carding her fingers through it. She smiles against his lips, “Might just make an exception for you and your buzzed hair,” she mumbles. He pulls her in closer, wishing he could crawl into her skin and never let her go.

Soarynn isn’t the first girl he’s kissed and he doubts she’ll be the last. But right now she’s the only one who matters, the only person that matters here in District Twelve. Besides him of course.

He gets her to lie down on the rock, propping himself over her while they explore each other’s mouths. She’s so soft and sweet, and small, he likes how much bigger he is compared to her. How he could break her in half if he really wanted to.

They’re much more handsy once she’s lying down. Her hands slip under his white shirt, her fingertips tracing over his sculpted abdomen sending shivers down his back. Coriolanus presses one more kiss to her lips before kissing down her jaw, peppering her neck with kisses while his hand slips onto her thigh. He should probably ask if she’s okay with this, if she wants more, wants less. If she’s a virgin.

Probably not.

A girl like her knows a thing or two about men and their sexual urges.

His hand slips under her dress and he can feel the fabric of her panties. They’re probably old, well-worn, maybe the only pair she owns. Who knows what they can afford out here in Twelve.

Just as his hand is slipping under the fabric of her panties, a hissing sound pulls Coriolanus from his lustful haze. He glances to the right and nearly jumps out of his skin when he sees a snake has slithered its way onto the rock.

“Shit,” he swears, getting off of her so they can both run. Soarynn’s eyes fly open, most likely confused as to why he’s stopped kissing her and she looks over to see the reptile currently threatening their lives. “Oh, hey there little fella.”

Coriolanus is on his feet within seconds, breathing heavily as he eyes the snake. Maybe he could shoot it, but he’d feel kind of bad killing an animal in front of Soarynn.

And Soarynn isn’t making any sudden moves to get off the snake rock. In fact, she grabs the snake. It slithers through her fingers and around her arms as if it’s her domesticated pet. She doesn’t even seem frightened by it. She looks up at him and gives him a small smile, “Don't need to run pretty boy, this here's a corn snake, all bark and no bite."

Coriolanus highly doubts that thing doesn't bite, nor does it bark but he relaxes slightly when he sees how calm the reptile is in her hands.

"Are there a lot of snakes out here?" He asks, suddenly feeling very exposed out here in this meadow with the tall grass, giving any other animals the perfect chance to attack him without him seeing them. Soarynn shrugs, "I guess. They're good for the rats though," she gives him a knowing look, "makes me real sad when they get the little field mice though. They don't cause no one trouble."

A field mouse he could deal with. He's dealing with one right now it seems.

Soarynn reminds him of a mouse. Small, harmless, easy to crush if need be. At the end of the day, they're still vermin no matter how cute they may seem.

Soarynn finally puts the snake back in the grass and watches it slither away before she slips off the rock and joins him, lacing her fingers with his, "Thanks for protectin' me," she jokes, standing on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.

Coriolanus manages to give her a sheepish look. It's not like he intended to abandon her, but she moved so slowly and she clearly didn't seem to have a problem with the snake. "Sometimes you've gotta let your girl handle her own battles," he responds cooly, giving her hand a squeeze.

Her eyes slightly widen before creasing upwards in a smile, "So I'm your girl then? Just like that?"

Had he already called her his girl? He hadn't meant to move so fast or really attach himself to her like this but she seemed alright and it never hurt to know some of the locals, have a spot where he could relax from his Peacekeeping duties.

And Soarynn was pretty. Very pretty. He hadn't gotten a good look at her under that dress but he was planning to and that meant keeping her around for a little longer. Besides, he wouldn't be in District Twelve forever. No. He planned on getting back to the Capitol one way or another to finish what he started. He'd have some fun for now and then get the hell out of here.

"Yep," he replies, "unless you're stringing along some other guy."

Nows her chance to come clean, to tell him if Billy Taupe isn't the only person he has to worry about because he'll be damned if he's being played.

Soarynn shakes her head, "Just you and me sweetheart."

| Part 1. |

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

#coriolanus fanfiction #coriolanus smut #coriolanus snow #hunger games #slaymitchabernathy #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games #ao3 fanfic #wattpad #soarynn snow #coriolanus fic #possesive coriolanus #coriolanus x soarynn #coriolanus x original character #coryo snow #coriolanus x oc #coriolanus drabble #coriolanus imagine #soarynn nightingale #staywithmealways #drabble #stay with me always #ao3 #peacekeeper coriolanus snow #district 12 #oneshot

[tailschannel]

Sonic to get "several new mobile titles" in the future, according to SEGA management meeting document

The Sonic the Hedgehog series is expected to receive "several new titles" for mobile platforms, SEGA's parent company confirmed in a management meeting early Wednesday.

Apple and Google were both named as "key players" in the mobile sector for SEGA, as the publisher detailed an encompassing transmedia scheme for the blue blur, which will include licencing and collaborations with other third-party properties.

"Several new" mobile games under development

With an established presence thanks to the likes of free apps like Sonic Dash and Sonic Forces Speed Battle, the franchise looks set to dive in the world of mobile gaming, as part of SEGA's future plans.

The publisher did not rule out exclusivity clauses with subscription-based mobile gaming services. In recent days, the publisher signed a contract with Apple to produce Sonic Dream Team, and Netflix announced a mobile port of Sonic Mania Plus for their game subscription service.

No word of a specific timeframe for the aforementioned mobile games, currently in development.

Future Sonic mobile games to adopt Rovio's Beacon toolkit

As part of the mobile expansion, the upcoming slate is expected to adopt "Beacon", an internal development and marketing toolkit powered by machine learning, frequently utilized by Rovio, the Finnish studio behind Angry Birds that SEGA acquired over the summer.

The studio described Beacon as a platform to "build games and get games to market, models to profitably grow and monetize the game and live operations tools to maximize our players’ fun."

The toolkit has been criticized in a number of fan-run Angry Birds forums for incentivizing revenue at the expense of gameplay quality.

SEGA did not disclose if the Beacon platform will extend beyond the present suite of HARDlight mobile games.

More details on SEGA's resurrection of classic hits

SEGA also unveiled these new images and descriptions for the five new games announced at The Game Awards, described as a "power surge" to re-electrify their classic hits, like Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio.

Crazy Taxi: Innovative & Fresh Style Driving Action! Cheerful feeling of freedom and fusion of nature and city. Peel out the new stage of Crazy City!

Jet Set Radio: "Counter-Culture" - Tokyo Street Open World! Experience the "rebellion" movement that feels free in a suffocating society. Make friends, increase your fans, and create a movement!

Shinobi: Slay the enemies in the silence of the moment. Run through the world of Shinobi, full of monsters and ninja actions. Grab Oberozuki, the legendary sword and slay evil once more. Your clan and the world are counting on you.

Golden Axe: Warriors arise to subdue the demons! Defeat your enemies with a variety of attacks with swords and magic! The legendary story about the battle axe, Golden Axe is about to begin!

Streets of Rage Revolution: Beloved side-scrolling beat 'em up action series! Take control of one of the ex-officers and make the city a place where people no longer have to walk the "Streets of Rage."

The announcement coincided with SEGA's plans to strengthen their flagship video game brands like Persona and Like a Dragon, and to expand with legacy properties.

(Edit 2:00 pm ET - post updated with new details)

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic #the next sonic #sega #gaming #mobile gaming #mobile games #rovio #rovio entertainment #angry birds #crazy taxi #jet set radio #shinobi #golden axe #streets of rage #streets of rage revolution #sega japan #sonic news

[eretzyisrael]

Good News From Israel

Israel's Good News Newsletter to 10th Mar 24

In the 10th Mar 24 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

A massive project to rehabilitate southern Israel’s farms.

He trained the IDF medic who later saved his life.

Israeli hospitals are recognized as First Class.

Israeli women are a beacon of light to the nations.

An Israeli bedtime story-telling app is now a global educational tool.

Huge confidence in Israel’s economy.

The 13th Jerusalem marathon was an especially moving event.

The Israeli wedding(s) of the year.

Read More: Good News From Israel

Five months after Oct 7, Israel is certainly Up and Running - even stronger than before.  Residents have returned to battered communities in the south and rehabilitation hospitals and charities have successfully been getting the wounded back on their feet. Meanwhile, an Israeli NGO has even been helping get the devastated Ukrainian healthcare system back up and running.   On International Women’s Day, the Israeli news includes the first woman to run an Israeli Air Force base, the women in charge of several Israeli NGOs, and the woman who runs one of Samsung’s Israeli subsidiaries.   Israelis have developed material for putting up buildings and remove greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, up in the air, synchronized Israeli drones extinguish wildfires.   Things are also looking up for Israel’s economy. Employment is up, as is confidence in the Shekel and in the Israeli bond market. Israel’s gas revenues are on the up, and even the avocado harvest is at a record high.  The Israeli foldable electric car now can be seen running around town, and Israeli startups ran some 2,000 business meetings at the Mobile World Congress.   Finally, Israeli women and men have again been climbing up on sporting podiums, many more Jews have been going “up” on Aliyah, and even the Kinneret has been filling up, thanks to benevolence from above.   The photo (TY Sharon) shows competitors gathering for Friday’s Jerusalem Marathon, where a record 40,000 were up and running.

#back pain #cancer #Chabad #climate #displaced #epilepsy #Gaza #good news #Hamas #hostages #IDF #Israel #Jerusalem #Jewish #Sheba #Ukraine #vegan #Virtual Reality #waste #women

[outtoshatter]

Inspired (and enabled) by @raisesomehale and her awesome masterlist!

Completed Fics:

Be a Witness [104k, M] Witch!Stiles, Shifter!Derek, magical college, murder mystery No Mercy [64k, M] Royalty AU, King Stiles, Prince Derek, berserker Stiles Fractured Starlight [64k, M] witch!Stiles, amnesia fic, magical town Shifted [48k, M] werewolf Stiles, Hale pack, werewolf violence

Series:

Strange Young World [4 fics, complete, 350k total] magi-nuclear apocalypse au These Ain't Your Momma's Paperbacks [5 unrelated fics, incomplete, 319k total] romance novel based fics, the relationship is the main focus despite other plots within Whereabouts Unknown [2 fics, incomplete, 6k] monster of the week style fics where Derek and Stiles travel around hunting monsters after leaving Beacon Hills

Drabbles:

Sea || 100 words, witch Stiles Pyre || 100 words, werewolf Derek Breath || 100 words, raising the dead Troubled Waters || 100 words, monster of the week Casual [triple drabble] || 300 words, fluff

Event Fics:

Are You Ready? [135k, E] werewolf Derek, vampire hunter!Stiles, vampires are known au Well Traveled [62k, T] faerie shenanigans The Next Chapter [105k, M] bookstore AU, human, alive Hale family The Bright Side of Disaster [5k, T] witch Stiles, magic & werewolves are known, magical farmers market Pulling Strings [53k, M to be safe] horror comedy, BAMF Stiles

One Shots:

A Light for the Dark [3k, T] fairy tale theme Moon Trance [2k, T] monster of the week, pre relationship The Pumpkin King [4k, T] autumn theme, fluff, humor, pumpkin carving Love Don't Lie [2k, T] fake dating, established relationship Keep Moving [10k, T] post Hale fire, Derek & Sheriff friendship

Now with Podfic!:

Cold as Ice [10k, T] witch!Stiles, alive Hale family podfic here! On my Way [17k, T] fluff, snowed in podfic here! Art here! Brave Enough [6k, G] fluff, 5+1 Things, Derek deserves nice things podfic here! Forward Motion [9k, T] witches are known, magic shop, meet cute podfic here! Figure it Out [5k, T] cursed Derek, humor podfic here!

Originals:

A World on its Knees [1k, T] soft and quiet, apocalypse, witches, fantasy Alone They Fought the Devil [3k, T] demonic entities, fantasy world, magic, witches!

all of these are also on my ao3 page, plus the ones I couldn't fit on the list!

#sterek #gia writes #masterlist #idk this just seemed fun! #fanfic #teen wolf #stiles stilinski #derek hale #with my little originals at the end for my own joy #thank youuuu madi for enabling me #this was fun #it's not as pretty as hers but i like it #my fics

[germanpostwarmodern]

Since its forced closing in 1933 the Bauhaus gained the nimbus of being the most innovative of the many reformed art schools in the Weimar Republic. But is this nimbus justified or a posthumous construction? One thing is for sure: the Bauhaus has been extensively researched. But regarding its actual singularity judgements aren’t as straightforward as Alexandra Panzert demonstrates in her dissertation, recently published by Gebr. Mann Verlag: based on a comparative analysis of the Bauhaus, the Burg Giebichenstein, the Frankfurter Kunstschule, the Kölner Werkschulen and the Vereinigte Staatsschulen in Berlin ponders the question if the Bauhaus outshines the other schools in terms of educational innovation. Cutting a long story short: no, the Bauhaus, education-wise, wasn’t above its peers but rather on an similar level: neither structure nor content of the Bauhaus education significantly differed from its peers but rather fit into the general reform efforts of Weimar art schools. What really set it apart from the four other schools instead are softer aspects. One is the self-conception of the Bauhaus as a representative of modernism in both art and society, embodied by the Bauhaus building, and a radical break with tradition. Against this antithesis the Bauhaus was able to establish itself as a beacon of modernism, a positioning that was embraced by postwar recipients in particular. In combination with innovative self-promotion during its lifetime it gradually developed into a well-known and well researched singularity.

Panzert’s comparative analysis of Weimar art schools convincingly shows how the Bauhaus was able to become the supposedly singular occurrence in interwar Germany while on the other hand demonstrating that this was largely based on clever self-marketing. As the author rightly notes this circumstance also is linked to the lack of fundamental research into other schools, a major gap that one day will hopefully be closed. Against this background Panzert’s study is all the more important as it contextualizes the Bauhaus and at the same time widens the perspective to other art schools, their reform activities and achievements. A fundamental book!

#bauhaus #art history #art book #art education #gebr. mann verlag #book

[sin-sidejob]

Happy 100 followers! I don’t know if you’re okay with writing myc or not but hear me out, afab reader and myc are having a long slow makeout session while his tentacles explores their body 😏🍄

(The fact this got sent in right around or seconds before I posted my other Myc celebration ask is hilarious)

You’re dragging your feet, making your way up the steps of the brownstone Myc owns, minutes away from work over in Alexandria and the equivalent of an oasis to you, a beacon of home and love and hot sex. You’re a simple person.

Unlocking the door and entering the house, popping the alarm system off then back on again while kicking off your shoes fades in a blur. Coat and bag get hung up and keys left in the catch-all dish near the door, your frame languid and dropped in malaise. Brains as fuzzy as a brand new carpet.

“Oh look, my favorite person!” Myc calls from the other room, seeing you enter the main living area from his cushy, oversized bean bag chair. “Fuck you look a mess - do I need to go get my machete back from Glenn?”

"no - wait, you gave him the machete?"

"yeah, and?" He feigns nonchalance, raising flagella in a come hither motion that brings you forth, waving you in like a siren to the sea and lulling you into the safety of his embrace, "he wanted it, better get it back though, I bought that shit brand new."

You make a noise of indignance, a brow raising at his words once he coils himself around you and pulls you closer to him to sit upon his lap and where he sits upon the beanbag chair. "You know you stole it."

"Damn right I did."

You let out a bark of a laugh, sudden and unexpected and get nudged by Myc teasingly who you shove back, nudging him with an elbow as he grunts, shoving you in return before tugging you in closer. Myc’s silent for a moment, a rarity, and rubs the surface of his orb against the top of your head before you break and speak.

"You ever seen a brand new machete?"

“No?”

“Okay see - that’s where I keep wondering if there’s just some secret pre-owned machete market.” You exclaim before his tendril-like flagella brush against your skin, rising at the spot where your shirt has ridden up, growing bashful even though it’s something so regular and frequent between the two of you it’s instinctual, wanting to be touching some part of one another at all times.

Even though he wouldn’t admit it, petulant fuck.

“You never see one clean or without like a decades worth of rust.”

“I don’t like the fact you’re right.” He says, stagnant voice making you giggle and prompting him to twine flagella and tendrils around you, sneaking up your shirt and across your belly. “You never do.” Is muttered into the base of his stalklike neck, breathier than intended but fun nonetheless as you feel him shudder around you and twitch.

“Like that, huh?” You murmur, placing a languid and lazy kiss against him and feeling him speak through, smirking against him. “You can fuck right off.”

“Invitation accepted.”

Your hands move to reposition yourself, Myc’s tendrils acquiescing and helping support your weight while you get settled, thighs around his base while flagella wrap around your arms and thighs, one curling around the slope of your neck. Arms wrap themselves around him on the underside of his orb, allowing you to curl up in his lap and feel him love on you while you get him flushed and literally glowing.

Dotting kisses about his body, you tease with little pecks and airy huffs that he bitches and complains at, still stripping you of your clothing all the while in the most stubborn manner, moaning through curses as you lick a stripe across his surface and chuckle against him, grinding down with a grin.

He can’t kiss back but he more than makes up for it in the way he squeezes and presses you, molding your body like softened polymer clay, baking you in the warmth blooming in your belly as Myc moves a tendril between your legs after you bite at him.

“Gotta’ play fair, doll.” Myc rolls, nudging your nose with a bump of his cap before he pulls your underwear aside and toys with you, getting your mouth open and gasping wetly against his skin. You mark him up with your teeth and soothe the sting with kisses and kitten licks, rocking back and forth against him and whining as he brushes sensitive, well memorized spots.

Pulling back, he takes you in and you’re dazed, pupils blown and face warm and absolutely downright horny. God he loves you.

“Myc,” You coo, trailing a palm up and down a tendril before pumping it in your fist, watching him groan and his orb shift, resembling a freshly shaken snow globe, “you know we never play fair.”

He slots a tendril in you and matches your pace and mocks your moan, mirroring it back in a whiny tone before he rubs the lip of his cap against your forehead, chuckling while he uses his flagella coiled around your waist to fuck himself with you, like a well-loved fleshlight.

“Don’t I know it - It’s so much more fun that way.”

#100 followers celebration #inside job #personal inside job #my inside job #my thots #inside job headcanon #magic myc x reader #myc x reader #myc #inside job Myc #hope this is what you wanted! can’t really write kisses with him cause he ain’t got no lips #but there’s the human form disguise I could touch on someday #hmm food for thought

[beaconsmind]

#restaurant #restaurants #beaconsmind #proximity marketing beacons #retail store marketing #instore marketing #in store beacons #retail technology solutions #beacon marketing solutions #beacon based marketing #bluetooth beacon marketing

[iwanthermidnightz]

*parts of this article was written previously and then recently updated*

Taylor Swift isn't just a pop icon anymore; she's the next great American dynasty, singlehandedly steering some of the country's most vaunted brands and institutions.

Why it matters: She already fueled the nation's economy for much of the summer and drove thousands to register to vote. Now, she's a beacon of opportunity — and cash — for both the NFL and Hollywood.

The NFL: Swift was spotted cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs alongside Donna Kelce, mother of Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce, during last Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears.

Throughout the broadcast, Fox panned over to Swift nine times throughout the game and social media was abuzz over her attendance.

The NFL flashed images of Swift in their game day graphics throughout the game, released 10 TikToks on the official NFL account — which changed its bio to read "9/24/23. Taylor was here' — and NFL on Fox even ran an ad capitalizing on her romantic link to Kelce.

Kelce is also a recipient of the halo effect. In the 24 hours following the game, he gained over 300,000 new social media followers, saw a 400% increase in merchandise sales and his podcast ranked #1 on the Apple charts.

By the numbers: Her attendance did in fact drive ratings, particularly among young, female viewers

The Chiefs vs. Bears game drew 24.3 million viewers, making it the most-viewed telecast of the week, and female viewership in the key 18-49 demo saw a 63% increase.

What they're saying: "This buzz around Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift isn't just about speculation about their relationship, it's about the Halo Effect at work - where one person's influence boosts the appeal of others around them. Suddenly, football is more than a game; it's a stage for pop culture," said communication expert Molly McPherson.

"It isn't just an academic theory; it's a savvy marketing move. When an All-Pro tight end like Travis Kelce invites Taylor Swift to a game, he's essentially inviting her entire fan base to tune in as well. Swift, Kelce, the NFL, and the Kansas City Chiefs all come out ahead. There was only one loser in Sunday's game, and it was the Chicago Bears."

Box office: With Hollywood mired in the depths of dual labor disputes, this fall's movie slate was looking pretty bare for theaters — until Swift delivered an unexpected jolt with the surprise announcement of her "Eras Tour" film, set for release this month.

Swift and her family directly negotiated a distribution deal with theater chain AMC, leaving out the traditional studio middlemen via an agreement that could upend how concert films are released in the future, per Puck's Matthew Belloni.

The concert film is tracking toward a $100 million opening weekend domestically — and likely much higher, according to Deadline, with one analyst calling it a "unicorn."

Its announcement also forced a last-minute jolt of Hollywood's release calendar, as Blumhouse head Jason Blum moved up the release of the forthcoming "Exorcist" sequel by a week, declaring "#TaylorWins."

The big picture: Swift has so much influence, clout and engagement for a reason.

She has won over the trust of her fandom — referred to as Swifties — through authentic and direct communication across social media and through fan experiences.

Her penchant for hiding clues and Easter eggs throughout her communiques is so well-known that she took over Google Search to reveal new song titles last month.

Music accolades aside, Swift gained even more respect from her fellow musicians by challenging the way artists were compensated across streaming platforms.

What's next: Swift is expected to attend this week's Chiefs vs Jets game, which could continue to bring more eyeballs, more chatter and more money to the NFL.

The bottom line: When Taylor Swift gets involved, the only blank space that matters is on the checks that'll inevitably be cashed.

#interesting read #nothing we didn’t already know but

[sunnyie-eve]

19 | Vault

Series: Indispensable | Teen Wolf

Paring:  (Stiles Stilinski x OFC Martin)

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: None

A/N: Might be a few mistakes

| MASTERLIST |

~~~

"Get everything done last night?" Stiles takes his seat behind Julia in class.

"Yeah, I did. Then I went to bed." She lies to him.

"So your night went better than mine. My friend disappeared on me last night during her birthday party." He tells her.

"Have you heard from her yet?" She asks so he shakes his head no as coach starts class.

"The stock market is based on two principles. What are they?" Scott raises his had no coach says he can go to the bathroom.

"Uh, no. Coach, I know the answer." Scott makes him laugh.

"Oh, you're serious?"

"Yeah, it's risk and reward." Scott answers him.

"Wow, who are you and what have you done to McCall? Don't answer that. I like you better. I like you better. Does anybody have a quarter? A quarter?" Coach asks so Stiles pulls out one but the condom he took last night falls out.

Julia looks down at the floor shocked but tries to hold her laughter as coach congratulates him. Julia looks back at him, "Was that part of your bad night or?" She eyes him before turning back around spacing out drawing in her book.

"Martin, Risk or Reward? Or don't play?" Coach brings her back.

"Why not." She gets up taking the quarter and makes it making him applaud her as she goes back to drawing.

After school Scott, Stiles, Julia, Derek, and Isaac go to Deaton in hope he can help Isaac remember things.

"Why aren't you helping pour the ice?" Stiles asks Julia as she stood to the side with her arms crossed watching him, Scott, and Derek.

"The bags are cold and I don't want to touch them."

"Isaac is literally getting in the ice bath and you don't want to touch a bag because it's cold?" Stiles crosses his arms.

"Yeah. That's Isaac not me." She smiles as he grabs another ice bag. "How slow does his heart rate have to be?" She asks Deaton.

"Very slow."

"Yeah, well, how slow is very slow?" Derek asks him.

"Nearly dead."

"It's safe though?" Isaac touches the ice cold water.

"Do you want me to answer honestly?"

"No. No, not really." Isaac whispers but Stiles playing with rubber gloves makes everyone look at him.

"What?" He looks at them confused.

"Take that off." Julia walks over taking it off him.

"Julia," Isaac takes his shirt off tossing it to her to hold so she catches it.

"There's a table right there but okay..." She mumbles as she watches.

When the three have trouble holding Isaac down, Julia backs away as water splashes.

"Remember, only I talk to him. Too many voices may confuse him and draw him out. I want you to remember it for me. In vivid detail as much as possible. Like you're actually there again" Deaton tells Isaac making him start to move around.

"I-I don't wanna do that. I don't- I don't wanna do that." He repeats making the guys hold him down a little again.

Isaac jolts up in the ice bath, "I saw it! I saw the name!" He repeats as the guys help him out and Julia quickly wrap the towel around him. "It's um, Beacon Hills first National Bank. It's um, abandoned bank. And, and and they're keeping them locked inside, inside the vault." He was freezing so Julia wraps her arms around him. "What?" Isaac asks confused as everyone was quiet.

"You don't remember what you said right before you come out of it, do you?" Julia says so he looks at her saying no.

"Or how you said when they captured you that they dragged you into a room and that there was a body in it?"

"What body?"

"Erica, you said it was Erica." Stiles tells him.

Derek says it's not Erica because then who was with Boyd. Then saying how he has to break in so Julia watched Stiles look up about a guy who has broke in in the past.

"How long?" Derek asks.

"It's the internet, Derek. Okay, minutes." Stiles chuckles just for him, Scott, and Julia to spend all night researching.

"Julia, you're falling asleep." Scott says exhausted waking her up some.

"Huh, no. I'm reading." She brings the paper closer to her face closing her eyes as she cuddles one of Stiles' pillows.

"She's not reading is she?" Stiles says as his eyelids were heavy.

"Nope, she went straight back to sleep." Scott closes his eyes for a few seconds.

"I can still hear you idiots." Julia mumbles, slapping Stiles' leg next to her before falling back to sleep.

-

Noah walks into Stiles' room to tell them to get to school but the three were still passed out asleep. "Guys. Hey, time to wake up. Guys! Guys!" Noah raises his voice and the boys wake up but not Julia. "I got to get to work. You three, get to school." Noah walks off but Stiles asks about Heather and gets nothing.

"Ten hours and nothing."

"We're gonna find something." Scott tells him.

"Finding something doesn't make Erica any less dead. Or Boyd any less about to be dead."

"Well, we still have time." Scott adds.

"Is this whole, like, remain optimistic in the face of complete and utter disaster thing a part of the be a better Scott McCall program?" Stiles asks him.

"Uh, not if it doesn't works."

"No, it works. Julia, it's time to get up." Stiles goes over waking her up.

"Look." She hands him the paper she held all night making him rush after his dad.

"Huh?" Scott asks.

"His dad arrested the guy." Julia sits up pulling off her shirt so she was in her tank top. "What?" She laughs at him going over to Stiles clothes taking a flannel to put on. "I'm not going to school being seen wearing the same thing I did yesterday."

"But who pays attention to you to realize?" Scott jokes with her which earns him a glare.

"For one Lydia would." She walks over slapping him playfully so they play around laughing.

"You know I never mentioned it yesterday but you had Isaac's scent all over you." Scott leans down to whisper into her ear as he held her arms down from hitting him.

"Why were you taking in my scent?" She turns her head to the side then looks back at him.

"Hey, your vanilla cupcake is nice to take in and I mostly got Isaac. Wanna explain?" He lets go of her so she turns to face him.

"That's not any of your business... is it?" She smiles leaving the room passing Stiles.

"That's my shirt..." He turns to watch her walk downstairs.

"Said she's not going to school being seen wearing the same thing she did yesterday." Scott explains to her so Stiles changes for school.

At school during English, Scott kept looking over at Julia, who sat in front of Stiles, wondering about her and Isaac. He didn't even know they were even a little bit close.

"Dude, you're gonna burn holes into the back of her head." Stiles notices as Julia was zoned in on reading. "Why are you staring at her?"

"Huh? She's keeping a secret. And I want to know more." He says as the bell rings.

"A secret?" Stiles walks with him as Julia went to her next class without them.

"Yeah."

"Wanna give me some context or?" Stiles waits for more.

"Her and Isaac." Scott looks at his best friend.

"Julia and Isaac? Ha! No." Stiles shakes his head not seeing it.

"Yesterday I could smell him all over her." Scott sees the look in Stiles' eyes, "I asked her about it this morning and she said it's not my business." Stiles takes off heading towards her class confusing Scott, "Dude, where are you going?"

Stiles sees Julia sitting in the back corner so he rushes over to her making Scott rush to grab him, "So you-," Scott covers Stiles' mouth.

"Sorry." Scott drags him out.

"Don't bring it up. So obvious. Hint towards it. Catch her slip." Scott tells him as they head to their class.

For the rest of the day, Julia was confused on how the boys were acting and even when they got to Derek's place. Stiles goes over the plans while Julia just sat and watched them.

"You gonna punch through the wall?" Stiles asks Derek.

"Yes, Stiles, I'm gonna punch through the wall."

"Okay, big guy let's see that fist. Big, old fist. Make it. Come on. Get it out there. Don't be scared. Big bad wolf. Yeah, look at that. Okay, see this? That's maybe 3 inches of room to gather enough force to punch though solid co-," Derek punches Stiles' hand. "Ah! Ah! He can do it." Stiles whimpers out in pain walking off so Julia goes after him.

"Don't push him next time." She passes him to get ice to put on his hand for a bit.

"Could someone kill him again, please?" Stiles talks about Peter as Julia give him the ice. "Oh, thank you."

"Seriously, Derek. It's not worth the risk." Peter tells him.

"What about you?" Derek asks.

"Yeah, if you want me to come-," Stiles starts.

"Not you."

"Got it." Stiles points at Scott.

"I don't know about Erica. But if Boyd's still alive. We have to do something. We have to try. But? Who's the other girl? The one locked in there with Boyd?" Scott says.

When Scott and Derek leave Stiles walks around while Peter and Julia sat around. "Where's Isaac?" Stiles asks Peter looking over at Julia to see if she reacts to his name.

"I don't know. I don't pay attention to him." Peter answers while Julia sat on Derek's bed messing with her fingers.

"Julia, do you know?" Stiles asks making her look over at him.

"Nope." She shakes her head not really caring where he was before going outside to look out at at the view while Stiles and Peter realize why the alpha pack kept Boyd and the girl in the vault.

"Hey, we have a problem." Stiles goes outside to tell Julia so he catches her up on what's happening.

They head to his jeep to go help but while they were driving Julia let's out an unconsciously scream causing Stiles to slam on his breaks pulling over.

"You said that means someone died, right?" He asks her.

"Go straight." Julia tells him directions as she closes her eyes following a instinct.

As they were driving Julia's phone goes off so Stiles answers it for her as she still tells him where to go. "Hello?"

"Stiles?" Lydia says confused.

"Yeah, um Julia is busy giving me directions. What did you need?"

"There's a dead guy at the pool. I just found him." She tells him.

"Okay, I think that's where she's telling me to go. We'll be there." He hangs up. "Lydia found the body." Stiles lets Julia know.

"Well, hurry up."

When they get to the pool they rush to Lydia and Stiles says he'll call his dad. "I already called 911."

"You called the police before you called us?"

"I'm supposed to call you first when I find a dead body?" Lydia asks him.

"Yes!" Stiles shouts so he calls Scott while Julia gets closer to the dead guy.

"Julia!" Stiles pulls her back.

"I'm just looking. I don't think Boyd or Derek's sister did this. Look, at it closer. That's not from claws." She tells him.

"I just want to go home." Lydia tells the two so they head out once the police show up.

Stiles ended up following the two home then going into the house with them up to Lydia's room. "Stiles? Why did you follow us inside?" Julia looks up at him.

"Oh, yeah. Umm..." He turns to leave.

"Are neither of you really going to ask me how I knew to go there finding him." Lydia looks at them. "Because I don't know how I did. I didn't know where I was until I got out of the car." She tells them.

"Let me guess. Before you left you screamed?" Julia asks her. "Told you. She's the same." Julia looks at Stiles.

"Same?" Lydia asks confused.

"I'll leave you to talk. I'm gonna go." Stiles leaves them alone.

"We are called a Banshee. We have the supernatural power to sense and predict when someone is about to die. I still don't really know the ways but since my accident when we were younger I found out through research. Our power got activated by our bites. So I officially welcomed you to the weird random screaming club." Julia smiles.

"I just want to apologize again for everything in the past. At least I have you unlike how you had no one." Lydia pulls Julia into a hug.

"Well, like I said, I still don't understand it, but yeah, you have me." Julia hugs her back.

#teen wolf ff #teen wolf fanfiction #teen wolf #stiles x oc #stiles stilinski #teen wolf stiles #scott mccall #lydia martin #allison argent #derek hale #noah stilinski #melissa mccall #issac lahey #peter hale #malia tate #theo raeken #liam dunbar #kira yukimura #banshee #werewolves #werecoyote #mtv teen wolf #slow burn #drama #friendship #friends to lovers #dyaln o'brien

[accountsend]

Lead Generation for E-commerce: Tactics to Drive Online Sales

Article by Jonathan Bomser | CEO | AccountSend.com

In today's dynamic digital landscape, the world of e-commerce is thriving like never before, offering businesses unparalleled opportunities to connect with a global audience. However, within this digital marketplace, the pursuit of increased online sales comes with its unique set of challenges. This is where the strategic art of lead generation steps in. In this article, we're about to embark on an enlightening journey through seven innovative tactics that promise to optimize your lead generation strategies and drive a remarkable surge in your online sales, setting the stage for business growth and expansion.

Download the infographic here!

Optimize Your Website for Conversions: Imagine your website as a virtual storefront, a welcoming entry point for potential customers into your digital universe. Ensuring that this first interaction is seamless and impactful is a crucial foundation for success. The concept of website optimization goes beyond aesthetics, diving deep into the realm of user experience. It's about strategically integrating compelling calls-to-action (CTAs), facilitating smooth checkout processes, and ensuring that your website is responsive and accessible across mobile devices. Each of these elements collaborates to create an environment that not only engages visitors but also fuels B2B lead generation, ultimately leading to increased conversions.

Implement SEO Best Practices: Navigating the vast expanse of the digital landscape requires a strategic compass. Search engine optimization (SEO) is that compass, guiding your brand towards higher visibility and discoverability. By refining your website and content to align with search engine algorithms, you pave a path for potential customers to easily find you. This journey involves meticulous keyword research, the cultivation of authoritative backlinks, and the crafting of top-notch content. Together, these elements elevate your brand's presence in search engine rankings, positioning you as an authority in your niche and drawing organic traffic to your virtual doorstep.

Harness the Power of Content Marketing: In a world driven by information and engagement, content marketing emerges as a beacon of connection. This dynamic strategy involves creating and disseminating valuable, relevant content that resonates with your target audience. From thought-provoking blog posts and visually captivating infographics to immersive videos and educational webinars, content marketing weaves a narrative that not only builds brand credibility but also educates potential leads. By serving as a bridge between information and conversion, content marketing shapes a customer journey that is both meaningful and impactful.

Leverage Social Media Advertising: In the realm of social media, where connections are forged and conversations thrive, lies an untapped reservoir of advertising potential. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer a treasure trove of advertising options equipped with advanced targeting capabilities. These tools empower you to direct your messages towards potential customers based on their behaviors, preferences, and demographics. This laser-focused approach brings your brand to the forefront of your audience's attention, fostering recognition, trust, and ultimately, sales conversions.

Engage in Email Marketing: Amidst the whirlwind of digital advancements, email marketing remains a steadfast pillar in the lead generation landscape. It's the art of personalized communication, where each email serves as a conduit for tailored promotions, informative content, and the nurturing of leads. Cultivating a robust email list lays the foundation for strategic email campaigns, where the crafting of compelling content fosters a direct and intimate relationship between your brand and potential customers. This relationship, in turn, fuels conversions and drives your e-commerce success.

Partner with Influencers: The power of influence is a force to be reckoned with in the digital era. By collaborating with influencers who hold sway over your target audience, you unlock an avenue of amplified visibility and credibility. These influencers, with their engaged online following, introduce your brand to a wider audience, fostering trust and recognition. The partnership forms a symbiotic relationship, driving both your brand's growth and the influencer's engagement, a testament to the transformative potential of influencer marketing in e-commerce.

Use Retargeting Campaigns: In the intricate dance of e-commerce, not every lead converts immediately. This is where retargeting campaigns step in, reminding potential customers of their engagement with your brand. These campaigns strategically place ads on social media platforms or deliver timely email reminders, gently nurturing warm leads and guiding them towards conversion. By maintaining a consistent presence in their digital landscape, you increase the chances of converting engaged leads into loyal customers.

In summation, the realm of e-commerce lead generation is a symphony of strategies. From website optimization to content marketing, social media finesse, influencer collaboration, and the art of retargeting, each tactic plays a distinct role in enhancing lead generation, elevating conversion rates, and propelling your online sales to unprecedented heights. As you embark on this dynamic journey, remember that success lies in not just embracing these strategies but also in adapting them to the evolving e-commerce trends and the unique pulse of your business. Your commitment to continuous refinement and innovation will undoubtedly chart a course towards sustained e-commerce triumph.

#AccountSend #BusinessOwnersDatabase #VerifiedB2BEmails #B2BContactDatabase #CEOEmailAddresses #SalesLeadsDatabase #B2BEmailList #B2BLeadsDatabase #VerifiedBusinessLeads #B2BLeadsList #Youtube

[dandelionrevolution]

Good News - April 1-7

Like these weekly compilations? Support me on Ko-fi! Also, if you tip me on here or Ko-fi, at the end of the month I’ll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn’t use each week - almost double the content! (I’m new to taking tips on here; if it doesn’t show me your username or if you have DM’s turned off, please send me a screenshot of your payment)

1. Three Endangered Asiatic Lion Cubs Born at London Zoo

“The three cubs are a huge boost to the conservation breeding programme for Asiatic lions, which are now found only in the Gir Forest in Gujarat, India.”

2. United Nations Passes Groundbreaking Intersex Rights Resolution

“The United Nations Human Rights Council has passed its first ever resolution affirming the rights of intersex people, signaling growing international resolve to address rights violations experienced by people born with variations in their sex characteristics.”

3. Proposal to delist Roanoke logperch

“Based on a review of the best available science, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has determined that the Roanoke logperch, a large freshwater darter, is no longer at risk of extinction. […] When the Roanoke logperch was listed as endangered in 1989, it was found in only 14 streams. In the years since, Roanoke logperch surveys and habitat restoration have more than doubled the species range, with 31 occupied streams as of 2019.”

4. Fully-Accessible Theme Park Reopens Following Major Expansion

“Following the $6.5 million overhaul, the park now offers [among other “ultra-accessible” attractions] a first-of-its-kind 4-seat zip line that can accommodate riders in wheelchairs as well as those who need extra restraints, respiratory equipment or other special gear.”

5. ‘The Javan tiger still exists’: DNA find may herald an extinct species’ comeback

“A single strand of hair recovered from [a sighting] is a close genetic match to hair from a Javan tiger pelt from 1930 kept at a museum, [a new] study shows. “Through this research, we have determined that the Javan tiger still exists in the wild,” says Wirdateti, a government researcher and lead author of the study.”

6. Treehouse Village: Eco-housing and energy savings

““The entire place is designed and built to meet the passive house standard, which is the most energy-efficient construction standard in the world,” says resident Wayne Groszko, co-owner of one of the units at Treehouse.”

7. 50 rare crocodiles released in Cambodia's tropical Cardamom Mountains

“Cambodian conservationists have released 50 captive-bred juvenile Siamese crocodiles at a remote site in Cambodia as part of an ongoing programme to save the species from extinction.”

8. The Remarkable Growth of the Global Biochar Market: A Beacon of Environmental Progress

“Biochar, a stable carbon form derived from organic materials like agricultural residues and forestry trimmings, is a pivotal solution in the fight against global warming. By capturing carbon in a stable form during biochar production, and with high technology readiness levels, biochar offers accessible and durable carbon dioxide removal.”

9. 'Seismic' changes set for [grouse shooting] industry as new Scottish law aims to tackle raptor persecution

“Conservation scientists and campaigners believe that birds such as golden eagles and hen harriers are being killed to prevent them from preying on red grouse, the main target species of the shooting industry. […] Under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill, the Scottish grouse industry will be regulated for the first time in its history.”

10. White House Awards $20 Billion to Nation’s First ‘Green Bank’ Network

“At least 70 percent of the funds will go to disadvantaged communities, the administration said, while 20 percent will go to rural communities and more than 5 percent will go to tribal communities. […] The White House said that the new initiative will generate about $150 billion in clean energy and climate investments[…].”

March 22-28 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

#hopepunk #good news #lion #conservation #zoo #india #intersex #lgbt rights #human rights #fish #endangered #disability #accessibility #amusement park #tiger #big cats #extinction #extinct species #ecofriendly #affordable housing #energy efficiency #crocodiles #global warming #climate change #scotland #raptor #eagles #hunting #solar panels #solar energy

[admrlthundrbolt]

Elevate (King x Chubby Reader)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After searching high and low, King still couldn't find anyone that would train him. But as luck would have it his favorite heroine has a similar issue. How will he keep his secret in front of this ferociously cute bear lady?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey guys, I'm back at it again. Had the hankering to write something for our cowardly King. Heads up this is based in some of the newer issues of manga. The only context you need, if your not caught up, is that a lot of stuff gets destroyed. So most of the heros move into a huge building, that the Hero Association owns.

Anywho, I hope you enjoy.

---------------------------------------------------------

His breath came out in harsh puffs. Looking down at his watch, he was shocked. The workout program showed that he had only gone a couple of kilometers. For a guy who usually ran away, he was disappointed at how quickly the run had winded him. But if he wanted to become the hero everyone believed him to be. Well he had to start somewhere.

After every martial master refused to teach him, he went back to Saitama. Whose only advice was to just get stronger. Which was an easy statement for the strongest person King had ever met to make. Though after explaining about his failed searching, the other man did offer his own training regimen.

So here he was doing laps around the Hero Association's new mega building. As he neared the front entrace, he heard a noise and paused. He didn't want anyone to see him winded and have to deal with a lot of questions. Peeking from behind a jut in the structure, he flushed for a different reason.

You stood there, not in your usual uniform, stretching. Arms reaching out above you, he grew even warmer at the sight of your soft cute tummy peeking out. The way your body bounced as you went through different moves were captivating. Your bear tail and ears flicking about were enough to make his pulse race.

This wasn't the first time you had made him react in such a way. When you first debut it was an odd sight. A cute girl with bear features that could rip apart monsters in a moment. You were a beacon of hope. Volunteering your time and appearing in non-profit commercials.

The first time he saw you on TV, he thought it was a commercial for an upcoming video game. Turns out you only looked like you had jumped out of one of his favorite fighting games.

He watched as you finished with your stretching and started training. It was mostly punching at an invisible opponent. But the strength you put into each move was beyond impressive to him.

It wasn't until his watch vibrated and warned him to take a break, that he snapped out of his stupor. It turned out that watching you had made his pulse race so much, that the device thought he was overworking himself. Realizing that maybe it was a sign to call it a day. He turned around to an entrance that wasn't in your line of sight. It would be best to meet you under better circumstances. Mainly less sweaty and calmer circumstances.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wiping the sweat from your brow, you took a long swig of water. Training was always grueling, but if it meant you could keep the citizens safe, you didn't mind. Though a frown crossed your face as you thought of why you usually trained outside. For as much as the Hero Association marketed you as a ‘beacon of hope', the title made you scoff whenever you heard it. It seemed that when it came to your relationship with the heros, you were viewed as more monster than Hero. When you weren't fighting you were seen as cute and cuddly. But the moment you brought out the teeth and claws to protect people. Well no one wanted to risk training with the someone that looked like they would go feral any second.

Shaking your head, you tried to put a positive spin on the situation. Maybe you could meet up with heros that felt similar and wanted a new training partner. I mean with all of you gathered in the same building. There had to be a pretty good chance that you weren't the only one that felt this way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day he went out to attempt Saitama's routine again. But paused as you came out the building not long after. It seemed that you had similar times that you preferred to train.

He stopped to watch you again. Taking the his time to really study your technique. He became so enraptured in your movement, that he failed to continue his own workout. He thought if only I could get up the courage to ask you for help. Maybe though, taking in your way of fighting, from a distance that is. Could be a good starting point.

Thus began his plan of getting in a bit of training in. Then he would observe you and try to understand how you fought. At least until he could manage to ask you to personally teach him. Hopefully you wouldn't be another person on his list of to intimidated to interact with.

And that worked for a while, until Amai Mask decided to give his opinion.

You were in the middle of a round of shadow boxing. Hearing door open, you figured it was time for a water break. Only to regret it as you noticed just who was heading out the door. Amai Mask, the pretty face of the Hero Association himself. It wasn’t that you hated the guy, but there was something about him that made you wary. And this time was no exception.

“Ah (Y/N), what a pleasant surprise.” He smiled as the lie fell from his lips. He had been urged by the higher ups, to persuade you into doing more face time and less fighting. You always boosted their donation. Who better to have a talk with you than the face of the Hero Association?

“Hey, how have you been?” You wiped your brow and took another glup of water. Maybe if you kept the conversation casual, this wouldn't take long.

“I've been well.” His answer is flippant. “Though I'm glad I happened across you. I've been meaning to discuss something with you.” He sent you a dazzling smile, thinking it would butter you up.

King cringed as he watched the other man smile at you. Of course he wasn't the only one interested in you. You were beautiful, had a wonderful out look, and saved people for a living. You were beyond the total package.

An uneasiness settle in your stomach. You didn't like the idea of a ‘discussion’ with him. Still you tried to be on good terms with all the other heros. You guys should work as a team to help the citizens, not squabble amongst each other. “Oh really. Well, I'm all ears." You followed this up with a wiggle of your bear ears. Which cause King to stiffle what he wouldn't admit was a squeal of joy.

Amai Mask smile stiffened as he watched the cute gesture. A part of him envied how easy it was for you to be likable. Your little bear features and soft body made you approachable and cute. But you were much to open and sweet for his liking. It had given him the occasional thought of how fun it might be to corrupt you. Though the feral way that you took care of monsters seemed to be a flaw in your image. “It's about your fighting style. I believe if you took more time promoting the Hero Association, you may climb in the popularity polls.”

Your brow pinched in confusion. “What does my popularity ranking have to do with me being a hero?”

“Honey, if you don't make the Association look good…. Well who know where your hero rank may be.” He looked down his nose at you, waiting for your response.

Eyes narrowing at the thinly veiled threat, you frowned. “None of that matters to me. If I can't be out there saving people, then I don't deserve to call myself a hero.”

King could feel his heart swell at your words. You truly were one of the few people he knew that could hold the title of hero. But as he saw the other man start to struggle to hold back his anger. He knew that it was time to stop hiding.

Stepping around the building, he jogged forward. “I couldn't agree more.” He stepped by your side and nodded to you. Hoping that neither of you could hear his heart racing.

He had startled you at first, but as he said that. You couldn't help the was your smile beamed at him. It was nice to hear another hero feel the same way. It made you believe that you were a bit less alone.

Amai Mask was glad that you had turned your attention to the other man. It gave him a moment to gather himself and push his rage aside. Which was a hard thing to do at this time. Not only had King interupted, but he was backing you up. How could he undermine the Seventh S Ranking hero. He wasn't quite sure what the Association's stance would be. So for now he would just have to report back. “Well, you've heard my offer. I'll make my leave, for now.”

You both watched him retreat back through the front entrace. Rubbing the back of your neck, you faced King once again. “That was intense.” Then you burst out in giggles. The situation was just so comical, now that the tension had dispersed.

Gazing down at you, he couldn't help chuckling himself. “I hope you didn't mind me stepping in.”

Shaking your head you smiled brightly at him. “Not at all. You probably saved me from a pressured situation. So thank you.”

He flushed deeply, your appreciation made his heart hammer in his chest. He realised this would be the perfect opportunity to request you as a training partner. “I noticed you were training earlier. Would you be interested in doing it together?” He prepared for rejection.

Grabbing his hand, you nodded your head fervently. “That would be amazing. Do you want to start now?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He loved spending time with you, but the training you went through was brutal. Compared to Saitama's routine, he was attempting a cake walk before. Though he did have to keep in mind that this was a regimen that you cultivated for yourself. So he would pant and ache, to get stronger and be your training partner. Maybe he wouldn't drop dead from exhaustion.

You felt exhilarated, King was working out with you. It was amazing to finally have someone to train with. After admitting your troubles finding a partner. Well, he confessed that he had ran into a similar problem. Which you had a hard time believing. This man was the nicest and most considerate gentle giants you had the pleasure of meeting. You had told him that ranks had quit meaning anything to you a while ago. How a person treated others will always be a better judge of character, than a stupid rank number. He seemed shocked at your answer, but agreed.

You gazed fondly at the man as he slumped over. He may have the title strongest hero, but his stamina sure could use some work. Taking a sip from you water, you held the bottle to him.

His flushed cheeks worsened as you offered him the bottle. With a moments hesitation he took it and greedily glupped. It was one thing to think of your lips touching the same drink. Hydrating was more important than over thinking a kind gesture. Still, watching you wipe your brow made him admire you in the afternoon sun just a bit longer.

“OK, now that the warm up is out of the way. Let's move onto some sparing.” You widened your stance as you faced the large man. You couldn't help but notice the way he seemed to glow beautifully after a run.

His eyes widen at the thought of go toe to toe with you. He could feel his heart beat picking up.

You grew excited as you heard King's motor start to Rev up. A feral look started to slide onto your expression. “Now don't go easy on me.” Then you lunged towards him.

He really wish you hadn't said that. Diving away from you, he panicked. Darting this way and that, he did his best to avoid you.

“Come on now. You can go all out if you want.” Your tone had dipped a bit deeper and claws elongated.

His heart grew the loudest he had ever heard it. This only seemed to excite you further. He had thoroughly enjoyed his time with you these passed weeks. The training had been helpful and any moment spent with you was wonderful. But it seemed that his pleasent adventures with you would come to an end. He had to tell you the truth, that he was a fraud. Which he was sure would end any sort of relationship you had on a sour note.

He stopped running and turned to tell you. Only for you to run into him, causing you both to crash into the ground. His head slammed against the ground, vision going blurry. He could hear your voice, but it was like he was underwater. It sounded like you were upset, you shouldn't be though. He tried to tell you to not worry, it was his fault. But he couldn't form proper words. As his eyes slid shut, he could feel your arms slide under him. His final thought was of how warm you felt against him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He awoke in a bright room, under itchy sheets. The sound of machinery filled the room and a faint snoring. Looking for the odd sound, finding you in a chair next to the bed he was in. Even with you slumped forward and snoring. He wasn’t sure he had ever witnessed a person more divine. Placing his hand on yours, he didn't expect you to suddenly shoot up.

Eyes wide, they darted around the room before landing on him. Then tears began to well up and you grabbed his hands. Bringing them to your chest you began rambling out apologizes. “I can't believe I gave you a concussion. If I hadn't been so reckless then none of this would have happened. There won't ever be a chance of that again. Everyone was right about me.”

As those last words spilled from your mouth, he shifted he hands to envelope yours. “Don't say that. You are one of the most selfless people I know. If anyone deserves to be a hero it's you." He gazed at you with a ferocity that he had never felt before. If there was a chance to tell you the truth it was now. He couldn't be the reason you gave up on your dream of helping people. “I'm not what people claim me to be. I'm a fraud, the furthest thing from the strongest man anyone could be. But I'm trying to become the person people want me to be. That's why I wanted to train so badly. And when you were open to a training partner…well I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Not with how amazing you are.”

You stared at him in shock. The man that you had grown a real fondness for, had also been lying. The time you had spent with him started to make a bit more sense. How endurance was his main focus. Or anytime sparing was mentioned he would change the subject. It was a lot to take in, but did it really change things? “So you were doing all of this to become the hero your reputation boasted?”

He nodded and took a moment to gather his thoughts. Considering that you weren't yelling at him or leaving the room. He decided to explain the situation to you. How it had started with the wrong place at the wrong time. Rumors turning into stories, that all pointed to him. Him being to scared to deny the accusation, thus leading to his S Rank status. Meeting Saitama, the person behind all of the heroism he was getting credit for. Then being told by the person who had saved him countless times, to became the hero that everyone expected. “Then I met you. The only person who was willing to train with me, who wasn't afraid of me.”

Throughout the whole story your hands remained in his. But as he laided himself bare to you. Putting out all the details he wasn't proud of and revealing his dreams. You intertwined your fingers together and gave him reassuring squeeze. It seemed that though you had different paths, fate point you towards the same destination. “Then it seems like we have a lot more training to do.”

His breath shuddered at your words. “You'll still have me as your training partner?”

A hard laugh burst from your chest. “Of course I will. You're not the only one who intimidates everyone. Seems like your stuck with me.” Sending a wink his way, you were pleasantly surprised at the flush that covered his cheeks. Leaning a bit closer, a feral smirk slid on your own expression. “I also wouldn't mind if we did more than training. Would you be interested in a date this weekend?”

Even the shock he felt at your question, couldn't delay the yes that shot from his lips. Though the moment was quickly interupted by a nurse rushing in to find out why his heart was racing so fast. As he watch you sheepishly apologize to the nurse. He could help but wonder what kind of hero you would help shape him into.

#one punch man #chubby reader #king opm #chubby reader x king #saitama #amai mask #training #lies #hurt/comfort #concussion #injury #pining #crush #peer pressure #intimidation #happy ending #idiots in love

[lundgreenhenneberg36]

Custom Software And App Development Company Based Within The Us

We arrange devoted development centers for our long-term customers to serve as their full-scale software engineering hubs with hand-picked skills and assets to satisfy their business requirements. We associate with world-class companies to construct internet functions, cell apps, IoT methods, APIs, and AI instruments. Our software products are priced competitively, offering prospects with cost-effective solutions that ship a high return on funding. The company is versatile and open to customizing our offerings, services to meet the unique wants of the customer. With sixteen years of expertise main the development of service-oriented web purposes, I even have been responsible for the delivery of many performance-critical functions. In distinction, off-the-shelf software provides a quick, cost-effective option with a broad utility scope but might have more specificity and integration capabilities for enterprise-wide necessities. Developing custom software is typically more secure because it's not a recognized goal for hackers. Security measures may be tailor-made to your specific requirements, making it much less susceptible to external threats, to guard sensitive knowledge, making certain compliance with industry laws. This contains practical testing to ensure the software meets its specs, in addition to performance, safety, and other types of software testing strategies and approaches. Get an ideal mash-up of devoted engineers, prime tech expertise, and stellar project ideas. With a MVP, you possibly can check the market demand for your thought, gather priceless feedback, and make knowledgeable decisions on the means to move forward with your business. We might help you write or rewrite your software to be accessed safely in the cloud regardless of where it lives right now. It’s too essential to you, your organization, and our nation to belief sending your software ideas abroad in the perception that one method or the other, it’s going to be cheaper. However, in accordance with a unique examine, 80% of shelf software features have been not often or never used. Off-the-shelf software is the device for you if you want something that is instantly usable and capable of handling many user profiles. Tackle any challenge with custom purposes that improve productivity, efficiency and your backside line. Our software products come with complete technical assist, so users can get the assistance they want when they want it. Our software merchandise prioritize the safety of customers' data and are equipped with advanced security measures to protect in opposition to cyber threats. Our software products are designed to assist users be more productive by automating tasks, lowering handbook effort and saving time. Our technological guidance for enterprises is your ticket to hassle-free digital transformation, which inevitably is overtaking the enterprise sector. Energize your corporation performance with streamlined processes, information integration, responsive software infrastructure, and scalable systems. Content Management Systems are software purposes that enable organizations to create, manage, and publish digital content material on their websites or different online platforms. CMS permits users to simply update and modify website content material without requiring technical experience. It offers options similar to content material creation, modifying, publishing, version control, and workflow administration. software development companies uk optimization. The clamor for personalised and efficient software solutions is rising exponentially in the quickly evolving business setting, permitting organizations to fulfill particular needs and streamline operations. Custom software development has emerged as a beacon of innovation, providing tailor-made solutions that align with particular person enterprises’ unique calls for and objectives. Saving costs and enhancing the quality of work can be done by coding greatest practices into the shared software platform, which is easy to discover and to adopt by the Agile squads. Moreover, using planning strategies prevents teams from getting lost as a result of unclear necessities and mistaken assumptions, focusing on deliverables in the context of impacts they're supposed to attain. Agile project management is critical as a end result of complexity of various software tasks. Design safe dashboards with key business, monetary and operational indicators, delivered immediately with the power to drill down to every single digit. Prototype to “fail fast” or enrich and strengthen your idea, ship a product model for accumulating feedback from early adopters, and put together a basis for a full-fledged roll-out. When you have a remote workforce, your telecommuting coverage ought to address expectations, necessities, and the distant tools and communication strategies allowed. Displaying only the information remote workers need – and safeguarding the rest of your information – enables you to enable collaboration and keep your company information protected from data breaches. When companies build custom packages in-house, builders can contemplate the company’s present hardware capabilities whereas building the software. Still, it typically includes lively participation in necessities gathering, suggestions and approval throughout design and development, and collaboration in testing and quality assurance efforts. We developed a mobile app for this iconic motorbike model that transforms fan engagement. The app permits exhibition staff to seamlessly seize data from prospective prospects, enriching... Build a really user-oriented digital product with an skilled group that makes use of clear and effective design solutions. Enrich your users’ expertise with new options, optimize solutions, and increase efficiency with cloud and DevOps practices. Start advancing in the modern digital transformation setting by evaluating opportunities and applying the right technology alongside custom software engineering companies along with your finish objective in thoughts. With custom applications, your software solutions will develop and change with your corporation. We leverage deep automation, machine studying, and cloud transformation to transform your present techniques into agile and extremely environment friendly platforms.

#software development companies uk #uk software company #software solutions #business software solutions #custom software solutions